Suddenly we looked up, and all of our volunteers were gone! After 11 months of intensive, unselfish, and Christ-like service, our volunteer team has finished their term in Canada and returned to Germany. The above scene at Toronto's Pearson International airport on July 18th is representative of the many good-byes we said that day. Dominic, Simon, and Uli (on the left) and Marisa (on the right) are saying good-bye to the family of Jeremy Reurich, the Intern Director of UrbanPromise of Toronto. Mixed feelings were the norm for the day. Their happy thoughts were turned towards seeing their families and friends back home in Germany. But they were also sad to be leaving Canada. A few are already planning their return to Canada in a few short months. It filled us with great joy to listen to each of their plans for the future. Some are off to Bible College. Some will go to a technical university to study engineering. Some have arranged on their own to return to Canada for another year of Christian service. As we prayed for each young person throughout the year we asked the Lord to guide them in their path for the future. God has answered those prayers abundantly!
Typical of the comments we received from supervisors about our volunteers was a statement we heard the morning of their departure. We were picking up Evert and Daniel from Ontario Pioneer Camp, north of Toronto and heard, "You are taking our two greatest guys!" The camp normally has multiple dozens of staff during the summer so it was a great testimony to the character and hard work of these guys during their year. Similar testimonies were heard during the days leading up to their departure. Another testimony to the quality and growth in their Christian walk came as we were loading up the van with their suitcases. Two of the Canadian staff approached the guys and asked for a final prayer time.
Not until after several minutes of prayer fellowship, were we able to finish loading and head to the airport. Good thing we had scheduled plenty of time into our day. There's no way we wanted to interrupt those kind of good-byes.
In all, twelve young people got on the plane that day. Six of our original 18 were already back home in Germany. Beginning Monday all of them will be gathered one more time in Germany for a week-long debrief session. Then on August 1, a NEW group of 18 begins their adventure of preparation for a year in Canada! They arrive here in Toronto on the 26th of August. Donna and I can't wait to welcome them to begin a life-changing year of ministry. Thanks for your participation during this past year. Your partnership and prayers had a huge impact for Christ and his church!
Donna and I are serving this week and next in downtown Toronto helping prepare missionary candidates for the mission field. In a program run by MissionPrep called COPE, "Cultural Orientation for Personal Endurance and Enjoyment" , the missionaries are given intensive training in living "the paradox of the enjoyment/endurance challenge of cross-cultural experience". With a combination of experiential and formal instruction, the missionaries are taught the spiritual, personal, inter-personal, and cultural aspects of the mission experience.
It has been great to interact with these talented and gifted missionaries, sharing with them some of our experiences in Spain, and listening to their hopes and goals. While listening to the facilitators cover many important aspects of life on the mission field, we were reminded of the many cultural experiences we had during our years in Spain. It is great to know that the mission organizations of these missionaries hold these courses in high enough regard to require their attendance. It has been proven that missionary attrition rates-- drop out rates-- are significantly reduced when missionaries are properly trained about the stresses they will face when they reach the mission field. When you consider all the effort and preparation that goes into heeding Christ's call to reach the nations, it is a shame when missionaries leave the field before their time is complete.
With programs like MissionPrep's COPE, missionaries can more rapidly adapt to their new surroundings, withstand the pressures of culture, and endure much longer on the mission field. Agencies are realizing that the cost of such programs are well worth the investment and missionary supporters-- like you-- have been generous in understanding the importance of such expenses in the missionaries' support packages.
Donna is in charge of meal preparation and Gregg helps her occasionally or facilitates some of the sessions. We had an opportunity to share our testimony last Tuesday. Gregg shared a devotional "Thought for the Day" from 2Corinthians12 also on Tuesday. Donna will share a devotional thought this coming Thursday. Thanks for upholding these families and singles in your prayers as they prepare to enter the field phase of their missionary service.
By the way, another great missionary support organization that has had a big impact on our personal lives and on our ministry is Caring For Others based in the Mid-West USA. John and Janet are great leaders and wonderful listeners!
Do you have a favorite organization that serves missionaries and helps them be successful in their calling?
