June 2021
Dear Praying Friends,
The snows melted and the temperatures have slowly warmed up to a nice but cool spring here in New York City. One highlight of the coming of spring for our family is the beginning of baseball season. Ben often comes up to me and says, “Guess what happens in 19 days? Pitchers and catchers report!†After missing the 2020 Little League season, I also had four eager baseball players awaiting the opening day of Little League South Riverdale, Bronx. After a winter inside, the beginning of baseball is a chance to get outdoors, improve skills, and forge new team relationships. This year, Ben is coaching Henry’s T-Ball team. It is quite entertaining to watch every Saturday!
Our church planting has felt much the same as awaiting the start of a new season. 2020 was challenging for us (and for many ministries and missionaries), and 2021 brought a renewed anticipation of getting to restart things! We eagerly await the reopening of our city so that we can get out, adding new activities to the church calendar and forging new relationships through renewed street evangelism. In some ways it has seemed to take forever for spring to arrive. We are still praying and waiting for God to provide a permanent meeting place, but we have been endeavoring to build the team while we wait.
On Sunday mornings Ben started a new exegetical preaching series going through the book of 1 Corinthians. This practical manual for a new church has been a study in Christian conduct, and very applicable to our own infant church. We are continuing to have a lunch fellowship time, and afternoon Bible study service. We have focused the afternoons a little more on the children since Sunday School has been impossible for our church for over a year now. The adults have been studying the topic of true worship, learning that we can only come to God by faith. To keep the team on the same topic, the children are working through Hebrews 11 and studying the Hall of Faithers one by one.
In April, Ben and six other men and teen guys from our church attended a weekend retreat at a nearby Christian camp. It was great to see all the men of our church getting together and growing in the Lord. The ladies are looking forward to a shorter conference locally this month.
Ben has been doing some evangelism with a friend on the streets, using chalk talks to strike up conversations with folks about the Gospel. He also got to spend some time building relationships with our neighbors as he worked on a house project out front. Richard and Emilio stopped by often to help and talk. Please continue to pray for their salvation.
The last bit of news we have to share with you is the addition of a member to Team Hamilton. Finley Abraham Hamilton joined us nearly a week before he was due, arriving on May 31st at 11:21 a.m. He’s just a little peanut at 6 pounds 12 ounces, and 20 inches long. Finley is Scottish for “warrior,†and we chose the name Abraham because he was a man of faith who was called the friend of God. We pray that our little Finn will be a warrior in the good fight of faith and walk closely in friendship with his God all throughout his life.
Thank you for your prayers and financial support of our ministry in “da Bronx,â€
The Hamilton Family Team
Ben & Andrea, Elaine, Nolan, Liberty, Nehemiah, Henry, Peter, and Finn
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