Starting in 2024, Trusting in God's Provision

by Joel Garcia

It's been six years since we arrived in Canada. We came from Venezuela with the desire to serve the Lord in 2017. I arrived in Toronto with my wife, Mairee, on July 21. We had been married for ten months, and our English needed more work. Indeed, we were terrified. In our homeland, we lived in a tiny town called El Piñal. Arriving in Toronto was a complete change for us. It was a challenge that we did not imagine. But we knew that the Lord was with us, and that was enough.

The Lord opened doors for us in the Latin American Mission. We started working with migrant workers who came to Ontario to work on the farms. At the same time, we began serving in Iglesia Hispana Nueva Vida (New Life Church). We have seen that the Lord has had mercy on us, and in his grace, he has used us to minister to the Hispanic people in this city.

Sometimes, I ask myself, what am I doing here? Why did the Lord bring us to Canada when he was not on our planes? I can only say that the Lord wants us to be here because He wants His name to be known. This is what brings happiness to our hearts. We have served Georgetown for the last 3 years. We started serving on the farms, but now we serve the Hispanic community in that area. We see people thirsty for the Gospel who want to know God more. The Lord has also allowed me to be one of Toronto’s La Iglesia Cristiana Nueva Vida (New Life Christian Church) pastors. We see that the Lord continues to save his people, bringing us great joy.

On the other hand, our daughter Abby is now three years old, and Mathias is one and a half years old. Both are a gift from God, but they are still our instruments of sanctification. It is challenging to do ministry while raising our children. Our prayer to God is that he saves them and that they will become his disciples.

But I also want you to know that I started this year by thanking God for our supporters. Your donations have led us to exalt the name of God. Thank you for giving for God's work.

Prayer requests:

1. For the Hispanic ministry in Georgetown through Maple Avenue Baptist Church. Pray that the Lord will allow us to share the Gospel and that people will know it.

2. For the New Life church. May the Lord allow me to be a faithful shepherd.

3. For my family: May the Lord bless our marriage and allow us to raise our children according to the Word.

4. My father, Ysac García, has cancer and recently underwent surgery.

Philippians 1:12 “I want you to know, brothers, that the things that have happened to me have resulted in the advancement of the gospel.”