Stories to Tell: Tina

Tell us a bit about yourself

Hi, my name is Tina.

How has God encouraged you this summer as you pursue His mission?

I've had several opportunities this summer to share Jesus with nonbelieving peers who I did not expect to be receptive to the Gospel. Having spiritual conversations, and sharing my testimony with these people have actually deepened our relationship, and I'm excited to keep walking with them. It's a huge encouragement, since I grew up thinking that persecution and rejection are the only experiences I'll ever experience being a Christian. Now that I've seen that many people are actually accepting of Jesus, it's made me realize that while witnessing can definitely result in persecution and rejection, it can also be very pleasant and rewarding when the message is received! 

Why is engaging in missions important to you?

I don't know how else to live. God created me for mission. It is in my DNA. If I don't do it, I'll likely rot from the inside out. When I do live on mission, life is fun, fulfilling, challenging, and adventurous.

Stories to Tell: Simon

Tell us a bit about yourself

Hello! My name is Simon, and I'm excited to share about how I've seen God working this summer! I came to Toronto for university 3 years ago, and have experienced God in so many awesome ways here through my campus ministry, Power to Change, and through my church, Zoe Toronto. This summer I was working a full time internship as well as participating in a summer discipleship program called Greenhouse.

What is a favourite memory from your summer so far?

My favourite memories from this summer were living with the Filicicchia family. I've known Mikey and Jessie for a while through my church, and by God's plan they happen to be renting out their spare room during the exact months that I needed a place to live. After being away from my family for a few years, it was sooo delightful to live with a family again. I had tons of fun playing with their kids Ransom and Glory (many magic shows were watched, many stories were read 😆). I also loved bonding with Mikey and Jessie when we had the chance to eat dinner together, talk about life, and watch cool documentaries/movies. It was also such a joy to be around as they welcomed their newborn daughter Immanuelle!

How has God encouraged you this summer as you pursue His mission?

I was really encouraged by the faith of an international student named Kian. I remember sitting next to him at a Chinese New Year dinner hangout, and he started telling me about how he had recently started reading the bible and watching Christian online videos, and he was really interested in it. I invited him to my church, and as we kept talking, I realized he didn't yet have a clear understanding of the gospel. So I offered to walk him through the gospel in more detail, and as me and my bro Mikey explained what the bible says about God, sin, Jesus, and salvation, Kian wanted to give his life to Jesus.  He still had some reservations about surrendering EVERY aspect of his life to Jesus, but over the next few months God kept giving him more and more confidence and faith. It wasn't long before he reached the point where he wanted to be all in for Jesus, and made the decision to get baptized! I had the privilege of baptizing him, and continue to have the joy of being his bro and walking alongside him in his journey with Jesus!

How have you seen God working this summer in your life / community / this world?

One really awesome way I've seen God working this summer is in my friend Anson's life. He was first introduced to my church by a friend in the spring, and although not a Christian himself, he was interested and willing to join Greenhouse (a summer discipleship program). It was such a delight to be in a discipleship group with him and hear his life story! I was so amazed by his willingness to pray earnestly that God would reveal Himself to him. I am excited to continue walking with Anson, and I am confident that he will experience all of God's security, peace, and deep joy because everyone who seeks the Lord will find him!

Stories to Tell: Annie

Tell us a little bit about yourself

Hello! My name is Annie and I am an incoming 4th year student studying human resrouces and human geography! My favourite thing about summer in Toronto is walking outside without freezing and seeing the same streets I’d walk on during the school year filled with flowers and leafy trees, people and animals enjoying the summer. 

What has been challenging or frustrating in your missional journey recently? How did you find hope in the midst of it?

The summer has been a challenging time with many distractions that I felt was hindering my ability to be fully present and put my full effort in planning for my fellowship the next school year. I was working long hours and wasn’t able to get good sleep at night to recharge. At times, I felt like I wasn’t able to keep up with everything else that is going on in my life -- friendships, church, fellowship, family, hobbies, etc.

Prayer was the most important thing that gave me hope in the midst of everything. Prayer from others especially was a source of hope and encouragement. Now that summer is drawing to an end, I can see how God has listened to my prayers and used this time to help me learn to depend on Him in my frustration. I am reminded of Philipians 4:6, which says “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

What are you hopeful for moving forward?

I am most excited to partner with God in what He is doing on campus going forward! This summer has been a lot of planning for the upcoming school year, so I am hopeful to reach more people and for opportunities to share the gospel and learn more about being missional together. 

Stories to Tell: Emmanuel

Tell us a bit about yourself

Hello all! I'm a Year 2 student at the U of T, studying a Bachelor of Music Performance in Pipe Organ. I love being outdoors in Nature and learning about different cultures. I'm also an International Student, my home country is Singapore! 

How are you seeking to live missionally in this season of your life? 

My parents always felt that my true calling lies in the area of Church Music. Having turned down a place in Civil Engineering at the National University of Singapore, I came here to study, because my Pipe Organ teacher's friend directs the Sacred Music Program at Emmanuel College, and my mum had a dream about my Grandmother, who had studied at the U of T. 

Even still, I find myself questioning, why am I studying overseas? University in Singapore does not sound as exciting, but certainly it is a safer option with career prospects? Get a proper job, save up money for a future Mission Trip. Certainly that is one way to "live missionally"? 

While I am always attracted by the idea of rural subsistence farming, God has given me the privilege to come to Toronto, where I can connect not only with other International Students, but also distant relatives of my Grandma, incredible opportunities for outreach. 

Which recent experiences have helped or hindered the ways you engage in missions?

