Binding Hearts

It was an action-packed week for us. Monday morning we met at 4 a.m. at Pearson Airport, spent a whole week and we returned last night. We got back around 8 p.m. and we really thank you for all of your prayers and all of your support. We really felt the whole church behind the team and without your support we would not have been able to really be there and experience all that we did. The theme of our mission trip this year was binding hearts, which is the title of the sermon, binding hearts. And the word binding, it has two meanings. For one it means for the heart to be bound together in healing, to be healed. And the other is for two hearts to be bound into one, so being bound together. And you see all these purple t-shirts today. This word, dhammakota, means I am Dakota. So in that sense we really felt one with the people of Dakota and they were given to us as gifts by our friends Shannon and Travis in Sioux Valley and I think they are with us on Zoom today. Really that spirit of oneness. Our prayer was that our hearts would be bound together both as a mission team and with the people of Sioux Valley. And in so many ways God answered our prayers. Our mission team, I think we have a photo of us at Pearson at 4 30 AM. So I don't know if we look the best, but we look happy, right? Our mission team, we experience such incredible harmony. I think perhaps one of the most harmonious teams ever. I mean everyone contributed so fully. There's so many things. We have 29 people in total, but even that always there's so many things going on. But everyone doing their parts, not only that, when someone noticed someone else in need stepping in immediately to lend a hand. And also the presence of all ages, multi-generational, from 11 years old all the way up to pretty high number. And the presence of six elders in our midst too. Just everything. We felt very bound together and we felt bound with the people of Sioux Valley. As a church this was our fourth year in a row being there. And I can't believe how fast time has flown by. You know every year when we go there on the first morning we go around the community and we spread out, we fan out and we knock on doors. Just to let them know that we're here and to invite them to our meals and our programs. You know the first year a lot of people they didn't answer their doors. I think some were probably sleeping but I think a lot just intentionally didn't. And when they did we were kind of met with puzzlement and even suspicion. Like who are you? What are you doing here? Each year they got a little better but there are still some questions. But this year I'm right from the start the reception was we just felt an immediate warmth and greeting. First of all so many more doors actually opened. So that, aha you were home all along. The more people came open and we were greeted with warmth. So oh yeah, oh the Koreans you guys are here. See so at first we became known as the Koreans from Toronto. But I think now we're just known as the Koreans. Because I think we're the only group who goes there now. And usually we would go there and we'd begin on the first day and then words start spreading and then more people start coming. But this year right from the get-go boom we had at least 160 people in the hall right. That kind of depicts a bit of the first day. And so I feel I really felt for our meal team because they're scrambling. We didn't make enough so they're like frying up more meat and cooking up more rice just to feed everyone. So the general mood was very high and I think we have a few other pictures. That was actually our so after lunch we start with an afternoon kind of a little worship time for everyone. And usually that after meals people if they don't really feel like it they'll just leave. But a lot of people stayed for the afternoon worship and that was wonderful to see. Just happy kids. That was our t-shirt from last year we gave out as gifts to the kids and this girl, is that Everly? Everly, yeah. She kept it all year and wore it when we came back. Another family that were close to Shelby's family and all those kids just happy to be their KC Eliza Justice. He was the Michael Jackson of... We had our own Michael Jackson our summer camp here. Ian, I don't know if he's here but then they had their own Michael Jackson Justice. I mean just wonderful bonds and memories and also every evening we have an adult service. And even up to last year, you know, when we have adult services, not too many people. There actually it was mostly us right with maybe a sprinkling of like two, three, four adults. But this year right from the first night we had around like 10 adults from Sioux Valley. Good turnout. And at first I mean it used to be just all kids and then the youth group was pretty small and it was a much tougher crowd too. You know by the time probably because everything they've seen and experienced there they get more hardened, more withdrawn, less expressive. So it was a really tough crowd to break through to. But now after three years in a row a lot of these kids have become youth. And so what we found the youth group was huge this time. I think over 20 people, right? The 25, I think even up to 30 at one point. And because they already knew us and had good memories, much more enthusiasm and energy. And sometimes I think they're a little too energetic. But it was so wonderful. All of these things are fruits of the previous three years of being there. And I think from our presence more trust was built. One person in fact, he became infamous among our group. I won't name names. But he said that we came to his house two years ago and we knocked. But he intentionally he ignored us. But this year he opened the door. Me and Jesus were there door to door and he actually opened and he started kind of looked at us and started asking us why we're here and whatnot. But then he came and he came again. And again every day he ended up coming. These are just little stories and examples of countless everyone has their own story. So we saw the fruits of being there. But you know, on the final day, a few of us had a conversation with someone. She was the chiefs, you know, they have a chief. They elect one every a few years. She was a chief sister. She came, she had come the day before too, but I didn't really get to speak with her. But I found out on this last day that she's the chief sister and she had really kind of come to see what we're all about. Because in the community, they were, I guess I didn't know. I did try to look up, make sure there's no conflicts, but they were running another camp, a language and culture camp for