Kingdom of God
“The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”
The theme of this year's summer camp is the Kingdom of God. During the preparation of my bible lesson for our kids, I studied different parables about the Kingdom of God. One that particularly stood out to me was the parable of the mustard seed. I love this parable because it reminded me once again that we are planting seeds in the hearts of the TCM children so that God can grow them in their faith.
A few months ago, one of our children gave his life to Jesus and has been on fire for Jesus ever since. It has touched me deeply to see how God is already letting this seed blossom in one of our children. This motivates me especially for the upcoming summer camp because I know that this intense time is worth it.
At this point, my time at TCM will be coming to a close at the end of July and I will be going back to Germany. So it is also appropriate for me to reflect on my own growth in relation to the parable of the mustard seed.
I’m very grateful that Jesus led me to volunteer with TCM. During this past year I was able to experience that my faith tree has grown and howTCM has helped shape my personality in a completely new way.
Jesus as the center
The TCM Staff have reminded me of the importance of having Jesus as the center of my life through the weekly prayer meetings, the Hearing God Sessions, and the daily bible reading challenge. Even though the mission is about serving God and others,I would still lose sight of Jesus as the center. I was able to learn here that it is essential to intentionally take time to pray and read the Bible in addition to work in order to be able to maintain a personal relationship with Jesus.
Jesus has softened my heart
I have never been known for being a sensitive and emotional person. Others, as well as myself, notice how much my heart has softened this year at TCM. TCM staff, in particular, has contributed to this. I am fascinated by...
- the warm and personal interaction that the staff has with each other.
- the love that the staff has for Jesus and the children.
Jesus has taught me thankfulness and humility
Jesus made me realize again that I’m one of the few percent of people who grew up in a stable family and a wealthy country.
Jesus has made me aware of the mission field in Western culture
My recognition is that the mission field in Canada or a country with Western culture is underestimated. Often people associate the term "mission" with developing countries such as Africa and indigenous tribes in the jungle. It is often forgotten how many people in our own neighbourhood do not know Jesus. It’s not only the responsibility of TCM to introduce Jesus but every Christian is called to share about Jesus in his or her own community.
I want to thank the TCM Staff very much, for...
- the pleasant cooperation,
- the friendships that I was able to build here,
- the laughter, but also the deep conversations,
- the valuable influence on my faith and my personality.
I will forever carry the valuable experiences in my heart that I was able to make this year at TCM and will continue to build on that foundation.
God bless you all!