More Than Words

Greetings from cold and snowy England,

If there were a way to combine the deepest, truest, most meaningful definition of the words; appreciation, humbled, gratitude, blessed, and joy, it would still fall short of the overwhelming love we have felt these past 18 months. Time and time again God has chosen to prove Himself strong, and deliver the blessing of His provision through you. Your involvement, love, and support, have helped plant churches in places in desperate need for the Good News. You've helped train pastors, youth leaders, children's ministry workers, and more. You have provided our daily needs, and by doing so, have made it possible for us to be your eyes, ears, voices, hands, and feet, as we work across the continent of Europe.

Your emails, phone calls, Skype chats, Facebook messages, cards, and letters have lifted our spirits, warmed our hearts, and in some cases brought us to tears. Each point of contact helped make the thousands of miles between us and our families and friends seem a little less distant.

We offer a prayer, we raise a toast, and we lift your name as we give thanks to God for the gift our your relationship.

As we head into Christmas and the new year beyond, we are more certain than ever that we are running on faith, but we are not running alone.

Paul and Mary

Stay in touch via email: mary@going4the1.com pjt@going4the1.com.

Paul and Mary Triller 202 Hospital Lane Bedworth UK CV120JY

We are also on Facebook and Skype.

PS. We will know next week where we are insofar as the funds needed for our visas. We'll keep you posted. Thx.

Immigration Man II

In response to my last message, it has been brought to my attention that it would have been a good idea to include some options concerning where to send donations. DUH!!!!

Aside from asking people to make personal deliveries to us here in the UK, there are two other choices:

Paypal: http://www.going4the1.com/paypal.html

Or checks can be sent to:

Next Level International
P.O. Box 10148
South Bend IN
46680

Please make the checks payable to NLI and it is very important to put "Trillers" in the memo. Thank you.

Thanks for your prayers,emails, and facebook messages.

For those who may not have seen the message to which I am referring ...here it is:

It is a rare occasion we have had to ask for any kind of extraordinary" financial assistance but we face a bit of a year end crunch and could certainly use some help, both monetary and prayer. We need to renew our visas and the cost has almost doubled from what itwas just two years ago. On top of that the requirements are much more stringent.

We were prepared for what we expected the cost to be, but not this new amount (Just under $1000 US) (Correction it turns out it is about $1200 US..... each). If you are able to assist in helping us cover this expense, it would be a great blessing.

If we could also count on you for pray support as we go through the application process, we'd love to hear about that too.

Thanks in advance!!!

Paul and Mary

Let There Be More Light

This update is going to be a trifle different. Today you get a glimpse into one of those "this is where is all started" moments. Just two weeks ago I was in Romania, I wasn't meant to be there at this time, how I ended up there is a story in itself. But, I digress, I had the opportunity to see something planted, to be there when first steps were taken, and to be a witness as some wonderful ideas were birthed. 

The location was a converted bowling alley, now church/conference center, somewhere between Oradea and Cluj.

The event was an NLI partnered Organix Conference, a Leadership Development course offered for emerging leaders. Over the past 20 years conferences such as this have been the first step in the lives of many new church leaders and pastors.

But it isn't the where or when that really matters. It is what God did over those three days within a group of over 50 young men and women from all across Romania.

Want to hear more? Feel free to click here for the rest of the story> Enjoy

Mary and Paul
 

Paul and Mary Triller 202 Hospital Lane Bedworth UK CV120JY

We are also on Facebook and Skype.

Oh...we're thinking of doing a recap of 2010 for next month's newsletter. Is there anything in particular you want to know about? Send us an email!  Contact Mary     Contact Paul

It Keeps You Runnin'

Have you ever heard the expression, “Weary not in well doing”? After multiple trips to Slovakia to help train pastors, specifically in the area of Kid’s Ministry, we weren’t sure how it would translate from training to action. All the preparation, travel, training, and weird food was starting to take its toll. Then we received some great news from Peter & Lucia our Church Plant Pastors in Brezno.

Here’s Lucia’s story…A few weeks ago three ladies from NLI come to our town to help us with the kids club. To our surprise more kids than usual came that day and there was a group of gypsy kids among them. The gypsies really enjoyed the clubs and started to come regularly. There were many opportunities to talk to them about God and they were really listening. They were so pleased anyone would spend time with them. Most of them are dirty and smelly, but we still like them. Sadly, their parents do not take proper care of them. They do not: wash their clothes properly, teach them basic hygiene, how to speak proper Slovak, about going to school regularly, and because of these, and other things, there are racism problems in our town.

