London Missions Trip 2012 – Updates

Our team has been back in the US for almost 2 weeks now and we’re so thankful for the support from our friends, family, and Citylife Church.  Below are a series of updates that we sent out while we were in London, along with some pictures to illustrate what we were involved with.

We look forward to having another team be sent in 2013, so stay tuned!

————————————————

June 9, 2012

Hello all,

This is Andrew writing on behalf of the Citylife London Missions Team. After a long day of travel we have arrived in London safe and sound! We got through customs with no complications and have arrived at Cafe Forever where we will be staying for the duration of our trip.

We are thankful for each of you and for your willingness to partner with us! We would greatly appreciate your prayers for the following:

- Joanna, who has been struggling with severe allergies since our arrival. Pray for her quick recovery and for the overall health of the team throughout the week.

- Tomorrow we will be worshipping at City of Peace, the church that meets at Cafe Forever. Pray for Tom Carpenter, the full-time missionary serving here, as he balances leading the church, overseeing the cafe, and providing direction for our team.

- The planned community outreach event on Friday, which is estimated to draw 300-400 people from the neighborhood. Pray for our team as we prepare for this event, and also for favorable weather (it is currently forecasted to rain, which could result in cancellation of the event).

That’s all for now. We will be sending updates every couple days. Thanks again for your support!

In Christ,

The Citylife LCM Team
Tim, Ji, Hannah, Jess, Joanna, Sarah, T, and Andrew

———————————–

June 12, 2012

Hello friends,

We have just completed our third full day in London and we are witnessing God moving in powerful ways. On Sunday we had an opportunity to attend City of Peace church and engage with the congregation. While most do not identify themselves as followers of Christ, they have found a community that makes coming to Sunday services worthwhile. It’s been exciting for our team to see a different model of ministry in motion; one that seeks to impact the immediate neighborhood through intentionally building relationships and providing a space to create community in an neighborhood that is divided by strong racial and socio-economic tensions.

City of Peace Sunday service

Today we partnered with London City Mission in one of its initiatives to give all residents on the Isle of Dogs the opportunity to own a bible. Our team split into pairs and went door-to-door in a small section of the island distributing bibles. It honestly wasn’t an easy task, as many people were not home and others had no interest in speaking with us. At the same time, we were floored by the vulnerability and openness of some of the people we visited; some even invited us into their homes for coffee and further conversation! We’ve been thinking a lot about the fact that God pursues His people relentlessly, and it is a privilege for us to be able to be a part of this mission.

Joanna is feeling much better; thank you for your prayers! Please continue to pray for her health. Tomorrow we will be visiting a mosque in the area. Please pray for our time there and that it would be a rich learning experience for us. Also, continue to pray for our outreach event on Friday, as we will be spending a lot of time preparing for this over the next two days.

In Christ,

The Citylife LCM Team
Tim, Ji, Hannah, Jess, Joanna, Sarah, T, and Andrew

———————————–
June 15, 2012

Hi all,

Our time here in London is winding down quickly, and it’s hard to believe our week is already almost over. Today we had an absolute blast putting on a carnival for the children in the neighborhood. We spent a good portion of the last few days planning and creating games and crafts for this event. Thank you all for your prayers. Though it rained off and on all morning as we setup for the event, the sun broke through just as the event started, making for a beautiful afternoon of fun and games! We had a great turn out and were able to serve and connect with many people in the neighborhood. The event allowed us the opportunity to talk about Cafe Forever and promote the different services and programs it provides, ranging from summer children’s programs to the weekly services with City of Peace Church.

This week has been insightful and rewarding for our team in numerous ways. We have enjoyed getting to know the long-term missionaries here, including Tom, Carol, and Marlene, and their model of neighborhood ministry. Many of our team members have talked about this as their greatest take-away: the idea of ministry starting on your doorstep and requiring patience, persistence, intentional living, and a view of the big picture. We have been inspired and challenged about ministering to our neighbors, by first reaching out and getting to know them and their stories; and we have been reminded to remain faithful and encouraged, as our work is sowing the seeds for the future harvest.

