Stories

Although there were various job options I had this summer, God has called me once again to serve with TCM and the community of Jesse Ketchum. Despite the different work experiences I had this past year, I still felt a calling to return for another summer.

This summer is my second summer with Toronto City Mission/Sonshine Day Camp and it has been so awesome to see how God is working in the lives of the kids, interns, and staff.

My journey to TCM was a dive into an unknown area of serving and it was quite surprising how I ended up here. I didn’t know much about TCM and what their purpose was but I knew that it was a ministry that my sister, Janice, was a part of.

This is my second year as a summer intern for Sonshine Daycamp at TCM’s Jesse-Ketchum site. Since last year, I've been so excited to return and experience the joy of camp with these kids again. I think God has made a special place in my heart for this community. And despite having just graduated from university, I felt called to come back for at least one more summer. 

Going into the camp, there have been many uncertainties, notably how campers would interact with each other.

My journey with Toronto City Mission started this January when a friend invited me to apply for the summer internship. Hearing about Sonshine Day Camp and the after-school programs from friends this past year made me curious about God's good work in this organization.

It has been a whirlwind of a summer at Flemingdon Park. This summer has indeed been a huge learning experience for me. Coming into this, I was actually pretty scared to connect with the kids and figure out how to do ministry but God has shown me that a little bit of love can go a long way.

I’ve done many summers of camp in my life, both as a camper and a counsellor, but this summer has been a new experience for me all together. I’ve felt very humbled leading these kids in day camp and it’s shown me how much more there is for me to grow as a leader and a role model.

I first heard about Toronto City Mission (TCM) through Elliott Shin when he gave a sermon one Sunday as a guest speaker at my church. I later learned that many of the members of my church had previously served as a summer intern at TCM’s Sonshine Day Camp.

My decision to join Toronto City Mission didn’t begin as a divine utterance from God nor was it an intentional move to advance my career. It came from a place of weariness.

This is my first summer interning at TCM’s summer Sonshine Day Camp, but before this, I was volunteering at their after school program.

This summer God has allowed me to work as an intern at TCM Sonshine Day Camp. I heard of this opportunity last year through someone I met at school, and the idea of signing up for it stuck with me until summer 2024.

Not so long ago, did it feel like I was just volunteering here at the Toronto City Mission. Back then, did I make anything out of it? Probably not as I just wanted to get my volunteer hours ASAP.

I began writing this blog post with no solid ideas for a topic. All the other intern blogs I’d skimmed seemed simple, but profound and beautiful. With little inspiration, I decided to pray. Within minutes, the Holy Spirit helped me realize that this is exactly what I needed to write about. I needed to be honest: I had nothing.

I have always heard from mission teams that their ministry is just as much a blessing to the community as it is to themselves, and I am learning how true that is every day at Sonshine Day Camp.

 This summer God has led me to serve with TCM. So far it has been an amazing and growing experience! I heard about Tcm through a church friend who had served here before, she encouraged me to apply.