McDonald prayer letter Aug. 2017

Thanks or stopping by!

Here is the McDonald prayer letter for Aug. 2017. We appreciate your prayer and financial support!

Here are a few updates since I typed out the letter in July...

1. Elijah is going to BCIT in Burnaby, BC  in a couple weeks to do an upgrade course that wil allow him to apply for the Engineering program in the fall of 2018. Praise God for provision to do that- it is not applicable for student loans! 

2. Caleb found work in Calgary in constriction and is doing very well-- he comes back here for a month long visit in a couple weeks in order to work on some paper work here- and then will be visiting friends and returning to Calgary in the fall to hopefully work at the same company. They've been very happy with him.

3. Sharlene and I fly to Tijuana today to pick up a 15 passenger van, 3 students and a lot of  stuff we still need to get la huerta  school of missions ready for opening day in a week!

Please pray for protection, wisdom and alertness as we do a long two and a half day drive down the peninsula in hurricane season next week!

Thank for being there with us!

McDonald prayer letter aug. 2017

McDonald prayer letter August 2016

It is with a great amount of excitement mixed with some trepidation and Godly fear that I get to announce to you, our friends, family and partners in ministry that YUGO has announced the launch of our new Campus in La Paz Baja Sur, Mexico!!

Sharlene and I are excited to be a part of this new leg of the journey and in the upcoming months we are looking forward to sharing with you more of the details! Let me just say for now that we will be serving as leaders of this campus and that we will be involved in training Mexican missionaries! There are a lot of other details to work out, and we are excited to be following God in this venture! We came to La Paz almost 1 year ago to check out the city in response to a call from a local pastor and former student in our church planting class in Rosarito. What we found was a community ripe for the gospel and lacking good, solid, Bible teaching, Spirit lead, churches. Sensing God’s call to come and serve, we relocated last January to this fantastic city, Since then, we have further sensed His leading in this direction- working alongside the local church to train up missionaries for the spread of the Gospel in needy areas of Mexico and the rest of the world!

Thanks for praying for us in this regard as we have been exploring the land and listening to the Father’s heart. Please continue to pray for the necessary resources to follow this path! That God would send the people and finances needed in His timing and His way!


On a more personal note, please continue to pray for our school finances for our kids. We need about $3000 USD for Caleb and Jacobs first semester tuition. If you can help with this need, please feel free to email me or use the form on the bottom of this letter to go towards that expense!

Also, please be praying for Elijah. Elijah finished two semesters of Bible College in Ensenada last May. He would like to return for a second year (it is a 2 year course) and went back to Ontario to work to save money for school. He has had a difficult time securing full time work and is currently piecing together part time work in 2 or 3 different places to try to get enough finances together. It is coming very slowly. It is a faith stretching time for him! Please pray that God would provide what he needs and grow Elijah’s faith and trust in God during this time!


Thank you again for partnering with us! You are truly our co-labourers in the harvest and the harvest is plentiful! As we are praying for workers for the field, please pray that God would raise up called men and women to be trained in our missions training center! ( starting sometime in 2017, Lord willing) You are appreciated!

 Mike, Shar, Elijah, Caleb and Jacob MDonald

Prayer letter June 2016

McDonald Prayer Letter

June 2016

We'd like to thank you so much for participating in this ministry financially and prayerfully! Let me update you with what has been happening and ask you to pray for some new things!

1. Elijah and Caleb both have found summer jobs in Wasaga Beach, Ontario Canada area! Elijah will be working at Wasaga Paint Ball and Caleb will be working with Steve Dyce in construction! Luke and Heidi Langman have offered them a place to stay during this summer- and it is close by to their jobsites! Praise God! We are thankful to the Langmans and Dyces and Faith Missionary Church for coming together to provide this opportunity for our boys. I'm especially glad that they will get a chance to experience my hometown for a few months!
2. Sharlene continues to study Spanish. We are going to be changing tactics a bit this summer. A local Spanish school has discounted rates for locals over the summer, So she will be doing a few weeks of full-time study. Please be in prayer for her during this summer. Language study is arduous!
3. We had our meeting in May with YUGO's Leadership about the ministry here in La Paz. We were very encouraged to have it received positively. Right now it is in the internal communication chain and we believe we will be able to make an announcement on the final decision within the next few weeks! Please be in continued prayer for God's leading as we finalize plans!
4. We have a couple of students from Calvary Chapel Bible College coming down this summer to act as interns. They will be taking census of the surrounding communities in order for us to get a great understanding of our community, it's needs, it's resources and the footprint of the local church here. Praise God for the people and financial resources to undertake this project! We hope to gain some crucial information and discern God's leading for the ministry here in Baja Sur!

