OFFICIAL STATEMENT: ONTARIO CONFERENCE FULLY SUPPORTS ECYC.

The Signing of the Memorandum of Understanding My fellow missionaries, It is with much excitement that we officially announce that on Thursday, January 24, between 3:30 to 4 p.m., the Ontario Conference and Eastern Canada Youth For Christ (ECYC) signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at the conference offices in Oshawa. The MOU is an agreement, which indicates that the Ontario Conference and ECYC are in a co-operative relationship, fully recognizing each other as partners in ministry to spread the distinctive Adventist message to every city, town, and reserve in Ontario. ECYCs founders have always espoused the ideal of working in accordance with church leadership. This is biblical and Spirit of prophecy endorsed. We are now very thankful to God for the fruition of that hope, for working for us and guiding us; for allowing events to occur when we need it the most. Praise be to Him. The expanded advertising potential in Canadas largest conference constituency opens to us exciting possibilities. Our already rapidly expanding missionary program will grow yet faster and our convention attendance will increase significantly. There will be more young people to inspire, more soldiers to enlist in the army of Christ, more territory to conquer under the banner of Adventism, and thus more lost souls will be saved as ECYCs young missionaries and its church leadership fight as allies together. ECYC gives much thanks to the Ontario conference administration for trusting its young people with the responsibility of partnering with them in the churchs missionary program. We are grateful especially to Elder Mansfield Edwards, Ontario Conference President, for his support

and trust, and for being the visionary behind the Manitoulin Island project. I also want to personally thank my brother, Valmy Karemera, for courageously and wisely engaging these issues during ECYCs infant stages, and establishing the foundation for these present exciting developments. We owe much to Elders Mark Johnson and Dragan Stojanovic, of the Seventh-day Adventist Church of Canada, (SDACC), who in their capacity, facilitated much of the dialogue that has made the present events possible.

Greater possibilities and opportunities call for greater commitment and a weightier responsibility. Trust means responsibility. We are ultimately indebted to God for how we best use the opportunities He presents. As ECYC, we are unique as a youth-led organization that has garnered such trust from its church leadership. So the question to us is: How shall we respond? This calls for renewed zeal, courage, and dedication. These are exciting times. God is moving and we must continue to move. These things are exciting, yet fearful, because we sense deeply our unworthiness and inadequacy. At least I do. The increasing burdens will weigh heavier upon us, and our hearts will often find room for discouragement and self-doubt. Cry out to God to give us hearts warm with love for lost Canadian souls, a steel-like courage, an un-equivocating zeal, and a single-minded dedication. These things should drive us to our knees with the earnest prayer that God would not give us easier tasks but will instead make us stronger men and women. Do you hear God calling for ECYC? God is opening tremendous doors for us and is calling. ECYCs prayer is that of the great missionary, Dr. David Livingstone: God, send me anywhere, only go with me. Lay any burden on me, only sustain me. And sever any tie in my heart except the tie that binds my heart to Yours.

Stay Faithful, Stay Radical, George Cho, President