Monday, July 18, 2005

I left my heart in Vancouver

I'm just getting over a minstry hangover.

We spent the last week serving and loving in the inner city of Vancouver, Canada. It was an experience that will, no doubt, provide for many opinionated blog posts.

Right now there is still much blur. Some students are posting and I'll link to them later, but right now I am back. And that's the best I can do.

The team felt overwhelmed by the concentration of addiction and poverty in the East Hastings area of Vancouver. Many expressed feelings of hopelessness and having no chance of making any difference. There was the feeling of trying to empty the ocean with a thimble. We all felt it. We all felt it deeply.

Yet we were reminded that our calling was to love. It was expressed in many different ways (serving, cleaning, feeding, praying, etc.) yet the core was the same.

We are Driven. by love and by Christ.

And after everything, love wins.

We did not condemn. We did not fix. We did not save the inner city of Vancouver.

We feel in love with it.

4 comments:

Nick said...

I look forward to reading more about your trip.
-Nick

David Rudd said...

not sure how i got here, but very cool about your trip. i just returned from a similar experience with my group in chicago. it's been fun watching them work out their new faith back at home... keep at it!

Anonymous said...

I left my heart in Vancouver too. I thought as a third-time YouthWorks Staff that this summer would be pretty much the same as my previous ones in Toronto and Montreal and I was wrong. God moved and broke my heart to such an extent that I know I have to go back. I'm glad I found your site, James. I will never forget this summer and all that God taught me through you guys. Say hi to Richard for me and THANKS for helping me prank Ira.

Anonymous said...

Yay Carol was here!!!!