WEBVTT 00:00:05.160 --> 00:00:07.639 Hello and welcome to this week's episode of Trinity 00:00:07.639 --> 00:00:10.400 Sermons. This week we have a very special episode 00:00:10.400 --> 00:00:12.939 for you as we welcome Allison Alley, who is the 00:00:12.939 --> 00:00:16.100 President and CEO of World Vision Canada. And 00:00:16.100 --> 00:00:18.420 Allison is going to be sharing a bit of her story 00:00:18.420 --> 00:00:21.059 with us, a bit of World Vision's story, but really 00:00:21.059 --> 00:00:24.739 all about Jesus' story. How Jesus calls us to 00:00:24.739 --> 00:00:28.079 take one small step at a time to share what we 00:00:28.079 --> 00:00:31.699 can to have a huge impact all around the world. 00:00:36.780 --> 00:00:39.619 Today's reading is from the Gospel of John, chapter 00:00:39.619 --> 00:00:45.479 6, verses 5 to 13. When Jesus looked up and saw 00:00:45.479 --> 00:00:48.820 a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, 00:00:48.979 --> 00:00:51.859 Where shall we buy bread for these people to 00:00:51.859 --> 00:00:56.100 eat? He asked this only to test him, for he already 00:00:56.100 --> 00:00:59.939 had in mind what he was going to do. Philip answered 00:00:59.939 --> 00:01:03.280 him, It would take more than half a year's wages 00:01:03.280 --> 00:01:05.760 to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite. 00:01:06.730 --> 00:01:10.629 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's 00:01:10.629 --> 00:01:14.390 brother, spoke up. Here is a boy with five small 00:01:14.390 --> 00:01:18.430 barley loaves and two small fish, but how far 00:01:18.430 --> 00:01:22.890 will they go among so many? Jesus said, Have 00:01:22.890 --> 00:01:26.230 the people sit down. There was plenty of grass 00:01:26.230 --> 00:01:30.030 in that place, and they sat down. About 5 ,000 00:01:30.030 --> 00:01:34.120 men were there. Jesus then took the loaves gave 00:01:34.120 --> 00:01:37.159 thanks, and distributed to those who were seated 00:01:37.159 --> 00:01:40.340 as much as they wanted. He did the same with 00:01:40.340 --> 00:01:43.640 the fish. When they had all had enough to eat, 00:01:43.819 --> 00:01:47.340 he said to his disciples, Gather the pieces that 00:01:47.340 --> 00:01:51.180 are left over. Let nothing be wasted. So they 00:01:51.180 --> 00:01:54.299 gathered them and filled twelve baskets with 00:01:54.299 --> 00:01:57.420 the pieces of the five barley loaves left over 00:01:57.420 --> 00:02:00.519 by those who had eaten. The word of the Lord. 00:02:01.209 --> 00:02:03.769 I get the great pleasure of introducing our guest 00:02:03.769 --> 00:02:07.890 speaker for today, who is none other than Alison 00:02:07.890 --> 00:02:12.289 Alley. And it was just about a year ago, just 00:02:12.289 --> 00:02:15.210 maybe over a year ago, that Alison took on the 00:02:15.210 --> 00:02:20.550 role of CEO and President of World Vision Canada. 00:02:20.830 --> 00:02:25.090 And prior to joining World Vision, Alison, I 00:02:25.090 --> 00:02:28.620 think, spent some 12 years in various... leadership 00:02:28.620 --> 00:02:32.800 roles with Compassion Canada. And so I can't 00:02:32.800 --> 00:02:34.919 think of a better person that we could welcome 00:02:34.919 --> 00:02:39.139 on this day. And I, for one, am looking very 00:02:39.139 --> 00:02:41.139 forward to hearing from her. So would you join 00:02:41.139 --> 00:02:43.840 me in giving a warm Trinity welcome to Alison 00:02:43.840 --> 00:02:52.810 Alley. Thanks, Rob, so much. I mean, let's be 00:02:52.810 --> 00:02:55.530 real. You can think of a better person. His name 00:02:55.530 --> 00:02:59.710 is Tony. Plan A, right? So Allison is definitely 00:02:59.710 --> 00:03:06.009 plan B. But folks, it is... pure joy to be with 00:03:06.009 --> 00:03:08.449 you today. I have to tell you, I have heard so 00:03:08.449 --> 00:03:12.870 much about this church over the years from a 00:03:12.870 --> 00:03:15.889 family named Michael and Yvonne Messenger. If 00:03:15.889 --> 00:03:17.710 you know them, they've been going to this church 00:03:17.710 --> 00:03:20.770 for quite some time. Also, the former president 00:03:20.770 --> 00:03:23.430 and CEO at World Vision Canada. I've heard about 00:03:23.430 --> 00:03:26.250 this church from Dave and Diane Toyson, who have 00:03:26.250 --> 00:03:28.310 been going here for quite some time. Also, the 00:03:28.310 --> 00:03:32.050 other former president and CEO of World Vision. 