This is reposted from Donna's cooking blog on allrecipes.com. It is a great picture of her volunteer ministry in Toronto. Enjoy!
Since moving to Toronto, one of my greatest joys has been volunteering at a nearby temporary residence for refugee claimants. Canada's immigration policy is such that over 100,000 refugees are admitted into the country each year to begin the process of gaining permanent residence. One of the residences for those who enter and declare refugee status upon their arrival into the country or soon thereafter, is called Adam House, and is just a few blocks from my house. I go there to work as a volunteer twice a week including the busiest day, which is Tuesday.
This past Tuesday I decided to teach a young immigrant woman to bake. She had been asking me how to bake a cake, and one day brought a boxed cake mix to me to try it out. She had never baked anything before, not having owned an oven in her home country. Although I rarely use a boxed cake mix for anything, I thought it would be a good way to get her started on the basics of preparation, such as pre-heating the oven and greasing the pan. Since we have no electric mixer at the residence, she used a large wooden spoon to stir the batter. To her delight, the cake turned out very well, and was quickly devoured by the other residents who happened to be in the house at the time.
But this past week, I remembered a cake recipe that a Spanish friend had given me years ago when he realized how much the church that we were attending in Bilbao depended upon my baking skills for their pot-luck suppers. I made the recipe many times over in Spain, where I found the ovens to be deficient for many other cake recipes. Normally, my cakes, and those of other Americans used to good ovens and excellent ingredients in the States, would rise well, and then fall. I always blamed the ingredients for this as well as the oven, too soft margarine, too moist flour, or whatever. Recipes that I used at home in Wisconsin, New Jersey, or New York, that always came out perfect, simply flopped in a Spanish kitchen. Among missionary wives, we had our own theories regarding this phenomenon, and our remedies which we frequently shared with one another, down to a science. Regardless, sometimes the best made plans, and cakes, fell after they came out of the oven. But with this recipe, handed to me by my Spanish friend, I always found success.
A few weeks ago, during a visit with a friend we were talking about ministry in Ontario, Canada. As we described the volunteer ministry, my friend John was struck by something I said and paused for a moment. When I asked what he was thinking, he reflected back to a summer in his youth. He remembered spending time at a camp in Port Sydney, Ontario during his teen years. He asked me, "does InterVarsity Christian Fellowship still run a camp there?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact," I replied. "They are still going strong. They are called Ontario Pioneer Camp and several of our volunteers are there!"
"Oh, Yes!," John replied. "That's wonderful!"
Then over the next several minutes he shared with us the wonderful experience he had there as a youth and the impact his time there had on his Christian development.
That is no small impact.
John is a retired missionary who, along with his wife Margaret, have given their lives to serving others. He was brought up by strict, loving parents who immigrated to the USA from Germany, loved Jesus and took their faith seriously. Exposing John and his brothers to a Christian-based wilderness experience was a part of helping them develop in their faith. John recalls fondly the time spent at Pioneer camp many years ago. The survival skills he learned there served him later during his years in the Pacific island of Micronesia as a missionary with Liebenzell. He still remembers the positive, Christian influence his counselors had on his life as a young man.
As we spoke that afternoon together in his small living room, filled with missionary momentos, it was obvious that fond memories were being stirred up and spilling over into words. We were being blessed by him and the blessings were coming straight from God. The blessings came in the form of encouragement knowing that two volunteers we have placed this year at Ontario Pioneer Camp are having an influence for Christ on the young people that they see on a weekly basis. How many future missionaries are among those campers? Only God knows.
This is what ministry is all about. Building relationships, sharing the gospel through our words and actions, applying Biblical principles to everything that our hands find to do. You play a part in it too. In every small way that you read about this work, pray for its needs, give what you can, and encourage us through email and Facebook, you are expanding the influence of Christ into a needy world. Keep up the good work!
Thank you, John Thompson and Margaret, for your devotion to Christ in all your diverse ways, for your consistent words of encouragement to us and to our children, and for your unceasing prayer for everything that benefits God's Kingdom!
Have a blessed day!
