Author: jeanmarc

It’s been over a year since my last newsletter. So much has happened that it’s impossible to sum it all up in one letter. That said, I’d like to make two observations.

First, most of us are working ourselves to death to build dreams and establish ourselves as relevant in a world that is less and less stable socially and economically. I’m sure that most of us realize how little it takes (a cyber attack, a “distant” war, an accident, a virus…) for the whole world to crumble. And in the face of this instability, we’re asked to do more and have less room for error. I see it all around me, in the colleague who goes on “extended leave for an indefinite period” after a burnout, the student who comes to a Bible study with dark circles around his eyes, or the one who doesn’t show up and puts up with a superhuman academic/work schedule. I see it in myself, as anxiety paralyzes me when the time comes to present my scientific work: What if I haven’t done enough, what if I make a mistake and lose my job? My source of income? My reputation as a researcher? This anxiety is just as present in my job at GBUC: What if I haven’t done enough for the students? What if I’m wrong? Am I a good example, me with my failures, weaknesses and fears? Am I good enough?

While each of us responds differently to these questions, which are sometimes a little too self-centered, my second observation is that, if God is part of this internal questioning, if we give Him the authority over our lives, He is capable of producing fruit that will pleasantly surprise us. Reading Philippians 2, Paul tells us of a person who was expected to do the most difficult of works: “to save all mankind from sin and reconcile them with GOD”.

“In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!” – Philippians 2: 5-8

It’s interesting that, to do this, Christ was the servant of all, willfully second despite being Alpha and Omega, GOD Himself according to us who believe in Him. Isn’t this a challenging perspective in our increasingly individualistic world? That our successes, our trials, our dreams, our careers, our ministries, our choices be decentered from ourselves and point to GOD. That in all these things, the opinions of our peers be less important than that of GOD. That He who created all things have first place, and that His children, those around us, be precious in our eyes. In the end, isn’t the plan of this GOD, able to die as a man and resurrect for our eternal salvation, the best plan there is?

Over the past two years, I’ve seen in my own life and in the lives of Christians around me, that such an attitude, even if we are not perfect in it, produces a wonderful fruit. By the Lord’s grace, the GBUC have had some wonderful moments in which staff members and students have put themselves at each other’s service. It’s incredible to see GOD’s work continue with zeal on Quebec campuses after periods of absence due to COVID. Particularly at Polytechnique, a small group of students resumed their in-person Bible study meetings on campus after more than a year’s hiatus. This return was difficult, and came with academic pressure (overcrowded schedules) and economic struggles (especially for international students). Yet it has enabled a handful of students to make the choice to put GOD first in their lives.

As for me, I continue to witness what GOD is doing at GBUC-Poly and I also see how GOD is working in my personal life. HE has given me the perfect wife to accompany me in this ministry. Indeed, with her, we are the privileged companions of the students with our “5 loaves and 2 fishes” that we are happy to share on campus or in our apartment. While we have other demanding jobs that require a certain level of performance, we can count on GOD’s grace to give us peace of heart and make every aspect of our lives, especially our jobs, an opportunity for mission.

Please pray with us that GOD will continue to support us. Pray that HE will be at the center of our choices. May our Redeemer be at the center of everything that happens this fall at Polytechnique, a place ready for a great harvest. Let us pray for the students, each one invaluable in the eyes of our GOD. If you would like to support the GBUC ministry or mine financially, please go to www.gbuc.ca/donner.

I want to thank you, for your patience, your prayers and your generosity, all precious in the eyes of the Lord far more than I understand myself. May GOD bless you all!

Hello everyone. What an interesting year we had!

I have been meaning to write another newsletter for so long but the Lord allowed me to have a new job as a research scientist in addition to my job at GBUC. This meant many busy weeks that went by at a breakneck pace and I could only see my limitations. Remembering my first newsletter 2 years ago, when I was starting this ministry, I couldn’t help but wonder:

Was this difficult pace of work and its recurring challenges that brought me stress, doubts, questions, illnesses, paths paved with errors and uncertainties, really part of those “good works prepared in advance” of which Paul speaks in Ephesians 2:10?

