There is Hope
There is hope. Vaccines are on the way. There is light at the end of the tunnel for the COVID-19 pandemic. If there was ever a time when this world needed hope, it is now.
The year 2020 has been like no other; at least not like anyone in this generation has ever seen. There were such high hopes for 2020, but then 2020 came and most of our hopes were dashed from our human point of view. If I could go back in time and change things, I would definitely want to, but I am not the one in control. God is, and everything that has happened this year has happened just the way it was supposed to unravel. God is still in control and for that we praise Him.
There is hope. Jesus Christ was sent to this world to give us hope and take us from darkness into the light. He was sent to forgive our sins and be the bridge back to God so we can have eternal life. Every December, we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ at Christmas. This Christmas may be different than past years in terms of COVID restrictions and who we spend it with. There is still the same hope as when Jesus Christ came that first Christmas and CIM Canada exists to proclaim this Good News to nations around the world.
As 2020 draws to an end, I want to reflect on the year that was and look forward with hope to a brand-new year in 2021. COVID-19 has affected all of us in every area of our lives including missions organizations like CIM Canada. After WHO declared a global pandemic in March and many countries closed their borders, we made the decision to postpone all short-term missions trips. In addition, nearly all our ministries were grounded to a halt internationally in our missions fields of Ghana, Togo, and to the Roma people group due to social distancing recommendations. This was heartbreaking because we knew that at a time like this, the gospel was needed more than anything else.
Though our “normal” ministries have grounded to a halt, there are still many highlights for CIM Canada in 2020. In January, I traveled with our first international worker, Janice Wong to help her settle in Ghana.
She is currently safe and staying at the Evangelical Church of Ghana Conference Centre in Nyankpala, Ghana. Little did I know that this would be my only trip in 2020. Janice has now completed her Twi language studies and are working with the children close to the Nyankpala compound. Primary students will not return to classes until January 2021 at the earliest, so Janice has been working with students teaching math and literacy using “The Greatest Story Ever Told” (a journey through the Bible). Disciples are being trained for the Lord even at a very young age. In time we will be able to send teams again, but for now we continue to trust in the Lord, to do His work, and to use us as human agents. Other ministries in both Ghana and Togo are still on hold because of local restrictions.
In Ukraine, Pastor Vlad, has been in charge of the Roma ministries through House of Mercy. Because of the ongoing pandemic, he has not met with the Roma pastors as often as he would have liked but we continue to pray for him and his family.
In April, we welcomed Joanne Yen to be our new Administrative Assistant. She has been busy helping us redo our website as well as her regular duties. We also want to thank Jessica On for her faithful service as our previous Administrative Assistant.
Not only do we have a new website, but we produced new promotional videos in English, Cantonese, and Mandarin (watch here). Also, we have updated our mission, vision, and value statements. The essence is the same as it has always been. Our mandate continues to share the gospel of Jesus Christ cross-culturally, but our wording has been revised to reflect our modern-day culture.
In November, we held our first AGM (annual general meeting) virtually. We want to thank Pastor Doug Wong and Pastor Andrew Syyong for their faith service on the board. Their term will end at the end of this year. In 2021, Rev. Kenny Wong and Rev. Morgan Wong have been elected to be on the board. Mr. Tomson Chan has been elected as chairman of the board with Pastor Karen Wong as the vice-chair.
In November, we launched our “Be A Blessing” Christmas fundraiser event. Our goal was to raise $30,000, which was the minimum amount to keep our ministries going overseas. The money raised was to support the church planters and village school teachers who have suffered immensely during this pandemic. Not only did they lose wages, but many had problems even feeding their own families. As of today, from the “Be A Blessing” campaign, God has been faithful and we have raised more than $45,000. With that money, we can support these servants of God. From the bottom of our hearts in the name of Jesus Christ, we want to thank all the donors.
There is hope. Jesus Christ came at Christmas so enjoy the holidays and remember the meaning of the season. It is because of Jesus Christ that we do what we do and why CIM Canada exists. I look forward to 2021 with hope. Have a very Merry Christmas and blessed New Year from CIM Canada.
If you would like more information about our organization, please do not hesitate to email us at contact@cimcanada.org
God bless and stay safe.
Rev. Isaac Quan
Executive Director for CIM Canada
November Financials
1. General Fund - for general and administrative purposes, such as staff salaries
2. Designated Fund - for specific ministries in different field locations as designated (cannot be transferred between funds)
*All financial figures are in Canadian dollars and rounded to the nearest dollar*
Pray with us:
Pray for the ministries of CIM, not only in Ghana, Togo, and to the Roma people group, but also for the ministries in South Africa, Brazil, and Cambodia through our CIM family in the USA, Australia, and Hong Kong.
Pray that there will be more prayer warriors and financial donors so that we can effectively do the ministries that God has called us to do. Praise God for the funds raised during the “Be A Blessing” Christmas fundraiser.
Praise God that the borehole project in Bimbilla, Ghana is nearing completion. Pray that the rest of the project will go smoothly.
Pray for Pastor Vlad as he leads the Roma ministry in Ukraine.
Pray for God’s continued guidance and direction in 2021 as we serve him in a COVID and post-COVID world. Pray for healing for those that have been affected by the pandemic whether physically, spiritually, and financially.
Pray for opportunities to share the “Good News” this Christmas.