Priorities

There is a beginning point in every marriage, I suppose, where you settle down, find out what you enjoy doing together, what's important to you, make a home, familiarize yourself with your new community, and learn what it means to be a couple. Matthew & I are going about this with some purpose. When posed with the dilemma of whether we would move to his home in Calgary, or mine in Winnipeg, there seemed to be two sets of values competing for our attention: in Calgary we were promised wealth and comfort. There was lots of work, we had friends & family we knew & loved, and a church home we both belonged to. He had a beautiful home in a prime location. We could have had the ideal suburban life.

Winnipeg, on the other hand, offered us a home in the undesirable inner city. My income was low to begin with, and steadily falling as supporters withdrew support, for various reasons. We had some family, and some friends in the city. What Winnipeg did offer was a chance to follow our dreams - dangerous, risky, difficult dreams; dreams to see God move in the inner city, to be involved in a church plant, to start a business that could make a difference, to continue with ICYA, to be the pioneers and ground-breakers in the body of Christ here.

We chose Winnipeg.

We love it.

We loved the day when it snowed so much that church was cancelled, and we spent the morning meeting our neighbours. We love that one of the neighbours are coming over for dinner tonight, because of that meeting. We love that we are getting involved in a church with a big heart but few souls, and their openness to begin to reach out to a needy neighbourhood. We love that every time we go to church we meet interesting people: a lady needing a ride to the hospital, partiers asking for a ride home, and willing to pay us in beer, a hurting woman arriving in her boxers to church because her hurt outweighed her sense of propriety. We love walking three blocks to the river, where we can cross country ski and look at a fresh beauty, cleaned up by snow and nature, in the middle of the city. We love knowing our neighbors across the street. We love people dropping in to play games. We love being invited to birthday parties of local 17 year olds. I love coming back to work at ICYA and knowing I'm making a difference.

I also worry. Moving to Winnipeg meant letting go the security of Calgary's job market, and placing a priority of ministry before money. That is nice to say, and we mean it, but now my support has dropped from 100% to 57%, and by April we'll start to hurt from that. We wonder if God is really leading people away from supporting us, as some say, and what that means for us, or if God is opening new doors we can't yet see.

Yet we look around us and can SEE God moving in our neighbourhood! It feels like we're finally beginning to "harvest" from hard work done years ago - young people who once were in my leadership development group two years ago, are now acting as volunteers and leading the way in discipling youth younger than they! This year 3 more teens will graduate from high school - because of our involvement in their lives. Two teens now work part-time at ICYA, with hopes to go full-time after school. I have seen four year olds that I started with, grow to 8 year olds and start bringing their friends to drop-in and tell their families what they learn about Jesus every week. The ministry happening at ICYA is still so important, and we want to play a part in it!

So pray for us, as we do want to follow God's heart for us. We have started attending a local church, and pray that we would be discerning about our involvement there. Pray that we will be salt & light no matter where we are. Pray as I begin to fundraise again, that God will raise up people who want to be a part of the ministry happening here. Pray for unity for Matthew & I as we "grow up" together. And thank you, for all of you who continue to bless & encourage us here in Winnipeg's inner city!