What a blessing it was to have a full team and full program for Truth Corps this summer for the first time since 2019! Our team hailed from far and near, including members from Canada, America, Australia and Jamaica. What a lovely thing it was to watch brothers and sisters from diverse backgrounds, of varying ages and experiences, all bond together into a strong team that encouraged each other to be bold in professing our hope to others.

We started with our training week at Idyllwild Bible School where team members participated in afternoon sessions to prepare them for their preaching activities, and also helped teach four of the kids classes during the week. One of the advantages of doing the training at a Bible school was that we also had a variety of young people join us during the training, to see what Truth Corps is all about.

After Idyllwild, the team headed up to help the Sidney and Victoria ecclesias in British Columbia promote and run ecclesial open houses. These were a great success, and are definitely something for ecclesias to consider when trying to increase visibility and relationships in the areas surrounding their hall.

The final week of this year’s program brought the team to Antigua for a whirlwind of lectures and children’s Bible activities. Our team experienced a new country and culture, and were strongly reminded that no matter where we are, our fellowship in Christ bind us together as brothers and sisters with a common goal.

Below, team members share with you their impressions of their Truth Corps experience. We hope you will read on!

 

Sis. Stacia Olsen (Hyde Park, Adelaide)

Idyllwild/Training

My favorite part of Idyllwild was seeing everyone for the first time and getting to know our Truth Corps team. This year’s group had such a wonderful mix of ages and backgrounds, and it was a real joy to connect and share experiences with one another. From our very first meeting and connecting with the Los Angeles ecclesia, to teaching Sunday school and beginning our training at Idyllwild, I felt we built a strong bond that became the foundation and strength carrying us through the rest of the trip.

Victoria & BC

We flew to Canada with high hopes and immediately hit the streets, inviting people to our open houses (a special thank you to Sidney and Victoria, you were so warm and welcoming!). When we first went out preaching, I was full of anxiety. The unknown of “what will this actually be like?” weighed on me heavily. Yet, after just one door, I felt an unexpected sense of ease. Standing there, waiting for someone to answer, and then being able to share God’s word with a stranger was not only a privilege but also an enormous encouragement to my own faith. Each time someone was willing to have a genuine conversation, it was such an incredible rush. Later, when the ecclesias hosted their open days, seeing the very people I had spoken to walk through the doors was so rewarding. Preaching has become a new passion for me, and learning how to share the gospel more effectively has been one of the greatest blessings of this trip. It was deeply encouraging to see real results from those efforts, but even more uplifting was the time we spent with our generous brothers and sisters. These past weeks have been some of the hardest, most emotional, challenging, and yet best weeks of my life. I truly love our community, and I love my team.

Antigua

Running the Vacation Bible School for a group of very enthusiastic young children was the absolute best! Each day began with praise, followed by a Bible lesson, readings, and then a craft or two. The kids’ energy was contagious, at times they were so excited they would run around the room during breaks just out of sheer joy. Many of them came from different backgrounds, not always Christadelphian, so having the opportunity to share with them about Jesus and His love was such a blessing. After a full day of teaching and activities, we would head to the beach for a swim in the most refreshing, crystal-clear tropical waters, best end to the day!

 

Sis. Prisca Brinkerhoff (Denver, Colorado)

Each place we visited was so different from our time at Idyllwild Bible School in California. There, our days were packed with classes and reconnecting with friends we hadn’t seen in a while

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To British Columbia, Canada, where we visited the Sidney and Victoria ecclesias. We spent time helping them get the word out about the Christadelphians in their communities by going door to door. We met some really interesting people – one man I spoke with was convinced that humanity could fix itself if everyone just worked hard enough. Another woman very against preaching, going door to door, and giving out pamphlets so let’s just say we didn’t stay on her doorstep for long. Both ecclesias were incredibly welcoming, each with their own unique strengths and people eager to support our efforts.

Our final stop was Antigua, where we worked with the Gray’s Hill ecclesia to run a Vacation Bible School for the kids getting to know them and their crazy but fun personalities with some singing and crafts. There was some more door-to-door outreach to invite people to the evening talks that were done by the brothers on Truth Corps about the kingdom of God. I had so much fun getting to know this amazing team I definitely would do it again but it would be hard not comparing it to such a good group of all ages and from all over. Thank you all for making this possible.

