Stephen and Lisa Toon

On behalf of the leadership team and myself I wanted to thank those of you who have responded so quickly with generosity and faith in your pledges and giving toward having Stephen and Lisa Toon come to join our Pastoral team at Timbers. It is with profound sense of wonder, joy and gratitude that I can announce to you, that we reached our target, and your giving has enabled us to invite Stephen and Lisa to come. Our anticipated starting date for them will be May 15^th.

Please join us in praying for the quick sale of their Townhouse in Surrey, so that their move can be simple and seamless.

We are so excited and we anticipate God doing some amazing things at Timbers in the weeks and months to come!

Paul Berteig

This past April I had the opportunity to join the Crossfield Alberta 1st Baptist Missionary group for a ten day Sunday School building project.

The build was in Senora, Mexico, a community of 3500 just south and east of Mexicali.  Our goal was to install fans and lights in a church structure that was built the year previous and to build a separate Sunday School/office complex.  We accomplished this goal in good time, high spirits and great harmony!

Our days consisted of the building project, church services, testimonials and interaction with others in the form of games, soccer, volleyball, gift giving and general fun.  It was a blessing to have two very competent interpreters with us the entire time and three musicians to lead us in song and prayer.

The pastor and his wife with others of the close community prepared and served us excellent Mexican food during our stay, so we were a bit overwhelmed by their effort and appreciation.  There was a very evident feeling of harmony amongst our group – probably because the teenagers in particular spent the months prior in raising money through garage sales, group efforts and other functions in preparation for the trip.

In conclusion, it was a rewarding and positive experience to be a part of God’s work and I have no doubt that the people of Sonora will enjoy and put to good use last year’s build of the church and this year’s build of the Sunday School.

In June 2010, a group of 12 Canadians and one American brother took a trip to Zambia to provide assistance to those living in the village of Magrimundi Zambia. Zambia is one of the poorest countries in Africa, and Magrimundi  is one of the poorest villages in the suburbs of the city of Kolomo. People in this part of the world struggle daily to provide the very basic essentials of food, water and shelter. In addition, aids and other diseases are common place. The average life span for an adult in this part of the world is less than 40 years. Many die much younger than that. There are many widows looking after 4 to 6 children on their own, often with little or no income.

This particular trip was planned, organized and managed  by a member of a Baptist church in Surrey BC who had been on two previous trips to the same area. We were not sponsored or affiliated to any organized missions organization. The majority of the participants were church members of the Surrey church and paid for the entire trip out of their own pockets. Some fund raising provided assistance for those who could not afford the full cost of travel and accommodation which was approx. $4,000 per person. We hired Zambian nationals as guides and rented a bus. We camped in tents and cooked all our own meals. This was by no means an easy trip and we were challenged physically, emotionally and spiritually.

The basic plan was to minister to the local people by providing children’s programs and looking for opportunities to provide any kind of relief we could to the families living in the village. The scope of the ministry developed as we were introduced to the people and discovered their particular needs. During the two weeks we were there, we accomplished the following:

• Purchased building lots for the 6 families most in need as identified by the local church pastor.
• Set up a family in a sustainable business
• Paid to have a roof installed on a local village church building
• Provided children’s ministries to give single mothers a break
• Provided six families with 6 months supply of food
• Researched fresh water options to be followed up on during the next trip back
• Provided clothing, toys and some sports equipment for local children
• Joined in and participated in evening worship gatherings at local area churches
• Visited families in the village and prayed with families and individuals

The leader of the group made it clear from the beginning that although we would be ministering to local needs, the participants, not the recipients would benefit the most from this missions trip.  He was dead on in his assessment and every member of the group grew immensely as a result of their commitment to this project. We met amazing people and were deeply moved by the generosity and joy that these people displayed in the face of dire and extreme poverty. We learned the true meaning of community and the value that relationships play in the lives of these people. These are some of the most joyful, thankful and well adjusted people I have ever met in my life.

The begging question I came home with was this “Why are people with everything you could ever want or need in abundance (us living in Canada) so cynical, unthankful and generally messed up?”  The simple answer is that joy and success in life are derived from the relationships we develop with each other and our willingness to share what we have with those around us.

