Crazy DAZE in transition!
Being in transition has always been a difficult thing for me. It has been about 6 months since we've had to move out of our gloriously large YWAM facility into our current office space. The basement of a house on 1st and Commercial. Here it is!
Although the space is small, incredibly distracting and terribly cold and smelly, there is something really special about this place.
First, it's location is incredible. We are literally in the middle of "the Drive" where all the action is, and where you can find a cup of coffee and an italian sandwich for a reasonable price. I noted this week, that while traveling on the bus, there were a multiple of languages, only 1 of which happened to be English and that was ours!
Secondly, since we've resorted to a few odd desks pushed together in a basement right next to the furnace and the washing machine, I have not heard our staff complain of lack of community, or of feeling lonely. Sharing a desk with 4-5 people at a time can help with that. There are days where it's hard to find a private location, even the washroom is located next to the photocopier so that nothing can be private. There was a day that a few girls had a prayer meeting in one of the closets of a room to have privacy. Granted the closet was big. The 4 of us inside, created quite a close community.
Third - our relationships are really growing in the community. The more we have been forced out of office space, the more intentional we've HAD to be in the community. A good majority of meetings happen over coffee or the lunch table. Although our small space may not seem idyllic, I wouldn't have changed this season for anything. The church next door (although used by 3 other churches, and other ministries like feeding programs) has lent us space too for kitchen needs and classroom use.
We still wait for movement forward on an incredible facility in the neighbourhood, that would suit our needs well, but I am grateful for this season, and the foundations being built within out staff and the community, before we have possession of a new place.
Lastly, our staff have commitment. The show must go on - as it were, and so we still run schools, and programs, etc. to do the work we have been called to do.
This week for instance we had 135 people join us for mission adventures. It was amazing and messy. Think about it - 115 teenage kids (aged 13-16) running loose in our city, without a facility! yikes! This calls for hardcore organization. Throw a few curve balls in there, such as finding all of them transportation, a place to host them all, as well as organizing food, and you have our week in a nutshell!
It was quite exciting, and we are pleased to see that God is still in the business of touching lives and touching hearts. Some of the stories the youth shared were incredible. One young group of girls, saw the need of some hungry people on the street, and decided to give out all their lunches to them and go without eating for the day. This may seem like a no brainer solution, to seeing a need, but what excites me is to see that this decision was not prompted nor required of the girls. It was from their heart, and it was their choice. They learned about giving with expecting in return. It's so great to talk about these values with the kids.
We also heard a story of one of the teams meeting up with a man they had prayed for a year ago who had been in a wheel chair. With great joy in his face, and literally standing in front of them, he exclaimed to the team that he had been healed, and he was so grateful for their prayers. Wow! Their faith had been encouraged. And so was ours! God is amazing.
Although the space is small, incredibly distracting and terribly cold and smelly, there is something really special about this place.First, it's location is incredible. We are literally in the middle of "the Drive" where all the action is, and where you can find a cup of coffee and an italian sandwich for a reasonable price. I noted this week, that while traveling on the bus, there were a multiple of languages, only 1 of which happened to be English and that was ours!
Secondly, since we've resorted to a few odd desks pushed together in a basement right next to the furnace and the washing machine, I have not heard our staff complain of lack of community, or of feeling lonely. Sharing a desk with 4-5 people at a time can help with that. There are days where it's hard to find a private location, even the washroom is located next to the photocopier so that nothing can be private. There was a day that a few girls had a prayer meeting in one of the closets of a room to have privacy. Granted the closet was big. The 4 of us inside, created quite a close community.
Third - our relationships are really growing in the community. The more we have been forced out of office space, the more intentional we've HAD to be in the community. A good majority of meetings happen over coffee or the lunch table. Although our small space may not seem idyllic, I wouldn't have changed this season for anything. The church next door (although used by 3 other churches, and other ministries like feeding programs) has lent us space too for kitchen needs and classroom use.
We still wait for movement forward on an incredible facility in the neighbourhood, that would suit our needs well, but I am grateful for this season, and the foundations being built within out staff and the community, before we have possession of a new place.Lastly, our staff have commitment. The show must go on - as it were, and so we still run schools, and programs, etc. to do the work we have been called to do.
This week for instance we had 135 people join us for mission adventures. It was amazing and messy. Think about it - 115 teenage kids (aged 13-16) running loose in our city, without a facility! yikes! This calls for hardcore organization. Throw a few curve balls in there, such as finding all of them transportation, a place to host them all, as well as organizing food, and you have our week in a nutshell!It was quite exciting, and we are pleased to see that God is still in the business of touching lives and touching hearts. Some of the stories the youth shared were incredible. One young group of girls, saw the need of some hungry people on the street, and decided to give out all their lunches to them and go without eating for the day. This may seem like a no brainer solution, to seeing a need, but what excites me is to see that this decision was not prompted nor required of the girls. It was from their heart, and it was their choice. They learned about giving with expecting in return. It's so great to talk about these values with the kids.
We also heard a story of one of the teams meeting up with a man they had prayed for a year ago who had been in a wheel chair. With great joy in his face, and literally standing in front of them, he exclaimed to the team that he had been healed, and he was so grateful for their prayers. Wow! Their faith had been encouraged. And so was ours! God is amazing.
Comments
miss you all sooooo much! we need to do coffee together sometime soon, somewhere on this planet!
love you,
h. xe