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| Games at the Ladies' Christmas Event |
Talking of Christmas, yesterday our Ladies Bible Study Group had our annual craft evening. It was a chance to invite friends and neighbours to come along, eat good food, make crafts, sing carols together and of course hear a short Christmas message. It went really well and several guests came along. I also took the chance to teach them all the carol Once in Royal David's City (in Slovene). It surprised me that it was new to almost everyone but I was reminded recently that until independence in 1991, Christmas was not celebrated and it was just another working day. This means that many people in Slovenia just don't have long lasting Christmas traditions in the same way we do in the UK. It was a joy though to see these ladies learning and appreciating a carol I have known basically my whole life. They liked it so much that they took the music home and are now planning to practice after church each week so that we can sing it at Christmas!
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| All good events have amazing food! |
The next couple of weeks are looking quite busy for me as I have a lot of prep that I would like to get done before I take a break for Christmas. This Wednesday (7th) I am giving my next talk for the ladies on 1 Timothy 1: 12-20. Whilst by no means is it the most controversial passage in the book of 1 Timothy, it does have some hard things in there. Please be praying that I will be sensitive to my audience but without watering down the truths of the Bible. I am also preparing 2 sessions for the youth group on Christmas. I am using the book The Weirdest Nativity by Andrew Sach and Jon Gemmell as the basis for these sessions which looks at the Christmas story through the lens of Revelation 12. I have just about finished preparing the first session for this Friday but I still need to start on the second one. Finally, I am also writing the material we are using for youth group which is looking at big Bible words. There is a great song by Colin Buchanen called Big Words That End in Shun that gives the definitions of some of these words (eg Substitution, Jesus takes our place). We have already had the first 2 sessions and whilst I have written the 3rd, I really need to get more done before Christmas. This is partly so I can have a break over Christmas but also because I have a friend checking them for me and she's going to the UK in a week...Sufficed to say, I have plenty to be getting on with!
I know that many of you are praying for me and for my residency application. I'm sad to say that it's looking increasingly unlikely that I will receive my residency in time to come back to the UK for Christmas so I'm starting to plan for what I'll do in Slovenia. I had an appointment at the government offices last week and whilst they took my fingerprints and signature, all they could say was that my application was on a big pile, that it had not yet been processed and that all I can do is wait. Whilst I am obviously sad about this, I know that I just have to keep trusting God. I know that I am here for a reason, that I can only do all these things in his strength and that my residency will be awarded at the right time for his plan. Please be praying that I will keep trusting in and depending upon God!
