let your light shine...

day two of trip one.
wednesday.

we spent the first six nights of our trip at a best western in dartmouth. the girls slept four to a room and i'm not gonna lie...i was a teensy bit worried about that. but...(spoiler alert)...it was fine. and dare i say, i actually enjoyed it???

our youth pastor and fearless leader, david bennett, had put together devotional booklets for all of us to use during the trip. i love this. we went through the book of philippians. our mornings had later starts, allowing for breakfast, workouts, bible study, etc.

I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.  - Philippians 1:12-14

this morning i prayed that our group would have a manner of life worthy of the gospel of Christ (Phil 1:27)

we began our day together as a group with a meeting at the Hartis home. this was our more official introduction to Chad, Jodi and Brayden. they were such gracious hosts and welcomed us into their home multiple times throughout the week. 

Chad was captivating. as he poured out his heart to us, it was so obvious that he has a sincere love for the Lord and a willingness to follow. he gave us an introduction to the area and how they ended up there.

they saw that the new england area had some of the lowest percentages of evangelical christians. 3% in that region versus the 27% in NC where they are from. 

they also had a heart for college ministry which pushed them to the town of dartmouth because of UMass Dartmouth. the town has 35K people and 3 evangelical churches. 300 people on any given sunday attend those.

the Hartis family has been in dartmouth for a couple of years...they moved when their son, brayden, was a baby. in september of 2015 they officially launched South Coast Community Church. their desire is to be a church that plants other churches; that raises up leaders and sends them.

Chad's words were so encouraging, especially to someone like me that had never been on any type of mission trip. he affirmed that we were there to just be a light in a dark community.

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a blanket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. -Matthew 5:14-16

he reassured us that people in that area are curious and hungry and eager to learn...but slow to respond. many have never heard the gospel. ever.

horribly awkward selfie of me that i only share because alex & lexi were complete awesome sauce. 

after lunch, we split into groups and headed out on our first real "assignment." we were dropped off in neighborhoods - chaperones paired with students - and we hand delivered flyers about the family fun night that south coast would be hosting that saturday. 

my job, as a chaperone, was to set a good example of how to do this and then let the students really "own it". this is one of those moments when i'm like "so, this seemed like a good idea when i signed up but not so much. i'm out. peace." but i didn't bail. and not only did i survive...but it was fun. what? what? 

My word of the year is JOY...and I live near CHARLOTTE. cool, right? 

here's a little secret...the people of Boston are not "obnoxious yankees". they are actually really nice people. yeah, we met some resistant folks...but mostly they were just good ole fashioned nice peeps. 

and the students? oh man. these kids are amazing. the leaders lead humbly. the quiet ones talked. the shy ones stepped out in faith. the talkative ones listened. y'all...these kids. i can't even. 

Josh, Katie & Alexus

it was a long day (or um...maybe half day). it was hot. really hot. but there may have been drinks from target as a little reward.

and there was dinner. i'm going to be honest. i've never traveled on a "church budget" before. this was new to me...and ended up being so adorably awesome. we had a full-on fajita bar...in the breakfast room of the hotel. it was pretty cool. i'd love to say i cooked, but let's be real people. i scavenged their stock room for the right containers and i chopped. stick with your gifts, right?

chef cavin

after dinner, we had an evening meeting back at the Hartis home...with worship music. be still my heart. josh played the guitar. david played some instrument he sits on (sorry, i sincerely don't know what this thing is called). and we all sang, praising the Lord and his awesomeness.

we debriefed from our day and talked about living life on mission...not on a mission trip, but daily life on mission. we are to present ourselves as a living sacrifice, in light of what Christ has done for us. look at life through a "gospel lens" and take advantage of the opportunities that God gives you.

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. -Romans 12:1

Everyone we meet is someone that God loves dearly. #truthbomb 

and then we went back to the hotel and...the vibe changed. matthew taught us a game called silent football...this ended up being "the thing" for the week...it was intense. and hilarious. and totally too complicated to explain here. but the look on matthew's face in the photo below pretty much nails it. 

i don't remember what time i went to bed that night...but i know it was with a smile on my face and a full heart....

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Prayer Request:
Pray that our group would continue to stand firm in one Spirit, side-by-side, for the gospel.

Soundtrack: 
when i study The Word, music often comes to mind where scripture is included. on this morning, i made a note while diving into Philippians 1 --- Passion's "Let It Be Jesus".

