This morning I had a little bit of a surprise when I looked outside and there had been a sprinkling of snow overnight, it still feels too early for snow!
It's hard to believe that it's nearly the end of November and soon the run up to Christmas begins. In fact, it's already started. In my choir we've started practicing carols and I've started to prepare for a Nativity Play for our Sunday School to perform in church. This term is certainly passing by very quickly!
In youth group this term we have been looking at the book of Ephesians, which has been a great encouragement. I've continued meeting with two of the teenage girls one to one. Because of their other commitments (and constant tests in school) we can't meet every week, but we meet as often as possible. With one girl we have been working through a Bible Overview for the past year (with stops in Ruth and Esther) and this week we finally reached the New Testament! With the other girl we have been looking at the book of Romans. It is a great book but it is certainly challenging and so we've had good discussions about the great truths Paul teaches.
Since summer a small group of us involved in ministry have been meeting every two weeks to talk about ministry in Slovenia and what that looks like. We have been reading the Bible together as well as reading through some Christian books. I've realised that it is very easy to become blind to a lot of the things around us. It's been challenging but good to have new people come in and ask questions about why things are as they are. My church is definitely going through a time of transition and so it's helpful to think through a lot of the questions that are coming up. It's important to ask the question - is this Biblical or cultural - do things need to be changed, and if so why, and what to? Please be praying for the church as we work through these kinds of questions.
In other news, my arm is an ongoing saga. I am still seeing the physio regularly and still experience pain. I know I have some chronic issues, but I don't yet quite know whether this is just something I will have to live with, or whether it will actually recover. Please pray for me regarding this - it's draining to be in pain, and although it's not specifically affecting my work, it is affecting my everyday life and ability to do things I enjoy such as crochet and pilates. Of course I would love for God to take away the pain, but if that's not his will, please pray that I would have patience and to keep trusting God through the pain and frustration.
