Starting to Get Back to Normal...

Summer is coming and life is slowly getting back to normal here in Slovenia. My Slovene teacher described it as: outside life goes on, inside things are still weird. Most things have started to reopen although most children won't be going back to school before the autumn. People are still quite cautious but with only 4 new cases in the last week, it definitely seems like the worst is past us now (unless of course there is the dreaded second wave!)

This has meant that I've finally been able to go out for coffee and ice cream and start meeting people in person. It was quite gratifying to find out that the waiters at my favourite coffee shop still recognised me and knew my order! It's amazing how great the little things are, sunshine, meeting people in person etc. I know many of you are still a long way away from this so I won't go on about it too much!

Of course there are still restrictions. Using the bus for the first time was an adventure. Half the seats have notices on them forbidding their use. All public places including the bus have hand sanitiser everywhere and we still have to wear our masks within indoor public places (unless it's a cafe or restaurant, it's not quite so easy to eat and drink with a mask on!)

In terms of church meetings, we are still online for most things. A lot of this is due to the fact we don't have our own building and so we have to wait until we're allowed back into our rented space. Tonight, though, we will have our first youth group together in an outside space. It will be really good to see them all again.

Just a note of encouragement to end this post. Within the last month a student from another part of Slovenia became a Christian and somehow found our church's details online. She has been joining our ladies group Bible study for the last couple of weeks. I didn't quite understand exactly how it all happened (it was all in Slovene), how she became a Christian and why she is meeting with us, but it is great to see that God is still working. Coronavirus has not and will not stop his work!

The Lockdown Eases...

 My apologies to those of you in countries still with strict lockdown measures in place. Here in Slovenia we are, thankfully, finally starting to ease the lockdown. In the last week there has been at most 6 new cases in a day so we are definitely in a good place to start getting back to normal. This means that places such as cafes have started opening up again although only their outside portions. Public transport is now operational again although with very strict instructions listed at the bus stop (5 points** to whoever works out what the list in the picture means*. *No points if you already speak Slovene. **Points don't necessarily mean prizes). It's not surprising really but I liked the fact that they put up a dummy's guide to using the bus during this period! Schools will soon be opening up again but only for certain grades. We are also now allowed to travel around the country. I'm definitely looking forward to the opportunity to get out of Ljubljana!

My biggest fears lately have been how all this affects my return to the UK that is currently scheduled for the end of August. I have heard that Ljubljana airport is due to reopen next week which is great. I just have to wait and see if my flight will go ahead as scheduled. I'm praying that it will all go well. My parents had been due to come visit me at the beginning of June but this will obviously have to be postponed. I had hoped that they would be able to take a suitcase of stuff back with them but I guess this means that I will have to leave a few more things than I hoped here in Slovenia. The good news is that I'm definitely hoping to be back in Ljubljana by next September. Plans need to be confirmed and obviously I need to raise the finances to continue serving God in Slovenia (if you want to know how you can help in this way, please email me at s.re.deacon@gmail.com). Please be praying for me as I try to make plans for the future in this very uncertain time.

Although things are starting to open up, it's still not certain when my normal activities will resume and when we will be able to meet again as a church. Churches who own their own buildings are starting services again, although it looks like they will be socially distanced with little or no fellowship. My housemate who goes to the Pentecostal church described it as turn up, listen to the sermon, go home straight away! My church does not own its own building and so we are governed by the decisions of the organisation who own and run the building we use on a Sunday. We also rent space for our youth groups so again we have to wait and see what they say. This means that I'm going to be living online for at least the next couple of weeks. I am, as I'm sure many of you are, very grateful for the invention of the internet during this period. Although I can't meet with people face to face, I am still able to meet with them and I continue to be encouraged by the girls I meet with on a regular basis. I'm now just counting down the days until I can see people in real life again and have a proper coffee and ice cream with them!

Yep We're Still At Home...