In our hearts we knew there has to be some way to help. One day we visited the town hall and to our surprise social workers from all Brezno communities were in the middle of a meeting, but they were very keen to know what we needed. We explained we are a church working with kids and we came because we work with some gypsies as well and would like to help in some practical ways.

Since that visit, the partnership of the church and town government officials has grown. In mere months children that have been left behind are receiving attention:

-With the help of the church, the social workers have now started some new projects with the gypsies. There are now 2 social workers and a young teacher assigned to this community. The teacher works with preschool kids and teaches them basic things, including hygiene, speaking Slovak, drawing, counting, colors, all needed if they are ever to attend school.

-Classes were being held outdoors, twice a week, in a meadow to play and learn. The church realized the need for a proper meeting place, so they have offered their church building.

Although this is just a beginning, we are very excited about the future. Peter and Lucia were asked to help in other communities in the area. They have been praying to God to show them how to reach out to their town and to fulfill the many needs. Lucia sums it up like this, ”This is a great need and we really want to be a part of it’s accomplishment. Please pray for us and this new ministry of ours. We need God’s leading, wisdom and strength in this hard work. We want to be a light to this people and to bring them the Gospel as well. A very encouraging thing is that the social workers know we are Christians and they have permitted us to talk to gypsies about the Biblical truth and how Jesus Christ can change life completely.”

This is just one story of what is currently happening in Europe. Peter and Lucia are giving all they have for their community just as you are giving to be a part of the new stories in places like Brezno and beyond. Paul and I want to thank you for your prayers, your encouragement, and your financial support so we can be a part of these lives. Stories like these continue to explain why we are here, why we were called, and why all of you are so necessary to be part of the solutions, adventures, and the blessings. God bless you all and thanks from the bottom of our and Peter and Lucia’s hearts!

Mary and Paul

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

Paul and Mary Triller 202 Hospital Lane Bedworth UK CV120JY

We are also on Facebook and Skype.

Isn't It Nice To Be Home Again?

Sorry for this one being a trifle delayed. With being home only three days between 7 June and 12 July there has been a bit of catching up to do.

Well, the Magical Mystery Tour is finished. But what a great trip. It all started with an evening of prayer and fellowship in Pembroke Pines (you know who you are), then onto Fort Myers to connect with our church family at Next Level Church (great name or what?). Then some family time with Mary's dad and her step-mom before a 4 day whirlwind tour of Central Florida. "Thank You" to our two hosts in Seminole County. Thank you to everyone who was able to share some of their busy schedules with us. Thank you for every cup of coffee, breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, and those precious times of prayer, and knitting too.

From Florida to Georgia and 3 days and nights of some great Southern Hospitality and more blessings and prayer. To those of you in Baxley, we'll be back. It was fun to spend Independence Day in Decatur GA. To the Fusion Church family now in Atlanta, we'll be back. Oh yeah...we have Georgia on our minds.

North now and onto Tennessee, and time to reconnect with some friends we knew from Orlando, back in the day. More love, blessing, and friendship. Trust me, it was diffucult to leave every place we stopped.

The last 3 days were almost 100% family time in Lake George, New York celebrating Mom's 85th. It isn't often I get a chance to spend time with all 11 of my siblings. With something like 70 plus in attendance, it was quite the event. Yes, I did get a chance to do some bass fishing.

We didn't dare keep track of how many miles we flew or drove, how many meals we ate out, the number of people we met with, the number of people we missed, or how many times we had to say, "It has been great seeing you, but we really have to go." But we cherish every hug, every prayer, every laugh, and every tear.

The afternoon of 11 July came far too soon but the flight to Birmingham UK awaited us. With a bit of tan and some much needed American food items (Hey I happen to really like Miracle Whip) stowed in the luggage, we were ready to go..... home.

Yes we really consider England to be home, for now. With the work of the ministry expanding all across Europe, who knows where we might end up next? It is also becoming more and more evident our initial three year agreement will easily become five or six or seven or eight or... you get the idea. It is humbling God could use us for this purpose. It is encouraging how many wonderful people help make this a reality. We are blessed beyond comprehension. We are running on faith, but we are not running alone.

Paul and Mary

Another Time, Another Place

Wow...what a year...what a month...what a past two weeks. Just got back from a two week, three country trip which included Romania, Moldova, and Slovenia. We lost track of how many kilometers we flew and/or drove, but what an experience.