00:03:32.750 --> 00:03:35.050 So I can't believe that I finally get a chance 00:03:35.050 --> 00:03:38.270 just to sit with you and be with you. Because 00:03:38.270 --> 00:03:40.590 I've also heard about you, forget those other 00:03:40.590 --> 00:03:44.610 guys, from our staff here in Canada and our staff 00:03:44.610 --> 00:03:49.030 in Honduras. And I thought I would start by sharing 00:03:49.030 --> 00:03:52.689 a moment for me 14 years ago where everything 00:03:52.689 --> 00:03:56.009 changed because of one seemingly small moment. 00:03:57.159 --> 00:04:00.099 It was 14 years ago that I was sitting in my 00:04:00.099 --> 00:04:03.960 basement holding my new baby daughter. And my 00:04:03.960 --> 00:04:06.699 toddler was in the corner of the room with my 00:04:06.699 --> 00:04:10.219 husband playing. And in this moment, I was overcome 00:04:10.219 --> 00:04:15.919 with emotion, like undone with emotion. And it 00:04:15.919 --> 00:04:18.220 was perplexing to me because at the time I had 00:04:18.220 --> 00:04:20.920 everything I had ever hoped for and imagined. 00:04:21.960 --> 00:04:25.000 A marriage with an amazing man of God for 10 00:04:25.000 --> 00:04:27.019 years. Still in that marriage with that amazing 00:04:27.019 --> 00:04:32.060 man of God. Two healthy children. I had a career 00:04:32.060 --> 00:04:34.259 that I loved in the finance industry. We were 00:04:34.259 --> 00:04:37.300 connected to a church that we loved. And yet 00:04:37.300 --> 00:04:39.959 there was this void and this pit in my stomach 00:04:39.959 --> 00:04:42.800 that I felt at the time. And it was there that 00:04:42.800 --> 00:04:46.720 God met me and impressed upon me a question that 00:04:46.720 --> 00:04:50.279 changed everything. And it was, what about the 00:04:50.279 --> 00:04:55.470 rest of them? What about the rest of them? And 00:04:55.470 --> 00:04:58.149 it was as if like my blinders were removed and 00:04:58.149 --> 00:05:01.550 I could all of a sudden see my life and my family 00:05:01.550 --> 00:05:03.569 and more to the point, those on the perimeter 00:05:03.569 --> 00:05:08.550 of it more clearly. I began to recognize in new 00:05:08.550 --> 00:05:11.029 and sobering ways that I had been so focused 00:05:11.029 --> 00:05:14.209 on my own little world, right? On working hard 00:05:14.209 --> 00:05:18.290 for my kids to thrive and flourish while ignoring 00:05:18.290 --> 00:05:21.490 the needs of other kids around the world. Not 00:05:21.490 --> 00:05:23.990 just kids, but other moms around the world that 00:05:23.990 --> 00:05:26.569 just wanted their kids to survive another day. 00:05:28.110 --> 00:05:31.970 And it was in that season that God gave my husband 00:05:31.970 --> 00:05:34.350 and I what is now our life verse from Luke 12, 00:05:34.430 --> 00:05:36.709 48, that says, to whom much is given, much is 00:05:36.709 --> 00:05:39.689 required. And to whom much is entrusted, even 00:05:39.689 --> 00:05:43.170 more will be asked. And we recognize that we 00:05:43.170 --> 00:05:45.970 had been entrusted with a fair amount, right? 00:05:46.089 --> 00:05:50.920 We have been entrusted with a fair amount. And 00:05:50.920 --> 00:05:53.160 we enter this path of discernment. And the point 00:05:53.160 --> 00:05:56.819 of the story is that we took one small step. 00:05:58.180 --> 00:05:59.939 You know, the answer to the question, what about 00:05:59.939 --> 00:06:02.500 the rest of them? This vast and big question 00:06:02.500 --> 00:06:06.660 was one step for our family. We sponsored one 00:06:06.660 --> 00:06:10.819 child, a little boy from Ecuador. And slowly 00:06:10.819 --> 00:06:15.899 over time, everything changed. Our prayer life 00:06:15.899 --> 00:06:19.339 changed. The conversations we had with our kids 00:06:19.339 --> 00:06:21.420 changed, and over time, what I never would have 00:06:21.420 --> 00:06:25.000 imagined is that that one seemingly small step 00:06:25.000 --> 00:06:27.980 would