SAVE the DATE!!!

Hi All, I hope I find everyone well and happy. It has been some many months I'm sure, since I last updated everyone for as usual, there has been many things going on for both myself and my family over the last few months. So I felt it was high time I update everyone and inform you all of some very happy and exciting news. Firstly, my sister has graduated from medical school this summer and is now a Junior Doctor in one of our local hospitals (in fact in the hospital my dad worked in). Needless now to say, my dad has also retired this year having worked in UK for 21 years which has been such a wonderful blessing and support to me and my family. Next steps for him are unknown so he's taking one day at a time. With all these wonderful things to celebrate and keep us busy as a family, it's also been a very significant time for me since I have returned from South Africa last Christmas. Some of you may know already but I now wish to announce that I am officially engaged to Hagen Martin Schilder from Munich, Germany and will be looking to get married on 21st April 2012 in Birmingham, UK.

Now this may come as a surprise to many, but I met Hagen in South Africa last year where he too was completing a Discipleship Training School with YWAM. He is originally from a town named Bautzen in East Germany near Dresden and is a Software Consultant. Getting on from the very start, we started to court after the DTS was completed in December 2010 having sought God on the relationship thoroughly and with the blessing and guidance of our YWAM leaders. We are currently living in our respective countries and see each other once a month but mostly communicate via SKYPE. We do praise God for this particular blessing and as time has gone on it is even more and more evident that God has something special planned for the two of us. Neither were really looking for a relationship; going to South Africa in obedience to God first and foremost, but it really has been overwhelmingly wonderful every step of the way.

We are very excited and hope many of you can join us for our special day next year but in the meantime would love your prayers and support as we prepare. This year has been particularly busy with preparations, serving in our communities, getting to know each others families and friends and looking for jobs etc. At present, we do not know where we will live after we are married so would really like special prayer and guidance as to where God wants our roots as a couple to be. We both have in our hearts to go on to do long-term mission but a specific ministry is not clear just yet. I am currently Temping whilst looking for something more permanent whilst Hagen is working full-time for his previous company. This summer, he went to Uganda to work in an orphange, school, encourage a local church and review a special Toilet project his church supports. I have been serving in my church's sunday school and youth and have started volunteering for my local Domestic Violence Helpline Service too. As many of you know it has been a long-standing vision to work with abused women & children, which I believe God has put in my heart since I became a Christian 13yrs ago and so we hope that God will reveal what part Hagen is to play in this. I have made connections with the International Christian Dance Fellowship group in my local area too and looking to start dancing more in church having worked a lot with the Girls Brigade at the end of last term. There's so many exciting things going on, I guess this is really where God says that “...he came to give us life & life to the full” (John 10:10b) and “I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans not to harm you but to give you a hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11) are really true and I am really looking forward to what God has for this next stage in my life!!! I hope to be able to be in better touch with many of you in the future soon and share more. I would love to catch up with everyone else's news so please do drop me a line, call or email me on: grace.troko@ gmail.com. We have a wedding website where all information re: the wedding will be up and some fun activiites too. The website address is: http://www.eweddings.com/hagen4grace It will go live on 1st October 2011 so we hope you enjoy it, as there's lots of things to do on there, quizzes and pics and there will also be info re: accommodation and RSVP option closer to the date. Do leave us some feedback . God bless and hope to hear from you all soon. Love in Christ Grace

So you think it's all over....

Hi guys, I know you all thought you had heard the last from me but just thought I'd update you on where I'm at as it has become a stark reality that the Arts DTS was only the beginning of an incredible journey with God. Having returned home 3 months and 2(almost 3) days ago, much has happened and much has changed since I last shared.

Transition to "normal life" has actually taken much longer than first anticipated and at present there is still so much unknown ( no surprise there for an extended DTS and where God is concerned). This is not to say I'm not at peace about what is happening right now in-fact as I look to share briefly now, I hope you'll see that actually the future is very exciting!!! I only ask that you catch this next wave / vision and stand with me in prayer and continue to journey with me.

So.... having gone back to God to seek out more clarity about what He wants me to do next I now have now a few more answers and steps in place to share. I heard recently from an intern at my church about International Justice Mission who are a Christian human rights agency that secures justice for victims of slavery, sexual exploitation and other forms of violent oppression. IJM lawyers, investigators and aftercare professionals work with local officials to ensure immediate victim rescue and aftercare, to prosecute perpetrators and to promote functioning public justice systems. I have been seriously considering getting involved as my heart is very much to do aftercare with victims of injustice, and my existing gifts very much lie in counselling/ pastoral care / spiritual guidance and discipleship although much of this is not official. However, I have felt God really wants me to return to study law and work from that aspect and feel this is where God may want to use me more.

I am currently now still looking at a range of options to getting into law and am looking at starting a course soon. Also, due to a change in personal circumstances, I may be looking to move to Germany and study there and so am looking at opportunities there internationally? Please can you pray for me in terms of direction and clarity of where this should be and favour to get on to a suitable course.

By way to explain how I got here, I want to share that it was in India when we were working with isolated women in the local ladies bible study and experiencing the very hidden , oppressive and patriarchal society that I started to feel God stirring a vision in my heart to pursue working in the international arena although I have always wanted to work with abused women & children since I became a Christian.

In light of this, I am currently involved in sunday school and the youth at my church - I am also due to start volunteer training with Domestic Abuse Service - Women's Aid in my city from mid-May. I am temping at present but looking for a part-time job to facilitate the voluntary work and study. I am looking to raise the profile of IJM in my church once I am clearer about how God wants me to get involved and shall be in touch about that. Please again can you pray for open doors in this area and God's favour, direction and wisdom.

As you can probably guess now, I am looking into full-time mission and have been involved and very much supporting the missionaries of my church in prayer. Please can you continue to stand and pray with me in God's leadership. I have come to realise that without prayer, nothing happens and that everything I have been through especially in the last year has been because of your prayer and support.

Thank you and hope to hear from some of you soon.

God bless
G