Hello everyone and welcome to this week's episode
of Trinity Talks. My name is Kyla and I am excited
to sit down here with Donald and we're going
to chat a little bit about your experience of
faith and your family's experience of faith.
Yeah, what brought you to Trinity and how you've
sort of seen your faith grow over this time.
So thank you so much for joining me today, Donald.
You're welcome. Yeah, so maybe we'll start out
sort of at the beginning. How did you first hear
about Trinity? Well, we, me and my wife, sometimes
we went over a table. There's a table across
the street from Presco's. Yeah. And you put food
on for people who are less fortunate and everything.
Yeah. And we go to the food bank and everything.
And so what extra we have, we went and put on
the table and everything. And then we saw a sign
saying community meal. Yeah. So I asked my wife,
well, do you want to go and try it? So we went
and tried the community meal. And all the community
people were very friendly. And then we met Bill.
And Bill was this amazing person. Yeah. And he
said, well, why don't you come to church and
try it out? Yeah. So we came to church and everything,
and we just fell in love with it and everything.
Yeah. Now for almost two years, and I really
love it. Yeah, yeah, that's awesome. So you started,
you came to the community meal first, and you've
kept coming to the community meal, right? Yes.
Yeah, so what do you like about that? I like
it because I meet new people and everything,
and I still get to talk to the staff and everything,
and they're all very friendly. They're like a
family. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So you get to meet
lots of people. People really care about you
and you get to. Yeah. And you get to meet new
people, which is good. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
So you've come. You made this connection with
Bill and Bill invited you to come to church.
So why? Why did you decide that you wanted to
go to church? Well. I was curious because we
were looking for a church anyways. We wanted
to go back to church and everything. And so I
asked Dwight, Dwight, do you want to try the
straight church? He said, yeah. So we came and
everything and we fell in love with it. Okay.
So I was encouraged and everything. I was very
pleased to meet Rob, you know, and the way he...
teaches the scriptures and everything. You know,
it's totally different from what I used to do.
Okay. Because when I was a kid, I always went
to church. My parents always told me to go to
church and everything. Yep. And I got baptized
as a kid. Okay. So that's the reason why we choose
this church because we thought it would be a
wonderful family home. Sure. Yeah. So what are
some of the things that you liked about Trinity
when you started coming here? Well, I liked the
congregation. Mm -hmm. I liked the lovely music
that Libby, Libby, you know, provides in our
service and everything. And I loved all the people.
Yeah. You know, you talk to people and everything,
you know, come in the auditorium, you talk to
them and everything. Mm -hmm. So it's... Just
the love that I have for all the people, and
I love talking to people. Yeah, yeah, you're
a real people person. Yeah, I like to, you know,
share a little bit of your story, get to hear
from other people. Yeah, yeah, so I think that's
really good, you know, that you get that sense
of community and that sense of family. Yeah,
yeah, for sure, for sure. So you said that you
went to church when you were a kid, and then
maybe you stopped going to church for a little
while and then sort of came back to Trinity.
So what do you think helped you to have an interest
in faith again? Well, I kind of had dreams, okay,
when I was young again and going to church and
everything, and I was an altar boy and everything,
and I kind of missed it. Sure. So that kind of
made me, me and my wife say, look, we want to
find a church that's really good and everything,
you know, and so that's why we choose Trinity.
Yeah. Okay. It makes us feel at home. Yeah, for
sure. And so then once you were here at Trinity,
you decided to go and do Alpha, right? Yeah,
so Alpha is an eight -week course where people
can ask some questions and learn more about some
of the basics of Christianity, about who Jesus
is and what the Bible is and all of those sorts
of things. So what was your experience like with
Alpha? Well, I talked to Rob and said that we
like to get baptized. Okay. So Alpha was one
of the courses we had to take. Yeah. But it was...
Just going there and seeing how many people really
came there and everything. And the wonderful
staff there and everything. And the words that
we watched, we watched the videos and everything.
It was just so powerful. And I got to learn more
about what God really, really does for us. Okay,
yeah. So it was really, really. And I think it
got me a little more understanding of why God
died on the cross for us and everything. Sure.
And then I said, yes, this is what I want to
do. Sure. Okay. Is there one thing that you learned
in Alpha or one moment that really stands out
to you? Well, the small groups. Yeah? Small groups.
We all got to learn about everybody else. Sure.
Testimony and everything. So that was one thing
that was really, really. Yeah, that was just
really important for you. Yeah. Yeah. To get
to ask your questions and hear other people's
questions and stories. Yes. Yeah. Yeah, for sure.
So you said before Alpha, you had decided that
you wanted to get baptized. So what made you
decide that you wanted to get baptized? Well,
it was a lot of thinking and everything. Sure.
