On the road again...
Eight weeks have come and gone so quickly, I can't even believe it! and after a very special time here in Montreal, I’m packed up and ready to go again… this time to Trois-Pistoles, Quebec. This week has been a very good but crazy last week, finishing up work, last events, spending time with my new friends here in Montreal. So much has happened so quickly, and I realize I’ve yet to wrap my head around the magnitude of what I’ve learned from my experiences here. So my reflections on the last 8 weeks here, unfortunately, are still in-the-making… but I hope to share with you sometime soon in the future.
As I’m heading off to tiny-town Trois Pistoles… please do pray for me for a few things:
- That I’ll settle in quickly to yet another new place for the summer, and that I wouldn’t be overwhelmed by my French surroundings, and pick up the language quickly! I was really blessed to have spent the last weekend in Quebec City with Gen whose grandparents who don’t speak any English were also visiting from France so I got to practice trying to communicate with them, so thank God for that!
- That I WOULD take the time to reflect on everything that’s been going on and continues to happen this summer, and just to spend with God, to know Him more deeply and love Him more intimately!
-That I’ll make some good friends quickly… I love meeting people, but real friendships to be able to really share life with take time to build. That I wouldn’t hesitate to build real frienships because of the short time we’re together. Also that there might be some other Christians there to fellowship together, and love God and live life for God together, especially after spending the last 8 weeks surrounded by awesome and genuine brothers and sisters in Christ here in Montreal.
- That I might be able to stay with a family (I heard some students in the past have stayed in residence buildings because they’d over-booked students)… and that I’ll be able to have my own room. Sharing a room for the last 2 months here has been a great (stretching at times) learning experience, and I’m blessed to have had it, but I’m also ready to have some time with some personal space too. But if not, that I’ll continue to take my blessings as they come.
Okay, well I gotta run… but hope to be in touch again soon… hope I’ll have access to internet!!
Je vous aime! Merci beaucoup pour vos prières! (Love you and thanks for your prayers !!)
Beautiful QC
I usually reserve "beautiful" for BC, but Quebec City was so beautiful I had to make an exception! I had such a good weekend with my friend Gen, a time to hang out and catch up since we don't go to school together anymore, a time just to relax and have a "break" from ministry and busy-ness in Montreal. I didn't realize how much I missed nature, which you always have in Vancouver, until I got to Quebec City's trees, water and green-ess!! Maybe I'm not such a city girl afterall! =)
Waterfall!!
Beautiful bike ride along the St. Lawrence River
On a little ferry across the river... Le Château Frontenac in the background.
Other fun things in Quebec City...
Celebrating Quebec's biggest holiday, the St. Jean Baptiste Baptiste, in blue and white! (Everyone else was running around wearing the provincial flag... I wonder if most British Columbians even know what our flag looks like!)
Me in front of Petit Champlain, the oldest street in North America!
Creative Outreach!
Hello from Quebec City! I'm here for the weekend to visit one of my best friends Gen... so much has happened, and I've had this blog written for a couple days but unfortunately I have no internet at home anymore, so I haven't been able to upload it. But now, chez Gen... here's finally a quick recap with some cool things to share! (I have some pictures to add too, but I'll have to do that later!)
On a very rainy afternoon
last Saturday, we got our mops and brooms, rags and dish soap… to offer to
clean our neighbours’ apartments! We also baked up probably 150 cookies if not more to take with us, and knocked on every door in Solin Hall. We got some funny responses… everything from “Yes, of COURSE!” to “For FREE??? Really?? …. WHY??” to “You guys are really weird. Good luck on your.. very weird… endeavor.” But it was a great chance to meet some of our neighbours that we hadn’t met yet in the building – we had a (indoor!) barbeque later that evening and lots of people came and had a good time.
On
Wednesday, my discipleship group – me, Julie, Jessica and Chara hosted a “
French Café” to get together, hang out, play some games and speak French. It was pretty good… some friends from Ireland that are staying in the building came to join us – we’ve been getting to know them a bit and it’s been fun. We’ll be continuing to host it every Wednesday night for the rest of the summer.
