Where do I start… what is my life like in
Montreal?
Upon
arriving in Montreal, Sarah (my fiancée) had me really slow down and rest for
the first 20 days that I was here. I reset my sleep patterns and I started
sleeping 8-10 hours per night instead of only 6 hours and I started walking
everywhere. She also helped me change my eating habits… I am currently gluten-free
and trying to conquer sugar-free too. Pastries are no longer a temptation but
man they have the best chocolate here. Local fresh farm and garden food is
readily available here, and I think that the only products imported from
out-of-country are packaged foods, and fruits from Central & South America.
I've become quite acclimatized since I've moved
to Quebec. The winters generally last 6 months, from November to April. The
coldest months are in January and February so they are almost over… woohoo!! I
also got to experience my first extreme cold low... -37*C… wow, that was
frigid, you have to keep moving just to stay warm!
Since being up here and walking everywhere, being constantly on the go at The Open Door, taking the bus and metro (subway), and changing my diet and eating habits, I have lost 25 lbs, 2 pant sizes and 1 shirt size. I really look homeless now because my winter jacket is too large for me and the sleeves hang past my hands… haha! It’s a bummer because I really like that jacket. I estimate by the way I'm losing weight that I will be either a large or medium in shirt size by next Christmas.
Sarah and I
currently fellowship at the Vineyard Montreal Church. I also go to Emmaus
Anglican Church every 3rd Sunday for a number of reasons. First, I’m a
confirmed Anglican; second, I enjoy celebrating the Eucharist and shaking
things up in a quiet church; third, I’m a missionary with the Colorado Anglican
Society; fourth, Emmaus is the sponsoring church that oversees the operations
of The Open Door; and finally, I want to bridge the gap between the Anglican
communities in Canada and the United States.
I also
attend the weekly prayer service that is hosted by Isaiah 40 every Tuesday
morning. Isaiah 40 is an Anglican counseling center that hosts missionaries who
come to Montreal. I also feel called to pray for the hurting and the broken-hearted
that I meet in my neighborhood and on my travels around the city. And, of
course, I still follow up on prayer requests from my many friends around the
world.
I have a
great apartment located in the heart of Verdun, which is an area of Montreal.
It’s a 2 bedroom, with an open concept living room and kitchen. It has a washer
and dryer, which is a huge plus, and the rent is affordable, thanks to friends
of Sarah who are subletting to me until the end of May. I recently started
hosting our church’s home group every 2nd Thursday, and I also recently invited
a bunch of guys over for my first ‘Settlers of Catan’ games night!
My mission to The Open Door
I am serving
as a missionary/volunteer for The Open Door / La Porte ouverte as the
operations’ coordinator. The Open Door is located near downtown Montreal and
near the heart of where a lot of homeless and poor spend their days and nights.
My duties include overseeing the volunteers, community service workers, and welfare program workers; and ensuring the smooth operation of services such as breakfast, lunch, laundry service, clothing bank, and food bank. We have social and outreach workers who come in on a weekly basis, along with outreach nurses who tend to minor injuries and vaccinations. We also help with applications for medical identification, housing and work.
We are
currently trying to get our computers back online so we can provide internet
service again. We are working with a local law enforcement officer who is a
Christian and has compassion on the homeless. He has helped us get the majority
of the donations that we need but we still need a network cable and a modem
that will serve 4 desktop computers and a printer.
My biggest challenges so far and a prayer
request
It has
honestly been struggle so far to raise enough support to cover the costs of my
monthly expenses. After I put so much energy and effort into completing my
tasks at the Open Door every day, spend time in prayer and intercession, go to
the gym 3 times a week, and then spend some quality time with Sarah (who,
although she is doing most of the work, also sometimes needs my help with
planning the wedding), I barely have enough brain power left to work on support
raising. My expenses are currently pretty basic, including rent & utilities,
phone, monthly bus pass, groceries, and household supplies.
As for the prayer
request, I need more donations on a monthly basis in order to pay for the costs
of living here in Montreal. Unfortunately, I cannot issue tax receipts for
donations from Canadians since I have a charitable work permit. I would really
appreciate your prayers to keep my mind sharp so I can blog, stay in contact
with my supporters, and share how God is working through me here in Montreal
and at The Open Door.
Thanks for
your prayers, encouragement and support! If you feel called to support me
financially in my mission to Montreal, please contact me at halbellcbm@gmail.com for more details.
