A story of HOPE pt.1

“The Dark Missionary”

Over 800 miles northwest of the bustling concrete jungle that is Toronto sits a tiny piece of land that might as well be a million miles away from everything. Or at least that’s what it probably feels like. The snow-banked shores of Pine Lake are only accessible by plane, and for the few who ever actually make the voyage out to this remote part of northern Canada, they enter into a community that’s home to approximately 700 First Nations people.

Forty years ago, Ralph Rowe was one of the few who made the voyage. A former priest and missionary pilot, he flew his own plane into the isolated village and quickly began to build relationships and gain the trust of the members of the community by holding church services and organizing youth events.

But the good news Rowe should have brought to the residents of Pine Lake was tainted by darkness. For nearly two decades, he sexually abused hundreds of First Nations boys, many of whom either took their own lives or still struggle today with depression. Instead of saving souls, he crippled them. Rowe created a sense of fear toward Christians because the people put their trust in a Christian man who came to their village disguised as light.

And yet no man can damage anything beyond what God can repair.

Four decades after Rowe left an incalculable amount of devastation and suffering in his wake, a family known as the Garcia Family (name omitted for security purposes) would travel to this same village and attempt to help the residents heal from their wounds. Little did they know, they would inherit the distrust that Rowe left as a result of his heinous betrayal. This family was the second family approved by The GO Fund back in 2015. It would have taken them decades to pay off their student loans, but they now exit a plane awaiting the arrival of what would be a life-altering mission for God's kingdom.

More on this story to come…

If you would like to play a part in the story of the Garcia Family and many other missionaries, we’d love for you to consider donating to our EOY campaign as we seek to raise $50,000 to fund a decade of mission work to the Unreached. We have surpassed the halfway mark and have just under $25,000 left to raise.

A story of HOPE pt.2

“THE IMPOSSIBLE mission”

(If you have not read part one, please visit here)

The Garcia Family knew they had their work cut out for them. They began feeling opposition almost immediately after touching down, knowing full well that to earn back the trust of the people, they’d need to trust God to pave a way to share the Gospel. That opposition was spearheaded by a respected elder of the community who voiced his concerns, letting the Garcia Family know they were not welcome here.

During their first year, the Garcias’ main priority was to love and care for the community, despite how they were treated. They wanted to make it clear to the local people that they were there to serve the community. Within that year, they cared for the village people by meeting tangible needs such as camps and education for kids, helping with funeral services, providing help around people’s homes, and being a calming presence in times of crisis. The Garcias built trust.

 After that first year, as the family made plans to build a home in Pine Lake, that same elder still opposed the idea of them taking up residence among the First Nations people. Begrudgingly, he allowed them to build their home. 

As the Garcias continued to attempt to immerse themselves in the community and build relationships with the residents, they got word that there was a woman who had been suffering from severe, unyielding migraines. This woman’s name was Hope. Hope was the daughter of the same elder who strongly opposed the Garcias’ decision to live among the First Nations people of Pine Lake. 

 The Garcias, fully trusting in God, were allowed to meet with Hope and pray for her. Within minutes, the migraines had miraculously disappeared. She gave all of the credit to God and surrendered her life to Christ, becoming the first female Christian of this remote village. Since then, she has rapidly grown in her faith, and as a result, members of her family — including her father — have become advocates of the ministry. 

There’s no question that this was a defining moment in the history of this community. Hope, after being healed and learning of the salvation offered to her through Jesus, was saved by grace, and her decision led to a resurgence in the community of people being open to hearing the Gospel. None of this would have been possible if it weren’t for those praying and supporting the ministry of The GO Fund so that families like the Garcias could reach the unreached. As we finish 2019, we finish with much hope and expectation that God is going to continue to do something incredible in and through this organization and the community of people with us. 

Our prayer is that one day we will stand before Jesus in all His majesty and as we worship Him, we will look around and notice men and women doing the same thing. Perhaps, an unknown person approaches you in their glorified body and simply says “Thank you.” You don’t recognize this person from your time on earth but what you come to discover is that you played a part in their salvation story because the missionary you funded was the one who brought them the Gospel in their language for the first time. Those are the stories we look forward to. So we invite you to consider an opportunity to partner with us as we seek to raise $50,000 to fund 10 years of mission’s work so that more people like Hope can be given the opportunity to hear the Gospel for the first time.