聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Pastor David Meisner, his wife Krista and their five children have recently moved to Caryle from 麻豆视频 Africa, after nine years of living and serving in and around the city of Durban.聽 Pastor Meisner is now the minister at Carlyle's Full Gospel Church and says: 鈥淲e've already felt really welcomed by the church here.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Both of the Meisners grew up in Saskatchewan - David grew up in Eston, while Krista grew up in the Trossachs-Pangman area. Their journey from 麻豆视频 Africa to Saskatchewan ultimately began in 2009, when they moved to 麻豆视频 Africa as missionaries.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e did a church plant there in Durban,鈥� says Pastor David. 鈥淎nd we did much of our work with , which is a registered charity.'
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥�'Thando' is the Zulu word for 'love' and our work there was about taking the love of Jesus Christ to the world.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e ran feeding programs and after school programs there, as well as in other areas.鈥� says Pastor David. 鈥淭he church in Carlyle is one of the churches that supported us in our work there.鈥澛�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淎bout a year ago, it was time to renew our (麻豆视频 African) visas,鈥� he explains. 鈥淲e prayed about it and decided not to renew them.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e always had a heart for the people there, but we went to 麻豆视频 Africa with the intention of helping the people there be all they can be. We started preparing them for running the church there and supporting them from here.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e'd always intended for the church there to be self-sustaining,鈥� he says. 鈥淏ut it was still a big step of faith for us to let go.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淏ut we knew that God wouldn't have us come all the way back to Canada for nothing,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e had a heart to return here to continue to have a ministry of some kind.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淢y wife Krista had told me to get my resume ready, and the very next day, we received an email from Pastor Dan McNaughton, who had been here at the church in Carlyle.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淎 few years ago, we'd been to Carlyle and we both felt something special, but we'd never really talked about it until this opportunity came up.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淪unday, May 27 was my first week preaching here,鈥� says Pastor David. 鈥淲e got a really warm reception at the church and we had faith that they'd accepted us, too.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚n 麻豆视频 Africa, a big part of what we do was reaching out to widows and orphans, but really, we accept all people, just as we are accepted wherever we go to serve the Lord.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淪o I'd really like to welcome everyone to the church here in Carlyle,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e've really felt welcomed by the church here. They're great people and we look forward to working with them in the future.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 don't know what God has in store for us here, but we're looking forward to living here - and we have a heart to help people in need in every community,鈥� adds Pastor David.聽
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e hope to be here long-term and we're really looking forward to life here in Carlyle.鈥�
