Growing in Confidence and Faith | Trinity Talks Podcast

Hello everyone and welcome to this week's episode

of Trinity Talks. My name is Kyla and I am excited

to sit down here with Donald and we're going

to chat a little bit about your experience of

faith and your family's experience of faith.

Yeah, what brought you to Trinity and how you've

sort of seen your faith grow over this time.

So thank you so much for joining me today, Donald.

You're welcome. Yeah, so maybe we'll start out

sort of at the beginning. How did you first hear

about Trinity? Well, we, me and my wife, sometimes

we went over a table. There's a table across

the street from Presco's. Yeah. And you put food

on for people who are less fortunate and everything.

Yeah. And we go to the food bank and everything.

And so what extra we have, we went and put on

the table and everything. And then we saw a sign

saying community meal. Yeah. So I asked my wife,

well, do you want to go and try it? So we went

and tried the community meal. And all the community

people were very friendly. And then we met Bill.

And Bill was this amazing person. Yeah. And he

said, well, why don't you come to church and

try it out? Yeah. So we came to church and everything,

and we just fell in love with it and everything.

Yeah. Now for almost two years, and I really

love it. Yeah, yeah, that's awesome. So you started,

you came to the community meal first, and you've

kept coming to the community meal, right? Yes.

Yeah, so what do you like about that? I like

it because I meet new people and everything,

and I still get to talk to the staff and everything,

and they're all very friendly. They're like a

family. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So you get to meet

lots of people. People really care about you

and you get to. Yeah. And you get to meet new

people, which is good. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

So you've come. You made this connection with

Bill and Bill invited you to come to church.

So why? Why did you decide that you wanted to

go to church? Well. I was curious because we

were looking for a church anyways. We wanted

to go back to church and everything. And so I

asked Dwight, Dwight, do you want to try the

straight church? He said, yeah. So we came and

everything and we fell in love with it. Okay.

So I was encouraged and everything. I was very

pleased to meet Rob, you know, and the way he...

teaches the scriptures and everything. You know,

it's totally different from what I used to do.

Okay. Because when I was a kid, I always went

to church. My parents always told me to go to

church and everything. Yep. And I got baptized

as a kid. Okay. So that's the reason why we choose

this church because we thought it would be a

wonderful family home. Sure. Yeah. So what are

some of the things that you liked about Trinity

when you started coming here? Well, I liked the

congregation. Mm -hmm. I liked the lovely music

that Libby, Libby, you know, provides in our

service and everything. And I loved all the people.

Yeah. You know, you talk to people and everything,

you know, come in the auditorium, you talk to

them and everything. Mm -hmm. So it's... Just

the love that I have for all the people, and

I love talking to people. Yeah, yeah, you're

a real people person. Yeah, I like to, you know,

share a little bit of your story, get to hear

from other people. Yeah, yeah, so I think that's

really good, you know, that you get that sense

of community and that sense of family. Yeah,

yeah, for sure, for sure. So you said that you

went to church when you were a kid, and then

maybe you stopped going to church for a little

while and then sort of came back to Trinity.

So what do you think helped you to have an interest

in faith again? Well, I kind of had dreams, okay,

when I was young again and going to church and

everything, and I was an altar boy and everything,

and I kind of missed it. Sure. So that kind of

made me, me and my wife say, look, we want to

find a church that's really good and everything,

you know, and so that's why we choose Trinity.

Yeah. Okay. It makes us feel at home. Yeah, for

sure. And so then once you were here at Trinity,

you decided to go and do Alpha, right? Yeah,

so Alpha is an eight -week course where people

can ask some questions and learn more about some

of the basics of Christianity, about who Jesus

is and what the Bible is and all of those sorts

of things. So what was your experience like with

Alpha? Well, I talked to Rob and said that we

like to get baptized. Okay. So Alpha was one

of the courses we had to take. Yeah. But it was...

Just going there and seeing how many people really

came there and everything. And the wonderful

staff there and everything. And the words that

we watched, we watched the videos and everything.

It was just so powerful. And I got to learn more

about what God really, really does for us. Okay,

yeah. So it was really, really. And I think it

got me a little more understanding of why God

died on the cross for us and everything. Sure.

And then I said, yes, this is what I want to

do. Sure. Okay. Is there one thing that you learned

in Alpha or one moment that really stands out

to you? Well, the small groups. Yeah? Small groups.

We all got to learn about everybody else. Sure.

Testimony and everything. So that was one thing

that was really, really. Yeah, that was just

really important for you. Yeah. Yeah. To get

to ask your questions and hear other people's

questions and stories. Yes. Yeah. Yeah, for sure.

So you said before Alpha, you had decided that

you wanted to get baptized. So what made you

decide that you wanted to get baptized? Well,

it was a lot of thinking and everything. Sure.

