April Newsletter

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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.

Your financial partnership is especially important these days as we plan for the next year. Make gifts payable to Liebenzell Mission USA or Liebenzell Mission of Canada. Thanks!

Sincerely,

Gregg and Donna Hanchett
Liebenzell Mission USA
Liebenzell Mission of Canada
Volunteer Year Toronto

With God's Love

Dear Friends,

Thanksgiving has passed and Christmas is just around the corner. As the year 2010 nears its end, Donna and I remind ourselves of the foundational truths of our ministry. I am energized by the vision statement of the Liebenzell Mission of Canada:

" Helping people reach people with God's love."

There is an intended ambiguity in the statement that reflects quite accurately the dynamic process of daily ministry here in Toronto. Two verb phrases:  "Helping People" and "Reaching People".

Are we training or are we evangelizing?

We are doing both. We are sharing the the Gospel through word and deed. And we are training future missionaries and current ministry leaders with practical service projects and collaboration opportunities.

The action words go together with the modifier: "with God's love". In evangelism, we reach people with God's Love revealed in His Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. But what sets Liebenzell apart as a mission, and we have seen wonderfully present in our first months here in Canada is this: In our "Helping people reach people", we do it with God's Love! Helping, and more specifically "training", "discipling", "teaching", and "enabling", can not be void of the presence of God's love and grace. After more than 20 years in Christian ministry I have learned that the application of these two key ingredients, grace and love, is too often missing among leaders towards those they lead. This lack of grace results in deep and painful wounds that I have witnessed way too often and is counter-productive for the growth of the Church. As we enter 2011, we are committed to help Liebenzell develop leaders who will reverse that trend in their own ministries. Would you join us in prayer as we do that? I hope that as you read the details of our work these past several months you can see the evidences of grace and love in action.

Blessings to you throughout the Christmas season and into the new year of 2011!

Gregg

First Weeks: Newbies guiding newbies

Liebenzell Volunteers 2010

 

Our first week in Canada in mid August was focused on quickly learning about the ministry before the arrival of 17 young people from Germany. We, the newly arrived, had to orient those who were even newer! The mission directors, Jakob and Lorie Koch, spent several days introducing us to the various ministry partners who would be receiving our volunteers. We became good friends with teammates, Jeff and Ursi Wilson, the managers of the Liebenzell Mission Centre, and their two children. 

The next 10 days were filled with guiding our energetic German youth, getting to know their names, faces, personalities and gifts. They are among those pictured at the left. Mornings were filled with praise, worship, and teachings about their stay in Canada. By the end of the week, we began driving them to their respective ministry placement locations. Some are now at camps several hours to the north of Toronto; others are in the city itself. Sent out, scattered abroad to sow the seed of Jesus' love throughout Ontario. Please pray for them as they serve with the heart of Jesus that they would reap a great harvest.

September: Constructing a ministry base

Priming

 

In early September, while a few of the volunteers were still waiting for their ministries to begin, they helped us in renovating the house where we are now living. We are renovating the half-duplex as a ministry to the inner-city church that owns it. We will be renting it from the church as our residence and ministry center.  In the photo, Micha is priming the new drywall in the entrance hall. The search for low-cost flooring options put us in touch with other ministries. It was a blessed time of collaboration as we met many local pastors and believers who were donating their expertise to help complete the renovation. Several ethnic  congregations have benefited from the LM Canada ministry and enjoy giving something back.  What a great illustration of unity in God's name, each one working as he is able to benefit the rest of the Body, the Church.

Micha, by the way, has now started his new ministry. Along with six other of our volunteers, he is involved with UrbanPromise of Toronto working with at-risk kids organizing after-school activities and loving the kids unconditionally!

October: Being the hands of Christ

Our Home

 

In early October, we made the move into the house. It was not finished, but with the kitchen, bath, living room, and one bedroom near completion, it was possible. We settled in and began the pastoral care portion of our ministry, visiting the young people in their ministry locations, encouraging and blessing them. What great hearts they have! Their ministry supervisors are, without exception, thrilled with their service. Liebenzell has made great strides over the years in developing the Volunteer Program and providing qualified young people as a means to bless Christian organizations throughout the Greater Toronto region. Our prayer burden while they are here is to encourage them towards full-time Christian service. Please pray with us towards that end.

Adam House

Since we were now living in the city, we also visited several local ministries to determine other ways the Lord could use us in the city. One of them we discovered was Adam House, a refugee transition home. (See our blog post: "What, exactly, is a refugee?") Donna has been able to show the love of Christ by helping with reception of donated food, meal preparation, and some housekeeping. She helps a few days a week serving families and individuals who have recently arrived at Adam House from countries such as Hungary, Honduras, Serbia, Nigeria, Namibia, Columbia, and Russia. I am now on the schedule to lead a Bible Study session during Thanksgiving week. We also help on Wednesday evening serving a meal at a nearby soup kitchen run through a local church.

A Gift by which to minister

Now, here in November and December, we are in another transition. Our focus now is on discovering how God will provide the financial base for this ministry. This ministry is clearly His work and we want to be faithful to His calling for us to be here. To date, we have been living on less than $1000 per month of salary. We cannot continue at such a low income. Would you consider sending a one-time gift of perhaps $30, $50, or $75 or more to Liebenzell at this time? The economic downturn has been difficult for everyone, but ministries like this one that depend on charitable contributions have been especially hurt. Your end-of-the-year gift of any amount, when combined with gifts from others, will make a difference in keeping this training and evangelistic work moving forward. Thank you in advance!
How to donate to the ministry:

There are several options for making your gift to Liebenzell. 

On-line donations can be made through the Liebenzell USA website, here: www.liebenzellusa.org; 

or through the Liebenzell Mission of Canada website, here: www.liebenzell.ca.

