Thank you for all your prayers during our time of travel in New England. We flew in just ahead of a significant snow storm, that in itself was a miracle. It was a wonderful mix of play and work.
Family:
In addition to spending time with my mother
and father,
the bulk of our family time was spent with my brother Andrew. Many of you know that Andrew was hit by a car in Boston outside his apartment on Christmas Day of 2009. Miraculously he survived but with a brain injury. After a four month coma Andrew has been in and out of hospitals, in fact since our trip he has been transferred to another facility in Boston. During our stay he was still at Beth Israel Hospital. We had extensive conversations and prayer time with him, it was a beautiful time, yet we don’t always know what he will remember or what he’s actually taking in. Please keep Andrew in your prayers!
Ministry Time:
Inner City Boston in the area of Dorchester:
Our 8 days in Boston was book-ended with ministry. We arrived very late on Christmas Day and the following morning we got up and served at our Hurting Coast partner church, Christ the King Church in Dorchester. That was followed by a lunch at the home of the Rev. Dan Rogers with his wonderful family.
We served with Dan on the Sunday morning following Christmas Day with a huge snowstorm looming, so there were naturally fewer in worship, however the spirit and the singing was fantastic. It was a diverse group of black and white, young and old, long time churchgoers and those brand new to the faith, very exciting and an important church in which to partner. The church building itself is located in an interesting setting that is both residential and business. Clearly for Dan, his focus is on the children of that neighborhood (of which there are thousands) and how to reach them. The Hurting Coast team of St. Michael’s is now trying to raise funds to give them a van in which to bring the children to church.
The Foothills of the Berkshires, Oxford, Massachusetts:
My father at the age of 79 is for all intents and purposes the full time Rector of Grace Church, Oxford, a precious gothic church on their main street. My father (Alfred Zadig, Sr.) is approaching the 50th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood. It was therefore a privilege to preach for him on Sunday January 2nd. It was both my birthday and the day before my own ordination anniversary to the Priesthood. During announcements, the Senior Warden came up and with great humor said he didn’t want there to be any confusion at the coffee hour after church between the two Rev. Al Zadigs, so, he presented us with name tags…One for my father that simply said, Al, and the next which was intended to read Fr. Al South…but because he couldn’t fit all of south, he kept it as Fr. AlSo….! At coffee hour this wonderful little church presented me with a birthday cake and sang. It was fantastic hospitality! What I’m most excited about however is their plan to begin offering the Alpha course in the fall…stay tuned. We also then did something as father son we hadn’t done for decades and that was watch a New England Patriot game together!
Fun:
Five year old Hudson skied for the first time! He began as a fearful but willing skier and by the end of our day he was skiing on his own on the bunny slope! From skiing we took the children to as many of the typical sightseeing monuments as we could possibly find. From Plymouth Rock to the freedom trail to the tea party ship (in dry dock) and Faneuil Hall. But one quick experience to tell you about. We were out with what seemed like millions of others on New Years Eve, it was typically cold and wet, and the children were approaching melt down status as we were walking back to the subway. But lo and behold, a church with what seemed like dozens of volunteers summoned the crowds to come in and experience their hot cider and cocoa, plus a wonderful concert in their sanctuary. It was no surprise that the name of this church was Park Street Congregational Church, a church that for years has been (in my opinion) the hope for Biblically centered Christianity in Boston. Situated right on the edge of the Boston Common Park (the New York Central park equivalent) and down from Beacon Hill and the State House, this church is a beacon for grace and truth. Their direct outreach for the Gospel of Jesus Christ is amazing. It’s no accident that The Rev. Dan Rogers and his church are also partnering with Park Street. If you are in Boston anytime soon, in addition to Christ the King, check out Park Street!
