About 15 years ago, disciples in the Metro Region of the Boston Church of Christ began a food pantry in Framingham, MA, to serve the needy in the community.  After a few years, it became one of HOPE?s  projects in New England.  However, the closing of HOPE New England a couple of years ago did not mean the closing of the food pantry.  For the last two years, HOPE worldwide has allowed us to operate under their ?banner,? but the fund-raising, the staffing and the food procurement and distribution have all been handled by the disciples of the Metro Region.  Over the past year, we have had roughly 3,600 client visits, which is an average of 10 visits for every hour we are open.  Just recently we passed out over two tons of turkeys to needy families for the Thanksgiving holiday.  To God be the glory!

? . . . and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.  God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.?  Acts 17:26-27

I?d like to share about my daughter, Katie, and how God has moved powerfully in her life.  Katie was born in China and lived with her biological parents for about seven years. One day her mother put her on the back of her bicycle and took her to the marketplace. While there, she told Katie to go look at some things while she went to look at other things. When Katie turned around she saw her mother ride off on her bicycle leaving her at the market. Katie stayed and walked around until the markets closed then started walking the streets. As night fell, she became afraid and just sat curled up on a rock. While sitting there a man came up to her and asked her what she was doing and asked if she was hungry. She remembers this man giving her an orange for supper and allowing her to stay with him one night. The next morning he asked Katie if she was going to the ?school (orphanage).? Katie did not know. He asked how old she was, but Katie wasn?t sure of that either. She just knew she was somewhere between 6 and 8. He told her not to tell anyone that, but to say she was only four or five or she would never get a home.

Please click on "Member Spotlight" to read some amazing stories of God's work in New England.  As our New England churches work hand in hand with many European ones, we want to highlight the work of His Spirit on both sides of the ocean.  This time we'll put the spotlight on two churches in Connecticut - Hartford and Groton/New London.

Women's Night - http://www.gnlicc.org/Women05.htm

A Historic Day in Hartford and in Heaven - http://www.hartfordchurch.org/

The New Orleans Story comes to Hartford - http://www.hartfordchurch.org

On November 5, 2005, Kayamba Lawum was baptized into Christ.  With a small number of onlookers and little fanfare, a miracle happened.  There were only a few present because Kayamba was urgent.  And to him, it wasn?t about a crowd.  It was about salvation.  It was about God and his relationship to Him.  But that is far from the full story.  Let?s go back just a little ? to the beginning.

Kayamba was born in The Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire).  He grew up very poor, as do the large majority of people in the Congo.  When missionaries came from the West, his family became a part of a Protestant Church, the Mennonite Brethren.  At the age of 18, Kayamba decided to enter the ministry.  He would go to seminary, receive his master?s degree and attend many Bible training courses throughout the continent.  His thesis paper studied the concept of the kingdom of God as it is found in the gospel of Mark and as it relates to the impoverished in Africa.

Greetings from the Athenian-Greek family!

We feel honoured to write a short portrait for all those who so generously support the European fellowships, but also for those who have the Paul-like heart of building stronger bonds by sharing victories, struggles and prayers with fellow workers around the globe.

The Athens church was founded in 1995, by a mixture of mostly American and later German saints who either had some Greek blood, or just the desire to see the truth of the gospel preached back to the Greek blood, like the good old times!  Leaders and mission teams kept changing.  People kept fighting for God, all with their different personalities and skills, but with the sole purpose to help this movement grow in this city.  This was and has been a task that many found hard, as Athens holds a vast history, something which in the years we found hard to penetrate.  The simplicity of The Word can be a stumbling block to people who grow up in a country of deep Wisdom, Science and Philosophy.

We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers.  We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. (I Thess. 1:2-3)

We saw the King?s again two weeks ago.  They spent the night with us, giving us a lot of time to catch up, and it was like we had never left Paris.  Our friendship started right where it left off.  Irene and I were so encouraged and inspired by our time together.  Brad and Ann are examples of faithfulness, hard work, and endurance, over the course of many years.  They have helped stabilize the Paris Church, and played the role of peacemakers.  They provide reliable council to students, singles, and couples.  They have consistently served the church in any way possible through the years.   God has blessed them with an exemplary marriage, and their children are spiritually focused.  Over the last year Brad and Ann have helped rebuild the Paris Church, establishing a new French corporation, and providing spiritual leadership, including preaching regularly during Sunday services.  Because of their faithfulness, and others like them, the church is growing again, and members are starting to trickle back.

I?ve thought a lot about our time together over the last 2 weeks.   There is a lot to be learned from Brad and Ann King:

1)      Their quiet, consistent service, and positive impact on hundreds of lives.

2)      Their perseverance in living a Godly life over the course of over 20 years.

3)      God blesses endurance through difficult times.

4)      Commitment to the church works in the long run, in maintaining a healthy family life that provides a basis for a good marriage and spiritually focused children.

5)      Their giving hearts, and doing what is right, even when feeling unappreciated.

Brad and Ann?s life preaches a powerful lesson, one that I think we all need to hear.  God blesses those who put him first, especially those who persevere through times of doubt and difficulty.  They teach us to give our hearts to God and our church family, and to remain invested and engaged to the fellowship.