A Week at Hope Centre

Building relationships
a chance to support and see close up the daily ministry of dedicated people.
Morning coffee, breakfast, singing
wracking our brains to see if we are forgetting anything.
Sweet moments of quiet when we first arrive at Ebenezer Chapel
the hum grows, the excitement builds,
kids play tag, making paths through the gathering crowd.
I drive quickly to pick up some person or forgotten item.
Finally the noise is quieted,
we sing the old favorites "Go down Moses" or "You are My All in All"
Padre Peter calls attendance and the kids try to think of creative ways to answer.
We split into groups
the young children listen enraptured to Rachel's story telling
then try to copy her coloring page
the older boys and girls talk loudly upstairs, trying to be heard over the other groups echo.
Some read, haltingly or confidantly
some do their best to stay out of the spotlight
The questions are asked, four or five hands shoot up
Everyone wants to share their perspective or ask their question.
We talk about sin, shame, trust, goodness, salvation and living in the kingdom.
We hear of a King who creates, a King who we are separated from, a King who has coming and a King who is coming back.
Rachel comes upstairs for crafts and I go down for craziness
Glue, scissors, markers
marshmallows and memory games
The faster kids are done and want to play more tag while the others work
in the room full with 40 kids.
I threaten some and give others work to do until we can get everything out of the way.
Red Light - Green Light, What time is it Mr Wolf, Simon says...
Snack is announced and our helpers are mobbed.
We remind the kids to sit down one or seventeen times and I hear of sneaky children who have managed to acquire three times the allotted amount of cookies.
They leave in handfuls, except for Amy and Dwani, our "helpers-in-training" who work hard of their own initiative until things are clean.
Home again, we eat lunch, talk through the morning, then leave for round two.
Hope Centre is quiet and relaxed compared to Gore Rd, although somehow tag has a universal appeal.
We make sheets into islands and run from the sharks.
Not too many kids are here, but we get to know the ones that are.
Kushdeep does his best to make the other laugh, but never wants to stop singing and helps vacuum at the end.
Only one older girl is here, so after memory work the helpers who have grown up in children's classes join us for the lesson and craft.
They laugh and my typos and we talk about the difference between rules and relationship
Catholicism and Christianity
What to do if you are in love with someone who is not a Christian,
What to do if you must choose between Christ and your family
What it means to trust
How to share the gospel with friends
Why Christianity is not a white man's religion
How to explain the Trinity....
We are real and honest with each other and I am so thankful for this God given opportunity.
More crafts with the kids, Nyah says"  I bet nobody is having as much fun as we are." and soon
another day of classes is finished.
The evening is spent at Zekvelds
or maybe a trip to the local Sikh temple.
Sitting cross legged on the carpet, discussing all manner of things pertaining to religion
Indian food, tea and french fries, group pictures
and an overwhelming sense of sadness a the emptiness of religion without Christ.
Joy at the richness of what we've been given.
My faith is encouraged and I remember again just how close this God is whom we worship.
Another night we visit Padre Peter and Simi Nathaniel
She cooks delicious food but leaves out some spices for our white dutch taste buds.
He makes us sing for him and laugh at ourselves and recruits us to clean up his garden next summer.
Games, laughter and last minute preparation at the Zekvelds, then we settle down.
High points, low points, reading and prayer; we encourage each other in the things we are learning
and challenge each other as we seek to apply this mission mindedness to the ordinary lives we live.
Sleep is sweet and much needed
we close our eyes in the blessed peace
of being small people
privileged servants of a great King
Excited for another day of
watching Him work.