Prayer & Praise

Prayer & Praise

1. Praise God for an amazing 2010 filled with blessings, times of powerful ministry and new experiences. God is good! As we begin into 2011 would you join us in prayer as we focus our vision for the ministry God has called us to and fix our eyes on Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith. It is our goal that we continue to serve Him whole-heartedly with abandoned hearts and we know this is His work.

2. As we solidify our vision for this next season please also be praying for us as we sort through a healthy travel schedule for this next year and seek clarity about specific ministry involvement in 2011.

3. Praise God we just received the last of the monies needed for our Nepal trip last October. Please be praying for the finances for our upcoming trip to Northern India in February.

4. Please continue to be praying for Britany as she works locally with young moms. God has opened up many great opportunities for her in our community. Last month Britany taught for Hearts at Home (a ministry that connects young mom's to mentors). She did an amazing job and God used it significantly in the lives of many women.

5. Finally, please be praying for Tim as he starts back up at Seminary this January. It is our goal to make a significant push forward this year with his education. God has, thus far, provided all the resources towards this ends and we are looking to Him for His continued provision in this area.

Prayer & Praise

Prayer & Praise

1. Praise God for all of His travel mercies as we traveled to Canada, Seattle and Nepal this October. We were able to get all of our curriculum, trip prep and visa issues sorted. Also, this is officially the first trip with The Berean Way that Tim never got sick... Thank you Jesus!!

2. Praise God for all the pastors that will be came to the conferences... it was a very powerful time. Please continue to be pray for their ministries and the ongoing fruit of our time there... there is still much work to be done.

3. Please continue to be praying for Tim's trip finances. Though we came under budget for the trip as a whole (praise God), overall it was still a more expensive trip than others. We are still needing to raise the remaining money for his plane ticket.

4. Please be praying for Britany as she dives into local ministry with young moms. God has opened up many great opportunities in our community. Specifically, Britany has begun working with a ministry that connects young mom's to mentors. She will be teaching in this ministry next month and would appreciate all the prayer you can give!

5. Finally, please be praying for Tim this month as he travels to Glasgow, Scotland to work with the RE:hope team there. He will be doing some leadership and team training.

September 2010 Update

So far this fall has seemed like a whirlwind. Between getting kids back in school, getting engaged in our neighborhood and getting prepared for the upcoming October trips to Canada, Seattle and Nepal... September has all but vanished! It has been a fruitful time though as I have had the opportunity to coach several local and international leaders through various transitions and core leadership assessments. It gives me great joy to be able to help other missionaries, pastors and leaders navigate the calling God has placed on each of them.

Of course the big focus of this Fall is on the upcoming October 11th-25th trip to Nepal. Not only am I blessed to be able to go and teach the Nepalese pastors, I also get the privilege of working with a small team of local young men who want to make a difference in this world... it is a fantastic experience. On this trip, like others, we will be doing two conferences as well as visiting various villages and churches. We will be working with pastors in some of the hardest to reach places equipping them with basic bible study and discipleship skills that they can use in their own contexts. Nepal is a difficult place to do ministry and I would covet your prayers as we go! As usual, we will be maintaining a daily blog while we are in Nepal BUT this time we have begun the blogging early with a desire to have as many people involved in the process as possible. Check it out... I am SURE it will be a blessing to you and give you a window into what God is doing with The Berean Way.

According to the latest stats, Nepal is 74.82% Hindu, 16% Buddhist and only 1.89% Christian. It is a country that is on the verge... the verge of either great revival, great persecution or (most probably) both. As you pray for us and our trip I would encourage you to check out some of the "newest news" here!

Thank you Jeff for the great photo's!

Thank you!

It is such an amazing blessing for our family to be able to serve our Lord as we do and we are keenly aware of the important role you all play in that. Thank you so much for all of your continued prayers, encouragements and financial support. All of these things keep this ministry happening. If there are others that you know who may be interested in receiving these updates please forward them on. Thank you again for everything.

grace and peace,
the McDonald clan

September 2010 Update (part 2)

Prayer Requests

1. Please be praying for our family this fall as we navigate a very busy schedule that includes Tim being gone over 20 days in October.
2. Please be praying for the details leading up to Tim's trip to Nepal... for visas, teaching prep and finances. This trip is more expensive than others and he is still needing to raise the money for his plane ticket.
3. Please also be praying for the pastors that will be coming to this experience. Pray for prepared hearts and safety on their journeys.
4. Please be praying for Britany as she dives into local ministry with young moms. God has opened up many great opportunities in our community.
5. Finally, please be praying for Tim this weekend as he travels up to Medicine Hat, Alberta to teach at a college retreat for Lethbridge E-Free.