Tom Carpenter, lead missionary at Cafe Forever and head pastor of City of Peace

Tomorrow we will have a chance to explore the city before returning to Boston on Sunday. Please check your email next week for individual reflections and prayer requests. We are so grateful for your support and encouragement throughout this past week!

In Christ,

The Citylife LCM Team
Tim, Ji, Hannah, Jess, Joanna, Sarah, T, and Andrew

Pray for our team!

Tomorrow morning, our team of 8 will be departing Boston to serve the ministry of Cafe Forever in the Isle of Dogs. This will be the 5th team from Citylife partnering with the London City Mission. As we head off, please be mindful of the prayer requests below. We need your support and thank you advance for praying for us!

This year’s team members are:

Ji Chang
Tim Chang
Andrew DeBaun
Joanna Huh
Thien Ly
Jessica McAteer
Sarah Ryu
Hannah Yun

 

Pray for strong team unity. Team unity is vitally important for any short-term missions trip, so we ask you to pray for us that we would be patient with one another and learn to work well together as we serve in London. Pray that if and when conflicts arise, that we would be able to confess our sins quickly and to forgive each other quickly.

Pray for a humble and servant heart as we serve the people in London. One of the primary purposes of any short-term missions trip is to serve the already existing missionaries and indigenous leaders to where we are going. And so the only agenda we are bringing is one of service and flexibility; to do the will of the staff in London.

Pray that we would all grow a stronger sense of God’s mission throughout the world. Another purpose of any short-term missions trip is that the participant who goes may gain a broader vision of global missions. Pray that we would all see that the advancement of the gospel is happening all over the world and not just in the US. Pray that as we see the gospel going out in London, that this would encourage us to be supporting the work of global missions.

Pray that we would not leave our experiences in London but that we’ll be able to bring them back and encourage others about the trip. More importantly, pray that all of us would become more missional here in Boston, as a result of this trip. Pray for us, that by participating in missional work in another world-class city like London, that we would grow a stronger desire for missions to happen in Boston.

Special Collection for London Missions Trip 2012

Our short-term missions team to London will be departing Boston on Saturday, June 9. To help support the trip, we will have special collections during all services on the following dates:

CHESTNUT HILL
Sunday, May 20

BOSTON
Sunday, May 27

Please consider supporting us through finances and prayer. More information regarding our trip and how to support us can be found by clicking here.

Bake Sale Fundraiser – Easter Sunday, April 8

This Easter Sunday, April 8, the Citylife London Missions Team will be hosting a Bake Sale at the Boston Campus to raise funds for our upcoming trip in June.

Please consider supporting our team
and enjoy a baked good at the same time!

Click here to read more about our trip

Click here to read about other ways to join our support team

Citylife London Missions Trip 2012

This June, Citylife will be sending it’s 5th short-term missions team to London to partner with the London City Mission and the ministry of Cafe Forever.  To learn more about this trip, you can read about it here.

This year’s team members are:

Ji Chang
Tim Chang
Andrew DeBaun
Joanna Huh
Thien Ly
Jessica McAteer
Sarah Ryu
Hannah Yun

Each team member is trying to raise $1,350 to cover the costs of this missions trip. There are 2 options to financially contribute to our team:

[1] Mail a check

Make checks payable to: Citylife Church

In the memo line write: London Missions 2012 – (team member name)
Note: if you would like your funds to go towards the entire team, then simply put “London Missions 2012″ in the memo line.

Mail to:

Citylife Church
10 Milk Street
Suite 230
Boston, MA 02108

[2] Donate via Paypal

Make a contribution using your bank account, Paypal account, or credit/debit card by clicking on the “Donate” button below.

To apply your donation to a specific team member, please list their name in the checkout process. You may enter their name in the field labelled:
“Specify team member here:” (Note: this will be found on the page where you review your donation)

Thank you for your support!