2013 A Year in Review

December 2013

Dear Friends and Loved Ones,

We wish you a wonderful holiday season. Christmas is upon us and all of the possibilities of a New Year are just around the corner. We are excited for all that God is doing in our lives and in our partnership in ministry with all of you. We want to recap our year of ministry for you.  As we reflect back on 2013 we see it has been a year of triumphs and challenges, joys and sorrows, but we have sensed God with us each step of the way. And we know the prayers and support of our Champions in this work have made all the difference. We are so thankful for each one of you. We know you have been a part in all that God has helped us to accomplish. We invite you to give thanks with us for God’s faithfulness on this journey.

In January of this year we were privileged to travel to Phoenix, Arizona where we lead a retreat for World Gospel Mission missionaries serving the Native American people in Arizona and New Mexico. Southwest Indian Ministries is reaching out with the Gospel of Jesus Christ through medical work, church planting, youth camp ministries and education.

We ministered in a church and a nursing home on the Tohono O'odham Reservation in Sells, AZ and spent time watching missionary teachers and nurses in action as well as sharing in times of prayer and fellowship with our missionaries during retreat time. It was a tremendous blessing to invest in the lives of these great servants. We returned to WGM Headquarters in Marion, IN for a Renewal retreat with our missionaries coming off of the field on to their home ministry assignment. It is an opportunity to encourage and speak into their lives as they make the transition from ministry abroad to ministry in the USA. Later that month we traveled to Paraguay where we once again were able to lead a retreat and spend one on one time with our amazing missionaries. From the ministry in Asuncion’ to the far reaches of the indigenous people of that country, our WGM missionaries are carrying the Gospel through church planting, language acquisition, education and art.

Ned had an opportunity to preach at one of our churches and we enjoyed learning the scope of outreach happening in that part of the world. It was wonderful to reconnect with missionaries we already knew and it was a joy to get to know others. God is doing some amazing work in Paraguay and we were privileged to encourage and minister to this wonderful team.  We tacked on a visit to Bolivia our neighboring field and that stretched our time there into February. This was our second visit to Bolivia and it is always wonderful to see the mature work of the WGM Bolivia Field. Ministries there are flourishing under through a variety of live changing ministries taking place throughout that country. The national church is mature and growing and the missionaries are responding to the next steps they feel that God has for them as they continue to reach that country for Christ. We held a mini staff retreat for the missionaries there as they embraced their vision to reach out to the younger generation that so desperately needs the hope of Christ for their future.

March brought our family a sad time when Marlene's 61 year old brother, Roger, passed away unexpectedly at his home in Florida. Marlene was able to attend his funeral and spent Easter in Florida with her family as they mourned their great loss. Roger was the first of 8 children to pass away leaving behind his mom and dad, 4 brothers and 3 sisters. April was spent with work and ministry at the home office and speaking about missions in various churches.

In May we headed to the Texas/Mexican border where we were joined with former co-workers Rev. Greg and Teresa Leeth. We were able to reconnect with former students from the 80's in Laredo, Texas where we began our missionary work as newlyweds. We connected with alumni from our school and visited one of the churches Ned used to pastor. It was wonderful to see that many of the students we had worked with are now serving the Lord and practicing their Christian faith. We were so grateful to see them.

It was exciting to connect with our team of WGM Missionaries that are currently on the border as well as the team that is working in Mexico. Again we saw the best missionaries doing all that they can through education, church planting and sports ministry to reach the people. We visited Taylor Christian School and Community Center in McAllen, Texas. We followed that with a retreat on South Padre Island where we gathered together with all of the missionaries from the Border and Mexico for a precious time of worship, sessions and fellowship. June filled up fast with our Field Directors Retreat as we worked together to plan and strategize for ministry through World Gospel Mission over the next couple of years. God met with us in a marvelous way as we sensed His leading for reaching our world with the Good News. July gave us the opportunity to have another Renewal retreat for our missionaries coming home for ministry in the states as well as a chance for our son Jordan to join us for a ministry visit to El Salvador and Honduras. For more than a half of a century, WGM has been investing in the lives of people in that area of the world. The Great Commission in

Matthew’s Gospel is truly being lived out not only changing the lives of people for eternity but in the here and now.