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Finances

If you are interested in giving toward this upcoming trip and are living in the USA please click here.

If you are interested in giving toward this upcoming trip and are living in Canada please click here.

Thank you so much for your prayers and financial support!

June/July Update

Ministry Update:

Well, as unbelievable as it sounds, it is that time again when all of CRM gathers to do our once every 4 year World Wide Conference - It is hard to fathom that it has been 4 years since our last conference in Santa Barbra, CA... so much has changed since then! Though I now spend more of my time working with The Berean Way, we are still employed by CRM and work with them as opportunity allows. The conference this year will be taking place in Langkawi, Malaysia and will be a time of reconnect with our old team-mates and friends as well as networking, training and equipping. In addition, we will be traveling back through Taiwan to see and visit with some dear friends, supporters and team-mates in the Berean way.

Since returning from Israel (and prior to our departure to Langkawi) I have been doing some consulting and teaching in the areas of discipleship and mission. I would appreciate your prayers as God opens up these opportunities; that I would speak with wisdom, that I would choose those opportunities that are inline with our mission and that more opportunities would come. Also, I have been continuing to solidify and work on our upcoming trips this fall to Uganda, Canada and Nepal. I would appreciate your prayers as I recruit for these trips AND as I sort out balancing family, trips and school this Sept - Nov.

grace and peace,
Tim


Family update:

Hi everyone, just wanted to give you all a brief update on how the family is doing.

We will start with the youngest, Hallie. She has just turned 5 this June and will start half time kindergarten in the fall (not sure I'm ready for full day yet!!!) For one year I will have all four in one school, I'm super excited for that. Hallie is still our independent child that could take on the world herself and come out with a smile! She has a real love for life and she brings so much fun and joy to our clan. She had her tonsils and adenoids removed and tubes put in this last April and never shed a tear (tough chick). God continues to remind me how blessed I am to raise these children of mine and truly how fast this season will go.

McKenzie our third child is still our total sweetheart! She just finished 2nd grade and did super well. She is our painter, drawer and loves to write books. McKenzie's favorite thing to do is have tea!! She truly is our Scottish girl at heart!!! McKenzie is 7 and 1/2 but feels like she is wanting to turn 13. I continue to remind her that make up and fancy hair can wait a few years!!!

Celtin has had a fabulous year in his new school. He is our one that likes stability and routine, so now that life has settle a little he is doing really well. Celtin will enter 4th grade this coming fall and can't wait to hear who his teacher will be. He loves to hang with his dad and brother. He hikes, fishes and enjoys playing with their new friends across the street.

Duncan is the oldest and just turned 10 ~ WOW where did the years go!!! He is a wonderful big brother and has the softest heart around. He has made leaps and bounds in school this year, we are so proud of him. We think with all the moving that he has finally caught up to where he should be for schooling in the US. Praise the Lord!

This has been a big year for me as well with defining my role as a mother and my fit in ministry. I've really limited the ministries I'm involved in to be full time mum. I'm still mentoring young ladies, volunteering in our school, ministering along Tim as needed, but the big ministry I'm doing is called Hearts at Home. I have such a heart for young mom's and this is once a month time of refreshment, encouragement from seasoned moms and wonderful fellowship. All to say I'm so glad that the Lord has been refining me to where my gifts are and where he wants me to serve.

Just to update on my health: I've done wonderful here in Oregon. OK, I've had a tiny bit of symptoms but over all I'm feeling amazing! We also had an extra mold check done on the house which turned up negative (which is good) and then with the fire they recovered every square corner of the house. So the house could not be any better then as if it was new. God continues to provide every step of the way.

Thank you for all your continued prayers,
Britany and the clan

April/May Update + India!

Hey everyone!

To say that the past couple months have been crazy would be a complete understatement! Between traveling to India, having a house fire, living out of suitcases (while moving from house to hotel to apartment to house again), traveling to Canada, "re" moving back into our house (we are still in boxes), writing finals, Hallie's tonsillectomy and preparing to leave to Israel in 2 weeks, there has hardly been time to think... thank you for your patience (and prayers) as we get our feet under ourselves again!

