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 darrenmccrea@aol.com

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!