 We have a complete report posted on August 17 entry of this blog spot and we invite you to read about all the amazing ministries that are impacting lives. We were again joined by Rev. Greg and Teresa Leeth now serving as volunteer pastors to the Honduras field, as we visited each mission station. We concluded our ministry there with a retreat with our missionaries in Tela, Honduras. What an amazing trip this was. August was a full month of ministry and a conference for us to refresh and renew ourselves for this ministry that God has called us to. We know that we must stay tuned in to His heart so that we may help others more effectively. We held another Renewal for our missionaries and appreciated the help of Steve and Shirley Larson, two of our champion supporters that provided wonderful meals for that time.

In September our family enjoyed a week at Lake Michigan where we were excited to witness the engagement of our daughter, Jessica to Zac Hiser on September 19th. We are looking forward to their wedding in March. We had a chance to catch up with our oldest son, Joshua who is working for Walters Buildings as a district sales and construction manager with a territory covering most of central Ohio. (GO BUCKEYES!) Jordan lives with us and continues with his studies in his junior year at Indiana Wesleyan University where he is majoring in Business and Marketing with a minor in Spanish. In our spare time Marlene teaches a Pastoral Counseling Practicum at IWU and counseling students preparing for ministry per University requirements.

 On October 4th, we received word that Marlene's dad had passed away. She was thankful for the week she was able to spend with her parents just the month before and we were all moved by the beautiful services honoring his life, including a military graveside service. He was a great man who loved his Lord and his family and will be sorely missed.

In addition to our ministry travels, numerous retreats and opportunities to share Christ love we are once again reminded that we do not do this work alone. Emanuel, God is with us and Christmas is the time of the year where we can be reminded that Jesus has come as the hope for this world. As we travel from church to church from Kansas to Florida from Michigan, Ohio or Indiana; to the utter most parts of the world we are reminded that this is the message we have to share.

So, as you can see, we are never bored. Life can be interesting for us, but we love the journey we are on. And we are ever mindful of your part in what we do. Every life we touch is because of your love and support. And if you think of the thousands of lives our missionaries touch, your part is far reaching. So thank you!

As you gather together with your loved ones over this holiday season, remember to be Thankful for all God has done and provided for you and yours and remember that He truly is the Reason for the Season!

 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year,

Ned and Marlene McGrady

Pastors to Missionaries, Directors of Member Health

World Gospel Mission
Box 948
Marion, IN 46952
765-671-7240
To support our ministry with a secure on-line donation go to www.wgm.org/mcgrady

 We thank you for your support.

Have a "Mary" Christmas

Champions Corner -November 16, 2013

Marlene and I have traveled over 3,500 miles in the past month, visiting missionaries, speaking in churches and encouraging and thanking champions just like you for your part in our ministry. This month we are sharing with you a "Sabbath Reminder" that our Member Health Team writes once a quarter. This quarter, Marlene wrote this reminder for all of us as we approach the busy holiday season.

As always we thank God for you and for your support and prayers that make our missionary work possilbe. May God Bless you each one and do have a "Mary" Christmas!

I love the Holidays. Thanksgiving holds particular meaning for me because my ancestors came over on the Mayflower. We even spent one Thanksgiving in Plymouth, Massachusetts. I love the smells and sounds and tastes of the season. The years we spent Thanksgiving out of the USA were different but just as special. It's just a time that brings sweet memories to my mind. And, in our house, it's the official start of the Christmas Season. And, if I say I love Thanksgiving, I really love Christmas. The decorations. The tree. The smells. The Gifts. The baking and cooking. I could get lost in it.

When our children were small, it seems I worked around the clock for weeks to make sure that Christmas was perfect. I had in my mind what it should be. (Think Norman Rockwell) I tended to drive myself (and maybe my family) crazy trying to do everything just right. It simply had to be how I envisioned it. But, then, one Christmas, I heard a sermon. As a matter of fact, my husband, Ned, who was pastoring at the time, was the one who preached it. It was based on the familiar story found in Luke 10:38-42 of two sisters, Mary and Martha.

‘Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying. 

But Martha was distracted by her many tasks, so she came to him and asked “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.” 