This past weekend The Berean Way held it's first annual silent auction to raise money to reach and train barefoot pastors in the most unreached areas of Northern India. It was an amazing event that exceeded expectations. The evening was filled with bidding, laughter and fellowship while Jeff was able to communicate the need and vision for India. Britany was even able to dress up in a sari as she acted as one of the hostesses for the evening... it was a lot of fun AND its impact will be felt in India in the days ahead.


Just a couple of weeks ago we were able to move back into our house... it has been SO good to be back home. For those who may have missed the story or the specific updates on our house fire they are posted on our blog HERE. Our house looks amazing... we are so thankful to the Jeff and Brian Bohrer at Cornerstone Construction for going way beyond the call of duty and doing it so quickly. It feels good to be back in our neighborhood and we are looking forward to how God is going to use this experience and this house for His glory!


Just over a month ago Brit the kids and I packed up our van and headed up to Canada for a solid week of connecting with the Lethbridge Evangelical Free Church (the supporting church we grew up in), supporters, friends and family... it was 1600mile whirlwind! We had a very good time reconnecting with our supporters and telling them about our vision and direction. We left very excited about future partnerships and old friendships. It is always a joy to be home.


It feels like our trip to India was ages ago. Though I know most of you kept up with our trip on the Berean Way BLOG (if you didn't I would encourage you to look) I wanted to let you know what an impact full time it was. The conference times were fantastic but the spiritual warfare was intense. God had us in the enemies domain yet we experienced His power, strength and support every step of the way. As one of the local Indian missionary/pastors explained, "when I was in South India I saw myself as standing at the gates of hell, breaking down the doors, running in and rescuing the lost and hurting... now that I live in North India I see my self as having moved into hell, grabbing as many as I can and pushing them out the gates." Another pastor told us that we were the first to do any sort of training in the area and that they couldn't even get other Indians to come to their area... it is a very dark place.


BUT!!!


God is doing amazing things! Men, women, children turning to Himself, the fountain of living water for LIFE. God has amazing things for India in a time when the doors have never been so open. Truly the harvest is ready and the work is great... THANK YOU for you part in making this ministry happen. Your prayers, financial support and encouragement have been so appreciated. May God bless you as you have been a blessing to us!

grace and peace friends,
Tim

looking backward & forward

Isaiah 26:3-4

You keep him in perfect peace
whose mind is stayed on you,
because he trusts in you.
Trust in the LORD forever,
for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock.

Can you believe that it is 2010?

I remember thinking as a kid about how weird it would be to live in the year 2000 and now here we are... 10 years in! So much has happened this last year that it would be impossible (and exhausting) to recount it here - BUT there are noteworthy blessed moments that must be remembered with much thanksgiving.

- After 8 years, this spring we transitioned from our nieucommunities family to begin working with The Berean Way. We praise God for the friends and experiences that we were gifted by nieucommunities and are thankful for their great work.

- After 8 years, this fall we moved back to Portland Oregon. It has been great reconnecting with friends and family as well as seeking out new relationships and ministry.

- The kids started into their third school in three years... one they will (God willing) be settled in for the next season. They love their new school and have begun to really flourish.

- After 10 years, I started back (very part-time) at Western Seminary. I have felt God leading me for many years that it was time to continue my education. As I have found myself doing more discipleship and teaching as of late it has been exciting for me to be in an academic sphere.

- This Fall we were extremely blessed to have Sam Apollos and his family come to Portland for several weeks. It was an amazing blessing to have him here, to talk about the future in India and spend time getting to know them all better.

- After being gone from Glasgow for almost a year and a half Britany and I were able to return for some training and reconnecting... it was fantastic to be able to see our friends and RE:hope.

So what of 2010?

What an amazing year we have ahead of us... starting this February with my first trip back to India in a while. We have been planning, writing/translating material and fundraising for our next trip to the northern boarder of India. We will be doing three different training events for the barefoot pastors there (one of which will actually be in Nepal)... please be praying for money for the events and my visa!!

Beyond that we have plans for travel to Canada in March, Israel in May, Malaysia in July, Uganda in September and back to India in October... we would appreciate your prayers as we navigate all these trips!

Pray also for all the AMAZING opportunities God is opening up here in Portland. We have been so humbled and thankful for the doors that are opening up here. Pray specifically for two different equipping tracks that I am developing/teaching here for our teams and a handful of churches in the area. One is for those going on short-term mission experiences and the other is for those wanting to grow in their discipleship and disciple making. These are things that I have almost stumbled into but am excited to be a part of... God is using SO much of these last years for His work here and around the world.