C'mon , think about it, don't countries with names like Moldova and Slovenia just sound intriguing? Can you find either of them on a map? Last year my answer would have been "no". Can you pronounce Ljubljana or Chişinău? Truthfully I couldn't until just a few weeks ago. Oh yeah and there was Romania too, one of the few places in Europe you can still see shepherds.

Where to start? What to share? What story to tell?

> Do you want to hear about the church started in Slovenia during the Communist occupation, by a woman with nothing more than her prayers and a Bible?

> Do you want to hear about the passion of the Messianic Jews we met with in Moldova?

> Do you want to hear about how a Turkish Muslim in Romania is turning a small group that meets in his house into a church?

> Do you want to hear about people so passionate to learn more about how they can best serve Jesus they are willing to risk their jobs just to attend a training conference?

> Do you want to hear about how you can be involved? Make a difference? Be part of the solution? Become part of the story yourself?

Where it might be impossible to sit down with everyone reading this and share these stories, it is possible to get together with many of you on our trip back to the US. We will be landing in Fort Lauderdale on 25 June and leaving from Albany NY on 11 July. We'll be in Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, and New York before heading home. We are arranging some "Open House" get-togethers in Central Florida, keep an eye on your email for the invitations. We'd love to meet up with as many of you as possible. If you are somewhere along (or near) our path, drop us a line, we'll do our best to spend some "face time" together. The stories are worth it.

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

Paul and Mary


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

Paul and Mary Triller 202 Hospital Lane Bedworth UK CV120JY

We are also on Facebook and Skype.

...and the flowers bloom like madness in the Spring....

We have jokingly told people we moved to the UK from Florida for the weather...and have yet to be disappointed. We're a few weeks into Spring, the tulips and daffodils are everywhere...mowed the lawn this weekend past...getting a small veg garden ready...why then oh why did I have to scrape frost off the windscreen this morning!!!????

Into the Great Wide Open

Here we are eight months into this adventure, and still loving it. Much has happened, and much of what we're doing has evolved into new areas of growth, learning, and a healthy dash of " and now for something completely different." We surely feel like clay in the hands of the Potter. But what better place to be? Each day truly brings something new.

Past updates have been stories of things in the works, or recent trips, or coming plans. This month things are a trifle different. Would you allow us to use this update for some prayer request? Thank you.

First: Your prayers for Next level Int'l would be appreciated. With the goal of being in all nations of Europe by the year 2020 before them, it will take more than just well-laid plans to make it a reality. Please pray for the staff, current and future, the church partner relationships, and wisdom, as NLI moves into new nations.

Second: On a personal note: Mary and I would also be most thankful for your prayers. We find ourselves being stretched and tested; physically, spiritually, and mentally. Mary is moving into some new areas of responsibility within the Kid's Ministry, and I am helping develop processes and ideas to help expand the ministry's reach into places like Moldova, Slovenia, and Albania.

Third: Outside of our work with the ministry, would you pray for our continued health, happiness, and marital stability. There are times where being away from family and friends can be a strain. We are happy, and we are still very much in love. But we are also only human.

If you are able to lift any of these requests in prayer, would you please let us know? And please let us know how we can join you in prayer for the needs in your lives.

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

The journey continues.

Paul and Mary

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

Paul and Mary Triller 202 Hospital Lane Bedworth UK CV120JY

We are also on Facebook and Skype.

PS. We'll be headed to the US in late June. We are looking forward to seeing as many of you as we can.

Darkness on the Edge of Town

During the reign of a certain regime a number of government "pro-natal" programs were implemented in an effort to increase the population of a certain country. From the mid-1960's through the 1980's, women in this nation, regardless of their economic situation, were expected to have at least 5 children. These laws resulted in the birth of hundreds of thousands of children which the parents could not afford to feed. With no other choice, many parents were forced to abandon their children. So over the decades the governmental orphanages swelled to overcapacity.

What was once an ill-conceived government plan is now a living nightmare. At age 18 these children are now considered to be adults, and no longer responsibility of the government. With no life experience but that gained within the walls of a government-run orphanage, many of these now young men and women, are homeless, addicted to drugs, and living in empty derelict buildings and in underground sewers. Abandoned by their families, turned out onto the streets by their government, shunned by society, they are almost non-persons.

