By Nick Truscott

Despite being an awfully lazy and naughty pupil at school, my loving parents encouraged me to get into one of Canterbury’s most prestigious secondary schools (the Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys) and to work towards a Commission Scholarship with the Royal Navy – which I won through a lot of hard work.

After I joined the navy, I became estranged from all but one of my siblings. My Dad passed away in 1977 when I was at sea off the south coast of England and when I was working in Saudi Arabia in 1983, I managed to get back to the UK and see my Mum one last time before she died. I will always miss them.

I left the navy in 1982 and shortly after I took a job with a construction company in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where I worked for 4 years before returning to the UK. On arriving home, I did odd-jobs as well as being the “house husband” which was one of the most precious times of my life with our three infant children.

In the early 1990’s, I went to Egypt to work with the American support company for the Multinational Force and Observers – the International Peacekeeping Force established to support the Peace Agreement between Egypt and Israel. Jane and the children moved to Egypt in 1996 and we lived there until 2007 when we moved to the United Arab Emirates.

While at Cairo, we attended Maadi Community Church. It was one of two international churches authorised by the Egyptian government.  I involved myself with several church ministries, in particular Small Groups, and worked closely with two Aussies, Bill and Beryl Joukhadar. On 2 June, 2005, I followed Jesus through my “born-again” baptism – which marked the beginning of my journey with Christ.

Through my friendship with Bill, God put His finger on several things in my life that needed His corrective attention, and MCC was the place where this was brought to light and actioned. I will always struggle with memories of hurting many dear friends at MCC. I wear shameful scars that remind me of my betrayal of their trust in me. I am glad to say that over the years, Bill has helped me to deal with painful experiences from earlier times in my life through confessing all to the Lord and seeking His forgiveness… setting me free to continue my journey. Bill has been a true friend…

• “Sweet friendships refresh the soul and awaken our hearts with joy, for good friends are like the anointing oil that yields the fragrant incense of God’s presence” (Prov. 27:9).
• “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity” (Prov. 17:17).

In 2020, my wife Jane and I bought a property in Bulgaria. My son Toby and I moved there in 2015, developing the infrastructure and establishing horticultural areas.  Jane joined us in 2018.

In April, 2022, I was diagnosed with brain cancer. I immediately underwent surgery to remove 20% of the tumor from my brain. I underwent seven weeks of radiotherapy and have been undergoing chemotherapy for several months. The treatment has been (and continues to be) full-on and nightmarish in many ways. The hospital and attending Specialists have been outstanding!

This health challenge has not been easy for me and my family. However, together with the Lord, their love and support has carried me through to this present time. While my prognosis remains uncertain, my faith and confidence in the Lord is certain! I continue to live to please and honor the Lord with my life and through my service to Him… no matter what! God has set me free!

The Lord is faithful to ALL His promises and loving toward ALL He has made” (Ps. 145:13).

Best wishes to all of you reading this.

Nick

P.S. Jane and I warmly invite you to visit our blog at www.alekovo.com where you can explore what we have been up to since moving to Bulgaria, along with many examples of God’s faithfulness in keeping His promises to us.