Finally, would you join us in this prayer... this commissioning - that our minds would stay on our Lord, that we would not be distracted by issues of money, fear or doubt and that all of us would find our perfect peace in trusting in our everlasting ROCK.

Amen Lord. Amen.

pictures AND prayers

Well, after the last few updates ALL the requests have been for more pictures SO, in light of our busy schedules I thought I might share some pictures and some prayer requests!



October is a big month for birthdays and this year we were able to have a party with old friends and family... it was great fun! Celtin and McKenzie were able to eat their share of the cake though!!


Once again the McDonald clan has found the local zoo... not quite as close as the one in San Diego BUT with all the beauty that comes with the Northwest!



We were due for a new family pic and Chase makes seven... why don't we just call this shot, "The Trouble Makers!"




The past month has been a whirlwind that started with a miracle. A little over a month ago we decided that, if God would make it happen, we would like to have Sam and his family come from India to connect with supporters and communicate a clearer picture of the work being done by The Berean Way in India. We prayed like crazy and God did what seemed impossible... He pulled together a passport, three visas and several thousand dollars in less than a month to make it happen! It was a powerful and beneficial time for us as an organization as board members, supporters and key leaders were able to meet Sam and his family. On their 3 week trip we were able to sort through some of the next steps in India AND give Sam's family faces for the names of supporters and prayer warriors. Praise God for this time.

PRAYER REQUESTS:

1 - Pray for Britany as she is traveling for the next 15 days (but who's counting). She is participating in the final training experience with the Women Of Influence in Austria this week. Pray especially for her travel - as many of you know Britany HATES to fly and she has 8 legs to her journey! She will not only be participating but also sharing her story and would appreciate your prayers as she shares. Pray also for me... I will be Mr. Mom alone for the first 5 days until MY mom comes and helps... thank you mom!

2 - Pray for me as I prepare and teach over the next few weeks. I will be teaching at a STM conference on the 24th in Portland (leadership/discipleship), doing leadership training on the 28th-5th in Glasgow AND again at a youth pastor conference in Portland on the 7th. It has been a pretty incredible fall... I prayed that God would open doors and they seem to keep opening.

3 - Pray also for me tomorrow (Oct 18th)... I have my first midterm in over 10 years and I am a bit nervous - its for Greek!

Thank you SO much for all your support and prayers!
Blessings,
The McDonald clan

and so it begins... again!

An update from Britany.


Hey everyone... Well, our transition to Portland has been nothing short of amazing. Everywhere we turn the Lord opens another door for putting down roots. As you can see from our faces our first day of school was filled with smiles (as where last year 4 out of 6 of us were crying as we left each other). Can you also see all those green trees around us... Tim and I have officially decided that we love the cooler, wetter climates. Yes I do know the rain has yet to start in Oregon, so I will let you all know soon how it is going.

Well after 8 years out of the housing market we are "back in the game", thanks to our friend Dave Hopkins. It took a lot of hunting to find a house that was close to work (Jeff & Erin), not too big, with a yard, a place for Tim to finally have an office, on the cheaper side but not a total fixer upper (still not the right season for that) and 200 years of history... o.k., I guess we had to compromise on something! We love our semi fixer upper and could not have gotten all the pieces to fit if the Lord had not led the way. What a wonderful God we serve who knows the perfect spot to place his children. So the cleaning begins... as you can see we have all pitched in!


So we begin setting up ministry life again, although God continues to blow us out of the water. Tim has had one connection after another come along his path. He has had several opportunities to speak/teach and more to come, just what loves to do. He is also developing all the materials for the discipleship training that The Berean Way will be doing. Tim has also started school again after years of the Lord prompting him to get more training. He is taking the slow track to getting his MDiv to be more equipped to teach/disciple people all over the world. Some of the most exciting recent news is that Sam Apollos and his family are here in America as of today for a few weeks. Sam is the director for the Berean Way in India and we are so excited to see all that God is going to do while Sam and his family are here. If you meet them and hear their story your life will be changed and blessed at the same time.