I want to share with you a reflection we had with a group of GBUC graduates around a Bible study on Ephesians 2:1-10.

Working in a broken world

In this discussion group of professionals coming from very diverse backgrounds and fields, we realized that we are working in a broken world. Verses 1-3 got us thinking about “the ways of this world,” which seem to be the effect of a dominant system that interacts with the self-centeredness of the individual. In work situations, “the ways of this world” often value performance more than the well-being of people. they also suggest that our identity depends on the expertise we have. This paradigm hardly works in a world in which our 35 to 40 hours a week are filled with conflicting human relationships and unforgiving economic issues, in the midst of which our human weaknesses and limitations can only be more evident. This was not God’s original plan. It is clear from Genesis 2 that God wanted “man” to be a partner, relying on Him, working in community (with “woman”) to add value to the creation.

« The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. » – Genesis 2 :18-19

But then, sin came in Genesis 3 to make work a means of subsistence, often painful. Christian or not, everyone lives this reality.

Our identity in Christ

Yet as we read verses 4-7, the perspective changes. From condemned people, God changes our identity:

« … made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.… » – Ephesians 2 :5

Because of Jesus, we are saved. It is not our works, nor any expertise but Christ who defines who we are. Therefore, the life we live must be lived with eternity in sight.

« And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus »– Ephesians 2 :6

How can we understand these words, we who are sitting somewhere in Quebec, if not by the fact that our salvation is already acquired for the eternity to come, but its effect starts now. This does not separate us from the pain of this world but rather allows everything that happens to us to pass through the filter of the gospel.

So how can we make room for the gospel in our professional lives?

These works “prepared in advance”

Concluding our reflection with verses 8 to 10, perhaps we can reconsider our jobs. For if God prepares the works, they are at His service according to the identity He gives us. Perhaps we don’t have our jobs for great performances or professional success, but rather to take care of our colleagues and show them the love of Christ. Perhaps the “works prepared in advance” are those of long, difficult and hardworking hours that cause us to depend on God rather than our strengths. Perhaps our difficult and stressful work experiences are a school of compassion and grace for those like us who work hard or provide services for us. Perhaps we need to see our work as a spiritual discipline in which God manifests himself in his sovereignty, as in prayer and meditation. And, perhaps, if God has prepared works for us, we must submit them fully to him, taking the risk that they may not be the ones we imagine or the ones we are good at. Let’s think about that the next time we are frustrated with our work or someone else’s work. Let’s think about that the next challenging Monday before we begin any activity. Let’s look to the one who has a greater perspective on our reality than ourselves, God our Father, Jesus our Brother, the Holy Spirit our Comforter.

The work continues…

I continue to work in two different fields with the faith that all this was prepared in advance so that Jesus would reveal himself to students on campuses but also in the field of scientific research. In my case, the Lord has used many friendships that have helped me through some storms. He also used Bible studies on the book of Ruth during the summer to encourage me in my relationships so that the overflow of activities would not extinguish them. He comforted me as I sang praises to him in community and through trials. So let us walk with the grace of the Lord who owns the mission. He will sustain us and be with us, he Emmanuel (God with us).

Pray without ceasing…

Let us pray that in this Christmas season, we seize opportunities to proclaim Jesus, God who came as a child to stay with us forever. Pray also for the end of year activities of the GBUC, especially our participation in URBANA, the conference of North American IFES groups. May this event inspire students and produce strategic partnerships. Also, please feel free, if you would like to financially support the GBUC ministry or mine, to follow the link: gbuc.ca/donate.

Thank you for supporting the work that the Lord is doing in me through your prayers and donations. Merry Christmas! Jesus is near you where you are. Enter 2023 with Him… Work with Him… Stay close to Him. May God bless you!