Let It Be Jesus - Passion

give glory to your Father....

Day one was awesome and all of our prayers were straight up answered.

For today...

Prayer requests:
(1) that these students will feel the passion and devotion of the Hartis family and it will propel them to live on mission (they are amazing!)

(2) After lunch we are heading out for several hours of flyer distribution. Pray for physical endurance in the heat, spiritual guidance and wisdom as we speak to people in the community and for God to soften the hearts of the folks we meet.

The scripture is the same as my last post because when Chad Hartis spoke to us this morning he referenced this passage...same one I put on the goodie bags I made for the girls on our trip.

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”  - Matthew‬ ‭5:14-16‬ ‭ESV‬‬

now they went...

day one 

(does anyone else launch into singing "it's day one of the rest of my life, it's day one of the best of my life" in their head anytime someone says "day one"??? no? just me? oh well. - if you don't know what i'm talking about, give it a listen here.)

anyway...day one...and it's a long one.

i woke at my normal time (5 a.m.) and did the last day of our pre-trip devotional, aptly titled "the Gospel sends". after dropping my son off at his summer camp, i went and picked up one of the students, Alexus. she is the only student that i knew before signing up for this trip.

we headed to my sister's house who drove us to the airport. our flight wasn't until 11:30. students were supposed to be at the airport by 9:00 and the chaperones by 8:30. Alexus and I were early and the first ones there...possibly the earliest i've ever been to an airport for a flight.

everyone gradually arrived and it was time for a group picture. and a group selfie. when "the other holly" busted out her selfie stick, i was pretty sure we'd be getting along just fine.

we made it easily through security and plenty of time to grab "lunch" before our flight. except that it was still pretty much breakfast time. the group of girls i was wandering with...we got sushi. for breakfast. the first of many firsts on this trip. i may have followed it up with a cinnamon bun. but there's no proof.

during our airport wandering, we came across a circular area and I said "hey we should all get in the floor in a circle and take a picture." and they did...with no hesitation. i knew it was going to be a good week. and it was slight affirmation of what i already knew - i have a inner teenager that just won't grow up (which is why i have gone through a hannah montana phase as a full grown adult).

we eventually loaded on to the plane where our seats were all grouped together. i was a little worried for the sanity of the other folks on the flight, but really our group was pretty well-behaved.

 It was an easy flight - under two hours. This was my first time flying JetBlue and it was a great experience. Uneventful flight...just the way I like them. The employees in the airport were very friendly, as was the on-flight crew (as evidenced by the the pretty hilarious photobomb courtesy of a flight attendant). The best part? I got WINGS. Two thumbs up JetBlue. 

when we arrived, we had some down time because two of the male chaperones had to go pick up our mode of transportation for the week - a 15 passenger van and a Ford Escape. i may have eaten a burrito the size of my head that was labeled "small" on the menu.

my geographical knowledge of boston is limited so pardon my poor descriptions of where we were in some cases (actually, this is true for anything relating to geography and/or directions, not just boston).

we wandered through an area that i believe is known as the financial district and hung out in a quaint little park with a foundation while we waited on the Hartis family.

according to instagram, these photos were taken in Post Office Square

then we met the Hartis family - Chad, Jodi & Brayden. i felt like i was meeting rock stars. after reading about them, praying for them, hearing updates, for over a year...it was super cool to finally meet them face to face.

we walked to Quincy Market and were given some freedom to roam and find some food (keep in mind how much i've eaten already...i opted for a smoothie). apparently we only saw a portion of this (the food part) and there is a lot more to it.

while i "ate" my lunch, i talked to Jodi...it's weird to look back at the first "get to know you" conversation and then just seven short days later, i shed tears as we walked away from their apartment.

anywho...

next up, we took the T to Fenway Park (the T is basically their subway system). i knew this was going to be a long day and wondered how my energy level would be. i despise public transportation because of its lack of efficiency, but appreciate it for the experience. the long-ish T ride gave me an opportunity to sit by myself in the "quiet" while most of the girls were standing up in the back.

i guess i should point this out for anyone reading that might live under a rock... Fenway Park is the baseball field where the Boston Red Sox play. it is iconic and one of the oldest surviving stadiums in the country.

it didn't take long for Brayden to start winning over the hearts of the students.
the "boys" carried him all through the streets of boston. 

as we approached Fenway, i started to get giddy and then there was a turn of events...

