By Brenda Noble
“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22-23)
I don’t know what it’s like where you live, but where I live the summer transforms the city into a different world. Neighbours who hid from the cold, running from house to heated garage to a drive to work, come out to tend their gardens and talk together. Snow-covered parks become green havens for picnics. English programs give volunteers a break… and many newcomers wonder how to keep working on their English while we’re “gone.”
What can we do? Our Canadian way of life has developed a seasonal rhythm that makes ministry sustainable, and yet newcomers need to keep hitting the milestones on the path that lead to settling.
As a child I remember being told that God doesn’t take holidays, and neither does the devil. That seems more a “guilt trip” than a path to joyous ministry! We are not God nor are we the devil, we are finite human beings in service to an infinite God who loves us and knows how we are made.
There is no “one size fits all” solution to this dilemma. Each volunteer has different personal and family needs; each English program has different situations and resources; each newcomer is on a distinct path. The one step we all share in common is prayer: asking the Lord what He would have us do to care for ourselves and our new friends.
Perhaps the word “friends” is the key: which learners come to our programs only for English and then get on with their lives, and which learners want friendship? Which aspects of our lives can we share, and which learners would value those aspects? Is God prompting some hearts to get closer to us?
Some things we do:
We invite everyone in our program for a picnic to end the season of classes together.
We invite newcomers to join us shopping for plants at local gardening centres.
Our family picks strawberries at a farm, so we invite our students to join us. One year only one family came, last year about six of us braved the mud together.
We won’t teach an English class over the summer but we will do one almost-weekly Bible study. Last year we had a small group on line, this summer we’re doing a study in our home.
If you have formed closer friendships, this is a good time to have a backyard barbecue, or a “ladies’ high tea,” or some special experience together.
Many tourist locations are free on Canada Day, so we invite people to go with us, then picnic together.
Definitely, we need time for gardens and vacations and family. There’s wisdom in changing the rhythm of life. But if newcomers want more than friendliness, can we take a few interested ones into this new rhythm and become closer friends, reflecting God’s faithfulness to us?