Paul often exhorts us in his letters written from prison to rejoice in the Lord. Moreover, he not only says it, but we can feel the joy in his words. The example of the miracle he experienced in prison with Silas through worship is very revealing of the power of such an attitude (Acts 16:25). So, I would like to do this exercise for this newsletter which comes more than a year after I started working at GBUC.

« Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! » – Philippians 4 :4

I rejoice for the Church. I praise the Lord for the faithfulness of you, Christians everywhere. For after such a long period of crisis, you still seek the face of Christ. There has been no greater miraculous sign in this exhausting period of pandemic than the perseverance of many Christians, even of different opinions, in Quebec and all over the world. For me, Christ has sustained me since the beginning of my ministry in times of doubts and trials, through his Holy Spirit, his Word and his Church. And I rejoice that He has done so for you too.

I rejoice in our identity, hidden with Christ. Even if circumstances tend to make us forget it, let the Holy Spirit, the Word of God and the Church remind us that our Father is there in our lives. The Lord used our Bible studies at GBUC to strengthen our sense of that identity which is solidly anchored in Jesus. The example of Paul spoke to us greatly. Paul portrays in Ephesians this extraordinary reality that is beyond our comprehension but is already being fulfilled today in all aspects of our lives. Indeed, this former persecutor of the Church who “breathed out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples” (Acts 9:1), becomes, for Christ, this mature man who rejoices and weeps with fellow Christians (Acts 20:37). Moreover, he says in Acts 20:22: “And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there.”. Through Christ, in Christ and for Christ, he goes in a hurry to a place where he will face persecution (Acts 20:16).

I rejoice because God uses our five loaves and two fish. The miracle of Jesus feeding thousands with very little to begin with is my favorite in the gospels. It brings me back to my condition as a disciple who has very little to offer to a multitude of students each with their own particular circumstances. God works with what we are beyond our expectations. We see it in John 6:13 ” So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.” We were surprised this Fall session to have the authorization to have stands on campus to share our faith. We were also able to do face-to-face Bible Studies at ETEQ. This was very timely as we didn’t know what to expect when the school year started. I am happy to see a new face at each meeting: a student who has questions about faith, another who wants to return to his first love for the gospel, and another who has just moved to Quebec and is looking for a community…

I rejoice to show faith in God. His victory does not depend on our circumstances. I want to imitate the wonderful attitude of Paul and Silas, worshiping God in their chains (Acts 16:25). There is no certainty regarding the next semesters; except that there is hope for more students to turn to Christ. One of our challenges is to do face-to-face activities again on the Polytechnique campus to facilitate the participation of these overworked students. That said, I rejoice because even if some of them are less regular at our weekly meetings, their light shines brightly wherever they go and they keep on being faithful witnesses of God’s grace. Another challenge is to be more and more creative and committed to evangelism as the crisis seems to be ending. We have to be faithful and not just go back to our old habits from before the pandemic. I am excited because student initiatives are quietly and strongly growing. They are an inspiration to me. Explore the following links and be encouraged by Knowing your identity, Eding Agapeo, Revivre & Briller, Le bon Camarade.

I rejoice for a God who provides. I recently had the opportunity to participate in several courses and also in a research project at Polytechnique. I found myself sometimes doing more than 40 hours a week, teaching, correcting exams, doing research… For me, it is the grace of the Lord that keeps me close to my old university so that I can continue to work there with GBUC. He provides for my needs.

I rejoice for all the donators and those who pray for me. This spring of water, which is the testimony of your faith and is expressed in your generosity and prayers, makes a difference for the students of GBUC and me.

Yes, I rejoice in the Lord, for my family, for the students, for the fellowship, for GBUC and its directors… for Christ and His wonderful Church.

If you would like to share the joy of what is done at GBUC, please feel free to pray for us or make a donation. May God, “who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us” (Ephesians 3:20), bring you to experience His joy. May God be glorified in your lives!