of the 20 tickets that we had for the game, about 5 of them did not scan - including mine. it's a long story, but in summary... the majority of the group went into the game. five of us stayed out. it took us a long while to get in the game. it involved a lot of walking. a lot of standing in line. and a lot of stress for our fearless leader. BUT...we got in.

everything that Spencer (my stepson) had told me about the ballpark suddenly made sense. i was in awe of my surroundings. so much history. so much character.

we played the detroit tigers and lost by one run. this is supposed to be the last season for david ortiz (big papi) and he homered...so that was awesome (i even made spencer a little jealous with that!). jackie bradley jr is my favorite player, due to him being a gamecock, and he also homered - just for me, i know it!

see that white dot??? that's JBJ. 

there were a few moments during the game that were just surreal. i was watching the sunset over fenway park. what? and i stopped to think about all of the immense talent that was in that stadium right now. with me. at that moment. craziness. i got to sing sweet caroline in fenway. what???

look it's me. and fenway. we're BFFs. 

the Hartis family

our row of peeps - way up in the right field bleachers

two of our chaperones left the game early and grabbed our vehicles so we did not have to take the T all the way back to the cars. so we had a little time to kill after the game...so i took pictures.

me and wally

we had about an hour and a half drive down to Dartmouth, which is where we'd actually be spending the week. all of our luggage was crammed into the Escape so all of the people were crammed into the van like sardines. i vaguely remember some incident of abby's phone getting lost, then josh & alex carefully planning a well-thought out rescue mission.

by the time we got to the hotel, checked in and settled down for the night...it was 2:30 a.m. i was proud of myself for being an old lady that hung from 5 to 2:30. go me.

one of the things that really stood out to me about day one is that i felt so welcomed and accepted by a group of teens that didn't know me at all. we immediately started meshing and it was the beginning of a beautiful week.

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." - Matthew 28: 16-20

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Praise:
That morning, as part of my written prayer, I asked "Let this be so much more than just a trip."
He answered.

Prayer Prompt:
That all of us would have a disciple's heart in our daily lives...no trips necessary.

let your light shine...

It's time.

It seems like it took forever to get here. And it feels like it totally snuck up on me.

I'm excited and nervous like before the first day of school.

I don't know what I will post here during the actual trip. I will do most of my documentation on Instagram (which feeds to my Facebook). This will be a good place to put longer stories, if needed.

For now, here are some specific Boston prayer requests:

(1) Safe travels. And just safety in general. This world we live in is getting scarier by the day. Praying for God's protection over our team

(2) Energy and patience for all of us. Tomorrow is going to be a LONG day. Everyone will be at the airport between 8:30 and 9:00 am. We will not get to our hotel until well after midnight.

(3) Good weather. As of right now, Saturday has the highest chance of rain and that's the day of South Coast's free family night - NOT the day we want rain. Good weather that day will help us to better spread the gospel.

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”   Matthew‬ ‭5:14-16‬ ‭ESV‬‬

go out in joy...

Less than a week away... crazy!

Today, I'm going to talk about something somewhat unrelated to Boston (but I will circle back in the end).

Every year, for the last six, I have chosen a "one little word", inspired by Ali Edwards. This is the third year I have also participated in her online class of the same name.

The purpose of choosing a word like this is to evaluate where you are, where you want your year to go and help stay grounded in that pursuit. I usually choose my word toward the end of the prior year and will spend the early part of the year studying how that word plays out in the Bible, and ultimately choose a "verse of the year" to accompany my word.

For perspective, my previous words were focus, progress, grace, strong, brave and...

this year, it is JOY.

It took me a long time to choose my scripture this year, because ya know what? JOY is in the Bible a lot. I mean, really, a lot.

Ultimately, I landed here:

For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace;
The mountains and hills before you shall break forth in singing
and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
Isaiah 55:12 ESV

For me, "joy" and "peace" are closely related and I love that this verse includes both of them. MY joy in going and HIS peace in me when I go.

It's been a theme this year...different sermons, bible studies, etc. pointing to the notion of going. And my church very much has a sending heart.

July's assignment in my One Little Word class was to determine a manifesto, give yourself a pep talk, figure out the words you need to hear right now. This was perfect timing as we approach this trip.

Here is what I put together for my album:

I used this project as a reminder that I was chosen by Christ, I was made for this and that I should live fearless in Him.

