The Prayer Palace Church - Where a Great City Wide Evangelical Meeting Took Place

Wow! What an experience we had at the Prayer Palace on a late September weekend!

The Prayer Palace Church, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

We have heard many stories and news reports regarding the declining Sunday Service attendances in churches across North America and in Europe.














However, for this particular weekend in September, we had quite a different and an uplifting weekend!

This weekend, my husband and I were involved in a Christian evangelical meeting aimed for a certain group of residents in
Toronto.

Main chapel of the Prayer Palace Church, Toronto

This Toronto wide meeting was held in one of the biggest churches in Toronto - Prayer Palace, located in the west end of the city.

Though we have been living in this great city for the past thirty years, we had never been to Prayer Palace.

It is a modern beautiful church that can accommodate about six thousand people at the same time.

Playground for the kids at the Prayer Palace Church 

It  also has great facilities such as a spacious outdoor playground for kids.

A spacious cafeteria for its congregants.















Pastor T., a children's pastor, led the Children' Ministry Team for this Toronto wide special event.

The Children's Ministry Team getting ready for the program in the gym

We have been planning, rehearsal plays and getting ready for this event for months.

It finally happened this evening at Prayer Palace.

Members of the choir for this special meeting entering into the sanctuary 

It was a thrilling and heart warming experience for us when we witnessed first hand the massive number of people being involved and helping in the organization of this meeting.

Tears filled my eyes as I saw the church filled up with people hungry for God's words

There were hundreds and thousands gathered together at Prayer Palace waiting eagerly to hear the powerful message of God! 

Tears swelled up in my eyes as I took a quick walk along one of the aisles in the gigantic meeting hall that could seat about six thousand people. The place was packed to the rafter!

We were glad to see so many people turned out to hear the gospel about Jesus!

Children gathered for their own meeting in the gym

While the parents gathered in the main hall, our team performed the program to about two hundred children who accompanied their parents to this outreach meeting.

It was not an easy feat to keep more than two hundred children with different language skills, age and diverse background interested for two hours.

S. led the count down activities prior to the start of the main program

The children's program began with some count down activities to get the kids quiet and settled for the evening's program.

Pastor T. and her worship team leading the singing

 Pastor T. and her singing team led the children in some lively songs and worship about Moses.

Games for the children before the message

There were a couple of games after the singing to allow the children to be active and spent some of their energy.

Bible play for the children - Pharaoh refusing to let the people go

The highlight of the children's program was the play about Moses/ Aaron approaching Pharaoh to have the Israelite released from their slavery in Egypt and a skit about the Wordless Book.

Both of these biblical plays demonstrated an important message to the children: God loved His people so much that He was willing to send His only son Jesus to come to this earth and bear their sins so that men and women on this earth could be redeemed and saved.

Do not underestimate the children's understanding of this important message. Many of them did understand and took the opportunity to accept Jesus as their friend and saviour!

We praise God for the opportunity to serve Him and delivered this all important message to the children at this Toronto wide evangelical meeting!




Praise God!

R.T.
Prayer Palace Church
Toronto

My First Day at the Tyndale Seminary, Toronto

Tyndale Seminary, Toronto, Ontario

Praise God! I am finally entering the seminary to learn more about the bible this fall!

Services are held at the Tyndale Chapel regularly

Studying in a bible college has  been a desire of mine for a long time!  Before I retired, I was too busy working full time at a high stress job.










Right after my early retirement, I had other family commitments and for the past few years, there were always something or distractions which prevented me from entering the bible college. Finally, this fall, I made up my mind to plunge into seminary school!

New students marched in and sat at the front rows of the Commencement exer.

Today was my first day going to the Seminary!  I was very very excited, a little nervous too!

The last time I was studying on a campus was more than fifteen years ago!  On my first day, I took part in the Commencement Exercise.  All the new students were invited to march down the aisle of the beautiful Chapel at the beginning of the service and were seated at the front rows.

Dr. Nelson addressed the students at the Commencement Exercise

The chapel was packed and I was straining my neck to see my professor for the first course I would be taking here at Tyndale.

Dr. Gary Nelson,  president of the college, addressed the students giving us a brief history to whom the seminary has been named after.

The student reps spoke at the assembly

It was a powerful story of faith and witness on the part of Mr. Tyndale!

I look forward to be back on a university campus attending the lectures and sessions, and interacting with other seminary students at Tyndale College!

R.T.

First Day of My Seminary Life

Toronto

Sept. 2016 

Atlantis - A Beautiful Venue for a Wedding Reception

Ryan's wedding at the Tyndale Chapel

It was a warm sunny afternoon. A perfect day to get married!

We attended Ryan Tong's wedding at the magnificent Tyndale Chapel in north Toronto.

Ryan and Juanita exchanging their vows 

It was a beautiful wedding ceremony attended by many people. The church was packed!