With the recent news, the pandemic wreaking havoc in India and the rest of the world, the violence and injustice in Sheik Jarrah, the death of close people and acquaintances, I have felt deeply shaken. Faced with these situations, I would like to have obvious answers but I don’t have them, I would like to bring immediate solutions, but I feel humanly limited. Also, life doesn’t seem to have slowed down recently; working and taking care of students online require so much more organization than usual. Have you also had that feeling of having even less time than before? Yet, my Lord speaks of a peace that transcends all understanding, a joy that fills the broken-hearted, and he defines Himself as the God of justice. How can we live that reality in this broken world?

Phil.4:6-7 – “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Stop… Pray… Listen…

When Paul asks us to present our requests by prayer and petition, perhaps we have an image of ourselves weeping and complaining before our God. And rightly so, the Lord wants us to come to Him sincerely, as we are. He wants us to take the time to do so. But one of the components of our communication with our God, and one that I personally need to work on, is listening. In our prayers, we are often like Peter who, after Christ’s transfiguration, makes wishes that make little sense (“…He did not know what he was saying…” – Luke 9:33). But the voice of Our Father urges us to listen to Christ (“…This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.” – Luke 9:35). We did this exercise of taking the time to let GOD teach us, through Bible studies and prayers with the GBUC students of UdeM/Polytechnique. We were surprised by the results. Through the book of Luke, listening to Christ who travelled a country under the yoke of a cruel and unjust empire, with dishonest religious leaders and a poor and sick population, and approached his death with determination and a compassion for all mankind that defies understanding, has shaken our perspective. Despite all the injustice he experienced and saw, he never stopped loving all humanity.

Understanding the victory of Christ for all ages, through injustice and death, but also the resurrection so super-powerful, yet so sober and intimate in its unfolding (“As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them…” – Luke 25:15), allows us to not limit our understanding at our current condition but to be grounded in a hope that goes beyond our lives. We may never know in our lifetime the meaning and fruits of all the trials we experience. But we know that GOD’s plan is bigger than us, and if we follow Christ, we contribute to his perfect victory that begins now, even in our suffering, and will be fully accomplished when He returns. So, for all those things that are beyond us, near or farther away in the world, we can pray to him and trust that he will act in due time. So let us joyfully await his return while serving.

Thanksgiving… Act…

The chaos that surrounds us does not prevent God’s plan from happening. He even uses it accordingly to His will to lead hearts to His grace. The winter semester was one of the busiest for our student leaders. Many professors, who could not do on-site exams, had doubled the online assignments and thus the workload of the students. It became difficult for many to attend GBUC online meetings regularly and students had to be encouraged to make the choice to rest when needed, even if it meant missing prayers and bible studies. Yet, GBUC students were dedicated to sharing their faith. During the Easter season in particular, at the initiative of the students, we each contacted one or two people to bring them comfort and encourage them to look to the cross of Christ, the only true hope in these times of crisis. We were surprised by the response to this “seed of love”. Also, we shared the Christian vision of Easter in two videos that were seen by hundreds of people. I invite you to watch them and practice your french by following these links: Part 1, Part 2. Let us rejoice that GOD is speaking through our lives. He has allowed this vital message of salvation in Christ to be published by young voices, purified by Christ and blessed for the work of Christ.

Personally, during this period, I was encouraged and continue to praise the Lord for the support in prayer and financially for my work at GBUC. May GOD infinitely bless all of you who help me in this good work! I also had a research contract at Polytechnique, a school that GOD seems to want to keep me close to. The challenge of managing this job with the one at GBUC was considerable because of the large number of work hours cumulated per week. Yet, I have seen and continue to see the grace of the Lord through weeks where I prepare technical reports one day and a Bible study the next. If working with students is a priority, I thank the Lord for allowing me to exercise the scientific skills he has allowed me to have.