Life moves very slowly when you're stuck inside doesn't it? To be honest, as I sit to write this post there's not much new to say. We're all doing our best to keep healthy and protect the most vulnerable people in society. Here in Slovenia it feels like we're almost coming to the end of the lockdown. More shops have started to open and many more restrictions will be lifted on 4th May.

Many of you will know that I was quite worried for Slovenia as a country at the beginning of the outbreak - we neighbour Italy and lots of people were travelling back and forth across the border. We can praise God that a big outbreak never materialised. The most new infections in one day was 70 which happened a few weeks ago. Since then the numbers have been kept very low. Of course there is always the worry that we'll get a second wave but I'm trusting God with whatever happens. 

I'm definitely grateful for the internet and the way that I'm still able to connect with people during this time. I've been keeping busy with preparing and leading studies each week with some of the teenagers in the church. I also made a video last week about my life in lockdown so email me at s.re.deacon@gmail.com if you would like the link for that.

I think what I've appreciated most about this time has been the ability to spend time with and getting to know my housemates better. We definitely all have our quirks but I have to say that I'm the only one in the flat who didn't want to be involved in making an advert for our mop... (Yep, there is a video out there about the joys of using our mop!) We've all had our ups and downs during this period but it's been great knowing that they understand and that we can support each other through the frustrations of this period.

I have to say I'm really looking forward to just being able to see a different part of the city! When this lockdown ends I'm planning on enjoying the country as much as I can before I leave for the UK at the end of August. Who knows what type of country I'll be returning to...

Reflections on Good Friday During a Pandemic...

We're all living in a strange time, a time that we could never have imagined even two months ago. When tragedy comes, and this is a tragedy, it is important to stop, think and reflect. This period has given some people more free time, more time to spend catching up with family and loved ones, time to do those little things they never were able to do before. For others, this time is frantic, scary and full of stress. For those of you who are key workers, I join with many others to say thank you for the hard work you are doing at this time.
Despite the busyness and stress many may be facing today, it is still important to stop and think, even if only for a moment, about what today means. Two thousand years ago a group of unremarkable people also had their world turned upside down. They were scared, devastated and just seen their whole world changed. They were so scared that they too locked themselves away to protect them from the the outside world. They had just seen their leader killed and they themselves feared facing death. It sounds very familiar doesn't it?

One can't help but notice that if the disciples had just listened a little bit harder to what Jesus had told them whilst he was still alive, they would have realised that this was not the end of the story and that God was working through the cross to defeat sin and death. If they'd listened to Jesus, they wouldn't have been so afraid of what was to come. I think the same is true for us today but with one major difference - Jesus has already defeated sin and death, we know the end of the story.

This pandemic is making many people think about their own mortality, think about what the world will be like when all is said and done. We can all see the problems in this world and whilst we are seeing a lot of good in people, we are also seeing the bad - the selfishness, the greed, the self interest and the lack of care for others. Good Friday reminds us that this is what Jesus came to deal with. He came to sort out a broken world and broken people.

Trusting God and asking for forgiveness is not a desperate act. It's not about being frightened into doing something no logical person would choose. It's about looking at the world around us, looking at ourselves and acknowledging that this is not right, we are not right and that only God can fix it all.

We may still be concerned about what the future brings and when we will be allowed our freedoms again but if we just stop, think and listen to what Jesus said then we can be reassured that God is still in control and if we trust in him, we have a certain hope and a future waiting for us.

Coronavirus, Snow and Good News Within the Darkness...

We're now nearly three weeks into our almost lockdown here in Slovenia. It's amazing how people adapt to the new normal. I don't know how many other people have experienced the sensation of watching TV that was obviously filmed ages ago and felt nervous that so many people were standing in such close contact! I'd like to welcome people in the UK to the lockdown party, I'm not sure it's a party I want to be in but I'm going to reiterate what many, many people are saying: STAY AT HOME! It's for your own good as well as for the good of everyone else around you!
This week I braved going to the supermarket. You can see that here we're quite good at the social distancing thing. It took 20 minutes to get inside and before we were allowed in we had to have our hands sprayed and everyone was given a pre wiped down trolley. It was a bit of a surreal experience.
From what I've seen, people in Slovenia are better at keeping the rules than those in the UK. At the moment we seem to be keeping the situation under control. Yes people are still getting sick and dying but it's a completely different situation compared to that just over the border in Italy. I'm sure many people are joining together in praying that this will all end soon.