Gregg
This is the April newsletter sent by email to all who are subscribed. If you would like to receive this directly to your email box each time it is sent, please let us know by adding your name to the block in the right-hand column on this page. Thanks!
Dear Friends,
March and April were key months for the International Student Volunteer Program. With anticipation high for Spring's warmth, much effort was needed to help our volunteers persevere through the yearnings of going home. We were encouraged by the reports from our partner ministries and by our volunteers' enthusiasm and dedication to Christian service. Lives are being transformed. Seven months have passed since the arrival in Canada of 17 energetic young volunteers. Now at the end of April, roughly 10 weeks remain of their time in Canada. Your prayers are a tremendous help in bringing this first year to a great conclusion!
During March we met with each young person in their place of ministry and encouraged them in their work. Their ten ministry sites are spread out across central and southern Ontario. A three hour drive separates the two most distant sites. Since our visits included meetings with all the volunteers, their hosts and their supervisors we needed a full 14 days to accomplish it all. There were a number of crises to manage, there were decisions to make that affect the future of the program, and cultural adjustment counseling issues that required a good deal of wisdom. During 20 years of mission service, Donna and I have worked through a lot of cultural issues and we were grateful to be able to draw on this experience to see us through these weeks. We are wonderfully blessed by your partnership in this ministry. Thanks for your prayers.
One of our volunteers lost his father to death, one changed his ministry, and two decided to finish their term early. Our newest volunteer is still trying get visa issues worked out and we took action on the arrival of 18 new volunteers for next year's program. Surrounding these events, we saw the love of Jesus demonstrated through the hands and feet of these young people in the ministries where they serve. We won't go into all the details, but here are the main areas that need your prayers.
Micha O - On Day 10 of our journey, we got word that Micha's father had suffered a massive heart attack at home in Germany. In a powerful illustration of the Christian unity that has formed between our ministry partners, the Liebenzell team, and our volunteers, this young man was able to return home to his father's bedside just a day before his dad entered into the Lord's presence. When word arrived of the heart attack we were travelling several hours to the North in a heavy snowstorm. As we arranged for our return to Toronto the next day, Micha's ministry supervisor and team surrounded him with love and Christian care. The UrbanPromise team initiated the search for airline tickets back to Germany while the pastor of his church took Micha under his care. We were in contact with the Liebenzell Germany office to ensure Micha would be cared for upon his arrival. Meanwhile, the rest of the Canada team was dedicated to prayer. We arrived back in Toronto the next afternoon just in time to meet Micha before he left for the airport. He arrived the next morning at his father's bedside and joined his mother and brothers for the final vigil before death arrived. Please pray for Micha and his family for comfort during this difficult time. Micha would like to return to Canada to finish his term but has a lot to deal with before that happens.
Daniel S. - UrbanPromise Toronto ministers to at-risk children in some of the toughest neighborhoods of Toronto. Our volunteers serving as interns with the UP program are in a constant spiritual battle to daily demonstrate the love of Christ to the children during after-school activities. In our role of Pastoral Care, we monitor our volunteers' adaptation to the highly stressful culture. During March it became clear that Daniel needed to make a change. His ministry supervisor, UP's support staff and our director's long experience with cultural adaptation all agreed that the time was right to move Daniel into a new ministry. Once again an attitude of cooperation across many diverse ministries allowed us find a perfect solution. Daniel was able to get much-needed spiritual rest and re-focus on a new manner of serving the Lord in a brand-new environment. Pray for Daniel as he builds new relationships and adjusts from a teaching ministry to a serving ministry.
Andreas and Marcel - During March we said good-bye to two of our volunteers. These two young men served at the Liebenzell Canada Mission Centre chopping wood, grooming the 45-acre property, and helping to host the many ethnic congregations that use the facilities for weekend retreats. They accomplished a lot during their time here and put up with the cold and isolation that goes with the job. In March, they ended their service several months earlier than planned. Cultural adaptation issues played a big role in their decision. Although they did not stay through to their original departure date, they were a big help in the work of maintaining the Mission Centre. Pray for Andi and Marcel as they transition back into their home culture and make plans for university.