Yes, the story of this lost generation a tragic tale. But it is only one of so many, many stories. We could talk about a group of people, who are considered to be a scourge on society and so shunned, their true numbers are unknown. We could talk of the ethnic tension between between more than just neighbouring nations, but between neighbouring cities, and the neighbours next door. We could talk about the atrocities of ethnic cleansing and ancient hatreds. We could talk about not just decades of repression, more than just centuries replete with bloodshed, but millennia of tumultuous history, and yet just scratch the surface of what this area and its people are all about.

All these stories are from Southeastern Europe, or what is also called the Balkans. The lost generation belongs to Romania. The "scourge" is the Roma people, or gypsies, who could number from 4-14 million. The ethnic tension is between your choice of Albanians, Croats, Serbs, Romanians, Muslims, Eastern Orthodox, Western Orthodox, new order, old order, take your pick. As to the history of the region, you could blame today's problems on the Communists, The Ottoman Turks, The Hapsburgs, The Romans, The Slavs, or any other invader and/or occupier of this part of the world. You could point the finger for the regions political instability at the numerous treaties made and broken during any of the Balkan Wars, or the World Wars.

This would be a perfect place to quote some statistics, or cut and paste some poignant personal testimonies, all in an attempt to pluck your heart strings. But my intent isn't to create an emotional response, complete with some temporary guilt. I don't even want to use the desperation of this situation to subtlety ask for any kind of support. My only goal today was to open your eyes. To show you part of the world in where I now work. To do more than just identify the problems, but to share the potential for a mighty move of God.

There might be a shadow hanging over the Balkans, a darkness on the edge of town, but if this area was important enough for visits from Paul the Apostle, then God has something wonderful in mind. You now have a front row seat.

"That night Paul had a dream: A Macedonian stood on the far shore and called across the sea, "Come over to Macedonia and help us!" The dream gave Paul his map. We went to work at once getting things ready to cross over to Macedonia. All the pieces had come together. We knew now for sure that God had called us to preach the good news to the Europeans." Acts 16:9 (The Message)

The journey continues.
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

Brothers in Arms

14 January 2010
0345...why is my alarm clock going off? Oh yeah, need to get showered and dressed, riding to the airport at 0400. Who's idea was this?
0450...at BHX waiting for flight to Amsterdam. Thankfully Burger King is opening soon. I wonder if they have Dr Pepper?
0610...off the ground and on our way.
0800...waiting in AMS for flight to OTP. No great deals in the duty free store.
1215...in the air and cruising towards Bucharest, Romania. It is going to be a long day...but full of potential.
1345...safely in Romania, but we have a 5 hour wait until our next flight. A ride from the airport to a Lebanese restaurant is arranged, very nice.
2030...one more flight. Should be Oradea in about 2 hours. I need a hot shower and a pillow.
2315...at the hotel. Awake now for almost 17 hours. No Dr Pepper. Why am I here?

Oh yeah, because about 18 years ago four teenage guys were acting as translators for someone from the UK. This person was traveling through some of the former Soviet nations searching for opportunities to help people either start or rebuild a relationship with Jesus.

That person was Ian Green, founder of NLI, and those 4 guys are now a pastoral team. Through knowing Ian, and the training available through NLI, they now lead an independent church of about 300 members here in Oradea. The church is about 6 years old and the pastors realise they are ready for some new challenges and growth. But they have an uphill battle. Communism may have fallen, but the mentality lingers. Life is ruled, decisions are made for you. This mindset is affecting their church and they seek to bring the freedom of Christ. They want church to be something you do, not just somewhere you go. They want church to be involved in the day-to-day lives of friends, co-workers, and neighbours. They want to be the kind of church that would missed by the community if they left. They want to be the church as Jesus intended.

It gets better. Have you ever been involved in a community outreach with your church? Did it involve seeking out the lost and lonely who live in the sewers and abandoned buildings of your city? Did it involve dealing with a group of people despised and mistrusted by almost everyone? You see, after the trip to Oradea we headed back to Bucharest and reconnected with one ministry who works with teens and another who works specifically with the Roma (gypsy) peoples. Two vibrant, blessed ministries, also looking for partnership to help increase their reach, not for their own glory, but for the Kingdom.

So, to answer my first question, this was God's idea, and I'm blessed to part of the ongoing work here in Romania. Yes there are logistics and funding and travel and processes involved. Yes there are staff members both here and across the world. But it all balances on the quality and depth of relationships. We are in this together, whether you are a financial supporter, a prayer partner, or a cheerleader, you are part of this. You share in the victories and the blessings. We've said it before, and we'll say it again....we're running on faith, but we're not running alone.


Stay true,
Paul and Mary.