But the Lord answered her “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her”.’
(Read Luke 10:38-42)

 

It is historically believed that they may have been from an affluent family as they had a home large enough for several guests at a time. And, it is also believed that they and their brother, Lazarus, were all in their twenties and single, which would have been considered quite unusual at the time. These two sisters had very different personalities. Martha was a doer. She was cleaning, cooking, making preparations for celebrations and important visitors. She wanted everything just right. I saw myself in Martha when it came to my desire to make the Holidays perfect according to my standards. And, I thought I did it quite well, thank you very much. But, the sermon that Sunday did not glorify Martha and all that she accomplished. Or her cranky attitude about doing it all by herself when her sister should "obviously" be helping her create her perfect hostess-ing moment. No, the sermon that morning focused on her sister, Mary. It would seem that Mary didn't care at all about what was happening in the kitchen. Or maybe she knew her older sister would take care of it. Whatever the case, she chose to sit at the feet of the Master.

That in itself was unusual. Her sitting there, listening to Jesus. According to the site, womeninthebible.net, several points emerge in this story.

·         Mary ‘sat and listened’. This was the usual posture of a disciple of any teacher in the ancient world. But disciples were usually male, so Mary must have been quietly breaking the rule that reserved study for males, not females.

·         Her sister Martha was not merely asking for help. She was demanding that Mary keep to the traditional way of behaving.

·         Jesus was ignoring the traditional role of women, and encouraging Mary to think and learn. He upheld her right to listen, think about ideas, and to develop her mind. She should not be limited to the tasks that society laid down for her, but be allowed access to ideas, as Jewish men were.

·         Jesus had previously encouraged the idea of service among his followers, so he did not say that Martha’s role of service was unimportant. This would have gone against all his other teaching. What he did say was that being a disciple, and learning about the ideas he was explaining, was even more important.

But Mary sat at His feet. The title of the sermon that day was, "Have a Mary Christmas". Not a rush around, make everything perfect with as much hoopla as possible, Martha Christmas. No, “Have a Mary Christmas.”  Sit at His feet and rest there and realize that though all those other parts of celebrating are fine, His presence is truly the greatest present of all. This has changed how I do Christmas. Oh, I still want it to be as wonderful as possible. But, I've cut back tremendously on the "doing" of Christmas and attempted to focus more on the "being". It's all about relationship, after all; His relationship with us; Ours with Him; And ours with each other.

So, as you move into Holiday mode, take a moment and ask yourself if you are so busy doing that you forget to just be. Sabbath rest is our Mantra in Member Health and Care. So, from us to all of you, “Have a Mary Christmas.”

 

The Lord is King!

The Lord is King! Let the earth rejoice! Let the farthest coastlands be glad....The heavens proclaim his righteousness; every nation sees His Glory...For You, O Lord, are supreme over all the earth; you are exalted for above all gods. Psalm 97:1,6,9 NLT

We are rejoicing today in the God we serve who was and is and is to come! We praise His name for the wonderous works He is doing and we witness His hand at work from nation to nation. Just this year 2013 we have seen His Glory as lives are being impacted not only for eternity but also in the here and now. We have witnessed first hand God at work from the reservations of Arizona to the reaches of Paraguay, Bolivia, Texas-Mexico Border, El Salvador and Honduras - just a few of the places that our partnership in ministry has allowed us to go.

We thank you each one of our faithful supporters and prayer partners - your investment in this ministry is transforming lives for His Glory!

We recently returned from a visit to Largo, Florida where we participated in the funeral of Marlene's father, Raymond Post. He was preceeded in death by one son , Roger, and is survived by his wife of 64 years, Mary Ellen as well as 7 children and many grand and great-grand children. Raymond went to be with his Lord and Savior on October 4. A beautiful memorial service was held in his honor and family and friends filled the chapel at Ranchero Village for a celebration of his life. After the memorial service, we traveled to the National Cemetery in Bushnell, FL where dad, a Navy Veteran, was laid to rest with a very nice Veteran's Service in his honor. We are so very thankful for the promises of our faith in the ressurected Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ - that we will see dad again

someday soon. Heaven is sweeter to both of us since know both of our dad's are enjoying heaven as their home. It is times like these that we appreciate the care of our friends and ministry partners and we thank so much for your cards, prayers, flowers and expressions of love toward us. It is times like these that we realize the importance of mission work as the scripture above says, that every nation sees His Glory. It is all for the Glory of our exalted God that we serve.

