To put this farewell into writing definitely does not do it justice… and yet I will try.

Many of my closest friends were very surprised to hear I was leaving Toronto. Not because they thought of me as a homebody, but because I grew to love this city. I could talk your ear off about how great the TTC is and where it needs improvement, or about the history of my favourite neighbourhoods and historical buildings. Living downtown Toronto became a part of who I was. I became my own version of a “Toronto mans.”

At the heart of my love affair for Toronto was the community that meets at 789 Dovercourt Rd., my church and my people: Bloor Central. It was the place I grew up, into a man, and into my faith. It is where I saw and was taught ministry, and what laid the foundation for my work to come. It was the place I was most excited to share with Jess, and most excited to share Jess. It has been the spiritual home of our marriage and so, so much more. 

So it was only fitting that in our final days in Canada we held one last hurrah at and with Bloor Central. We had a mere 2 days in Toronto between arriving from MTI and launching off to Dhaka. The morning after we landed, we led the service at church explaining our work overseas, our testimony to how God led us there, and the role Bloor Central played in that.

Following the service we shared cake, hugs, and tears with our church family. And following one party we set up another in the same space, welcoming so many blood relatives and friends into our spiritual home to say farewell. Special thanks to our sister Jillian (Ate) who arranged party games, decorations, and an excellent program that left space for meaningful conversations and healthy goodbyes. To wrap up our day we had one last party at Jess’ parent’s house, with close friends and family.

To those who came to wish us well, say goodbye, and share parting gifts, we cannot tell you how thankful and blessed you made us feel. We truly appreciate each and every one of you.

The next day was our last in Toronto and we had no shortage of things to do. We had one suitcase to unpack from our time in Colorado, and four to finish packing for Dhaka. My parents had come from Kingston to help with the endeavour and my father, an expert packer and no stranger to international relocation, brought all our suitcases within Emirates’ 50 lb limit.

We had a number of errands to run downtown before leaving, and were so thankful for the opportunity to drive past our old neighbourhood. We got a chance to say goodbye to the physical places we spent so much time in and grew to call home. We drove past our old apartment, cafes and restaurants, bookstores and hangout spots. We were also able to spend some extra meaningful time saying goodbye to Sami and Gordon who were working in the area. After a long embrace with both the bros and the city, we headed to our (last) temporary apartment to finally zip up our suitcases and prepare for the long journey.

---

Saying goodbye to Toronto and all the people there (and beyond) was the most difficult part of the moving process. At MTI we learned about the healthy aspects of grieving, and that there are more things to grieve than the dead. Writing this post 1.5 months in, we are still grieving the life we had in Toronto. I miss the TTC, my walkable neighbourhood, the comfort of knowing where everything is and the history behind a lot of it. We are grieving the moments we’ll miss with loved ones, both celebrations and lamentations. Jessica and I both really loved our work in Toronto and grieve those opportunities, too. As we look back we can’t help but recognize the blessing it is to have such a hard time leaving. Farewell Toronto.