SOAR Heartland: A FULL Day: Day One

March 22nd was a day of orientation, learning and prayer. The teams went into the city of Winnipeg on a learning tour. A number of different ministries opened their doors and let participants experience what it was like to live in the inner city of Winnipeg. Lunch bags were provided by the North Kildonan Mennonite Brethren Church, but supper wasn't so easy. Teams only had two dollars a person to spend on supper.

SOAR participants and leaders had an opportunity to feel with their hearts, and fought their preconceptions with their minds. We were sensitive to the fact that in the midst of the darkness, God is the light that shines. He is near to the broken. We were able to cheer on people, and realized that God saw the people we met on the street as treasures. Can we see these homeless people with new eyes, fresh eyes? Do we need to label them, or can we see them through the lens of Christ?. During our session tonight we learned that our gifts were aimed outwards, spiritual gifts were never intended to be used selfishly. These gifts are given to us so that we may serve. It was a real privilege to hear the stories of the participants tonight. There were moments of frustration and celebration; and God revealed himself to us today.

A SOAR Participant named Christina talked about a man that she encountered on the street named Harvey. Harvey said that if he was born three blocks in the other direction, then he would have been great friends with some other boys he knew, instead of enemies. Such is the reality of gangs in the inner city.

Nathan, another SOAR Participant, had an opportunity to share hot chocolate with a couple he met named Gordon and Jennifer. When he was ready to pack up, he was met by Jimmy, who also wanted to enjoy a hot chocolate. Jimmy was determined to pay for the hot chocolate, so he offered Nathan three pennies. Nathan decided to buy him a burger instead, and heard a bit of Jimmy's story.

Mikaela shared about getting lost in the north end of the city. She was in charge of the map, and after walking for a while, she realized that she didn't know where she was. She encountered a friendly man on the street,and he asked what their group was doing. Mikaela and her group were praying for the city. He shared how he had moved to Canada in the past year, was a medical practitioner before living in Winnipeg, and he wanted prayer that the Lord would provide him with a job. This was all happened around noon, and and after speaking with the man, the group continued on some side streets. At three o'clock, Mikaela's group encountered that same man on a street corner. He had an enormous smile on his face; the Lord had blessed him with a job!

During the session, we spoke about the effectiveness of prayer. A passage from Ephesians 1:18-19 "I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe..."