The remainder of 2013 has us traveling to speak in several churches - if by chance you are in the area we would love to see you at one of these services.

October 20 - Trinity Wesleyan Church - Jackson, Michigan 9:30 SS 10:30 AM Worship service
October 27 - First Baptist Church - Jackson Michigan 9:45 AM Worship service 11:00 SS
November 3 - First Wesleyan Church - Pennsecola, Florida 10:00 AM SS 11:00 AM Worship service
November 3 - Salem Wesleyan Church - Sneads, Florida 6:00 PM Evening service
November 6 - Community Wesleyan Church - Leesburg, Florida 6:00 PM Evening service
November 10 - Hudson Wesleyan Church - Hudson, Florida 10:00 AM Worship service
November 17 - Christian Fellowship - Jackson, MI 10:00 AM Worship service
November 21 - 24 - Mental Health in Missions Conference - Angola, IN
December 1 - Cornerstone CCCU - Plain City, OH 10:30 AM Worship service.

WE ALSO ASK A SPECIAL INTEREST IN YOUR PRAYERS AS WE MAKE PLANS TO TRAVEL TO UGANDA AND KENYA AFRICA ON OR AROUND DECEMBER 30, INTO THE NEW YEAR. We will be conducting a missionary retreat with our Uganda missionary team as well as learning about WGM Uganda ministries as well as WGM Kenya ministries. Your faithful support and prayers for us are so appreciated.

We also ask that you remember Marlene's sister Brenda at this time as she is fighting lung cancer and in need of our prayers during her treatment process.

We are interested in hearing from you and how we may partner with you in prayer. Please drop us an email today at ned@straightpaths.org and let us know how we can serve you!

All for His Glory!

Ned and Marlene McGrady
Pastors to Missionaries and Directors of Member Health
World Gospel Mission
Box 948
Marion, IN 46952
765-671-7240

For information on supporting our ministry please follow the link to World Gospel Mission.

www.wgm.org/mcgrady

Back on the Home Ministry Trail

Dear Champions,

On the road again! That seems to be a good theme, fitting of missionary life. We are glad to be adjusting back to our schedules here in the USA after a wonderful month of ministry to El Salvador, and Honduras and some special time of training one of our counseling agencies in Michigan. We are so happy to be a part of this calling to serve our missionaries through pastoral care and counseling. We are finding that the needs in ministry to our missionaries is expanding and we are so happy to be available to serve them. We thank you so much for your prayers and standing with us in this vital work.

During the next several weeks we are on HMA - which stands for Home Ministry Assignment. This is an opportuity we have to travel around to supporting churches, and supporting partners to express our appreciate for their part in our ministry. Truly it could not be possible for us to do this ministry without the faithful support and prayers of our champions - people like you!

We thank God for each on of you and appreciate all you do in following our ministry and partnering with us. We call you "Champions" for a reason - you are all Champions in our book and your investment in ministry makes all we do possible.

During the month of August we have visited churches in Jackson, Somerset and Pittsford Michigan giving an update to our champions at Northeast Missionary Church, Somerset Congregational Church and Liberty Bible Church. We are grateful for these visits and the wonderful opportunity we have to update folks on our ministry.

We have adopted the slogan "Stationed Locally - Serving Globally - as God has placed us in Marion, IN to work out of World Gospel Mission Headquarters as the Directors of Member Health/Care and serving as Pastors to the Missionaries. In our time there we have visited Bolivia, Paraguay, Peru, El Salvador, Honduras, Tex-Mex Border and Native American Fields in Arizona. God is doing great things and the Gospel is transforming lives !

Our ministry will take us to Ohio, Michigan, Kansas, Indiana and back to Michigan over the months of September and October.

If you happen to be in the area and can make it to a service we would love to see you and touch base with you. Thank you for remembering us in prayers for travel and ministry in these coming days.

