And so this is Christmas

Happy Christmas to everyone. In the midst of all the travel, shopping, more shopping, cooking, visiting, even more shopping, and the occasional Christmas Party that must be attended, we hope you have the time to reflect on the real reason for this day. (Subliminal suggestion: Turn off the phone, the computers, the game consoles, and make some popcorn, then gather as much of your family as you can and watch " A Charlie Brown Christmas")

So how is everyone doing out there? How has this year been for you? What's new on your planet? How have these past few months been? What are you planning for the next year as 2010 looms closer and closer? Have you been naughty or nice?

These last two months have been an interesting mix of work, life, and new discovery.

Mary and the kid's ministry team successfully hosted Kidshaper 2009. This is an NLI sponsored event created to share exciting and innovative ideas for kids ministry. Over 150 delegates, from England, Scotland, Wales,Ireland, and Australia, came together for 3 days to learn, share, and be encouraged. Kid's ministry is so sorely needed, this current generation has had the least exposure to the Word, and thus, the least knowledge of their purpose and the source of their hope.

I've been on a near vertical learning curve regarding the creation of plans to help expand the ministry's reach into a number of new nations. This is whole new ground for myself, and for NLI. Your prayers would be appreciated as we seek new contacts in such places as Moldova, Slovenia, and Kosovo. Plus, to keep me from going completely insane, I'm assisting with the production of NLI's yearly publication "The Dream". Needless to say, I'm not bored.

Looking forward to 2010;
Mary will be in Slovakia for Boost Tour, a two week,four city, traveling kid's ministry production. Not just a "flash in the pan" show, but a mix of preaching, fun, music, play,and prayer, held in conjunction with the local churches, as a way to reach kid's who have yet to hear The Good News of Jesus Christ. So if you're looking for something exciting to do next summer, contact Mary: mary.triller@nlieurope.com

Paul is in the midst of creating an Advocacy Programme to help raise awareness of the great need in the Balkans Region. This area is comprised mostly of nations carved from what was once Yugoslavia. Centuries of ethnic struggle and decades of Communist rule have left the current population stripped of identity, uncertain of the future, and nearly void of any knowledge of Christ. If you want to hear more about the Balkans, and how you can help, feel free to drop me an email: paul.triller@nlieurope.com

On the home front, we brought a little bit of America to the UK when we celebrated Thanksgiving Day with our neighbours. Mary actually found a small shop in Coventry that carries American products. Trust me on this, after what we paid for 2 cans of Libby's Pumpkin, those pies were great!!!!
We had the opportunity to visit Megan, Wayne, Alison, and Emily, in Nicaragua a few weeks ago. Megan had a great itinerary planned. We hit the beach, caught barracuda, went horseback riding, enjoyed a hike to a waterfall, saw countless fireworks, and enjoyed some wonderful grand daughter hugs and kisses. For those of you who don't know, Megan (our favourite eldest daughter) and her amazing husband are missionaries to Nicaragua. If you have a heart for the lost in Nicaragua I suggest you check out their website.

May 2010 be blessed beyond your wildest imagination.
Thank you for your friendship, support, and prayers. We miss all of you.

We are running on faith, but we are not running alone.

Stay true,
Paul and Mary.

Stay in touch via email:
paul@going4the1.com or mary@going4the1.com.

We are also on Facebook and Skype. We'd love to hear from you.
Paul and Mary Triller 202 Hospital Lane Bedworth UK CV120JY

The Two of Us

So here we are four months into this adventure, and a number of people have been asking the same question; some via email, or Skype, or over the phone, or even on Facebook. Regardless of the way it is asked, or how it is worded, it comes down to this, "How are you guys "really" doing?". It appears these updates have focused mostly on the what , or where or why, but too little on just us. (This might just be the most difficult update we've ever written) Here we go.

Paul: Can I just say "I'm fine" and be done with it? Because the truth is, I am fine. Is everything here 100% what I expected? Is this whole gig some Never Never Land experience? No and No. Yes, I miss our daughters and their families. Yes, it hurts to watch Alison, Emily, and Penny growing up via pictures and video chats. Yes, I miss Wing Night with the guys from Fusion Church. Yes, I miss bass fishing. I even miss driving on the right side of the road. But this is where I belong. This is where I need to be.