While with the P2C Mission Trip "Nations Next Door" in Ottawa, inviting new friends to festivals, museums, churches etc., I experienced first-hand how art can bring people together, and when presented appropriately, speak volumes for the gospel. A favourite memory is: a Christian friend explaining Bible snippets featured in stained glass windows, at the Ottawa Notre Dame Cathedral where I had invited International Students to come hear me play the Pipe Organ. I can't wait to see more of that at the Faculty of Music Christian Fellowship. 

While on the family's Mission Trip in Fiji, I see how Missions can take a toll on mental health, especially when the team does too much ministry, leaving insufficient time left for conflict resolution within the team. Even in a family where we know each other well, we need to care for each other by making space to hear each other out. When we embody Christ's love towards our family members, the people we minister to also receive encouragement. 

What has been challenging or frustrating in your missional journey recently? How did you find hope in the midst of it?

Amidst the usual Cross-Cultural difficulties, a major challenge for me was returning to a family environment. I found it difficult adapting to making decisions in a group, considering the needs of my family above my own. 

For example, while (at time of writing) currently on my last week here in the Fiji Mission trip, my family wants to take this opportunity to move to a more remote part of Fiji to rest.

However, I was frustrated with this. To me, I felt I could be just as well-rested staying put here, spending more time connecting with friends here. Furthermore, it seemed to me that we were retreating back into our comfort zone (of our nuclear family), not being willing to sacrifice our time, connecting with the people where we are at currently. 

As always, I realize that this is another lesson in honouring my parents over my own desires, considering the needs of others in my family, who have been in Fiji a month longer than me, who need time to rest before returning to Singapore (to start school).

I remain hopeful that God has a special plan for us, and while we are weak, God makes us strong. 

What are you hopeful for moving forward?

I'm looking forward to reconnecting with my family and friends in Singapore, it has been close to a year away from home, and I only have less than a month with them. 

Coming back to Toronto in September, I am also very excited to plunge back into the various Campus Ministries, like the Mandarin Chinese Christian Fellowship, Power 2 Change etc. 

I also hope to make more visits to the different churches (to play their Pipe Organs!) exploring the history and worship traditions of the churches in Canada, discerning what God is calling me towards.

Stories to Tell: Danielle

Tell Us A Bit About Yourself

Hey, my name is Danielle. I'm completing my final year at UofT in my studies in English, History, and Education this coming term. I'm a professional yapper, a flavourful foodie, and a strong lover of broken things God wants to redeem. Last term I was the Co-President of a fellowship called Power to Change, and was a Program Don with University College. I have a big passion and vision of serving students, equipping them with opportunities to encounter the person of Christ and to live faithfully in the love God has for them in serving others.

How has following Jesus impacted your goals and plans this summer?

In following Jesus this summer, I encountered so many "no's" of opportunities and pursuits I thought were in my path for the future (i.e. applying to Teacher's College after 3 years of pursuing a teaching profession, and the end of valued relationships). In the season of closed doors God showed me his deep love in transforming my desires to be aligned to his will and reliant on his strength. In particular, God swung open a door for me to be faithful in choosing to obey him in going to Edmonton, Alberta for a mission trip with P2C. God said yes to fully providing for my 10k support raising goal, he said yes in healing me allowing me to be vulnerable with the community I encountered there, and he said yes in showing me where he wants my ministry to be in the future. God laid out my path so clearly to encounter rest in trusting his good plan for me.

What has been challenging or frustrating in your missions journey recently? How did you find hope in the midst of it?

My mission trip gave me so many valuable opportunities to serve the vulnerable as well as to wonder "who are those we deem as vulnerable?" I was challenged especially with the reality of how in a broken world, we are all vulnerable. When I relied on my own strength, seeing hope amidst brokenness was hard, but God showed me how he is in control of all things. As Col 1:12-23 showed me, God is able to "hold all things together" and "reconcile to himself all things to establish peace through his cross." Growing in prayer and faith to develop the eyes and mind of Christ, I have been able to have a restored sense of hope in how God is working. As I live in the now, but not yet, I am anticipating how life with God will direct how I live missionally, taking steps of faith in obedience to show others God's love and the hope of the gospel.

Stories to Tell: Ryand

Tell us a bit about yourself

Hi everyone! My name is Ryand and I am currently one of the Key Student Leaders (Co-President) for Power to Change at UofT! A few things about me is that I was born in the Philippines and immigrated to Canada in 2011! I will be in my 4th year this coming school year studying in a double major on Health & Disease and Cell & Molecular Biology. First and foremost I strive to include God and my relationship with Him in all the things that I do, that through it, people will get to see Christ in me. I am also a family oriented person so if you follow me on my social media, you'll get to see a little bit of my family and the things we do, from going to picnics and joyrides! I love to sing and I’m grateful to use this gift to be a part of a choir and in the worship team, praising God! I am also a person that enjoys sports, specifically powerlifting! This coming fall I’ll be competing in my first competition, so I’m very blessed and excited to do something that I really enjoy on a competitive level and especially still keeping my faith in the centre while training for it.

How has following Jesus impacted your goals and plans this summer?

Following Jesus more intentionally and fervently has been a blessing and has allowed me to approach certain trials based on what the Bible says. Having taken seriously my study in God’s Word it made me become more dependent and seeking Him earnestly and what His will is in regards to my goals and plans for this summer, especially preparing for my 4th year at UofT. During this summer, Power to Change has been engaging in a Summer Discipleship Group Bible study whose main theme is “Everyday Faithfulness”, I have been blessed and fortunate to have other leaders involved that have a heart for God and have the desire to exalt Him and find ways to seek Him during this summer season where there is a tendency to relax and sometimes not leave time to be in God’s presence. I thank God that through the Holy Spirit, He has equipped me and other leaders to be trusted and lead discussions in our Bible study that allows us to be more intentional with our time with Him. 

How has God encouraged you this summer as you pursue His mission?