And then I said to my wife, do you want to get
baptized? And she said, yeah. So we talked to
Rob and everything. He planned the dating. But
the first one, unfortunately, the first time
that he booked it, we got sick. Right, yeah.
So we couldn't come and everything. And it was
also... A journey that I'm on to be closer to
God and being baptized is another step in being
closer to God. Yeah. So that's one of the reasons
why we got baptized, because we wanted to be
part of the congregation and be closer to God.
Sure. Sure. So what do you think started that
journey for you? Like what what made you want
to be closer to God? Well, going to Alpha and
learning more about God, what he does and everything
and miracles that he does and everything. So
I said, wow, I was amazed. Sure. And I said,
yes, I want to get baptized. Yeah. And when you
think about like your own life and faith, like
are there things, ways that you have seen God
help you in your life? Yes. God has helped us
basically through, okay, when we've been financially,
you know, we need help and everything. He has
provided the financial stuff to help us to go
and have a roof over our head. You know, he's
helped us at Christmastime and everything. And
he's helped me with my pain and suffering that
I'm going through. I have rheumatoid arthritis.
I thank God, and I thank God for the doctor that's
provided me the medication and everything to
help me to deal with these pain and sufferings
that I'm going to go through for the rest of
my life. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I think, you know,
we've talked a few times before, and, you know,
you'll come to the church and you'll ask people
to be praying for you, and I think to sort of
see that faith, right, and to know, you know,
that... God is listening to our prayers, right?
And that I think often God uses other people
to help answer our prayers, right? That God uses
the church or the community meal or your doctor
or whoever, right? That when you pray, God answers
those prayers, but God uses other people to help.
Yes. Yeah. It's everything. Yeah. Yeah, for sure.
For sure. And when you think about like following
Jesus, what does that mean to you? Well, that's
a hard question, really. Yeah. But I think it
means that just listen to what he does, reading
the Bible, learning more scriptures about the
miracles he does and everything, following his
word. Yeah. You know, and just. trying to do
every day what he wants you to do. Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah, for sure. For sure. Yeah. And so being
part of the church helps you to do that, right?
Yes. And yeah, going to Alpha and being part
of the community and all of those things, for
sure. Yeah. And when you think about you were
baptized, has it been a year since you were baptized?
Last year. Last year. Yeah, that's what I thought.
So have you seen how... Any changes in your faith
or anything like that since you were baptized?
Oh, it's gotten a lot stronger. Yeah? Yeah, and
I would be scared to pray, but now I love to
pray now. Yeah? Yeah. My biggest problem is I'm
not reading the Bible because I... I misplaced
my Bible, and I can't find it. Oh, okay. We'll
need to find you a new one. Right. But you can
still pray. Yes. Yeah, yeah. I pray all the time.
I pray for my wife. I pray for her. I got to
pray for another friend, okay? He's got mental
illness and everything. And Lauren, she goes
through rough times. So when people come to me
and say they're having a rough time, then I pray
for them. Yeah. And I say, God, just help me.
You know, show me how I can help these people.
Yeah, for sure, for sure. So my faith in God
has gotten a lot stronger. Yeah, and I think
even just that confidence to pray, right? Yes.
And to know that God is listening. And I think,
you know, to hear the stories of... You know,
you prayed and you asked God for help with the
pain that you were dealing with. And there was
an answer to that. There was people to sort of
support you. And, you know, you pray when you're
struggling financially and then God provides
for you, right? All of that strengthens your
faith, I think. And it also has calmed me down
a lot. Sure. When I feel like I'm going to get
upset now, I pray to God and say, go. God, please
don't let me start yelling and screaming and
everything and getting out of control. I don't
want to, I don't want to go back the way I was.
Sure. Yeah. It gives you like to pray. It gives
you a time to breathe and time to sort of center
yourself and to say, it's okay. God, God is with
me and all of this. And maybe to even ask God
for patience and peace and all of those things,
which is hard when you got to. A challenged child.
Yeah, for sure. Be patient, you know. You're
trying everything, but sometimes it doesn't work
out. You still lose your temper. Like you say,
like Rob says, we're only normal people. We make
mistakes and everything. So I just pray to him
when I'm getting upset and say, please help me
to just understand that she's, yes, she's 29.
But her mind is of an eight -year -old. Right.
So she's like a kid. Yeah. And it's kind of hard
for me because now I'm 62 going on 63. And it's
hard for me to go back to that way when you start
taking care of eight -year -olds again. Yeah.
I'm kind of older now than what I used to be.
So it's very hard to switch back. Yeah. But you've
seen God help you through that and give you that
patience and that peace. All those things that
you need. Yeah. I thank God. Yes. For sure. Yeah.
