It’s a bit sad to me that with the end of the Olympic Games, there is somewhat of an exodus out of the city and life returns to “normal.”  The Paralympic Games seem to ride on the coat-tails of the Olympics.  Here at YWAM Vancouver we’ve had to take that into consideration to figure out how to continue on in ministry during this time.  A lot of other ministries have pulled back on their efforts a bit, but we’ve really felt like it’s important for us to remain focused and involved.

In my mind, these Games are more inspiring.  To imagine what obstacles these athletes have overcome, how much harder they’ve had to work, how much they’ve had to specialize in what they do… it’s phenomenal.  We have felt like it is time to be open and to honour and celebrate the overlooked potential of these athletes.

And we have WAY less people involved: four full-time 2010 Project staff, two short-term 2010 Project staff, 13 with the YWAM Vancouver DTS, and one other registered participant from Memphis, Tennessee. That’s it.  Twenty people.  A far cry from the 170 we had last month!  But this enables us to get a bit more creative, be more flexible, and work more closely together.

Last Friday (the day of the opening ceremonies), we were at Robson Square for most of the day as it’s one of the busiest hubs downtown right now.  We were able to hand out More Than Gold pocket guides, visit with people, sculpt balloon animals, prayerwalk, and even had some people in Prayer Station vests.

We’ve also really felt that we are to have a strong presence in Whistler during these Games as that is where most of the events are.  Yesterday we made the trek up there and while most of our group attended the alpine skiing event, others were trying to hand out hot chocolate (we were quickly told by a by-law officer that this was not permitted) and praying in the Village.  We’ve been working closely with Jack Oppenhuizen from Invisible Nation, a ministry devoted to reaching the lives of those with disabilities.  He is up here with his family from Washington State and acquired a condo overlooking the Whistler Medals Plaza right in the Village.  It’s a fantastic place to meet and pray together as we try to serve in a place that we have never done ministry in before.

That’s all for now.  Keep praying for us!

-Krista Prins