Where am I in all this? Well, I'm doing what I do best which is to get everyone settled. As Tim wrote back in January I pulled back from the daily job of missions because our family needed it. So with a lot of prayer I'm going to get involved in Mom's in touch, volunteering at our kids school, being apart of the team that hosts Berean Way events and volunteering to teach a 3's class for Womens Bible study at our church. I'm thrilled for this season ahead as God really has lead me to these places of service. I have also had the privilege of finishing up a training piece for 18 of us women in CRM. Some of the seasoned leadership women have taken on passing their "nuggets of wisdom" to us younger ladies ~ what a honor it has been to be poured into by these amazing women. Please be praying for our last time together starting October 17th -23rd.

Well, as you can see, we have begun to settle and a new season of life for the McDonald Clan has begun.We would love to hear from you when you have the chance. Many thanks for all your words of encouragement, prayers and financial support! You are amazing.

blessings,
Britany and the McDonald clan

Settling and Running

Settling and running... those are the two words I would use to describe this last month.

It has been very exciting to get our feet on the ground in Portland and begin the process of settling into a rhythm for our family. We have been painting rooms (something we have not done in our 14 years of marriage), unpacking boxes (some that have been packed for almost 8 years) and hosting (family and friends from Oregon, Washington, Alberta, North Carolina and Scotland). We even had the opportunity to attend two weddings of very dear friends - one from Portland and one from Scotland (It was such a blessing to be able to lead worship at one of them). Every step has made it feel more like home. Of course, in a lot of ways, Portland IS home to Britany and I, which has created a strange mixture of the old and the new.


We have had the amazing opportunity to reconnect with so many people (and there are still many we have still not yet seen). Yet, at the same time, we come to Portland with a new vision and the new ministry we are joining with a new set of eyes - new opportunities! Everything feels new... and so we have hit the ground running. We have been eager to meet with new and old friends to ask the question... Lord, what do you have for us here? And who do you want to join us in that work? The common response time and time again has been discipleship - which is so near to my heart and passions that I know it cannot be an accident.


My new job description describes my role like this:

The Director of Discipleship will be responsible for the discipleship branch of The Berean Way – which is found within the Equip and Duplicate mandate. This will include the development/writing/teaching of resources and material for discipleship, discipleship training and leadership development among Berean Way volunteers and indigenous Pastors (in India, Uganda, etc). In addition to basic discipleship development, the DD will also focus on pre-trip and post-trip equipping and leadership development for Berean Way volunteers.

Secondary responsibilities may include (but are not limited to): expanding the relational base of the Berean Way through meetings – for prayer and financial interest, teaching (when given the opportunity) locally and internationally – to generate interest and increase exposure, modeling the mandates of Teach, Equip and Duplicate in everyday life – for integrity of mission and authenticity of message.

So far, since we've been in Portland, this has looked like... getting to know the ministry, meeting with potential volunteers, developing/writing discipleship training material (and tools) and helping strategize and plan for our upcoming trips this next year. It has been pretty exciting to see how much people have been anticipating our involvement here with The Berean Way.

Our most pressing prayer requests are:

1 - That God would bring the right people for our upcoming trips to Uganda, India and potentially Nicaragua. People with a passion for prayer, discipleship and God's Word. We are looking for people to be a part of a 16 session discipleship training that overlaps the trip on both sides AND for people to support those doing the training.
2 - That our kids would have a smooth transition into their new school. They are fairly excited (as excited as kids get to go to school) but very nervous. Pray especially for Duncan as he navigates his new Individualized Education Plan.
3 - Balance. That we would figure out a way to balance all the new relationships with all the old... and that we would BE the people God has called us to be in this place.

grace and peace,
Tim

a place to settle

A lot has happened since our June update.

We have packed up all our earthly possessions and sent them off with our friend Scott.

We have said MANY sad goodbyes to friends and coworkers.

We have driven from sunny Golden Hill, San Diego to SUNNY Portland (including a stop off at our friends Jason and Megan).

We have said MANY hellos to old friends, family and supporters.

We have bought and moved into a home in Tigard thanks to our friend's Dave and Patti.

We have left 8 years of formal ministry with NieuCommunities (though we are excited to continue with NC in a less formal way) and have been seconded to The Berean Way.

And, we have laughed, cried, pondered, sighed, missed, hugged, borrowed, bugged, talked, walked, stayed, played and prayed along the way. We seem to be a family that is on the move but looking for a place to settle... God willing, this will be that place (for a while).

For those of you who may be getting this update and wondering what is going on I encourage you to check out these updates to help "fill in the gaps".

