Finish Line just ahead

Finish Line just ahead!



I think I see the finish line. What a run we are having. It sometimes seems like it has been long and with lots of hurdles but as I look back and see how far we have come I am greatly encouraged. You, God's workman are fantastic. My family and I are honored and humbled by your trust in us as you give of yourselves for this move to Canada.

Together we can Praise God. He has all ready provided 65% of the needed support.

C. S. Lewis wrote that God's desired end for answering prayer isn't that our requests themselves will be met but rather that our faith will be increased. He wrote, “Little people like you and me, if our prayers are sometimes granted, beyond all hope and probability, had better not draw hasty conclusions to our own advantage. If we were stronger, we might be less tenderly treated. If we were braver, we might be sent, with far less help, to defend far more desperate posts in the great battle.” Father, increase our faith!

God is worthy of our praise and the bible tells us to praise God by:
“shout for joy” (Ps 32:11) “O clap your hands” (Ps 47:1 “sing” (Ps 47:6) “make a loud noise” (Ps 98:4) “lift up your hands” (Ps 134:2) “with the sound of trumpet” (Ps 150:3) “ upon the loud cymbals” (150:5) “make a joyful noise” (Ps 98:4) “rejoice” (Ps 98:4) “with harp” (Ps 33:2) don’t keep praising God to ourselves. “make known His deeds among the people” (Ps 105:11) Tell others about God’s blessings.

Psalms 100:
"Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the lands!Serve the Lord with gladness!Come into his presence with singing!
Know the Lord is God!It is he that made us and we are his;we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise!Give thanks to him, bless his name!
For the Lord is good:his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.
Phillipians 4:4-9:
"Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, Rejoice. Let all know your forebearance. The Lord is at hand. Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Thank you.

It is you and your obedience to God that is making this so SUCCESFUL!

Praises

Praise God from whom all blessing flow.

April 1st - Not just for Fools?

Only a short time ago Lisa and I could never have imagined God calling us to go and talk to our friends, family, and churches and ask them to pay our salary? Not to long ago this would have been considered foolishness to us.

It was right about April 1st of this year that God called Lisa and I to do just that. Most of us recognize April 1st as April Fools Day but did you know that April 1st used to be New Year’s Day? It was changed to January 1st in 1582 when Charles IX changed the calendar.
Prior to that year, the new year was celebrated for eight days, beginning on March 25. The celebration culminated on April 1. With the reform of the calendar under Charles IX, the Gregorian Calendar was introduced, and New Year's Day was moved to January 1st. Before the days of the internet and communications being what they were in the days when news traveled by foot, many people did not receive the news for several years. Others, the more obstinate crowd, refused to accept the new calendar and continued to celebrate the new year on April 1st. These backward folk were labeled as "fools" by the general populace. They were subject to some ridicule, and were often sent on "fools errands" or were made the butt of other practical jokes.

We do have people who think us foolish to do what we are doing. They believe we are wasting our lives. They think that I should get a real job, with good pay, benefits, and a future. While that is good and exactly what God calls many to do, He has called my family and I along a different path. But, look again at what our compensation is; 1) God promises to provide for all my needs 2) benefits beyond words 3) Future, do I even need to go here?

Lisa and I have heard the call of our King and know that April 1st 2006 for us was not a Fool’s Day, but a call into a new year, a new work for Him. The foolish thing to do, would to have been obstinate and refused to obey the Word of our King. He promised to lead and provide and He is proving Himself in mighty ways.

Do you realize that it has only been 4 weeks since the first Pledge Cards were received by our supporters? In that short time God has lead so many of you to give generously to a total of over $22,000! Wow! These are not large gifts from businesses looking for tax right offs. These are gifts from mostly individuals, but also a few churches willing to sacrifice as God leads them. Most importantly we know that each of these gifts carry with them the prayers of their givers. Our ministry will have a far greater reach into the hearts of the lost through the power of prayer than the giving of money. God doesn’t need my family and I but He wants us to freely, willingly and sacrificially give of ourselves to Him.

God works as only He can understand. It sure would be easier for us to find a position that pays a normal salary, but God has other plans. Please pray for us as we travel this road full of obstacles. Pray that we will persevere and that God will be glorified.



You can email your support Pledge to
yfcmail@yfcwinnipeg.ca or CaresTeam@GMail.com
Include;
- your name-address-phone,
- amount,
- whether annually or monthly,
- for McGraths,

Together, we serve an awesome God.

Has God Failed??

