This past month I’m writing about is perhaps the hardest to reflect upon because it reopens the hole in my heart for the people of Toronto. During the first part of July, Liz and I got to spend a little over a week working in the ministry with the Johnstons in the Toronto area. As we entered into Canada through Buffalo, New York, I felt much differently than I had in times past when we visited; I felt like I was driving home. As I saw the speed limit signs that said kilometers per hour, gas stations that advertised in dollars per liter, and the British spellings of words like centre, kilometre, colour, and cheque, I began thinking that all these things are ways that we do things instead of thinking that these are ways that they do things.
Driving in on a Saturday, we were already geared up for soul winning with the church, but we had no idea how much the Lord would bless even on that first day. After setting up the auditorium for Sunday services, we went out in the Richmond Hill area to witness door to door. Liz and I both got to lead someone to Christ that day! She led Michael to Christ, a man who grew up in the area, while I led Katherine, a Korean teenager, to Christ. This really set the tone for the whole trip; we were hungry for God to do it again.
On Sunday, July 5, I got to preach for the nursing home folks in the afternoon and then at the church on Sunday night. I preached again on the following Sunday night. What a privilege it was to preach the unsearchable riches of God’s Word there! Almost every day we went out soul winning, and each time made my burden larger and our calling more sure. We witnessed to Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Atheists, Seventh- Day Adventists, Jews, Coptic Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, and many more. Through witnessing in this international hub of the world, we were able to carry the Gospel to folks from Armenia, Egypt, Sri Lanka, Korea, China, Burkina Faso, Chile, Ukraine, India, Romania, and, of course, Canada; these are only the nationalities I could confirm verbally. Toronto, also known as “The World in a City,” is home to 200 distinct ethnic groups; so, believe me, we didn’t even scratch the surface. Many of these folks heard the Gospel clearly for the first time! On our last trip out soul winning, I got to lead a teenage young man named Jamal to Christ; he was a Seventh-Day Adventist who grew up in Toronto.
Please continue to bombard the throne of grace with prayer that we will get there soon. My heart is full to overflowing for the lost in the Toronto area! There are so many unreached people groups there. This is NOT a land flooded with light and hundreds of Gospel-preaching churches like so many believe; they are sheep without a shepherd, sheep from all over the world. Pray that those to whom we witnessed will receive Christ and that those who were saved would be grounded in the Word of God. “Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.” (Matthew 9:38)
Thanks to Calvary,
Brian Hebert