Last
Thursday, we had a “
Stump the Christian” night for our Thursday night coffee house. We had a panel of Jon, Selene and Jeremy to answer questions from the audience. It was really cool and people did really come to ask questions they are struggling with – homosexuality, the purpose of our existence, whether all religions are essentially the same… lots of really honest, genuine questions. I really pray that they received some answers to their questions that actually reach to their heart, and that they would continue to ask those questions that are right now a stumbling block to their faith. It’s really awesome and funny almost seeing God’s work in people’s lives here in Solin in the last few weeks. Our tough-front and aloof next-door-neighbour RJ always walks in on our prayer times together or our Bible studies or when I’m having dinner while reading a book about prayer… and will just say “I just don’t GET you guys! I would believe but I don’t think I’d have the time for it! I mean, how much time does it take you guys to be Christians?!” or “Yeah… but what if you’re wrong?!!” He’s really searching and seeking to make a choice about Christ… do really keep him in prayer! My roommate Jess has especially been able to challenge him about some of the things he believes or is questioning… keep her in prayer too!
This past
Saturday, we split up into groups and went all over the city to give out the
JESUS Film to whoever wanted one. It was awesome, we gave out Films in English, French, Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Arabic and even Tagalog! It was really encouraging… lots of people didn’t want one, but really a lot of people did! At the metro station where me, Emily and Hannah were, people were sometimes lining up to get the Films, and we even ran out of French and English ones… and some people STILL wanted one so much that they left their mailing addresses! We have a huge list of names and contact numbers now to follow up on in the coming weeks to see what people thought of the Film and to answer any questions that people might have had. Its cool, cuz we really don’t know where these Films might end up or the scope of impact each Film might have as people watch it, perhaps are changed as they come to know Jesus… and pass them on to someone else. Join us in our prayers for God to work mightily to touch people’s lives through the Films we’ve given out.
Last night, at our weekly
Thursday night “Journey Café” coffeehouse, I had the chance to share a bit about my own journey with God. (I’d really hoped to be able to share that with you guys before the event so you could keep it in prayer, but unfortunately didn’t get the chance.) I talked mostly about knowing God through his trustworthiness, what being a Christian means to me, and the way that knowing Him has changed my relationships with friends and the source of my identity. (
Read the full text here!). I really pray that the things I chose to share about and the words I spoke were indeed chosen by God specifically to touch those who were there, and that they would continue to consider the promise God has not only for my life, but for their own. I was really touched actually, because when I told my friend Shalu that I would be speaking at the coffee house, she cancelled her plans for the night to come support me and (literally!) cheer me on! =)
Okay, well I hope that gives you all a bit of a picture of what I’ve been up to... I’ll be back in Montreal Sunday night… for my last week here before leaving for tiny-town Trois-Pistoles! Have a great weekend, and thanks again for all your prayers and support!!
Bonne fête des Pères!
Happy Father's Day to my Daddy!! My biggest thanks for your love and support all these years, for loving and putting God and your family first above any other ambitions.
I'll let my word's be few... so I'll just say thanks times two -
Once to God and once to you!!
Happy Father's Day!
Always Daddy's little girl,
love Rainbow =)
Just for fun!
Yay!! my pictures finally are working! =)
Super sweet note from our friend Shalu!
Speaking out for debt relief on the streets of Montreal!
My most impressive creation thus far.... bacon and cheese quiche! =)
... and really just for fun... Brad becomes Napolean Dynamite!!
And last, without a photo, but not least… the guys on our team are awesome. Just as an extra testament to that, on they made us girls a gourmet dinner à la française the other night. Jeremy even wrote us a song, which I have on video but can’t upload here! *Guys out there… take note! j/k!*
This song is dedicated, this dinner celebrated
in honour of the special ladies in this court.
This toast we offer up now, trying to indicate how
much we value all your friendship and support
We thank God for your lives
and how He’s used you to bless our lives.
So we wanted to say
Thank you, thank you, thank you for being such wonderful sisters to us
Thank you, thank you, thank you for being yourselves and nobody else!!
Roles =)
Ohh I almost forgot! Our roles for the rest of the project! I also have some pictures to upload still, but they're still not working! I'll try again tomorrow! Anyways... our roles!
Project Directors: Chara and Jeremy
Disciple Group Leaders: Brad, Jenny, and Jessica W.
Evangelism Coordinators: Jon and Hannah
Thursday Night Journey Café coordinators: James, Jessica Li and me!
