Only three more sleeps...

Sometimes little kids have a hard time judging time. Sometimes time flies by for them, and other times things take "forever" and we start to hear "Are we there yet??" This is the case with our oldest son Dylan too. When trying to explain how long until something happens (like a trip we will be taking), we tell him how many "sleeps" he has to wait until that exciting thing happens.

Well, here we are, three sleeps away from departing on our fourth mission trip. This time we are going to Vancouver, British Columbia. Apart from it's picturesque scenery, moderate oceanic climate and rich culture, there is side to the city that many have turned their eye from. The Downtown East Side (DTES) of Vancouver is not only one of the oldest neighborhoods in Vancouver, but it is also referred to as "Canada's poorest zip code."

Photo credit: http://www.radio-canada.ca/regions/colombie-britannique/2011/04/11/002-enquete-police-downtown-estside.shtml

A high level of drug use, crime, sex trade, and poverty, along with a high population of residents with mental illness create many challenges in the area. One challenge is a very high incidence of HIV infection. On the positive side, there are many organizations working to improve conditions in the DTES, reduce crime, provide training and curb drug sales and the spread of disease.

In just three more sleeps, we will depart for our journey to experience Vancouver, see some of it's challenges, and show Christ's love to those we encounter. We will be staying at a church right in the middle of the DTES. The time in the car to get there will go by slow, but our time serving will go by ridiculously fast.

Please pray for the following:
-Safe travels
-Easy border crossing
-Good attitudes
-Thoughtful behavior
-Willingness to serve
-A willingness of those being served to accept our service
-That Christ's love will be shown through us
-That we will be blessed by those we are serving
-Open ears to hear what God is telling us through our devotions and processing times
-Open minds to accept those we encounter that are different from us

This year I have set a goal to share our daily devotion passages and questions that we review each morning before we serve so that you might feel connected to us throughout the week.

Thank you for following us on this blog and praying for us during our trip. We would love to hear from you, if you would like to respond to our blog posts in the comments section.

In Christ,
Tim