Tsawout Winter Trip 2018 - Day 2

So unfortunately, this year's Winter Trip was only two days. Nonetheless, the past two days have been really fun, but more importantly, we were able to see how God has been working in Tsawout. We relaxed, played games, chatted, but alas we said our goodbyes with sorrow yet joy knowing that we would see each other again eventually.

We started the day with a healthy balanced breakfast

4 Square

A VCBC trip to Tsawout isn't complete without:

Crafts

And drawing on the parking lot with chalk

The blog/camera guy even got his haircut by Pastor Moses.

Help me please

Yesterday we did an interview with someone who has been Tsawout for six trips, but what about a newcomer? Most newcomers are from VCBC and thus familiar with what goes on at Tsawout. But what about someone who had never even heard of Tsawout?

This is Pastor Daniel Hsu of The Bridge Church in Deep Cove. Unfortunately I was unable to interview him as he had left on the first day, however, I did email him asking on his first impression of Tsawout as a community as well as our mission and its effect.

"Growing in up in predominantly Asian church and later studying at Regent College, I've always sensed (and see this in other 2nd Gen in similar immigrant churches) a great tension between feeling inferior to large & well developed western churches and feeling obligated to stay in the ethnic church that seems interested in self / cultural preservation.

A question I always ask God is whether we are meant to leave our home or is there something new He is doing that we have unique gifts and calling in.

I am delighted and surprised by the depth of relationship your teens and young adult have cherish and nurtured over the years at Tsawout. The basement of the church was not community center space because there was no program and but just people. Each child enters are not projects to be worked on but friends. It was a safe space; a family living room filled with food, laughter, and games. Jesus was at the center of it while embodied in His people.

I am excited to see that VCBC has invested and empowered the second gen Chinese to explore new ways to bless other community and overcoming many prejudices both Asian cultures and western cultures still holds regarding native people today. I think it's a huge step that the dream is not to see more Chinese people following Jesus but all people. Blessing to you all. 

I am praying and eager to discern with your community whether it is in God's will that we partner/ in what ways so that we can serve the First Nations people together on the island."

-Pastor Daniel Hsu

To end off this year's blog, I would like to remind you to please keep the Tsawout community in your prayers as well as encourage you to come visit Tsawout. It is a privilege to be able to watch God work in a community but an even greater privilege to be one of God's tools in his works. So again, I remind you to keep Tsawout in your prayers as well as encourage you to visit Tsawout.

See you in August!

Bonus picture: