Unlikely opportunities
Opportunities to share about God have been coming up left right and centre! My friend Alicia had a debate in class on Friday on the topic of homosexuality… definitely a touchy topic these days but she had the chance to share a little about her views as a Christian. Tomorrow, I have another oral exposition… we record ourselves reading a text and the prof marks it for pronunciation. Last time we were given a text but this time we’re writing our own 300 word story using past tenses – only my prof will hear it but still very cool opportunity for a brief testimony! And on Friday, my friend Vivien has a 5 minute oral presentation in her class… on the topic of “Does God exist?” !!! Its really cool to see God’s provisions as we’re asking for opportunities to be His witnesses here in Trois-Pistoles. Pray for me & Vivien as we prepare and share our stories, and in advance for those who hear it to have open hearts.
On a different note….
A present from my friend Gen, who’s friends with the Dallaires, and went to get a copy of Romeo Dallaire's book signed for me!!! (Merci beaucoup, Gen!!) Shake Hands with the Devil is a Lieutenant General’s account of the genocide in Rwanda in 1994 as the Force Commander of the United Nations troops, and how the international community (ie, developed countries with lots of resources like us) failed Rwanda – looked away and failed to intervene and save 800,000 Rwandan citizens caught in the middle of ethnic conflict. I’ve only read the preface and the first chapter but it’s definitely a powerful and important story.
In the preface, Romeo Dallaire explains the title of his book “After one of my many presentations following my return from Rwanda, a Canadian Forces padre asked me how, after all I had seen and experienced, I could still believe in God. I answered that I know there is a God because in Rwanda I shook hands with the devil. I have seen him, I have smelled him and I have touched him. I know the devil exists, and therefore I know there is a God.” Scary but true… I didn’t come to know God through knowing the devil… but I know that the devil exists because I know God.
For our struggle is not against the flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and agianst the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6:12. As hatred and war rage on in Lebanon, as people are persecuted and killed for things like ethnicity and religion, as troubles whether we see them or not run deep in every nation… put on the armor of God (see the rest of Ephesians 6) and pray... pray not only for those being persecuted… pray against the devil and pray for spiritual healing in this world.
Closer to home of our failure in development (of course not just our failure, but it’s undeniable that we play a hugely important role) I received an email today from my friend Atuu in Tanzania who is the director of a refugee camp in Kigoma, Tanzania. He’d set up a pen-pal program at the camp for the children, for Christians from developed countries to write to children at the camp, and I’d started writing to a beautiful little girl named Eliza last year. The email I received today was to let me know that Eliza had passed away as a result of malaria. I don’t know whether to cry in grief, shout in anger or what…. Things like this do NOT need to be happening in the 21st century world of advanced medicine and technology… and yet they still do, and people and governments still turn a blind eye. Pray for Eliza’s family – mom and dad and two little brothers, pray for the Lufugu Refugee Camp and the children and families there, pray for ourselves that we would understand and be turned towards the things that break God’s heart too, pray for the leaders of the world that they would make choices of wisdom and compassion.
Also as another note, if anyone would like to participate in the pen-pal program in Tanzania, the children really do love it and it’s really a touching opportunity to share and experience God’s love in another part of the world. Let me know if you’re interested and I’ll put you in touch with Atuu. And if anyone is interested in sponsoring a child in a developing nation with a monthly donation of just $30-$40 that ensures their access to necessities like education and healthcare (you can also write to them personally!), check out the great programs offered by organizations like World Vision (www.worldvision.ca) or Compassion International (www.compassion.org).
Time flies!
It`s hard to believe I`m already half-way through my time in Trois-Pistoles... I just had my final exam for one of the two French courses I`m taking here, and I`m now in Quebec City again to hang out with Gen for the weekend. =) It`s a super break to be here with Gen after the last couple weeks with all the students at Trois-Pistoles, who`ve been fun to hang out with but also a bit draining sometimes as well.
Our prayer group is really doing well at Trois-Pistoles... at least for me, I`ve found that it`s been really encouraging, and by faith I know that we and our little town is being changed through our prayers. There have been 8 girls that come together to pray, and we are praying for more students to come join us yet.
Back in Montreal, God is still moving in big and super cool ways through prayer as well! my friend Brad just sent me an email... and it was so awesome I had to share it with you all. It`s about one of the guys, Val, in Solin Hall that we`ve been hanging out with this summer - cool guy on the 6th floor where I got to know people the best during my time there.
