Boston Wrap Up
Eight days in East Boston and reading a very challenging book called
Irresistible Revolution has got me evaluating my life as a follower of Jesus.
I think we live our lives as "Labeled Christians" but live like most other people. We call ourselves Christians, and we believe in the Christian doctrinal truths, but our living patterns are very different from Jesus and his teachings.
I'm not just talking about sex, drugs, and other sinful behavior...Although we may struggle in these areas as well. I'm talking about living out Jesus in the place we live. Whether we live in Mattoon, Charleston, Springfield MO, Ft. Lauderdale, Boston, or Colombia... we have to live out a life of love and service to people around us. We need to be active in serving and not just do it when someone approaches us for help. Taking the initiative to serve WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
So, after a week of cleaning, talking to people in the park, playing with children, participating in a very diverse church service, helping our team work out life issues, and just being the person God created me to be....I'm ready for change.
I'm ready to be pro-active in a life of service and good deed. I need to be the good Samaritan all the time. I need to love God, love my church community, and love everyone around me.
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SOME MORE PICS
Saturday - Sunday
The past two days have been great days for team ministry. Saturday was filled with morning prayer stations across the community, a few hours at the beach for a small get-a-way, then a Summer Blast kids outreach in the park in the evening. We have many new families we connected with, many children who had fun and played many games, and many parents who met Pastor Dave and people from the church. All in all....A great day.
Sunday we gathered for church. It was the first time we actually met most of the people who attend Central Assembly. It's an incredible city church. More than 12 countries are represented, every skin color (most of which were different than us) and so many accents it was hard to understand many of the people. Wonderful people. Wonderful experience. Wonderful glimpse of God's Kingdom with such a diverse make up of people.
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BLAST FROM THE PAST.
We were in East Boston in 2000 for the first mission trip I'd even led as a youth pastor. On the trip Jeremy West (for the first time) prayed out loud with someone at the park who had a hurt knee. That week she came to church with us and her knee felt much better. Her name was Rita.
Today I ate lunch next to Rita. She was water baptized a year after our trip. Now, she faithfully attends Central Assembly. When she saw our team and found out we were from mattoon, she immediately asked if Jeremy was with us. I explained he was now a full-time missionary. I called Jeremy on my cell phone and he and Rita talked at lunch. Although Rita had never used a cell phone, the two talked and it was a very cool mission trip moment.
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Tonight we play Uno at the kitchen table. The full week of ministry and experiences have nearly ended. The team has done wonderful. We stuck to our mission statement: We served Pastor Dave and his family, and we served his church and his community. They set the schedule and ministry, we simply stepped in and served to the best of our ability.
It feels good to serve. In fact, we are wired to do good things. God, who lives in us, has designed us to do good. And when we do, we feel good because we have accomplished our purpose God has established. God is good. Our reflection of him should be good. Our actions should be good. And when we do it.... it will feel good.
I saw a Christian t-shirt once.... be the moon, reflect the Light.
I really don't like those type of shirts...but i liked the message.
moon.
pics from the day
Today was a great day.-Summer Blast kids outreach
-Prayer Stations
-Joy and Deanna Arrived
-Powerful Team Service late at night
The weather has cooled down....thank you Jesus.
And for the pics....
stuff I've learned so far...
- Crusty is not a good clown name.
- You can drink 10 bottles of water and not go to the bathroom.
- Hot weather messes with your mind. (Like people crawing around in Pastor Dave's house and walking around out side with 4-inch heel and shorts...Kacy)
- In boston, tonic is pop. But pop is soda. So I have no idea how to order a Diet Coke.
- You can accidentall walk into a stranger's house when passing out flyers.
- Our team doesn't mind playing in fountains with 6-year olds.
- Phil looks good in pink shower sandals. (This is his foot, and he did pull a muscle....and he does wear these at the YMCA for showering.)
- And peanuts do not grow on trees, but underground...according to our AirTran pilot.
EAST BOSTON
TUESDAY: fourteen of us from church land in
Boston. Joy and another team member will arrive on Thursday.
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WEDNESDAY: The bank digital sign reads 104. A heat advisory has been established in Boston. The mayor has asked everyone to check on their elderly neighbors from time to time throughout the day.
We were going to do a work project, but because of the heat, we are changing directions. We believe bottles of cold water to neighbors is the way to show love to the community. So as I type, we sit in the basement of the church, quite with the echo of circulating fans, and we get ready to share water.
I just have to believe Jesus would give out cold water on a day there is a heat advisory. No loud preaching. No tract distribution. Just a nice bottle of ice cold water to bring refreshing. And through it….may their soul be refreshed as well.
