Good morning everyone and welcome to this week's
episode of Trinity Talks. My name is Kyla and
I'm glad that you are tuning in this week. We
are sitting down with a couple of folks who have
been at Trinity for a little while but I want
to hear more about their story of coming from
Hong Kong to Canada and how that has shaped their
faith and their understanding of our life here
together. So thank you so much for joining me
on the podcast, folks. Hello. You're welcome.
Thank you, Kyla. Yeah. For having us. Oh, I'm
glad to do it. So maybe I'll just get you to
start by introducing yourselves a little bit.
Do you want to start here? My name is Chivas.
Chivas, last name Chu. I came to Canada over
45 years. Okay. Since 1979, I came here with
my family. And like, I mean here, I were in here,
you know, the first few years going to high school,
and then university, and then work. Yeah. And
then having my family. Okay. Until now. Okay,
great. My name is Marian Chu. I came to Canada
because I have to marry my husband. Okay. I came
here in 95. Yeah. Okay. 85. 85. Yeah, 85. So
I have been here for 40 years. Okay, that's awesome.
And what was your sort of first impression of
Canada? Yeah, for each of us. My first impression?
Pretty boring. Okay. Back then, you know, there's
not as much, you know, like entertainment. Sure.
And the place is too big. Okay. I mean, you know,
like in Hong Kong, back in Hong Kong, you know,
everything is so cozy. You know, you go downstairs,
you can grab things to eat, you know, you can
do all kinds of things you want. Sure. But in
Canada, you have to take the bus or whatever
to go somewhere. And it's so far away. Everything
is magnified by 10 times or more. So it takes
me a while, maybe over a year to get used to
it. But after that, everything falls into routine.
And then I will say, hmm, you know, not bad.
You know, this place is pretty good. I guess,
you know, like at that time, you know, I can
really speak well in English. So I'm a bit nervous
or shy, you know. But later on, you know, like
I start to, you know, become very familiar with
things and make me feel. Maybe, you know, because
Chief was taking care of me, so he got his experience
already. And he just showed me around when I
went to study. I worked on my English and then
went to the ESL class. I went to college. And
I find that it is a nice place to raise a family.
I would say Canada at that time is totally different
from Hong Kong. It's not as busy. The people
are friendly. And it's so easy to find a job
at that time. Yeah, so Canada was sort of less
busy than Hong Kong, and for you at first maybe
it was a little bit boring, but for you it was
a nice change of pace, right? Yeah, yeah. For
sure. Because I, you know, I get over that hurdle
in a harder way, and she get over that hurdle
with you. Yeah, for me it's like because, you
know, like he's my guide. Right. So, you know,
he just... helped me to you know to went through
all the you know all the hardship right you know
like he knows you know what what's the next step
to do you know make your life easier you know
right so you know i'm glad that you know he was
here first yes husband yes yes yes you were telling
me before you knew each other as teenagers in
hong kong right um and then you shivas you came
to canada with your family And then went back
to marry Marion. Yes. And then came together.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And yeah, I think during
that, like the beginning, early, you know, time
in Canada, I spent most of the time at school.
OK. And and that's where I learned to know all
my friends. Right. And at that time, you know,
I find out the education system is good, you
know, in Canada. And it still is today, you know.
But that gives us a lot of opportunity in terms
of work, you know. You just have to meet the
certain credentials. Sure. Then, you know, you
can easily get into the job you want. Right.
Yeah. Today is a little bit different. Sure.
Sure. Yeah. Yeah. That's that's good. Yeah And
when did you folks come to Trinity? How long
have you been here now? We came last Easter.
Okay, so just over a year now. Yes, okay And
so what brought you to Trinity what why did you
want to start coming here or how did you hear
about it Marion? I think we've been we've been
going to our Chinese Anakin Church for over 10
years. And then all of a sudden, you know, we
find that we need a change. We want to explore
more. We want to know more about Anakin Church.
What's the difference? And we need our, you know,
our spiritual growth. So, you know, I talked
to Jesus, you know what, should we go to, you
know, to visit other churches and see what we
can get or we can expect? or we can learn. Right.
And then we find that, oh, okay, we should maybe,
you know, go to the neighborhood. You know, like
in Miss Saga. So, and then we find Trinity. Yeah.
