Josh's Story
An international student finds belonging, stability, and renewed hope through Connect Groups that became his family during isolation and uncertainty.
Transcript
My name is Josh. I’m 30 years old and from Chennai in India. I enrolled in a course in Toronto at New York University and was supposed to move a couple of years ago, but because of Covid and all the travel restrictions, it didn’t happen. I took classes online until I finally arrived in Canada in March.
When I landed, the first thing I wanted was to find a local church. I was searching specifically for churches in Toronto and visited a few online, but what stood out to me was Pastor John’s preaching. It was simple, clear, and easy to understand. I wanted to learn more about the church and the community, so I checked Instagram and found the YouTube channel, subscribed, and started watching sermons every Sunday.
I was also looking for a connect group because, for me, groups are the best way to really get to know people. Sanctus is a fairly big church and I wondered how I would meet people or make friends. On the website, I found a group that was meeting at the time, even though it was 1am for me, and I signed up. From then on, I stayed connected and it became something I looked forward to every week.
During the height of Covid, there was so much insecurity and fear at home. With India’s huge population, the virus spread rapidly and caused a lot of anxiety and loss. I know I could have struggled deeply in that environment, but I held on to my hope in Christ. The connect group made me feel even more supported. In the middle of all the chaos, they felt like family.
Every week I could share updates and felt genuinely close to them. It motivated me to stay up in the middle of the night just to spend an hour and a half talking about the gospel, sharing prayer requests, and having real community. Knowing I had people to talk to, to be transparent with, and not be judged meant everything to me.
Opening up hasn’t always been easy. I come from a dysfunctional family, so it took time to feel comfortable. But this group, especially Chris’s group, helped me feel safe. They showed me the importance of having a strong foundation and being surrounded by models of God’s character. Their support helped me understand how we’re called to reflect Christ in the world we live in.