One special prayer request... Thursday the 23rd The Berean Way is hosting an event in Portland to raise awareness of the ministries work and funds for upcoming trips. Please be praying for those coming, for the Spirits work and God's provision.

As always, thank you for your prayers and support as we move in this new direction... we are excited to see what God is going to do!

Please be praying for RE:hope

The following is from Brian Ingrahams BLOG as of this morning... please join us in praying

Well, it is time to pray hard. Time to pray for me. This church. This mission.

After two years of living with two weeks notice we have received our official and final two weeks notice. We must completely leave our church building and hand in the keys in no more than 13 days from today. Meaning, we will have church in our building tomorrow and next week then we must be leaving.
I am sure many will feel shock and grief at this. No doubt you may have many questions that I have NO answers to. Why? What will happen? Where do we go? I have no answers for these questions at all. I do know it is time to pull together.
First of all, we need a MASSIVE prayer covering. If you could commit at least 30 minutes a day to specifically praying for me and our church situation for these next 20 days we NEED it.

Secondly, if you are local and have ideas on places we could go either short or long term please send me the details. Find out how much, how long we can be there, how soon we can move in, is there place for our stuff, where is it located… ? Then send me all that data via email as soon as possible. (brian-at-rehope-dot-co-dot-uk)

Thirdly, if you live locally you are also very welcome to join us Monday morning at 9am at the church for prayer and planning over this quick and unexpected change.

If you are wondering how I am feeling? I am confident that “The One Who Leads” sees and knows and cares about our situation. I am confident that the One who began this work will be faithful. No doubt this moment is not my favourite of all time, and I would love to stay where we are forever. There is shock and grief. However, I do find myself grinning at the unknown, sure that God will lead us, and what seems horrible in the moment we will look back upon as important, pivotal and amazing for our future.

I have been looking ahead at the passage for our final Sunday in the building, 8 days from now, and it could not be more perfect. God has set us up for His final message to us in this great building as we get ready to enter our second exodus from the same place.

Father, lead us clearly through the unknown.

pray for us... May 1/09

Colossians 4:2-3

Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us...

A number of you have asked how you can be praying for us through these next few months. Well, I'm GLAD you asked! Please be praying for these four big things:

First, for all the details of another transition. Having just walked through an international move it kind of feels like this should be WAY easier but there are still so many pieces it is overwhelming. Please pray for wisdom as we navigate our children through this move... new school, friends and community... again!

Second, for leaving well. Though we have only been in San Diego for a short spell this team has been our family for much longer. Please pray for good goodbyes. Also be praying for us as we navigate releasing our work here and beginning our new work in Portland. It is vital that we honor both ministries in this time.

Third, for our home search. Once again we are looking for a house to move into... but we are praying all the same prayers. We are looking to be close to the school, close to our team(Jeff and Erin), and with the "right" price tag. This is big for us because we are trying VERY hard to get our monthly expenses down AND we are hopeful because it is a buyers market (as you all know).

Fourth, for our finances. So much has changed in the last year with the economy and the shift in the dollar that we are in the place of most missionaries (and non-missionaries for that matter) - trying to make every penny count. Please continue to hold our finances up to God as you think of us... we are confident in His provision!

Thank you again for all your prayers and encouragement. Our strength is truly renewed as we call upon the Lord together with you our friends and family. We have so much to be thankful for... including all of you!

grace and peace,
Tim

The latest!

^{Matthew 28:5-10}

...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." So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and said, "Greetings!" And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid; go and tell...

Where does the time go?

It seems like it was only yesterday that we were enjoying Christmas with a house full of family and yet here we are with Easter now officially behind us! Because we enjoyed our service with our community on Good Friday and The Rock on Saturday night, we were able to spend Sunday as a family hiking in the hills around San Diego... we spent time praying and imagining that the hills we were walking were just like those Jesus and His followers walked those many centuries ago. I pray you all had a AMAZING Easter together with those you love!

The passage in Matthew is an amazing (if not confusing) piece of scripture. Earthquakes, angelic beings rolling away stones, terrified guards passed out on the ground and... misinformation?! Have you ever wondered why the angels (messengers from God) would tell the women that Jesus would meet them with the disciples when Jesus himself KNEW that He would see them on the path? Did the angels have the wrong update in their iphones?

I have a theory... Jesus couldn't wait.

