Coming To Faith

Having lived in Thailand, I know what it's like to land in a foreign country and not speak the language. Newcomers can't read Thai, either, as it's a completely unique script. So, not only could we not speak or ask questions, but we couldn't read the label to tell the difference between salt and sugar!

Knowing this after having returned to Canada, I helped my local church start two things linked together - a life group for internationals, those who were newcomers to Canada or had lived overseas. This group started an English-as-a-Second-Language Conversation Circles (ESL-CC) group. We ran them back-to-back on Sunday afternoons.

This is how I met Faith*. Faith is from a Muslim majority country. She spoke some English but was motivated to perfect her English skills. Faith came for the ESL-CC, but stayed also for the Bible study the Internationals Life Group ran immediately following. At the end of the ESL-CC meeting newcomers were told the meeting had finished for that week, that the Internationals would continue meeting for a Bible study, and that they were welcomed to either come back for ESL-CC again the following week or stay if they were interested in the Bible study.

Faith stayed. She was interested. She wanted to know more about this "Isa al Masih," Jesus the Messiah, as He's called in her language and religion. Faith stayed part of that group for over a year, after which I moved to a new church-based role outside of town.

It was just a couple years later she got back in touch with me. "You're the reason I'm following Jesus now," she told me. Really? Why? "I knew you understood where I was coming from. You wanted to help. You knew how to answer my questions." Faith had been on a long faith journey of exploring Christian belief, the Bible, our practices and churches. And she decided. "I'm not following what I was raised in. I'm now following Jesus. He's my Lord and Saviour!"

One hour each Sunday afternoon, eating snacks together, drinking coffee, tea and juice, talking about the English language, culture, how things work.

This opened the door.

Not only for Faith, but many others, too.

Getting to know a newcomer to Canada isn't hard, nor complicated. It's actually quite easy. They're lonely. They're needy. They're trying to fit in. How can you help?

Will you help transform Canada together by reaching just one this year? Talk to us. We can help.

*names are changed for privacy purposes