Back in the Lou

It was a great summer. We are grateful for the opportunity to live in and get to know Boston. Many people supported us financially to make that a possibility for us and to you we say thank you so much. It was wonderful to be a part of Christ the King and worship with them. Bryan preached two times and taught a four-week Sunday school on Christian maturation. Getting to know the city was number one on our agenda and we had plenty of time to get to know the various neighborhoods that make up this complex city. We also met people both at church and in the surrounding neighborhoods and truly loved meeting everyone.

What a phenomenal city. What a busy city. The people in the north east have a reputation for being self-sufficient to the point of being rude. But I found that anyone and everyone was willing to lend a helping hand, whether it was getting a stroller on the subway, help with directions, or letting pedestrians cross the street. People are generally very kind and considerate of one another.

Our desire to join CTK's church planting network in Boston increased while we were there. We are taking the next step in the process which is church planting assessment in the fall. This will be a four-day conference-style assessment where qualified church leaders ask all kinds of questions about our personalities and see how we may or may not fit with the church planting model. If they don't think we're a good fit, we won't move forward. We will trust that God will use that time to speak clearly to us about his calling for our future.

As you can imagine, there are a lot of things on our minds as we return to one more year of seminary. We are reminded of our first year which had transition, uncertainty, and sad goodbyes to good friends. In this last year we will finish school, work part time, find a job, graduate, and move. The stress is of course, not just ours alone. We live alongside many families who are in the same boat this year. It is both encouraging to have people who know exactly how we feel, but it is hard to share the same stress. Everyone is feeling it and we can't escape it. Please, pray for all of the seminary families in their final year as well as our ability to make wise decisions. May we simply be encouraging to those around us this year who also have to make wise decisions for their families.

Seminary has been such a unique journey. We are thankful for it. Let me know how we can be praying for you too.

Love,
b.l.and m.