Brockton - July 20, 2024

Yesterday was a beautiful day to be out serving our friends in Brockton, where we provided 92 meals of chicken fajitas, fresh fruit, and baked goods along with cold drinks. Because it was the 3rd Saturday we also had personal care items and a full load of clothes.

We saw several churches with teams on the streets serving meals, which was nice but also a bit disruptive because without coordination each of us can end up with wasted food and we all need to be careful not to block traffic in our efforts to do good. (In our case we can save leftovers, but we never freeze a pan of food more than once.) Since downtown was being served we went exploring to find some new locations to serve. We located a few out-of-the-way locations where people were living and avoiding the drug use and drama that is often seen downtown. One nice couple were making the best of their rough environment and gladly accepted a solar powered fan to help keep them cool in the heat (courtesy of Paws & Claws - bellingham). They also directed us to a few other locations of need. This experience took us back to our roots 14 years ago when we were seeking out those in need rather than finding a central location where they could come to us. That said, extra caution is needed in these environments.

There were some heart breaking stories and urgent prayer that were raised. here are a few of them:

- Jason started us off by asking that God help him to help others, That’s a great prayer request!

- Mike is praying tha all of his court issues can be resolved.

- Irene asked for prayers for her swollen legs and feet.

- Patrick was in a better mood and seemed healthier. He just wanted prayer.

- Junior also looked healthier, but he had to have a heart-to-heart conversation and prayer with Deb over some things he had done wrong.

- Donna (Rocky) brought some people in need to see us. She is getting a new job as a security guard, which is exciting and a step up. She also told me that she found some homeless pennies Iinside joke). We prayed for her training to learn important skills for the new job.

- Brutus is a big guy, and we prayed that he would be a force for good in Brockton.

- Florence has lost 17 people from her life in the past 4 years (family and friends). She is desperately sad and is asking for prayers for her son Devin.

- Mike has a blister on his foot that makes it difficult to walk, so we prayed about that.

- Autumn is recently out of the hospital after being there for 3 months with multiple infections. She is drastically under weight so we prayed for health and stability for herself and her mom.

- Erika needs prayer that her lungs would improve as it is difficult for her to breathe.

- AJ’s body has been broken down from manual labor and so he has lost everything. He is praying for housing.

- Gio is praying for an apartment.

- Arizona needs prayers for his court issues, for his heart, and for his mother with cancer.

- Kit needs prayers of safety and protection as Brockton can be a scary place. She also needs heart healing as she hasn’t seen her 17 year old son in many years.

It was a bit of a strange day for us but very rewarding and although we had a big team, everyone stayed pretty busy. Thank you to all those who continue to support LYNN Ministries. We pray that God is blessing you for your sacrifices in helping us serve the least of these (Mt 25:40).