Thank you so much for praying about these items this last couple of months! God has responded to your prayers and we trust that we are following Him in this venture.

Could you please continue praying for those areas and also in these...

1. School for Caleb and Jacob: Caleb is entering grade 12 and Jacob Grade 9 next year. We will need to raise the finances for their education again this year. Having the option of getting a North American education away from home has been invaluable for us. The kids have grown so much academically these last few years in Calvary Online School that we are praying that they will be able to re-enroll this year as well. This year the cost is about CAN$7200 with the current exchange rate. That can be paid all at once or in monthly installments. If you'd like to be a part of our MK's education fund- please see the address below for the Canadian or USA office to see how to do that.
2. Calvary Chapel La Paz: for the next year or so I am going to play an increased leadership / pastoral role in this new church. Please be praying for this role, for great communication and trust between the pastor and I and for favor from God and the church so we can serve well and effectively.
3. Adjustments to a new place: The first year in a new community is the most difficult. And while we have made great connections here, we still are missing the ones back in Rosarito as well. Please pray for strength and perseverance to strongly march forward!

Thank you all again for being part of this ministry. We believe strongly that God is being glorified in this service and that Hi Kingdom is expanding through the sacrificial service in giving and praying of our partners back in Canada and the US.

May He continue to be glorified!

Mike, Sharlene, Elijah, Caleb and Jacob McDonald

YOU can give online in Canada HERE 

You can give online in the USA HERE:

please be sure to indicate that it is for Michael and Sharlene McDonald

OR- please contact the office of the country of your residence below for more information

THANK YOU!!-- 

Prayer Letter February 2016

Hello Friends and family!

Please find attached our February Prayer letter!*Please include 2 additional things for prayer and consideration on our
families behalf.*1.* Elijah's summer plans.* Elijah needs to go back to Canada to work from
June 1- Aug 22 to save money for his second year at Bible College. He has
gone back to Turtleford, SK these last couple years, but is wanting to be
in a larger center if possible. We are praying for someone whod be willing
to provide inexpensive room and board as well as a job. He'll do most
anything, but really enjoys working outside. He is a hard worker and has
great references.2.* Caleb's Summer plans.* Caleb will be 17 this summer and would like to

go to Canada to work from June 8-Aug.22. Caleb has 3 summers experience in
our house building ministry. He is experienced, talented and knowledgeable
in the area of construction and highly motivated. He would like to go to
College for Construction Project Management when he graduates. He'd be a
great worker for a construction company or assistant for someone building a
house this summer. He'd also need some inexpensive room and board.

Thanks so much for your prayers and consideration!


--
God Bless,

McDonald Prayer Letter Feb 2016

The Peace

La Paz  ( the peace) is a medium sized city in Baja south Mexico. It is about 1800 km south of where we live and a whole world away.

Tucked in a bay alongside desert and mountains along the Sea of Cortes, La Paz is a city that God has had on our hearts for many years.

4 years ago we had the chance to go scout out the land as a family to see why this city seemed to never leave my mind. What we found was a city of about 200,000 people with about 20 Christian churches and very few Christians.  We realized that they need a church planting movement in that city, but also in surrounding towns and colonias where there are often very few, small churches or no churches at all! But we also came back thinking that God had confirmed to us our current path in Rosarito!

Fast forward a few years and Shar and I got the opportunity to go again a few weeks ago to visit our church's new 1 year old church plant in the city of La Paz. This is a remarkable little church. On their opening Wednesday service in July 2014, 40 people showed up practically uninvited. It was just supposed to be a bible study time for the church planting team, Word got out and many showed up!

A few weeks later they were launching Sunday services with regular attendance in the 30's and 40's. Now, about one year later I preached to 80+ adults and did a devotion for a solid leadership team of 10 men and women, with 7 being locals and only 3 coming from our original church planting team. Almost everything in the service is done by locals and they seem to be loving this balanced church that teaches God's Word verse by verse.

The church has a great vision of planting other churches in needy cities and neighbourhoods around "Baja Sur". They are a relatively close distance to southern mainland Mexico as well, by ferry, and could legitimately make an impact over there as well.

It is an intriguing work with a great vision of church planting, leader and pastoral training and mercy ministries- caring for the least of these.

Would you please pray about this work with us? God is doing great things there!

Thanks for praying!!

McDonalds Coming Back to Canada in 2015

Check out the details in our October Prayer letter HERE:  October Prayer Letter!!

AUGUST PRAYER LETTER