Restart…

The chaos has not stopped around us. People are still suffering and it is normal that this suffering, which is also ours, continues to challenge us. That said, our Peace is that Christ knows perfectly well what it feels like (“He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain…” – Isaiah 53v3), and through the Holy Spirit HE lives in our hearts. His victory at the cross, that of his resurrection is true, whatever the circumstances are (“And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.” – Ephesians 1:22-23). So, this summer we will continue with the students studying the Bible, praying, building our community, and sharing our faith.

Please pray for us :

• That Christian students who have lost their way in this time of pandemic may come back to Christ;
• For the mental health of students, Christian and non-Christian alike, that has been strained by these long periods of social distancing and isolation; online meetings have become burdensome;
• That we may be witness creative and wise witnesses of the Love of God while campuses are closed to activities deemed non-essential at this time;
• That the upcoming reopening of the campuses may be more than ever in favour of sharing the gospel; and even if it’s not, that students may shine their beautiful light in Christ so that GOD may harvest through GBUC.

And, pray for me that I creatively and wisely balance my various responsibilities. I love this wonderful work of seeing Christian students change the world. The world is broken, but this Peace that Christ has given is our share until the end of time.

If you want to be a part of what I am doing, feel free to pray or donate. I thank again all those who are already doing so and are the means by which GOD has surprised me wonderfully and continuously since, already more than a year ago, I made the decision to serve at GBUC.

Happy new year 2021 to all of you! Before talking about the new year, I would like to share a reflection on our journey from 2020 to 2021.

Was 2020 really a bad year?

For the whole world, it was obviously a difficult year: health, political, social, economic and even technological crises. For students in Quebec, online courses were tedious. Many teachers, “startled” by the situation, had to improvise. I contributed to a course at Polytechnique. During the sessions, the anxiety was evident. With other teachers, we agreed that this anxiety could even be read, more than ever before, through the student reports. The students at GBUC were under the same type of anxiety. Yet, as a community, our understanding of this situation was far from negative. In fact, I think that we have grown in maturity, even more so than in previous years. Like Paul said, speaking from a prison, I would say as well : “Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to…” us “…has actually served to advance the gospel” (Philippians 1:12).

Yes, 2020 was difficult, but God also did something special. I would like to share with you the experience of a student at Polytechnique.

Murielle, student at Polytechnique

I wanted to do an internship for the summer of 2020. But, I had a particularly difficult semester before that and I was asking myself a lot of questions. I was wondering if I should continue the program; if I could find an internship. So I prayed my concern to God. I decided to stay and I prayed that He would give me an internship by His grace. The school often organized visits from companies. One day I decided to go to one of them. I spoke with a few employers. It was for me the first time, I was anxious. At the beginning of 2020, a company contacted me. I did an interview and received by the grace of God an offer for an internship as production supervisor.

Then COVID-19 happened… I was wondering if my internship was going to be maintained or cancelled. By the grace of God, the company kept my internship. I learned later on that it was the only internship that had been maintained in the factory. I was really grateful to the Lord. For four months, I was challenged by the expectations they had of me. I had to replace production supervisors on vacation. It was the first time they had opened this type of internship. Quite an experience! At first, I was scared when I realized all the work ahead. And, I heard comments from my colleagues: “You can’t learn in a few weeks what I’ve learned in 30 years”… “You’re going to sink your internship, we kept you the hardest tasks for the end”… “Poor you, it’s too difficult”… I rejected all these negative words in the name of Jesus. We prayed with my friends from the GBU and I continued to give my best. By the grace of God, the end of my internship went very well and my boss told me how proud he was of me. He acknowledged that the challenge was big, but was very happy with my work. He even looked for ways for me to stay after my internship.

