A word from our sponsor... :)

Hi friends,
As we begin the process of laying out our next steps for you all I wanted to include a note (below) that has been written from Jeff AND encourage you to go to his website and see more about what The Berean Way does. Thank you for ALL of your encouraging words... it has been amazing, confirming and humbling... we have the best friends, supporters and family anyone could ask for!


On behalf of the Berean Way, I am so excited to announce the addition of Tim & Britany McDonald to our ministry family.

Tim will oversee the newly formed position of Discipleship Coordinator where he will be responsible for overseeing all discipleship activities both in-country and overseas. This will include our extensive pre-trip training programs, developing all training & discipleship materials and managing the team's adjustment back home.

As the ministry has grown, our needs have greatly increased. My passion has always been the Bible and to provide methods to understand and apply its teachings. The other half of our ministry is discipleship. We have been praying for years, that God will send us the right person to lead this most important aspect. Tim is the answer to our prayers! I believe God has given him the passion, the experience and the relational skills to take this ministry to the next level of effectiveness.

Tim and I first started working together a decade ago to form a new ministry to provide opportunities for training future leaders to train future leaders. The two main sections of this ministry were Bible study and Discipleship.

Well, God lead us into different directions (post-church Scotland & unreached tribal villages of India & Uganda) for awhile. However, we discovered is that we were both striving to improve that concept that we had originally started when we served together in the youth group many years ago. Ten years later, we find ourselves joining forces once again to take that same ministry and expand it throughout the unreached areas of the world.

The possibilities are endless and I believe God will use our individual experiences, our relationship, our vision and our passion to make a tremendous difference in both the world we live in and unreached areas that we are yet to discover.

Because of you, many people have been impacted for eternity. I invite you to continue your support with the McDonalds and continue seeing the great work God is doing throughout the world. Praise God and to Him be all the glory! Jeff Valdes, President

{For I am} confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. Phil 1:6

Road Trip

Hi friends,

As many of you know our community occasionally does short term experiences and invites friends and potential apprentices to join us for an experience. We call these times Road Trips. Recently we had one of those experiences. This time though we were able to spend a portion of our "Road Trip" actually ON a road trip to Ensenada Mexico. SO, Duncan, Celtin, McKenzie and I were able to spend the weekend working at an orphanage and talking with another community down there doing many of the same things... it was pretty cool! There are some great pictures and thoughts about it on the NC San Diego blog.

Check it out!

Our most recent Update!

Hey everyone,

Well, here we are well into March and it seems that time is flying.

We haven't yet got all the snags worked out with our newsletters but it looks as if we will soon be moving to a digital newsletter that will both save on postage/trees but time as well... we appreciate your patience in this process.

After a very busy Christmas with all of Britany's family in town January and February have been months of questions asked and new experiences. As we mentioned a few updates back, Britany has now "officially" stepped back from her weekly nieucommunities responsibilities to focus on getting her energy back, getting our family into a healthy rhythm and on being a "good" missionary to our neighborhood. It has been a great step forward for us as a family and I think we are heading down a more sustainable pathway for ministry. I have begun working with a few local ministries and it feels like we are diving in. All of this ministry and connecting is of course the preliminary for our primary work of nieucommunities - the equipping and sending of missional leaders worldwide for the sake of the Kingdom of God. It looks as if we will be officially launching the training this fall as we already have a group of interested young leaders.

As many of you know, due to visa issues, I was unable to go to India this February with The Berean Way. This was very difficult for me personally but I have trusted God with His timing knowing that He is in control and knows what's best for me and my family. As I have been looking at increasing my involvement in this ministry, missing this trip has created many questions about my heart for the hard to reach places like India (as they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder).

I am increasingly convinced (and compelled) that our time on earth is short and that there are still many who need to hear about the person of Jesus Christ AND the hope of the good news of the Kingdom of God. And, I am convinced that this message is best spoken by THEIR neighbors, families or friends. With the Berean Way I can teach/preach, encourage and duplicate in the hardest of places... looking into the eyes of these men and women who walk forward in the face of persecution and help them live/preach the gospel in their VERY unreached neighborhoods.

But I have another love - the Church. I have a deep conviction that the church know and become what Christ has called us to become. It is a desire to see the Body of Christ live to its fullest God inspired potential. I believe that the Church is God's instrument on the earth for good and that we have a calling to steward... a calling that goes way beyond our own comfort and security. With nieucommunities I am able to challenge, disciple and equip the next generation of church and mission leaders for the global mission of the Church. Often I feel a tension between the two callings... it is a tension that literally keeps me up at night. Which is where you all come in.

