A Work In Progress

Wishing you the very “Happiest”, or “Merriest” Christmas, a “Fröhe Weihnachten”, or whichever variation fits your local/cultural context! ❤️

As we approach the end of the year, I've realised I am once again overdue on posting an update of 'all things Frances', so am writing this in hopes of filling in some of the autumn 'gaps'!

This year has felt ‘steady’ in it’s pace, but as I reflect back on it, I realise it’s also been very full! From community visits and personal questions last winter, to my Welsh adventure in the spring, to the ongoing serving with the Waverley Abbey Community and House of Prayer, life has been pretty constant and on the whole positive!

Over the summer I continued doing some administrative support for the College, and then once that ended I returned to my massage business, with some shifts working in the Waverley Abbey House Café to augment. At the end of September I was due to go on a community support visit to two communities in France, but unfortunately I came down with Covid (for the 4th time!!) just in time for the trip and so had to cancel my involvement. 😞The other two ladies who were on the team were still able to go, and it went really well with a lot of encouragement given and received, and new relationships strengthened. 

In October as I continued to recover from Covid, the rest of the housemates got hit by various colds and flu, as the ‘winter bug season’ began to hit.  In the midst of that (those who were healthy!) we hosted another 24-7 Prayer Week, and began planning our one next which will be in January. 

Our Autumn Prayer Room ready to go!

At the end of October it was then time to travel to Rotterdam in the Netherlands, for the annual 24-7 Prayer International Gathering.  This year was a global focus (rather than regional), and so we had people and communities coming from as far away as South Africa and Australia, along with friends from North America and the European continent. As always, it was a time of rich teaching, catching up with or beginning new friendships, hilariously raising money at our Generosity Auction for communities and projects across the movement, and celebrating stories from the past year.

Catching up with friends

Praying and learning with/from one another at the Gathering

We also announced that, beginning NEXT September, 24-7 Prayer will be partnering with Waverley Abbey Trust and Emmaus Rd church in hosting a new, 24-7 Prayer “Academy”.  This will be a 16wk opportunity for young adults between 18-30 to come and live onsite at Waverley Abbey Estate, to spend a season deepening their faith through rhythms of prayer and spiritual formation, and strengthening their leadership skills through teaching and serving.  

The Academy is a really exciting development for us, especially here at WAH, as we begin to prepare to host, support, and care for these young people during their time here.

In November I was able to take a week ‘out’ and return to Tymawr, in Wales, for a silent retreat - which was beautiful and needed!  It snowed the day after I arrived, and there were woods to walk through, fresh air to breathe deeply in, and the wonderful community of sisters to join in prayer with.  The week felt like both a ‘settling of the static’ of daily life, as well as a bit of a ‘clearing of the decks’ mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, for whatever might be coming in the new year. 

Tymawr House in the snow

Winter Wonderlands to walk in

Trees, trees, and TREES to walk through

More challengingly, throughout the summer and autumn, we’ve had some staff and team changes, with the lovely Gillen family returning to their missions service in Indonesia, and the hiring of our first ‘proper staff’ member for the House of Prayer, a young guy named Will who will be looking at how to develop and grow opportunities and engagement with musical worship for WAT Staff and the wider community.  We also received notice from one of our housemates and core, anchoring members of our team, Charlie, that he felt his time with the community was coming to an end and he’d be moving out/onwards at the beginning of January.  This was a big ‘hit’ for all of us, as for the past two years he has not only been a fantastic housemate, but he’s also spearheaded the ‘organising’ of the House of Prayer within the wider WAT framework and been a strong pastoral support for many in the team and wider guests and volunteers.

This means that we are also looking for another ‘paid position’ to continue developing the HoP as a ‘department’ within WAT, liaising with the House and Executive Teams, with the upcoming Academy, etc, to ensure things are running logistically well as well as providing positive experiences for participants and guests.

So, it seems a lot has been happening…as usual!

For Christmas this year I've flown home to Canada (wheee!), which will be the first Canadian CHRISTMAS for me in 10 years!  Ironically, my brother and his two children will be flying to England to spend Christmas with my aunt and cousins, but we managed to arrange our flights so that we ‘overlapped’ in Vancouver for a week…For Christmas itself I’ll be with my sister and her daughter in Langley, with my Dad having driven down to join us from Creston.  Then, after we all ‘recover’ on Boxing Day, my niece leaves for Mexico with her dad, and Marina & I will (hopefully!) drive up to Creston to have a snowy New Years with Dad, before returning to the Lower Mainland for my flight at the beginning of January.

I’m looking forward to 2025 - my 50th year! There will be quite a few changes and shifts as we come back from the holidays - no Charlie in the house, hopefully a new team member starting, the next Prayer Week, etc.  There’s also the ongoing development for myself as I continue to better understand the opportunities for not just ‘visiting’ 24-7 Prayer Communities and Houses of Prayer across the UK and European continent, but also how we can begin to better integrate some of the support I’ve been beginning to do with 24-7’s “Communities Network” team, with Waverley Abbey Trust’s ongoing growth and development as both a ‘home’ for the 24-7 Prayer Movement, and a “House of Prayer for the Nations”.

And then there’s the ongoing hosting of guests and friends, facilitating prayer for the House, staff, guests, and ourselves; continuing to help with Touchpoint and Friday Prayer zoom sessions, and hopefully introducing some small project ideas for the gardens and grounds.

So here’s to the coming year!

I couldn’t live out this life and ministry without all of you. McLaren Massage is still ‘burbling’ away in the background, but continues to be an inconsistent method of support, and although 24-7 Prayer is generous in supporting some of the travel I do for community visits, the majority of my financial support comes through donations from friends and family who choose to support me in this "Prayer Missionary" life! So, THANK YOU!  I hope, and trust, that these heart-felt but often insufficient ‘updates’ give you all a glimpse into what you’re enabling.

And if you are reading this and would like to begin donating towards my work and ministry, you can do that through the links on the right side of this page. 😉

Once again, thank you for your ongoing support, whether that be through financial giving, prayer, or simply good conversations when we manage to see each other!

Once again, wishing you the ‘merriest’ of Merry Christmases!

Waverley Abbey House in the autumn sun