God Is In Control
Happy New Year. It is hard to believe that 2021 is behind us. It’s a new year and we look forward to it with great expectations. In this month’s newsletter we look back to see how the Lord led us in 2021.
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage on and even though vaccines were introduced to most of the world, different variants of the disease have introduced new waves of the pandemic. Originally, we were hoping to be able to travel overseas again, but all of our STM trips are still on hold. Though it has been a different time for ministry for us, we continue to trust God, as we know that He is still in control.
2021 was a tough year for Chinese International Missions Canada, not only because of the restrictions due to COVID, but our dear board of director, Siu Lui Ho, went to be with our Lord in June. He has served faithfully with our organization but passed away due to cancer. Other board members and staff have also lost loved ones during the year. As an organization, we mourn and grieve with our team, and yet it is encouraging to know that we care for one another and that our loved ones are now with our Lord in eternity.
Our international worker, Janice Wong, travelled back to Canada in early July, for a home assignment returning to Ghana in late September. Janice had been in Ghana since early 2020. On her home assignment, she was able to reunite with family and friends, meet with supporters, share at various church events, and find time to rest. She continues to invest her time discipling and training students, while sharing the gospel with them. We celebrated with her as she got married to Enoch Jabab on January 1, 2022 in Ghana.
Though our “normal” ministries have ground to a halt, there are still many highlights for CIM Canada in 2021. Most notably we have legally added a trade name. Our full name continues to be known as Chinese International Missions Canada, but we can also be called CIM Ministries. Our board of directors believe that with this name, we can pursue our mandate of cross-cultural ministries more effectively.
Our Togo director, Pastor Matthieu Ayena, travelled to Togo in October. Because of the pandemic it has been hard to be in communication with our Togo partner, EGCT. On this trip, Pastor Matthieu met with local church leadership and helped in the training of pastors.
Read more about Pastor’s Matthieu heart for missions here
In Ukraine, Pastor Vlad, continues to be in charge of the Roma ministries through House of Mercy. Though we have not been able to travel there physically, we have been able to have training sessions with the Roma pastors through Zoom.
We continue to support 9 pastors and 3 village schools in Ghana, 1 pastor in Togo, and a ministry worker and 5 Roma pastors in Ukraine. We pray for donors to help to adopt some of these ministries.
With the ongoing pandemic and uncertainties with travel restrictions which will affect STMs, we will continue our emphasis on cross-cultural missions. We have always placed an importance on the training and support of local pastors by sending pastors to teach in Bible school settings, supporting local pastors through scholarships and helping to finance Bible School training courses. Our emphasis will continue to be in the training of these pastors and teachers through various funds and teaching opportunities online through platforms like Zoom. As the global pandemic is also affecting the CIM global community, it is also my hope to work more closely with both CIM Australia and CIM USA as we partner together. This may take the form of joint CIM prayer meetings, similar to the one CIM Australia spearheaded this past September.
We look forward to 2022 to see how God will work through us. There are many uncertainties, but one thing never changes. God is in control and for that, we give praise.
Rev. Isaac Quan
Executive Director
CIM Canada
December 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 CIM USA and Christine Pi as she has retired as Executive Director. CIM USA is currently recruiting for an Executive Director successor, as well as a Director of Ministry.
Praise God that our Board Chair, Tomson Chan has safely arrived in Canada from Ghana.
Please lift Pastor Isaac in prayer as he has tested positive for COVID-19 and his return home has been delayed. He is asymptomatic and currently quarantining in Ghana.
Pray for International worker Janice and her husband Enoch as they start their life as a married couple.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Are you looking to make a difference? Do you have a heart for missions?
As many of you reading can probably relate, there is much work to be done but often, not enough hands. The same rings true at CIM. We run on a very lean team of staff and board members. As we look towards 2022, we need to reach out to the CIM community for help.
Please spread the word for us if you know someone who may be suitable or if it is yourself, please pray about it and if you feel burdened to join us in the work to share the Gospel, email us at contact@cimcanada.org.
We are looking for volunteers to help in various capacities, including but not limited to:
someone with a heart for social media and communications
someone with a background in law
someone with a heart for fundraising