Funny story about prayer: We had our Tuesday night prayer meeting inthe courtyard at one of the tables there, and when we were sharing prayer requests, Emily said that Val had really been on her heart lately andthat we should pray for him. Twenty seconds later, he walked by andasked what we were doing. Jeremy told him we were having a prayermeeting, and he said, "Can I watch?" So he sat down and joined us forthe meeting. Totally one of those "God seems sooo random" kind of things.;)
Definitely keep him in prayer, and the rest of our friends in Solin Hall as well... God has been really touching the lives of the students there, and their change in attitude and heart towards God has been incredible.
Okay.. bedtime for me, but a couple more images from Trois-Pistoles before I go! =)
Hike up Mt. Xalibu last Sunday... beautiful, n`est-ce pas!
We made it!! (Not actually 17.2 km... my friend Michelle wanted to sign up but it was full, so we switched for an 11km hike up a different mountain instead... but equally fun!)
At the top of the mountain... we are IN the clouds!!
On the way back down.... rivers...
...and lakes....
...and at the beach a few days later... just cool clouds!!
Time flies!
Time sure flies! It`s hard to believe I`m already half-way through my time in Trois-Pistoles... I just had my final exam for one of the two French courses I`m taking here, and I`m now in Quebec City again to hang out with Gen for the weekend. =) It`s a super break to be here with Gen after the last couple weeks with all the students at Trois-Pistoles, who`ve been fun to hang out with but also a bit draining sometimes as well.
Our prayer group is really doing well at Trois-Pistoles... at least for me, I`ve found that it`s been really encouraging, and by faith I know that we and our little town is being changed through our prayers. There have been 8 girls that come together to pray, and we are praying for more students to come join us yet.
Back in Montreal, God is still moving in big and super cool ways through prayer as well! my friend Brad just sent me an email... and it was so awesome I had to share it with you all. It`s about one of the guys, Val, in Solin Hall that we`ve been hanging out with this summer - cool guy on the 6th floor where I got to know people the best during my time there.
Funny story about prayer: We had our Tuesday night prayer meeting inthe courtyard at one of the tables there, and when we were sharing prayer requests, Emily said that Val had really been on her heart lately andthat we should pray for him. Twenty seconds later, he walked by andasked what we were doing. Jeremy told him we were having a prayermeeting, and he said, "Can I watch?" So he sat down and joined us forthe meeting. Totally one of those "God seems sooo random" kind of things.;)
Definitely keep him in prayer, and the rest of our friends in Solin Hall as well... God has been really touching the lives of the students there, and their change in attitude and heart towards God has been incredible.
Okay.. bedtime for me, but a couple more images from Trois-Pistoles before I go! =)
Hike up Mt. Xalibu last Sunday... beautiful, n`est-ce pas!
We made it!! (Not actually 17.2 km... my friend Michelle wanted to sign up but it was full, so we switched for an 11km hike up a different mountain instead... but equally fun!)
At the top of the mountain... we are IN the clouds!!
On the way back down.... rivers...
...and lakes....
...and at the beach a few days later... just cool clouds!!
a thousand words!
Pictures! Sometimes worth more than a thousand words!
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BEACH!!!! I'M HOME!!!! =)
MORE beach!!! New friends Sarah (my superfun housemate!) and Luba
My crazy host-mom Johanne!
(We just came home the other day and found her hanging off the side of the porch dancing to music and painting away!)
Me and the big friendly giant (Andrew)! (Yes, I AM standing on a bench!)
Inside the Trois-Pistoles Church… pretty amazing for such a little town!
We had a chance to take a visit inside on Sunday and actually lots of students went! One girl I know whose lifestyle doesn’t seem exactly “God honouring” at the church knelt in a pew to pray… and she said later that she’s Catholic. Even with a lifestyle that doesn’t quite put God first, it was interesting to see that she (and probably many others in the church that day) have a sense of reverence for God. Pray for the students here to sense God’s presence more and more, and to know that He is real, and present not just in the church but in our heart and in our lives as we let Him. One of the girls, Natalia, that has started coming to our prayer group, when I asked them what kinds of expectations or hopes they had of God during their time in T.P. responded “Not really any, because the church here is Roman Catholic and that doesn’t really do anything for me.” Pray for her and the other believers here to recognize that God is living and active in our lives every day… pray that we will be able to recognize when He speaks and works in our lives!
Hiked up a littler mountain on Saturday.... view from top!