Okay. And yeah, I think we, Marianne already
said, we been in, you know, like a Chinese Anglican
church. over I would say about 14 years, you
know, and I always want to, it's always in my
mind, I always want to find out what the mainstream
Anglican Church is like. Aside from a Chinese,
you know, Anglican Church. This is always, you
know, something I want to explore. Sure. So we
are discussing, you know, like whether which
church we should go to in the mainstream, right?
We have St. Peter's on Mississauga Road and Dundas,
you know, and this other church on Lake Shore,
you know, but all of a sudden we said, hey, I
remember Haseo McCallion, yes, one of the, you
know, politicians, former mayor, mayors in Mississauga,
someone I really respect. And I remember someone
told me, you know, she, she, she was, uh, um,
you know, African also. So I wondering where,
which church she goes to, right? Then I find
out Trinity. Okay. You know, which is very close
to my home too. So here we go. You know, that's
why we come in. And, uh, when I first came into
this church, I find this church is quite different.
Yes. It's very, welcoming. It's a welcoming church.
People carrying a smile on their face all the
time. And this cannot be hide. You know, it's
expressed from inside out. Okay. So you can't
lie. And also, you know, like I, you know, why
I stay in this church for almost a year now is
because, you know, I like the worship, the Sunday
worship. That's one thing. the format is untraditional
you know the evangelical format is I think is
very suitable for not just myself but for the
newcomers who are non -christian yeah yeah you
know And the atmosphere is church, you know,
like bring the peoples together. And that's make
me feel really good about it. Yeah, make me feel
comfortable too. Yeah, that's awesome. So even
though, you know, when we're new, we don't feel,
you know, like a stranger. We feel like a very,
like as he said, you know, well, like, you know,
a warm welcoming. People are very like friendly.
Yeah. and yeah you don't feel like you know you're
outsider yeah yeah that that you know like i
i like that feeling yeah yeah for sure and add
to that is you know the church from what i i
heard and i saw is church also trying to reach
out to the communities right help the people
in need like world vision and also help the people,
you know, like in the community, you know, whoever
in need, trying to give the extra hand, you know,
for what they really need. So that, again, you
know, it makes so much sense for nowadays church,
what every church should do. Sure, yeah. It's
interesting to me that you said you wanted to
sort of understand what The mainline Anglican
churches are like, and then you come and end
up at Trinity, which is kind of a mainline Anglican
church, but it doesn't look like any of the other
Anglican churches. Yeah, the culture. Yeah. The
culture, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So you sort of spanned
a lot of different sort of expressions of Anglicanism,
which I think is cool. Yeah. And I'm glad. I'm
so glad that, you know, Anglican is going down
this path because I think in today's world, I
mean, don't get me wrong, liturgy is good because
I know there's a lot of good reason and good
explanations why we're doing that behind it.
So as long as you understand it, then you will
say, oh, it makes so much sense. I mean, you
also have to take care of the other part of the
people who are not, you know, like Christian
yet. And you know, you want them to first, you
know, try to let them come to the church first.
Then once they settle in, once they start to,
they want to explore more about this religion,
then it's the time for them to... to understand
you know at that stage sure not too early yeah
yeah so i feel that i i can tell you kind of
uh when i first went to that um uh chinese church
yeah i thought oh my goodness i went to a wrong
church i went to a catholic church okay i want
i say i want to i want to leave you know not
sure i don't like catholic you know but i because
i was a christian christian you know i wanted
to go to a christian church so um then I find
out all Anglican have all kind of liturgy in
their worship. Yeah, and I think there's different
entry points for different people, right? Like
some people really appreciate the liturgy. I
appreciate a liturgical service and there are
some people that when they're going to a church,
that's what they're looking for, right? But then
there's other people... who this, yeah, they
want a more contemporary or they want a different
sort of way of doing church. Yeah, so it's cool
that we get to have all of the different options.
We see both sides. Yeah, yeah, for sure. Yeah.
So you both went to church in Hong Kong as well,
right? Yeah. So how has your experience of church
in Hong Kong been different than your experience
of church in Canada? The context of the church
activities is more or less the same. The size
is different, because Hong Kong is smaller, so
that you have a smaller group of people in the
church. You say maybe a hundred people in 2000
square feet of space, whereas here you have maybe
a few hundred people in a few thousand square
feet of space. The scale is smaller. Okay. He
is bigger. Okay. But hey, you know, when we were
teenagers, we go to Sunday school, you know,
and we go to cell group, the fellowship. Yeah.