Has God Failed?
- NEVER -


Almost every morning lately I sing that song "My Lord knows the way through the wilderness." This is from Psalm 62 & 63. David is hiding from Saul, scared, and not knowing what to do. Many people are out looking to kill him as Saul had commanded. David had been faithful to God and is now running for his life. I know we all have situations where we don't know which way to go or what to do next. God says "follow Me." The song goes on to say "All I have to do is follow. Strength for today is mine all the way, And all I need for tomorrow" It sounds simple, doesn't it? Trust me it's not.

Most of our failures if not all come from our decisions to do things our way. But, God does not call us to do things our way. It is a trustworthy statement that; God's ways never fail. to often our definition of success is not God's. This venture with raising support to become missionaries with Youth For Christ Winnipeg is not going just as I had planned. My plans were to have had all the support raised by now, packing begun, passports and permits completed, and in the final stage of the move.

Now, just 3 weeks before I had originally planned on leaving for Canada we have one half of our needed support. What does this mean? Does it mean we are not going? Does it mean we just have to be patient? Does it mean we need to take another step of faith and move to Canada without the needed money? Does it mean God never called us to go to Canada? It means God is at work. God is working on His time table not mine.

I am sure many of you have been in the midst of many similar situations and experienced the same anxiety we are dealing with. To cut to the heart of the problem I believe we must be able to know why we are even here, what our purpose is, and where we are going.
1)We are here to glorify God
2)Our purpose is to do His Will
3)We are going to spend eternity with Him

I like to put these all together and just call it "Eternal Vision." Eternal Vision is having the ability to see beyond the now. Now we have struggles, now we have pains, now we have questions, now we have worries. But with Eternal Vision, the ability to see confidently in God's future promises, we can turn all these into peace.

You say; that's great David but what do you and I do now? First, we must trust in Him and His Word. Proverbs 3:6 says; "In all thy ways acknowledge him, And he will direct thy paths." (ASV)
In word: -- Jesus the Christ, you are the messiah, our long awaited redeemer, you are God, you are the one and only way, through you is our only hope. I proclam Jesus Christ. I shout out from the roof tops that Jesus Christ is my King and my Savior. I put all my trust in You! Speak of Jesus and what He means to you at work at home and at play. Keep Him in all your words.
In Deed: My family and I have surrendered ourselves, our wants, and our plans to follow Him. Despite that obviously pledges have slowed down we continue to believe that YFC Winnipeg is the direction God is leading. Surrender your actions to God. It does not always mean to become full time raise your own support missionaries. It means to glorify God in everything you do and wait on Him to do as He Wills.

In Wm. J. Reynolds' book 'Songs of Glory', he shares stories about the authors of some 300 songs. One of those is about the famous song writer, Andrae Crouch and how God gave him the music and words to the song, "Through It All". While Crouch was in the depths of depression, he became keenly aware of God's healing in his life. Sitting at the piano, God gave him these words:' I've had many tears and sorrows,I've had questions for tomorrow,There've been times I didn't know right from wrong.But in every situation, God gave blessed consolationThat my trials come to only make me strong.Through it all, Through it all,I've learned to trust in Jesus,I've learned to trust in God.Through it all, through it all,I've learned to depend upon His Word.I've been to lots of places,And I've seen lots of faces,There've been times I felt so all alone;But in my lonely hours,Yes, those precious lonely hours,Jesus let me know that i was His own.Through it all, Through it all,I've learned to trust in Jesus,I've learned to trust in God.Through it all, through it all,I've learned to depend upon His Word.I thank God for the mountains,And I thank Him for the valleys,I thank Him for the stormsHe brought me through;For if I'd never had a problem,I wouldn't know that He could solve them.I'd never know what faith in God could do.Through it all, Through it all,I've learned to trust in Jesus,I've learned to trust in God.Through it all, through it all,I've learned to depend upon His Word.

-- I pray each of us would learn to depend on and proclaim Him in all we do in every way.

We are confident that God will provide for us just as He plans. What this exactly means; I don’t know for tomorrow, but I can see with my Eternal Vision that things are going to work out beyond my wildest dreams. We trust in Jesus.

David

What a Ride

What a Ride!

This is the 4 story toboggan run at Cedarwood. I have yet to experience the actual ride but it sure looks like a thrill. It is a good 100 yards of breath taking hold on tight and close your eyes.

But first you have to climb up the 40 plus steps to get to the top while carrying your large inflated inner tube. I am still trying to figure out which part of this thrill ride is most like my families life right now as we seek to raise the funds to become missionaries in Canada.

Sometimes it sure feels like a long up hill climb but then there are days you just have to hold on tight because you feel like your speeding down a hill.

