Hello friends and mission supporters!
I hope this little post finds you all well- it’s so good to be updating you from this corner of the States. I’ve been back in Boston for about a month now and it has been filled with a lot of newness and goodness. New team, new roommates, and of course, new students arriving to campus. Before freshmen started arriving, my roommates and I took a weekend retreat in Narragansett, Rhode Island. It was a great time of prayer and to develop an understanding of the pillars of household life (holiness, communion, and mission). Prior to retreat I had been asking the Lord what he wanted to say to us as a house for the year- I was struggling to hear what he wanted to do in our new living situation, as the first women’s household in Boston (if you’re unclear what household is, check out the video here). Soon after arriving in Narragansett for our little retreat, the Lord spoke powerfully to us through this verse: “I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh (Ez. 36:26).” We quickly realized together how much the Lord wanted to give us new hearts and breathe new life into us. It was such an encouraging word and the Lord took no time in making it happen tangibly. Once freshmen began arriving on campus and our welcome week festivities began, what was last year a week exhaustion, though there was a lot of grace, was this year a week of seeing the Lord do the heavy lifting. We had a better turn out of student leaders and saw them outreaching to younger students, more freshmen came to more than one event throughout the week and felt welcomed, and at the end of the week when we did our first ever women’s welcome week Luau, the night was filled with joy, dancing, and a commitment from many women, new and returning, to show up for women’s group and the correlating small groups! Last year, we had only upperclass small groups and turnout until January, so the change was tangible and incredible. It has become clear that the Lord wants to see the work here in Boston succeed more than any of us missionaries do, and it’s been a blessing to be assured that he wants to bless our faithfulness to the mission. Last year there was so much building and getting a structure ready, it’s incredible to see the Lord breathe life into those bones (Ezekiel 37: 4-5). Thank you so much to each of you for your prayers and support. Thank you for the help that allows me to be here and witness to what the Lord is doing here. It’s such a gift and I am beyond blessed by this work. Please continue to pray for my new teammates (Adam, Kevin, and Sarah) as they adjust to life here. Pray for the new students that they continue to feel welcome, and for our student leaders that they continue to outreach and rely on the Lord. I want to encourage you to take time to read Ezekiel 36 & 37, I know the Lord wants to breathe new life into your days, too. And if you have the time, check out this reflection on our Heavenly Father, written by my teammate, Renee: "Be Still and Know I am Your Father". I hope you find it as life giving as I did. I am praying for each of you! In the Father’s love, Katie Hollcraft
2 Comments
Mark Hollcraft
9/11/2018 10:41:55 am
Thanks for the update Katie. What a joy to hear the Lord is doing a great work in you. May it be so for each of us. God bless you and love you. Peace,
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Mercedes
9/11/2018 03:37:11 pm
Thank you for beautiful reminder! Praying for you each day!
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WELCOMEI am Katie, a Catholic missionary with Saint Paul's Outreach, serving in Boston. I am excited to share the journey with you! || John 4:29 || Archives
September 2018
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