Would you pray for us?
We need your prayers (and God's guidance) in navigating this changing world. We are trying to be the people/missionaries that God has called us to be (including making wise choices with our family life) in this generation... for this generation. Pray that we would step forward with faith and courage. Pray that we would speak boldly as we should. Pray for open doors and ready hearts.

...the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. (Romans 13:11-12)

grace and peace,
Tim McDonald (and the clan)

in Mexico

This weekend our community spent a few days "south of the boarder" at a home in a small village called Porvenir. It was a beautiful area with rocky mountains and long valleys. The village was simple... filled with dusty roads and shacks... and awesome taco stands! It was a time for us as a community to hear each others stories and share symbol time-lines.

For those of you who are wondering, a symbol time-line is a pictorial version of your life... your great moments and your hardest moments... your successes and your failures. It helps you identify God's hand in your life experiences and gain a clearer picture of where God is leading you. It is a great tool for hearing others stories BUT it is also a great tool for remembering who you are. If you have never sat down and thought through your story AND put it to paper... I strongly encourage you to do it!

The fold in the middle of a book.

Colossians 3:1-4

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

As I have mentioned before, we have, as a community, been working through the book of Colossians slowly but surely over the past few months. It has been an incredible experience... it is an incredible book.

We have wrestled with what it looks like to, "walk in a manner worthy of the Lord"... and sat in awe as we gazed at the, "the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation." We have meditated on the ideas of faith and hope AND searched the depths of, "the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints." We have prayed for one another as each of us embrace the centrality of the cross and learn what it means to, "walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith..." and not, "captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world..." And of course we have begun to deepen our understanding of the tremendous theme of thanksgiving in Colossians by beginning the spiritual discipline of thankfulness.

And now we round a bit of a corner.

Like the fold in the middle of a book.

A focus point in an incredible work of art.

A lit candle in a darkened room.

Look HERE Paul says... So we don't forget the point... So we don't move to quickly ON... So we don't move to QUICKLY... So we don't MOVE... away from life.

The author of Hebrews says it this way, "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith..." Paul knows we need this reminder. In the midst of busy schedules and busy lives how do we move forward with courage? Without the rules (or leashes) of religion how do we trust our steps... our "walk"? Paul tells us that if we are in Christ we do this by seeking (literally with all our hearts) the things above... setting our minds on those things... the things of Christ... the things of REAL life.

But what does this look like... in REAL life?

doing and thankfulness

Colossians 3:17

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

This statement is amazing.

As a community we have been slowly making our way through the book of Colossians. This week we are entering into chapter 3... a very challenging and inspiring run of ideas that I am looking forward to talking about as a community. The climax of this run is this amazing statement.

Whatever you do...

• word (ALL that you say)
  
• deed (ALL that you do)
  

Do in the name of Jesus...

• giving thanks to God the Father (with a heart of thanksgiving to God)
  
• through him (through the person/power of Jesus)

Wow.

So what does a THANKFUL follower look like when he/she is DOING EVERYTHING in the NAME OF JESUS through the PERSON/POWER OF JESUS? And what about a community of those people?

And be thankful.

Colossians 3:15b

And be thankful.

Years ago I heard about an order that had practiced a spiritual discipline unlike any I'd ever heard of. It was called the discipline of thankfulness. Simply, they committed as a community to exercise Paul's call in Colossians to continual thankfulness in prayer through out the day... every day. Now, I often think of disciplines as exercises in restraint and perseverance BUT, in this case, it was a discipline that involved (what seemed like) a continual state of heart. I mean, anyone can say thank you for something (more on this tomorrow)... but to be really thankful means commanding the soul, the mind, the heart. This is not simply an exercise in saying a few words with the appropriate manners - no, this is an exercise in changing the outside SO THAT the inside will follow!

This past week we as a community have begun to practice the spiritual discipline of thankfulness to communicate to our GREAT God how awesome He really is. We are going to attempt to offer one prayer every day for the next month or so that starts with, "Lord thank you..." to see if as we exercise a discipline of prayer we might see a transformation of soul, mind and heart.

Thank you Lord for the gift of You. Amen.