Sara K - Her situation reminds us of the need of constant prayer for small details. Much of our ministry is to work out these kinds of administrative details for the volunteers. In Sara's case, we are in the midst of the paperwork to have her visa issued. She came to provide child care for missionary candidates studying in Canada. Normally because of her short 6-month stay, no visa is necessary. But, unfortunately, when she entered into Canada immigration officials requested that she secure a special visa before she could be alone with the children. Now, just a few weeks before her service will end, we are still waiting for the document. She has been a great help, but to satisfy the letter of the law, we have had to ensure another person was always present. Thanks for praying for resolution for Sara's documentation.
New volunteers for next year - We are finalizing the details for the placement of 18 new volunteers for the 2011-2012 season. It has been exciting to meet with our partner organizations and hear of their gratitude and enthusiasm for the program. Their ministries would not be possible were it not for our volunteers. Several want additional volunteers next year and we were able to add some new ministry partners for placements in future years! Your partnership with us is extending the influence of the gospel to thousands of families. Lives are being changed! God is receiving the glory!
Thanks for making this journey with us. We hope you are blessed by the stories posted on our blog, Volunteer Year Toronto (http://volunteeryeartoronto.blogspot.com). We recently posted a video showing the activities of UrbanPromise reaching out to at-risk children in Toronto. Subscribing to our blog is easy and ensures you won't miss any updates. You can also be notified of updates through the Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/VolunteerYearToronto.
Toronto schools are out for a week in March, but that means our Volunteers have new opportunities to teach Biblical principles to their young charges. They gather together all three after-school programs for a combined program of teaching, games and fellowship.
Simon Scholz posted on his blog a video summarizing the fun:
Seven of our volunteers were involved in this week-long activity and many of them appear in the video. The love these kids have for their leaders is evident in their joy!
Our Spring Retreat was a brief get-away from the daily routine that our volunteers face every day. Some are in inner-city ministries and enjoyed the fresh air at the Liebenzell Centre. Others are in remote camp locations and appreciated getting a few days to hang out with their German compatriots. The mood was relaxed and the food was good! On Tuesday afternoon, we walked next door to help a neighbor, Ross, collect sap from his maple trees. Later, he had us help him in the process of boiling it down to maple syrup, filtering it, and bottling it. Along the way we got to sample it right from the pan and as "maple ice", dripped onto snow for a super, snowball treat! All of us went home with a sample of pure, Canadian maple syrup, made fresh from our own hand. Take a look at the video below.
On Wednesday morning, we gathered around one last time as a group to discuss some of the challenges that will be faced during the last few months of ministry and the inevitable return home. "Culture shock" is a very real challenge, not just when going to a new culture, but also returning to your own. Being away for a whole year introduces changes to life style, thought processes, and habits. It can be quite distressing to return home and wonder why everything seems so "different". We introduced some tools and tips to help these young people adapt to their life back in Germany when they return in July.
We also taught about building a R-A-F-T to ease the transition of saying good-bye. These were tips that were very helpful to us after experiencing many moves during our time serving in Spain. In short, the R-A-F-T is four words to help guide our transition:
R-Reconcile. Any disagreements with co-workers and friends must be reconciled before leaving. Distance is an enemy when it comes to trying to rebuild friendships.
A- Affirmation. Good closure involves affirming the relationships built during the time together.
F- Farewell. It is important to find time to say good-bye to each person before leaving.
T- Think Destination. Avoid the depression of leaving by thinking of the future and the many new activities you will have at your new destination.
Donna prepared wonderful meals and Gregg did much of the driving to pick up the volunteers from their ministry sites then return them afterwards.
There are still several months remaining before the volunteers finish their service here in Canada. However, this was the last opportunity we had to bring all of them together at the same time before holidays and vacation travels fill their calendars.
Thanks for your continued prayers for these young people. They have done an awesome job representing Christ in the places of ministry throughout Ontario, Canada!
Spring is slowly making its way into Toronto bringing long-awaited change to our daily lives and our Volunteer Program is in transition. A couple of our Volunteers are reaching the end of their service with us, one has been added to our team, and one has had to return to Germany to attend to a family concern. Thanks for praying that the Lord will continue to bless us with great unity of purpose as we manage day-to-day affairs.