Please understand I am not trying to tout myself as some selfless hero. I'm just a man in a funny red sheet. I knew coming into this there would be a price to be paid. I knew there would be sacrifices. But at the end of the day I go to sleep with a peace like I've never known. I am here through the grace and support of so many wonderful people. I know there are prayers being said for me like never before. I'm happy. I'm challenged. I'm stretched. I spend every day with the love of my life.
I'm OK. Thanks for asking.

Mary: A simple question yet so difficult to answer. These last four months have been full of changes and growth. All of this could be very scary at my age or at any age really, but with God's Word to guide me, the fear is removed from every situation. I rely on the Lord to give me strength, boldness, creativity and whatever else I need for the day now more than ever. God has placed some great people in our path and it has softened the changes. Also, surprises such as finding out our container had arrived early, filled me with joy as I anticipated unpacking so many memories I thought I would be okay without, their arrival helped complete the feeling of home. And I do feel like I am home and I am so happy to say so.

I've been so blessed with the experiences in my life ; being a mom, a Nana, a daughter, a friend, a sister and a sister in Christ, and now He is doing something greater and He has chosen to let me be a part. I keep praying every day that I am willing to be available for what He has in mind as well as keeping me from missing all my loved ones. In the meantime, I do ask you to continue praying for our transition especially as we enter the holiday season being so far away from the ones we love. Technology keeps us close, but hugs on Skype only take you so far. Thanks for being there for us and I hope you know we are praying for you and thank God for you each day. Love and miss you all!

We are running on faith, but we are not running alone.

Stay true,
Paul and Mary.

Stay in touch via email: mary@going4the1.com paul@going4the1.com.
We are also on Facebook and Skype. We'd love to hear from you.
Paul and Mary Triller 202 Hospital Lane Bedworth UK CV120JY

Life in a Northern Town

Wow...after almost 20 years we're experiencing "cold" weather. We actually need to remember to turn on the heat, and close the windows and doors. We might have used the heater in our cars in Florida two or three times a year. Now it's every day!!! C'mon Spring!!!!

On the Threshold of a Dream

Would you agree the best dreams are those shared? It holds so true for our marriages, families, friends, and all the most important facets of our lives. There is something about connecting and contributing to a goal, a vision, a dream. More often than not, our future pivots upon the dreams in which we believe.

NLI is going through a metamorphosis. They are birthing a new dream. After 18 years of work primarily in Eastern and Central Europe, the ministry has now set their sights on expanding into all the nations of Europe. Yes, all 48 of them at current count. This dream is well worth sharing and well worth being part of.

This dream is too big for any one ministry. It will take partnerships from the UK, the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, across the borders of Europe, and from every other corner of the world. Last week, this new dream was unveiled at Eurosummit 2009, a conference hosted by NLI. We watched as over 100 delegates from over 15 nations not only heard the vision, but started to connect with how they could contribute and be part of the change!

Over the course of four days the vision took wing, and the dream grew. I sat at a table and helped a group of Youth Leaders from Bulgaria start planning a training schedule with pastors from across the border in Albania. Another connection was made by Church Planters in Romania wanting to reach out into neighbouring Moldavia. Our Kids' Ministry Team got invitations to work with churches in four new nations. Hearts opened to ideas to reach the gypsy population. Tears formed as the plight of the lost generations were shared. Prayers were offered to rekindle the Light of the World in Europe. These are but a few examples of who knows how many connections, conversations over coffee, and commitments.

It doesn't stop here. This past week was merely the overture. Many hours of planning, praying, traveling and implementing lie ahead. What a great place to be!!

We are humbled by the fact God saw us worthy of being a part of this. We are thankful so many others saw us deserving of prayers and support. We stand on the threshold of a dream and you are invited to join us.

The Long and Winding Road

The title of this month's update could be symbolic in so many ways. It could be describing our personal journey from husband/wife and mom/dad to missionaries. It could be a visual of the path taken to make all the arrangements to move from the US to the UK. It definitely is indicative of how we get most places around here. But regardless of the route, we're not only here, but have actively begun our duties with the ministry. When I say "we" that includes all who are part of this adventure, regardless of what form your support takes; moral/physical/financial/spiritual. Our success, victories, and triumphs are also yours. Thank you, from deep in our hearts.

To date our messages have been mentioning what we'll be doing once we got to the UK. Now we can report in "real-time". Mary is currently in Slovakia with two other members of the Kids' Ministry Team.They are meeting with a number of local pastors and providing training about how to integrate kid's ministry into the fabric of their own ministry.Think about this for a moment; those of you who know Mary understand that she loves children. Her heart beats for children, as evidenced by her relationship with our own children, our own grand children, and countless babies she has hugged, kissed, sung to, cuddled and loved-on around the world. Now she gets to share that love across Europe.

