Day 5 in Vancouver 🇨🇦🥞
We started the morning with a bit of rest, something our team was thankful for after several full days of ministry. It was a much-needed break to fellowship, do laundry, and prepare our hearts for another evening of serving.
After lunch, we headed to the UBC campus and continued asking students what they were grateful for and how we could pray for them. Because it is midterm week, many students shared that they were feeling stressed or overwhelmed. Still, God gave us meaningful opportunities to connect and listen.
Kim, Morgan, and Jacob stayed in the Student Life Center, where they used a conversation tool called Soularium, a deck of 50 photographic images paired with reflective questions designed to break barriers in conversation. Prayer requests from the day included midterms, grad school applications, peace during anxiety, and curiosity about church. Some students even came back later to ask where the church meets.
Caleb spent time with a few students playing frisbee on the field, which opened the door for new connections and conversations.
Later that afternoon, our team helped prepare for the Prayer and Pancakes event. Cole, Cindy, and Kim made over 500 pancakes, and we served at least that many students. In fact, we had to make an extra grocery run because we ran out of pancakes AND syrup within the first hour and a half. Many were surprised that there was no catch; they were simply grateful for the kindness and conversation.
Laura was our champion pancake inviter, encouraging students to stop by for a warm meal and a moment of encouragement. She was able to witness firsthand the joy that free pancakes can spark for students going through midterms.
This event was called "Pancakes & Prayers" so there was also a prayer table set up, which invited students to build a "prayer stack," just like a stack of pancakes, by adding their prayer requests on sticky notes. Morgan & Jacob prayed for many students throughout the night, including one Muslim student searching for peace in his life and studies, and another student from Iran who shared his powerful testimony. After years of searching for identity, moving from Islam to a gender transition and eventually encountering Jesus, he shared how Christ changed his life completely. He asked for prayer for encouragement and strength as he continues his walk with the Lord.
The event was filled with laughter, gratitude, and meaningful conversations. It reminded us that sometimes the simplest acts, like serving pancakes, can open the deepest doors for ministry.
The best way to show the love of Jesus is not always through grand gestures or polished words, but through simple kindness, genuine care, and presence. Every prayer, every smile, and every pancake was a reminder of how God's love can meet people right where they are.
