Alice Lam
The weather forecast said it would be a stormy day. I woke up very early in the morning at 3:50am. My evangelical enthusiasm was dampened by the weather. I said a little prayer to God, “Lord, help us!” After prayers, I had breakfast. I left the house, heading towards downtown. Surprisingly, the day was sunny and cool! I thought to myself: “Praise the Lord! You really listened to my prayers. You know what’s going on in the world and in Toronto. Now, I am ready for the short term mission in the Chinatown area.”
After the morning devotion, the leader briefed us on the essential evangelical skills and prepared us to meet with people of diverse ethnic background. He sent the first batch of participants to Scott Mission to start the day. I was in the group being sent to Scott Mission. My heart was pumping like a drum. What kind of people would I be meeting? How was I going to start a conversation? Lord, please help me!
There were about 20 of us in the group. The leader divided us up into different teams. One team would be heading to the chapel, while another would be going to the women’s ministry. The third team would stay in the upstairs prayer room for spiritual support. The last group would stay outside to chat with the passersby. Unexpectedly, I was assigned to work with the women’s ministry.
The manager at Scott Mission met with us first, as he was the chaplain of the organization. He was a kind gentleman and had wisdom to deal with people who are hurt in the heart, mind and the soul due to violence. Afterwards, we had a veteran missionary speaker who had serviced with Scott Mission for over 25 years. He described to us the numerous works of God that had happened at Scott Mission. His gentle advice was when nothing else work, pray. We then prayed for all the homeless people at Scott Mission.
After the training, we were fully equipped to march forth like Christian soldiers. Onward we went, downstairs to the women’s quarter. In the modest-sized room, there were about 30 ladies. Some were escorted by their male friends or husbands. They were waiting to be served. They all had multiple needs: physical, financial, but most importantly, spiritual needs. Encouraged by my partner, I took a deep breath and went up to an Asian lady. I enquired about her condition. She was a new immigrant who had lived in Toronto for 2 years. She came to Scott Mission for service, food and clothing. Out of curiosity with a bit of uneasiness, she asked why I was so concerned. I told her that we belonged to the big Christian family that paid visits to the community. I was about to ask her for her future plans, but her name was called, hence I could not continue our conversation. I prayed that our Lord Jesus Christ will lead her life.
Later on, I met a couple from Arabia who were learning English in Toronto. I handed them an invitation card for our August 23rd Gospel meeting. Pastor CY Yan would be sharing the message that night. We had been giving out many invitations along the way to pedestrians and to the ladies in the women’s quarter.
Overall, it was a fruitful morning for sowing Gospel seeds. I was able to meet a young lady who utilized the “Out of the Cold” program. It opened my eyes to the plight of many overseas students. She had been in Canada for 30 years, and had come to Canada as a student. Unfortunately, she developed depression and everything went downhill since then. I said a prayer with her and wished God would take care of her from thereon.
There are so many needy people in town. They, among all people, need God the most, especially at this day and age. The harvest is indeed plenty and the needs are great! I pray that our Lord Jesus Christ will prosper His ministry and bring more people to the field so that more people can build a better home, a better community and a better world by receiving Jesus Christ in their lives.