God has encouraged me this summer through engaging in Scripture and reading books that can help nurture my growth as a Christian. A verse in Scripture that has encouraged me as I desire to pursue His mission and make Christ known to people is found in Acts 17:32. This part in the Bible depicts the journey of Paul in Athens as he addresses the people by sharing the Gospel through teaching about Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection. Verse 32 shows that as Paul was sharing the resurrection, some mocked him but others were willing to hear him again on the topic of Christ. This changed my approach in His mission and that, we truly never know who is in need of hearing the good news of Jesus, we may get mocked by our belief, but if our sharing leads to someone showing curiosity and seeking Him, leading to that individual to accept Christ as their Lord and Saviour, gives me encouragement to pursue and continue the mission He entrusted His disciples and in extent, to us in Matthew 28:19-20.

What is a favourite memory from your summer so far?

It has yet to happen, but in August, my family and I will be going to Texas to visit my Uncle which also includes celebrating my birthday! So very excited for that! Other than that, I think my favourite memory is to really just spend my time with God (whether if it is through my independent Bible reading, Summer DG, Church, Choir, etc), being in awe of who He is in my life, acknowledging Him for who He is. Causes me to abide closer to Him than before and live my life out for Him.

What are you hopeful for moving forward?  

Being involved in Power to Change as a Key Student Leader, I am very hopeful and excited on how God will use me and my other fellow leaders in moving the ministry forward at UofT and engage with the students in our campus and have the light of Christ be known. That through this, I am also able to grow more in my personal life and relationship with God, growing deeper in Him as time goes by, as well as developing stronger relationships with my friends! A verse of encouragement that I would like to encourage you all is found in Colossians 3:2, as we set our minds on things above, our approach in matters changes and shifts and would align with what God’s will is. To know God, is to love His ways, but not only love but also to walk in those ways as well. Our vision for this coming school year is found in 1 John 2:5-6, I am hopeful and excited to see how God will use this passage, to impact not just our ministry but to the community that we are engaging with!

Stories to Tell: Gwen

Tell us a bit about yourself

Hello everyone! My name is Gwen. I’m a Bostonian living in Toronto and entering my fourth year at U of T studying math and statistics. I first got connected with Missions Hub a few years ago through a Missions Disciplers group, and since then, you may have seen me around at events like Luke 10:2. This is my first summer living in Toronto, and I have really been enjoying the warm weather and late sunsets after the long winter season. In my downtime, I’ve been reading books, jamming on the guitar, biking to parks around the GTA, playing pickup soccer, or just basking in the sunlight on campus.

Why is engaging in missions important to you?

A few years after becoming a Christian, my faith was changed by the realization that every event since Genesis has been purposefully leading up to the final gathering of his children from every tribe, people, and language. I’m always inspired by stories of Christians who have oriented their lives around ministry to unreached people groups in light of this image from Revelation. I hope that as I experience God’s goodness in my life, it could similarly overflow into a joyful desire for others to find the same blessing in Christ—especially those who have no access to the gospel. Engaging in this global mission is an amazing opportunity to witness God’s pursuit of his people way beyond the bubble of my own life.

What has been challenging or frustrating in your missional journey recently? How did you find hope in the midst of it?

A few years ago, I found myself increasing in apathy towards God, and it was disheartening to feel my distance to him growing just as in a season of doubt I had experienced years before that. However, one thing I can attest to looking back on my journey is that as often as I have felt ready to give up on fellowship with God, he has still pursued me in his good timing, bringing about internal change that I couldn’t have orchestrated myself. These experiences have shown me that even my ability to grow in faith is a result of his generous grace. In my apathy, I eventually began to notice the way God was slowly opening my heart, and I was reminded of the way that he had led me through discouragement in the past and retained the same sovereignty to do so again.

How are you seeking to live missionally in this season of your life?

During his ministry, Jesus told his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few” (Matt. 9:37). I want to live missionally in the current season by praying for openness to any way God would want me to participate in his global kingdom. I also hope to engage by mobilizing (i.e., sharing about God’s heart for the nations) my Christian friends—and also myself since I know there’s a lot out there for me to learn!

What are you hopeful for moving forward?

As I’m nearing the end of my undergrad, I spend a lot of time wondering what life will look like on the other side. It’s easy to minimize the time I have left in Toronto while fixated on the unknowns ahead, but I realize that God has greatly blessed me with the classmates, campus fellowship, and church community that I have right now. The past few months have been marked with some of the most excitement I’ve ever felt both to be learning more and to be sharing with others about the worthiness of God. So going into the new school year, I’m hopeful for more opportunities to learn from older Christians, encourage younger Christians, and share with non-Christian friends about how this faith has changed my life.

Stories to Tell: Caleb

Tell us a bit about yourself

Hello!! I am Caleb and I just finished my undergrad in Computer Science at UofT. I love sports, programming and spending time with friends. While I was in school, I was involved in Power to Change!!

What is a favourite memory from your summer so far?

I think my favourite memory was my graduation! It was my first time in con hall which was pretty cool. It was a great time celebrating with friends and enjoying the great weather. It still doesn't feel like I actually graduated but I am grateful for God giving me the strength to make it through and to grow me in Christ through different trials and many godly people in my life.

How has following Jesus impacted your goals and plans this summer?

One big way my summer was impacted by Jesus was my mission trip to Vietnam! I got to spend around a month meeting students, building relationships, and sharing about Jesus with them. It was a bit nerve wracking going the first time on campus but God was so faithful in that and the first people who we sat down to talk with were so open and we ended up talking for almost two hours (and afterwards found out they knew one of my team members who visited last year). We got to have many meaningful conversations and with these types of trips, we can always use more time but it is encouraging and brings relief to know that the local students and staff will continue to have conversations and God will continue our work through them.

How has God encouraged you this summer as you pursue His mission?

