First Steps

Details, details
So it's been 3 1/2 weeks since our arrival here in Canada, and we are pleased to report that we have all our logistics in order:  housing, driver's licenses, Social insurance numbers, car, tenant and health insurance, and our car is inspected, registered and plated for Alberta! We also have a mobile phone that we share, and it can text free in North America.

Our faithful Lord has led us in all these things, and we are very grateful for the help of our hosts--the family we wrote you about who are from Calgary and just recently moved to Edmonton. Through them we learned about applying for what we needed and that we are in fact eligible for provincial health care, of which we heard otherwise at the border.


Ministry Beginnings
On November 11th we gathered our two families to worship and study the Word for the first service here in Edmonton! Dejan is going through the Gospel of John, and he finished the second chapter this past Sunday. Julie is leading worship and teaching the children in the parables of Jesus. The second week we were joined by another couple who have been praying for quite some time for a Calvary Chapel to be established in Edmonton. Our fellowship is edifying, and we are looking forward to meeting each week.

This Sunday we were joined by a family of missionaries who are on furlough. They are originally from Edmonton, but they were led of the Lord to Mexico, where He connected them with Calvary Chapel Bible College in Ensenada, though they had no previous knowledge of Calvary churches. It was a great blessing to fellowship with them.

Prayer
Please continue with us in prayer. We definitely feel the difference, and there is such comfort from the Lord in our transition as we are lifted to Him by you. Our most keenly felt prayer needs right now are:

• our family relationships (that our marriage and our girls would thrive despite all the chaos of logistics and moving in); guidance in parenting/effective, godly discipline
• to be filled and empowered with God's Holy Spirit in all we do
• direction and open doors to minister the gospel
• getting to know our local community

We're Here!

After 3 days of travelling and 3 1/2 hours at the Canadian border, we are successfully into Canada with all our things and our visas! We are so grateful to each person who helped us finish packing, cleaning and moving out in Pocatello, and for our road crew that got us and all our stuff up here to Edmonton. May the Lord reward you for your service to Him!

Here are a few pics from our journey:

We have passed the past 5 days getting some very basic things set up for ourselves. The biggest blessing is that we are being hosted by a family who recently moved here from Calgary and the Calvary Chapel there, so we have internet access, a temporary address, and our children have other children to play with while daddy and mama work on things.

Snow has already fallen the past three days, and it looks like Christmas, it is so wintry. The first day, Edmonton saw near record snow fall for a single day, with 20cm/8 inches dumping on the city over several hours. We figured it would be cold this season, and expected snow this year, but it sure was an interesting way to start out. Apparently, once the snow falls here, it stays until winter ends...in late March. Bring it on.

We hope to be into a place of our own by the middle of the month, and we will continue to work on the logistics of just living here, but Lord willing, by December we can be somewhat settled. We'll keep you posted as things go along.

Thanks for you prayers and support!
Dejan and Julie <><