Inside out

Colossians 2:6-8

Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.

I was sharing yesterdays story (on my blog) about Chase at our community time because it related to a passage that we are studying as we read through the book of Colossians together.

It is amazing how we look to, even rely upon, these external philosophies, traditions and principles to guide us as we live our lives. Like a crutch - or maybe a leash - to keep our hearts under control and give our lives direction. I suppose there are many reasons... a fear of sin, failure, success. But us humans migrate to them religiously, politically and socially all the time. It seems a lot like the difference between having a dog on a leash versus having a dog that is attentive to (even "in love with") it's owner... ready to move, ready to turn... looking for that change in stride or turn of head.

We can feel the battle that is taking place between walking with/in Christ and allowing ourselves to be controlled or guided by external devices but it can be tough to see the differences. In Colossians 2 we see some examples of what these two types of lives can look like:

External = philosophies/empty deceit, human tradition, elemental spirits/principles, false asceticism and worship, puffed up sensual mind/ideas, not holding fast to Christ, etc.

Internal = rooted and built up in Christ, established in faith, taught, thankful, being filled, changed/circumcised heart, made alive... and debt free, holding fast to the head which is Christ, etc.

At the heart of this passage is this simple, powerful truth:
Jesus is more interested in remaking us from the inside out than he is with us adhering to a list of rules.

He desires a heart that walks with Him.

We left our time together with two questions:
Where am I relying on a leash/rule to govern my soul instead of nurturing this profound relationship with Christ?
Where do I see a flicker of this walk inside my heart that needs to be fanned into a passionate flame?

my dog Chase

So, I recently realized that many of you who keep up with us through our blog haven't met the newest member of the McDonald clan. This is Chase, our ten month old chocolate lab - who's personality is a complete fit for our family! Chase is like most lab's his age; curious, destructive, fun, hyper, and LOVES affection. He has not only become our newest little trouble maker but also my running partner... which has been interesting.

I was sharing this with our community yesterday in the park as we gathered for a time of community worship. Specifically, several weeks ago I was running with Chase when he decided that he was REALLY interested in a smell on the other side of the sidewalk... right in front of me... right in front of Starbucks. Of course he failed to tell me or my legs of his plans and I did an almost complete flip over his leash... did I mention that I was in front of Startbucks? It was very entertaining for all the patrons...

Puppies are so cute...

communities of faith

It is amazing to me the broad spectrum of faith communities we cross through on any given day.

Sunday I counted five.

1st - Of course, there is the team of people we have come to "do life" with here in Golden Hill. It is small and curious. We have be spending a lot of time listening and looking for what God is saying to us and calling us to say... community here is learning and exploring.

2nd - We have been attending a GIGANTIC church in the mornings called The Rock pastored by Miles McPherson. No matter your thoughts on "mega" churches this one definitely stands out. Both with its passion for God and His Words AND its desire to transform the San Diego landscape... community here is moving and hopeful.

3rd - This particular Sunday we attended a service put on by another missional community called the Ecclesia Collective. It is a collection of communities seeking common ground and committed to pursuing the Kingdom objectives in action... community here is seeking and protesting.

4th - At this service I bumped into some of the other missionaries with CRM (our organisation) doing other things in and around the greater San Diego area. There is SO much uniqueness in each of these missionaries call and work as they equip leaders for Christ's body around the world... community here is global and developing.

5th - And as the evening went on I had the opportunity to go forward with Duncan and take communion with him... father and son. I was deeply aware in the moment as I was kneeling on the floor in front of him of the deep spiritual communion I share with my son... a community of two... or in my case 6! It is VERY precious to me... community here is deeply connected and full of what could be.

Bless these communities Lord in Your name... Amen.

NC Advent

I know I have been less present as of late on this blog (as I mentioned last, there has been more to think about than write as of late) BUT I thought I might point you at our NC Golden Hill blog to see some pictures from an activity that Britany and I led this Sunday. The pictures were taken and posted by Jon Hall... thanks Jon.

The details...
The hand made manger scene was the starting point for a discussion on what the different people/creatures who were a part of the advent experience must have been feeling... Mary, Joesph, Wise men, Shepherds, Angels, star?! and God the Father. It was a cool discussion.

The hand made advent wreath contained many of the symbols of our traditional advent wreaths with the wreath itself built out of post-it-notes. Each note contained a hope for the new year... each star a promise of what God could do...