By this testimony, I want to share that God is the one who directs our steps. It took me only one visit, one application to get my internship, when I thought I couldn’t find one. God is active even in times of crisis; His favor opens doors and preserves us. I had an internship in the midst of this crisis, even though many internships had been cancelled. We must never let ourselves be discouraged by the negative words of others. With God, we can do the impossible and His power is made perfect in our weaknesses. All we have to do is trust in Him and keep on working.

Be blessed

A faithful God in 2020

At GBUC UdeM/Polytechnique, I saw with a grateful heart the students during the past semester getting involved in the Bible studies, the times of prayer and getting organized to take care of people who might be isolated because of the confinement. I also took care of GBUC’s online communication and was pleasantly surprised. The students, through their involvement and testimonies, greatly enriched the content viewed by thousands of people, including their friends, in Quebec. If you have some time, check out the Facebook, Instagram or twitter pages of our organization.

Will 2021 change everything?

For those who expect that our journey from midnight to midnight and a second changed everything, I have good news and bad news. The bad news: no. it will not change everything in this world. Time passes as it always has. There will always be hard times and peaceful times. The good news: no, it doesn’t change the nature of our God. He is that God who renews His mercies to us every morning. He was able to surprise us in 2020 in spite of everything, and He will do it again, for the GBUC students and all His children. So we must continue the work and invest even more in serving our Lord. As a matter of facts, the more difficult the circumstances become, the more the need for the gospel will be evident; the greater our investment should then be. Let us therefore remain courageous!

Finally, pray with me…

Pray with me for the students:

• Many live alone during these times of curfews and restrictive measures in Quebec.
• Students at GBUC want to serve and share their faith on their campuses and need God to inspire them and make them creative in the face of such circumstances.
• The economic situation is deteriorating. May students have peace of mind about their professional future and especially think about it by giving priority to the One who can open all doors.

Pray for me personally because I need wisdom in this work. I would like to start a series of online videos: student testimonies on how they came to Christ and the daily impact of the Divine Word in these difficult times.

Thanks to all of you

I started my commitment to GBUC in 2020 and received support even before I asked for it. And when I asked for it, my family, friends, church, and the Church in general blessed me. For this, I am infinitely grateful and pray that everyone in 2021 may keep this image of our God who does not change, is faithful, powerful, full of grace towards us. Even the painful moments we are living or have lived will be used to make our lives bear wonderful fruit. He will bless you. Thank you with all my heart for supporting me or considering to do it again so that I can reach my goals (How to help?). A big THANK YOU to Murielle for her wonderful testimony and to our GOD who makes it all possible.

This is the first of, I hope, a series of monthly news about my ministry with students in Quebec.

Ephesians 2:10: ” For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

It seems that this verse comes back to me frequently, and even more so now in the midst of this COVID-19 crisis. I remember that the first time I really studied this text, I was at a student meeting hosted by a member of the GBUC. Years later, it often comes up in my discussions with members of the GBUC and my church. It is a fantastic idea that at all times, good or bad, GOD has a plan for us to practice what is good. Having said that, what are these good works?

For me, they have taken the following form. On June 30, 2014, I arrived in Montreal filled with the hope of completing my PhD in Industrial Engineering in three years… Six years later, on August 6, 2020, I found myself defending my thesis online due to the restrictions related to the COVID-19 crisis. Needless to say that things did not go as I had planned. Yet I am very grateful. I have faith that this journey beyond my control made me realize that God was giving me the opportunity to serve Him in universities. He has therefore trained me to become a Doctor in Engineering but also a missionary.

A few months after my arrival at Montreal, with friends and with the support of the current directors of GBUC, we started a Bible Study Group at Polytechnique. There were 3 of us and we invited our friends to come weekly to discuss texts from the Bible. Even though I had served with other Christian groups for a long time, especially in Côte-d’Ivoire since 2003, this experience was special because Christian faith in Quebec has seemingly been put in a corner, as if it were marked by a certain shame or embarrassment. During the 6 years that I spent at Polytechnique, I was able to see an administration in the image of our province reluctant to have our faith openly lived. I also saw Christians hiding their magnificent light on a campus with students who were mostly atheists or Muslims.