Proud parents of the groom

The proud parents looked on full of pride and joy as the bride and groom signed the wedding registry in front of friends and families.

Atlantis Restaurant, Ontario Place, Toronto 

The wedding reception was held at the Atlantis Restaurant, right by the Ontario Place in the waterfront area of downtown Toronto.

Looking out from Atlantis Restaurant to downtown Toronto; CN Tower is in the background

Lake Ontario

On one side we could see downtown Toronto with the CN Tower in the background.

Overlooking part of Ontario Place

On the other side, we could see Lake Ontario.

Wedding reception at Atlantis, Ontario Place, Toronto

We were at Atlantis for a banquet before. This was our first time here for a wedding reception.















There was a cocktail reception before dinner was served.

Since both the bride and groom work in the medical profession, there was a pill box filled with sweet little treats at each guest's setting.

How cute was that?









Dinner started at around 7:30 pm when there was still sunlight outside.

Sitting inside the restaurant, guests could enjoy the sunset view of Lake Ontario and the city.

As the dinner progressed, we noticed the lighting and the scenery outside also started to change.




It was a gorgeous sunset!

















When we looked up, we saw the new couple having their pictures taken on the roof of the restaurant with shimmering lights reflected off the lake and the CN tower as the background.

What a spectacular scenery!

Parents of the bride and groom gave their speeches and shared their happy moments with the guests.

Mother of the groom

Ryan T. and  his new bride

The parents' speeches were touching. Mother of the groom recalled vividly in detail some precious and tender moments between her and her son when he was a small boy.














She also talked about how she taught her son about tithing by giving him a dollar each week so that he could give 25 cents to the church each week as his offering.

It was clear that the parents instilled great Christian values in their children during their most impressionable age.

The new couple listening to their parents' speeches at the reception

I would never forget the story of the pajamas bought by the groom for his mother and how she used her tears as an object lesson to teach her son about God.

Father of the groom

The parents' excitement and happiness of their grown children's joyful union was evident on their faces.

 I wish I had done that for my own children when they were young.

 How Much Do You Know Each Other Game at the reception

At the wedding reception, we enjoyed the beautiful scenery from sunset to evening!

Night view of Toronto from the deck of Atlantis' 

Aside from enjoying a great wedding reception, guests were treated to beautiful scenery by the Toronto's waterfront.

There is no greater joy than witnessing your children grown up and being united with their soulmates and establishing their own families being embraced in God's love and the love of family and dear friends!

We were glad that we were a part of the wedding and shared our friends' happiness with them at such a memorable occasion in their lives!

R.T.
Celebrating R. & J.'s Wedding
Atlantis Restaurant
Toronto

Discovering the Trails in Milliken Park, Scarborough, Toronto

Milliken Park, Scarborough, Toronto

The weather  did not look good at all. The forecast for today’s weather was gloomy,  rain highly possible in the morning to thunder storm in the afternoon. 

We were supposed to take part in a fundraising walkathon in one of the parks in Toronto.  We were not sure if the event would be a go or not.

Autumn flowers  in full bloom!

We arrived at Milliken Park, located in the north eastern part of the city of Toronto, in Scarborough, at around 9:am. 

Black Eye Susan - a beautiful flower in the fall season

The rain seemed to have held off a little bit.

We discovered this beautiful park for the first time!

Though having driven by this park numerous times, we have rarely stopped and hiked on the trails inside the park.

It is funny how we are so used to being in our neighbourhood that we normally do not venture out to the other part of the city which is simply just a little out of our way.

Milliken Park, Scarborough, Ontario

         However, when we do, we can discover so much beauty around us!

This Saturday, we took part in a fundraising walkathon event trying to raise fund for the CCM community centre. 

Some warm up activities were planned for participants who wished to do some stretching exercises prior to their walk.

There was a gathering of all the participants underneath a park shelter with people leading singing followed by announcements.

We discovered beautiful trails in the park

After the opening exercise, each participant was given a disposable raincoat. We started our walk on the trails as designate by the CCM event organizer. 

A perfect picture taking spot!

We discovered bridges, colourful wild flowers, passed by fountains, ponds and green field full of wildlife.

Though the Milliken Park is located right in the city, it feels as if it was miles away!

Swans doing their communal cleansing rituals

We saw ducks lingered on clusters of rocks while swans congregated for their communal cleansing rituals.

Not far from the park, cars were zooming by yet the animals and walkers were taking it easy in this quiet tranquil setting.

Though it started to drizzle, walkers took their time to take in the awesome beauty of this park!

We walked with W. and enjoyed the conversations and sharing on the way.

W. has a lot of experience and was willing to share with us his wise insights on many things in lives. 

Being outdoors enjoying the sweet fragrant of the colourful flowers, getting some much needed exercises while sharing life's moments with great friends, we felt blessed!

R.T.

CCM Walkathon

Milliken Park

Scarborough, Ontario

Sept. 10, 2016