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The World Famous missionary newsletter, now here for your enjoyment
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THE McCREA NEWSTHE McCREA NEWSTHE McCREA NEWSTHE McCREA NEWS
www.ourlovingfather.com March 2012
Once Upon a ChildOnce Upon a ChildOnce Upon a ChildOnce Upon a Child
Dear Friends,
It’s no secret that Patty and I have a heart for children.
Maybe it is the reflection of our own troubled childhoods, but
we cannot resist the allure of breaking through any barrier to
let a child know that they are treasured and valued by God
their Father.
And so we have done that - loved kids;
played with them, hugged them, turned
them upside down and encouraged
others to do the same - never knowing
what kind of impact we were making....
In January, we travelled to Colombia for
a month. This was a ministry trip, but it
was also the first time the boys had been
back to their native land since we moved
to Canada.
For James, it was a time to reconnect with family and he
even got to teach a class on Canada at his old school. He
loved the attention and did very well as a guest speaker!
Daddy was also doing his share
of speaking. Our home church in
Bogota is a congregation of some
3500 people with a heart for
missions and our Pastor had invited
me to speak for three days: a
financial seminar on Friday and
Saturday, followed by FOUR,
count them, FOUR! Sunday services - focussed on Missions.
BUT, it was the time I spent teaching in Cartagena that
really caught our attention. When I first arrived in
Colombia many years ago, I was involved in several
construction projects. One of those projects was working with
teams from a US Methodist church to build a parsonage.
We built a building, ministered, and loved on a lot of kids, but
when the pastor later fell into sin and the church didn’t grow,
we were left wondering - what did we really accomplish? In
the following testimony lies the answer:
At James’ old school.
From Humble Beginnings
I was born and grew up in a slum
community in Northeast Bogota.
There I lost my father to a stray
bullet that took his life when I was
only four years old.
My mother became a widow with two young girls. In
spite of working a job that only paid HALF of the
minimum wage, she managed to provide for us and
impart Christian values to her daughters. She has
always encouraged us to follow God’s dreams.
From the time I was little our family attended a
Methodist church located in the same neighbourhood
where we lived. It was in that church where so many
people invested in my life. I remember the teams that
came from other countries to build our church; people
that would take the time to play with us and do the
impossible - just to get us to smile. Through you I
learned about the Father heart of God and how He cares
for his children.
I want to thank each one who directly or indirectly
invested in my church and my life with their prayers,
their times and their finances. It was that church
where my sister and I both received our call to ministry
and where I met Darren McCrea, who I would encounter
once again many years later in Cartagena.
I am now 23 and for the last 7 years I have been
working as a Missionary in Youth With A Mission.
Coming from such humble beginnings, it is hard to
believe where God has taken me - travelling to places
that I had only seen on TV and ministering in more
that a dozen countries. I have learned English and seen
God provide for my needs daily.
God chose me for big things and I am walking with Him
to fulfill His purpose in my life.
Even as Patty and I pour into our own boys, we realize
that who we are today and who our children are, is a
result of the people that have poured into our lives.
We are privileged to sow into others only because of
what was first sown into us; by so many spiritual fathers
and mothers. The seed you sow today, however small,
In Cartagena, I was teaching 17 dedicated Missionaries a five
day Communications Seminar and it was a great time, but in
the process I ran into FIVE different young ladies that Patty
and I had ministered to in Bogota over the years!
Beyond Jazmin and her sister Elizabeth, I was surprised to
encounter Diana Gordillo doing a school of missions (DTS) at
the base. Diana is a young lady from the street ministry where
Patty and I once worked. Not only was Patty her school
teacher, but she also helped to take care of her.
The same day I met Rudy and Diany, two young ladies that
are the fruit of an outreach centre that we helped to build. The
ministry “Faith and Hope” has been an ongoing project for us
where we have provided logistical support, taken work teams
and helped with various needs.
It was a total surprise running into these young ladies serving
in Missions. Like Jazmin, they come from humble
circumstances and God has taken them to the nations.
Until next time, hug some children and let them know
that God loves them. You are His arms.
Æ Darren, Patty , James & Darien Æ
As full time volunteers we receive no salary. If you wish to be a part of our work in Colombia and the worldwide
Christian community that we are called to serve, please consider partnering with us through your giving.
To partner with us, make your cheque out to: “Youth With A Mission” and mail it to the address below. Due to Income Tax Legislation
our names cannot appear ANYWHERE on the cheque. Please enclose a separate note specifying it for the work of Darren & Patricia
McCrea. For gifts in Europe, please write to us for wire transfer information. PayPal is available on our web site.
In Canada: YWAM - Project Funding In the USA: YWAM - Accounting
Box 57100 , RPO East Hastings P.O. Box 3000
Vancouver, BC Garden Valley, TX
Canada V5K 5G6 USA 75771-3000
International Phone Number (Miami Area Code) - 305 677 0100 E-Mail [email protected]
Rudy & Diany
English For Missionaries - we taught a class!
Our students pose in “The House of the
Nations.” This is the new missions centre
for YWAM Cartagena that is not yet
completed, but already in use.
James teaching his former classmates!