On my trip, I was really encouraged by my friends’ openness to share how they view life and what God or life means to them. They were eager to share their views and answer questions. I got to share how Jesus is my hope and salvation who gives me purpose. I think what I took from this was just to know that God is indeed working in people’s hearts and these kinds of conversations are possible. Many of my non-Christian friends are hesitant to discuss faith and are disinterested, but this encouraged me to not lose heart and keep loving them well and sharing how God is at work in my life, knowing God can work in anyone’s heart. Part of this I think is also a humble and patient heart. My expectation of how and when my friends will come to faith is different from God and I have to love and serve them, trusting God’s work and timing.

How have you seen God working this summer in your life / community / this world?

One of the big themes in my life has been waiting. It was no different this summer. I had applied to three master’s programs which I was awaiting responses for, and summer jobs I applied to were also taking long to get back to me. I got rejections from my top two choices of master’s programs in May which was a lot. I was content whether I got in or not but it still did hit me hard. The day I received that news, I was reading 1 Kings 17 which spoke of God’s provision for Elijah. God provided through nature (v.4), through people (v.9), and used that opportunity to bless the people Elijah came across (v.14). This was such an encouraging word to read and I felt an overwhelming amount of trust and contentment in where God had me in that exact moment and what he has for me next. Since then, I have still been waiting for my last program response and the jobs I applied to for the summer never got back to me. But, because of this, I was connected to a few positions I could start full-time in the fall. I have one offer from a start-up and have finished two rounds of interviews for a job that I would love to do. These have already been a way God provided for me which would not have been possible if I had accepted an offer to one of the programs. I am looking forward to seeing where God will lead me and how he will have me serve there.

Stories to Tell: Tiffany

Tell us a bit about yourself

My name is Tiffany. I am a sinner saved and sustained by the grace of God! I came from Hong Kong 6 years ago and I am going into the final year of my Master of Physical Therapy at the University of Toronto. I work as a strength and conditioning coach and personal trainer at the university. I love all that I’m doing and learning. I am very introverted but God has continued to strengthen me to do people-facing jobs and share my faith when chances arise. I am also passionate about digging deeper into Scripture and I am learning biblical Hebrew on my own. 

How are you seeking to live missionally in this season of your life? 

I find it more difficult to have these opportunities as a Master's student. I feel like people are more apathetic to matters related to faith. But I always pray for opportunities because God is still working. God answers prayers. This summer, I had some opportunities to talk about faith with a classmate, with a man in a shawarma shop, with a friend on a camping trip, and with a friend I met at a conference this summer. I visited my high school teacher’s grandma with their family and was really encouraged to see this 103-year-old grandma, never heard the gospel before, just captured by the gospel booklet and kept reading it. Finally, a few of us from church did a street interview experiment and connected with a few newcomers from Burma. We later had a hotpot with them and hope to continue to witness to them. What a joy to be able to join in God’s work in the world!

Were there any new (good or hard) experiences for you recently? Did these help or hinder the ways you engaged in missions?

I have a friend whom I journeyed with for 4 years who professed faith last summer. I was overjoyed when I witnessed that moment. Both of us knew fellowship and discipleship is the next step to take. Matthew 13 describes the parable of the sower. Today, this friend is like Matt 13:22 “As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.” We had a conversation about going to church earlier this year and this friend became hostile to my encouragement to attend church. I was hurt and disheartened. We are still very good friends but please pray for us! 

Describe a moment from this summer, big or small, where you felt God affirm you in your journey pursuing His mission

I went on my first mission trip with my church in April where we interacted with mostly Iranian refugees/immigrants. Shortly after coming back, I was placed in a primarily Iranian clinic for my first physiotherapy placement (we also see many refugees). I also have an Iranian personal training client. So I learned a number of Farsi phrases before and during my time at the clinic (primarily to make patients happy, secondarily to communicate with those who don’t speak English :P). I enjoyed working with the Iranians. It was an “interesting” arrangement by God. There are more and more Iranians in Toronto and UofT (gyms/fitness classes), and I never hesitate to go and greet them in Farsi. 

Stories to Tell: Guershom

Tell us a bit about yourself

Hi! My name is Guershom. I am an incoming Masters student who is passionate about international students, stories, God at work and many many other random things.

What is a favourite moment or memory of your summer so far?

This summer I had the pleasure of attending one of my best friends’ wedding. It was such a pleasant experience seeing two close friends I’ve known since undergrad go through all the shenanigans of wedding planning, then eventually saying I do to each other surrounded by friends and family. So cute!!

How has being a Christian impacted the way you made plans this summer?

This summer I chose to quit my job early with the hopes of pursuing a short term mission trip in South East Asia. I was excited to see how God is moving in a part of the world I really care about and dream of ways in which I can partner with that.

Were there any new (good or hard) experiences for you recently? Did these help or hinder the ways you engaged in missions?

Unfortunately, after a lot of hard work, prayer and sacrifice together with the support of friends and family I was unable to go for my Missions trip. I felt like I had sacrificed so much for the trip, and initially could not understand why things didn’t work out. In the end I was reminded of God’s faithfulness and encouraged by His word that though my plans may be many and elaborate, ultimately it's His will that will prevail.

What are you hopeful for moving forward?

I will be starting a new chapter this September meeting new people and pursuing a new degree in a new place. I am curiously excited to see how God will connect me with people both near and far from Him, and how He will grow in me the experiential capacity to love His people the way He does. The future is bright!

Stories to Tell: Annie

Tell us a bit about yourself

Hi there! My name is Annie and I am going into my 3rd year at UofT. I am currently studying human geography and human resources. I was born in Taiwan and moved to BC when I was 10, and now I’m in Toronto for school! When I am home (in BC) I like spending time with family and breathing the fresh BC air. When I am in Toronto, I like to play Just Dance and Mario Kart with my friends. You can also find me making crafts or baking in my spare time! 

