In Boston!

So it's the first night in Boston. I'm sitting on the hotel bed, Grace is reading her Bible next to me and Lauren is getting ready for bed. It's so fun to be with friends and serving the Kingdom of God.

We started today bright and early but not without a few delays. Lauren overslept so when we got to her apartment she was asleep and Calvin met us late too! :) Victoria said it wouldn't be a trip if someone wasn't late! She was right. The ride was fun signing old songs like "Sing, Lavish Him with Love... open up your hearts in the sanctuary..." Then we all said aloud the "virtuous woman" confession Victoria had on her ipod! Things like "I am a virtuous woman of God. As a righteous woman of favor I have a right to expect great things..."

The flight was great sitting next to Papa Jones. As we flew in we could saw snow and frozen lakes. I have never seen that from an airplane, it was really cool looking, no pun intended! ;) All of the little islands off the coast off Massachusetts were beautiful, some were just large boulders in the water.

Donny met us at the airport where we also met other new friends Darrick & Madel. We later met up with Adam as well. (Donny and Adam are the pastors of the Aletheia Church. Which in the greek means truth.) We made our way to the Holiday Inn which is really nice. Then had a blast picking out foods at the Whole Foods Market buffet for a late lunch. This is always a fave even though it's only my second time eating there. I have a feeling we will eat there a bit more since it's so close to our hotel.

After a short respite we started to make our way to Donny and Adam's house around 6pm. They live in a triplex? (One house where each floor is like an apartment..) We walked and took the "T line" their subway. We walked through Harvard's Campus which was really cool. Ps, when I was in middle school my family visited New England so this is my second time to Boston. I recognized the statue of John Harvard but can't wait to see the campus in the daytime! I Can't wait to take pictures of all of the brick architecture. It was really exciting walking through the campus. I was glad I saw the move the Social Network about Facebook. (Fb was started at Harvard.) It is so cool to think that this campus is where lots of our political figures, presidents, and other influential people study.

Walking through the old neighborhoods to their house was cool. I loved seeing all the old houses and thinking about who lived there over the course of history. It was so good to meet the Donny and Adam's wives Janna and Hope. They had the most precious children. Combined their were 6 kids; 2 babies and 4 little girls sitting at a small children's table eating pizza like little ladies.

Both wives are really nice but I immediately connected with Janna and felt like I had known her for years. I told her we could be best friends and she said we already are! ;) Can't wait to talk with her more and get to know her! Donny and Janna worked for 7 year I think in Florida doing Campus Ministry and Adam and Hope worked in Edinburg, Scotland. Hearing their heart for the city of Boston was incredible. Donny spoke about how he love campus ministry. His heart beats for C.M. so much that he felt God calling him to move is family away from their tight knit extended families in FL thousands of miles away, to another culture to advance the Kingdom of God. Nick told Donny and Janna something to the effect of don't thank our team of 12 for coming for a week, we thank you. Y'all are the "heros." Janna said "we don't feel like heros." Gosh that is so much their heart, that they have really laid down their lives for the Gospel. Not just in ministry but to ministry but to do it all humbly for Him. Not for themselves but for eternity.

They gave us pointers for evangelizing. As it turns out, I don't feel I missed anything for not reading those books. For one Adam is doing a 12 part series on Tim Keller's book The Reason for God. He also shared on how you don't have to get into an argument or debate on the theory of evolution. He talked about how people will want to pull you into conversations about their area of interest or specialty, but not to go there, to talk about Jesus and focus on talking about Jesus. At the end of the day Jesus is what everyone anywhere need to hear about no matter your background, IQ, or ethnicity.

They also talked about how the only thing that "works" in Boston to reach the people is the Gospel. Shocking I know.. ;) They said that cool graphics, slick advertising, strategically planned events etc don't "work." Only the Gospel. This was refreshing for my soul to hear. It is true the Gospel is the Gospel and is the only thing that will change anyone's heart.