You are my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you off; Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you. I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous hand.  Isaiah 41:9-10

So, all of this to say...as I approach the trip, which I feel so ill-equipped to do...I will go out in joy and He will lead me in peace. And if I'm lucky....they'll be singing and clapping, too!

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Prayer Prompt:
Pray that I will go out in joy and be led forth in peace.

whatever you do...

Last week I found out that we were going to have a nice treat on our trip...

We are going to a Red Sox game. You know this sports-loving gal is giddy with excitement.

This will happen the first night we are in town and will be a great way for the group to feel the heartbeat of the city, as well as some fellowship together in a relaxing environment.

I will likely cry. Because nothing makes me cry like a iconic sporting event.

We will also get to spend part of one day at the beach.

But South Carolina has beaches. South Carolina does not have Fenway Park.

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. -Colossians 3:23-24

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Prayer Prompt
Pray that we will find ways to share the gospel during our entire trip, even in the unexpected places such as a baseball game or the beach.

those who have never heard...

Today, I thought we could talk about the more tangible aspects of this trip...what exactly are we going to be doing anyway?

In the past, when I've heard "mission trip", I automatically think of a foreign land that requires a translator and lacks running water. Obviously, a mission trip to the Boston area is going to look nothing like that. Those folks up there talk funny, but I can still understand them - ha!

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. - Acts 1:8

The level of physical sacrifice will mostly likely be limited to sharing a less than five star hotel room with three other people (or maybe better put...sharing a bathroom with three other girls).

We will have hot running water and plenty of food. We even have a few really fun things planned while we are there.

This trip...it is relational. And man, oh man, does that kind of freak me out. I can tolerate dirty for a week...but putting myself out there emotionally, sharing my heart, the gospel, my story...that is just HARD. God sure does know how to push us out of our comfort zones.

and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, but as it is written "Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand." Romans 15:20-21

Tentatively, this is what our time in Dartmouth will look like...

• The climax of the week is on Saturday when we help South Coast Community Church execute one of their Free Family Fun Nights. We will spend much of our time leading up to that by getting out in the community, spreading the word and inviting folks to the event. 
• We will spend time together as a group learning about living a life on mission...because it is about so much more than just a trip...life is a daily mission trip.
• We are going to do a car wash and help clean up the church building where SCCC meets. 
• On Sunday evening, we will attend the worship service at SCCC and also serve before/during/after. 

May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations. - Psalms 67:1-2

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Prayer Prompt

Pray that God will use our team well while we are in Dartmouth. Pray that we will be energized by our love for the Lord and our passion will be obvious in our work and spread through the community. 

the place was shaken...

I mentioned in a previous post that my home church - North Rock Hill - has been supporting three church plants in the greater Boston area. I thought I would just share those with you.

Redemption Hill Church
Lead Pastor: Tanner Turley
Located in Medford, MA - northwest of the city.
This is the most developed of the three and they are already working on another church plant - Redeeming Grace in Arlington, MA





Indian Community Church
Lead Pastor: Suresh Sammangi
Meeting in Waltham, MA with weekly bible studies also in Malden & Quincy
Boston has a high Indian population and no evangelical churches geared toward that community.



All of the above locations are located relatively close to the city of Boston 

South Coast Community Church 
Lead Pastor: Chad Hardis
Meeting in Dartmouth, MA which is located about an hour south of the city (on the south coast of Massachusetts - bet you couldn't have figured that one out!)


This past week, men from our church have been in Boston working with Redemption Hill and Indian Community. They have helped with events such as soccer nights and a family conference. They have baby sat, met with church leadership...and a million other things that didn't make it on to Instagram. Most importantly, they left a trail of the gospel wherever they went.


The high school mission trip will be assisting South Coast in Dartmouth. More details on that tomorrow...

After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. -Acts 4:31

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Prayer Prompt:
Pray specifically for these three churches, the families that have followed God to plant them, their staff and their congregations. Pray for the area and that these churches can reach the unreached.
Pray that the men of North Rock Hill Church were able to soften hearts and share the gospel and that God will continue working in those communities long after these servants return home.

fix my eyes...

Today's post is going to be a little bit different than the previous ones...just sharing my heart with you, where I am right now. Today. 10 days away from departure.

It's been a week since anything was posted on this blog and for that, I'm a little discouraged (though I know, in the long run, it doesn't matter). I was hoping to have something scheduled to post daily but life got in the way.