their community. And they even had lunch and everything. But the sad thing is nobody showed up to that. Whereas for us, like I said, on day one, we had 160 people, over 120 kids and youth. And that kind of thing is never seen these days in the community where all these kids kind of come together. Other than their annual powwow event. And that is one thing that gathers the whole community. But when they try to put on things for the kids and youth, they don't. So she kind of wanted to see what it is and why that is. And so I started to think about that and I didn't feel good about that. It did not sit well with me. I mean, should we feel good that all these kids have come to us but not to their own thing? Is that right? It made me reflect on the purpose of mission. What is mission all about? Jesus did amazing things while he was on earth. With the power of God, I mean, he healed the sick and taught so many good things. But the remarkable thing, especially some gospels like the gospel of Mark, what they show is Jesus, he never really wanted to be the center of attention. It was always about the glory of God. If anything, when the crowds became too large, he withdrew himself. He went up to the mountains to pray by himself. Jesus' main focus was forming disciples. He spent all his time with them. And eventually he gave his life on the cross. Why? So that his disciples would be the ones to carry out the mission that he started. And he gave them the Holy Spirit so that they would be the ones to go out to Jerusalem, all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth. The famous Great Commission that we see in Matthew is all about that too. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations. Mission is about making disciples so that they can carry on the work wherever they are. Going on mission, and for all of us, the team, we know. Going on mission, it feels great because yes, you feel like you're doing something important. You're doing, you're a part of something extremely meaningful. But the greatest temptation of mission is getting hooked on the feeling of being needed and wanted, of doing as a mission as a way of feeling important because you have something that the other doesn't have. So if we're not careful, that becomes the temptation. I mean, going on mission, it is, it's amazing. I mean, we as a team experience so much joy and the powerful presence of God and extreme rewarding satisfaction. And all of that is good. God blessed us. But all of those things, they are the result of mission, of mission, not the reason for going. The purpose of mission is to make or help disciples who are then empowered to carry on the work of sharing God's love. It is for them, not necessarily for us. The chief's sister realized and was sharing that what the kids really want is love and attention. Love and attention that a lot of the kids or youth don't really get at home or in the community. And I guess somehow they really felt that love from the Koreans. And that's why they came flocking to us. But then I asked myself, is it right that this love and attention comes only from us? Just like once a year we go and that's where they get their love and attention? And I started to think, if that's our model of mission, and if that's what we are satisfied with, we are simply, it's another form of spiritual colonization. We are simply repeating the history of disempowering people who have already experienced disempowerment in the past. And so I realized ultimately this love and attention that the kids, the youth, that the people need, it has to come from within their own community. Their hearts are the ones that have to be bound together. And so I realized, ah, our prayer, it began as a prayer for our mission team and that our hearts be bound with the people of Sioux Valley. And God answered those prayers. But now it is a new prayer that the very hearts of the people in the community that they be bound together in healing, in forgiveness, in reconciliation. You know, Sioux Valley, it's not a large community. It's the largest Dakota reserve in Canada, but it's still, it's 1,300 people around there who live on the reserve and another 1,300 or so people who live off the reserve. So it's not that large, it's the size of a high school kind of. So everyone kind of knows each other. And in a way, everyone is sort of related to one another too. The more we get to know them, the more we realize just how tight the web of connections are. And I, and we know from talking to them deep down, they really do care about their community. Whenever we ask about prayers, they're always sharing their wish for the betterment of their community. Yes, that the youth and the kids can receive the love that they need. But the environment makes it very difficult to keep caring and to maintain hope because this country and especially the so-called Christians of this country really did damage to their environment. They took children out of loving homes and families and placed them in these residential schools where they did not have the love and attention they would have had at home. Not only that, the kids were fed messages that basically their lives do not matter. And even in fact, the world might be better off if they did not exist. Incredible, incredible damage to the hearts of these children. And so they carried these damaged hearts back to their communities and that in turn damaged the environment permanently almost generation after generation. You know, the more I do ministry, the more I realize human beings, we are not that strong. We are pretty weak and fragile actually. We are very susceptible, shaped always by our environment. And so when the environment gets damaged, it is extremely hard to overcome it. Let alone change it. And so because that environment is so difficult, a lot of people they want to leave it. And so that's why a lot of young people I talk to, they want to get out. but I know that just leaving that environment that's not necessarily the answer because you carry that damaged heart from that environment you may leave the environment but what the environment did to you stays with you wherever you go. Jesus he did not leave his environment you look at his whole ministry it's just in one area Galilee maybe to Jerusalem a few times but all in one area he did not leave his environment but he changed it with God's power he healed the sick and he cast out demons he taught people about God's love he created a new environment right where he was after he died the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples and that new environment became the church the church his purpose is