Written by: Justin Poirier, Former Intern
I have such fond memories of my time at Toronto City Mission (TCM) and am so thankful for my summer as an intern. Once upon a time, I used to believe that the mission field was this far-off distant place, and the command from the Lord to "go and make disciples" involved leaving your home country and learning a new language. However, TCM taught me that was not the case. There are so many in need right here in our own community, and ample opportunity to share the gospel in both word and deed.
It's interesting to look back and think about how I was first introduced to TCM, and how God used TCM at a pivotal time in my faith journey to grow and deepen my walk with the Lord. God knew it was exactly what I needed at precisely the right time. Jill K. was a youth leader at my church and was working at TCM as a community missionary at the time. She and her husband Matt introduced me to the summer internship program and began praying with me about the opportunity. A panel interview and a few more prayers later, I was off to start a summer in ministry that I would never soon forget.
The weeks of training leading up to summer camp were especially formative for me. I had never worked in children's ministry before and really didn't have any foreknowledge about how to engage with children and present the gospel in a way that was meaningful to them. The training session on the Wordless Book turned out to be so vital when it came time for me to present the gospel to a large group of children in St. James Town later that summer. The songs we learned, the lesson plans we learned, and even the lesson on how to make balloon animals all came in quite handy for the summer ahead, and I'm thankful for the preparation that TCM provided. My time at TCM really taught me so much in terms of spiritual disciplines as well. I learned to pray, to depend on the Lord, to be empathetic, and to practice a spirit of thanksgiving. I learned what putting faith into practice can look like, and what it means to love Jesus with your whole self.
It's been a number of years now since my time as an intern, but I will never forget it, and some of my dearest friends came out of that time at TCM. Through keeping in touch with the ministry, I have been able to see some of the kids from St. James Town now giving back in their own communities, and continuing to partner with TCM. And that brings me such joy, and a heart of praise for what the Lord has done. Thank you once again to Elliott and the TCM team for giving me such an amazing opportunity. Please never stop doing this very important work the Lord has given you!