When Programs Collide

The ACTION Winnipeg Team from Lithuania.  Emilija, Marija & Kristina (left to right)

Kristina Dailyde is one of the warmest people…peace and joy exudes from her and you can’t help but be affected.  Kristina was on our Winnipeg ACTION team this summer, coming here with two others all the way from Lithuania, but this was not the first time she had ever been to Winnipeg.  Kristina was here four years ago with her family to participate in our FOCUS training which is hosted at the Winnipeg Centre Vineyard (WCV) just inside the North End. 

It was during this time that she first met Darnell.  At the time, Darnell was attending the church and became close friends with one of the pastors there – both of them were involved with Kristina and their FOCUS team’s training. 

About three weeks before coming to this year’s ACTION, Kristina’s father passed away.  As she was preparing to come to Winnipeg she felt prompted to bring along a pack of her father’s cigarettes.  Cigarettes are a form of currency in many parts of the city and maybe she would see Darnell again. 

Darnell & Kristina

During their first week of ministry she was walking past WCV.  There on a bench was a man who looked a little like Darnell, but she wasn’t quite sure.  After some hesitation she found the courage to go and ask him.  She explained how they knew each other and immediately he began to weep, telling her about the loss of his good friend, the pastor from WCV.  He felt hurt, betrayed, abandoned and didn’t know where he belonged any longer.

They sat together for a while talking and praying together.  Kristina shared about her Father passing away and the cigarettes she brought with her to Winnipeg and how she knew that they were for him.  Darnell was deeply moved and encouraged by this gift.  They parted ways after she invited Darnell to Living Word Temple the next day for a sharing circle.

The next morning at the circle, Darnell brought a picture he had drawn.  It was of 3 circles. He explained that the circles represented the kinds of relationships in Darnell’s life – the inner circle was his closest friends, the next circle represented relationships within his local community and the third circle represented friendships that he had around the world.  He continued to explain that in the inner circle he felt as though he was surrounded by people that have betrayed and abandoned him.  But when he met Kristina the day before, God revealed to him that there was this other circle of friends around the world and that God cared about him enough that these friends across the world would hear the Spirit’s promptings to pray and even to come and find him!