Suffering and Grace

This past week Donna and I grieved with a friend who lost his 22-year-old son to a motorcycle tragedy. We cannot begin to imagine the hurt that accompanies a loss like that. On our drive back from the funeral home, Donna and I were reflecting on our own lives and the perspective that losing a loved one brings.
No one seeks suffering, but Scripture teaches us that there is much to be learned when tragedy strikes.

A few weeks ago I quoted from a book Donna and I have been reading, and I return to it because of what it has taught us as we prepare for minstry in Toronto. Colin McCartney is the author, and he was newly acquainted with suffering when he wrote this:
"For the one true God to fill our souls, there must be a destruction of any false gods that are present. Before God can inhabit a soul, it must first become fit for divine habitation.Only empty vessels can be filled. Our souls were made only for God and the Holy of Holies cannot and will not tolerate any other rivals that inhabit our souls. God is a jealous God and rightfully so. He states that we cannot have any other gods before Him." Ex 20:3-6

That is a profound teaching for us in all life situations, but the practical matter of purging our souls comes only through deep suffering. This is what the Cross teaches us.

He goes on...
"In our own strength, we can only do so much to purge our flesh. The real purging comes when God allows us to suffer. In this way, suffering becomes an incredibly beautiful tragedy of grace-- a beautiful disappointment. This is why it is important not to run away from trials and tragedies, but to actually embrace them. This is why we must not ignore suffering." 

In our own experiences over the past 28 months, we have suffered-- in a different way than my friend, his wife and their daughters-- but we have suffered none the less. Early in the experience we were told to be on the lookout for God and His lessons. We were told that He will use it to strengthen our future ministry. As we are about to launch into a ministry of Pastoral Care in Toronto, we are convinced that God has been with us throughout.

"Praise be to God for His indescribable gift!"

(Italicized quotations are from "The Beautiful Disappointment - Discovering Who You Are Through the Trials of Life." by Colin McCartney, p.150)

In need of a push

Volunteer Year Toronto has reached a critical decision point. August is fast approaching and our support team is not yet complete. Our leadership must decide whether to allow us to begin the ministry. They can't say "go" without commitments that will cover ministry expenses. If you want to participate in this Christian mission outreach, now is the time to let us know.Your "Yes, we will" begins our work.

The mission needs to be assured that our friends are committed to meet the financial needs of the project. A "no answer" cannot be considered as a positive response. So if you have an intention of sending in a donation to Liebenzell Mission to support the work of Volunteer Year Toronto, please let them know today. Simply send a note to Jane Galley of Liebenzell at janegalley@liebenzellusa.org and tell her "Yes, we will" support Gregg and Donna's work in Canada. Even if you don't know an exact amount please let them know of your intentions.

Donations can be mailed directly to the Liebenzell Mission headquarters at P.O. Box 66, Schooley's Mtn, NJ 07870. Please do it before August 1, so we can get to the field as soon as possible.

Remember that our blog site is here to read the details of the work. Just click on the links above to have your questions answered.

Progress is Encouraging!

In our first newsletter in June, we told you what our needs are. Here's our progress towards meeting those needs. First, we have made some important decisions that will reduce some of our expenses, especially regarding health care costs. Second, part of our expenses will be covered by the fees paid by the volunteers who take part in the program. Third, many have already joined the VYT team with financial commitments! Taking these changes into account, our remaining need, as of today, stands at just $1650/month!

God has done great things in a very short time. If you haven't already, would you prayerfully consider a donation in support of Volunteer Year Toronto? Your monthly commitment is very meaningful to help complete the work God is doing in and around Toronto.

Send a note today to Jane Galley at janegalley@liebenzellusa.org or by mail to P.O. Box 66, Schooley's Mtn, NJ 07870. Remember, the U.S. Internal Revenue Serves recognizes Liebenzell Mission of the USA, Inc. as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3)religious organization. Donations are tax-deductible and donors will receive a receipt.

You are important to us, no matter your involvement with the VYT ministry. Thank you for your prayerful consideration of this ministry. August 1 is our start date, so if you are intending to act, please do so today.

We are constantly amazed at God's goodness,

Gregg Hanchett
Volunteer Year Toronto

The Reason we serve.

Volunteer Year Toronto exists to bring glory to God by facilitating transformational relationships between Christian youth and mature, life-changing ministries.

We give international students an opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus by serving others during a safe, supervised internship. We provide pastoral care to the students so they can better serve others. We strengthen established ministries by providing spiritually prepared and energetic volunteers for their programs. We unite the body of Christ by serving ministries across social, national, and economic borders. And we do it in the Toronto region of Ontario, Canada.

"bring glory to God..."

In Matthew 25:34-40 Jesus gives a surprisingly blunt parable that illustrates one way in which Volunteer Year Toronto seeks to bring glory to God:

'Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:  for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in;  I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.'
"Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You,or thirsty and give You drink?  When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?  Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?'   And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'
God has a tremendous compassion for the hurting in our world. As Christians, our service to others has a broader, higher component of giving service directly to Our Lord. God is pleased -and glorified- when we help others through their tribulations. In our modern, fast-paced world it is too easy to have our attention diverted from the physical and emotional needs around us. Many young people especially have a hard time focusing on the needs around them. Volunteer Year Toronto ministry is committed to re-connecting teens to a needy world through establishing real-life relationships. Helping relationships. Caring relationships. Relationships that bring down walls or prejudice. Relationships that reveal Jesus' love. Relationships that change lives two people at a time.

Your partnership is SO important. Would you stand with us now so that we can serve this Fall? Find out how you can help by clicking on the link above.

Why Toronto?

The International Student Internship Program takes advantage of the unique situation of Toronto. The city is home to virtually all of the world's culture groups and is the city where more than 100 languages and dialects are spoken. Consider what that means from the perspective of ministry. It is possible to learn from and live among people of every culture in the world. What a great opportunity for those of us who are interested in seeing the life-changing message of the Christian faith communicated around the world. You will recall the episode in the Bible book of Acts, within days after Our Lord ascended into heaven, he left this message with his disciples: (Acts 1:8) "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” In our day, and in the city of Toronto, the world will be literally at our door!

Each year more than 100,000 immigrants come to live in the Toronto Metropolitan Area. According to the city of Toronto website, among the top 15 languages spoken in Toronto, besides English, are Cantonese, Mandarin, Portuguese, Punjabi, Tagalog, Urdu, and Arabic. The abundance of languages available in Toronto has resulted in several mission organizations using Toronto as a base for training missionaries in the target language of their assigned field.

Volunteer Year Toronto will take advantage of this strategic location this year alone to introduce more than 15 young people to Christian service and help them network with others who are making a positive difference in the world. Will you stand with us and be a part of our "Network of Faith"?

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.