By Brett
Today was another busy day as we wrapped up our last full day in Toronto. This morning, we handed out water bottles to anyone we encountered that was in need and spent time talking to them and hearing their stories. We also spent the afternoon in an Islamic community trying to strike up conversations and learn more about the Muslim faith. We did not have any full-blown discussions about Jesus and salvation through Him, but we had some valuable interaction with Islamic culture and grew in our confidence to talk to others not like ourselves. We ended the evening sharing what God had taught each of us on the trip. It's always such an encouraging time and I always wish others could be there to hear what everyone has to say. I cannot do justice to each one's responses, but I listed below a comment or two from each participant to help you get a sense of what God has been busy doing in us.
1. Joel B. mentioned that God helped him to become a better leader this week
2. Abigail D. felt that God had helped her to open up and feel more confident talking with others that are different.
3. Brandon D. found that God had helped him overcome some irritation and frustration
4. Ashley Ha. said that she really enjoyed getting to know some of the homeless personally and especially saw God use her to bring joy to their lives
5. Liz H. noticed that God used the teenagers to impact the adults in ways she didn't expect
6. Kevin H. saw how much impact he could make by doing small things in peoples' lives
7. Brooke H. was amazed at how many people are reaching out to the hurting and saw God help her to connect with people who are less fortunate
8. Ashley He. was taught that every person has a story and how eye opening it was to learn of each person's story
9. Lucas J. discovered how fun it can be to help people
10. Callie T. became more comfortable praying out loud and was surprised at how her attitude had changed regarding how she saw the homeless
11. Katie W. was surprised by how thankful the needy were to be helped and was given confidence that she can hold conversations with others that are different than her
12. Eddie W. found that he could talk to people more easily than he thought before the trip
13. Brett learned that those he encountered were not that much different than him and was given a new compassion for the lost and hurting
Thanks to everyone who prayed and helped support us and make the trip possible! You can be assured that God truly worked in all of our lives and we are excited to see how God uses the trip in the future!