Blessings in this Christmas season friends!

the house that Tim (helped) build...

So, I know it's been a while... there has been a lot more to think about than write... but I thought I might give you a glimpse of what I did this weekend. I joined a group of about 70+ people who built 3 houses in Tijuana, Mexico over about 3 days. We went with a ministry called Project Mexico led by one of my teammates here in San Diego. It was a great experience.

You know... there is just something about getting dirt under your finger nails... or paint on your legs... or some other strange substance that happens to be floating in the open sewers on your shoes. I feels real.

As I was helping lay the roof I kept wondering if the real reason Paul occasionally picked up his tent making was because it kept him sane at times... yeah, I know he needed the money but it sure must have felt good sometimes to simply just be a tent maker.

our fall letter

Well, here I sit in shorts, a t-shirt and flip-flops… cooking hot!!!

Let me tell you how many times I've asked myself "where am I?”

I’d love to take you on a journey with me through what it has been like to move from cold rainy Scotland to always-sunny Golden Hill, San Diego!

To start off, let me first say that we as a family have been so blessed and loved by you all. This last furlough was a real challenge as we came into it exhausted and emotionally drained. The entire 2 and 1/2 months were filled with encouraging coffees, tons of hugs and words of affirmation. It made it one of the most rewarding and encouraging furloughs ever! Thank you for blessing us.

We left Portland with only an offer on a house, the bags that came with us from Scotland, a 6-person tent (no joke) and our amazing new/used van!!! We stayed with good friends in Fresno and then headed to Rob and Laurie Yackley's (our boss and wife) for a few nights. As we reacquainted and talked future we still had nowhere to live in Golden hill. On one of the days Tim, Rob and I went to find a place and it was that day we saw the only rental house. We said, “yes” to it that day, hoping to be in it short term (rent is very high here), because our hope was to get into the house soon. In the meantime, we had a good friend donate a week at a Hilton about 20 minutes from Golden hill… it was perfect. We left Rob and Laurie's after 3 nights and spent the next week at the hotel till we could move into our cute rental house. And so, after 3 long days of driving, a few stops along the way, and a week in a hotel we made it to Golden hill, San Diego our new home!

It has been quite a month and a half as we have tried to settle this family. We started with a few lawn chairs, 2 blow up beds and a bench for a table for the first 10 days. Tim and his dad then flew to Lynden, WA and picked up our stuff that we had been storing for over 7 years, drove to Portland picked up all the wonderful things people had give us and headed back to San Diego, this all took only 3 days!!! They were amazing! And what about our shipment from Scotland? Well, it only took 100 days but it finally came and we could unpack all our belongings… now the settling begins. Tim's parents came to help us and we are so thankful for the work they did to help us get set up and put some roots down. Are you still wondering about the house? Well so are we! With the market the way it is, it has become a waiting game. We have prayed hard (as many of you have)… and about 10 days ago received an answer. The Lord in His sovereignty has removed it… and so, we keep praying. We know that the right affordable house will come where we will be able to do ministry AND raise our family. Keep praying for that house that is out there somewhere.

What is Golden Hill like? Well, it has a funny feel about it that we have yet to fully understand. At times I can look at the beautiful Victorians (a bit rundown), gorgeous palm trees and views and think back to when this part of town hopped with wealthy, upper class people. But, 90 years is a long time and much has come and gone since then. The other side to Golden Hill feels very inner city! We live on a corner right beside a main road that is the entrance to Golden Hill. It's truly amazing how the city never sleeps, between fire-trucks, police cars, car alarms, people fighting, wandering drunks and airplanes roaring over us (you have to pause your conversation while they go by) we are finding it hard to stop and have peace in this city! We lived in the city in Glasgow for 5 years but the noises were different, the feel was different. Amidst this, God has opened our eyes once again to a completely new set of cultures and we have experienced more culture shock than we could have ever anticipated… but it is exciting AND it is growing on us. We have done lots of exploring in the area and will continue to watch, listen and settle where God has asked us to pour our lives and extend His love to this community that needs His love so much.