And then I said to my wife, do you want to get

baptized? And she said, yeah. So we talked to

Rob and everything. He planned the dating. But

the first one, unfortunately, the first time

that he booked it, we got sick. Right, yeah.

So we couldn't come and everything. And it was

also... A journey that I'm on to be closer to

God and being baptized is another step in being

closer to God. Yeah. So that's one of the reasons

why we got baptized, because we wanted to be

part of the congregation and be closer to God.

Sure. Sure. So what do you think started that

journey for you? Like what what made you want

to be closer to God? Well, going to Alpha and

learning more about God, what he does and everything

and miracles that he does and everything. So

I said, wow, I was amazed. Sure. And I said,

yes, I want to get baptized. Yeah. And when you

think about like your own life and faith, like

are there things, ways that you have seen God

help you in your life? Yes. God has helped us

basically through, okay, when we've been financially,

you know, we need help and everything. He has

provided the financial stuff to help us to go

and have a roof over our head. You know, he's

helped us at Christmastime and everything. And

he's helped me with my pain and suffering that

I'm going through. I have rheumatoid arthritis.

I thank God, and I thank God for the doctor that's

provided me the medication and everything to

help me to deal with these pain and sufferings

that I'm going to go through for the rest of

my life. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I think, you know,

we've talked a few times before, and, you know,

you'll come to the church and you'll ask people

to be praying for you, and I think to sort of

see that faith, right, and to know, you know,

that... God is listening to our prayers, right?

And that I think often God uses other people

to help answer our prayers, right? That God uses

the church or the community meal or your doctor

or whoever, right? That when you pray, God answers

those prayers, but God uses other people to help.

Yes. Yeah. It's everything. Yeah. Yeah, for sure.

For sure. And when you think about like following

Jesus, what does that mean to you? Well, that's

a hard question, really. Yeah. But I think it

means that just listen to what he does, reading

the Bible, learning more scriptures about the

miracles he does and everything, following his

word. Yeah. You know, and just. trying to do

every day what he wants you to do. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah, for sure. For sure. Yeah. And so being

part of the church helps you to do that, right?

Yes. And yeah, going to Alpha and being part

of the community and all of those things, for

sure. Yeah. And when you think about you were

baptized, has it been a year since you were baptized?

Last year. Last year. Yeah, that's what I thought.

So have you seen how... Any changes in your faith

or anything like that since you were baptized?

Oh, it's gotten a lot stronger. Yeah? Yeah, and

I would be scared to pray, but now I love to

pray now. Yeah? Yeah. My biggest problem is I'm

not reading the Bible because I... I misplaced

my Bible, and I can't find it. Oh, okay. We'll

need to find you a new one. Right. But you can

still pray. Yes. Yeah, yeah. I pray all the time.

I pray for my wife. I pray for her. I got to

pray for another friend, okay? He's got mental

illness and everything. And Lauren, she goes

through rough times. So when people come to me

and say they're having a rough time, then I pray

for them. Yeah. And I say, God, just help me.

You know, show me how I can help these people.

Yeah, for sure, for sure. So my faith in God

has gotten a lot stronger. Yeah, and I think

even just that confidence to pray, right? Yes.

And to know that God is listening. And I think,

you know, to hear the stories of... You know,

you prayed and you asked God for help with the

pain that you were dealing with. And there was

an answer to that. There was people to sort of

support you. And, you know, you pray when you're

struggling financially and then God provides

for you, right? All of that strengthens your

faith, I think. And it also has calmed me down

a lot. Sure. When I feel like I'm going to get

upset now, I pray to God and say, go. God, please

don't let me start yelling and screaming and

everything and getting out of control. I don't

want to, I don't want to go back the way I was.

Sure. Yeah. It gives you like to pray. It gives

you a time to breathe and time to sort of center

yourself and to say, it's okay. God, God is with

me and all of this. And maybe to even ask God

for patience and peace and all of those things,

which is hard when you got to. A challenged child.

Yeah, for sure. Be patient, you know. You're

trying everything, but sometimes it doesn't work

out. You still lose your temper. Like you say,

like Rob says, we're only normal people. We make

mistakes and everything. So I just pray to him

when I'm getting upset and say, please help me

to just understand that she's, yes, she's 29.

But her mind is of an eight -year -old. Right.

So she's like a kid. Yeah. And it's kind of hard

for me because now I'm 62 going on 63. And it's

hard for me to go back to that way when you start

taking care of eight -year -olds again. Yeah.

I'm kind of older now than what I used to be.

So it's very hard to switch back. Yeah. But you've

seen God help you through that and give you that

patience and that peace. All those things that

you need. Yeah. I thank God. Yes. For sure. Yeah.