How has being a Christian impacted the way you made plans this summer?

To me, being a Christian means listening to God carefully and involving Him in discerning how I spend my time during summer break. As the end of the school year drew near, I began to brainstorm how I can keep myself busy in the summer by serving in missions. I looked for opportunities to go on mission trips abroad, specifically in Asia, hoping to share the gospel with people living in cultures where Christianity is unfamiliar. However, after prayer and discernment, I did not feel confident that God was calling me to this opportunity at this time. Although I was initially disappointed and conflicted, I ended up being able to spend more time resting, as well as with my family, specifically my grandma who is not yet a believer. Ultimately, I learned that I can honour God with my summer plans even if it doesn’t look like what I have in mind because God’s will is good and His timing is perfect. 

Describe a moment from this summer, big or small, where you felt God affirm you in your journey pursuing His mission

While I was in Taiwan visiting family, God gave me the opportunity to help out at an English camp in Taiwan run by a local church. I served alongside short-term and long-term missionaries to host 40 kids. The camp aimed to introduce the good news of the gospel to the campers as well as to show the love of Christ by building meaningful relationships with them. Each day, there was a different lesson about a core Biblical concept that related to the theme of the local attraction in Taipei that we visited. Though taking 40 kids to a different tourist location each day was exhausting, it was nonetheless, a fulfilling experience. I was able to witness God’s love for these children through the leaders who made the camp happen. I was encouraged by the love the leaders had for the kids at camp and their faith in God through all the hard work and challenges of running this camp. Overall, I felt God affirm me in my journey to pursue His mission by giving me this opportunity to serve at camp this summer. 

Stories to Tell: Jeff

Tell us a bit about yourself

Hello friends! My name is Jeff. I was born and raised in Vancouver – I’m currently going into my 4th & final year of undergrad studies at U of T! I grew up as a Christian, but I recognize I am only starting my lifelong journey with God. To receive His abundant love entails expressing that same love towards others – a principle that guides my being.

A bit more about me: I enjoy listening to jazz music and playing the classical guitar. Whenever I have the time, I also like to play chess (I’d love to play a match with you) and hike, something Vancouver is well suited for!

What is a favourite moment or memory of your summer so far?

Hiking with my father! Despite the limited opportunities available, hiking is for me a valuable time to connect with my father and connect with God through His creation. His creation directs us towards Him, after all. Hiking also happens to be a welcome break from ordinary life.

How has being a Christian impacted the way you made plans this summer?

External transformation is necessary for internal transformation. In that regard, I’m trying to develop better relationships with my family, my friends, and the other people in my life through meaningful activities this summer.

A rhetorical question: where would I be without God? It’s certainly a frightening thought to be without God. To say I would not be where I am today would be the understatement of the century. But dwelling on this question reminds me to be grateful for his grace, to trust in his (the) truth, and to live out his love.

Why is engaging in missions important to you?

For me, it’s just a logical extension of “wanting the best for others”. I was blessed to have Christian parents. Many don’t have that blessing. This prompt reminds me of the encounter between Phillip and the Ethiopian eunuch. God put Phillip in the position to make a difference, and Phillip had the initiative to do so. I believe God gives me plenty of opportunities to do the same. To engage in missions is to fully realize these opportunities.

What are you hopeful for moving forward?

I’m looking forward to potential leadership opportunities in UTCCF, whether in a formal capacity or otherwise. I look forward to growing my spiritual life, whether alone or with others! Let’s see where God leads me!

Stories to Tell: Katryn

Tell us a bit about yourself

Hello 😃 My name is Katryn and I am a recent grad from the University of Toronto! In my spare time, I like taking walks to explore and doing fun little artsy crafts like knitting, making friendship bracelets, or doodling. 

What is a favourite moment or memory of your summer so far?

I think my favourite memory of the summer so far is going to Vancouver and Seattle to visit friends and family. I ate lots and lots of good food and was able to see the pretty mountains!!! 

Were there any new (good or hard) experiences for you recently? Did these help or hinder the ways you engaged in missions?

Since coming home to Boston after graduating from UofT, I couldn’t help but feel a little lost. Not only am I unsure where God is calling me in this next stage of life, but I felt like I also came back to a hometown that no longer felt familiar. After being blessed with fellowship in CCF throughout uni, returning home in this new stage of life made me feel like I no longer had a consistent community or fellowship that I could turn to especially since I hadn’t been home for so long. This made it harder to feel encouraged or even able to partner in God’s mission. However, during this time of uncertainty and longing for community, I was reminded that this is not my home and that even in this time of transition, I can still be faithful where I am now. These feelings of discontentment, confusion, and longing only pointed me back to God, the creator and sustainer of all things. Through this time of transition, I am reminded of God’s consistent character and His faithfulness in all seasons. I am able to rest in Him as a child of God and while I’m still trying to discern where God is calling me to further His kingdom, I am now more assured about my purpose despite the uncertainty of my career or community. Even though there is uncertainty in my community or direction, I am assured that through it all, God will always be constant. That despite this season of uncertainty, I can still be faithful to wherever God has placed me now without worrying about where He’s leading me next. 

Why is engaging in missions important to you?

To me, engaging in missions is a direct reflection of God’s love and grace for me. It is the natural result of overflowing joy from seeing all that God has done in my life. I believe that engaging in missions mirrors God’s greatest commandment for us to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” and to “Love your neighbor as yourself”. It’s also a constant reminder that this is not our home, that there is so much more, and to share with others and rejoice in the freedom that only comes from Christ.

Stories to Tell: Simon

Tell us a bit about yourself

Hello everyone! My name is Simon and I just finished my third year of computer engineering at U of T. I was originally born in Canada, but I grew up in the US, specifically Arizona and Colorado. I love hiking, skiing, camping, and anything outdoors. I like to spend my time reading, leading in my campus fellowship (P2C), and hanging out with friends! In May, I started a software engineering internship at Intel which has been an awesome experience.