How are the kids adjusting? Well the school really took us by surprise when we started. We knew our kids would be a minority, but there are maybe a dozen “white” kids out of 400-plus… including ours... its pretty great! Parts of this we love and are so thankful they get this chance to live so cross culture. Rarely do you hear English spoken outside the classes. It's been a mental shift as we wade through expectations of what we thought it would be like and the reality of what is. Each of our kids has handled the transition in their own way, some with excitement and some with tears. The school system is so different here that the kids have had to learn a completely different style of learning and rules! It has been about 5 weeks and everyday seems to become more natural. They are making new friends and have been really blessed by the teachers they have been given. We would appreciate your prayers in one area specifically… the system is so different than in the UK, we have found they don’t know some of the styles of learning and therefore are behind. Especially Duncan, as he is the oldest – it has been a hard start for him. God continues to fill them up in the areas we are weak in and watching them take another step in their faith has been truly amazing! Some really exciting news for us as a family is that McKenzie asked Jesus into her heart about 2 weeks ago and has been so excited. What a blessing to be a part of our children’s walk as parents, we feel truly blessed by these kids of ours. Over all they have been incredible troopers and done it with smiles on their faces (most of the time!) Tim and I are enjoying this new season of life with them entering childhood, although I’m so thankful that I still have one at home. God has sure been clear to me that right now my place is with them and creating a place of safety and love. We truly would not have it any other way… to pour what God’s given us into them and teach them what a life lived fully in love with JESUS looks like is a GREAT calling!

With great blessings,
The McDonald clan

reign in us...

Lamentations 5:19

But you, O LORD, reign forever;your throne endures to all generations.

This morning I led our new little team in worship... It felt pretty amazing... It has been a long time. We only sang one song and spent most of the time in prayer over some scripture and our team in this community BUT it was very moving. The song we sang together was by Starfield - Reign In Us. As we worshiped together I was deeply moved by a couple verses of this song:

So, reign, please reign in us... Come purify our hearts, we need Your touch... Come cleanse us like a flood and send us out... So the world may know You reign, you reign in us.

I was struck by the connection between God's authority as He reigns, our obedience in purification/cleansing and being sent out.

Truly, our purity is a sign of God's authority over us... His reigning. And it is that obedience that shines like a light for the world to see. We don't try to be good so people will applaud us for being good. Or repent for our sin so people will know of our piety... No, we do these things for God... obedience to God, His authority in our lives, His reigning of our hearts... and when people ask, it is He who is our answer.

listening...

(pic by Jon Hall)

As I reflected on the Wesley quote I posted a few days ago I found myself thinking about where we are "at" as a community...

It’s been 32 days since we moved into Golden Hill, San Diego… a couple weeks less for the Yackleys and 1 week more till the Hall family gets here. It is still a little surreal walking the streets and praying for our new neighbors and the Spirit’s work here. Our little inner city neighborhood is home to so many new things for us as a family AND as a team – new sounds, new sights, new challenges, new adventures and new rhythms. This week we began to meet and pray (and walk, and share, and eat and speak) together as a small community AND thus begin the process of listening. We are eager to move into the lives of our neighbors but aware of how much we NEED God’s leading and directing. We are eager to “do”, eager to go, eager to move, just as Wesley calls… but first, we choose to listen. Everything is, after all, new.

God grant us Your ears to hear. Grant us Your eyes to see. Father, place inside of us Your heart for these people. We recognize that You love the people of Golden Hill more than we ever will AND that Your vision for nieucommunities in San Diego is the perfect vision… and that IS the vision we desire. Lead us Lord as we listen to this city, as we listen to our own hearts AND, most importantly, as we listen to You. Help us precious Savior to do all the good we can. By all the means we can. In all the ways we can. In all the places we can. At all the times we can. To all the people we can. As long as You give us breath.

Amen.

Great Wesley Quote

Do all the good you can. By all the means you can. In all the ways you can. In all the places you can. At all the times you can. To all the people you can. As long as ever you can.

~ John Wesley

This quote came from the little family devotional book we have been doing together every morning... it is a powerful reminder of the nature of our call as followers of Jesus, as a family, as a missional community and as HIS church.

Make this so Lord in our lives. Use us for the sake of Your GREAT Name in San Diego and around Your world. May Your Kingdom come. May Your will be done... on this earth, in this city and in our family as it is in heaven.

Amen!

amidst the storm...

As many of you know there is a serious Hurricane heading toward New Orleans right now. A sister ministry of ours called communitas is located in NO and has had to leave as a result of the storm... many of them are close friends of mine. Would you pray with us for them as they live as a community (with children) in wait of what the storm will do to their homes and neighborhoods? Pray also that God will use this team for His glory amidst the storm.

