"Why Vancouver?"

Over the past few days I have had people asking me "so why Vancouver?" for that reason I wanted to share on here exactly why I am going to Vancouver.

In December 2009 I was part of a Discipleship Training School (DTS) sent out of Holmsted Manor (West Sussex, UK) as a part of Youth With A Mission (YWAM). As part of this school I had the privalidge of leading a team of 8 amazing people on a 10-week outreach to Vancouver, where we served the local community by working in homeless shelters/drop-in centres, assisted churches with Christmas celebrations, and came together with many churches and charities to offer radical hospitality to the many travellers arriving for the Winter Olympics games. It was a great time, ask me if you want to know more.

I left Vancouver on Feruary 25th 2010 and that was probably one of the hardest things I have ever had to do, leaving a place where you feel such a draw to especially when it still feels like there is so much to do is a tough thing to do. Vancouver and its people haven't left my thoughts or my prays since I left that day.

Since joining YWAM God has had me on a journey discovering my passions and teaching me more about His heart. I know that I have a passion for urban areas, especially in the western world. I have always had a heart for North America, there is so much need and so much hurt there, whether that be on the streets with rough sleepers or in the high-rise buildings with the millionaires, its in the commercial world that I feel we hide our hurt, our "uglyness" and then we blame it on religion (Christianity). My hope and vision is to be a true example of the body of Christ (a Christian) in an urban area, in Vancouver.

What does this look like? Good question. The simpliest answer is "God knows" because He really does. He is already paving the way for me in Vancouver before I get there, I know He has called me and I am going. I have talked with Him about what it could look like and I have some thoughts such as being on the streets at night while the clubs are emptying handing out flip-flops to girls who struggle to walk, and handing out water to the thirsty. Or standing up in churches telling them that slavery is bigger now than it ever has been, in the history of the world, and showing them that they can and must do something. 

But I am just going, hands open walking beside the One that knows best.