On my way to Denver

This year started off quite challenging.  Yes, it is only January 2nd, but our family has endured something pretty intense.  It is with great sadness and a broken heart that I share this information.

Taken a few years ago

 My aunt Susie suddenly passed away New Years Eve's Eve in Denver.  The news came as a shock as Susie wasn't ill, not with a life threatening illness, just a cold or something like that.  Jen, her daughter, was there when she collapses and she tried to do CPR but Susie was gone.  I am on my way home as you read this and I ask for your help.  Would you please pray for my family?

When her kids were youngin's

• Pray for her children, Jen and Dan, as they are hit hard with this loss.  
• Pray for provision for her mortuary expenses as she had no savings and no will.
• Pray for Jen to have wisdom as she has a lot of decisions that she will have to make.
• Pray for my family as we are all stunned and in shock.
• Pray for my expenses to be covered as this is unexpected and unforeseen.
• Pray for other family members that will be traveling to Denver for the funeral.
• Pray for all of the things to come together with ease and a blessing to those involved.
• Pray for opportunities for me to serve my family.

I hope we can give an update on what is going on in our world soon.  I will be in Denver until the 20th, so I can't promise it will happen soon.

I was reminded of this scripture yesterday and it's true.  God is my strength and He will help us through this challenging time.

Much love to you all!
Dawn

Also.... if you would like to help with the mortuary expenses, please follow this link to the GoFundMe page:
..... UPDATE.. all of the funds were raised to pay for Aunt Susie's mortuary expenses.

If you would like to help with my expenses, please send funds through PayPal: Friend to Friend with my email address: jcluvsme7@msn.com
For those in NZ, please contact me directly for our banking information.
..... UPDATE.. Friends and family came together to help get me home. 

January 2018 Prayer Calendar

Hello all!
Please see the prayer calendar for this month.  Please let us know if you would like a PDF version and we will email it to you.  Our email addy is: mcbrideflock@yahoo.com.

Thank you and God bless!

Dawn and Andrew McBride

A quick update from Andrew

We are closing out the current semester next week and it is always great to see God work in the lives of the students.  Almost all of them are coming back next semester along with a bunch of new students.  

A past student from CCBI, Charles, is pastoring in Fiji and we have been able to continue to assist him with ministering to the community.  Charles has been such a faithful servant that we are looking forward to two students that will be coming from Fiji that he has poured into.  Please pray for financial assistance for the students as well as favour on getting their passports, visas and paperwork.

Lusi and Akuila from Fiji

Next semester we (CCBI) are looking at expanding our outreaches to the island nation of Tuvalu.  Another past CCBI student ministers in a church in Auckland that consists of Tuvaluians.  We will be partnering with his church on an exploratory outing in late February 2018.  I (Andrew) will be one of the members going on this trip to see what the Lord has for us (CCBI) in Tuvalu for future ministry.

There are so many ways that the Lord is working here and we feel blessed and humbled to be a part of it.  The next semester is probably going to be filled with the most students we have ever had, with the most staff we have ever had, and with a greater emphasis on missions and church planting than in the past.  Please lift up all of these things in your prayers and that we would be able to rest in Him over the upcoming break. 

Thank you for joining us on this journey of serving God in the land of the Long White Cloud.  More updates to come after the semester ends.

Andrew 

For more information about prayer requests and such, please check out the right column our blog: mcbrideflock.blogspot.com

December 2017 Prayer Calendar

Hello family and friends!

Please see our December 2017 prayer calendar.  We love you and appreciate your support!  If you would like a PDF of this calendar, please email us at mcbrideflock@yahoo.com. 

Thank you and Merry Christmas!

Andrew and Dawn McBride

Prayer Calendar for November 2017

Hello all,
Please see our prayer calendar for November 2017.  Please let me know if you would like a PDF version of it at our email address: mcbrideflock@yahoo.com

Thank you and God bless!
Dawn and Andrew

Long Weekend - Much Needed Rest

Hello family and friends,
This semester has been fantastic, but fantastic comes at a cost... sometimes sanity, sometimes energy, sometimes both.  We are in the midst of what we call Long Weekend, where we send the students off for a four day weekend (Friday through Monday). 

Andrew and I took the opportunity to have a staycation.  The campus has been our home base and we have been been going out to different towns for the day.  Friday we played in Rotorua and visited Okere Falls Cafe, Okere Falls, and the Redwood Forest.  Beautiful sites and the ears were delighted with the sounds of nature.  We found a new little path at Okere Falls and were sweetly surprised by another water fall.  I love the little surprises we find when we are willing to step aside from the known into the uncertain.

Saturday, we enjoyed the day in and around Taupo.  We started our day at the Gypsy Fair with delicious sites, images you would imagine in a movie.  A high-wire walking dog, a one man band in his own posh trailer concert hall, a pirate helping children with tattoos, tie-dye galore, glass art, homes on wheels, and a variety of goodies for the tummy.  We just meandered through taking in the sights.

We then headed over to the Taupo market which was hustling and bustling.  I personally was looking for the potato twister booth, but they weren't there.  People were selling their wares.. a great place to buy gifts .. hand made soaps, quilts, wood working, and the like.  There were a lot of booths but none of them really caught our attention. 