My son and I spent four wonderful days roadtripping to Knoxville, TN and we had an absolute blast. As a single mom, it is so easy to get caught up in the "do this and do that" of everyday life. I spend a lot of time with Coleman....but sometimes I can go a whole day, or several days and realize I'm not really connecting with him, being intentional about my time with him.

These trips are priceless in that sense. It's such a great way to disconnect from the everyday worries and just enjoy being together.

Unfortunately, no matter how hard I try, travelling has a way of keeping me from really staying in tune with God. Even if I'm consistent with my morning bible study time (and I usually am), it is still hard. I haven't quite figured it out...maybe just too many distractions.

Anyway...this week, it took a little longer to get back into the groove of normal life than I expected. And we had some additional things in our schedule like my birthday and C's swimming lessons. So, it's been a week.

Today is rare, in the sense that it is a Saturday when Coleman is with his dad and I have nothing planned. My weekends quickly get overscheduled because I have a problem with saying "no". I somehow managed to turn down a few things today and I'm home, alone, getting caught up on things around the house, this blog and mostly...realigning with God and getting my heart in the right place.

This next week is going to be tough. Going away for eight days involves a lot of preparation. Packing for me. Packing up Coleman to go to his dad's for that long. Tying up lose ends at work. Making sure that the dog and the house will be cared for.

Next week needs to be focused on preparing my heart for Boston and there are a lot of opportunities for the devil to sneak in and make me focus on the busy and not on the journey ahead. Your prayers in this area are appreciated.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. -- Hebrews 12:1-2

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Prayer Prompt:
Today my prayers requests are a big longer. Any time you are able to lift these up to God over the next 10 days, I would greatly appreciate it.

• Pray that I will spend this week focused on God and preparing my heart for the trip to Boston
• Pray for me and Coleman that we can have intentional time together and that the long separation will not be too difficult on either of us
• Pray that I will not allow the devil to sneak in and dampen my spirit or distract me

Pearsons Falls in Saluda, NC - pit stop on our way to Knoxville

Me and Coleman at a Tennessee Smokies game

Walking the greenway along the Tennessee River

walk by faith...

After all of this Boston talk...

And then seeing HOW I was getting there...

It occurred to me...

Maybe it's not even about the city of Boston.

God will reveal His plan in His timing. But the fact that I'm chaperoning a bunch of teenagers I don't know...just made me think maybe God put Boston on my heart to point me to something not directly tied to the geographical area. Who knows!!

So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight.  -- 2 Corinthians 5:6-7

I wrote this post on Friday evening and scheduled it to post the next morning. Then I picked up "Go Outside" and read the next chapter...

Going Outside is all about the "who", not the "where". -Alton Lee Webb

funny, right? I had to come back and edit the post.

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Prayer Prompt

Pray that God will reveal His plan to me and that I will be open to see it, receive it and respond to it.

open their eyes...

So, now we've addressed HOW I'm getting to Boston, but what about the WHY? I was pretty surprised to first learn Boston (and most of New England) is considered "unreached".

Over the past year, I have done a little research and thought I could share a few tidbits to help others grasp the magnitude of the situation.

A few facts about Boston in general:

• Population of 5.8 million in metro Boston
• 80 colleges and universities
• 250K college students 

But why is it considered "unreached"?

• One Southern Baptist Church for every 40K people (for those of you that live in the South...just let that sink in and compare it to what our world looks like).
• Only 3% of the population attend an evangelical Christian church (2% of Boston Proper)
• 42% are unaffiliated with any religious body. 
• A list ranking 100 US cities according to being "bible-minded"...Boston is #99 (Charlotte is #6 and all of the NC/SC areas included were in the top 25...which explains my tendency to not grasp the lostness within our own country). 

To open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me. - Acts 26:18

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Prayer Prompts

For passionate urban church planters, for more churches to adopt Boston church planters, for opportunities to reach the growing international student population 

(Prayer requests are from NAMB.net which is where a lot of these facts were found as well)

let us go across to the other side...

Remember where we left off???

On April 16, 2016 I passed the domino necklace hanging in my closet and muttered to myself "looks like I got that one wrong."

The very next day, Matthew Cavin (our Connections Pastor) stood on the stage of my church and made an announcement about the youth going to Boston and there would be "other opportunities" for people to serve in that area as well.

So, that was a nice smack upside the back of the head for doubting God. You'd think I'd know better by now.

