21 weeks until we return to Toronto. Just over 5 months. 147 days.
Words cannot even begin to express how excited I am to return to Canada and share the Gospel with the people in Toronto, the world’s most diverse city. I was so blessed to be able to go to Toronto for 5 days in May, and the Lord showed me so much during that brief visit. God began to challenge me to live boldly for Him and to live intentionally as His ambassador in my daily life. I wish I could sit down and tell you everything that we did and experienced in Toronto, and share with you all of the amazing things that God has been teaching me since then. But, for now, I will just share a few of the key experiences and lessons that I learned while I was in Canada.
When we were in Toronto, we were able to learn about different cultures and religions that were prominent in the area. It was so eye opening. We were privileged to hear the testimonies of several former Muslims and Hindus. The power of God in their lives is so apparent! They live each day yearning to glorify God, accepting everything as a gracious gift from the Father. It is so invigorating. It really challenged me to live with that same attitude, and to seek out opportunities to tell others about Christ. After learning about other religions and hearing testimonies from former Muslims and Hindus, we took a trip to a Hindu temple in Toronto. It is one of the largest Hindu temples in the world and cost millions of dollars to build. We were able to walk around the temple and then through a museum that outlined the history of the Hindu religion. When we were in the temple, we were able to look around at the decorations. We had been told that the walls were all hand-carved and imported from India. As I looked around at the walls of the temple, I was blown away. Not by the intricate art work, but by the astounding number of idols represented. The walls were covered from floor to ceiling with carvings of different idols. There were also columns through out the temple covered in idols. Hindus worship 330 million gods. Take a second for that to sink in. 330 million. I can’t even fathom how many that is! That visit to the Hindu temple really slapped me in the face with the reality of the world’s need for the Gospel. There are so many lost people out there who need to know the love of Christ and the saving power of His Name! I need to be out there declaring the Truth of the Gospel whenever I get the chance. Am I living my life in such a way that glorifies God?
For the past 21 years of my life, I haven’t really been living my daily life conscious of the fact that we are fighting a spiritual battle. You guys- this is real. What we do here- the way we represent Christ, how often we sharing the Gospel, how our lives demonstrate the transforming power of the Cross- that echoes for eternity. When people look at us and follow us, are we leading them to Christ? Or are we merely glorifying ourselves? God really convicted me of that in Canada. It is so easy for me to share the Gospel with boldness when I am away on a mission trip. But once I get back, I will slip back in to my normal, daily routine. I won’t be searching for opportunities to share the Gospel. God has really been convicting me of that recently and challenging me to live more intentionally. It has been so awesome to watch Him work in the past few weeks. He is so great, and He’s definitely been spoiling me by blessing me abundantly with opportunities to glorify Him through out these past few weeks.
I really challenge you guys to consider going to Toronto in December to share the Gospel with the people there. God has really given me a heart for Canada, and for the lost people there. Please prayerfully consider where God is leading you to go in the next few months, and who He wants you to share the Gospel with. Pray for opportunities to share the Gospel with those around you; I promise, God will not disappoint you!
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