Having not eaten yet, and nothing grabbing our attention, we decided to head back to the central business district to find something that would tempt us to eat.  We looked at a few places but ended up at Paulys.. this really yummy burger joint.  I ate a delicious burger made of venison and pork with plum sauce, mayo, and rum raisins.  My oh my, my taste buds were singing.  Once I picked up that burger, there was no setting it down again.  It was so yummy and I couldn't finish my chips (fries).  What??  Me never finish chips?  Say it isn't so.  It's true.  You can ask Andrew.  It was delicious and I would get it again as a specialty item once in a while.  Delicious!  #paulysdiner

Once our tummies were satisfied, we headed to the trails.  We ended up at Wairakei Natural Thermal Valley and enjoyed a little trek into the valley.  We were issued a temperature radar gun sort of tool so we could see how hot the steam was at different locations in the valley.  The hottest steam Andrew registered was just over 180 degrees Fahrenheit.  Wowsers!  Do not go through this place barefoot (as many Kiwi enjoy doing).  We checked the ground at a few places and the hottest registered in the 90s.  After our trek through the valley, we enjoyed a nice cold beverage and watched the peacocks, chickens, and other roaming birds. 

Today, we headed to church where Andrew played bass with the worship team and I helped set up the kitchen for the tea (drinks and cookies) after church.  Pastor Doug delivered a great message from John 10 about the sheep and how they hear their shepherd's voice.  I love how God reiterates how no one can snatch His sheep out of His hands, nor Jesus' hands.  His sheep are safe and can relish in the fact that they are secure.

Tomorrow, the students will return and we will be in the downhill race towards the end of the semester.  Only seven weeks left and we have a very full calendar.  Our next big activity is Speakers Week which is November 6th - 10th.  It will be an all hands on deck kind of week for the staff and interns and an amazing time for the students to listen to different pastors and ministry leaders from all over the world.  Speakers are coming from Japan, Australia, the US, and NZ.  I am so excited to put faces with the names of many of these ministry leaders as we pray for many of them at our weekly prayer meetings.  Please join us in praying that God uses Speakers Week in a mighty way.

Please join us in prayer regarding the following:
- Speakers Week - November 6th - 10th
     + Safe travels for the speakers and provision for their needs
     + Open hearts and minds for what God wants to do
- Men's conference - November 10th and 11th
     + Some of our students will be attending: pray for open hearts and a
        willingness to change
     + Some of our staff will be serving: strength and energy to serve the Lord and
        the men well
- Students, interns, and staff to press in and not give in to apathy or tiredness
     + The best is yet to come, let's not give up!

We love you and thank you for joining us on this crazy and amazing journey that God has brought us to.  There is no place like being in the saddle of ministry and holding on to Jesus for life and energy. 

The Lord bless you and keep you!
Dawn and Andrew

Life After Camp - Outreach Week

Surviving the Camp outreach was pretty cool.  I am so glad I went and I wouldn't trade it for the world.  To see so many young people make a choice that will change their lives... to love on girls that have an unsure or unhappy home life... to encourage girls to know who they are in Christ... PRICELESS!

Sunset from the girls dorm area

A key thought was dying to myself.. dying to my needs.. dying to what I want.. I had to.  It was a full on, over-the-top experience and I am exhausted.  I am still recovering as you can tell by my writing style.

Our team minus two littles who left early for a family event.

Sleepless nights left me exhausted, in tears, and sick on Thursday.  The camp staff rallied around me and I felt well cared for.  After moving the little lady in the top bunk above me to another bunk, my nights of sleep became better.. little by little.

Volcano competition - our team did so well!!

I will never forget those 8 little lives.  They have left footprints on my heart forever.  I am still so very grateful for my helper... my junior leader... who was there to help me understand the ways of camp life and guide me through.  She was a soft place for the girls to land, a friend and sister they could turn to.  I am praying for her as well, dear Ms. B-L.

My Junior Leader

You would have loved this campus.  I was telling one of the other leaders, from an American perspective, this place is a lawsuit waiting to happen.  I was quite surprised by the adventures that were offered to kids both young and not so young.  No safety nets on the confidence course.. then again.. would it denote confidence if you have a net to catch you?  Amazing campus!!  The boys at CA in Colorado would LOOOOOOVE this place.

Two of the littles from my team - laughter and smiles!

I just have to brag on God for a bit.  I had no time to do my back exercises... and then when I could make time, I was too tired to care.  The lights were out, my girls were asleep and I was exhausted.  Sleep was more important than anything else at that point... okay, except a shower every so often.  Thank You, Lord, for holding my back together and making it a relatively pain free week!!  To You goes all the glory!  Another little miracle... I was served some soy ice cream (I'm allergic to soy products) and I didn't know it.  I usually react within 15 minutes of eating soy products but nothing.  When I realized it was soy.. I didn't have anymore.  Thank You, Lord, for protecting this body from reactions to food that would have made an already interesting experience.. even more interesting. 

I couldn't pass up this photo with one my littles.

There are many more little miracles that He did for me.  I feel so amazingly cared for by our Awesome God, who took care of the details that could have easily spoiled the week for me.  Warfare was high, but the payoff even higher!  I love all of the aunties and uncles I met this past week and pray for the Lord to bless them and encourage them on their journeys.

Another one of the littles on my team.  Love her much!

So, I am back at school and wrapping my mind around my role here again.  I have songs from camp that come to mind from time to time and I may even do the hand motions with the songs.  I still have the three memory verses we learned on the tip of my tongue:

Proverbs 23:26 My son, give me your heart and let your eyes keep to My ways.
John 2:5 Whatever He says to you, do it!
Proverbs 4:27 Don't get sidetracked and keep your feet from following evil.
(oh goody.. 5 lollies for me)   :0)

What an outreach.. but I am so glad I went!!  So many memories, more than I can share here.  Would you join me in praying for the littles on my team that have yet to receive Jesus as their Savior?  God knows their names and their hearts. 

"Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all." Philippians 2:17

Onward and upwards, all for His glory!
Love to you,
Dawn