John Coutney who is the executive director of YFC Winnipeg gave me a great word the other day. He shared some insight from a devotional he had from Luke 10:38 --- . It's about two sisters; Martha & Mary. Mary spent her time at the feet of Jesus while Martha spent her time working and serving. We can all relate to Martha's frustration with her sister just sitting around while she did all the work. But what does Jesus say? Some would think Martha was choosing the better by working but Jesus tells Martha "you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed and Mary has chosen that good part which will not be taken away from her."

The devotional does a major paraphrase of the text but gives great wisdom and worth a little time to think about so here it is:

CARING WITHOUT WORRYING - "Rivers that have a gentle, steady current can move great barges that are loaded with goods. It is possible to get lost in the details. Take it one step at a time. Make steady deliberate progress without getting excited. Trust God's providence, but cooperate with Him. Be like a little child who holds his father's hand while picking strawberries or blackberries in the hedgerows. If you must deal with the world’s commerce with one hand, keep the other one with God. Look up to him now and then to see if he approves of what you are doing. Never think that you will be able to gather more if you use both hands. He is your success. Let go of him and you are in peril.

Please pray for my family and I that we would remember to keep hold of our Heavenly Father's hand as we go about sharing what God has called us to do. It is to easy to let go of our Father's hand and start trying to do things on our own. We to often think we can do things better and faster until we try and fail.

God's ways are not always our ways but His ways are always the best way.

The McGraths

Our Call

Wow, what in the world is God doing?

I know He has been and does continue to work in and through our lives. It was October of 2001 when we sold our home in Tennessee and moved to Texas for Seminary. Four plus years later we have completed Seminary and have been blessed to have been a part of an incredible apartment ministry. And now God is calling us to Canada!

Youth For Christ Winnipeg has selected us to be missionary candidates for the position of Director of Operations at their Camp Cedarwood facilities, which is 140 km east of Winnipeg, Canada. We had been looking for a position with a Christian Camp/Retreat Center somewhere along the east coast of the United States so we could be closer to our family. God's ways are not always our ways and our desires do not always match His. While Camp Cedarwood is not in the geographical area where we had been looking, the ministry opportunity and the workings of God in the hearts of so many young people is undeniable.

While growing up and traveling on missionary ventures to South America, Africa, and Puerto Rico, I never thought of becoming a missionary in a location like this. Canada has a large population who need Christ just as much as those in the other parts of the world. What a ministry Youth For Christ has in Winnipeg! Through the camp ministry, they share Christ with over 800 kids each summer. 90% may never have heard the gospel and each year over 200 accept Christ and commit to a life of serving Him. After these teens leave camp they are not forgotten. Youth For Christ has many events and personal contact programs to disciple them and help them grow in their new life in Christ. During the winter months, the camp is host to school groups and Christian groups who use our facilities. This is an awesome place and we are humbled by the opportunity to serve Him through this ministry.

My family and I hope you will join with us in our excitement over what we believe to be God’s direction for our lives! We are writing this to you - our family, friends and supporters of our Apartment Ministry with a firm confidence in God's call that it is your desire to continue to prayerfully support us in this new journey. We also ask that you would keep us up-to-date on what is going on in your life and to share with us both your praises and requests. We want to go with you before the throne of God in prayer.

Youth For Christ is a “faith” mission. This means that all the missionaries within this Christ centered organization depend upon two spiritual factors. The first one is your partnership in prayer. Through your faithful praying we can be effective in His service. Secondly, since this is a faith mission all our support will need to come from the family of God (churches and individuals). Youth For Christ has a wonderful history of successfully and faithfully serving Christ through the work of self supported missionaries. Billy Graham was Youth For Christ's first full time employee and God has used him along with many others to set the groundwork for its continued success. The executive Director of Winnipeg Youth For Christ is Rev John Courtney. I will be reporting to him directly and I look forward to being mentored by a man with a heart and life dedicated to serving our Lord Jesus Christ.

As Jesus told Peter to step into the water, keep his eyes on Him, and walk to Him in faith, we, the McGrath family, have taken another step forward in these turbulent waters. We are trusting that God's call is sure and with your support we will walk with our eyes set on Him and have you share with us in the blessings of serving Him. Thank you for your continued encouragement and support.