Andreas and Marcel, our volunteers at the Moffat Liebenzell Mission Centre have completed their service here in Canada and are presently on holiday for a few weeks before returning home to Germany. We appreciate the work they were able to accomplish at the Mission Centre-- chopping fire wood, felling trees, caring for the grounds and facilities. They were a key component in making our ministry to immigrant congregations an ongoing success! The Mission Centre serves smaller church groups that need a place for retreats and personal get-aways.
We added Sara to our ranks in February! She has come to care for several children of our missionary candidates during the next five months. Sara has been able to integrate quickly despite some tough paperwork challenges that we are still working to resolve.Please pray with us as we work with Immigration to give them all the answers they are seeking.
Finally, one of our Volunteers serving UrbanPromise Toronto flew home urgently to attend to his father who suffered a serious heart attack. We continue to pray for Micha O, his father and his family. We hope and pray first that his father will make a full recovery, but then that Micha will be able to return to Canada and continue the great work he is doing with the after-school programs among at-risk kids in Toronto. We miss you, Micha! [Update: Moments after initially posting this we received news that Micha's father passed away. We are deeply saddened by this news. We take comfort in that his father was a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ and is now in the Lord's presence.]
In the next several weeks, we have a busy schedule. One of our Volunteers is off to Haiti with his church on a short-term mission trip. In April, all the volunteers will gather for a two-day retreat. After that, Spring will be fully upon us and we will be looking towards a great finish in June and July.
Christmas is a few months past, but the December video below highlights an important aspect of the work of UrbanPromise Toronto. Seven of our interns serve this ministry. They organize and run a series of after-school programs for at-risk children. The "camps", as they are called, help the kids by giving them something to do during the after-school hours when many parents must still be at work.
The interns give homework help, organize games, and supervise special projects with the children. A major highlight of the year is a "Christmas gala" in which all the participants receive personalized invitations at their home and then bussed to the event. They are pampered with things like manicures, hors-doeuvres, and on-camera interviews. The charming video shows the joy the kids receive from the special treatment.
Plus, the gospel message is presented emphasizing the same message of God's love given through the love and friendship shown each day at camp.
We are honored this week to host Joachim Jenny, Youth In Mission coordinator for Liebenzell Germany. He is an important part of our Volunteer Year Toronto team as he is responsible for recruitment and selection of all volunteers that come to Canada. I have spoken with him frequently in recent months as we look to fill the spots for next year's ministry positions. During his visit here to Ontario we will be visiting all the different ministry locations so he gets a better idea of the work in each location. As a result, he will be even better prepared to match up volunteer candidates with the appropriate ministry. It is part of our commitment to serving our ministry partners with the best prepared, most competent young people during a one-year internship. Thanks for your prayers as we make some important decisions for the future.
A good friend of ours and of the work in Toronto was just featured on CNN. It is great to see how this humble servant is using his "retirement" from Career #1 to impact the Kingdom in Career #2
Thanks, Gary, for your servant attitude and incredible faith in Christ!
We told you earlier about the delay the interns were facing in their return from Costa Rica. Thanks to your prayers, they finally made it back home to Canada, albeit after two long days of travel. As David, one of those who made the trip said on his Facebook profile: "I love traveling .... but 41 h of travelling is way too much". Take a rest, David. You deserve it!
Are you ready to make an Impact on the world for Christ? Liebenzell organizes a number of short-term mission projects in many parts of the world. The name of the project? "Impact"! We'll have a team coming to Canada this summer as part of the North America 2011 Impact team. Sorry, there are no more places available, but there is still room in some of the other projects like France, Bangladesh, or Russia. Read more at the Impact website: http://www.impact-teams.de. Don't worry if you don't understand Germany. You can read the page in English (or any other language) by using Google Translate: Click here to see the Impact page in English. If you know a young person that wants to make an Impact, pass this post on to them!
