Jesus to the Nations is the primary missions conference in Atlantic Canada. It is hosted annually in Halifax at the Mount Saint Vincent University campus. Jesus to the Nations has been connecting individuals with missions opportunities and sharing the progress and needs on the mission field for many years.
This year, there were more than fifty exhibitors representing different mission-related organizations operating around the world. A variety of workshops were held, and inspiring keynote presentations by speakers including:
- Dr. Jean Chamberlain-Froese and Thomas Froese – Missionaries serving in maternal health work in Yemen and Uganda. Dr. Chamberlain-Froese received the Order of Canada for her work in 2014.
- Rev. Dr. Lennett J Anderson – World Vision speaker and dynamic local pastor.
- Rev. Dr. Patrick Fung – General Director of OMF International.
This was the third year that HATS has hosted a booth at Jesus to the Nations (J2N). J2N provides a great opportunity to get the word out about the work that HATS does, and to reinforce our strong connections to Atlantic Canada. We were able to share about HATS to the hundreds of attendees who share an interest in and passion for missions work. We offered information about sponsorship needs and opportunities, and talked about opportunities for both short and long term missions work. We were also thankful to the local Christian radio station, CJLU, who interviewed and provided air time to exhibitors and helped us share the work and needs of HATS Haiti with listeners across Atlantic Canada. I was especially thankful for the work of David Nance and our HATS USA volunteers who funded and helped to produce the new professional quality videos that we were able to display at the booth.
While serving at the booth, I had the chance to talk with young couples and individuals, seniors, children, youth, and families. Some were hearing of HATS for the first time. Others such as Bev Chappelle from Education Haiti have been strong supporters of HATS and the children we serve for years, and were pleased to see some of our updated materials they could use in spreading the word. Several people were interested in opportunities for short term missions and site visits.
Probably the most special interactions were some of the children who visited. The J2N conference runs a scavenger hunt for the younger attendees, who have to gather facts and information from participating booths. Many were very earnest about getting those clues but also understanding what we did, and it was fun to talk with them. After all – “It’s all about the children!”
– Tim