And I think also the reminder, you know, like
you said, we all mess up sometimes, but the reminder
that there's still forgiveness. Yes. Right. And
that God gives us love. God gives us the ability
to get through and to. God forgives us and asks,
like gives us the ability to ask other people
to forgive us as well. Right. So we can keep
rebuilding those relationships or fixing things
when we mess up. Right. Yeah. Yeah, for sure.
For sure. Yeah. So when you think about the Bible
and like some of the things that you've been
learning about or hearing about in church, are
there any Bible stories or Bible verses that
are really important to you? Well, The one about
the seed. Okay. I think it was three or four
different ways that the seed was put down. Right,
that it grows in the good soil or in the rocky
soil with the weeds. Yeah. And the one where
the seed was choked and everything. Yeah. So
that was one that was really, really good to
me. Another one that I really, really enjoyed
was... When I did read the Bible, like I said,
I constantly read the Bible, it was the Last
Supper. Okay. What Jesus did for the Last Supper
and fed 12 disciples and everything. And the
one that really, really touched me was when God
took four loaves of bread and I'm not sure how
many fish. Yeah, five loaves of bread and two
fish, I think. Yeah, something like that. And
he fed all those people. And then he had extra.
So it just showed the kind of miracles that he
can do and everything. And who wouldn't want
to have a person like that in their life? For
sure. Yeah, for sure. So when you think about
that story of the seeds, like what was it that
stood out to you about that? Was there something
that seemed really powerful or really important?
Well, I guess the seed that was on the rock that
grew. Yeah. That was, I say, on a rock and it
grew. Yeah. How could that be? Yeah. How could
that happen? Yeah. Because normally you put a
seed, you put it in the ground and in the soil
and everything. Yeah. So I was kind of amazed
how that grew. Sure. Yeah. And the seeds in the
rocks, they grew, but they didn't have very strong
roots. Yes. Right. So it didn't live for very
long. Yes. Right. But then, yeah, that reminder
that. Yeah, we need to make sure that we root
ourselves in our faith. It's not something we
just do every once in a while. It's showing up
all the time and being part of community and
praying and those sorts of things. Yes. And then
you said the Last Supper. So what do you like
about the story of the Last Supper? It was the
way that Jesus talked to the disciples and everything
and told them about it and everything. the disciples
accepted and everything and listened to him very
carefully and everything. And I guess what I
really liked about the Last Supper was that Jesus
said this was the Last Supper, so he knew he
was going to die. Yeah. And taking that time
to be with the disciples and to, I think what's
really important, one of the things I really
like about Trinity is that most weeks we do communion,
right? And it's that reminder that this is bread
and this is wine or this is juice, whatever it
is, and that these are things that we can tangibly
see and hold. But remind us of who Jesus is and
how big his love and his grace is. Right. And
there's one movie that is on every year that
I love to watch. It's the Ten Commandments. Okay.
It shows Moses, you know, and all the hard work
he had to do and everything. So. That was another
reason why I said, well, Moses can do this. So
can I. Yeah. Right. Yeah. So it influenced you
to want to do more. Yeah. I think it's really
good that we have those examples in the Bible
and then examples in real life, too, of people
who are following God or even when they mess
up. Right. Yeah. That they're doing their best
to live like a life of faith. Right. And they
they encourage us, I think. And it also shows
Jesus does get angry. Just like when Moses went
up to the flaming bush and he got the Ten Commandments
and took it down and the people were blessing
the golden calf, I think it was. And he was very
upset. And he said to the people, if you want
to come with God, come with me, come up here.
And other people didn't do it. God just got mad
and just, whoops. It's okay. and took took took
it and just threw in the ground and it just yeah
smashed in half so it shows that god does get
angry and then so it's hey he gets angry that
it's kind of shocking he gets angry sure you
know because uh it does say in the well i don't
think it says in the bible he's perfect okay
so Yeah. Yeah. And to think that, you know, our
our anger is different than God's anger. Yes.
But but that sometimes anger is OK. Yeah. Right.
That when things are really when there's injustice
and when things are really going wrong and people
are hurting other people, that anger is OK. Yes.
Right. What we do with the anger is is is an
important thing to consider. Right. We shouldn't
use that anger to then hurt other people. Yes.
But the emotion itself is it's OK. Yeah. Yeah,
for sure. Are there examples of people that you
know who have been really encouraging to you
in your faith? Well, like I said, there's Rob.
Yep. There's Libby. Yep. There's Bill. Yep. There's
Dave. Mm -hmm. There's Wally. And what I like
with Dave and Wally is that they have a... life
group. Yep. Every Tuesday, the first thing in
the morning, about 7 o 'clock in the morning.
