Hola! We are now in our 9th week of Outtatown and I am sure you are all very curious as to what we have been up to. Well, after getting settled into to Camp Kawkawa in Hope, BC, the vans decided to load us back up and we took a trip to the bustling metropolis of Vancouver, BC. We stayed in Vancouver for one week, and I think that has been one of the most impactful weeks thus far. As a question to ponder and to write about in our journals we were asked “what do you see God’s role as in the downtown eastside?” The downtown eastside being one of the most largest homeless populated areas in all of Canada. I think I speak for us all when I say our answers are much different after spending so much time with the people of the streets of Vancouver. During this week, we were accompanied by a YWAM representative, Joshua Miller. He showed us the ropes of the city and got us on our feet exploring what the city has to offer along with the people that make it up. From tours of an Islamic Mosque, and lunch at a gracious Sikh temple, to learning the long history of Buddhism from Mr. Lum, there was never a dull moment. Almost every night for supper, we ate a different type of cuisine that the diverse people of Vancouver had to offer. Never forgetting the people we had met during the day yet taking in as much culture as possible. We all have many stories from our week in the city whether they be completely en-capturing and despairing or absurdly hilarious. We signed petitions on child human-trafficking and went to a prayer vigil based on trafficking and the sex industry. These experiences will forever be remembered and I believe with all my heart that we can make a difference, even if that means one person at a time. After some time debriefing and telling stories we filed into the vans with all of our belongings on our laps and headed back for Hope. Back in Hope now, we remember the people we touched but, more importantly the people who touched us. We remember our love and passion to learn more about Christ and how He lived.
All in all our week in Vancouver was, well, what’s the word?......AMAZING!
This is Julia and the rest of Outtatown Site 1 sending you love and signing out. Till we meet again, God bless.
“He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”
-Colossians 1:17
-Julia Smyth
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