Some day in the near future some children in a small town or city in Europe will be attending a crazy outdoor event. There will be clowns, music, balloons, and more. In the midst of it all this a little girl will be getting her face painted. Not too uncommon a sight at a event like this. But this time there is a major difference. This time something will be happening for the first time in her precious life, the person painting her face will be praying over her, or maybe praying with her. This may be the first time this child has ever heard about Jesus. Hopefully it will not be the last. This event will be just one of many put together by NLI aimed specifically for children, and Mary is an integral part of that team. If you listen close to the music you'll hear Mary's heartbeat. If you look closely you will see her smile on the face of a clown . If you stand still for a moment you'll feel her hugs in the air. I don't call her "NaNa to the Nations" for nothing.

Thank you for being part of what Mary's doing for kids in Europe. We never forget that we would not be here if it weren't for the team that made it all possible.

On the home front, we still have boxes to empty, but there are fewer every day. The weather has been beautiful (if not just a tad cooler than Florida) these past few days, and we are looking forward to seeing the colourful splendor of autumn in England. We have phone service, internet, water, electricity, and library cards!! Somewhere between now and next July we need to get UK driver's licenses.

Prayer request: We are still looking for a home church. Not just some place to attend, but somewhere to serve, be challenged, and stretched.

We miss all our family and friends. Fortunately our NLI family and our neighbours have been here to keep us from getting too lonely.
Paul and Mary.

We are running on faith, but we are not running alone.

Stay in touch via email: mary@going4th1.com paul@going4the1.com.
We are also on Facebook and Skype. We'd love to hear from you.

Country Road

Somehow or other between acclimating to a new home, starting our jobs with NLI, unpacking our shipping crate, and the oh-too-variable weather we were able to take a few hours on Sunday and go for a "ramble". We found our way to a local county park and with walking sticks in hand, started out across some of the most beautiful countryside we've ever seen. Rolling hills, green meadows, and occasionally some squishy organic stuff on the trail.
A very simple time to get some fresh air and revel in God's creation. But more than that it was some quiet time where we could stop along the way and chat ( as we caught our breath) about our new lives here and how much blessing has been mixed into every moment.
The coming weeks are going to be quite busy; Mary heads to Slovakia next week, I'll be in Romania the week after, we're both in Spain in October, and hopefully we'll be taking a personal trip to Nicaragua before the year is out. As crazy as it all sounds, this is just what we signed up for...and we're loving every minute!
Our mmonnthly newsletter is in the works....stay tuned

Roundabout

Thank you, thank you, thank you, a million times, thank you! Thank you for your prayers, love, support, concerns, and friendship. Thank you for sharing in the dream, the vision, and the adventure. We’ve hit the ground running.
The last couple of weeks were spent getting acclimated to the weather, finding our way around the area, meeting people, finding a new home, (still) searching for a car, checking out where is best to shop for groceries, visiting IKEA, visiting IKEA again, learning about council taxes, roundabouts, TV taxes, Sat Navs, rules of the road, pay-as-you-go electricity; consider this adjusting to “Life in the Left Lane”.
Obviously things are different here, just different, not wrong. Yesterday at the grocery store it took us about 5 minutes to decipher just what we were buying insofar as pickles, yes pickles!!!! Also, with the prices in pounds, and things weighed in grams and kilograms, it takes some mental gymnastics to realise the beef minced (ground beef) is about $3.00 a pound.. After all these years of thinking we spoke the same language as the Brits, we have started to learn some true English. A few examples: USA dryer=UK tumbler USA stove=UK cooker and one of my favourites; USA soda/pop/tonic=UK fizzy drinks. Oh, and if someone is stopping by for a brew, they mean tea or coffee. No complaints, just observations.
Today (3 August) is the official first day at work with NLI. The schedule calls for orientation and training to familiarise us with how things work here. Of course we are both chomping at the bit to get into the thick of things as soon as possible. Neither of us can remember ever feeling so motivated to actually get up in the morning and go to the office. We are a trifle awestruck by the magnitude of what we are now involved, but, it feels so right to be here. Fortunately, God knows what He is doing.
What’s next?? We keep running, learning, growing, and praying. The Adventure continues, stay tuned.
Paul and Mary.