God, is this how you spell "beautiful"??
life in the little town
Things are going well here in Trois-Pistoles… the small town-ness and outdoorsieness is a nice change from downtown Montreal! It’s important to recognize how it is that we best meet with God… for some it’s music, for some it’s the grandeur of an old church, for some it’s science… for me, more and more I’ve realized this summer… is nature!! I loved my team and activities in Montreal but there was definitely something about it that wasn’t quite lovable for me. I didn’t really think about what it was until I was in Quebec City and I made Gen wait for me while we were driving around the suburbs of the city at night, so I could take a minute and lie down on grass and look at the stars… and she laughed and said “I think you’re really a nature girl!” And I guess I really am! Here in Trois-Pistoles, with the beach close enough to jog to, I’m definitely a happy gal! =)
French 24 hours a day here has been a fun challenge… I can’t really tell yet but I hope I’m improving! It also really tires me out cuz my brain’s working in overtime 24/7, so I do need to get my sleep or I’m completely drained, physically and spiritually! I’m (finally, after years of people always telling me!!) realizing how important my sleep is! My parents always told me I’m grouchy when I’m overworked and tired, but it’s not until my “job” is essentially relationship-building that I realize that I really do get irritable and have less patience when I’m tired. There’s always something to do here… whether it’s homework, or fun activities, or hanging out with friends, or reading or having quiet time, or just sleeping… all good things to do, but pray that I’ll choose the things I need to be most effective for God!
Me and another girl from York University named Vivien have started a daily prayer meeting. A few other girls have come to join us, and we look forward to seeing ourselves, and the other people here in Trois-Pistoles changed in the next couple weeks here changed through prayer. Pray for us, that we will be committed to prayer, and that we WOULD be changed as we pray and see God's glory through prayer!
I’ve had a chance to talk to a couple people about God, or at least share that I am a Christian. My tattoo (Jesus fish on my ankle) has turned out to be an incredible opportunity for conversation! On Monday, at least 5 or 6 different people asked me what it was! As a result, after lunch yesterday, a few of us had a chance to talk a little bit (in French!!) about what we thought of God and of religion. There was me, a girl named Sarah who’s Roman Catholic, a guy named Chad who doesn’t know if there is a God and is skeptical of the church and “holy texts” like the Bible, and a girl named Michelle who has some Buddhist background and who thinks there’s probably a higher being but religions are just different labels. I have three meals a day with the same group of people at a host family’s place, so do pray that we will be able to continue exploring who God really is together… pray for softened hearts and questioning minds, curiosity and hunger for truth and more opportunities for us to talk. On Saturday, I signed up for a 17.2 km hike up a mountain, and Michelle might too… so pray that that will work out and that we’ll be able to have a chance to talk some more.
Okay… more to come, but I have to go for tonight! I hope to post some pictures tomorrow with a few more stories! =)
Thanks for journeying with me to yet another city!
Luv Rainbow =)
à Trois-Pistoles
I guess rainbow-in-montreal isnt quite so fitting anymore... but I´ve arrived safe and sound to Trois-Pistoles as of 5am yesterday morning! Getting here was a bit of an adventure in itself after my train was late and overbooked, but I got here, and God´s really really provided for me. I AM staying with a family here, not in a residence, with a cute little eccentric host mom. I also have my own room, which for me at this point, is a HUGE relief and blessing. Theres another girl at my house, Sarah, which is great! As I was on the way to the train station, I was just like my gooodness im completely not emotionally equipped to deal with this right now, after having just packed my stuff and walked away from another set of friends and another place that I called home. With the craziness of my last week in Montreal, it didn´t even hit me that I was leaving until some of my Project team people left me notes and cards to say goodbye. But I´ve settled into my new home a bit and AM beginning to look forward to the next couple weeks here.
As expected, Trois-Pistoles is a super tiny town, and my host mom only knows a few words of english... but I´m surprised actually how much I understand and am able to communicate with her. I´ll be taking a course for oral french while I´m here, so it´ll be fun to see how much I improve in the next little while.
It was a bit of a shock, almost amusingly, realizing how much of a spiritual greenhouse I´ve been in for the last 2 months. No more safe haven of spiritual encouragement from start to end of every day (except from afar =) ), but now I´m out on my own in this next part of missions in Quebec. Pray for me for discernment and wisdom of how to be a true reflection of Jesus while I´m here, when building relationships with the students here... cuz I´ve soon realized that I really don´t relate to their life at this point. And I really want to in a real, genuine, loving and nonjudgemental way while at the same time upholding integrity and the real heart of Jesus. It would be easy to just congregate to other Christians or even to other people who share similar lifestyles and values, but that´s not the example nor the call Jesus left for us. Please pray especially that I´ll be able to build solid relationships with my host mom and my housemate Sarah, since that is where God has placed me!
Okay well I have to get going for now, but will be in touch again. I have some internet access here... certain hours of the day at the school computer lab. so do keep in touch! à bientot! =)
luv Rainbow =)
ps. My address here is 21 Rue Leblond, Trois-Pistoles, Quebec, G0L4K0
