Rimouski is a town of approximately 50, 000 people situated in the lower St. Lawrence region. Located three hours away from the national capital and about six hours away from Montreal, this little town exudes tranquility on the borders of the world’s greatest estuary which, at its highest point, reaches 50kim in width.

Although there is not yet an Adventist congregation in Rimouski, faith in Jesus’s return is quite alive in the hearts of many people. Some of them have been Adventist for a long time and have lived in the area for some time such as Dr. Pierre- Paul Lemelin and his wife Josée. Recently, the arrival of many students and immigrants has raised the number of Adventist members. As a result, my family and I came to worship the Creator with sixteen other adults and children in a hotel in Rimouski on Sabbath, September 28th, 2019

After Sabbath School and worship service, we had a interesting conversation about the future of this group. These brothers and sisters usually meet at the Lemelin’s but not all of them own a vehicle. Furthermore, the Lemelins live in Mont Joli which is 30 minutes away from Rimouski. Every Sabbath, the Lemelin family must therefore pick up and drop off all their brethren. As their numbers grow, this becomes quite the challenge. For example, there is Florine, originally from Rwanda, who does not yet speak French and has six children. Children and mother can never attend a worship service on the same Sabbath.

Our brothers and sisters in Rimouski would like to have a public space where they could meet regularly and or invite their friends and colleagues. They want to share brochures and pamphlets. They feel the need to connect more with the rest of the Adventist community in Quebec. Ideally, a guest preacher could come by once in a white or quarterly, during communion service. As they shared their desire to further the cause of the Gospel, they rejoiced when they were told of the possibility to offer their tithes and offerings online.

I left Rimouski with a greater conviction that there was much work to be done in the land of Quebec at large, and in Rimouski in particular. My colleague, Rémy Ballais, will head there in October to meet this group and probably hold a communion service. The challenge, however, is still present. Once again, the words of Jesus echo: The harvest is plenteous, but the laborers are few. Let us pray that the Lord opens doors so that the good news of Jesus’ return might be preached with strength in Rimouski.