For those who may read this and are unaware of what it is I am doing. Since September 11, I have volunteered with MBMission, doing a program called Trek. For information on MBMission please view their website at www.mbmission.org. The Trek program is a 10 month program consisting of a training phase, assignment phase, and debrief.

I have already been through the training phase of the program, which was 2 months of training in Abbotsford with 20 other people. It was an amazing time of spiritual growth, studying the Bible, spending time in prayer, and being taught by many speakers on various topics. I will probably not post anything about the training phase on my blog, but if you have any questions about it, email me or call me for a coffee when I get back!

I am now in the assignment phase of Trek. The 21 people that were in training together were split into 4 teams and sent to different countries. My team, consisting of myself, Mark, Deanna, Monica, and Marina, is going to Burundhi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. We are currently in Burundhi, where we will be staying for a month and a half, until January 3.

From left to right, Innocent (our french teacher), Monica, Deanna, Mark, Marina, John

In these countries we will be coming alongside the local church and helping where we can. Already in Burundhi we have seen some amazing things that the local church is doing in their community. Burundhi and Congo are among the 5 poorest nations in the world; unemployment is high and what jobs are available generally do not pay well.

My team is staying in “The Rainbow Center” and the people that work here have an incredible ministry. It is an orphanage/adoption agency, but by the grace of God all the children have been adopted out. They also financially support many of the families that they have adopted children into, and other families that would not otherwise be able to feed their children. The center doubles as a daycare, which raises money for the families they support. They have adopted out a couple hundred children and support a few hundred families.

I will relate to you a fairly common situation they have had at the center. A young woman comes to the Rainbow Center, which is known as an orphanage, and says she has found an abandoned baby. Through questions, they realize that the young woman is actually the mother. The young woman has not brought the child to them because she does not want him, but because she has no way of feeding the baby. So the center supports the family, keeping them together and meeting their needs in an otherwise hopeless situation. I cannot express how encouraging it is to meet these people and hear the amazing stories.