What is a favorite moment or memory of your summer so far? 

I went on a camping trip to Bruce Peninsula with friends from P2C and my church. We played campfire games, went on a long hike, and swam in the lakes. The views were absolutely gorgeous!

How has being a Christian impacted the way you made plans this summer? 

Being a Christian meant I wasn’t content to spend all summer simply relaxing. I felt a great need to continue focusing on Chrisitan discipleship and my spiritual walk with God. Practically, that meant participating in an awesome program called Greenhouse where I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to serve underprivileged folks in my community, love on my city through prayer walks, and enjoy rich fellowship with my brothers and sisters in Christ! It has also meant meeting weekly with my mentee from P2C to walk through life together, seek God, and pray for each other.

Why is engaging in missions important to you? 

My experience with Jesus has completely changed my life! In my past, I spent so much time and energy searching for something more, but in all the places I searched, I never found it, and was always left feeling emptier. However, in Jesus I found the loving relationship that I was really seeking all along! I believe He offers the same transformational love to everyone, so I share my story in hopes that others can experience the same joy I do!

Stories to Tell: Regina

Tell us a bit about yourself

Hello everyone, glad to be back again this summer to share about God’s work in my life! I grew up in Jakarta, Indonesia and moved to Toronto in 2019 for my undergrad. I graduated this year. In last summer's Stories to Tell, I shared that I was torn between working in ministry and working as an HR professional in the secular environment. I mentioned that at the end of that summer, I felt called toward one of them. Glad to share that today, a year later, I’m currently working for a Christian ministry called Power to Change, as a campus intern @ the University of Toronto! I’m thankful that God’s calling for me to proclaim the Gospel in the university space has been made so clear to me. 

Describe a moment from this summer, big or small, where you felt God affirm you in your journey pursuing His mission 

From May to August this summer, I’ve been meeting up numerous people for Ministry Partnership Development (MPD, also referred to as support raising). Not only do I get to catch up with friends near and far, I delight in the joy of talking about God’s calling in my life and invite them to partner prayerfully and financially with me in my ministry with P2C! 

Honestly, in every meeting, I felt God affirmed the calling He had led me to in doing campus ministry. Each time I shared my vision to reach university students on campus with the Gospel, and seeing people buy into that vision, I felt like God continues to go before me in this leap of faith to trust He would provide financially for this internship through other people. 

I’ve heard that “The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” This became especially true for me each time I shared about how God has placed a deep burden in my heart (the Gospel needs to be proclaimed louder on campuses) and how I’ve found deep gladness being the vessel that God uses to meet that spiritual hunger in students. 

Additionally, God affirmed me in this journey through answering specific prayer requests. He provided when I prayed for 1) God to provide people who can give larger donations, 2) Logistical challenges in re-routing overseas donations to be solved, and 3) God to bring people outside of my own social circle to my ministry, and many more. In each of these prayer requests, I was thankful that He answered within a few days! It’s really so mind-blowing when you trust God to answer big prayer requests and then He does. All you can do is boast in Christ and humbly accept that you could not have done it with your own might. Praise God, my ministry was fully funded before the deadline!

Stories to Tell: Matt

Tell us a bit about yourself

I graduated from UofT in 2022 where I did my masters in civil engineering and since then have been passionate about a life of missions both abroad and locally! I recently got to experience overseas engineering missions overseas for five months where God was able to teach and heal me so much. Now I’m in the city working for my micro church and trying to be a good witness to international students. Other then that, I’m really into fishing and doing fun/dumb things like how recently I got into a friendly cucumber sword fight with my bro (shoutout to Simon) where we smashed each other to bits with cucumbers for the heck of it XD

What is a favourite moment or memory of your summer so far?

I’ve been a part in leading a discipleship training program called Greenhouse where I’ve been able to have nice moments of personal transformation, building new alliances, training in building up others, and of course tons of dumb fun. There’s been many honorable mentions of moments full of tears, belly laughs, singing, or self-reflection but none quite hit me like when my cucumber comrade hit me full blast with a weaponized cucumber of mass destruction.

How has being a Christian impacted the way you made plans this summer?

I was faced with a decision on extending my time overseas which would have been a longtime dream of mine, but for me, God made it clear to come back to be here for the summer and be a part of the ministry work being done here. I have so much joy in that decision, being back in the “garage” getting upgraded and challenged missionally on my home turf. Being home with loved ones and being able to rest has done wonders in preparing me for the next leg of my journey. I look back and see how much of a blessing it was to rest and prepare well, along with getting new equipment that I’m grateful for as I continue to live missionally locally and abroad. 

How are you seeking to live missionally in this season of your life? 

I’ve been active in international student ministry (Global Community) where we seek to do outreach through building community and relationships with friends from abroad. God has been showing up in amazing ways through these relationships, and more and more of our friends are coming to know the love of Christ more intimately through our conversations and time spent together. It’s been a big blessing to be serving in this way, but also to gain the new relationships and friends from this community. 

I’m also preparing to go back overseas in the fall! I’ve been preparing with the organization I’m with in Cambodia and I’ll be taking on some projects with them around October for another few months. Really grateful for the chance to go back and learn more from them as well as get more experience in a different cultural context for missions.

Stories to Tell: Gwen

Tell us a bit about yourself

Hello! My name is Gwen, and I'm a student from Boston, Massachusetts entering my third year at U of T. I enjoy living in Toronto because it’s a hub for the world’s cultures, so I’m constantly learning when I meet new people. Also, I like the Hong Kong cuisine from uptown, which is not as common where I come from.

Why is engaging in missions important to you?

