Back Up and Going Strong!

Hello everyone!

It's been a long time of transition, and a little drought of writing lately as I've been starting up this next season of life. Joelle and I are settled into Winnipeg and I'm now a few weeks into my staffing with YWAM Winnipeg, getting used to the bike commute across town, and things are going great!

Working with YWAM Winnipeg

So, for those of you who don't yet know, I'm now on full time staff with YWAM Urban Missions here in Winnipeg. While you can read all about everything here on their website, I'll give you a little run down about what YWAM in Winnipeg is all about.



Much like in San Francisco, YWAM Winnipeg is also situated downtown, also in one of the city's poorer neighbourhoods (being in Canada, I have to add unnecessary 'u's to words now). If Bayview (San Francisco's low income, housing project-heavy gang heavy southern neighbourhood) is Winnipeg's North End (also low income, primarily working class, but also gang influenced), then The West End, where YWAM is, is Winnipeg's Tenderloin (where I was in San Francisco). While the homeless population isn't quite comparable, the West End houses a wide variety of working class, new immigrant families, First Nations (Canada's equivalent of Native American populations), and generally poverty-close working poor. Oft maligned by the other parts of the city, much like the Tenderloin in SF, upon further exploration the West End, also like the Tenderloin, is home to colour, vibrance, and warmth in the hidden places.

YWAM's presence in the West End has stood for over 11 years as Jamie and Kim, base directors, have lived not only in, but into the neighbourhood, gathering groups together and reaching out all the same. YWAM has run Discipleship Training Schools, Mission Adventure short term outreach trips, and recently have started a Peace & Justice Internship, what I participated in back in March. YWAM in partnership with the Mennonite Church is in process of completely refurbishing an old apartment building to be a community meeting place, and housing solution for low income or mentally taxed individuals, called Chiara house. We're hoping for it to be a mainstay for low income tenants, to push back against inner city gentrification and keep the working poor near the resources they need, as well as a place for people with cognitive challenges, such as depression, bi-polar disorder, or what have you, to have a community of people to be supported by when chemicals cause seasons to turn sour. Also with the Mennonite church, YWAM runs a house church out of our building in the West End, which has become a tight knit community, and expression of Jesus incarnating, becoming flesh, into a neighbourhood that needs His presence.

New Season, New Responsibilities 

Much of my work with YWAM Winnipeg coincides with what I did in San Francisco. I'll be heading up graphic design, as well as social media, and creating print media to promote for all the great things YWAM Winnipeg is doing. Right now, I've been designing a brochure for our Peace & Justice Internship, in hopes to get as many people as possible involved in reaching out to the West End, and learning about justice causes the world over. As my time with YWAM Winnipeg continues, I'll be involved in many ways, with Chiara House, Mission Adventures, Little Flowers, and whatever else is needed as our team of three core staff are involved in whatever YWAM Winnipeg does.

Joelle & I both attend Little Flowers, the church community that meets at the base in the West End, and we both will be helping host Sunday services, and lead worship throughout the year. We're both invested in Little Flowers and the West End. Joelle is currently in her last year of university, as well as working part time, so both of our schedules are crunched at times, and prayer is much appreciated.

Jon & Joelle

Being newlyweds and diving back into the mission field isn't the easiest thing! Your prayers for Joelle & I in this season ahead are greatly appreciated. We'll face a lot of challenges in these first few years of our marriage, but we'll be able to enjoy they together the whole way. Living in Canada, if I want to be able to stay for longer then two years, the best route for us is applying for permanent residency. With permanent residency comes paperwork, and fees, and wait times, and acceptance or denial, and did I mention fees? Jo and I are well into the process, but we still need to finish the last parts of the mountain of paperwork and mail it in with the necessary payments. Since we have this restriction, and as on my visa I can only work for YWAM while in the country, we're currently living in the basement of Joelle's parent's home. Now, you might think, "Well great! You're living in the basement, you don't need to pay for anything, you're set!" Well, you wouldn't be wrong about the fact that it's a blessing, but on top of the $50 staff fees I have to pay monthly, even if I don't live on the YWAM base, Joelle and I still need to pay for the basic necessities of life, pay for immigration fees for doctors visits, police checks, and processing, and we don't want to put her parents out for too long, so the savings for apartment rentals are also a part of the picture, not to mention Joelle's school fees, books, and transportation costs. So, we're still much in need for finances!

With moving to Canada, I've had to start an account with YWAM Tyler Texas for any US processing of support so donors can receive tax receipts. The final steps of that setup are underway, and soon I'll be able to get my support processing ability up and ready, so if you feel compelled to give to us in our ministry, please email us and we can give you the proper details. Your prayers are coveted for us both as we enter into this trying, but greatly fulfilling and joyous season of our lives.




If you have any prayer requests you'd like us to be praying for, please email me at Jon.T.Owen@gmail.com. We'd love to be praying for you, and we greatly appreciate your prayers for us in our ministry and in our lives we're walking together.