AND THEN...

April 20th at 9:19 am I received an email from David Bennett, our youth pastor. It was part of an exchange about another project, completely unrelated to Boston. And he adds...

On a different note, I wanted to let you know that as we have put together our student team for the Boston Mission Trip in July we have spots available!! In fact, I would really like to have another female chaperone for our student trip! I wanted to check and see if you are still interested in joining us?

And I cried (yeah. yeah. It happens a lot).

I got my ducks in a row (I stopped crying enough to make a few arrangements)... at 2:25pm, I emailed him back - "Alright - I'm in!"

 “On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” – Mark 4:35

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Prayer Prompt: 
Please pray that I will prepare my heart over the next 19 days for this trip, that my passion for the area will remain strong, that I'll keep crying the good tears.

a time for every matter...

A few days after IF, Emily (friend, d-group leader & lucky receiver of my random Boston references) sent me a text. She informed me that our church was sending a group of high schoolers on a mission trip to the Boston area in the summer.

Two weeks later, she sent me the dates.

It took me another week to build up the courage to do anything about it.

On March 1, I finally emailed our pastor and student pastor asking if there might be opportunities to chaperone on the trip.

The next day when I arrived at work, I realized I had parked next to a car with "Boston" vanity plates.

A few days later, I heard back that there weren't any openings outside of d-group leaders which obviously should be prioritized.

Partially disappointed. Partially relieved.

For about a month, things were pretty quiet...except for Spencer (my 17-year-old stepson) rattling off a list of colleges he was considering. Every one was in North or South Carolina...and then...Boston College.

On April 16, 2016 I passed the domino necklace hanging in my closet and muttered to myself "looks like I got that one wrong". Four months into the year and I had no plan to go to Boston...

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven. - Ecclesiastes 3:1

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Prayer Prompt:
Pray that the team of high school students travelling to Boston will use the next few weeks to prepare their hearts and be obedient to God's direction

go therefore...

Moving into 2016...

On February 5 & 6, I attended a local IF:Gathering. If you are not familiar, there is an IF women's conference in Austin,TX annually. Women gather together in local groups - big and small - in homes, churches, wherever, and the speakers, worship music, etc. are simulcast online. It was my first time participating and it was a great experience...just what my heart needed when a LOT was going on.

My d-group (small group) at IF:York County

As crazy of a time as it was, things had been very quiet on the Boston front.

At the end of the gathering on Saturday, we were told to write something on the back of the domino necklace we were given. I knew something like this was coming, so I was brainstorming ideas throughout the weekend. "Trust Without Borders" was at the top of my list.

The front of the domino necklace
(along with a beautiful Ugandan bracelet, which is irrelevant to my story but worth pointing out!)

But as we entered into our personal time of prayer to consider what to write... that wasn't it.
Despite the quieting of Boston...
It was clear as could be >>> "Go to Boston"
And I cried.

I'm not sure if I cried because I knew God was telling me what I needed to write.
Or if I was frustrated because I didn't know what it meant.
Or if I was scared of what it meant.
Or because my heart was just exhausted from a long weekend of overwhelming good & bad.

Regardless, I obediently wrote "Go to Boston"...

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations. – Matthew 28: 19a

In Go Outside, Webb writes “An Outsider develops an exploratory mentality and gives themselves permission to journey with more questions than answers.” 

Writing these three words was my way of giving myself permission to journey with a LOT more questions than answers. 

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Prayer Prompt

Pray that I will have the courage to obediently follow God's path for me, wherever He may lead.

if the willingness is there...

Continuing on with the timeline...

In September 2015, some stuff when down at work that made me think it was a really good time to leave the company where I had been working for almost 11 years. (For obvious reasons, I'm not going to get into the specifics around the work aspect of things).

I still had NO clue what God had up his sleeve, but it shook me to my core when I realized that IF He wanted to send me to go to Boston in a more permanent fashion...this was it.

On September 22 I went to Emily's house to briefly talk and to pray (FYI: this was the first time I've gone somewhere specifically so someone could pray for me...just in case you needed help in seeing how off-kilter I was at this point in time). 

Next, I met with my pastor about what was going on (again...a first). My memory is less than stellar but I am pretty sure it looked like a crazy woman in a pastor's office rattling off nonsense about her job and Boston and how maybe it makes sense for a single mom with a great support system to just pack up and leave it all behind. Riiiiiight. 

