Photo: Trout fishing on a camping trip with the family on BC Day long weekend. 

In the summer of 2004, our family went on a grand vacation that included stops in Houston, Texas and Nashville, Tennessee. Both destinations were chosen to spend time with special friends: the Rameys and Sanders. It was on this vacation that Heather and I were praying and seeking discernment for our future. We had received an invitation to become OC missionaries in Southern Africa but the timing didn’t seem right to us. We loved our church and home in Edmonton and had a lot of reasons to stay in Canada. God started to work in our hearts on that trip. 

We consulted and prayed with our good friends and tried to map out the pros and cons of moving to Africa. We wrestled with the challenge of raising financial support and moving our kids to an African school. We questioned whether we were equipped to serve well in a foreign culture. One by one, the Lord started to work on all the excuses we had to not step out in faith. By the time our vacation was over, we knew without a doubt that God was calling us to Africa. 

We were so blessed to have close friends and family members who believed in us and were willing to challenge us and pray with us for discernment. The months to follow were full of fears, frustrations, and questions, but God met us in each step and our trust and faith continued to grow. This was one of the most impactful decisions of our lives and we are so glad that we listened to the Lord and allowed him to lead us on a new path. By the summer of 2005, we had moved to our new home in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Things aren’t great in our world right now. There is war in Europe, tensions in Asia, and crazy inflation in North America. There are a lot of things that are concerning right now, and it is hard to predict the future. It is a great time to hold on to the verses that became so special to Heather and me in 2004-05.

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”  Prov. 3:5-6

OC Ministry

July has been a slower month around the OC office. We have a lot of programs running in Alberta and Ontario but things have been quiet in Delta. I was able to finish my chapter for The Human Tidal Wave and it has been submitted to the editors. I also read through a brilliant book by Natasha Crain; Faithfully Different: Regaining Biblical Clarity in a Secular Culture is an outstanding assessment of the secular worldview that is so pervasive in North America. She helps the reader understand the monumental gap between secular and biblical worldviews and provides insights for Christians to live their faith with conviction, discernment, and courage. 

It has also been a season of expansion for Outreach Canada. I am currently reviewing a list of fifteen individuals at different points of engagement with our team. Some are just gathering information and others have submitted their applications to join OC.  I have never had so many people approach us in such a short time. Some are considering support rolls, some want to join our ministry and chaplaincy teams in Canada, and others are looking to serve overseas, in the middle east and Africa.

I continue to review this list and pray for these individuals who are seeking to discern God’s leading for their lives and for their families. If God is truly calling them, he will provide for them and prepare a path for them. Will you join me in praying for the growth of OC and the people God is calling to be part of our team?

Dr. Craig Kraft is the Executive Director of Outreach Canada. After 15 years of pastoral ministry in western Canada, Craig, with his wife Heather, served with OC in southern Africa before returning to lead the ministry in Canada. Craig is a graduate of Northwest Baptist Seminary at ACTS and a graduate of Asia Graduate School of Theology with a Doctor of Intercultural Studies. His study has focused on diaspora missiology in Canada.  His dissertation explores the potential for revitalizing Canadian churches through the practice of biblical hospitality with refugees and immigrants. Craig loves to watch sports, work in the yard & spend time in the woods.