Thank you!

Dear friends and family,

THANK YOU FOR THE DOZENS of calls, texts and emails. We do so appreciate it. Not an hour has gone by that at least 2 contacts have reached us. Thank you to all of those who want to help and make a difference. There may well be a time for that – we pray not, but we’ll remember. :-) No news has been good news... Here is the latest....

We’re settled at Perdido Key in very Western tip of Florida. We’re safe, and the place we’re staying made it not just cheaper than hotels (we have these get-a-way small holiday houses where we have 18 souls in three small but very comfortable places. We emptied every last item from freezers and refrigerators so have plenty to eat!
We left last night at midnight as planned, but the traffic was still full on. With 3.5 million people moving off the coast, it is expected, but it began Friday afternoon and continued through today, 24 hours a day heading in five directions on multiple interstate freeways! Our normal four hour trip took 9.5 hours. We drove through the night! The place we’re staying let us in early into all three – kept cleaning there late last night to get them ready for us as they knew we were coming. How cool is that!? We were zombies, except for the kids of course! Many of us took naps and will sleep all night. We spent two days not just getting ourselves ready to go (furniture moved up off the floor, rugs rolled, all food removed from cooling, cars filled, checked, etc, but also helping others, like Rona, Ali, our neighbors, etc.
We’re waiting! We can’t do much. We’ve had some time to pray together, we’ll have our weekly coordination meeting tomorrow, which we’ll use for larger picture strategy work, and I have a ton of work to do with me and my laptop here. When we can, we go home!
I (Mike) am supposed to be in New York City Tuesday-Sunday, but expect I’ll be late if I can get out. I can’t go until I know the status of home. It is just wisdom as dad, husband and community (team) leader.
The storm: Moving NW at a screaming pace – fastest I’ve ever seen (18 miles/hour). This means less rain – GREAT! It also weakened instead of getting stronger which was expected. It can actually shift west and be drained by being near the coast. The danger for New Orleans is storm surge as the protection on the west bank of the river is still very much under improvements and not completed. Our danger where we live is if the drain system cannot keep up... Prayers appreciated! :-)
Our greatest opportunities come in the next weeks with the leminal time after such a stressful experience. This has brought up the Katrina PTSD for many and we will have huge opportunity to make progress is why we’re here.
We ALL feel never more resolved than today that we are sent here, and have a contribution from heaven on high. EVEN if we lose our homes – we are all supposed to be here doing this. People with nothing to lose are dangerous! :-)

So, pray for our continued safety, our homes (though they are not our security), our mission, the city’s safety and protection, protection for the cities along the coast (vital to oil/gas production and marine aqua farming and fishing, as well as rice and sugar cane agriculture. We are thankful for the proactive reaction at the city, state and national levels to this threat. This is how it should always be!

No news is good news – we’ll keep you posted!
Mike & the community!

Support a friend AND a church!

Sooo... just before we left Scotland I had the pleasure (and honor) to be involved in the production of a FANTASTIC EP by Andy Ashworth. I would consider it a personal favor if any of you who read this BLOG would click HERE and purchase a copy (or 2) of his EP. Andy is the worship pastor at RE:hope AND a great friend. By buying these great tunes you will not only support him and his music BUT you will also support RE:hope and it's work that it is doing in the West End of Glasgow... not a bad deal!

BTW - I am the hi pitched fella you hear singing in the background...

The NIEUCOMMUNITIES covenant

As I mentioned in a previous post, while we were in Africa Britany and I recommitted to the new NC covenant. A few of you were curious what was on the covenant... you can check it out here. Let me know what you think.

He is Risen

Matthew 28:5-7

But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you."

Yesterday was a great day around the McDonald household. We did something that we love to do at our house... open our doors to our friends, neighbors and community. We hosted our 4th annual (and last) Easter dinner in Glasgow. It is always a joy to celebrate Jesus' life, death and resurrection with our community.

As I was praying for this years meal I was struck again at how blessed we are... we are surrounded by so many people who love us... we are provided for by such amazing supporters, family and friends... but most importantly, we have been given a gift that we do not deserve - the life and sacrifice of God's only Son.

Thank You Lord for Your gift. Thank You for really living. Thank You for really dieing. Thank You for rising just as You said You would. And, thank You for the amazing blessings that have come from Your pierced hand... we are not worthy to receive so much from You... all we can say is thank You. Amen.