contribute to a path of me standing here 00:06:27.980 --> 00:06:31.899 on behalf of World Vision with you today. But 00:06:31.899 --> 00:06:35.459 indeed, the path towards the rest of them was 00:06:35.459 --> 00:06:39.480 just a path of one step, and then another, and 00:06:39.480 --> 00:06:44.569 then another. Fast forward to today, and every 00:06:44.569 --> 00:06:46.389 day, I'm not sure about you, certainly in my 00:06:46.389 --> 00:06:47.990 world, there's another headline that kind of 00:06:47.990 --> 00:06:51.589 brings us to our knees. In Sudan right now, tens 00:06:51.589 --> 00:06:54.370 of millions of people are caught in the world's 00:06:54.370 --> 00:06:59.050 largest humanitarian crisis. In Haiti, half of 00:06:59.050 --> 00:07:01.829 the country is facing acute hunger while violence 00:07:01.829 --> 00:07:05.519 has reshaped daily life. In the Dominican Republic 00:07:05.519 --> 00:07:07.860 of Congo, families are navigating displacement 00:07:07.860 --> 00:07:11.660 and disease and instability all at the same time. 00:07:12.319 --> 00:07:15.439 And of course, there's ongoing wars in Ukraine 00:07:15.439 --> 00:07:18.100 and Lebanon and Gaza, and these are just a few 00:07:18.100 --> 00:07:21.420 of the places, right? Because what we're experiencing 00:07:21.420 --> 00:07:24.180 globally right now is not just widespread need, 00:07:24.319 --> 00:07:28.060 but it's stacked. It's things like conflict and 00:07:28.060 --> 00:07:31.379 climate shocks and economic pressures and displacement 00:07:31.379 --> 00:07:34.000 and this thing called fragility. And it's like 00:07:34.000 --> 00:07:38.560 all of it all at once. Right? Not just happening 00:07:38.560 --> 00:07:42.160 side by side, but stacking on top of one another 00:07:42.160 --> 00:07:47.079 and amplifying the crisis. What's starting with 00:07:47.079 --> 00:07:50.259 one crisis quickly becomes five. And what's beginning 00:07:50.259 --> 00:07:52.959 in one place is kind of moving to the surrounding 00:07:52.959 --> 00:07:57.269 areas. And the result is this heaviness in the 00:07:57.269 --> 00:07:59.889 world in this moment. Do you ever feel it? Certainly 00:07:59.889 --> 00:08:02.170 in my world, it feels like everything is kind 00:08:02.170 --> 00:08:04.490 of happening everywhere. And I know that's dramatic, 00:08:04.769 --> 00:08:08.970 but it feels that way at times. I think if we're 00:08:08.970 --> 00:08:13.009 honest, we see it, right? We feel it. It's in 00:08:13.009 --> 00:08:15.930 our minds. It's in our hearts. And sometimes, 00:08:16.110 --> 00:08:19.050 over time, something starts to happen in us because 00:08:19.050 --> 00:08:22.790 of it. We start to feel a little bit or a lot 00:08:22.790 --> 00:08:26.620 overwhelmed. We start to feel perhaps a bit numb 00:08:26.620 --> 00:08:29.660 to the need. Or maybe for some, this sense of 00:08:29.660 --> 00:08:34.120 uncertainty or skepticism about the mechanisms 00:08:34.120 --> 00:08:38.519 by which we could possibly respond. And underneath 00:08:38.519 --> 00:08:40.620 that, whether we say it out loud or not, this 00:08:40.620 --> 00:08:44.779 question begins to form. You know, if the need 00:08:44.779 --> 00:08:48.539 is this vast, and it is vast, and even though 00:08:48.539 --> 00:08:52.620 I know and I care, Does that small thing that 00:08:52.620 --> 00:08:57.860 I can do actually matter? You know, those who 00:08:57.860 --> 00:09:00.539 walked with Jesus certainly knew that feeling. 00:09:01.539 --> 00:09:04.759 You know, we read in the Gospels that Jesus had 00:09:04.759 --> 00:09:07.960 been teaching and healing, and eventually he 00:09:07.960 --> 00:09:10.840 and his disciples withdrew to this remote place 00:09:10.840 --> 00:09:14.059 up a mountain, we're told. And it was late in 00:09:14.059 --> 00:09:17.590 the day. You know, evening was approaching. And 00:09:17.590 --> 00:09:19.730 in Mark, the Gospel of Mark's telling of the 00:09:19.730 --> 00:09:21.730 story, we learn that Jesus actually wanted his 00:09:21.730 --> 00:09:25.549 disciples to rest. But the crowds kept coming. 00:09:26.350 --> 00:09:28.250 And it made sense that they were coming, right? 