1. THE McCREA NEWS
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Gratefully Heartbroken
Dear Friends, Celebrate Christmas
Being human, Patty and I know what it is to be grateful in life, In the last few years we have dedicated a lot of time over the
and we know what it is to be heartbroken, but right now we Christmas season to obtain presents and groceries for needy
are living with a strange and heart rending mixture of the both; children and their families in Colombia. One of the things that
we are “gratefully heartbroken.” inspired us was the nation’s civil war. Many children have
suffered as a result of the conflict & many of them were
In the last few months we have recruited by these armed groups precisely at Christmas.
seen huge examples of God’s
faithfulness in our lives; even as The conflict in Colombia is
we have been dealing with the coming (hopefully) to a close.
news of impending tragedy in our Security in most of the country is
family. For those of you who now excellent and guerilla
have not seen the e-mails or our soldiers are deserting by the
prayer requests on Facebook; last thousands. Yet in the poorest
December, my sister Brenda was most remote areas of the country
diagnosed with Breast Cancer for the conflict holds on.
the second time. Brenda & Zachary
Speaking with former fighters we heard the story of how they
Since then she has had a bad prognosis, been led through some became involved with these groups. Several told our leaders
false hope and then had reality come crashing back in the form how strangers arrived at their home with gifts and candy.
of a time line - 6 months to a year.
Many of those gifts were toy
This is not something you expect at age 54. After having been guns; pistols with rubber bullets
cancer free for 10 years, you expect that you have dodged the or water guns. Later on they
bullet and will be able to live a full life. returned to invite the children to
hunt with them in the mountains
However, that is not the case and the cancer had metastasized and thus be able to bring food
to her bones and lungs. We are heartbroken. Short of God, home for their families. In the
there is no good outcome. mountains they loaned them
real firearms, with real bullets and they showed them how
Yet, even as we go through this, we recognize God’s hand in to use these new “tools.” Finally they seduced and/or
things. If this had happened three years ago or even next year, threatened them so that they would not return to their homes.
we would not be living in Canada and our 15 year old nephew This was how they began theirs lives of terror.
Zachary may well have ended up being a Ward of the Courts.
When we heard these stories we asked ourselves; “what are
Instead, we will soon become a family WE going to do for Colombian’s children?” Could it be that
of five even as we continue to serve we as Christians can do something for them?
God in the nations.
In the last 4 years, 12000 needy children have
Please be praying for my sister received Christmas presents from Jesus!
Brenda, for Zachary and for our
family. We are still hoping and Each year it has been a huge challenge. Many have not
praying for a miracle. understood the purpose - which is to give much more than a

2. gift; it is to help change lives. It was a decision that I fought with, really agonized over,
It is to show the love of Jesus because of the desire in my heart, but after days of struggling
through a toy or a piece of I concluded that I had no choice. It was December and with
clothing. The children’s the freezing cold I could no longer suffer with the slush
smiles show their gratitude coming through the holes in my shoes or having to spend
for a present that they never hours at home just trying to get my feet warm again.
imagined would arrive; even
as they hear the story of That was Saturday and Monday I would have to go shopping.
Jesus’ love for them. The next day I was in service at that little store front church
across from the Embassy Hotel. I attended there for the first
Thank you for being a part of expressing God’s love through four months of my Christian life. After service a couple came
your gifts and support. up to me and did something that for them was so small, but for
Shoes for Bubba me was life changing. “Bubba,” they said, calling me by my
street name, “we were praying and felt God was telling us to
Two years ago God spoke to me about tracking down many of help you out. Here’s $30, go buy yourself some shoes.”
the people who invested in the life of this street kid so many
years ago; to thank them, honour them & encourage them. I had told no one about my battle, but for the first time, God
Since then I have found several: Cindy, Jim, Doug, and others, had lovingly and miraculously provided for me. I have told
but many have been lost to a clouded memory; or so I thought. that story dozens of times over the years as it changed my
heart and world, but with the fog of time I could not remember
Over the last few months we have visited dozens of churches, the name of that church or that couple.
both to raise funds and stimulate interest in sending Outreach
Teams to Colombia. It has been tiring, but we have seen That afternoon, I was able to share the story again, but this
results as we strive to bring our budget to where it should be. time, with the pastor’s help, was able to put names to that
This summer we will see the of first several new teams. memory. The next day I called Rick & Ellen after 28 years to
say thank you once again; to tell them how something “small”
In January, I was sharing about our work with one Pastor and they did for God has helped to impact the nations.
he noted that I am from London, ON. He asked me if I knew
where the Embassy Hotel was and I had to smile - that area And the kicker? Two weeks
was my old stomping grounds, but my smile quickly turned to later I was scheduled to speak
astonishment when he said that his brother used to pastor a at a church in Dorchester, ON,
church across the street in 1984. a church that had recently
adopted our family as
That was my first year as a Christian and Christmas was missionaries; the very church
coming. For the first time I really knew the “Reason for the where Rick & Ellen have been
Darren, Rick & Ellen
Season” and I could feel him working in my life. I was on attending for the last few years.
welfare at the time, but even though funds were limited, God It was a fun Sunday!
put a profound desire in my heart to buy presents for the
Gratefully,
family that I was largely separated from. I had the desire, but
after paying rent and buying my groceries for the month I only Æ WtÜÜxÇ? ctààç ? ]tÅxá 9 WtÜ|xÇ Æ
had $30 left and was desperately in need of shoes.
If you wish to be a part of our work in Colombia and the worldwide community that we are called to serve,
please consider partnering with us through your giving.
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include a note mentioning the ministry of Darren & Patricia a note mentioning the ministry of Darren & Patricia McCrea.
McCrea.
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L5N 5Z6 USA 75771-3000
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