to be a new environment that changes how we live in this world a new environment that changes who we are I mean consider yourselves all of us we too living in this environment of this world we have all been damaged we have all experienced hurts and pains betrayals all sorts of damages to our heart but in the church many of you have experienced healing grace the power of God the teaching of the word we experienced change and transformation in this environment and I could see that so much in our mission team and I could see how deeply each person has been shaped by the environment of our church it was so beautiful to see it always bring tears to my eyes how will the hearts of the people of Sioux Valley be bound together by creating a new environment right there where love flourishes that is I think the answer our passage today says above all clothe yourselves with love it's only with that which binds everything together in perfect harmony and as Sioux Valley we reflected on the verse 1st John 4 7 8 beloved let us love one another because God is love does not get any simpler than that a new environment in which love God's love is at the very center and with that love hearts can find healing people can learn how to forgive and that is when true reconciliation can be experienced in the new environment where love is at the center our one week there it's like an oasis of love you know an oasis in a desert where there's no water or anything but somehow in the middle of a desert there's a pool of water in some trees it's like that it's a temporary place of happiness love and joy and some of the adults they would comment to us how wow when we are there and all in that together in that big hall the kids they just seem so happy and free so yes it is a beautiful temporary oasis of love when we are there but they need something more they need something for the 51 weeks of the year they need the church not the church as it was in the past but the church as how Jesus truly meant it to be right in the middle of the reserve is a church building it's built by the community and it's maintained by the community and it's very unique it's just open to anyone in the community no one really has possession of it it belongs to the community the sad thing is it sits empty for basically the whole year I think once a week during the week there's a group who does something but on Sundays the church sits empty Sundays are empty because they haven't had a pastor there in so long I think over 15 20 years last year we had a special service and we did a lot of baptisms and some people share with me that it was a very meaningful experience you know stopping things like drinking and life has been different this year we decided to have a special service of prayer and blessings we just wanted anyone and everyone to come so we can just simply say prayers of blessings and we weren't sure if a lot of people would come especially kids and youth because most kids and youth they've never been into a church service but we spread the word and we just prayed about it and somehow to our surprise a lot of kids and youth came into the church there are people of every age from young kids to elders and that was just at the very beginning of service as the service went on more people came and we had to put more chairs in the back and it was such a beautiful site and I asked some of the elders there has it been a long time since you've had a gathering in this church for people of all ages and and they said yes it's been a very very long time we sang songs of praise and then we had a time of prayers our mission team members every single one of them they started to go around to each individual you know asking them is there anything I can pray for and they did and as they did what I noticed even starting with kids and even youth some of them they started tearing up and crying most of them have never had somebody to pray for them most of them have never heard the message that there is a God out there that cares for them and loves them and so it was the first time they experienced anything like it and so that just evoked tears and emotions after that we brought them up one by one and I actually said a prayer of blessing in front of everyone for each person there that there's a photo of a Martha she's probably the oldest one there I think she's getting close to 80 in her 70s she was she's been a day one supporter of this mission back when Sarah and June used to go over 20 years ago and after seeing a prayer for them they would then put paint on their thumb and then put their thumbprint on this thing that Jane one of our team members made God's family so you see all those colors there every one of them and we tape that up to the in the church wall so you can kind of do anything you want in the church there belongs to everyone and we left it there God's family they wrote their names under the thumbprints too and after that we we sang together the song there is none like you and we just all in one voice everyone from St. Timothy as well Suvali singing there is none like you and we felt the powerful presence of God with us it was truly a special night and I think for us it was probably the highlight of the mission trip for us and I think through experiences like that and especially that night it gave me a very clear vision of what God desires which is a church in Suvali for the people and led by the people of Suvali that is God's wish and desire a place where kids and youth can experience the love of God every week not just once a year where they receive the teaching of the word of God where change and transformation can happen a new environment that will change the environment of the whole community someone did say I mean because we've been there for years they have seen change among some a lot of the kids and the youth but imagine the change that can happen if there is a church for the people led by the people every week God will do amazing things and bring real change and so I realize that needs to be the mission of our church to be partners in helping them get there I don't know what that will require I don't know how long that will take and we will be there every step along the way with them but that vision became very clear to me it's time for a new model of what mission is all about I spoke with someone there and actually I think they're on zoom with us one deaf you can hear me I'm giving you a shout out she is I mean she was there with us last year and it was her some of her daughters and grandchildren I think they were actually the main ones who got baptized now that I think about it and God has God's works in wond