00:09:28.309 --> 00:09:30.690 Because, you know, we know that Jesus had compassion 00:09:30.690 --> 00:09:33.330 on them. It says elsewhere in Matthew that they 00:09:33.330 --> 00:09:35.330 were harassed and helpless like sheep without 00:09:35.330 --> 00:09:38.889 a shepherd. We're told in this story that, you 00:09:38.889 --> 00:09:42.669 know, he's helping heal the sick. And so this 00:09:42.669 --> 00:09:45.629 crowd is following Jesus on foot because he's 00:09:45.629 --> 00:09:48.389 bringing help and he's bringing hope in his teaching. 00:09:48.450 --> 00:09:51.190 And yet in this moment, they're just hungry. 00:09:53.029 --> 00:09:55.350 And they're not just hungry. I would imagine 00:09:55.350 --> 00:09:58.049 that walking on foot, listening to teaching, 00:09:58.110 --> 00:10:00.669 all the dramatics of the day would make you a 00:10:00.669 --> 00:10:04.309 little bit tired, perhaps restless. Maybe this 00:10:04.309 --> 00:10:06.110 is where we start to say not just hungry, but 00:10:06.110 --> 00:10:08.649 a little bit hangry, this crowd of thousands. 00:10:10.700 --> 00:10:13.840 And Jesus sees them, right? And doesn't just 00:10:13.840 --> 00:10:16.919 see them. He sees the unspoken need and he wants 00:10:16.919 --> 00:10:20.980 to respond. And so he turns to Philip, one of 00:10:20.980 --> 00:10:23.679 his disciples, right? And it says in John 6, 00:10:23.700 --> 00:10:26.419 6, he says, where shall we buy bread for these 00:10:26.419 --> 00:10:29.799 people to eat? Now, Jesus knew exactly what he 00:10:29.799 --> 00:10:31.639 was going to do, but the disciples didn't at 00:10:31.639 --> 00:10:34.480 the time, right? And so they did what any human 00:10:34.480 --> 00:10:37.080 being I think logically would do. They assess 00:10:37.080 --> 00:10:42.799 the need. They calculated. They ran the numbers 00:10:42.799 --> 00:10:45.580 and quickly realized this is an impossible problem. 00:10:47.220 --> 00:10:50.659 Then Philip said in verse 7, it would take more 00:10:50.659 --> 00:10:53.879 than half a year's wages to buy enough food for 00:10:53.879 --> 00:11:00.360 each one to have one bite. Every person, one 00:11:00.360 --> 00:11:04.419 bite. Can you imagine that? Imagine offering 00:11:04.419 --> 00:11:09.250 a crowd of thousands, one bite each. I would 00:11:09.250 --> 00:11:11.250 tend to think that this would stoke their anger, 00:11:11.389 --> 00:11:14.769 right? Not meet their need. And so they arrive 00:11:14.769 --> 00:11:18.970 at this completely reasonable conclusion. We 00:11:18.970 --> 00:11:21.210 learn in Mark's telling of the story that they 00:11:21.210 --> 00:11:23.730 say, you know, send them away so they can go 00:11:23.730 --> 00:11:25.929 and buy themselves something to eat. In other 00:11:25.929 --> 00:11:27.710 words, there's nothing we can do. They're going 00:11:27.710 --> 00:11:29.149 to have to just figure this thing out themselves. 00:11:31.169 --> 00:11:33.389 And it's not that the disciples didn't care. 00:11:33.529 --> 00:11:36.990 Of course they did. It's that the need existed. 00:11:37.000 --> 00:11:41.980 exceeded their capacity. There's no way they 00:11:41.980 --> 00:11:46.679 could feed thousands, and so why try? And then 00:11:46.679 --> 00:11:50.259 Andrew, another disciple, speaks up. He notices 00:11:50.259 --> 00:11:55.100 something small, and someone small. It says in 00:11:55.100 --> 00:11:59.039 verse 9, well, here's a boy with five small barley 00:11:59.039 --> 00:12:03.600 loaves and two small fish. Five small loaves, 00:12:03.600 --> 00:12:09.960 two small fish. from one small boy. And if I'm 00:12:09.960 --> 00:12:12.360 honest, I don't know about you, but I'm a little 00:12:12.360 --> 00:12:15.480 surprised that Andrew said this, right? It's 00:12:15.480 --> 00:12:18.340 kind of an embarrassing suggestion that's like 00:12:18.340 --> 00:12:21.799 a little bit ridiculous, right? 