Yep. And I'm an early person. Yep, so that works
for you. And I love going in. We talk about what
Rob said and everything, and we answer the questions
and everything. But it's not just that. It's
also, we meet people from other worlds. Like,
I mean, other countries. You know, out of Canada,
stuff like that, you know. And it's great to
hear. what their challenges and everything, and
what we can do to help them. And one of the best
ways to do it is pray. Of course, yeah. Pray,
you know, because we can't just go next door
and say, hey, how are you doing? They're farther
away and everything. And they have their problems
and everything. So we like to pray for the problems
that they have and tell God, please help them,
you know. They need help and everything. For
sure, for sure. And that's why these are the
most important. And the congregation. I can't
have kids in the congregation. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
You're a real people person, right? You like
to be in the community and getting to know everybody.
And there's something about just being with other
people who are following Jesus that I think strengthens
our faith and helps us grow, right? Yes. Yeah.
Yeah, for sure. And I would love to participate
in the stuff where you guys go out. They said
they're going to have one where they go out and
meet people on the streets and everything. Sure.
But unfortunately, I've got a wife who's a diabetic
and her sugars don't cooperate. Sure. And I don't
have anybody to take care of her. Sure. So I
can do these things. Yep. So I want to do more
for the church. Sure. Yeah. Yeah. So I came in
one morning early. And Dave picked me up and
everything, and I came in, and I sat at the table.
So that was one good thing I did and everything.
And I want to do more stuff like that. Yeah,
sure. Yeah, just finding new ways to get involved,
to serve the community, and to meet new people
again. Yeah. Yeah, for sure. Yeah, I think that's
also a really important step in growing our faith,
right, is getting more involved. And also, I
told Rob, I would like to... Give out to Holy
Communion. Sure. Help out. Help out and everything.
Yeah. Yeah. There's lots of lots of different
ways to serve. For sure. For sure. Yeah. I used
to be a singer, but my voice is gone now. Sure.
I'd be kind of embarrassed to get up and sing
with Libby's group. Sure. But there's lots of
other ways to serve. Yeah. Yeah. I would love
to get up there and do it, but I don't think
I could. Sure. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But I think
this it's really encouraging to hear how you've
sort of. come back to faith and you've really
seen it grow, right? You've really sort of seen
God present in all of the ups and the downs.
And even when you're struggling, even when you're
not sure, you know, just keep taking each next
step, right? And keep... ask and pray and keep
you know coming back for to learn and to be part
of community all of that i think is is what grows
our faith even if it doesn't feel like it right
sometimes it's it's really small and so we don't
always see it when it's happening but you can
look back now and say a year ago i was i was
different i wasn't as confident in my faith but
now this is what it feels like right yeah so
my journey to god is getting closer and closer
you know and uh When I was a counselor at a camp
and everything, a Christian camp, it's called
Camp Cheerio. I don't know if you've heard of
it. I haven't, no. But I was a counselor and
everything, and I was teaching the kids and everything
about God and everything. And one night, the
Holy Spirit came over our tent, and it was amazing.
And I never heard of it before, but we all got
drunk in the Holy Spirit. I challenged any of
the kids to get up and get up, get up on the
top of the tent and get the taco bar. And here
the kids are trying to climb up and they're just
falling. Sure. Yeah. So a little bit of silly
maybe. But yeah, also just the sense of being
full of the Holy Spirit and being able to to
pray and to encourage one another and to feel
stronger in your faith. Yeah. And I kind of miss
that. I really miss that. Going to church and
talking about God. Sure. Yeah. So now. Sort of
being reconnected at Trinity, you can get little
tastes of that. Yeah, for sure. Yeah, well, thank
you so much, Donald, for sitting down to chat
and to share a little bit of your story. I think
that folks will feel really encouraged to know
that wherever people are at in their faith, that
God can be there with us, right? And God keeps
asking us, just keep taking the next step. And
I think, yeah, your story of community, of people
showing up and being part of that and people
who become the answers to your prayers and your
encouragement to pray for other people. Like,
I think all of that is a really strong encouragement
for me and for the whole church to sort of think
about how do we serve one another well and how
do we, yeah, just really show our faith and keep
growing in our faith even when it's hard. Well,
thank you very much. I'm very glad to do it.
Yeah. Yeah. And thank you for tuning in to this
week's episode of Trinity Talks. I pray that
wherever your faith is at, whether it's just
at the beginning stages or if it's coming later.
Yeah. Would you continue to take each next step?
Would you continue to find ways for God to pour
into you, for you to connect with God, whether
that's through prayer, through community, through
scripture? Yeah. May you. Grow in your faith
this week, even in the small ways. And we will
see you again next week.