And we also have, you know, go to worship every
Sunday, you know, we have summer retreat, you
know, that kind of thing. Yeah. So it's very
similar. I mean, like Hong Kong is, you know,
as far as religion. You know, you can go to any
religions you want. It's very free to do so.
So it's not much different from Canada. Okay,
okay. And you know, like anytime the church is
open in Hong Kong as well as in Canada. Sure.
Like anything else in the world. But you know,
like so really there's not a lot of difference
in my opinion. In your opinion. What about for
you Marion? I think more or less the same. But
I find that you know, like here, you know, like
you do more, you know, like reach out to the
community. So, you know, you support the community.
So it's a little bit different from in Hong Kong.
Okay. That's how I feel. Yeah. Okay. Okay. Interesting.
And in Hong Kong, the church was in Cantonese
or in Cantonese. And we were talking a little
bit before about, you know, the difference in
the languages and trying to come to church in
English and how maybe that was a bit of a challenge.
At the beginning, yeah. Because, you know, like
when we were little, you know, we learned Bible
in Chinese. So, you know, it is different. As
you said, you know, the language in Bible, it
is not like a modern language. Right. It's a
little bit hard. And then come to, you know,
to Canada to read the Bible in English. We have
to translate. back to, you know, like Chinese.
Right. So it's really a challenge at that time.
Yeah. So now, you know, maybe we, we more familiar
with, you know, the English version. So we find
that, you know, it's not as difficult as before.
Right. Right. But yeah, definitely a shift at
the beginning. Yes. And also I find out something
very funny. Before when I read the Bible in Chinese,
I find out that the description is very explicit.
No, it's not very explicit. It gets to the point,
very real meaning. Okay. More in Cantonese? In
Cantonese. In Chinese. But, on the other hand,
when I read the Bible in English, I find out,
huh. They use a very simple word, but get to
the point too, get the point out too. Okay. Right.
So for example, like now I start using, you know,
like for example, there's, what's his name? Eugene
Peterson? Yes. the messages, that book. I use
that book to correlate, you know, when I read...
Ah, interesting, okay. When I read the Chinese
Bible, and sometimes if something I don't understand,
I will look at his book in English. So it makes
me feel easier, or I can get the message a little
bit easier, you know. And I say, hey, you know,
they use so simple English and then can express...
and that's really you know like something I explore
you know myself and I find it interesting yeah
yeah for sure and the message Bible that translation
specifically is is really meant to be easy and
direct and that sort of thing so yeah I think
that's a good a good kind of pairing yeah you
know what nowadays with all the apps you know
it helps a lot yeah and you know and also so
many different Source that you can get right,
you know get more information or help to understand
the Bible, right? Yeah, in addition to coming
to church. Mm -hmm. Yeah So how do your you think
your experience as immigrants has shaped your
faith or shaped your understanding of of God
Do you want to start Marian? I would say because
it's not as busy in your life. Mm -hmm. So, you
know give you like time to think, I would say.
I would say, you know, you have more time to
do your things. It's not like, you know, you're
always in a fast pace. You don't have your own
time. Right. So now, you know, I find in Canada,
it just is more relaxed. And Sunday, you know,
you're off. So, you know, you can go to church.
You don't have any... like work you have to worry
like before in Hong Kong you know like because
I find it you know always busy busy in your life
so in Canada you know you you you at least you
know at least you know have day that you know
you can go to church right yeah yeah I I think
my wife got a good point about the life here
it's not as busy or as rush as the life in Hong
Kong. You know, it's just the nature, the culture.
Sure. You know, and I think, you know, you probably
have a bit of more of your time to think about
the religion, to think about what the view of
the religion's christianity is all about, and
that makes a difference. Sure. Even though, like
I would say when my wife and myself used to be,
we go to church, you know, we don't feel anything
in depth, also because we're teenagers at the
time. Sure, yeah. And one thing I want to point
out here is also, like we went to church, we
met at church when we were teenagers, then when
Marianne came to Canada and I came to Canada,
There's a period of time that we didn't go to
church until, you know, 14 years ago. And that's
the time that, you know, we start, you know,
understand more about Christianity. I would say
before, you know, we don't know. We don't really
get the real meaning about what Christianity
is. But I believe the seed, the seed. had been
in my heart. Sure. And it just didn't grow until
after so many years. Yeah, yeah. So now, you
know, when we're getting to a certain age, then
we say, okay, you know, thanks God. Yeah. We
start to know more and more about Him. And build
a better and better relationship with God. Yeah,
so you said there was a period of time where
you weren't going to church, and then about 14
years ago you started going again. So what prompted
you to want to go back to church again? Well,
you know what? I believe God has his own timetable.
