UPDATE FROM THE
HOPE CENTRE
Dear friends December 2007
Greetings in our Lord Jesus Christ,
According to the latest statistic in the Toronto Star, 70% of migration to Canada is from Asia, mainly Chinese and Indian. One reporter concludes that this migration from the world’s two billion people is not going to end, as it did with the Italians and the Dutch.
We need to arm ourselves as churches, as Christian communities, to minister the gospel among these people. We can’t say it’s not going to affect us. It’s already affecting us in the political and education sectors. The impact will be only so much greater in the years to come.
Here, in the gospel ministry among the South Asians in the Greater Toronto Area, we continue to see the Lord’s favor, but the spiritual conflict also intensifies.
Examples of the Lord’s Favor: A young Sikh man is attending worship on Sundays at the Hope Centre and is also learning through Bible study. His name is Gursewek Singh. Right now he struggles with the Book of Genesis: is it truly history or just myth. At the same time, his mother has warned him: “Don’t you dare convert to Christianity!”
Thinking about the book of Genesis . . . The Sonnan family, who are Hindu, have witnessed the Lord Jesus answering their prayers. Three of them have begun reading the Bible, beginning from Genesis. On a follow-up visit, Mandeep asked, “I see how the days began, but how about the months and years?” Also, “Is it possible that people live to be 900 years old?” He then commented, “This is the first time I’m reading the Bible. The only other time I heard a Bible story was when I was in grade four. I received a small comic booklet about Jesus stilling the waters.” His sister-in-law, Supnawa, said, “I began drawing the family tree of Jesus, but I gave up. It was too hard for me.”
At our children’s Bible classes, the children continue to be intrigued by the Bible stories that many are hearing for the first time. The older children especially have many questions about God, about Jesus, about why there is pain and suffering, about what happens after we die. Many Sikhs and Hindus are sending them, but some are also asking the question, “What are you teaching them?” Others offer to bring refreshments as a token of their appreciation.
Often I think about how the Lord put it in the heart of Hiram, king of Tyre, to show favor to King Solomon in the building of the church and the expansion of the kingdom of God!
Examples of Conflict: While we witness the Lord’s favor, it is not without conflict.
In our latest newsletter, we told you about our children’s Bible class that has been meeting at an old school house, called Ebenezer Hall, just inside Brampton. We’ve been meeting consistently on Saturday afternoons. But there are undercurrents in this predominantly Sikh-Hindu community which are seeking to undermine what has begun.
The elders among the Sikhs meet in this same hall daily, except Saturdays and Sundays. They are witnessing the impact of the gospel. In their own sneaky way, they took the hall away from us on Saturday afternoons, from now until December 2008. Curiously enough, they have never met on Saturdays, and they raised funds including funds from their temple, in order to occupy the space Saturday afternoons – just for playing cards! However we are able to use the space at 11:00 am on Saturdays and we are currently negotiating for the use of a building nearby.
The president among these elders mentioned to padre Peter, our full time assistant, some time back: “You are spreading your religion, and we Sikhs aren’t spreading it at all!” Last week, Peter, who has a Sikh contact in a restaurant nearby, was talking with her and answering her questions regarding her Bible reading, when this president suddenly walked in with three other men. They didn’t purchase anything. They met Peter and then walked out again.
Recently, we had a few elders and mission committee members with their wives came from our sending church in Wyoming to visit us on the field. They witnessed something of the conflict first hand. During lunch hour we had some of our members as well as a few other attendees meet with them. We gave opportunity for people to speak a few words after lunch. One of the men, Dev Raj, a Hindu, spoke and said that he has been coming now for the last nine years. He confesses that Jesus is his Saviour and that the Lord draws him to come each Sunday. Then one of the others asked him a question, “Then, why aren’t you baptized?” Tension filled the air. He finally responded, “It’s not my time yet.” The fear of family and kin is a big reason why many are hesitant to profess their faith publicly.
Remember in Your Prayers:
1. We are seeking permission from the city of Brampton to use a park, near the Ebenezer hall, for three gospel meetings inside an outdoor tent on June 6-7, 2008, D.V. Hope Centre is hosting this event with Rev. Kuldeep Gangar from the Free Reformed Churches as the featured speaker. Pray for open doors, especially that the officials may grant permission.
2. Continue to pray for Mr. Ernest Paul. He is one of our members. We call him Tayaa jee (literally, “uncle, with respect”). He is not strong physically, but he continues to translate the sermons faithfully from Sunday to Sunday, in addition to translating other Reformed materials. We see him as one of the Lord’s gifts to us.
3. Pray for the safety of padre Peter and his family as they plan to visit India for three weeks.
As a family we are looking forward to the return of our oldest son from college during the Christmas holidays. He plans to return to college again on January 8, and our daughter plans to leave for college at the end of January.
Remember us in your prayers during this Christmas-New Year season. This season often offers new opportunities for ministry. May you also have a blessed Christmas and New Year.
With thanks for the Lord’s mercies and your prayerful support,
Rev. Tony Zekveld
