The YWAM Montreal team will increase in numbers as of the end of the summer. Thomas Reist, assistant director for our Urban Cultures DTS is engaged to be married to Marie-Lorraine Houot in late summer. She presently works at YWAM Dunham but together they'll be making Montreal their home with a long-term calling. Also, Denny Flanagan, student in our present school, with his wife Lauren, both from California, have accepted our invitation to join us for the next two years.

Last July, we were uncertain about the future of RMJ. But two students confirmed their desire to serve in early September.

A team of nine, mostly students from l'Université de Montréal, is presently in Burkina Faso working with our African partners. One of these is Kheur Guney, in the outskirts of Ouagadougou, that offers housing and education to young talibés children.

Pierre LeBel was invited to Berlin at the beginning of February to participate at the European Urban Missions Consultation with YWAM. In all, some thirty cities were represented, including Paris and Lyon. This was an occasion for the North American leadership team, of which Pierre is a member, to share the strategies and structures we've put in place in order to ensure the development of new ministries in our own cities. Europe shares the same difficulties as us when it comes to the secularization of our countries.

We're quickly approaching the end of Urban Cultures 2008-2009. In recent weeks, we visited several churches in Montreal to understand their vision for the city. We also visited what are known as "intentional Christian communities" in New York city. These are groups of Christians, often churches, who choose to live closely to one another in order to deepen both their faith and their witness in the city. Our graduation banquet will take place May 29. We're a team of six leaders preparing our next school. The organization 24/7 Prayer Canada has become a partner with us in order to train their own workers.

The UCDTS was highlighted during Pierre's recent trip to Europe. It is gaining in profile and various centers are adapting some of our materials into their own programs. Realizing the importance of this school, we took the decision to become much more visible. We decided to totally revamp our YWAM Montreal identity. This included, amongst other things, a new Urban Cultures logo as well this new website, www.jemmontreal.ca, which is now online.

We're quickly approaching the end of Urban Cultures 2008-2009. In recent weeks, we visited several churches in Montreal to understand their vision for the city. We also visited what are known as "intentional Christian communities" in New York city. These are groups of Christians, often churches, who choose to live closely to one another in order to deepen both their faith and their witness in the city.

Our graduation banquet will take place May 29.

We're a team of six leaders preparing our next school. The organization 24/7 Prayer Canada has become a partner with us in order to train their own workers.