 

Bro. Simon Keene (Grand River, Ontario)

Idyllwild

Idyllwild was a great training ground. We spent lots of time together learning about each other and about how to preach. My favorite part of the experience was the prayer circles where we would go over the details of the day that were often hilarious, and then pray for each other which deepened our friendships.

Victoria

Victoria was an area in the world that was absolutely beautiful, and a receptive area to preaching and to having deep conversations about beliefs. We spent 5 days knocking on people’s doors, and talking to them about many different things. My favorite conversation was with a man named John, who was very interested in learning about the end times.

Antigua

Antigua was also beautiful, but unlike Victoria, Canada, it was very poor. Yet the people were even more receptive, and wanted to know all about the kingdom to come, as well as other subjects like the Devil, however some were unfriendly. My favorite interaction was with a man who was accusing us of trespassing onto his front porch, to which my preaching partner Jane responded, “we’re bold” which really summed up the mindset we needed and started to develop on Truth Corps.

 

Sis. Eden Hunter (Saanich Peninsula, British Columbia)

Idyllwild

I loved being a part of Truth Corps at Idyllwild for a couple of reasons but the best part was teaching the kids classes and getting to know the part of the California community that was not in the same age-group as me. This part of the trip was also special because as a team we were just starting to get to know each other and learning how to work together.

Victoria

It was amazing to have Truth Corps come to my hometown and see the difference we were able to make in our local ecclesias and CYC. It was really motivating to go door-to-door in the local area and have Biblical conversations with strangers. I have already been using what I learned during these interactions in my everyday life.

Antigua

In Antigua I really felt Truth Corps come together as a family. We were pushed out of our comfort zones in many ways, but we worked so well together as a team. Specifically organizing the VBS and building relationships with the Sunday School kids felt like such impactful and meaningful work. Spending time together as a team during this leg will always be one of my most special Truth Corps memories.

 

Sis. Kharma-Nailah Johnson (May Pen, Jamaica)

Traveling this summer with the Truth Corps team has been, quite literally, the most spiritually enriching and fun summer in the quarter century I have been blessed to walk this Earth. I got to meet some amazing brothers and sisters in the actual team and at the three destinations we visited.

Our first stop at the Idyllwild Camp in the state of California was beyond uplifting and served as an added anchor in my faith. The Pre-K class I was blessed to teach was so intelligent, bubbly, and kind to each other. The activities we got to do were top tier (10/10 would do again and recommend). I was also always tired—between hiking and traversing the large camp, I’m pretty sure I lost weight. The training we received from Bro. David, Sis. Cassie, and other past Truth Corps members came in handy when we got to the second destination, Victoria and Sidney (on Vancouver Island, Canada).

The Canadian brothers and sisters were so welcoming and encouraging. We got to visit both the Victoria and Sidney ecclesias, where we were welcomed with open arms and many plates of food. I ate so much food and DQ ice cream I am positive I gained back the weight I lost from all that exercise in California. In Canada, we got to execute all we had learned between Idyllwild and the local ecclesias during canvassing. We spoke to different people in the neighboring communities around both ecclesias about the churches’ open houses, the Gospel, and related topics. Some were receptive, and others had a heart like Pharaoh’s.

After an amazing time in Canada, we embarked on the longest journey I have ever done in my life—to Antigua, our final destination. To me, it felt like I visited another part of Jamaica (Antigua felt kind of like home). Here, we were also accepted with open arms, curry in roti, and smoked turkey (10/10 will eat again). The brothers and sisters were eager to help us in any way during accommodation, Vacation Bible School, and canvassing. This zeal also encouraged us to perform our best in all our tasks. The side adventures were amazing as well. I got to go snorkeling for the very first time, and it was such a blessing to see other creations our God has made up close (10/10 will do again).

This entire journey was necessary for me to see that there was more I could do in my ecclesial and personal life in regard to spreading the Word and living a life akin to the principles I have been taught “frah mi eye deh a mi knee” (meaning from the time I was a child).