As I already worked from home, my life hasn't changed too much. I'm able to conduct most of my work over the internet and most of the church groups are now happening online too. Until this last week the weather was nice enough that people were able to go for exercise outside. I live very close to the river and so I've been trying to get fresh air there, of course following all social distancing guidelines. What no one expected (ok I guess meteorologists may have done) was that it would snow this week! Last week we had temperatures of 20 degrees celsius which suddenly dropped to 2! Anyway, this has meant that more people are staying inside and that's probably helping things in all reality.
For me, I'm staying in good spirits although occasionally, within the last two days, I've started seeing signs that I may need to get outside for my own sanity. Yesterday I honestly had the thought "fish must be really fit since they have to keep swimming all the time..." One of my housemates and I have also been playing the game 'hide the balloons in the other's room.' We've had to get quite creative since we're both inside most of the time. Last night, however, I dreamt that she put them in my bed with me whilst I slept! Thankfully it wasn't real (I hope I haven't given her ideas!) but it is a sign of what's uppermost in my mind. I've also taken to building a work nest on my sofa. Everything I could possibly need is right there within reach!
Again, I'm praying that this all ends soon.

Despite these hard times, God is still in control and has not forgotten us. He is still working in the lives of the people I work with and I continue to be encouraged by the young people I meet with every week.
I've also seen God working in my own life, smoothing the path for when I return to the UK at the end of August. I have been accepted into the Cornhill Bible Training Course in London starting in September. I will also have a placement at my sending church in Swindon and so I will be moving back there for the next year. I know that many of you support me in prayer for which I am very grateful and without which I couldn't do the work God has given me. I do, however, need to raise financial support both for this next year in the UK and for the future when I hope to return to Slovenia. God has already been answering many of these prayers, making all of this possible but if you feel that you would be able to help me in this please either let me know by email: s.re.deacon@gmail.com or by visiting my ECM worker page: https://www.ecmi.org/en/worker-detailpage/01441085-2cdb-4671-88d5-488b3c3c7ef1
Many thanks to those of you who already give or support me in various ways, it is really appreciated and once again I couldn't do this without all of you behind me.

Just to finish off, since I feel it is my civic duty to do so: STAY AT HOME (unless you're a key worker, are getting groceries or are doing your daily exercise)!

Coping with the Coronavirus Threat in Slovenia...

 Today is a miserable wet day here in Ljubljana. This morning I was sat in my room reflecting on the first few verses of Psalm 37 which say: ¹ Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong; ² for like the grass they will soon wither like green plants they will soon die away. ³ Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. ⁴ Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Now I know that a pandemic is not a person but I think the principle remains the same. We shouldn't fret because this time will pass. Instead, we should be trusting God and he will give us a hope and a future. It was at that moment that I looked up out of my window and saw that amongst all the greyness and the bare tree branches, one tree is in full blossom. To me this was a great picture and reminder that although the world around us may be falling apart, God always keeps his promises that these days will pass. His promises of hope and blessing are the anchor that we should be holding on to. We can trust him because he always has and always will do everything that he has promised.

It's in that perspective that I want to explain what the situation here is like. Since Slovenia is a such a small country it's not making any news headlines, but in case you have forgotten, we border Italy. Until a couple of days ago there was still a lot of cross border movement! The situation here has changed a lot and very quickly within the last week or so. The first case was confirmed on 4th March and as of today (13th March) the number is 141 with thankfully no deaths. Now in absolute numbers this doesn't seem too high but that's 67.8 cases per million. In context, China is currently on 56.1 and the UK is on 12. 

