Why Vancouver?

I have heard this saying numerous times. The first time I heard this said was when speaking to the immigration officials for the better part aof half hour. I was explaining to them why my wife and I were coming to Vancouver. The saying for training, urban training, cross-cultural training, mega city training, all of these answers fell on deaf ears. Their response, “ok, but I don’t understand why Vancouver?” The past several days have clearly answered this question for me personally. I asked this same question, why Vancouver? God has called me to West Africa, clearly Vancouver does not represent West Africa in any shape or fashion. However, the demographics are still the same. LOST. I was talking to this guy in an area of town which we are beginning to do ministry in, his statistic, “there are less than 3% evangelical Christians in Vancouver. By Company standards this is near the 2% margin of declaring a territory unreached. This astonishing stat amazes me since we are extremely close to the U.S. border. However, 700 out of every 1000 are non-evangelical. Astonishing. This statistic rang true the past few days as we, as well as our co-workers have been engaging the city with a specific survey/conversation/pictures/tool.The most common responses to this engagement tool, “I’m Muslim, but that’s great you believe that,” “well, nature is God,” “everything is God,” “we have thousands of gods.” All actual responses, all actually showing the spiritual nature of the city. The city is absolutely lost and has absolutely no clue that it is. The last response and conversation today ended with a man responding to Kristen, “Sweetie, we are all Gods.” This is the world we live in, a lost world dying and going to hell, with no inclination of any hope. Some hide behind other religions, some behind their money, but all currently with the same destiny. They are going to a Godless eternity. So, my question to you, what is the Southern Baptist Church going to do about it? Praise God, there are fellow church planters here Southern Baptist are supporting, but is that enough? Is there enough pleading to God on the behalf on Eldon. Eldon, a homosexual, his only prayer request was for humanity. That is my prayer request for you to have, for humanity. For the souls of the 1.6 billion people with little to no access to the Gospel. Ask, “God where are you calling me to? Some, their workplace. Some, a different part of the city they never go. Some, a change of professions. Some, are called to go to someplace across the ocean where the name of Christ has never been heard of. So tell God you are willing to go wherever he leads. Pray for the people of Vancouver who are lost and have no idea to the contrary. So why Vancouver, for people like Eldon, who know something is wrong in this world but have no idea why or what can be done about it.

TREY