A landmark in my faith journey was when I learned about the biblical basis for missions. In other words, how God has revealed from Genesis to Revelation his heart to restore people from every nation to himself and commissions all those who follow him to take part in this mission. How amazing is that! John Piper once wrote, “Missions exists because worship doesn’t. Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man.” This reminds me of the beautiful and glorious image we have of the full diversity of humankind one day giving unified praise to the Lamb (Rev. 7:9-10). Learning about missions has helped to enlarge my view of God, and I hope for the day that we will personally see the great multitude joyfully worshiping before him.

How have you seen God at work this summer in your life / community / this world?

It has been an exciting summer in Boston because I’ve gotten to meet many new people. A few in particular come to mind because they are relatively new Christians who shared about how the gospel has changed their lives. I can see their childlike faith (Matt. 18:3-4) in how they show readiness to be molded by God, and I’m encouraged by their eagerness to share the blessing they’ve received with others. God is truly working in the hearts of people around me.

What are you hopeful for moving forward?

I’m looking forward to connecting with more people this year through my local church, my campus fellowship, and Missions Hub. I’m hopeful for more opportunities to share and learn about missions with others in these communities.

Stories to Tell: Caleb

Tell us a bit about yourself

Hey y’all! I’m Caleb, a to-be 4th year studying computer science at UofT hoping to get into computer graphics. Music and sports are one of my favorite ways to rest and recharge. I love pretty much every sport out there (except baseball) and my music taste has been roasted too many times so I’ll just leave that to your imagination. This summer I have been working at code ninja where I get to teach kids how to code.

Did you have any frustrations in your missional journey recently? How did you find hope in the midst of it?

I think one area that didn't go as planned would be my job. My last job was remote work and all my co-workers were much older than me. I didn't really get any opportunity to get to know them let alone share my faith and so I was excited for a change this summer. At my work there is a camp running on weekdays where 3 ~ 4 teachers lead a class of about 10 ~ 20 kids. I thought it would be a great opportunity to use my love for coding and also build strong friendships with people that I work with. But on my first day I found out I would be teaching private lessons where I would be the only teacher with 1 or 2 kids and the last month I would be at an entirely different location teaching on my own. It was frustrating to not be able to use this job as an opportunity to share the gospel in the way I wanted. I find hope in knowing God can work in any circumstance to make his name known and is in control of it all. I work with the confidence that I can serve God with my heart no matter what work I do or where I do it and take any opportunity I get to reflect Christ to others, with the knowledge that as I inevitably fail to live up to Christ's example his mercy is greater than any of my failures.

How have you seen God at work this summer in your life / community / this world?

I've seen God working in the lives of my friends this summer. I have a close group of friends from high school that I keep in touch with and it's been hard to share much about my faith since none are really religious and our friendship was very surface level during high school. Over the past few years we've gotten much closer and I've seen them open up more, ask questions about my faith and p2c. This summer we even got to talk about life, death, and regrets and I was able to share my perspective as a Christian. One of them who's grown up christian that I've invited to church many times finally came out and is looking to start coming regularly. He even expressed interest in preparing for baptism where I can walk alongside him in clearly sharing the gospel and what life looks like with Christ. It has just been a huge answer to prayer and amazing joy seeing God working so powerfully in my friends' lives.

What are you hopeful for moving forward?

There's a lot that I am still wrestling with now and I've had many moments that brought sadness, frustration, anger, or just a feeling of impossibility this past year and yet I look back and all I see is God's faithfulness in my blindness to the great plan he had for me. With each trial, God has given me a stronger and stronger trust in him so as I look forward I am just so hopeful in God's magnificent work that I will get to witness and see knowing he is worthy and deserving of our trust and reliance on him.

The One Who is Leading

"Faith never knows where it is being led,
but it loves and knows the One who is leading."
~Oswald Chambers

Headaches from screaming children, marking tests on date nights, and holding my pee until the bell rings were not really what I had expected my vocational life to look like. My family is outnumbered by teachers, and I had always ardently defended the idea that I would never become one. My personal life was also a surprise to me; recently married, my husband and I were settling into our home and planting roots in the city where I had always lived.

What might be so unexpected about this conventional kind of life, you should ask? The fact that I had always expected something quite different. Though a timid and careful child, the freedom that Jesus had brought into my life around 18 years old ushered me into the realization that my life could be an epic adventure. He harnessed my love of fictional adventure stories to show me that He is the best author of real-life stories, and He desires purpose and meaning to be interwoven into each of ours. Biographies about heroes such as Corrie Ten Boom and David Wilkerson showed me how masterfully God could write epic stories in this day and age, igniting my passion to live a life full of courage and surrender.

My life with Jesus started off with one exciting adventure after another. From experiencing God’s enabling grace to work with challenging children, to sharing the gospel in an unreached country, He was teaching me to rely on Him to do hard things. I started to think my life would always look this exciting, and felt a stirring in my heart to live a life worthy of a biography. Though I still felt fear, I desired more to let my life be poured out for Jesus and used for His glory in the most difficult, unreached places of the world. And as I prayed and pursued this, I found God opening doors for me to navigate how to move toward vocational missions in an unreached country.

I began to prepare for what I believed God was calling me into. I connected with others on a similar journey, obtained a teaching degree as a vocational means into any country, and met with many different mission agencies. As these plans culminated, I found myself unable to move forward for a variety of reasons. Even after interviewing with a number of different mission agencies, I did not have any peace about moving forward with them. God began to redirect my attention towards injustices happening within my vicinity, and I began to wonder if He was steering me down a different path. Doors kept closing for missions abroad, and yet opening within my own city. I even found a friendship re-kindling with a man who had similar stirrings in his heart about Jesus and the injustice around us.

