Young Toronto Recurits

As we get ready for our move to Toronto, we have been blessed by various ones interested in coming with us. There is one couple who is submitting paper work to continue their education in Toronto as they consider helping us start the church. This is a very interesting development and one I hope others will consider. You can advance your degree in a prestigious university in the Toronto area. There are many to choose from including the University of Toronto itself located in the heart of Toronto proper. You can locate it on a map of Toronto by simply following University Street. Simple, eh?

Those who enter with the education route will be able to get a visa relatively effortlessly, secure a working visa and become a resident. During the education visa term, there are possibilities for other forms or residency and occupation. If you read this blog and pray about your part in this church plant, consider this possibility.

Now consider this...evangelism! What better way to connect with the community and have an opportunity to witness than in a university environment. This entrance into Canada should prove to be a brilliant form evangelism. Tracey and I will likely be the only ones who can systematically reach out to people during the day and discover places to be a witness but those in university have a ready audience.

All along we have been talking about families securing a job and paper work to come and work with us in Toronto, but that has not produced much interest or effort on those even slightly interested. It is not that there are not jobs up there but that the process can be tedious and end with a denial of status or entry. Education is consistently approved and, don't forget, the possibilities of grants for education abroad exist. So, before you dismiss thoughts of joining the Dowdy's in Toronto, consider education.

Let's finish and start at the same time!

As Tracey and I are contemplating the last 10 months at Fair Oaks Church, we are finding a lot of stuff we need to finish. We think of selling the house, finishing my counseling degree, and passing on all the information I can for the next person taking over. To top that off, there are still all the sad goodbyes we will need to go through. There seems to be enough to finish that a getting started seems a long way off.

So when do we start? Now! We have paper work in for our move, investigating what it take to start a church in Canada, legal documents to accompany this start, and all the doctrinal and policy work on how this church will be formed. Plus, we are still looking for families to join us and get them started on this journey.

Keep us in the prayers...we need them as we finish and start...at the same time.

We are on our way!

We are only 11 months away from moving to Toronto. We have a lot of work to accomplish and will be praying for guidance from the Lord each step of the way. There is no way we can do this without Him or His call.

Pastor Stokes and Fair Oaks Church are the inspiration and full support of this endeavor, spiritually, emotionally and financially. Fair Oaks Church will have a "mini-me" in Toronto very soon! We love and appreciate the full support of my home church. God has richly blessed us with such great support and courage from our senior pastor to move forward in missions as we are today. Pastor laid out a vision for what we are doing a couple years ago and we are a part of God fulfilling it. To get a glimpse of the great ministry of Fair Oaks Church, visit www.loundonpurpose.com and see what I am talking about. I have been privileged to be an assistant pastor there for 8 years.

Tracey and I took a trip to Toronto in June and discovered that the Burlington/Oakville area is right for our family. In an interview with a local pastor in Oakville, we discovered that the area we have selected is the 2nd fasted growing region in North America. It is topped only by Las Vegas believe it or not. We were also introduced to an Ontario church planter leader who is giving us information about legally starting a church in Ontario and moving to Canada. This was a very fruitful trip and further evidence of God's guidance in this process.

Later this week, I will add a video we took of Toronto and used in our church to encourage others to consider the call to work up there with us and to enlist those who will join us for a week in August next summer to begin this ministry. Keep us in your prayers and ask God what your part will be in this work for Him.

Roy & Tracey Dowdy