Homeless

This week, during our Europe trip, we visited the city of Colmar, in the Alsace region of France. It is the birthplace of Fredric Bartholdi, designer of the Statue of Liberty. During our visit we learned that the city recently installed a scale model of the famous statue, so we went to visit it.  It is not nearly as impressive as the real thing sitting in New York Harbor. But despite the copies and the various locations, the most impressive thing about the statue is what it stands for. The lines written by Emma Lazarus that are engraved on the pedestal of the statue are known by most Americans:

"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

As we start a new mission, in a new location, a new city, a new home, we have thought a lot about those "huddled masses yearning to breathe free", the homeless, and "tempest-tost". Not just because we will be working with ministries that serve the homeless. And not just because we are learning what life is like for refugees newly arrived in this continent. It is because we have lived in many homes in the past 14 years. There is a "yearning to be free" and have a home into which we can settle. But we understand that there is a higher calling, to go where God wants us to go. The biblical concept of missions, and even evangelism, has its fundamentals, its roots in the idea of "this world is not my home", of being "in the world, but not of it". The great commission of our Lord is a call to believers to "Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations" (Matt 28:19). You can feel the "homelessness" in the idea. Now I don't believe that God calls everyone to go to a foreign land, but you will have a hard time claiming, with Biblical authority, that God has called you to stay in your specific place. Abraham was the only one that God called to live in a specific place, and that was after he told him to "go". God said "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you". (Gen 12:1) And even Abraham did not know where that place was.

Perhaps you have put down roots in one city, or one location, but one thing that missionaries share in common with all believers is the truth that "we are rooted in Christ". Not in a geographical location, not in a city or people group. But that we are rooted in Christ. So you could say that missions is about "homelessness" or at least holding very lightly the houses here on earth that God has given us.

So it is with satisfaction and humility that we start this new place of service. Part of our work will deal with a ministry to the homeless. Oasis food kitchen provides meals to the needy of Toronto.

There is a  Refugee Shelter we will be supporting-- talk about being homeless. Your country being torn up by war or lawlessness and being forced to flee, leaving your work, your family, your home. It is too easy to get caught up in the politics and forget about the individual lives that need basic shelter, food, and above all, hope. (Watch a powerful video that features two young people, refugees, one of whom was served by Matthew House, one of the ministries we will be helping.)

There will be other ministries around Toronto. Not all involve the homeless or inner-city ministries. But all involve teens who have volunteered to leave their home for a time, for a year, and serve others. Our job will be to help them see the big picture of ministry. To help them to see God's plan in their lives. To protect them so that they can focus on what it is that God is telling them. It is our desire to instill in them this same idea: this world is not my home, I'm just passing through.

Donna and I are incredibly grateful for your partnership with us. You have ministered to us in wonderful ways during the past year. Still we have a tall mountain to climb. In order for us to arrive in Toronto by August 1, we need to raise the finances necessary for our year living in the city. Your gifts to Liebenzell on our behalf is the method which writes our ticket to go. Please pray with us we visit with others and share this opportunity.