In May of 2012, Ed and I embarked on our first “together” mission with God to Uganda, Africa.  After years of following a missionary group called, “Impact Nations”, God sent the nurse that started the first medical clinic with this organization, to Ed’s office to do her final practicum (as a nurse practitioner), years later.  Definitely God….   I had tried to interest him in missions for years. Suddenly, Ed could not wait to go!!

Counting and packaging pills before the clinics. The translators and us (56 of us), the first of many days, worked for 8 hours (56 x 8 =448 hours of manpower). That was our biggest help day, the rest we did without the translators. De-worming pills and vitamins for all, then antibiotics, cough syrup, malaria pills, Tylenol, Tums, etc....

Impact Nation’s main focus has always been to bring the love of God to the hurting of the world and watch Him transform their lives. Their vision is to leave a lasting impact on the standard of living that carries on after they have visited. They bring hope to the hopeless.   Healing prayer is a major mandate for them in showing people God’s love for them.  Just as Jesus healed many in the scriptures, so they also go out to do this.(John 14:12-14closeJohn 14:12-14 12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.” (ESV) ) In the bible, many accepted  Jesus as their Lord and Savior when they saw what he did for them and how He cared for them.     ~  I have been involved in healing ministry for over 25 years.  Ed and I would be able to do this as a team! The medical and spiritual aspects of physical and mental healing together!

Ed seeing patients in the clinic with his translator Beatrice. She is the manager of the local bank.

So in our first days in Uganda, we learned scriptural teachings on healing, Ugandan culture,  and other pertinent subjects, then we met our translators, packed a million pills (perhaps exaggerated…), and went out to serve in 3 communities for 2 days each.  The clinics were set up in churches.  And… we watched the people come and come…. And get the help they needed from God and us.  What a privilege!

People waiting outside in the pharmacy line-up for drugs, prayer, and medical education. Sometimes hours in the heat!

Ed would say that he knows that there were 3 people that would have died if we had not been there.  One was a little dehydrated baby weighing 9 lbs at 18 months old.  It seems amazing that parents need to be taught to feed their children and give them a drink, but many of the Ugandan people lack basic health education and life skills.  He and his translator gave the baby a 2 liter bottle of water, with electrolytes, and it drank the whole thing within minutes.  I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t watched it myself!  The bottle was almost as big as the baby!  This baby will survive because the mama knows now what to do. Health education is crucial teaching for these people!

Jon's eye clinic. Cherry helped him give out 300 pairs of eyeglasses!

Ed says that he went on this mission to make a difference, and to provide effective treatment and hope for the people.  He believed in Impact Nations vision to carry out projects long after we left.  I join with him in this, but also was so thrilled to be able to do this service for God’s people with him.  We became a team of “healers” for God’s purposes.  I believe a start of something new for us!

Draining fluid from woman's ear. The nurse found 2 good sized bugs in her ear!

He says he is even more grateful for the things he has here in Canada now.  His life has been deepened by being there, but also that he will take awhile to digest it all before going out for another overseas mission. Maybe in a few years. God has started a new thing in his life!

Dancing and praising God with the kids at the daily post-clinic evangelistic meeting....

For me, I am a servant of Christ, willing to go wherever He sends me, and excited to watch Him minister through me!  Isaiah 61closeIsaiah 61 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;
he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor,
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn;
3 to grant to those who mourn in Zion—
to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.
4 They shall build up the ancient ruins;
they shall raise up the former devastations;
they shall repair the ruined cities,
the devastations of many generations. 5 Strangers shall stand and tend your flocks;
foreigners shall be your plowmen and vinedressers;
6 but you shall be called the priests of the Lord;
they shall speak of you as the ministers of our God;
you shall eat the wealth of the nations,
and in their glory you shall boast.
7 Instead of your shame there shall be a double portion;
instead of dishonor they shall rejoice in their lot;
therefore in their land they shall possess a double portion;
they shall have everlasting joy. 8 For I the Lord love justice;
I hate robbery and wrong;
I will faithfully give them their recompense,
and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.
9 Their offspring shall be known among the nations,
and their descendants in the midst of the peoples;
all who see them shall acknowledge them,
that they are an offspring the Lord has blessed. 10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord;
my soul shall exult in my God,
for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation;
he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
11 For as the earth brings forth its sprouts,
and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up,
so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise
to sprout up before all the nations. (ESV) became my scripture years ago.  God has anointed me to preach the good news to the broken hearted and set the captives free! I know He heals, through prayer and medicine and great Love. He is the Only Way!  He gives us power and authority in His Name.  He has given me the desire to reach the peoples of the world, my country and my city.  It is one of the desires of my heart!