However, I also shared some great experiences that made me grow. I think of this Congolese student who, encouraged by our little Bible studies, envisioned and directed a humanitarian project in his country, a solar powered well that brought water to a few thousands. I think of this French student who accepted Christ through a Bible study. I think of the moments during which I freely shared my opinions on the question of faith with my research supervisor. I think of the courage it took me to write the following words in the acknowledgements of my thesis, which should not include any religious signs:

“There are many people that I would like to thank who contributed directly and indirectly to the completion of this thesis. Having said that, let me first thank the One who is and who led me on the path of each of these people. For me, who carries out research in industrial engineering on reliability models, I see links between phenomena that seem at first random. For me, there is in the concept of this Person that we do not master the explanation of these phenomena that we live and apprehend sometimes in stochastic forms, and whose interactions produce the beauty of the world and the lives that surround us, whether they are for us coherent or not. These aspects motivate my vision of the world, my way of being and have inspired my research, which I hope will have brought a bit of meaning to my life and those of all the people I have met during my studies.“

I am encouraged by what GOD has done in our lives, even though to this day there is still much to be done. Our group is not officially recognized by the administration. This restricts any possibility of openly share our faith on campus. Moreover, to take up the idea of Matthew 9:37, Polytechnique has thousands of hearts that could be won for Christ and a dozen GBUC students.

The recent health crisis does not make things any easier. In order to cope with it, the university has opted for mostly online classes. This implies an additional personal workload for the students. And as if that wasn’t enough, for all these future engineers, a recession is looming and the job market is becoming tougher. In response to the crisis, the GBUC have also adopted an online formula. The challenge is that these additional online moments be different and bring rest to students on the verge of exhaustion. The work of helping, accompanying and training students as disciples of Christ becomes more complex but also more important with the necessity of social distancing, the abrupt changes in the university programs, and the overall impact of the crisis on professional career dreams.

If all students in Quebec and around the world are exposed to these difficulties, we, as Christians, have hope and belong to the One who is in control of the situation. We must therefore continue to share our faith. Inspired by our recent biblical studies in Paul’s letter to the Philippians, we, GBUC in Montreal, want to persevere. Indeed, Paul’s example speaks to us. He, imprisoned, evangelizes his jailers and communicates hope and joy to those who are not in jail. He takes advantage of his seemingly unfavorable status to share his faith. Therefore, since we have to do most of our activities online or are restricted to smaller than usual communities, we must come closer to GOD so that HE may use our situation for the His kingdom. To this end, we train, encourage and accompany students in sharing their faith.

I am particularly working on our strategy regarding social networks that occupy such a large place in the lives of young people. According to recent statistics, it is estimated that approximately 100,000 French-speaking students between the ages of 18 and 30 are regular users of Facebook and/or Instagram in Quebec. I think that seeing people like them, of their age and from diverse backgrounds, sharing their faith openly and courageously on these networks can have a great impact. But it is a work that requires a lot of investment and in which students need to be mentored. The following link leads to a video that was made for the beginning of fall 2020, in order to open our arms to students that might be isolated: https://fb.watch/1f9d7F6nHv/

Currently, I am giving a class at Polytechnique for this Fall. This allows me to stay close to the campus and invest time in accompanying students. Although working and taking on such a ministry suggests financial and organizational challenges, I remain full of hope because these works have been prepared in advance by GOD. This means that HE has planned everything, HE already provides the means through ways we know or not, and HE also provides for our training even if we are not fully aware of it. These works involve the participation of an entire community. And for those who have chosen and will choose to be part of this community by praying or being generous, I am very grateful and pray that GOD bless them abundantly.

If you would like to know more, please do not hesitate to contact me by email and come back at the beginning of each month for updates regarding my ministry with students in Quebec.