So excited to see those that he cared about... those He knew were afraid and confused... he rewrote the plan. Does that effect God's sovereignty? No, not if He knew he was going to do it in the first place. But isn't that missleading... Once again, No, because God loves to grab each and every moment to teach us how love works.

Britany and I have been in a season of Jesus rewriting plans. It has been difficult and confusing AND just like the women in the story we have experienced some fear... and joy. BUT, that IS the process of life and understanding the mission that Jesus calls us to.

Would you PLEASE be praying for us as we walk through big questions. It is our goal in the next week to give more details... but for now, pray for wisdom, the Spirits guidance and increased faith.

Thank you all!

a song in my head

You know how you get a song stuck in your head sometimes and you can't get it out. Or you hear a tune and you are not sure who wrote it but you've got the tune and the words from the chorus stuck in your brain...

da, du, da... JESUS IS cool, da, da, You are awesome... yeah...

:)

This fall I had this song in my head that I could not figure out. I had heard it a few times on the radio and had not been able to sit down and just find out who the artist was. It really resonated with my heart and where we as a family have been in this last season.

Well, wouldn't you know it, I got this email from my sister-in-law (thanks Erin) and she sent me to this YouTube link that had "A song for you!". As soon as I heard it I recognized it. This song, in her words, "has helped give me the words on how to pray for you both. Kinda weird I know!"

The song is What Ever You're Doing by Sanctus Real ... the same song I had been thinking about this fall. Hmmm. If you think about it we would appreciate your prayers and this song is a pretty good place to start!

grace and peace friends.

housing saga

For those of you keeping up with our housing saga... I thought I might include Britany's latest update!

Hey everyone,

Well, yesterday we finally got some amazing news... they accepted our offer!!!!!!!!! Yesterday morning our Realtor called and said that they had another offer and that the other offer on the table was greater than ours. She asked the inevitable question... "did we want to raise ours?" After a quick prayer (and some quick math) we said yes and then waited. Well, about 1 hour later she called and told us that they had chosen us AND at our LOWER offer, AMEN! Both Tim and I were a bit emotional because it finally feels like we can really put down some permanent roots (God willing... as aliens and strangers). It is so much better of a deal and in better shape than the last offer we had in. It is still a BIG fixer upper and a lot needs to be done before we can move in - but we LOVE it! We have an inspection on thursday to make sure all is well with the house, please send up some prayers for that inspection (mostly that they will find the house in good order).

This house is significant for us for a few reasons. First, it moves us closer to the school and closer to many of the families at the school that we have begun to build relationships with (we have already had opportunities to share our faith). Second, it will bring our monthly amount spent on rent WAY down and put us back into a financially stable position (all the while actually BUYING something). Third, it will give us a place to finally unpack all of our boxes with space for everything... praise God!

Well, we have a peace that surpasses so much of our understanding as we look over the past 5 months of surrendering this area to the Lord. He has been incredibly faithful as He has led us the whole way. He saved us from many other properties to prepare us for this one (God willing). I'm so thankful we have a God that looks at all the details, small or big. We can't thank you all enough for your never ending prayers for us. You have stood with us along this entire journey of leaving a home we loved to finding a place for this family to settle.

Many blessings to you all and with thankful hearts,
the McDonald clan

big move a big deal...

Here is our most recent email to our prayer team... BTW, we shipped everything out yesterday... whew!

Dear prayer team,

We need your prayers now more than ever as we shut down life here at home. I took a few minutes to stop from packing our things to bring back to America (which leaves in the morning) and I was flooded with so many different emotions. For those of you who have been praying... thank you so much. Our family is truly doing amazing, I know this is only through the prayers of His people!

We could sure use some prayers in these areas:

1. For our shipping day tomorrow - that it would go as planned and that the cost would not go up from what we were quoted. We truly don't have much but what we are bring back is our most treasured possessions. It does feel weird to put all you have on a boat and hope to see it on the other side!

2. For the kids (especially Duncan) as they say good bye in their own ways to the only home they have known in their little life. This might be the hardest part, watching them wade through the emotions of how to understand the why.

3. For our furlough - in the midst of leaving Scotland we are trying to do a proper furlough. With so many details on our minds and on paper it has been all to much on our brains. Pray that GOD would help us focus as we fund raise, meet with people, host Open Houses, BBQ's and chatting with people about the direction of the McDonald Clan.