Needless to say, I was very confused. Was God truly leading me in a different direction, or was I merely allowing my heart to be swayed by proximity? Or swayed by desires for comfort and familiarity? Like a canoe paddling upstream against a strong current, I tried harder and harder to open the doors that seemed to be closing. But no matter how hard I tried, I could not do it. And even more strangely, I found an increase of peace and assurance when I began to let go of those dreams I had been so sure of.

As life has progressed, I have increasingly realized that I do not have as much control over my life as I once thought. When I was in high school and university, my dreams of the future seemed so idealized and attainable if I set my mind on achieving them. As I tried to bring them to reality, however, I found that the doors would open and close outside of my control. Only if a door was opened by Fate would I be able to walk through it. My control is solely over what I choose to do with the open and closed doors of my life.

Yet I found this truth very hard to accept. I realized that I placed a tremendous amount of value in dedicating my life to the areas where there was most need. Oswald Chambers’ Utmost devotional spoke strongly to me during this season of questioning God’s guiding hand. He wrote:

Yet Jesus never measured His life by how or where He was of the greatest use. God places His saints where they will bring the most glory to Him, and we are totally incapable of judging where that may be.

God wants our lives to produce the most fruit possible for His glory. However, He alone knows how to do that. He was asking me to trust His plan and purpose for my life, even if it did not make sense to me. Just as He had once asked me to surrender my inclination for comfort and familiarity to do missions abroad, He was now asking me to do the opposite. To give up the satisfaction of knowing I was labouring in the most needed areas of the world, and instead be willing to do things that may not seem as purposeful to me, such as raising a family or being a teacher in my hometown.

God has shown me that to be led by Him, I need to abide in Him and not just in my thoughts about Him. Sometimes He will lead us in ways that are not the most logical or what we would expect of Him. A friend put it to me this way: “what do you want more – to do what is 'seemingly right' or follow the Lord?” What a subtle difference! However, I knew I wanted the latter. I needed His direction – Jesus’ presence Himself – in order to really follow Him. And if I disconnected from the branch when He was leading me away from what I expected Him to, the effectiveness of my life would be impacted.

So here I am – a newlywed, working in a public school in my city, sometimes wondering what on earth I am doing here. But at other times, I stand back in amazement at how the Lord has guided me to this place. I am married to a man that I love with my whole heart, who challenges and encourages me to be more of the person God created me to be. His strengths and weaknesses complement mine as though our union was intentional. We are praying with our hands open and starting to make new dreams together – dreams that are all about loving Jesus with our whole lives and sharing His love with those around us impacted by injustice. But even these plans we will hold with an open hand, because we know that God’s plans are not always distinguishable to us. He alone can lead us forward in the path of life. No matter what story He writes for us, whether overseas missions or the "obscurity" of teaching and family-raising (or both!), we will trust that it will bring Him the most glory.

And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year, ‘Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.’ And he replied: ‘Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.’ So I went forth, and finding the hand of God, trod gladly into the night. And He led me towards the hills and the breaking of day in the lone East. (Minnie Louise Haskins)

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We are thankful to share this written piece by blogger Rivka Stone! 

It’s been our joy to journey with Rivka through different seasons of her ongoing discernment process through Missions Disciplers, Perspectives, Live Called, Book Studies, Church life and more! It’s deeply encouraging how she continues to hold her plans with open hands trusting God well in the path before her. 

Link to original: 
https://rivkamcstone.wixsite.com/myblog/post/the-one-who-is-leading

Stories to Tell: John

How has being a Christian impacted the way you made plans this summer?

This summer I spent six weeks on a mission trip to a closed country where Christians cannot openly do missions. After learning about the extremely large numbers of people in unreached countries who don't have much access to the gospel, as well as the access I have to closed countries as a student, I jumped at the chance to finally go on an in-person mission trip to engage others with the gospel. While a mission trip is not superior to other ways of spending the summer, and God might not be calling everyone to go on one, I thought it was an overlap of opportunity and need that couldn't be ignored.

What did it look like for you to live missionally this summer? How do you practically practice this?

On my mission trip we focused on building friendships with local students and sharing about Jesus through those friendships. We met local students in places where they gathered, and shared life with them as we got to know them. As we talked about our lives, values, and dreams, we had many opportunities to naturally share about how Jesus is important in our lives and the only way to be reconciled with God. In support of this, during the trip we received training on how to have conversations about spiritual topics and share the gospel, and would debrief as a team to share our experiences and lift each other up in prayer.

Were there any new (good or hard) experiences for you from this summer? Did these help or hinder the ways you engaged in missions?

It was a joy to live on mission together with a wonderful team of like-minded individuals, and also just have fun together for such a concentrated and dedicated period of time. I was encouraged and emboldened by being able to do ministry together with friends, share about our experiences, and keep each other in prayer. We also saw God answer prayer in many big ways!

Did you have any frustrations in your missional journey this summer? How did you find hope in the midst of it?

My greatest frustration came after one of the best spiritual conversations I had with local friends. After being excited at a previous meeting that we were able to share the gospel in full and that our friends had asked many good questions, I was looking forward to continue the conversation at our final gathering before our team left. My teammate and I prepared for the conversation and prayed together, yet when we met our friends they suddenly lost interest in discussing spiritual topics further (partly because of stress from exam prep), and seemed to have forgotten what we shared previously in response to their misconceptions about Jesus. In this environment where the biblical truth that people's eyes are veiled to the gospel of Christ was painfully obvious, it was helpful to meditate on how Jesus is the light that shines in the darkness of people's hearts–the light that the darkness has not overcome–that allows them to see him for who he truly is.

As summer comes to an end, what are you hopeful for moving forward?

After graduating from university, I look forward to investing more of my time in my local church, particularly our ministry to youth and young adults. With many new immigrants arriving lately, I have the opportunity to continue engaging in cross-cultural ministry here in Toronto!