And it's not what I want to do. And it's what
he wants to do. And if he wants you, my son,
or you, Mary, and my daughter, come back to me.
He has different ways to get you back. Sure.
You know, by the way, Marianne was baptized in
Canada. Okay. And in the Anglican Church that
where she really belongs to before. And I just
know, you know, like some God, you know, really
he has his plan. Yeah. On each one of us, you
know. you know, when he'd say, hey, you know,
you've been away for so long. Come back. Come
back. Yeah. Then, you know, he is that. Yeah.
Yeah. A different way that, you know, who will
bring you back to him. Yeah. It's interesting.
Yeah. It just felt like the right time. Yes.
Yeah. Oh, that's interesting. Yeah, and you were
also telling me before you have one son. Yes.
Who now lives in Hong Kong, right? Yes. Yeah.
And I was saying to you, you know, that might
feel really hard, but Marion, you said it may
be a little bit hard, but you're sort of at peace
with it. Yes. Yeah. And, you know, it's a surprise
to you, you know, we came to Canada, you know,
we decided to have family here. Yeah. And then,
like, you know, like my son was born here. And
after he finished his university, he said, you
know, I want to go to Hong Kong to work. And
it was a surprise to me. Yeah. And I was so worried,
you know, like, because he doesn't know anything
about Hong Kong. Right. We have relatives there.
But when you travel, it's different from you're
living there, right? Right, yeah. But I remember
in Bible, it said, you know, like, you know what?
When he grew up, when your son grew up. He doesn't
know. He doesn't belong to you. So, you know,
you have to find his own life, right? So I said,
okay. And I said, you know, God, I'll leave you
with my beloved son. I know that you will take
care of him and you will prepare a way for him.
So after, you know, I prayed to God and I find
the peace in my heart. He's doing good now, so
I know that God has a plan for him. And I really
feel it. Thank you so much for taking this time
to share a little bit with us. It's been really
encouraging to hear how God has been faithful
in your lives. shows up at all of the right moments,
I think. Yes. I think, you know, when God wants,
like at different time, God will assign different
tasks to us and also lead us to different things.
Anything He wants us to learn, He will make path
for us to make it happen. Sure. And that's why
when we land on Trinity today, we think, you
know, like one things I know, you know, the spiritual
growth is there for us, you know, and the second
thing is probably, you know, trying to make ourselves
more familiar with the church. Right. And, you
know, like the next step is how we're going to
serve in this church because this is one of the
tasks that each one of us as a Christians needs
to do. Right. Yeah. You know. Yeah. and I don't
feel any pressure you know because you know it
is from your heart and you know God will help
us to to make it get it through right so I we
start to learn not to you know the count on ourselves
right not worry too much not to worry and also
you know any things that have haven't happened
don't worry about it you know deal with it one
day at a time sure you know, that's enough. That's
how I see it. Yeah, that's cool. That's such
a good sort of posture of faith, I think, right?
That, yeah, you're demonstrating that you believe
in God, but that belief actually then like shapes
how you see the world, right? And it shapes how
you're even feeling about the world, right? Like
I think a lot of people would really struggle
to sort of let go and let their kids live thousands
and thousands of kilometers away, or to just
trust that God is leading them into the right
space. But you guys are doing that so well. Yeah.
No, and also I think one more thing I think is
very important to share is that there's so many
things around us which is beyond our control.
So, such as politics, right? All those things,
you know, like It's beyond our control. So don't
get too upset or don't get too gung -ho with
all that kind of things. Because if you trust
God, God has plan on everything. So He is the
one who uphold the righteousness. So let Him
do the plan. Let it see how things go and don't
shouldn't really get upset or anything Because
if you trust Him, don't worry too much. I think
that's very good advice. Thank you again both
for sharing your story. And thank you for tuning
in to this week's episode of Trinity Talks. I
hope that you've been able to gather some wisdom,
gather some stories of faith that will inspire
and encourage you throughout your journey ahead.
And we'll see you again next week.