Friends & Family,
Emily and I are celebrating six months in Boston today! We can’t believe how quickly time has gone by and how much has happened in a matter of months. We will be posting a blog update later this month that looks at our last six months in review and how our different avenues of ministry tie together for the greater mission and vision of reaching Boston with the gospel. Be sure to check it out when it’s posted! Emily and I love our life in Boston and are experiencing a lot of change both personally and within our ministry here. Take a look below for an update as well as prayer requests for the next month.
SEE HOW GOD WORKED LAST MONTH!
1. First Official Home Study Done
Preparing for our home study
Our first home study/interview went very well the morning of Valentine’s Day! We have had a few social workers in our home previously, but this was the first real home study done that puts us another step closer to becoming foster parents and a pre-adoptive home. This visit was a basic introduction to Emily and I, our families, and our home. It included a physical requirements check that proves our home is livable, safe, and a good environment for our future foster children. We will have two to three more home visits over the next month. Our next home study will be on Thursday, February 22 (see the prayer request below for more details!).
2. Aaron Preached at Hope Community Church and Indian Community Church
This month I have/had the privilege of preaching four times at a few different church plants in the Boston area. I am currently two for four right now as I preached at Indian Community Church on Saturday, February 10 and at Hope Community Church on Saturday, February 3. The church planting network in Boston through the North American Mission Board (NAMB) has been one of our favorite things. We have a built-in support system with other walking through the same process of church planting. Because of the strong brotherhood between church planters in Boston, we are called upon to help our brothers in Christ and their churches in whatever capacity needed. It’s been a privilege to serve alongside these men and their families as we all work towards a common goal of spreading the gospel in Boston!
3. Colborne Community Game Night
Playing "Codenames" with our neighbors at our latest Colborne Community Night
Another Colborne Community Night is under our belt! Emily and I had a great time playing “Codenames” with our neighbors and even invited another couple from our church. Be praying that we find new avenues to get our neighbors involved in these community get togethers. It is very easy for all of us to go about our lives without ever reaching out to those that live directly beside us and, in our case, in the same complex. Emily and I really want to battle the easiness of isolation and build an indispensable feeling of community amongst our neighbors. We hope our Colborne Community Nights will lead to more conversations and deeper friendships with those living next door to us.
4. New Location for our Community Group
After Bible Study, we usually play a game together with our Community Group
We have recently moved our Community Group to our house rather than meeting downtown in a café attached to the Boston Public Library. We moved the location of our Community Group because we discovered that almost all of our group lived within either walking distance or less than a 10-minute drive to our home. This move has helped us be more intentional in the time we spend with our students and it is helping them to become part of the fabric of our lives. This has been a great adjustment! It allows them to feel more and more comfortable with Emily and I, and us with them, and it also allows more flexibility with the time. Since we’ve moved Community Group to our home (which previously ended at 9pm when the café we met at closed), students have stayed until 11pm or even as late as midnight. We are building strong relationships with these people and are loving every minute of it! Be praying for our Community Group to grow in love with the Word, understanding the truth of the gospel, letting the gospel shape how we live our lives, and grow in our love for others. We truly desire for these students and ourselves to delight in, display, and declare the gospel!
PLEASE PRAY FOR:
1. Another Home Study Next Thursday
With foster care and adoption through the state, there are many steps to take, including home visits, paperwork, and training classes. Emily and I just reached the halfway mark in our training classes and will complete the MAPP class on Tuesday, March 13th. In the meantime, we will also be filling out paperwork called a profile pack, which details our ideas of parenting, our backgrounds, references, and much more. Our next home study on Thursday, February 22 will be a one-on-one visit. Our social worker will interview Emily and I individually about our personal history, our thoughts on foster care and adoption, and any other clarifying questions the Department of Children and Families (DCF) wants to ask. DCF does a thorough job of making sure foster children are well taken care of and we are thankful to be a part of this process. Be praying over peace for our nerves, clarity as we answer the interview questions, and an opportunity to share how the gospel has shaped our view of foster care and adoption.
2. Hickory Grove Mission Team March 3-7
In just a few weeks, Emily and I will be hosting our second mission team from Hickory Grove since moving to Boston. The team will be prayer walking the area, helping us build strategic relationships with the community through service projects, helping with our March Colborne Community Night and being of support to the local church plant here. These teams see first-hand the work being done in Boston and, prayerfully, catch the vision for this city! Be praying for their effective ministry here as we reach the local community through our neighbors and church.
3. March Colborne Community Night during Mission Team
Our next Colborne Community Night within our apartment complex will be during the Hickory Grove mission team’s stay with us. We scheduled the event like this for three reasons: 1. For help in putting on the event and building relationships. 2. To allow the mission team to be an intricate part of the work we are doing in Boston. 3. To have additional gospel witnesses in our home that portray the love of Jesus Christ. Please be praying for a high attendance at this next event so that we can meet neighbors we haven’t yet met and pray for Emily and I to have wisdom in intentional next steps of reaching out.
4. Aaron Preaches Two More Times
I have preached twice in the two weeks and have two more preaching opportunities to go. This Saturday, February 17 I will preach again at a local Indian church called Indian Community Church. This church is largely made up of Indian believers and has been established within the last one to two years. The following Sunday, February 25, I will preach at another local church that meets near Boston Common in downtown Boston named Renewal Church. This church has been established for almost five years. These churches have strong ties to City on a Hill where I am apprenticing to learn more about church planting in the Boston context. Be praying for clear gospel preaching in my sermons and for the health of these two church plants.
Be sure to stay tuned for next month's prayer update!