I wonder what's going on with them?

If that thought has crossed your mind, or you have even wondered aloud, "What is going on with Dejan and Julie now? Where are they at?", this will provide some answers.

Last time we updated, we were in Pocatello, spending the month near Julie's parents and our sending church. At the beginning of January, we loaded up a small U-Haul trailer with winter clothes and gear, some house and kitchen supplies and some odds and ends, and moved our family tentatively to northwest Montana. Dejan was invited to join the staff at another of our sending churches, Calvary Chapel Flathead Valley, and our family was offered to rent a vacation cabin from one of the church members over the winter months when it was vacant. We say we "tentatively" moved up here because this area is very popular as a tourist destination, but in recent years the population has swelled due to people moving in from out of state to enjoy the beauty, slower pace, and lower cost of living Montana offers. Because of that, though, the housing did not stay low cost; due to demand it skyrocketed, so we weren't sure if we could afford to live here permanently, or if there would be longer term housing available.

Over the winter months our famiy got involved in the congregation here, and when spring started coming on, we began searching for where to live, as our winter rental had a time limit. We were searching both for rentals and to buy, working with a realtor from the church and the prayers of lots of people as well. So many doors closed on us, but by God's grace, we were able to get into a house and began moving in last week.

Dejan is doing website work for the church here, filling in with teaching for the youth, men or the main services when needed and was asked to serve in the area of missions recently. This is a blessing, since we of course have a huge heart for missions, and if we can't be out on the mission field ourselves, then the next best thing is to be part of organizing short term trips and working with missionaries who are on the field. He is involved in planning one trip to Mexico next month and going along on a second trip to Mexico in October, when he will be teaching a 2-week block theology class at Calvary Chapel Bible College's campus in Ensenada.

The church in Edmonton has been persevering since we have been gone these nine months (already!). Two of our elders are sharing the teaching for Sundays and running the mid-week prayer meeting, but we are thankful we are also still able to be regularly involved. Dejan has continued to teach the Wednesday evening Bible study each week as well as the men's Bible study every other week. Julie has also carried on with teaching the monthly ladies' Bible study, and we have recorded songs for use in worship, since there is currently no one in attendance who can fill that role each week. We are so thankful to have these connections to the church we labored to plant. Some people have moved out to other congregations for various reasons, and that has given us mixed feelings, but overall, the church is being what it should be: a body of people who love and serve each other, pray for and with each other, and walk together through life. Please keep them in prayer, as there is a need for them to have a full-time pastor and worship leader as well as a more permanent leader for the children's church. In the mean time, we praise God to be able to serve them in the several ways that we are and have retained our status with Go! Ministries accordingly. Lord willing, Dejan will be able to take a trip to visit sometime over the summer months.

We appreciate the prayers and encouragement of everyone who has reached out to us over the past several months. It means alot to our family as the ups and downs of transition off the mission field into a totally new ministry and region have not been without tears, concerns and uncertainties. May the Lord bless you and keep you, and may you know His hand leading your life. We welcome visitors if anyone of you are wanting a Montana vacation!



By God's grace, Dejan and Julie <><



Prayer requests: -for our family, as we continue to adapt to living back in the U.S. -for our children, who miss their friends and life in Alberta, as they make new friends here -for Dejan as he is serving in familiar yet new capacities, his role on the pastoral staff at CCFV -for us, as we continue to minister to CC Edmonton -for the CC Edmonton, as they wait for a pastor, worship leader and children's church leader

Update (delayed): you're definitely going to want to read this one

We appreciate the patience of everyone who has been waiting for news about us. We were in a situation of having to use our phones for internet, and we ran out of data before Thanksgiving, but we're back online now!

This move is not like any other we have done. Most moves are "point A to point B". Not this move. This one has so many moving parts, locations and steps, it has felt like a confusing dance diagram, and it has been challenging not to clumsily fumble around in the process. :)

When we came out of Canada, we were graciously giving a "landing pad" by a family member. All told, we were able to live in that one spot for about 3 months, which was SUCH a blessing! We had a place to come back to when we traveled and didn't have to continually uproot everyone. Not having to pay rent also helped alot, as our house is still on the market in Canada.

For weeks we were in a state of flux, not knowing what our next step would be. Since mid-September to the end of November there was an inkling of direction but no firm light. It was hard. Finally, after many weeks of praying, discussions and waiting, we finally got some clarity last weekend. As a result, we are passing the month of December with our primary sending church in Idaho. The LORD provided help to rent a furnished house for four weeks in town. His kindness astounds us!

Then, going forward, Lord willing we will move to northwest Montana at the beginning of January. Our other sending church is in need of another staff pastor, and they have offered to be a "base" for us--a place for us to be and serve actively in the longer short-term while we seek the Lord for His longer-term direction. Dejan will be employed through the church full-time, and we can stop wandering from house to house so much. We are so grateful for light from the Lord for another step!

Prayer Requests

This of course means we will be moving mid-winter, although the place we will be renting is fully furnished. So logistically we are keeping much of our household items in storage for the next half-year or so. This month we will be attempting to streamline this storage and take out the things that we have learned are true necessities for our household (which we have been without the last several months). This is a daunting task, and we appreciate prayer. We do not want to have to open alot of boxes!