5 ,000 hungry 00:12:21.799 --> 00:12:23.720 people, and he's pointing to this one little 00:12:23.720 --> 00:12:28.340 boy's basket of food. And so, of course, it's 00:12:28.340 --> 00:12:30.799 no surprise that, you know, quickly after that, 00:12:30.860 --> 00:12:32.759 Andrew comes to his senses and says, but, you 00:12:32.759 --> 00:12:35.240 know, how far could they go among so many anyways, 00:12:35.460 --> 00:12:37.100 right? It's like, just kidding. Like, of course, 00:12:37.100 --> 00:12:40.360 that's not reasonable. It's too small to make 00:12:40.360 --> 00:12:44.440 any difference. And we don't know much about 00:12:44.440 --> 00:12:48.200 this child. Maybe, you know, I would imagine 00:12:48.200 --> 00:12:51.980 that he was hungry too, looking forward to his 00:12:51.980 --> 00:12:57.279 dinner. Or maybe, maybe. There was 10 loaves 00:12:57.279 --> 00:12:59.279 to begin with, and he had a stomachache from 00:12:59.279 --> 00:13:01.000 eating five of them. You know, we never know 00:13:01.000 --> 00:13:04.200 the circumstance of this child. But what we know 00:13:04.200 --> 00:13:07.440 is the little boy offered his basket of food. 00:13:08.879 --> 00:13:12.799 And Jesus took the loaves, and he gave thanks, 00:13:13.019 --> 00:13:20.120 and he began to distribute it. And somehow, in 00:13:20.120 --> 00:13:23.440 the hands of Jesus, what was seemingly not enough 00:13:23.440 --> 00:13:30.879 became. And not just barely enough, not rationed, 00:13:30.879 --> 00:13:32.879 as we were reminded in the reading, and it says 00:13:32.879 --> 00:13:36.620 in verse 11, that they had as much as they wanted. 00:13:37.600 --> 00:13:41.460 And there were leftovers. You see, Jesus does 00:13:41.460 --> 00:13:45.259 what only he can do, and he multiplies what was 00:13:45.259 --> 00:13:51.000 offered. Not all at once, but hand by hand, person 00:13:51.000 --> 00:13:58.159 by person, one step at a time. Here at World 00:13:58.159 --> 00:14:02.279 Vision, our vision, which you've probably heard 00:14:02.279 --> 00:14:05.740 before, but allow me to remind you, is for every 00:14:05.740 --> 00:14:09.740 child, life in all its fullness. Our prayer for 00:14:09.740 --> 00:14:12.779 every heart, the will to make it so. You know, 00:14:12.779 --> 00:14:15.220 every child not just surviving, but experiencing 00:14:15.220 --> 00:14:18.820 fullness of life. And this is what Jesus said 00:14:18.820 --> 00:14:22.500 he came to bring to everyone. It says in John 00:14:22.500 --> 00:14:25.700 10, 10, I have come to bring life, life to all. 00:14:26.320 --> 00:14:30.659 It's fullness. This is about dignity and empowerment 00:14:30.659 --> 00:14:34.440 and protection and growing healthy minds and 00:14:34.440 --> 00:14:38.179 healthy bodies and healthy relationships. It's 00:14:38.179 --> 00:14:40.559 about being able to experience the love of God 00:14:40.559 --> 00:14:45.100 and to realize one's God -given potential. And 00:14:45.100 --> 00:14:50.480 every heart, to not just see, to not just stop, 00:14:50.740 --> 00:14:55.909 to not just care. But to have the will to move, 00:14:56.210 --> 00:15:00.529 right? The will to make it so by doing something. 00:15:01.610 --> 00:15:06.789 Not one heart, every heart. And here's the thing, 00:15:06.789 --> 00:15:09.710 if I can be real with you. When you hold this, 00:15:09.830 --> 00:15:12.470 you know, every child and every heart against 00:15:12.470 --> 00:15:15.570 everything that's happening everywhere, it can 00:15:15.570 --> 00:15:20.590 feel just a tad bit overwhelming. You feel pretty 00:15:20.590 --> 00:15:23.690 heavy at times. And frankly, in my world, sometimes 00:15:23.690 --> 00:15:27.009 it feels like you're swimming upstream and the 00:15:27.009 --> 00:15:30.950 currents are surrounding you. But here's what 00:15:30.950 --> 00:15:33.870 I've come to learn. That we were never meant 00:15:33.870 --> 00:15:38.210 to carry the weight of every. We were meant to 00:15:38.210 --> 00:15:42.490 faithfully focus on the one. And then the next 00:15:42.490 --> 00:15:46.480 one. You see, the disciples didn't feed 5 ,000 00:15:46.480 --> 00:15:52.600 people. One disciple saw one child. And the little 00:15:52.600 --> 00:15:56.620 boy didn't feed 5 ,000 people. One boy offered 00:15:56.620 --> 00:16:02.299 one basket of food. And in the hands of Jesus, 00:16:02.360 --> 00:16:10.360 it was multiplied. And 5 ,000 were fed. You know, 00:16:10.360 --> 00:16:14.519 this is what we see. time and time again at World 00:16:14.519 --> 00:16:18.259 Vision that when someone says yes to one child, 00:16:18.559 --> 00:16:21.860 we connect them meaningfully to that child, right? 