Christmas Prayer Letter

The tree is up (though the cats have been slowly dismantling it every night), the advent candles are burning low, the weather has turned wet and cool and our grass is starting to grow.

It must be Christmas!

My final exams are all marked, we're making plans to have a Christmas party for the pastors and leaders class and their family and they are getting a much needed small brain break from classes for a couple weeks.








As we head into this Christmas season, we change gears a little bit as we help out getting Christmas gifts down to kids in Tijuana's poor colonias. Shar and the boys are putting together 400 candy bags for kids, we're picking up boxes full of toys mailed to the US office to be handed out and helping organize a few parties. Our fellow Missionaries Jose Luis and Cindy Pesina are doing the lions share of the work this year as they have the contacts both in Mexico and the US to help connect gifts with kids! Their ministry is much more aimed at kids than is ours, so we've asked them to take it over next year entirely and we can come alongside and help them in whatever way is needed.

This has been a good semester of teaching. Our pastors and leaders training is coming to a conclusion this spring. We are working on the 2nd to last course now- "Church History Survey". It is quite information heavy, but has been helpful for them to see the progression of the church through the first 500 years of it's history- both good and bad. We're hoping to have a better understanding of today's modern church and also have a sensitivity to the things that have historically caused the church to slide away from God's Biblical Ideal!

At Calvary Chapel Bible College I taught Minor Prophets to 14 students. It was a good class which solidified our understanding of the message of God throughout the Scriptures- God hates sin and calls us to repent and trust Him. There is a coming "Day of the Lord" when all evil will be judged- and noone will be able to stand without someone to save them. Jesus is the one prophesied about long ago- the Messiah, Christ, Saviour of all who repent of their sin and trust Him.

I found out, though, that I am a tough exam-giver. The students had 2 hours to answer 60 short answer questions and noone finished! Most came nowhere close. I am mean! :) But, thankfully in Jesus there is grace and mercy- so I had both on them and they did well overall! I'm learning a bit about testing and hope to have it down pat some day.

Next semester I am going to be teaching two classes. I have no missionary training to do and so will have the time to prepare. I will be teaching "1 Corinthians" and "Exodus" in the Spring semester.

A few prayer requests concerning these ministries:
1. I graduate the first class of pastors and leaders this spring and am praying about direction for next year. I'm not sure if I should start another class, or help one or two of my current students to teach a class or two. The idea is to train them to be teachers, that way the ministry is not dependent upon a missionary to run it, it can multiply quickly and only needs me in an advisory and administrative role.
2. Calvary Chapel Bible College is needing someone to come on staff full time or 3/4 time to teach a few courses every semester an help out with the administration / discipiling of students aspect of the ministry. Currently they have 1 full time teacher/ administrator. He is swamped and the school is growing each year. I may be able to do the ministry 3 or 4 days a week and commute the 100 mile round trip and then work 1/4 time with the pastors in the colonias. Or we could move to Ensenada (50 miles south) and live in the community that the school is in.
There are plusses and minuses to both options. We would like to have Christ's mind on this!

Finally, Shar and the kids are doing well. We have decided not to put the kids in a private school. Financially and schedule wise it would not work for us. Also we don't think it's the best option for the boys. So we continue to homeschool each day. Sharlene has found a homeschool group meeting twice a month here in Rosarito that she is going out to with the guys. They are enjoying it. They get to meet other folks, practice Spanish and do some other schoolwork while getting input from some other teachers. So far it is working out well.

Thank you so much for your prayer and financial support this last year. It has been a blessing representing each and every one of you who invest in this ministry.

Remember that you have an open invitation to come down and minister alongside us anytime you would like!

Our house is your house!

God bless and Merry Christmas!

Mike, Shar, Elijah, Caleb and Jacob McDonald