Open Home Open Hearts

"I've only been here for 8 months. It's difficult here in Canada because my husband is in Korea."- Cathy (first person seated on right)

"It's a good way to share Jesus with others."- Jean (first person standing on left)

"Can we have the recipe to the salad dressing you made?" - Barbara (middle) and many of us who asked Grace (3rd from left seated) for the recipe to a pineapple/kiwi dressing she had made for her prawn salad.

When Emmie Stanley decided to move into a new place in Langley over a year ago, she had wanted to create a tea room for women who would come and enjoy a time of sharing and caring in a Canadian home. For immigrants, this is more than a tea room; this is a safe haven to develop precious friendships and to hear from one another. Life among the believers spelt out in Acts 2:43-47 ends with what the Lord did . "...And every day the Lord added to their group those who were being saved."

When we open our homes, we invite an openness of hearts. The first week Emmie had invited 10 women from the ESL class in her church to come for a high tea. Gail, one of Emmie's friends demonstrated how to bake scones. Life in Canada was discussed and questions were asked. 14 women came the second week and there they heard a personal testimony from Maxine who told everyone her own challenges coming to Canada as well as how she had met Jesus. They also talked about what heaven could look like. The final week, the women brought food for a potluck. Jean Long from China came to personalize the names of everyone by writing it out calligraphically in Chinese. Shirley shared the Gospel using Intercultural Network's Discovering God in Chinese characters.

Even though everyone who had come were already Christians, I have no doubt that the encouragement of such fellowships in a home will do more to inspire others to open their own hearts and their own homes to the unreached immigrant in our neighbourhoods.

If you wish to open your home to others and don't know how to do that, please call Janet or Shirley at (604)514-2000 to ask for our Open Hearts Open Homes Kit.