00:16:21.899 --> 00:16:25.559 To pray for them and to encourage them and to 00:16:25.559 --> 00:16:28.120 champion them as they become an agent of change 00:16:28.120 --> 00:16:32.039 in their life and in their community. And at 00:16:32.039 --> 00:16:35.080 the same time, we in turn partner with the broader 00:16:35.080 --> 00:16:38.600 community to address the context around the child. 00:16:39.360 --> 00:16:41.460 Because we recognize that if you want to change 00:16:41.460 --> 00:16:44.659 the whole life of a child, you need to change 00:16:44.659 --> 00:16:48.620 the world in which the child lives. And so we 00:16:48.620 --> 00:16:51.899 walk alongside families to help them strengthen 00:16:51.899 --> 00:16:54.100 their livelihoods so parents can provide food 00:16:54.100 --> 00:16:57.220 for their kids. We work with community members 00:16:57.220 --> 00:16:59.600 to ensure they have access to clean water so 00:16:59.600 --> 00:17:03.179 kids aren't walking for hours for basic needs 00:17:03.179 --> 00:17:07.450 to survive. We invest in health care and nutrition 00:17:07.450 --> 00:17:10.769 so children can grow and develop, and we support 00:17:10.769 --> 00:17:14.789 education so they have this tangible hope for 00:17:14.789 --> 00:17:18.650 the future and opportunities to pursue. And we 00:17:18.650 --> 00:17:22.190 help build systems of protection and care so 00:17:22.190 --> 00:17:25.670 kids are safe, they're known, they're valued 00:17:25.670 --> 00:17:29.970 by their neighbors and by society at large. And 00:17:29.970 --> 00:17:33.109 when this... cumulatively begins to change in 00:17:33.109 --> 00:17:35.589 relationship to one another, the child begins 00:17:35.589 --> 00:17:38.529 to change. And as the child begins to change, 00:17:38.589 --> 00:17:41.029 they in turn further begin to change the world 00:17:41.029 --> 00:17:43.609 around them. They impact their family and their 00:17:43.609 --> 00:17:45.869 peers and their community. And it becomes this 00:17:45.869 --> 00:17:49.670 mutually reinforcing, unstoppable ripple effect 00:17:49.670 --> 00:17:53.809 of change in the community, in the nation. And 00:17:53.809 --> 00:17:58.700 we believe in time in the world. Because what 00:17:58.700 --> 00:18:01.440 begins with one child doesn't stay contained 00:18:01.440 --> 00:18:06.720 to one child. God multiplies it. And he mobilizes 00:18:06.720 --> 00:18:10.019 others to join him to realize that multiplication. 00:18:10.940 --> 00:18:16.880 You with me? So a few months ago, I was in Honduras. 00:18:16.900 --> 00:18:20.019 I was hosted by Tony, the hostess with the mostest, 00:18:20.059 --> 00:18:23.950 so I can affirm that he is exactly that. And 00:18:23.950 --> 00:18:26.309 I was able to visit the community that you had 00:18:26.309 --> 00:18:29.769 been partnering with for some time, Nueva Frontera. 00:18:29.970 --> 00:18:35.069 What a joy that was. And of course, it was the 00:18:35.069 --> 00:18:37.609 kind of community where we heard about the hard 00:18:37.609 --> 00:18:40.650 choices that the families still had to make. 00:18:41.289 --> 00:18:43.809 You know, one of the realities that we were sitting 00:18:43.809 --> 00:18:48.420 in was the reality of child labor. Kids who were 00:18:48.420 --> 00:18:50.759 working with their parents in the fields because 00:18:50.759 --> 00:18:53.980 the parents didn't have another option. And specifically, 00:18:54.099 --> 00:18:56.640 this was quite relevant in the coffee fields. 00:18:57.019 --> 00:19:01.339 And so the community came together because they 00:19:01.339 --> 00:19:04.599 were supported by World Vision and supported 00:19:04.599 --> 00:19:08.599 by a church like Trinity to realize a different 00:19:08.599 --> 00:19:12.299 vision and future for their community. And they 00:19:12.299 --> 00:19:14.799 worked together to create a simple alternative. 00:19:15.880 --> 00:19:17.900 A place where children could come together to 00:19:17.900 --> 00:19:20.619 be cared for. So they didn't have to be in the 00:19:20.619 --> 00:19:23.920 fields with their parents. They created a place 00:19:23.920 --> 00:19:26.680 they call a holistic child development center. 