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En Outside the Garden Gate
Victoria Park is a quiet green space in the heart of Kitchener-Waterloo, Canada. It’s a place where you can go to relax and escape the rush of everyday life. On sunny afternoons, you might see couples wandering hand in hand or bikers and joggers weaving along its winding paths under towering maples. You might also hear laughter echoing as kids crouch by the ponds to toss crumbs to ducks gliding across the still waters. It’s a place of peace for most who go to this little corner of the world. But for Christopher, this park’s beauty had no effect on the storm that raged inside him. As he walked along its borders, it felt like joy was a garden just beyond the gate—and he didn’t have the key.
Just ahead, Christopher could see a group of people making their way toward the park—a GO Team of volunteers who had traveled from across Canada and Brazil to share the gospel in Kitchener-Waterloo. Little did he know but they had just left Benton Street Baptist Church when two of the volunteers, Cidinha and Alexandra, noticed him and walked his way. Cidinha introduced herself, and as they began to talk, his voice was immediately filled with emotion. He told her his name and shared that his mother, Catherine, was in the hospital—frail, unable to eat, and pulling at the tubes meant to keep her alive.
As he spoke, tears welled in his eyes. Cidinha and Alexandra listened, their own eyes filling too. After a few moments, they prayed with Christopher—for Catherine’s healing and for his own heart. Then, right there on the path, Christopher paused. He spoke a quiet prayer—simple words, but ones that would forever change his life. In that spot, with the trail stretching ahead and the trees standing silent, Christopher met the Prince of Peace—and he prayed to follow Jesus from that point forward.
When the team left, they handed him a Hope magazine—a resource that combines Scripture with stunning photography of Canada, designed specifically to help readers experience God’s Word in a fresh and inviting way. But what Christopher carried home that day was far more than printed pages—he carried a new faith that tears could not wash away.
As the park remained calm and sunlit, its quiet beauty mirrored the peace now settling into Christopher’s heart—a peace that only God can give.
Let’s praise God for this moment and pray not only for Christopher as he begins his journey with Jesus, but also for those he loves—like his mom—and everyone he will meet along the way. May his faith ripple out and bring hope to many.
And let’s keep going, until the Good News that was shared with us, is shared with all.