This isn't all my food...

Whilst the likelihood of me catching it is still quite low, I am feeling the effects of it. Some of my friends and family in the UK have had to self isolate (although as far as I know none of them have it) and our flat had our own mini panic earlier in the week although it turned out to be a false alarm. We haven't been panic buying (although one of my housemates did insist that we have enough toilet paper (!)) but we've tried to make sure that we are stocked up and prepared for the almost inevitable lockdown. 
Lots of restrictions have now been put in place. Gatherings of more than 100 people are banned which meant that a youth conference due to happen tomorrow has had to be postponed until October. All schools and universities have been closed and it looks like further measures will soon be introduced. Yesterday I got the news that all church activities have been cancelled at least for 2 weeks and that we should be restricting meetings with other people. Well, that's pretty much my entire job. Thankfully we live in the age of easy contact via the internet and I have arranged lots of Skype meetings, including my language lessons. That's the benefit of having a private tutor! I'm also very glad I have housemates, I think I may have started to go a bit mad if I was stuck in a flat by myself for 2 weeks! Don't get me wrong, we still have freedom of movement for the time being but I don't think much will happen. Everyone is very afraid of catching it and giving it to someone they love who may get very ill from it. There's definitely a sense of worry and guilt here.

My situation is not the same as those in Italy by any means but it feels like we're on the edge of that. To make things worse, Slovenia doesn't actually have a government at the moment. Please be praying for the leaders here that they will have wisdom in how to deal with the situation and that the health system would be able to cope with the massive pressure it will be put under. Most of all, please pray that we would remember not to fret but to trust God and in his promises!

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow...

Ok that might be a bit dramatic, we haven't had that much snow but this last week it's definitely felt like winter again. The weather here has been pretty mild and I thought that maybe spring was coming early. Not yet, at any rate! These last two weeks have been quite quiet but still very enjoyable for me. Last week was a school holiday so many of my regular meetings were cancelled. It was very encouraging though that the teenage girls all still wanted to meet up to read the Bible together despite them being on holiday and could easily have wanted to stay at home.

This last week has been a really good week for me too as my sister and her husband came to Slovenia, partly to spend time snowboarding, partly to spend time with me. I spent a great day up the mountain on Saturday, seeing a new side of Slovenia as I have never skied or s
nowboarded before (I still haven't as I spent the whole day in the cafe!) Our time together, however, was shortened a bit after they had adventures driving up a mountain and decided not to risk it again. This meant that although I couldn't see them every day, it gave me time to finish all the work that I needed to before we took a mini break to Lake Bled on Wednesday and Thursday. That was when the snow really came and gave a fairytale quality to the mountainous region we were visiting. It really was very beautiful.

Although the last couple of weeks have been a bit easier for me, it was nice to have a little break. I also met with the other leaders of the youth group and we were able to plan what we will be doing this next semester and to start to think about plans for a spring camp as well as one in summer and the possibility of taking a group of our teenagers to the concert in Hungary I was talking about in my last post. It all looks very exciting. I'm also quite excited about the topic we will be studying this term. Some of you may well have heard of the book God's Big Picture by Vaughan Roberts. It has now been turned into a video course complete with a Bible study which is available for free online. We're planning to translate the questions into Slovene but will have to cope with the videos themselves in English for the time being. Please be praying for this and for the teenagers as they look at the overall story of the Bible.

Thank you all again for your continued prayers and other support. I really couldn't do it without you all. I'm still in the position where I need to raise financial support, especially for next year but also for my long term ministry but I can't yet confirm what my plans are. I'm sorry for continuing to be vague but I would be very grateful if you would be able to help me in this way. If you feel that you would be able to help support me in this way you can either email me at s.re.deacon@gmail.com or click the donate button on my ECM worker page: https://www.ecmi.org/en/worker-detailpage/01441085-2cdb-4671-88d5-488b3c3c7ef1
Thank you all again for all the ways that you continue to support me, whatever they look like.