00:19:27.059 --> 00:19:30.279 Where kids could come and be known. They could 00:19:30.279 --> 00:19:34.519 play. They could grow. They could gain new passions 00:19:34.519 --> 00:19:38.089 and skills. And the parents they discovered in 00:19:38.089 --> 00:19:40.450 time were able to work more effectively. In fact, 00:19:40.470 --> 00:19:42.809 they were more productive and were able to earn 00:19:42.809 --> 00:19:45.730 more because they weren't distracted by the kids 00:19:45.730 --> 00:19:50.710 along their side. You see, it was one small shift, 00:19:50.930 --> 00:19:54.910 one change initially, but it didn't stay that 00:19:54.910 --> 00:19:57.920 small. Eventually, in time, they began working 00:19:57.920 --> 00:20:00.700 with local coffee buyers and with the Ministry 00:20:00.700 --> 00:20:04.140 of Labor so that farms in the area were expected 00:20:04.140 --> 00:20:08.339 to operate without children in the fields. They 00:20:08.339 --> 00:20:11.019 secured local funding to keep centers running 00:20:11.019 --> 00:20:15.079 long after their ability to personally sustain 00:20:15.079 --> 00:20:18.849 it. And the children themselves are now creating 00:20:18.849 --> 00:20:21.730 art using coffee paint, homemade coffee paint, 00:20:21.849 --> 00:20:24.109 and selling it. That's what you're seeing here 00:20:24.109 --> 00:20:27.130 was them teaching me. I was terrible, by the 00:20:27.130 --> 00:20:28.710 way, so they were laughing is what you're seeing 00:20:28.710 --> 00:20:31.589 in that picture. So they can earn an income. 00:20:32.569 --> 00:20:36.789 And again, what began as one simple change meant 00:20:36.789 --> 00:20:39.789 that one child left the field, and then another, 00:20:39.990 --> 00:20:43.430 and then another, and then another. The impact 00:20:43.430 --> 00:20:48.380 multiplied. I also met one little girl from the 00:20:48.380 --> 00:20:51.759 same community. Her name was Anna Victoria. And 00:20:51.759 --> 00:20:54.640 Anna Victoria is joyful and she is confident 00:20:54.640 --> 00:20:58.259 and a ball of energy. And she was also born with 00:20:58.259 --> 00:21:01.900 Down syndrome. And her story is that her father 00:21:01.900 --> 00:21:04.599 died from gang violence when she was about one 00:21:04.599 --> 00:21:07.099 and a half years old. Her brother then fled the 00:21:07.099 --> 00:21:09.920 area because his life was at risk. And so her 00:21:09.920 --> 00:21:13.430 mom was raising her as a single mom. And the 00:21:13.430 --> 00:21:16.109 medical expenses and need that Anna Victoria 00:21:16.109 --> 00:21:20.289 had were significant. But again, because of the 00:21:20.289 --> 00:21:23.549 local community coming together, supported by 00:21:23.549 --> 00:21:26.470 a community and a church like Trinity, there 00:21:26.470 --> 00:21:30.609 was hope and opportunity in this household. Anna 00:21:30.609 --> 00:21:32.549 Victoria initially, by the way, couldn't walk. 00:21:32.769 --> 00:21:35.869 So she was provided surgeries, medical care, 00:21:36.130 --> 00:21:39.859 socio -emotional support, a wheelchair. And over 00:21:39.859 --> 00:21:42.920 time, through the interventions in place and 00:21:42.920 --> 00:21:45.220 through the support that her mom was trained 00:21:45.220 --> 00:21:47.740 to help her with like physiotherapy and training, 00:21:47.839 --> 00:21:53.079 in time, Anna Victoria started walking. An answer 00:21:53.079 --> 00:21:56.259 to her mother's prayers and her mom was clear 00:21:56.259 --> 00:21:58.940 with me that what brought her joy is that she 00:21:58.940 --> 00:22:01.359 was able to hand back this wheelchair to the 00:22:01.359 --> 00:22:03.859 next person in the community that might need 00:22:03.859 --> 00:22:07.140 it. Her mom also, by the way, was gifted a few 00:22:07.140 --> 00:22:10.619 chickens, taught how to raise them, how to sell 00:22:10.619 --> 00:22:13.440 the eggs for income. They have multiplied over 00:22:13.440 --> 00:22:17.140 time in ways that allows her to provide for Anna 00:22:17.140 --> 00:22:21.680 Victoria. Anna Victoria is now also a child that 00:22:21.680 --> 00:22:23.839 I sponsor. Couldn't leave without that happening. 