We are excited this week to welcome here in Toronto the Director of the Impact program, Stephan Trick and his family. He is spending six months here to develop his language skills, learn more about Canadian culture, and prepare for the summer Impact team that will serve here and in New York.
Our guys have finished their Costa Rica project and are trying to get back to Toronto. As of 11am today, Friday morning, they were stuck at the airport in Costa Rica, because of weather. They are waiting for a flight to Houston, then Detroit, then Toronto. Thanks for praying for their patience and travelling safety.
Gregg
Outreach to refugees has occupied much of our time in recent weeks. Donna spends three days a week at Adam House helping with food preparation and deepening her relationship several of the residents. Tuesday is a busy day as she arrives early to help process the weekly donation of food from the organization "Second Harvest". This distribution service allows the residents of Adam House to have nutritious meals at very low cost. Each week brings a variety of food items and a critical work that Donna does is to handle the produce that comes in before it spoils. Much of the food is collected from food stores throughout Toronto and re-distributed to service organizations that can use the food rapidly before it spoils or reaches it's expiration date. Thus vast quantities of produce like tomatoes, onions, apples, oranges, peaches, and grapes need to be either cleaned or sorted for use by the residents. Donna has a special desire to see that the residents have lots of fresh fruits and vegetables available. Since the residents prepare their own meals from the available food supply, many don't want to do the extra work of preparing fresh vegetables, choosing instead some of the processed items that are donated. Donna does what she can to make choosing a healthy meal an easy task.
Because of Donna's frequent presence at Adam House, she is developing a close relationship with [C] a middle-aged lady and a long-time resident. It is Donna's constant prayer and desire to introduce [C] to Jesus and lead her to a personal saving relationship with Him. Because [C] has had some difficult emotional challenges in the past, she has never trusted anyone at Adam House, instead retreating into a shell of solitude. Donna has been encouraged recently by [C]'s smiles and willingness to soften towards Donna. Please pray for Donna that the Lord would soften [C]'s heart and allow Donna to share the gospel message with her.
Gregg has the privilege once a month to lead the weekly Bible Study at Adam House. In January he shared Jesus' parable about the persistent woman's pleas to the unrighteous judge in Luke 18:1-8 and then taught about prayer from Hebrews 10:19-30. The Bible Study is well attended by residents and other guests with a wide range of spiritual maturity. Although attendance is not required for residents, frequently some of the Muslim residents attend and hear of the incredible teachings of Jesus. The Tuesday evening Bible Study is always a dynamic time of praise, worship, prayer and Scripture study. Thanks for praying for this important ministry that seeks to refresh spirits through developing dynamic loving relationships while serving needy individuals in Canada.
You can participate with us. Find out how in the "How You Can Help" tab above.
I, too, stutter. There are not too many things in life that I can say that I share with royalty. Now I have one. King George VI of England had a speech impediment and so do I. That is no surprise to anyone that has met me personally. But, as it is not an attribute that one proclaims in an online profile, I suppose it is surprising to many. The recently-released movie starring Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush has brought attention to the condition of speech impediments. The King’s Speech went to the top of my “Must See” list at the moment I heard a review on the day of its release in December. Normally that means I wait several months until its release on DVD or Netflix. This time Donna and I decided to see it in the theatre. It was well worth the cost, but that is not why you should see the movie. You should see the film because it is a moving story of determination in facing personal challenges.
The Internal Struggle
Clip: If we were equals, I wouldn't be here. I would be home with my wife and no one would give a damn."
How do you face struggles? Prince Albert (soon-to-be King George VI) fought with all his royal might to avoid dealing with his problem. Yet it was his sense of duty, his personal calling, and a loving wife that forced him out of his royal shell and into the office of a commoner to face his struggle and seek a solution. His cry, “If we were equals, I wouldn’t be here. I would be home with my wife and no one would give a damn,” points to a familiar bunker for those of us with public struggles. We seek a cave to hide in, an easy way out. We establish enough of an ordinary life-- a wife, a family, a job and a lifestyle that protects our secret—so we don’t have to face the issue. The comfortable life becomes our bunker, and there inside we try live our lives. Nobody gives a damn and we like that.
