What’s next for the McDonald family? It was almost 7 years ago that we first used Jeremiah 29:11 as our family’s mission promise. It is amazing how time flies. Our heart then was to go to Scotland for 3-6 years and launch a team that would equip and train ministers and missionaries for this next generation’s church. Here we are, 2008, having moved to Scotland, having lived in the same home for 5 years and having added 3 children to our lives. We have apprenticed 4 sets of students/staff and released more than a dozen fulltime missionaries; we’ve birthed a new church, helped start new ministries and shape new believers. We have lived the call God placed on our hearts so many years ago. It feels a little surreal that our work here is coming to a close, but we are so very thankful for the lasting fruit that God has allowed us to be a part of here in Scotland. After dealing with the major concerns with Britany’s health (mid-December), we spent most of these last couple months listening to God, our NC/CRM team and our family… processing our future. The big question of “what’s next for the McDonald family” has been challenging and rewarding. The challenge has come from the tension we have felt between our love for Scotland and our desire to see NC become the ministry that God has called it to be. The reward has come from key moments of reminding and refining: Reminding us of what God has called us to (and why) and refining that calling down to it’s essence and core. The result has been a much clearer idea of what we need to be about in the next season of our lives, and what we need to be about is going to take us way beyond Scotland. So, after much prayer, we have decided to accept an invitation by Rob Yackley to partner with him in the formation of a new leadership base for NieuCommunities in San Diego, California. The purpose of the base would be to both create an organizational hub (to resource, develop and equip NC sites worldwide) AND a leadership development site (to call, equip and send young North American leaders – Mexico, US and Canada – all over the world). We were very honored by Rob’s offer to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with him in the creation of this new global ministry hub and affirmed by the leadership of CRM. We believe this move fits who we are and what God has called us to do. Why Nieucommunities? The short answer is… we believe in it. We believe in the power to change people’s lives for the sake of Christ’s Kingdom on earth through the power of God and the vehicle of intense community based discipleship. We’ve been asked, after this last year, if we have considered giving up… the truth is, yes. But, everything that is worth doing is hard AND worth fighting for. We want to be a part of the solution – helping strengthen and expand this ministry and it’s impact around the world. Why San Diego? Although San Diego is famous for it’s great beaches, zoo, Gas lamp District, Old Town, Balboa Park… Shamu, it is it’s “other side” that has peeked NC’s interest… the side that doesn’t make it into the brochures. San Diego is a border city. Its economy, social structure, and politics are inextricably linked with its sister city, Tijuana. These two diverse mega cities straddle the most trafficked border in the world creating a very complex and unique metropolis. The city’s majority population is non-white and non-middle class. As my boss Rob has said, “They don’t sip martinis in the Gas lamp, but they do cook most of the food and wash most of the dishes in the city. They cut people’s lawns, build their homes, and raise their children. They often work 2 to 3 jobs a day to survive, and rarely visit the places that tourists enjoy every day.” Along with a significant refugee population, sex trafficking and enslavement there is an enormous urban poor population hidden from all the tourists. These are the neighborhoods we believe God is calling us to move into, to serve, and from within to develop young missional leaders to send all over the world. These strategic reasons are why NC is placing its leadership hub in inner city San Diego. The demographics are important to us because we’re called to develop leaders who can tackle REAL challenges and SERVE effectively in cultures beyond their own. Relationships are also significant to us, and in the last few months God has connected us with some very exciting (and well connected) spiritual leaders in the city who have encouraged us to come and partner with them. God has also been putting together a pretty incredible NC leadership team that we can’t wait to begin doing life and ministry with. Along with Rob and Laurie, there appears to be four other leaders ready to join with us to follow God’s call to a very special neighborhood called Golden Hill. Golden Hill is a hundred year old downtown neighborhood that sits right in the crossroads of the city. Within 10 minutes you can walk west and be in the heart of the city’s financial, entertainment, and political center (after passing through downtown’s homeless population); walking 10 minutes south takes you into a historic barrio that could just as well be in Mexico as in the U.S.; just to the east are the neighborhoods where many of the refugee communities have settled; and just to the north is Balboa Park. In the middle of all this, on a small hill overlooking the city skyline, is this ethnically and economically diverse little neighborhood that, God willing, will be our new home. Thank you… thank you… thank you… for all your encouragements, prayers and financial support. Your faithfulness to us (and our ministry) over these past years has been amazing and humbling. God knows and He is keeping tabs – your reward will be great! (Matt 10:40-42) And, though these words are too small to fully describe how deeply blessed we are by all of you, please know how much we need your partnership now more than ever as we move forward with God’s call. Thank you again – grace and peace friends, the McDonald clan
McDonald Family
Prayer Letter
 
Winter 2008 - Issue 2
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future..." Jeremiah 29:11 Go to archive