00:22:24.539 --> 00:22:28.400 One choice towards one child that I trust God 00:22:28.400 --> 00:22:32.980 will continue to multiply. So what do we know? 00:22:33.710 --> 00:22:36.890 When we know that we can't do everything, but 00:22:36.890 --> 00:22:40.109 we can do one thing. And we know that we can't 00:22:40.109 --> 00:22:43.829 address needs everywhere, but we can invest somewhere. 00:22:44.490 --> 00:22:48.289 And I'm incredibly, not just grateful, but in 00:22:48.289 --> 00:22:52.769 awe of this church's long -term investment in 00:22:52.769 --> 00:22:56.150 Honduras and in particular in the community of 00:22:56.150 --> 00:23:00.519 Nueva Frontera. And so the question for you today, 00:23:00.660 --> 00:23:04.440 I would suggest, is just what's that one next 00:23:04.440 --> 00:23:09.359 step for you? What one faithful step might God 00:23:09.359 --> 00:23:13.680 be calling you to next? Perhaps for some of you, 00:23:13.700 --> 00:23:16.359 it's the opportunity to sign up to be chosen. 00:23:17.769 --> 00:23:21.710 To say yes to one child and be one small but 00:23:21.710 --> 00:23:24.789 important part of their life transformation story 00:23:24.789 --> 00:23:27.089 in ways that I'm telling you from experience 00:23:27.089 --> 00:23:31.069 will transform your life as well. Perhaps for 00:23:31.069 --> 00:23:34.329 others of you, it's the opportunity to say yes 00:23:34.329 --> 00:23:37.569 again to being chosen a second time, perhaps 00:23:37.569 --> 00:23:41.750 a third time, because you have more to give to 00:23:41.750 --> 00:23:46.079 those who need it. Perhaps for others of you, 00:23:46.180 --> 00:23:49.640 it might be something different. Maybe a prompting 00:23:49.640 --> 00:23:53.200 that God has placed on your heart to make something 00:23:53.200 --> 00:23:56.799 so in the world, whether it's through prayer 00:23:56.799 --> 00:24:01.039 or a social enterprise that can support the area. 00:24:01.079 --> 00:24:02.779 I've heard some of those stories already today, 00:24:02.859 --> 00:24:06.720 which is remarkable. But whatever that one step 00:24:06.720 --> 00:24:09.880 is, in the context of a world that is so desperate 00:24:09.880 --> 00:24:14.099 for help and for hope, I encourage you to not 00:24:14.099 --> 00:24:17.740 miss the opportunity and to certainly not dismiss 00:24:17.740 --> 00:24:21.380 what may seem seemingly small in relation to 00:24:21.380 --> 00:24:25.799 the need. Because in the hands of Jesus, I'm 00:24:25.799 --> 00:24:31.180 here to remind us that it is multiplied. Let 00:24:31.180 --> 00:24:38.420 me pray. God, what a privilege it is to be among 00:24:38.420 --> 00:24:42.349 your children. Those who love you and love their 00:24:42.349 --> 00:24:46.329 neighbors locally and globally. And to be reminded, 00:24:46.410 --> 00:24:49.930 God, of the ways that you are at work in and 00:24:49.930 --> 00:24:53.210 through this church and in and through every 00:24:53.210 --> 00:24:56.930 life represented here. God, we thank you for 00:24:56.930 --> 00:24:59.210 the way that you are at work around the world, 00:24:59.289 --> 00:25:02.130 the way you're at work in the country of Honduras, 00:25:02.190 --> 00:25:05.029 the way that you are at work in Canada and at 00:25:05.029 --> 00:25:08.829 work in this church. And God, we just... Continue 00:25:08.829 --> 00:25:11.410 to offer all that we are and all that we have 00:25:11.410 --> 00:25:14.250 and that next faithful step that you are calling 00:25:14.250 --> 00:25:18.569 us to, to you, God. I pray that we would continue 00:25:18.569 --> 00:25:22.769 to faithfully follow you as you lead and guide 00:25:22.769 --> 00:25:26.430 and direct. And that God, that you would do immeasurably 00:25:26.430 --> 00:25:30.269 more than all we could ever ask or imagine in 00:25:30.269 --> 00:25:33.410 Christ Jesus. We pray this in the name of your 00:25:33.410 --> 00:25:39.029 son. Amen. Thanks for tuning in to this week's 00:25:39.029 --> 00:25:41.690 episode of Trinity Sermons. This sermon was recorded 00:25:41.690 --> 00:25:44.269 at Trinity Church Streetsville in Mississauga, 00:25:44.309 --> 00:25:47.390 Ontario on May 31st, 2026.