Major upcoming changes in my life... EXCITING!

Quick summary of what is to come in this blog post:

-i feel called to Jane and Finch for September

-Selig...

-I am going through bipolar disorder again, mostly hypomania

-I am producing a CD as you probably already saw on Facebook.

- I am getting a tattoo next week Sat (the first Sat of Feb) most likely. And on my BACK.

 

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First of all, you might be shocked at Jane and Finch.  Yeah.  The poor gun violence and gang ridden community ?  Yes.  Jane and Finch.  The place every rich person avoids to live near? Yes.  Jane and Finch.  I feel called to Jane and Finch. 

I always had a heart for the poor.  Gangsters, not so much.  But the thing is, the poor people eventually become gangsters if no one ministers to them.  So poverty and gangs are very interconnected.  That's what I have come to know over the years.  I also grew up in a church that supported Urban Promise, an organization that serves at risk kids and youth like in Jane and Finch.  So I have a very good impression of UP because my old church went there for missions trip.  However at that time I did not go.

 

Recently I have been a little frustrated at my work at church because I feel like whatever I do, the kids are not happy.  Well the Saturday kids are better and the Mandarin kids are fine.   Actually more specifically it is the gr. 5 and 6s esp. the Friday group that is bored of church and wants nothing but free time.  That is what frustrates me.  They don't like my games and don't want to have fun or cooperate.

 

That led me to thinking, what are my gifts?  What are the talents that God gave me.  God gave me a heart for outreach.  Reaching to those in need of Jesus and of help.  Aaron helped me to think about that as well as what I want to do in the future.  in the future I don't want to just be stuck with church kids, I want to get out into the community.  And outreach.  I want to be an outreaching pastor.

 

So because Gloria needed my help finding direction for her future career path, I decided to ask UP and TCM some information.  While I was helping her, I got interested myself.  I asked questions about their internships and the final conclusion was hopefully I can stay at Grace church for Sat. and Sun. teaching the church kids and then during weekdays devote one or two nights a week to try out volunteering at Jane and Finch.  I would drop the Friday fellowships because otherwise I would be too burdened.  I still have to ask Pastor Lee about this but if I explain my dream he will know.

 

Dream, you say? Yes, I had a dream last week Tues.  A vivid one.  I was in a classroom teaching the Grace Church kids when a gunman came in and started telling every one to stand up.  Then one by one in a game-system manner, he shot kids down and they died.  The dream ends with a few kids left standing and the others on the ground and me staring and watching.

 

At first I did not know what the dream meant.  All I remember was thinking that the murderer was crazy enough to use some sort of Russian Roulette game to kill the kids.

 

Then this week it all clicked in.  The dream was a vision from God, telling me the question: "How would YOU feel if your kids got shot?"

 

Of course I would be devastated and shocked.  This is how the Jane and Finch ppl feel when they lose someone to a gunshot.

 

You may ask, will your parents allow you to work in such an area?  HA.  Of course not.  I am moving out in September to either Tyndale residence or Jane and Finch... probably Tyndale so that my mom doesnt have a heart attack.  And that way, my parents dont need to know the details.  All they need to know is that UP is a Christian organization and I am with Christians serving the poor.  Thats all they need to know.

 

Looks like this update is getting long. I might need to finish this a bit later... feel free to ask questions....

 

The work I would be doing is after school program.  And Gloria is interested in the TCM single mothers program.  Working alongside Gloria would be helpful too because she grew up in Jane and Finch and knows ppl and how they are.  I am complete newb but I know I can learn a lot from this experience, much more than if I were to stick in my frustrating comfort zone of the church.  This will also train me to reach the poor in Montreal.  UP can give me an idea of how inner city missions works so that I can bring it to Montreal.  God is showing me step by step but this week is especially clear.

 

May God get all the glory.