keeping on keeping up!!

Chris writes...do you find it hard to keep up with life sometimes? Feel like it is just racing past you in a blur??


Things are going so well and God is just blessing us amazingly....settling into our new home...made some bookcases!!...talking and praying about our plans for the centre...talking and praying about our other exciting plans for the summer....(young/at heart people have you heard about OM Transform...come to Kosova!!)... other new ministry opportunities.....held a drug education talk which was supported and appreciated by our church....part two is next week....!! Wow!!

But not all is perfect...still problems with our fridge...our van could be on it last wheels..!!

.................and it is still raining today!!!

..................................................there is an air of expectation around here!!

Please pray that I can keep both feet on the ground and my eyes fixed on Him!!

God You are still amazing!!!...Part two!!!!

Chris writes: so we had a really good meeting with the landlord....

Our friends even had a Scripture, Romans 5: 1-5, which we shared with him.

We have agreed to start renting the premises from June, and from 11th - 25th June plan to have a working party here in Gjakova...... for anyone willing to come and help us get the place fitted out with decorating, kitchen etc....more news in our newsletter....but do check your diaries now!!













Now we need your prayers and support more than ever!!!

Happy Easter!!

God You are still........amazing!!!

Chris writes: doesn't God just constantly amaze you?

We are now feeling quite settled in our new home and have even had two seperate people staying in my office/our spare room.

We are looking at the ministry now and our vision to open a 'lighthouse' in the community.

We have not really even had time to worry where the finances and people power was going to come from to make this vision a reality...God has not stopped blessing us!!

We have had people giving financially and very generously over the last few weeks and also news of a new team member who will be joining us in September!!

We also met with a couple who have given us some wise council and the confirmation to step out in faith......we do not have everything we need but feel we need to arrange to have a working party come out here in June and help us make this dream become a reality.

We also have a couple from the UK here at the moment...some of our supporters but so much more......friends..parents!! who have just so encouraged and blessed us......

So it is time to step out...we meet with the landlord tonight!!

Praise The Lord.......forget not all His benefits!!

How easy we can forget....!!

Chris writes: we are now settling into our new apartment and can call it our home!! We moved here last Monday, 19th, so just over a week ago. One week to the day we had most of the furniture and carpets we need and even had the wachine machine plugged in!! Lorraine was so happy and we have done about five loads in two days!!! We have also been unpacking boxes, some of the things, such as our wedding crockery....the Denby.......was last seen about 4 years ago when we first moved here!!

GOD is so GOOD!! But how quickly we can forget!

We have not had a proper home of our own since last May and so as you can imagine are soooo enjoying it at the moment! We can however quickly start to take things for granted.

Am reading in Deuteronomy at the moment and as the Children of Israel stood listenning to Moses while standing on the banks of the Jordan, it had been 40 years since they had their own homes.....they had grown up being NFA (No Fixed Abode). Yet when they settled how quickly they forgot!!

"Help us not to forget Your Blessings Lord!! Amen!"

Thanks for your support and prayers for our ministry in Kosova xx

Yeh...Praise God!!!

Chris writes....well after six weeks here and being almost literally up to our neck in snow...at last the snow has gone and.........we have found a new home!! Praise God!!

It has been tough for us both being in this 'waiting pattern'......I tend to internalise things and so have become depressed......while Lorraine shares her worries with me! We know it has been for a reason and I believe (and pray) that we will come out of it stronger. We have learnt more about ourselves, about each other and most importantly about the God we serve.

The apartment only has some sofas and chairs and today we have (almost) got a bed and also a wardrobe!!

Praise God...He is so Good!!

Long time not here!!.....

.......Lots to update and share..Chris writes: it has been a long time since we have been here! Sorry that we have neglected this way to update you but thanks so much that you are still with us!!
So where have we been and what is going on now??

Well, we had a great time in the UK and it was so good to see some of you and share our vision personally. We travelled up and down the UK seeing our families and spent Christmas and New Year celebrating with them. Then we had three weeks seeing some of you guys and it was great to have so much love and support from you...thankyou from us both!!

We returned here on 25th January and most of the country was covered in a blanket of snow..we could not even land for 15 minutes! The snow and the amount that we have had has dominated most of the last month! Some days we could not even get our vehicle out of the place where we have been staying and so had to walk into town. A meeting in town or a trip to the bank took up most of the day! Praise God for computers and internet!

We then took some time out, while we waited for the snow to go, so we went to stay with some friends for a few days and then had some much needed time on our own, the first quality time since November!

So now the snow is disappearing and it is so good to see some green grass appearing at last! We are able to use our vehicle again, and most of the roads are clear of snow.

Naturally a permanent place to live is our priority and we must find somewhere before we can stride ahead with the vision we believe God has for us here that we shared with many of you during our time in UK.

It is interesting but we launched our vision for Gjakove, for us to be a lighthouse to the community, with a certian amount of hesitancy, bearing in mind the financial crisis affecting most of the world. On the other hand we did not expect to have any problems finding a place to live here in Gjakove. Everywhere you look there are five or six storey plus, blocks of flats appearing. But God is a God of the miraculous and He often turns things upside down and reminds us that He is in control............so.......we have had hundreds of pounds given to us while in UK and even since we have come back here.....we have obviously inspired so many of you with our vision.....and....we have not managed to find a place to live yet!! God likes to surprise us sometimes...making sure we do not forget who is God......who is the creator.....not just of us but of our hopes and dreams and who is the created beings!!

It has been a testing time for us as I am sure for many of you....but I read this just today which we have put into our praise and prayer letter...let us know if you don't get it......

‘….We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next’. Romans 3 & 4 TM

Thanks for your support and for reading this and I promise the next one will not be as long!!

God Bless

Almost there!

Chris writes: So we have now completed more than a year together here in Kosova with OM. In total we have been in Kosova for three years. This has been a year where we have seen many ups and downs...we had a hard winter in our first house here and some of you shared in our sadness and loss during those days. Then when we were at our lowest and our money was cut we were offered a house rent free at just the right time. We had a good summer in the lovely house. We have house sat for other people during the year and this has made us appreciate and look forward to our own home so much. We will hopefully be in a position to rent our own home again during the spring of next year. We now both have a basic language though know we need more! Chris has worked in the schools and kids clubs around Kosova with the drug education and has built some good relationships. Lorraine has been developing her ministry and has built some good relationships with the kindergartens and is growing a craft passion and ministry.

We have much to be thankful for as we look back over the year..most of all to God for His goodness, grace and provision...but also to you, our supporters for your prayers and support.

We are looking forward and will be both be in the UK from mid December until end of January...details to follow...but are excited about returning...we believe we have a vision to establish a base here and build on the foundations we have laid over the last year and have many opportunities to share that while in the UK.

We have really appreciated your support and prayers over the last year and look forward to the next year with excitement.....and also trepidation!!

God Bless