Prestonwood Young Singles

Boston Mission Trip
April 17-22
Prayer Guide/ Daily Blog

Team:
Ben Burge, Heather Adams, Janet Hamilton, Jeff Briggs, Jen Smith, Josh Steckel, Lauren Newman, Lindsey Steckel, Nicole Vercontaire and Shanda Conger

Thursday, April 17
We arrived in Boston Thursday afternoon after a long day of travel. After dinner in Faneuil Hall, we all went to the North End for cannolis.

Friday, April 18
Today was packed with servant evangelism. We handed out over 1200 granola bars, passed out fliers for the Arts Festival and then handed out a ton of bottled water. We are praying that these seeds land on good soil. It is neat to see how God can use such a simple thing as handing out a granola bar. 

After a long day of serving we caught a game at Fenway. The Red Sox beat our own Texas Rangers, but we got to see Big Papi hit a grand slam! 

Saturday, April 19
This morning saw the team travelling cross town to spend a couple of hours near the second Hope Fellowship location in Coolidge Corner. Things were somewhat slow along the green line as the city began to wake up on this beautiful Saturday morning but as time progressed, more opportunities for conversation and granola bars presented themselves. This part of the city is somewhat unique because there is a large Jewish population and the chance to reach out to those who live there is incredible. The great thing about the outreach that Hope is doing is that it leaves people with a positive feeling, regardless of what they believe when we encounter them. While handing out bars, some team members spoke with a Messianic Jew who was thankful for the presence that Hope had in the community. This is just a poignant reminder that Jesus changes lives and that even though some might think that a Christian church has no business in such a neighborhood, we still are able to share a hope that is available for all.

The afternoon took us all through the city as team members split up to visit various Boston sites to explore, shop, and see the sights. Finally a somewhat weary crew met up at Eagle's Deli for dinner and then began the long trek from the end of the green line back to Porter Square. Overall this was a day full of comraderie, outreach, laughter, and a true Boston experience. Boston continues to present incredible opportunities to grow in unity with fellow believers both here and from Dallas and to make strides in obedience to the Lord as we seek to make His name known among those we encounter!

Sunday, April 20
This Sunday morning saw us splitting into two teams, one to go to church with the people of Hope and the other to hand out granola bars to those who might be looking for a place to connect with God. John, the associate pastor, brought a message of encouragement from Acts 8 as he talked about living out our witness to the world. The insight to be Spirit-led and bold in our witness is something that is particularly applicable to us as we seek to reach out to the neighborhoods around the church. We also celebrated communion with our brothers and sisters which is always a powerful reminder that though we may be far from fellow believers in location, we are always bound together with a common love for the Lord.

Following the morning service and lunch we headed over to the second Hope Fellowship site to pass out more granola bars in preparation for the evening service. The Red Sox game was letting out so foot traffic was high and although there were some who were challenging, the opportunities for getting the word out were many. As the church seeks to grow the community in this new area, I am amazed by the faithfulness and commitment of those involved. To see people giving up so much time, energy, and resources to reach a world in need is a challenge and encouragement to all of us who follow Christ.

We ended the day with dinner at Legal Seafood, a local restaurant known for excellent food. All in all this trip has thus far been full of incredible opportunities to witness to the community, experience more of Boston, and build friendships that I know we all hope to maintain once we return to Dallas. We continue to see the goodness of the Lord and hope that the light we are seeking to share is ever apparent to all those we speak with.

Monday, April 21
Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples! For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised. -Psalms 96:3-4
Pray for us as we do servant evangelism at the Boston Marathon. Pray that we would get out of our comfort zones and share the love of Christ with those around us.

Tuesday, April 22
As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. -1 Samuel 12:23
Pray that as we leave, the people and city of Boston will stay on our hearts and minds, and in our prayers. Pray for Curtis, John, Odoi, Amy and Greg as they lead this church to serve this city.