Just want to say thanks

We just want to say thanks to each of you for supporting us as we seek to follow God in this move to join with Youth For Christ Winnipeg.
It is awesome to see people like you, also being obedient and faithful as you sacrificially give of yourself. Raising support is hard there is no doubt about it. But, there is also a lot to gain from it. And I sure don't mean financially. It is a heart growing experience when people like family, friends, churches, and even people you never met choose to give you money out of their own pockets. It makes a person want to do more, to excel at the task people are expecting him to perform. I am just trying to tell you how appreciative we are of your financial gifts yes, but even more how humbled we are by your trust in us.
You can rest assure that your pledges to us will be returned 110% by the effort we put forth to share Christ. Your prayers are needed even more than your money. It is through your prayers that God will bless the work He has called us to do.

Thank you.

Letter from Director YFC Winnipeg

April, 2006


Dear Friends of David and Lisa McGrath:

We have been recruiting for over a year, trying to find the right person to serve as Director of Operations for our Camp Cedarwood ministry www.cedarwood-yfc.com. We are thrilled to announce that David and Lisa have agreed to be missionary candidates for this ministry appointment.

We have been through a detailed application / interview process complete with references as well as having David and Lisa conduct an on site visit to the camp in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada where they met with me the Executive Director, our camp staff and a board representative. Our invitation to invite David and Lisa comes from a strong sense that they would be an excellent couple who have a ministry calling on their life that matches this ministry opportunity.

David and Lisa would truly be missionaries. At Youth for Christ Winnipeg we are passionate about reaching teenagers with the gospel and encouraging them to open their lives to Jesus and become His lifelong followers. The camp is one of 15 programs we operate and is a very powerful effective ministry that reaches teenagers who have never been to church in their lifetime. Camp will be their first exposure to the gospel.

Following summer, the camp operates year-round, largely as a spiritual renewal retreat centre for youth groups but also during the week for schools who come for “outdoor education” retreats. For most of these school kids, this is their very first exposure to Cedarwood and a great opportunity for us to invite them to return for summer camp.

We believe David and Lisa would do an amazing job. David has prepared himself for a ministry / missionary placement having spent the last four years at seminary. He has such a passion for God and is anxious to find a place to serve the Lord with his gifts and abilities. His past management / leadership experience in business will be a huge asset as he leads a team of 13 staff. His references affirm his strong work ethic and character as well as his giftedness to oversee and manage this portion of our ministry.

Lisa has such an obvious gift of hospitality and equally lives with a passion to serve the Lord. While she would continue her “mother” responsibilities, when the children are in school, there would be significant opportunities in hosting / hospitality and mentoring of young women staff missionaries. We see them partnering together in serving at Cedarwood.

We are impressed with David and Lisa’s willingness to make substantial sacrifices to be available to come and fill this position. They have demonstrated that God’s will for their lives is at the top of their list. David and Lisa are “missionary candidates”. They have been chosen for the position, but their appointment is conditional on adequate financial support being in place to care for them while serving. We have a huge desire to have David and Lisa on our staff missionary team. Here is the remaining challenge.


The only way we can add David and Lisa to our staff of missionaries is to invite family, friends, acquaintances and churches to consider providing the needed financial support for us to be able to appoint and care for them.

I have no way of knowing whether or not you are in a position where God has blessed you with the ability to give towards David and Lisa’s possible ministry placement. My purpose in writing to you is to make you aware of our need and David and Lisa’s availability and to ask you to seriously consider whether or not you can share in making it possible for David and Lisa to join our missionary team in Winnipeg.

David and Lisa will need to find a group of monthly supporters to cover their basic needs in order to join Youth for Christ. We have put a preliminary budget together and have set their support goal at $2500/mth. If you have the ability to contribute, please prayerfully consider doing what you can to meet this ministry need as well as provide David and Lisa with the opportunity to serve. I am enclosing a response card and would appreciate your reply, if possible, within the next week or so.

Please do not send any money at this time. We are simply asking you to let us know what you are willing to do towards this opportunity. We will total the pledges to determine whether we can move ahead with their appointment. A pledge is simply what you will plan to do as God enables you. Youth for Christ Winnipeg has an arrangement with YFC/USA that enables all gifts to be receiptable for tax purposes. Your support will be designated in its entirety to David and Lisa’s support, which cover their employment expenses.

It takes very special faith and humility to make oneself available as David and Lisa have done. If you are unable to support them at this time, there is no need for embarrassment. We simply want to communicate how important this is to both the ministry of YFC and to David and Lisa and to encourage those who can give to do their best to make it possible. We are enclosing a 10-minute video that highlights the YFC Winnipeg ministry. It might be helpful as part of your decision process. We will be praying for God’s provision knowing that with David and Lisa’s coming, many more teenagers will be impacted and come to know Christ.

Sincerely,

John Courtney
Executive Director

YFC Cedarwood Pictures