Social Coordinator: Danae
Second Retreat Coordinator: Rachelle
Prayer Coordinator: Emily
Finances: Steph
God’s definitely got a specially chosen place for us in each of these roles. Like I mentioned before… do pray for us to lead effectively in these areas, and to humbly serve God and serve each other in the roles we’ve been given! When we were given what each of our roles would be, I initially had some mixed feelings… I kind of thought that since I’m only here for three more weeks, not til the end of the summer, I’d been given sort of a random, not-so-important role just to have something to do while I’m still here - although I’m sure I would have felt the same way no matter what role I’d been assigned. But I do know that as me, James and Jessica have been working together to plan out our upcoming Thursday nights, it’s where God wants me to serve and use the skills and personality He's given me! Pray that I will contribute all I can, wholeheartedly, in the short time I have left with the project, and keep all of us in prayer as we learn to lead, to be gracious to each other as we're learning, and to be a real support to each other!
The Open Door
The Open Door... that’s the name of the drop-in shelter I’m volunteering at on Mondays… my tasks have been varied, but in each God teaches me something new!
Last week, I had the opportunity to really be challenged to serve. Ramone, the director, asked if I would be able to clean up their food storage room in the basement, sort through and throw out stuff that is overdue, and tidy up and organize everything else. “Absolutely disgustingly nasty” would be a nice way to describe the state of that room!! Amidst cobwebs, spider webs, and stickiness was packaged food that expired in 1998, opened bags of rice, beans and unidentifiable goods, AND a whole floor under a shelf with cases of canned beans that had gotten wet who-knows-when and had rotted through, leaving puddles of black grossness that smelled even worse than it looked. As I mopped up the mess, I did it as joyfully as I could, even though it was sometimes like holding a smile for a group picture that takes forever! I couldn’t help but think “I came to Montreal to serve, but this is really not what I had in mind!” but at the same time remembering God’s call to
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men… It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” Colossians 3:23Chatting with my team later about the yuckiness of that room, one of the guys mentioned “That must be what Jesus sees when he looks at us.” So true! How much worse and hurtful are our sins to God than a can of rotten beans! Yet God sent Jesus and Jesus willingly chose to clean out those sins from our lives…so voluntarily and willingly… not even like me smiling through gritted teeth. Jesus said
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away…. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep… I lay down my life for the sheep… no one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord” (from John 10: 11-18). At least a hired hand gets paid... Jesus didn't and yet not only chose to, He
desired to lay down his life… (not just a mop!)... to clean up the ugly ugly mess that is my sinfulness through His death, so that I
can be clean before God. Thank you Jesus!
* * * * * * * * * *
Today, I had the “nicer” job of serving hotdogs and talking with some of the people who came in. Most of them are homeless or very low income… I’ve had the privilege of talking with one lady and one man in particular, who have both come to know Jesus in the last few years through reading the Bible, and God’s words having a deep impact on their addiction to alcohol. They were really cool to talk to, they honestly could say that they have tried everything and not found what they were looking for until they met Jesus, and that they are happy and have learned to be really content in their spiritual richness now, even though they are considerably poor in money and eat at a drop-in shelter every day. The lady is thankful that God has given her (lack of) material circumstances, and shared with me Proverbs 30:7-9 “Two things I ask of you, O Lord; do not refuse me before I die: Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, “Who is the Lord?” What a great testimony to us students, working towards an unknown future career with an unknown salary, or even those already working! Let’s thank God for exactly what He has given us, and ask of Him to keep in us in that state of "just enough" to need to depend on Him and always to have a thankful heart!
A "petit" (little) update!
So first of all, thanks so much for your emails… in response to my thoughts, promises for prayer, or just to say hi… they have been really encouraging and always brighten up my day!! =) And secondly, I’m sorry I haven’t been updating as much as I’d really like to… I feel like I’m always playing catch-up with sharing about all that’s been going on here!
At the moment, I’m full and happy after a chocolate fondue party evening in our rez. Wednesday nights have been really fun, because it’s the night we just do something social in our hall with everyone else in the building that wants to hang out. Tonight me and Jessica made a giant pot of fondue with TWO POUNDS of chocolate… and a whole bunch of us hung out and chatted and laughed the night away! =) It’s been really awesome getting to know the people we share our hall with.
