Thank you so much for your prayers for our church, our city, and all those affected by the bombing tragedy at the Boston Marathon. About a dozen of our members ran in the marathon, while numerous friends and family were there encouraging and cheering them on. While no disciples were injured, many were touched by the tragedy and several had loved ones who were injured.
Thoughtfulness and prayers have come in from all over the world, and for that we are grateful. Please keep praying for those who lost loved ones, those who were injured and for all of us - that we can let the love of Christ shine brightly in this dark world.
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We thought we would share with you several accounts from disciples who were at the Boston Marathon.
And please help with the Boston Relief Fund of the Boston Church of Christ that will go directly to the victims.
Kevin Mulligan was baptized a few years in Boston and served the church here during that time. His work took him to Utah, where he is now part of the church. His former workmate, who first shared with him, got married in Worcester this past weekend. Being a native Bostonian, Kevin was thrilled to attend the marathon after the wedding. He asks for prayers for his family as he states, “My sister, her husband and my niece were less than ten feet from the blast. My sister and her husband were hospitalized and underwent surgery to remove shrapnel in their legs. Complications… means more waiting and more surgeries. My brother-in-law suffered a severed artery in his ankle. My niece thankfully had some minor cuts and the shrapnel wasn't that deep. She was released. They will all be ok.
Their friends however, didn't fare as well. My sister and brother in law’s close friend, who was with them, lost both her legs. My niece’s friend suffered a broken leg from the shrapnel’s penetration to the bone. Please pray for them and for those that lost their lives, the injured, those that witnessed the horror and the first responders and their families and friends. “
Lisa Sharma’s husband, Sajjan, ran the marathon. The Sharmas serve as evangelist and women’s ministry leader for the Pioneer Valley Church of Christ in Springfield, MA. Lisa shared, “We are all safe after 3 bombs exploded at the Boston marathon. We didn't know where Sajjan's dad was for a while and we were all trying to get out if Boston in grid-lock traffic. No cell service, couldn't reach family and we got separated. Thank God we are all safe. The 1st bomb exploded directly across the street from the place we were heading to watch the finish when we heard the news!”
Kevin and Melissa Miller, along with their children, were cheering on students who were running. The National Guard told them they needed to leave right away, and then fire trucks and ambulances seemed to be coming by non-stop.. When the family arrived at our house their 4 year old daughter told us (her grandparents), “There was a big fire and people died.”
Phil and Kris Arsenault’s teen daughter, Kyra, was running several miles with her teen leader, Rachel Buchholz, who ran the marathon. Kris shares,“Thanks for the calls about our safety. Kyra was at the marathon but didn't go to the finish line. She and a friend jumped in to help pace another friend who was running but police stopped them on Heartbreak Hill and advised of the goings on and made them (and all other runners) stop. The friend was determined to run all 26 miles, so they continued running down a side street, around BC and finished at the Reservoir while Kyra prayed. The other friend made calls to ensure the safety of families who were waiting at finish line. We are thankful for their safety and praying like the rest of you for the victims and swift capture of those responsible.”Ingrid Gracia was there with her family and reported, “We were very close. We heard the bombs and we were not sure what it was. We did not know that we were so close. I am grateful to my God that we are safe. We are so sad for the people that lost their lives and the ones that are injured. I cannot express how it felt to be so urgent to get out of a place with my child. Please pray to the ones at are so effected because of this.”
Rachel Buchholz, who ran the race shared, “I am so grateful to all of the people who helped me finish the marathon yesterday, and SO grateful to God that they are all safe. Thanks to Emma and Rebekah for cheering me on; thanks to Michelle, Catherine, Tiffany and Hannah for cheering me through my makeshift last 4 miles and for helping make a finish line for me; thanks to Joseph and Jenna for running with me during my makeshift heartbreak hill and for helping us with the car in the midst of chaos; thanks to Bianca and Briana for popping out at mile 13 when I was very discouraged - giving me one of the MOST encouraging (and emotional) surprises I've ever had (probably second only to getting engaged); thanks to my buddy Markus who was sprinting around heartbreak hill and BC trying to find me to encourage me and who stuck out the last 5 miles with me.
