The season of renewal

 Wow, winter has officially ended, but you wouldn't know it by looking out our windows! A fresh blanket of snow, atop the dwindling but stubborn snow pack, greeted us this morning as a reminder of how far north we actually live.

Spring is the time of renewal; nature reveals how much the rest provided by winter has made it possible for new life to start bursting forth. Our tulips have just braved the surface of our front planter as a sign of hope. But like all the years we have lived here, we wait. We will wait for weeks, usually well beyond Easter, for true spring. The effects of the equinox and lengthening days have an influence, but it just seems to take SO LONG for the winter's cold to finally yield to the changing season.

Our family is in another season of renewal: visa renewal. And there is waiting, and there are implications to it, too. Yesterday, our visas expired. We are now again in a period of "implied status" here, kind of like bureaucratic limbo. We have submitted our applications over a month ago, but, like the lingering winter that is slow to respond to the coming spring, we have a lingering hold while our applications are processed; approximately a 130-day wait.

Please join us in prayer that the Lord would be gracious and grant us our documents, so that we can continue to serve the church plant here. Until a decision is reached we are permitted to stay, but it is always a strange time that feels unsettled.

While we're waiting we have a few other needs. Some logistical, some personal. All for prayer.

First, a new tax accountant

Our Canadian accountant let us know that he is no longer doing personal taxes for any clients who don't also have a business. As our international tax situation is complicated, we have relied on him for years to help us navigate the complexities of our U.S.-Canada taxes, in partnership with our U.S.-based accountant. We are in need of a new accountant here a.s.a.p. and appreciate prayer for God's guidance to the right person or firm. Last year, due to our short visa status in 2020, we had no clergy tax credit and ended up paying a hefty sum to the Canadian government and will likely do so again because of the same reason. If our visa renews, it will be Lord willing, for three years, and we can avoid these heavy taxes for next year.

Second, health coverage

Every time our visas expire before we get new ones, we have to apply for a health care coverage extension. The extension is 90 days. Please pray that we will get the extension easily and for no health emergencies (both overall and in the meantime). Praise God our recent health issues (eye checks, new glasses, a broken finger and injured toe, all on different people) don't need any further care and our other  care is separate and self-pay.

Third, safety

We have had a string of physical ailments or injuries over the course of fall and winter. Many are from trips and falls; some are adult, some children. Nothing too serious, but it has just seemed like alot. 

Julie has had an autoimmune disorder for years and now one of the girls does as well. Also, Julie's has re-surfaced after decades of dormancy (but this seemed to be connected pretty directly to a tetanus shot she got at the end of 2020 summer). 

Dejan had a toe injury that got re-injured recently at church when something got dropped on it. The podiatrist said it's not going to get infected, but most of the nail bed will not recover from the trauma. He also either displaced or (likely) broke a rib in October moving straw bales in our back yard. Thankfully he has recovered, but it took several months. 

Three of the girls have had minor bone breaks; one a big toe, another a small toe, the third a pinky. Thankfully our little guy has stayed clear of injuries, but we would really appreciate prayer for safety!

Last, harmony

Please pray for our children. They love each other, but they live together pretty much 24/7, and being in ministry, with Dejan pastoring and counseling people we get our fair share of spiritual warfare in the home, which often shows up as discord of some kind. This can happen between them and also between them and us as parents. Wednesdays and Saturdays seem particularly challenging due to Dejan's prep for services. We are so blessed to be able to serve the Lord as a family, and we treasure all the time we get together, as well as the multiple opportunities to pour into our children spiritually, but some days are just hard. Your prayers and ours combined are a powerful force against the enemy who wants to drag them and us down, and a vital lifeline to access God's grace in our times of need.

We hope this update finds you blessed in the love of Christ. He is the Rock that never fails!

In Him,

Dejan and Julie <><

Prayer: Answered! And then some…

 Hello Family in Christ!

When we wrote our last update we had a string of prayer requests, and the Lord has faithfully answered (at least in part) each one!

Passport and Canadian Documents

We have completed step 1 of Dejan’s work permit process, which was to obtain a new U.S. passport for him. We ended up mailing the application to the States, and it arrived a few weeks ago. Now we have to wait for some paperwork to be done through the Calvary Chapel in Calgary so that we can fill and file his application for a work permit with clergy exemption. On their side the paperwork is very technical, so please so keep praying for that!

Our daughter also received her new visa for Canada in late June, so her application was 4 months in processing. We are thankful that the Lord worked all the timing out for that.

New Neighbors

We wrote previously about our next door neighbor situation being quite stressful, and we were waiting and praying eagerly for nice quiet neighbors… and they came! They did not purchase the home but are renting instead; however, they are both nice and quiet! They are a family with mostly older children, but we had some chance when they first came to interact and it was all positive. Thank you so much for taking that request before the Lord!

Church Re-Opening

As you likely remember, we waited for what seemed the longest time to be able to meet as a church face-to-face following our provincial  “after Thanksgiving”/winter holiday lockdown. The doors were closed for us to meet in any way but virtual (save the skeleton crew broadcasting the service from the church building each Sunday/Wednesday). In the end, the Lord blew open the doors, as the local pastor got us back in-person within 5 days, including our men’s and ladies’ Bible studies! We had been hosting those studies only online since we have always met in private homes, which was also not allowed, but over the summer months we had that blessing to meet regularly in the church building face-to-face.