One of our prayer goals that we are committing to God is that everyone living in Solin Hall this summer would be able to have a conversation with one of us about spirituality. We’ve gotten to know some of the other students quite well… one girl in particular I’ve gotten to know, Shalu, is just AWESOME… she is hilarious… a couple weeks ago we were interrupted our Tuesday night prayer meeting by her voice ringing out “RAINBOWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!” in the hall! Yet while FUN is always on the agenda… we’ve also become a group of people that the students really are able to ask about spiritual things. At a potluck dinner one night, Shalu just asked, “so, do you guys believe in the Old Testament or the New Testament? What’s the difference?” As a discussion about the Bible started, another guy Alex piped up “Oh hey, me and some guys were just talking about this the other night… I’ll see if I can find them!” Other times, our religiously skeptical next-door-neighbour RJ would just wander into our rooms and ask questions about our faith – sometimes snarky questions but also real, honest questions as well. Do pray that we would continue to demonstrate and reflect God's love here in Solin Hall and be available and open that people can really seek answers and explore their spiritual journey with us this summer. It really is a journey, and we all take such different paths... but may all of us take a step closer to God!
I haven’t heard from Julia yet about her grandma, but I am continuing to pray for her. I trust that God has the situation in His hands. I’ve also really enjoyed getting to know some of the other girls at SJC. I’ve shared with a few of them why I’m here in Montreal, and also with one girl briefly about my own journey of becoming a follower of Jesus, and about my time in Tanzania. I’ve invited them all out to our Thursday night coffee house tomorrow… we’re having a lady that works at Ten Thousand Villages come in as our speaker tomorrow night, so it’s right up our alley as global social justice people. Pray that my coworkers will be drawn to come tomorrow night, and also that they will be drawn to Jesus.
Something to pray for: As the staff are preparing to leave the project in 2 weeks, we’ve been assigned to “roles” for the rest of the project this summer. The staff have really prayerfully chosen these roles… we trust that it is really where God would have us! Pray that each of us would take these roles and seek to grow in leadership alongside humility, and to do and go beyond our duties and responsibilities in love and desire to serve each other and the people in various areas we are ministering to.
I’d really like to share more, I 'll also let you know what each of our roles is, so you can pray more specifically! but I will have to leave it until tomorrow or early this weekend, cuz I have to get some sleep before tomorrow. SJC is putting on a PROTEST downtown tomorrow for debt relief by the Inter-American Development Bank for impoverished countries in Latin America. The IDB’s president will be in Montreal tomorrow for a conference, so we are having a rally outside… I’ve never been to a protest like this before… it should be fun, and hopefully effective! Do pray for this event, for the IDB, for us, and for the weather (rainy again!!) even though its not directly “spiritual” but it IS something that I believe God cares deeply about, and that affects the livelihoods of many many people in Latin America.
The poster I made… now in Solin Hall and all over the streets of downtown Montreal!
Thanks again for reading… and I’ll be in touch again soon! =)
URGENT PRAYER REQUEST
One of the girls I work with at SJC, Julia, just got news last night that her grandma in Germany (where Julia’s also from) had a stroke and is in the hospital. The doctors have said that she’s not expected to make it through the night tonight. We know that God is almighty and He is a God of miracles, and everything is in His hands… and I pray that if it is His will, Julia’s grandma be healed. But whatever happens, we do surrender that to God, and I just pray that through this time of crisis that Julia and her family would know that God is true, that He is real, and that He is a God of love. May God comfort Julia and her family in Germany in this time. Julia’s a super sweet girl, she’s 20 and here in Montreal just to do a volunteer internship at SJC… and she said she didn’t get to see her grandma before she left for Montreal a few months ago, and it hurts that she’s here right now and not with her family. She’ll be flying out in the next day or two. I’ve only known Julia for a couple days, so I didn’t really know what to do… but I gave her a hug and asked if I could pray for her. She said through tears that yah, that would be really nice, and that she had wanted to pray yesterday but just didn’t know if she should or what to do. So there in the office, I just held her hand and prayed for her grandma and her family.
I really just want to lift up Julia’s grandma, that God would heal her, that she would live if it is His will. And that through this God would really hold the family close in His loving arms - whatever happens, that Julia's grandma, Julia, and the family would see God’s loving hand, and might come to know the true and living God.