And I think also the reminder, you know, like

you said, we all mess up sometimes, but the reminder

that there's still forgiveness. Yes. Right. And

that God gives us love. God gives us the ability

to get through and to. God forgives us and asks,

like gives us the ability to ask other people

to forgive us as well. Right. So we can keep

rebuilding those relationships or fixing things

when we mess up. Right. Yeah. Yeah, for sure.

For sure. Yeah. So when you think about the Bible

and like some of the things that you've been

learning about or hearing about in church, are

there any Bible stories or Bible verses that

are really important to you? Well, The one about

the seed. Okay. I think it was three or four

different ways that the seed was put down. Right,

that it grows in the good soil or in the rocky

soil with the weeds. Yeah. And the one where

the seed was choked and everything. Yeah. So

that was one that was really, really good to

me. Another one that I really, really enjoyed

was... When I did read the Bible, like I said,

I constantly read the Bible, it was the Last

Supper. Okay. What Jesus did for the Last Supper

and fed 12 disciples and everything. And the

one that really, really touched me was when God

took four loaves of bread and I'm not sure how

many fish. Yeah, five loaves of bread and two

fish, I think. Yeah, something like that. And

he fed all those people. And then he had extra.

So it just showed the kind of miracles that he

can do and everything. And who wouldn't want

to have a person like that in their life? For

sure. Yeah, for sure. So when you think about

that story of the seeds, like what was it that

stood out to you about that? Was there something

that seemed really powerful or really important?

Well, I guess the seed that was on the rock that

grew. Yeah. That was, I say, on a rock and it

grew. Yeah. How could that be? Yeah. How could

that happen? Yeah. Because normally you put a

seed, you put it in the ground and in the soil

and everything. Yeah. So I was kind of amazed

how that grew. Sure. Yeah. And the seeds in the

rocks, they grew, but they didn't have very strong

roots. Yes. Right. So it didn't live for very

long. Yes. Right. But then, yeah, that reminder

that. Yeah, we need to make sure that we root

ourselves in our faith. It's not something we

just do every once in a while. It's showing up

all the time and being part of community and

praying and those sorts of things. Yes. And then

you said the Last Supper. So what do you like

about the story of the Last Supper? It was the

way that Jesus talked to the disciples and everything

and told them about it and everything. the disciples

accepted and everything and listened to him very

carefully and everything. And I guess what I

really liked about the Last Supper was that Jesus

said this was the Last Supper, so he knew he

was going to die. Yeah. And taking that time

to be with the disciples and to, I think what's

really important, one of the things I really

like about Trinity is that most weeks we do communion,

right? And it's that reminder that this is bread

and this is wine or this is juice, whatever it

is, and that these are things that we can tangibly

see and hold. But remind us of who Jesus is and

how big his love and his grace is. Right. And

there's one movie that is on every year that

I love to watch. It's the Ten Commandments. Okay.

It shows Moses, you know, and all the hard work

he had to do and everything. So. That was another

reason why I said, well, Moses can do this. So

can I. Yeah. Right. Yeah. So it influenced you

to want to do more. Yeah. I think it's really

good that we have those examples in the Bible

and then examples in real life, too, of people

who are following God or even when they mess

up. Right. Yeah. That they're doing their best

to live like a life of faith. Right. And they

they encourage us, I think. And it also shows

Jesus does get angry. Just like when Moses went

up to the flaming bush and he got the Ten Commandments

and took it down and the people were blessing

the golden calf, I think it was. And he was very

upset. And he said to the people, if you want

to come with God, come with me, come up here.

And other people didn't do it. God just got mad

and just, whoops. It's okay. and took took took

it and just threw in the ground and it just yeah

smashed in half so it shows that god does get

angry and then so it's hey he gets angry that

it's kind of shocking he gets angry sure you

know because uh it does say in the well i don't

think it says in the bible he's perfect okay

so Yeah. Yeah. And to think that, you know, our

our anger is different than God's anger. Yes.

But but that sometimes anger is OK. Yeah. Right.

That when things are really when there's injustice

and when things are really going wrong and people

are hurting other people, that anger is OK. Yes.

Right. What we do with the anger is is is an

important thing to consider. Right. We shouldn't

use that anger to then hurt other people. Yes.

But the emotion itself is it's OK. Yeah. Yeah,

for sure. Are there examples of people that you

know who have been really encouraging to you

in your faith? Well, like I said, there's Rob.

Yep. There's Libby. Yep. There's Bill. Yep. There's

Dave. Mm -hmm. There's Wally. And what I like

with Dave and Wally is that they have a... life

group. Yep. Every Tuesday, the first thing in

the morning, about 7 o 'clock in the morning.

