A Home Where We’ve Never Lived

I took the ferry from Vancouver to Vancouver Island and back again last week. I first took this ride in 1980, in bright sunshine one way, and heavy snow on the return. I fell in love on that trip – with the lower mainland and islands of British Columbia, Canada. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve been back in the last 33 years and now God crowns my calling by allowing me to serve more fully in such a beautiful place. Every time I return, it’s like coming home, yet I’ve never lived the Vancouver area for more than a month at a time. For Jesus, it was Bethany. He never lived there, but often visited there with his friends, Mary, Martha, and Lazarus (John 11:1). Anyone else have a place like that? Thanks be to God who allows us to have a home away from home. Perhaps, this is a preview of how it will be when we arrive in our heavenly home, having never lived there before.

Join me in praying for the following global concerns:
• Pray for Danilo and Catherine as they head to southern Mexico for language training on their way to Columbia.
• Pray for Kate on her way to orientation, then headed for Mali.
• On Jan. 29-30 the Canadian Southern Baptist Seminary is holding a missions conference with the theme “The World at Our Door: Reaching Immigrants to Canada.”
• Pray for 75 U.S. churches to become partners with metro Vancouver, Canada churches and new church starts. This means partnering through prayer, mission trips, and financial support. If interested, contact me at dan@westcoastbaptist.ca.