I returned to work completely and totally willing to walk away...not knowing exactly how or if that tied to Boston. But I was willing. I had the song "Oceans" on repeat during my commute and cried the entire way. (which, by the way, is a lot...because my commute is an hour and a half). 

Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders

Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever you would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Savior

(Sidenote: I wanted to name this blog "trust without borders" but turns out that isn't very creative and the domain was already taken.)

Just as unexpectedly as God gave me a scenario to walk away from my career...He took it away. Just like that. I was baffled (to say the least). A good friend of mine said sometimes God just wants to know we have an open heart and are willing to go. Her words meant a lot and have stuck with me. 

For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have. -2 Corinthians 8:12 

The next Sunday, September 27, we had a "sending service" and sent a family to Boston to help the Hardis family in their planting of South Coast Community Church. 

Later that day, I headed to the airport and spoke with one man while I was there...he was originally from...wait for it....Boston (you never saw that coming, did you?). He spoke of how difficult it is to find work there and how expensive it is to live. Interesting.

I arrived at my destination and grabbed a rental car...that had Massachusetts plates. 

After this odd sequence of events, the Boston thing quieted down. There were less references and things weren't in-my-face all the time. I even talked to Coleman about going to Boston the next year to see a Red Sox game (he's a huge fan). He calmly told me that he didn't want to go...he wanted to go to Tennessee. Well, ok then. 

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Prayer Prompt

Pray for the Hardis family - for their patience, faith and endurance. Pray that God would send them other servants to help in their mission at SCCC. 

the Lord who goes before you...

Today, we are hitting the rewind button to about a year ago...
(for those of you old enough to remember, I truly hope you can hear the sound of a cassette tape rewinding in your head right now)

God started to put the city of Boston on my heart in the middle of last year. That's such a "churchy" sounding statement. But hopefully by the time you read through the sequence of events, you'll see what I mean.

Thankfully, He knows me and my tendency toward both obliviousness and stubbornness. He was patient and persistent.

Here is Part One of the timeline that led to writing this blog...

In April 2015, unbeknownst to me, two pastors from my church traveled to Boston and ultimately decided that we would support multiple church plants in the greater Boston area.

It is the Lord who goes before you... -Deuteronomy 31:8

June 8, 2015 I created a note in Evernote (my organizational lifeline) about taking Coleman to the Boston area for a Red Sox game. I had read an article about the adorable town of Rockport, Mass and I thought we needed to go there. (This still holds true as a fantabulous idea that I may pursue.)

June 21, 2015 was a Sunday. That morning before church, I wrote a prayer about seeing God's will:

"I pray that you show me your will and give me the strength to see it, act on it, follow you through even if it is tough or illogical to me."

That morning in church, we had a guest speaker... Chad Hardis. He is the pastor that is planting South Coast Community Church in Dartmouth, Mass. (Spoiler alert: THAT is the church where I will be serving at the end of this month).

For the next couple of months, it was a ambush of Boston references. My sister went to Boston. My boss went to Boston. A friend from high school with whom I'd recently reconnected went to Boston.

In mid-August,  our d-group (or small group) met and there were only three of us - an unusually small group for our "small group". I found the courage to fess up that I knew something was going on with Boston even though I had no idea what.

A few days later, I wrote the first of specific prayers, asking God to show me what He has in store for me in relation to that area.

My d-group leader, Emily, became my go-to person that I would text when random Boston references would happen. (Lucky her.)   Little things like Groupon e-mails and side conversations pointing to that one city. She'd give me the side smirk on Sunday mornings when they'd give yet another update on the church plants we were supporting...

I think I started the Boston notebook sometime in August or early September.

I grabbed an old partially-used MLB notebook that belonged to my son, Coleman.
(MLB >> Red Sox >> Boston... get it? It makes sense, right?)

Anyway...I just had the need to start getting stuff on paper (which is my "safe place" when my brain can't handle everything going on up there).



I wonder... when I meet the Hardis family in a few weeks, will they think it's weird that I have a printed picture of their family???

In reading, Go Outside, I chuckled at this:

Going Outside often starts small - a desire for change, a crazy concept or a pesky idea that doesn't go away. 

That is exactly what Boston had become... a pesky idea that wouldn't go away.

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Prayer Prompt: 

For the greater Boston area which is considered just as "unreached" by Christianity as many foreign lands.