Julie’s Health

Last spring Julie had some surprise health issues which caused her to experience uncontrollable shaking. Neurological (stroke) and heart issues were ruled out, so eventually we chalked it up to compounding stress and inability to access chiropractic care for the pinched nerve in her mid back (which has caused trouble before but not so severely). It seemed the nerve was causing these symptoms. She was able to get emergency chiropractic care at that point and has continued regularly. However a couple weeks ago she saw a substitute doctor for her adjustment, and in bringing that doctor up to speed on her health situation we believe we were given the answer to the source of the problem: a “parasympathetic storm”. It is like a panic attack of that part of the nervous system. When the body is not properly handling signals for normal daily function (rest and digest), it overloads in emergency mode (fight or flight), but as it is the parasympathetic nerves the uncontrollable shaking is the result as the body tries to get back into equilibrium. It was connected to the pinching nerve in her back and sounded to us and Julie’s regular chiropractor that this description was accurate.

As you see God is faithful in answering our collective prayers! 

New Requests

As mentioned, we still seek prayer for our documents for staying in Canada: Dejan’s visa/clergy work permit specifically.

We also ask prayer for wisdom and discretion, as new restrictions were imposed this week in the province. At the moment the church can still meet, albeit with the standard distancing/masking. That is a win. In all other aspects of our personal lives however, it seems we will be limited to accessing groceries and basic retail, as neither of us has participated in the roll-out. Certain businesses, restaurants and other buildings will be carding people for for proof in order to gain entry. Our oldest may also soon not be allowed to attend her dance classes in person without participating. This situation may become mandatory for all Canadian residents (we fall in that category) in the near future, depending on some federal election results. We are greatly troubled by this lack of choice in a matter that is not black-and-white for everyone, so please pray with and for us in this regard.

Last but not least, please keep our family members in prayer: for our children's relationships with each other and with God, for our relationship as a couple and for us all in regards to the people we fellowship with and serve in the church.

We are so thankful you took time to read over this update, and even more-so for your care and prayers for our family. Without that vital support we would be lacking greatly, without question. 

May the Lord bless and keep you close to Him!

Dejan and Julie <><

One final note: If you are one of our financial supporters, thank you! Please check the side bar for updated address information for GO! Ministries, as it has recently changed.

Update and prayer requests

 Hello and greetings from us in 2021, another year closer to the return of Christ!

     Last update, we were waiting for new visas, which we applied for in July and still didn't have come November 1st when our old ones expired. They were granted! It is the shortest we have ever received, just 16 months, but we praise God we got them! Lord willing, we will be able to apply for a work permit for Dejan with a clergy exemption that, if granted, may allow us to stay for a longer stretch between renewals, as long as 5-10 years. It is a new application for us, so prayer for thoroughness and no mistakes is appreciated.

Preparations for applying for a Canadian Work Permit

     We will have to renew Dejan's U.S. passport and begin the application process later this spring, as getting the new U.S. passport alone could take up to 5 months. This is because they are taking highest priority cases first. From the time we request an appointment at the U.S. Consulate to the time we receive the new passport book can be weeks and weeks, according to the officer at the consulate in Calgary.  Then the Canadian processing time for the work permit, once we apply, can be up to 6 months. It will be a year of paperwork!

Prayer for a New Visa

     Our more immediate need for prayer is for one of our daughter's visas, which was only granted for 15 weeks due to an expiring passport. We couldn't renew her passport earlier due to Covid, as the consulate was closed. But...by God's grace we got an appointment for her passport in January and it arrived in about 10 days! So we set to work re-applying for a new Canadian visa, which we submitted last week. Please pray that she will be approved in a good time, as she will be part of Dejan's work permit application and will need a current document.

Prayer for Neighbours
     

     We also request prayer for the house beside ours. It is up for sale, and the previous neighbours who rented from a distant owner (living in another province) were very troublesome, both relationally in their household as well as with the law. The owner had them evicted and renovated the house and put it up for sale recently but didn't sound too sure he would really sell. We are asking the Lord to sell the house to people our children can feel safe around and who are literally more quiet. We praise Him for protecting us and our property during the last occupants' short but tumultuous tenancy.

Prayer for our congregation

     Last, we ask prayer for the Lord to open the door for our congregation to be able to meet in-person again. The church we rent from is part of a larger group of churches whose leader has directed all of their congregations to broadcast online only, and we were asked to do the same back in late November. We asked once for an exception and were turned down, but Dejan talked to the parish pastor last week who offered to ask on our behalf again, noting some exceptions had been granted elsewhere. The patient people in our fellowship are eagerly awaiting the green light to meet, since Alberta is the most open province in Canada for churches right now, with meeting allowances of 15% of building fire code capacity. This would mean our whole group could come, as we are not in such great number as to exceed the capacity of the huge space we rent. Please pray for open doors, literally.

Thank you for taking the time to read this update and for your prayers. We greatly depend on, benefit from and are thankful for those prayers! They truly make a difference.

Much love in Christ,

Dejan and Julie <><