By mail, checks can be sent, in the US, to:

Liebenzell Mission USAP.O. Box 66Schooley's Mountain, NJ 07870

In Canada, address your envelope to:

Liebenzell Mission of CanadaR.R.#1Moffat, ON, Canada L0P 1J0

Please be sure to include a separate note indicating "For the ministry of Gregg and Donna Hanchett- Toronto".

Gifts to Liebenzell are acknowledged with a return receipt suitable for tax-deduction regulations.

Thanks for participating with us in this way!

September Newsletter

Daniel, Marisa, Dominic, Marlen, Uli, Micha, and Simon-- pictured here during our recent Volunteer Orientation sessions -- are all serving with UrbanPromise Toronto. They will be helping run after-school programs in the inner-city of Toronto giving children safe, fun, and relationship-building alternatives to life on the streets. These seven, along with ten other young German students, are now under our pastoral oversight as we have begun the ministry of the International Student Volunteer Program. Each one brings an energy and passion that is having an impact on the lives of people throughout the Greater Toronto, Canada area.

Here's a breakdown of where they are serving:

• Seven are in the inner city of Toronto with UrbanPromise.
• One is providing child care for  a missionary family that serves a Bangladeshi community in Toronto.
• Two are serving local churches in Milton, a suburb of Toronto.
• Five are in the northern lakes region of Ontario at Christian camps that provide grade-school Outdoor Education programs.
• Two are serving at the Liebenzell Center in Moffat Ontario, providing a place for immigrant churches to gather and refresh far from the city noise and distraction.

Each one of these areas forms part of the vision of Liebenzell Mission of Canada to provide "Strategic Patnerships to Cross Barriers". In Canada, Liebenzell embraces opportunities and builds strategic partnerships to cross socio-economic and cultural barriers with the love of God. With each ministry served, we are bringing the larger Christian community together in love and service.

A Fast Start

 Donna and I arrived in Ontario, Canada on Sunday evening, August 15th, after a short drive from central New York. It was quite strange arriving in a new mission field after such a short trip! No airports, no long flights. Still, we had to face the important task of getting our visa documents approved at the border. Thankfully, that step went smoothly and in less than half an hour we were in!

But we had to hit the Canadian soil running because we had less than 2 weeks to get ready for the arrival of the 17 young people that will spend the year here. Our initial task was to prepare the agenda for 9 days of training, meals, and activities. Our Liebenzell team is made up of the Mission Center Caretakers, Jeff and Ursi Wilson, who are on just their second year of service here; and Jakob and Lori Koch, the Mission Directors, who have 10 years of experience running this program. We met together often during those initial days to share experiences, expectations, and resources. By the time the airplane carrying the exuberant youth landed at the Toronto airport, we were ready for them.

Eight days later, when orientation was over, we rejoiced in how far we had come in learning their names, their stories, and their passions for serving God. They moved into their ministry locations throughout the province of Ontario united in purpose and ready for hands-on service to God. Please take a moment to read some of the daily episodes of their orientation in our blog:VolunteerYearToronto. The blog really is a key conduit to news about our ministry. We post pictures and news updates several times a week.  Facebook  has opened up a new avenue of 2-way conversation. If you have a Facebook account, please look for our "VolunteerYearToronto" page and make a "Like" link.

 

Giving to the Lord's work

"We must be global Christians with a global vision because our God is a global God." - John Stott

There is no getting around the fact that our ministry is dependent on donations. Even during these uncertain financial times, Christian mission continues. The work of Liebenzell continues today by leaning solely on the Lord in prayer for support through individuals and churches.  Would you consider a gift today? Online donationsare now possible through the Liebenzell USA website,mission.liebenzellusa.org.

Would you help us raise an additional $800 per month to reach the next level of our support? Currently we are at a basic level that barely meets our monthly expenses of food, lodging, and transportation. While our current support level allows us to carry on our ministry, it provides no margin for inflation, emergencies, or budget upsets. Thanks for your help.

Contributions by check should be made out to "Liebenzell Mission USA" and sent to :

Liebenzell Mission USA

P.O. Box 66

Schooley's Mtn, NJ 07870.

Include a note in the envelope indicating the words: "For the ministry of Gregg and Donna Hanchett".

Bloor-Lansdowne Christian Fellowship House

During our first weeks in Canada, we have been staying at the Mission Center, the Liebenzell Canada headquarters about an hour outside of Toronto. In the next several weeks we will be making the transition to a ministry house near downtown Toronto, currently undergoing renovation. It is very convenient to the transit system subway and city buses.  The house is owned by a local church and is being rented by Liebenzell so that we will have a central location from which we can minister to the volunteers. It will also allow us to bless the neighborhood by sharing the love of Christ in our daily lives. The church, Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship, also shares its facility with three other congregations-- one Spanish, one Portuguese, and a deaf congregation. On Wednesday it opens it doors and serves a "Community Dinner" to the poor and underprivileged in the area, free to all who enter. We have already been able to help on two occasions during our short time here.

Would you pray specifically for this aspect of our ministry? We believe strongly that the Lord wants us in this strategic downtown location during our time in Toronto. Our immediate need is to finish the renovation. Several local believers are helping with drywall, plumbing, and painting, however there are no funds available to purchase flooring materials. We have been scouring the area for deals on any type of  flooring and have found a few great deals. Any donations designated towards these finishing touches would be wonderful! We hope to relocate to this house-- finished floors or not-- by the end of Sepember. Thanks for praying-- and giving if you can!

Meanwhile, you can contact us at the Liebenzell Canada address: 12168 First Line, R.R. #1, Moffat, ON, Canada. Postal Code: L0P 1J0. My cell phone number is 647-746-6893. Gregg's Email is hanch6@gmail.com. Donna's Email is etjah6@yahoo.com.