Elodie Josland Newsletter April 2026

Seeds Sown April 2026

SPRING IS HERE

OTHER SEED FELL ON GOOD SOIL, WHERE IT PRODUCED A CROP—A HUNDRED, SIXTY OR THIRTY TIMES WHAT WAS SOWN. MATTHEW 13:8

I always feel like these months go so fast. The last few months have been particularly busy for me.

Obviously, everything going on in the Middle East has been quite heavy. The Internet still isn't on in Iran, although thankfully we have now found ways to make sure our loved ones are okay- but it was about 2 months of no contact.

But despite all of that, there have been some happy moments- we celebrated the Iranian New Year, we went with some asylum seekers for a day retreat to the countryside with prayer in the Old Chapel and a BBQ. And in the midst of all of that I also went to Spain, for a Christian Refugee Workers Network where I met some incredible people and got loads of resources.

RETREAT DAY

We have also celebrated since April last year 14 Baptisms with 3 or 4 more on the way.

I just want to thank you so much for all the prayers and financial support. I have always said this and still stand by the fact that although I am the only person part of my working team working with refugees, I am not alone. I have a whole team of people praying and supporting me financially, who are just as much part of reaching people as I am. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

IRANIAN NEW YEAR

One of the guys who comes to "Learning English through the Bible", goes home and and researches what we've been learning. This month he said to us. "In my whole life I've never had the opportunity to learn about Christianity. In my research I haven't yet found anything wrong with what we've been learning".

We are just about to get onto Jesus dying and resurrecting, please pray that the Holy Spirit speaks during this time.

I really love what we do in this city. We create spaces for people to belong, to feel seen, loved and values and to start a new life. But we also get to share Jesus with people, who He is, what He's done and the love He has for people.

I don’t find it easy to talk about finances, but I’ve reached a point where I really need to grow my support team.

Over the past four years, I’ve been earning below minimum wage while doing this work, supported partly by savings from my previous job. Between travelling abroad to meet requirements, buying a car, repairs, and the general rise in living costs, those savings have now run out. I truly believe God has always provided through people, and I’m trusting Him to do that again in this next season.

I also want to say—I wouldn’t ask you to do anything I’m not doing myself. For the past two years, I’ve been supporting another missionary a small amount each month. The joy of seeing what God is doing and knowing I’m sowing into that ministry has made the sacrifice completely worth it.

If you feel led, here are a few ways you could support me:

Monthly giving – this could be as little as the cost of one coffee a month, a weekly shop, or whatever you feel able to give. Regular support helps create stability and allows me to continue this work long-term.

CELTA course – I’ve been accepted (yippee!) but I still need £1,000 to cover the cost. This will take place in July. This is a Level 5 English language teaching course.

I am already teaching English as part of my job, but none of us on the team have been officially trained to a decent level. This will help us to teach to a higher quality. There is also now a new rule in place, that as a refugee if you want to reunite with your family, they must pass an English exam. I am doing a course that will also teach me to teach online, which will hopefully help some of my friends wives and children to be reunited with their Fathers.

The distance is unbearable for them sometimes. If you’d like to give a one-off gift towards this, it would make a huge difference.

Amsterdam trip – I’ve been invited to work with refugees for two weeks. This will contribute towards my required time abroad, but comes with costs for flights, accommodation, travel, and food. I am still waiting for details, but I am hoping to go out in August/ September. If you feel led to give towards this, I’d be so grateful.

Prayer – just as important as anything financial. Please stand with me in prayer for provision, wisdom, and for God to continue opening doors in unexpected ways.

Please know I don’t take any support lightly. I understand the sacrifice it can be, and I’m deeply grateful. I also believe that sometimes God invites people into something bigger—and this might be one of those moments.

Thank you so much.