The church in Edmonton is thriving, and for that we praise God. They are still in need of a full-time pastor, so please keep that matter in prayer. The Lord knows who He is calling to pastor the church, and we wait on Him to let us know, too!

For Dejan, we are not fully clear just yet on all of the roles he will be taking on at the church in Montana. Please pray for the elders and pastors there for vision and clarity. We also appreciate prayer for finances, as the cost of living is high there, and we still have expenses in another country, in addition to the rising cost of our current situation. Nothing is impossible with God, and we know He is faithful.

Two items for prayer back in Alberta:

1. Our house is on the market with some offers here and there, but nothing firm yet. We have had three fall through, and are currently negotiating on a fourth.

2. The Canadian tax authority selected us for audit (on our missionary support or our U.S. refund, it is unclear which). They responded last week to our submission of information that they requested, saying that we owe a further large sum, which is in addition to the hefty tax that we already paid when we filed earlier this year. If you recall, we had to get a new accountant, and we thought everything was squared away. We have also never been audited before, so it is a frustrating situation. The calculations page sent to us by the tax authority was unclear, but we have to resolve the issue before Christmas, as there is a due date on it.

We appreciate your prayer for these matters as they are somewhat stressful.

Last, we ask prayer for our children (their health and their hearts, as they are weary of not knowing their future), our marriage (that all the different stressors won't have a negative but strengthening effect), our health and strength (so much moving, lifting, etc. has left us pretty exhausted at times).

Thank you to those who are reading our updates and lifting us up in prayer. You may not know how precious your support and care are to us!!

We wish you a blessed December and will update again in a couple of weeks.


By God's grace, Dejan and Julie <><

Remembering

  This update is a bit overdue. There has been alot going on in our hearts and it has been a challenge to put feelings into words. We have had alot of logistics to take care of, such as health coverage and home insurance and snow removal for our house in Alberta which is still for sale. We also faced some health challenges for Julie that began just after the retreat she attended last month and which lingered through our time in California and on into our return. Praise the LORD it seems like everything is stable now with her health, and we thank you for your prayers for our family while we were traveling. It was a blessed time, and the LORD brought us back safely.

Did any doors open for us while we were there? Not in those areas, but any door that is not open is still direction from the LORD of where we are not to be. So we are still waiting and seeking. We are also still waiting for our house to sell. There were two offers that came in, but neither culminated in a sale. Patience and prayer is the path forward.

We were able to connect with many friends in California and Nevada, most of whom we served in missions with in Eastern Europe through the Bible College in Hungary. We also went to several different churches and worshiped with diverse congregations, meeting with several of the pastors as well. Some of our friends we were able to see multiple days. It was a blessing to see how God is moving in all these places and we are greatly encouraged by the times of fellowship.

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 "I will remember the works of the LORD..." (Ps. 77:11)

"Remember His marvellous works which He has done..." (Ps. 105:5)

Today is the 10th anniversary of the church in Edmonton. Our first ever service was November 11, 2012, with 3 people in the living room of the house of a couple who had moved recently from Calgary. Dejan started right in with teaching in the Gospel of John. Julie had children's church with 6 children, three of our own and the three of the couple, an age spread of newborn to 12 years old. 

All of our things were in boxes in their garage. We didn't even have a place to live yet. But since we came to plant a church, the husband of the family asked if we couldn't just start then, so we did. The following week one of our current church elders and his wife joined us, and the week after that we met the family who our missionary friends in Mexico and whom the church supports to this day.

our second service

Fast forward just one year to 2013 and we were  a small group meeting in the little chapel at St. Timothy's Anglican Church. And for several years the church has met in the fellowship hall downstairs where it has only grown over the last 5 years, even in spite of the difficult situations of 2020 and 21.

God has done great things.

There is a song by Phil Wickham with a similar title. One verse says, 

                "You've been faithful through every storm, You'll be faithful forever more; 

                You have done great things. 

                And I know that You'll do it again, for Your promise is 'Yes' and 'Amen'; 

                You will do great things. God You do great things."

This is a true testimony in our experience, and it forms the base of our hope in this season. God is faithful. 

We were reminiscing last night on how our current situation mirrors, in many respects, our situation ten years ago, on a purely logistical level. We are again staying at someone else's house, looking for a place of our own to live, at the start of winter. The cost of rent where we are now is 3x what we were paying for housing where we came from, identical to our move from Idaho to Edmonton ten years ago. Our money is worth less and everything costs more now, just as then (though for different reasons). And God, who gave us the ability to make that move and start to minister in the midst of a set of improbabilities, has not changed. He is the same. He is able to cover us again, even though the circumstances are filled with what seem like improbabilities, even impossibilities. 

We are missing the people and places we came to know so well during the last ten years of our journey in a more acute way this week. But we are thankful for the body of Christ and the fellowship of the Spirit, who can transcend borders and time.  

Thanks for keeping us in prayer. We will update soon.

By grace,

Dejan and Julie <><