The adventure continues.

After a busy week spent with my family and boyfriend running the Vacation Bible School (VBS) program at the church, my time in Philly came to an end. As I spent the weekend celebrating with the VBS children and saying my goodbyes I couldn't help but marvel that an entire three months had flown by. It seemed like just yesterday I was packing up my apartment in London and getting into my little silver Honda to make the 8 hour drive down to Philly. Now just over three months later I was packing up my car at 4:00 am on a Monday morning and heading back to Canada and a new adventure.

It is hard for me to sum up the past three months. I have started writing about it many times, only to find myself staring at a blank sheet of paper with a handful of words on it. I am never quite sure what to tell people when they ask me how it went. Like any ministry experience there were the highs and the lows. There were the days when you were discouraged, homesick and ready to throw in the towel and the moments where something would happen that made everything feel like it was worth it. I had many of those moments throughout the three months. I found that the trip turned out to be more about me and how I needed to change or grow then about changing other people’s lives; and I am okay with that now. I dealt with some very real discouragements, like the programs I started probably will not be continued. I found out that each and every church has their issues, because they are full of sinful people. I also lost a piece of my heart to the children of the inner-city of Philly.

I recently spent a weekend up north with my family at Muskoka Bible Center (MBC). During the evening service the speaker told a story about how when he first became a Christian his church immediately put him in charge of teaching a Sunday school class to children. Being new to church and the Bible he spent countless hours studying and preparing lessons so that he could teach these youth. He never saw any immediate results. Twenty-five years later he and his wife were traveling for a conference in the Middle East. While he was speaking his wife went out sightseeing and happened to visit a school. While there a young woman approached her and asked if she was related to someone by the name of her husband. When his wife confirmed that she had actually married the man this woman told her that she had been in his Sunday school class many years ago and it was his teaching that had so greatly impacted her life. She was now the principal of this school and was using this position as an opportunity to share her faith with the many children she had contact with each day.

As I heard this story tears welled up in my eyes. God is teaching me that you never know what type of impact your life, words or actions may have on others. It is my hope and prayer that the seeds that were planted will bear much fruit.