For many, life in the protective bunker works. But what happens when life beckons? Some call it fate; some, a calling. For others, it is a duty. It was Prince Albert’s sense of duty—to his family, to his country, to royalty itself—that caused him to face his struggle head on. In the film, the contrast with the way his brother faced his princely duty was striking. Older brother David – Prince of Wales and later King Edward VIII—chose personal comfort over duty and abdicated the throne. Albert on the other hand, sought a solution to his struggle well before he knew that he would someday be king. That makes the storyline of The King’s Speech inspirational.
My bunker was an engineering job. I was comfortably successful and happy at home with my wife and children. Then, the call came. What was I to do about it? The call came from none other than God Himself and that is not an easy call to ignore. I imagine I could have hidden my call a lot easier than a Crown Prince of England could hide his, but still, it was a call. Does knowledge of the struggles we face cause us to ignore a call on our life? Sadly, I’m afraid that too often it does. Too many opportunities in life are lost because we choose to stay in our bunker and refuse to leave.
My calling was to enter into full-time missionary service. That meant public speaking, knocking on doors, learning a new language, meeting lots of new people. There were plenty of good reasons—excuses—to decline. No one would have blamed me for staying home with my wife. No one would have given a damn. Yet because I stepped out of my bunker and went through the open door laid before me, my life is richer in experiences I never would have otherwise enjoyed. And I have God, and my wife, to thank for moving me out.
If only overcoming the internal struggle would make the rest easy. One of the film’s many strong points is revealing the harsh reality of carrying out the difficult task of change. When the king is just hours away from his coronation, his frustration reaches a breaking point. “Listen to me!”, he shouts. His tutor’s response, “Listen to you? By what right?” touches the fundamental question for which many of those who struggle with stammering seek an answer. In other words, “Why should I waste my time listening to you?”
Why is it that those who are not fluent in their mannerisms-- not among the “beautiful people”-- need to give evidence of their right to be heard? There is a clear bias in our culture to promote those who can clearly articulate their ideas in public. Without exception, in my professional experience, there came a point when every one of my employers asked me about my stuttering. Most wanted to understand it and help me be successful. There were a few notable exceptions, however. Christians ministries are far from exempt at pre-judging their own. By the time I had reached the mission field, I had already learned to ignore judgmental pastors and mission leaders, learn from the mature ones and follow the path God had laid out for me. A key to success for those who struggle with speech impediments centers on the correct answer to the question “Why should I listen to you.” In the words of the King George character in “The King’s Speech,” the answer was poignant: “Because I have a voice!”.
It is time for the world to hear your voice. You have something important to say. King George VI knew his voice would cause a nation to succeed or fail in its ability to confidently face a foreign adversary. For those of us with less-than-kingly responsibilities, our voices, too, have something important to say. God has given each of us a uniqueness that deserves attention. No one else has your perspective nor your gifts. Take time out to watch “The King’s Speech” then let your voice be heard.
-Gregg Hanchett worked 10 years in the US paper industry and later served 12 years in Spain as a missionary. He currently lives in South Carolina, once again serving the paper industry. You can reach him at hanch6@gmail.com .
While the snow falls in Toronto, three of our German volunteers have started a service project in the summer climate of Central America. Muskoka Bible Centre has partnered with a sister organization to give their interns --including our volunteers-- a one month mission experience in Costa Rica.
The interns, those with the program they call "Stepping Stones", serve with Muskoka Bible Centre (MBC) and Fair Havens Ministries in an 8- month internship program. Part of their program is a month long cross-cultural camp experience, which takes place at Campamento Roblealto, in beautiful Costa Rica. They left Canada on January 7 and will be gone until February 4. You can follow their service project on their blog page.
As you view the photos and read about their experiences, please pray especially for Micha, David, and Harald (pictured here during our August orientation) as this is a double cross-cultural experience for them. These German youths only arrived in Canada in August and have given much effort to improve their English and have been excelling in their duties at the camp in Northern Ontario. Now they are in Costa Rica, working hard to communicate in Spanish as well as picking up the cultural cues necessary for survival in any new country!
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