An ENORMOUS thank you to Kyra and Gabbi who ended up running the last 9 miles with me (17-26.2) - through the hills, through the chaos, through the unexpected change in our marathon route - these girls had scriptures and jokes and songs ready to lift my spirits and keep me distracted. They carried my sweatshirt, they carried water for me, they brought food for me, and they carried me emotionally to the finish line - I am SO grateful, and so glad they stayed with me so that I knew they were safe.
Thank you to my parents for supporting me through my dream to run a marathon and for being there to cheer me on (I'm really, really glad you had not made it to the finish line yet), and for taking care of me afterwards. And thank you so much to the best husband in the world for helping me train, telling me I could do it, driving next to me for part of one of my long runs to encourage me, getting me running shoes and sport beans, driving me to the starting line and keeping me calm, for getting people to pray for me during the marathon, for meeting me at multiple points along the way, for helping make sure everyone was ok and taken care of so that I could focus and keep running, for helping me have a plan B that ended around the reservoir, for making a finish line for me, for making sure my girls were safely delivered to their family after the chaos, for carrying me down the stairs after I had finished and rested so that I wouldn't be in pain trying to go down myself, and just for being amazing.
I am so grateful to all of the people who helped me finish the marathon yesterday, and SO grateful to God that they are all safe.
Also, thanks to Alexandra for taking care of me afterwards and giving me a place that feels like home to shower and rest for a bit…and to the other runners who encouraged me at the beginning…Lucas, Drew, Noel, Blake, Maxim, Jonny and Mike….and to my favorite younger buddies, the Miller kids, for making me signs and being ready to cheer for me even though the chaos made it so I couldn’t see them. Just knowing you were there helped me keep going. I saw the pictures of your signs…they are amazing and I want to keep them.
And Lisa Harriman gives her account: “Just to give you some background information, this was my first time being at the event, I went down to support my previous office manager who is studying the Bible, and her boyfriend, who was running in the marathon. We went to our second spot to cheer him on (3-5 blocks from the finish line). We all heard the explosion, smelled the odor and witnessed the police, the 4 vans of swat teams and many unmarked cars race down Commonwealth Ave./Beacon St. to the scene on Boylston St.. I watched all these vehicles pass by and then actually saw the remnants of grayish/white smoke from where I was standing.
Approximately 2 minutes after the explosion I called my brother to get information from him as to what was happening. I then realized that my my friend’s boyfriend was shaking after running a little over 26 miles with only a t-shirt and shorts on. I'm so thankful to God that I had brought a heavy fleece and was able to give this him. We "just happened" to be about a block away from a medical stop, where God provided covering for him. My friend and I took the Malden T into the city and then we realized we were stuck in the city without any transportation home. So my next phone call was to another friend and workmate. (He & his family have been coming to church the last 2-3 months) Matt Pierce, my boss and a disciple "just happened" to be with him and they both came into the city to pick us up (They know just about every way of getting into/out of the city, especially when many main access roads were shut down). While waiting for the guys to come, we all waited at a Burger restaurant and I could hear my friend praying and crying on the way into the restaurant. When she finished praying, I pulled her aside to calm her down and said to her "God has saved not only you today, but your family.” Her boyfriend was very thankful during all the commotion and he even hugged Matt for coming to bring he & his family home (I thought that was another miracle in itself.)
Please pray for all of them that their hearts will be forever impacted by God's power & His love and that they will all be motivated to seek God and find Him. I am grateful for the concern and car ride home, but I am most thankful to God - for how he took care of all 8 of us. Ultimately, God will bring us all home when we choose to seek God whole heatedly, and follow Him in a daily relationship.”
Jeanie Shaw shared on her blog about these events as well - When Your Finish Line Moves
Here is a video recorded by Fabrice, a Florida disciple who released this single "Hold On" dedicating it to Boston in light of the events of April 15, 2013.
Psalm 91:1-2
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress,my God, in whom I trust."
Shared from the Boston Church of Christ.