Welfare Wednesdays and a united church?

So every third Wednesday of the month welfare cheques are distributed and east vancouver becomes a hustling and bustling world. Esther (another girl that works at VUM) and I ventured down to the area around main and hastings to see what things were like on the day. It was really interesting. There were TONS of people out. and man was the money flying! There were a bunch of people setting out their belongings to sell on the street. People were paying other people back for who knows what... Esther and I discovered the famous ovaltine cafe.. but they wern't serving food so we found a coffee shop a block off of main and hastings to sit in. It was surprising to see how many people from the street chose to spend the money they are given on coffee. I guess its a day where they feel more like the rest of Vancouver and are able to sit down and enjoy a cup of coffee.

Since being in Vancouver I have learned a lot about the welfare system. What i have learned is that its super complicated and I don't know if i'll ever understand all the ins and outs... but it is a huge part of the life for the people I am getting to know in East Van. I have all the exact numbers and allowances depending on if they are single or have kids, but that would talk a long time write down. THe basic lesson i have learned about welfare is that it does provide and make life possible for many in east vancouver, but it is a flawed system. Once a person is on welfare they are given an amount of money, if they chose to work they deduct the amount of money you make from your welfare cheque, so they get the same amount of money if they are not working, so i can see how people can end up on it and stay on it. The system is supposed to be used as a stepping stone for people to get on their feet while they look for a job. I had a lot of misconceptions of people that relied on income assistance... not all of them abuse the system, but actually have no other option.

It is sad to see a portion of the people on welfare splurge on their guilty pleasures... cigarettes, alcohol, and drugs. But then you get the other end... the single mom who takes her daughter to buy a new pair of shoes... Things that i thought were black and white issues become a lot more grey.

Today I went to a meeting of VEMA. VEMA stands for Vancouver East Ministerial Association. VEMA is complied of a number of different churches and para church organizations that are likeminded in wanting to bridge the gap between themselves, share resources, and reach their community. This is the second meeting i have been to, and its been really encouraging both times. Its awesome to see churches coming along side of each other, overlooking differences, in order to spread the gospel and reach the community. It is a process, but the these people have a heart to see east van know Jesus. Many people see the church and see denominations and don't understand why there are so many different forms of church. I myself sometimes am confused by it. Its really encouraging to see them coming together. Its going to be so good to share resources. For example.. VUM is in need of tutors for the after-school program , and there is a church who mentioned that they had a bunch of teachers laid off and wanting to use their teaching skills for ministry. So we connected! and the wheels start moving... some times its disheartening because things seem to take forever to come together... but things are starting to work gain momentum! its exciting to be here and get a little glimpse of how God is moving and uniting the church.

Four Weeks into this adventure

Hello hello :) i'm glad your reading my blog... this is my first blog ever. Im not really one who likes to have everyone know what i'm doing but in this case, with being somewhere away from most of my friends and family this seemed a good way to answer a lot of questions i keep getting! most of these questions seem to be Where are YOU? and Why are you in Vancouver? so hopefully i'll be able to put up some information and keep people posted about what is going on in east vancouver and the ministry opportunities i'm getting. the next bits of writing are from my prayer letter and will let you know what i am up to!

Many of you know that I am working as a summer missionary intern in Vancouver. I wanted to give you some more information on what I will be doing and the organization I will be working with. The organization is called Vancouver Urban Ministries. They have been working in East Vancouver since February 2006. Their main focus is underprivileged youth and families and refugees in East Vancouver.

VUM is a unique organization. They are keen on urban focused ministries and want to teach me how to intentionally live as a Christian in an urban community. VUM particularly focuses on work with marginalized and disadvantaged refugees, children, and families, many of whom also have a First Nations heritage. Macdonald Elementary is one school VUM is highly active in. At MacDonald elementary approximately 62% of students are first nations, 40% of its students are from single-parent homes, and 27% of families have an annual income of less than $20 000. These students do not get the same opportunities to participate in fun summer activities or after school programs. Each day these children and families face many obstacles such as drug and alcohol abuse, parental neglect, lack of caring and supportive environments, which very easily lead toward involvement in criminal activity in adolescence and adulthood.

VUM provides after school and weekend activities for elementary and highschool aged students, as well as music lessons that are free of charge. Through these programs VUM is able to build relationships and create a healthy, caring environment for youth in the community. A partnership with World Vision Canada is making it possible for more youth to be apart of after-school tutoring programs.

I am really excited about this opportunity. VUM is a great organization and the people are focused on sharing the love of Christ and loving the community they work in. VUM caught my attention because it combines many of the things I am passionate about, these being sharing Jesus Christ, music, camp ministry, and building community. Some of my responsibilities this summer will be teaching piano, supporting the tutoring program, organizing community meals, mentoring youth, organizing weekly youth events, soccer camps, and family camps. As well as hosting a two missions teams coming in from the states.

Please pray for me!! This summer is going to be a great learning experience, but it will come with its difficulties. God has led me to VUM and I am so excited to see how His love is infiltrating the many broken homes in East Vancouver. I have been blessed with amazing friends and family that have supported me through many years of camp and cross-cultural missions, and this is another really cool opportunity God has blessed me with.