The emotions are running high in our house today and I'm sure tomorrow, so thank you for all your prayers they are felt!!!

Much love, McDonald clan

stuff

We have been pretty busy as of late what with Britany's medical tests, moving AND doing a little demolition at RE:hope... here is Brit's latest update!

Hey friends,

What an amazing God we serve! This day was a God given day from the moment we woke up to the Dr "unofficially" closed my case... to the peace Tim and I are feeling - It has been a God given day.

Do we understand any more about the journey God has had us on (from spots on the brain to holes in my heart)?

No, but we are filled with a renewed hope and trust in our Savior.

What now for the McDonald clan? We move forward with the saying of goodbyes and the moving of our belongings... June 4th is the day we will officially leave Glasgow! We will do our furlough (and fundraising) in Canada and Portland and then we will (God willing) settle our clan in San Diego and stop... and see how I feel after that. We have learned so much it is hard to even express it all. Though I still have the symptoms, it feels like we at least have a little closure.

We are so thankful for all your prayers... please keep praying! We still need to raise a lot of funds AND get this little herd into a new life in one peace. New position. New country. New home. New culture... so much will be new! Thank you again.

blessings on you all,
Britany and the clan

A "wee" update from the McDonald clan

I thought I might include a recent email we sent out to our prayer support team updating what is going on in the McDonald house hold as of late!

Hi everyone,

WOW is time flying by... we move in less than 2 months and there seems to still be so much to do. It has been way to long in writing this email but we have had the privilege over these past many weeks of hosting close friends (while Tim traveled to India with The Berean Way), Britany's mum and sisters and traveling to South Africa ourselves for a Nieucommunities conference. We have been very busy.

In the midst of all this Britany went back to the hospital for a day of "final" tests... at least that is what we thought. They did an ultrasound on her heart and were not happy with what they saw. They are not sure BUT seem to have found a valve in her heart that is leaking and want Britany to come back for more tests. So, on May 8th, Britany will return to the hospital for more tests on her heart (including a heart echo - which will include putting a tube down her throat). Britany is not very excited for that test but we are thankful that they have been so thorough and we feel blessed to have walked this journey with the same doctors. Our prayer is that we would have the results WELL before we are to leave. But, this has created a new set of questions as to whether we should be leaving in the midst of these tests or not? Our thoughts are no (in light of seeing the tests and treatment all the way through), but our tickets home say yes! We believe that God will provide the perfect path for us AND we will follow it. Britany was hesitant about us even writing about these tests because it feels like it never ends with us... BUT we know how much we are going to need you all and your prayers now and in the months ahead.

Another area we could sure use prayer for is with our finances. We have amazing supporters and have never gone for want... God is our provider! We will write more in our next letter (coming soon) but through a series of different and difficult circumstances we have had a significant drop (%35) in monthly support. There are many things before us (Britany's health, our family move, new ministry role, etc.) but this was not an issue we thought we were going to need to deal with. So, our prayer is that God will use this as a reminder of our total dependence on Him - a path we have walked down numerous times over these last years (like when we moved over to Scotland in the fist place). We know that our mighty God is faithful.

Thank you once again for continuing this journey with us... you all are a gift to us.

God bless you all as you live life where God as placed you,
The McDonald Clan

My better half...

Well, it was a quick turn around, but I am writing this entry in South Africa. I will let my wife explain...

Hi everyone,

Another quick note to say that now it is Tim and my turn to head out of town. We are leaving for 10 days to South Africa to our NC Conference with the whole NC team. If you could be praying for God to walk us through all He has intended for us to learn and grow from this time together. It has been 2 years since we have all been together and so much has changed in so many of our lives. We will be reflecting on the past 7 years of ministry and looking ahead to what God has for us in the years to come. A prayer was spoken by someone that was wise which said "Holy Spirit, think through me till your ideas are my ideas". What a powerful way to put our journey of life into a simple form. It is through prayer that we learn His ideas, thanks again for lifting us up to heaven.

Another huge prayer is for my mum as she is here watching all the kids for the whole time by herself. We have some incredible friends who will help her out when needed. Many prayers have already been sent, but prayers of protection over my babies and her (Lynn) while we are away would be wonderful. The Lord continues to amaze me in life and I pray He would never cease to do that in life. God bless you in the next few weeks and we will send out emails of our experience once we return.

PS I've never been there so this is a trip of a life time for me. Can't wait to see another part of God's world.

Love to all,
Britany