Yep. And I'm an early person. Yep, so that works

for you. And I love going in. We talk about what

Rob said and everything, and we answer the questions

and everything. But it's not just that. It's

also, we meet people from other worlds. Like,

I mean, other countries. You know, out of Canada,

stuff like that, you know. And it's great to

hear. what their challenges and everything, and

what we can do to help them. And one of the best

ways to do it is pray. Of course, yeah. Pray,

you know, because we can't just go next door

and say, hey, how are you doing? They're farther

away and everything. And they have their problems

and everything. So we like to pray for the problems

that they have and tell God, please help them,

you know. They need help and everything. For

sure, for sure. And that's why these are the

most important. And the congregation. I can't

have kids in the congregation. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

You're a real people person, right? You like

to be in the community and getting to know everybody.

And there's something about just being with other

people who are following Jesus that I think strengthens

our faith and helps us grow, right? Yes. Yeah.

Yeah, for sure. And I would love to participate

in the stuff where you guys go out. They said

they're going to have one where they go out and

meet people on the streets and everything. Sure.

But unfortunately, I've got a wife who's a diabetic

and her sugars don't cooperate. Sure. And I don't

have anybody to take care of her. Sure. So I

can do these things. Yep. So I want to do more

for the church. Sure. Yeah. Yeah. So I came in

one morning early. And Dave picked me up and

everything, and I came in, and I sat at the table.

So that was one good thing I did and everything.

And I want to do more stuff like that. Yeah,

sure. Yeah, just finding new ways to get involved,

to serve the community, and to meet new people

again. Yeah. Yeah, for sure. Yeah, I think that's

also a really important step in growing our faith,

right, is getting more involved. And also, I

told Rob, I would like to... Give out to Holy

Communion. Sure. Help out. Help out and everything.

Yeah. Yeah. There's lots of lots of different

ways to serve. For sure. For sure. Yeah. I used

to be a singer, but my voice is gone now. Sure.

I'd be kind of embarrassed to get up and sing

with Libby's group. Sure. But there's lots of

other ways to serve. Yeah. Yeah. I would love

to get up there and do it, but I don't think

I could. Sure. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But I think

this it's really encouraging to hear how you've

sort of. come back to faith and you've really

seen it grow, right? You've really sort of seen

God present in all of the ups and the downs.

And even when you're struggling, even when you're

not sure, you know, just keep taking each next

step, right? And keep... ask and pray and keep

you know coming back for to learn and to be part

of community all of that i think is is what grows

our faith even if it doesn't feel like it right

sometimes it's it's really small and so we don't

always see it when it's happening but you can

look back now and say a year ago i was i was

different i wasn't as confident in my faith but

now this is what it feels like right yeah so

my journey to god is getting closer and closer

you know and uh When I was a counselor at a camp

and everything, a Christian camp, it's called

Camp Cheerio. I don't know if you've heard of

it. I haven't, no. But I was a counselor and

everything, and I was teaching the kids and everything

about God and everything. And one night, the

Holy Spirit came over our tent, and it was amazing.

And I never heard of it before, but we all got

drunk in the Holy Spirit. I challenged any of

the kids to get up and get up, get up on the

top of the tent and get the taco bar. And here

the kids are trying to climb up and they're just

falling. Sure. Yeah. So a little bit of silly

maybe. But yeah, also just the sense of being

full of the Holy Spirit and being able to to

pray and to encourage one another and to feel

stronger in your faith. Yeah. And I kind of miss

that. I really miss that. Going to church and

talking about God. Sure. Yeah. So now. Sort of

being reconnected at Trinity, you can get little

tastes of that. Yeah, for sure. Yeah, well, thank

you so much, Donald, for sitting down to chat

and to share a little bit of your story. I think

that folks will feel really encouraged to know

that wherever people are at in their faith, that

God can be there with us, right? And God keeps

asking us, just keep taking the next step. And

I think, yeah, your story of community, of people

showing up and being part of that and people

who become the answers to your prayers and your

encouragement to pray for other people. Like,

I think all of that is a really strong encouragement

for me and for the whole church to sort of think

about how do we serve one another well and how

do we, yeah, just really show our faith and keep

growing in our faith even when it's hard. Well,

thank you very much. I'm very glad to do it.

Yeah. Yeah. And thank you for tuning in to this

week's episode of Trinity Talks. I pray that

wherever your faith is at, whether it's just

at the beginning stages or if it's coming later.

Yeah. Would you continue to take each next step?

Would you continue to find ways for God to pour

into you, for you to connect with God, whether

that's through prayer, through community, through

scripture? Yeah. May you. Grow in your faith

this week, even in the small ways. And we will

see you again next week.