One Chapter Closing,
Wallenstein, last week I was reminded of the well known verses from Ecclesiastes -"For everything there is a season. . . A time to plant and a time to harvest. . . . A time to grieve and a time to dance" (Ecclesiastes 3:1,2,4).
Recently we shared with the P2C staff that after much waiting, praying and discerning the decision was made by sending partners and local East Asia (EA) leadership to close the current chapter of our EA partnership.
Our EA staff originally left EA for a mid-year conference in January 2020. The emerging COVID situation at the time never allowed them to return and subsequent border closures/restrictions have prevented them from getting back to EA for two years.
The closing of this chapter is bittersweet as we mourn the end of a rich 20+ year partnership. Over the years we sent many mission trips, STINT teams, and long term staff to EA. I myself have been on three mission trips and one care trip to EA (the pictures above are from each of my trips - 2005, 2009, 2010, 2018).
Along with the mourning we also celebrate, because we see signposts that God has been preparing the way for this transition as the EA ministry has been experiencing a deepening indigenization.
Another Beginning,
Although the chapter of our EA partnership is closing for now, our Desert Rain (DR) partnership seems to be starting a new chapter.
This past month in DR, a group of 20 students from 7 different cities gathered for a training retreat. The goals for the retreat were community, spiritual formation and training. Some of the highlights were:
Students who were isolated meeting other believers, even discovering others who are in the same city as them!
Seeing nationals organizing the retreat and casting vision for reaching their world with the gospel.
Students practicing sharing their testimonies and sharing the gospel with one another. One student exclaimed: "Now I know how to share my faith!"
In a place where sometimes we'd go years without seeing much fruit, it seems like a new season of harvesting when we can bring believers together for community, encouragement and training and then send them out eager to share their faith.
MISSION TRIP UPDATES:
Currently we have 2 international (Desert Rain and Vietnam) and 2 national (Edmonton and Guelph) mission trips planned for the month of May.
Pray for the approximately 33 students and 22 staff as they raise funds and prepare to go.