Sunday, we went to share at Pastor Cici's church! Our group divided up and ministered in 6 different churches.

One of my most memorable experiences was when we got to visit the hospital in Mityana.  The small group I was with went to the Maternity Ward.  Unbelievable.  If you didn’t bring sheets, you had none.  If you didn’t bring your Mom, you had almost no help and definitely no food.  God sent Cherry and I, with Debra (a mid-wife who was also one of our translators for the 2 weeks), to the saddest of cases on the ward.   One of the women had lost her baby in the delivery, one had her dead baby inside of her and they were trying to induce labor for her in a small room with 7 beds in it.  All of the women in the room were in active labor.  For lack of space, I will summarize the story to say that we were able to watch the countenance of these women change from death to life with a simple prayer asking God for His Word for them that day.   We saw helplessness change to hope.  We saw a fever break as we prayed.  He was so faithful to answer our prayers for these women.

Rebekah and part of the daily program for the children. She takes her popular puppet with her on missions!

The faithful givers of Timbers sent us off with $700.  We were able to contribute to a clean water project in Bulera (one of the villages we did a clinic in).  We also gave them money for the children’s feeding program and a farming project.  Thank you so very much each of you!! Thank you also so much for blessing us with your so needed prayers!  You have no idea what that meant to us, and the help that was!

Irene, one of the students at Pastor Robert's boarding school/orphanage, who was also one of our translators. This is one of their classrooms. Through Impact Nations and others, the whole facility is getting an amazing upgrade. Huge building made of cement and bricks. It will be ready soon!

I would say that this stretched Ed’s comfort zone, but God is so faithful, and as the key medical referral person on the trip, he found his niche, and enjoyed his time immensely.    I will go again, definitely.    All praise to God!  He is a delight to work with and follow and worship!  We got to see many give their lives to Him, Who is so worthy of our praise!  He brings hope to the destitute, and life!

In September of 2009 I flew over to Maroochydore, Australia where I participated in a Discipleship Training School (DTS).  The main goal of YWAM is to know God and to make God known.  I wanted to take a “time-out” and really explore who God is and His plan for my life.  We did three months of lectures in Australia on topics such as Hearing God’s Voice, Missions, Spiritual Warfare, Relationships, the Fear of the Lord and Jewish Roots.  This portion of the DTS was intense and incredibly rewarding.  It made me look at God and the world in a new light.  It challenged me to put my faith into action and it helped me to understand what it really means to live like Jesus did.

Once lectures were done we moved onto the Outreach phase of the DTS and I went on a team with 11 other people to South Africa and Mozambique.  There we volunteered at several different organizations and orphanages doing manual labour, sharing our testimonies, visiting families in the communities, and loving on the kids.  This was an eye-opening experience, the highlight being my time spent in Mozambique at the Destiny Rescue orphanage.  I didn’t fully understand poverty until I saw it with my own eyes, until I saw starving children running through the garbage dumps ripping through my trash for food.  I met many people who did not have much in the way of material things but who found great joy in their relationship with God and who would go out of their way to make us feel welcome.  My time spent with the children was also very special.  We did not speak the same language but it didn’t stop us from spending time together playing games, dancing, painting nails and goofing off at the beach.

Overall this experience was life-changing.  I was pushed outside of my comfort zone, and although the journey was not always easy, the reward was great.  I discovered a new passion for a life and a greater passion for Jesus.  One of the biggest things that I have taken back to Canada with me from my time overseas is a heart for social justice.  James 1:27closeJames 1:27 27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. (ESV) “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”  I have become more involved in social justice issues, in particular human trafficking.  It is our job as Christians to take a stand for those who can’t stand up for themselves and to be the voice for those that can’t speak up for themselves.  I have learned that even little things help and that if I keep seeking Jesus he will use me to impact the world.