September 1 -    Coolville Holiness Mission, Logan OH
September 15 -  West Golden Wesleyan Church, Mears, MI
September 25 -  Clay Center Wesleyan Church, Clay Center, KS
September 29 -  Syracuse Wesleyan Church, Syracuse, KS
October 6       -  Lakeview Wesleyan Church, Marion, IN
October 13    -   Village Hope Church, Jackson, MI
October 20   -    Trinity Wesleyan Church, Jackson, MI
October 27   -    First Baptist Church, Jackson, MI

Blessings to you all,
Ned and Marlene McGrady
World Gospel Mission
Box 948
Marion, IN 46953
727.459.2966

El Salvador/Honduras - Changing lives, making disciples

El Salvador/Honduras - Changing lives, making disciples

We had the privilege of witnessing some of the advances taking place in God's Kingdom during the past few weeks in two of the nations in Central America while serving as Pastors to Missionaries and supporting the care and encouragement of our World Gospel Mission missionaries.

It was our joy and privilege to see first hand that many individuals have seen the Gospel of Jesus Christ transform their lives by faith, having experienced the Kingdom changing the culture and providing for some very practical needs of people within their communities.

Our missionary visit began in Juacapa, El Salvador at the clinic we partner with for community transformation. A church has also been started in that city, reaching that area for Christ. Field leaders David and Debbie Hawk have worked the past 8 years in partnersip with the King foundation to establish this clinic to treat the medical needs of the people of this area.

 

Next we traveled to Choluteca, Honduras, where we found our WGM Missionaries, Larry and Angie Overholt and Tim and Aleyda Spetnegal working in transformational ministries to make a difference in people's lives in the name of the Christ. One of those ways is through Aquaphonix.

 

Aquaphonix is providing food through raising fish in a tank, pumping the water into a vegetable garden that is growing in gravel. The water filters back through the rocks into the fish tank, feeding a family with fish and fresh vegetables....community transformation - lives being changed by missionaries that carry the love of Jesus in unique ways! WGM Missionaries - changing lives !

WGM also supports a vocational school in Choluteca, Honduras. Here we found practical tools being taught to young men and women, changing lives emotionally, socially, physically, all in the name of Christ as the Gospel is presented a community is transformed.

 

We traveled on to Talanga, Honduras where we visited El Manuelito, a project that is taking kids from the streets and addressing their physical, emotional and spiritual needs through education and life transformation....WGM missionaries ,Justin and Ashley Guest, are serving God in this unique community transformation project.

Our next stop was to Catacamas,  Honduras, the home of WGM's El Sembrador Farm School. Young people's lives changed in Honduras! WGM's missionaries David and Debbie Hawk and Carrie and Joe Schmidt are currently serving there in transforming lives for God's glory! Community transformation for 59 years and going strong! To God be the Glory!

 

One of the more moving experiences we had on this visit was the ministry we found at "AFE" (Amor, Love, Fe,Faith, Esparanza, Hope) where children are cared for during the day as their parents are eeking a living out of the dump in the capital city of Tegucigulpa. Food, childcare, education and life transformation are given in ministry and outreach to these children. A school provides them an education, and the whole person is being ministered to...community transformation happening in a working relationship with Pastor Joeny and WGM! Heart moving ministry!

We spent some time at the WGM Headquarters in Tegucigulpa where we learned of the many ministries happening there in Bible Clubs with the children of gang members, church development, discipleship and training as well as educational ministries through teaching. Our WGM Missionaries Dee Ann Rich, Minda Kleman and team are serving.

Just before our next stop, we visited La Esperanza, Honduras, up in the mountains where two two men were recently saved through the drug alcohol rehab program that missionaries Ed and Lynda Sloan are working in. 

 

We then boarded the ferry out to the island of Roatan where we worshipped at the WGM church in the town of Punta Gorda on the island. We witnessed God at work among the Grifa people group as this church is growing and reaching out to this community. A community center is in place there that is reaching out to the needs of the young poeple of this community and is working to teach, counsel and encourage them in the faith through the dedicated work of missionaries Karen Rickel, Lori Potter and Jared and Chris Moyer. 

We concluded our second week of ministry with a retreat with our entire team of WGM missionaries. We spent time together in fellowship, prayer and study. God's presence brought encouragment and hope to our hearts.

 

We thank you, our faithful supporters and prayer partners. Your partnership in this vital ministry makes this work possible. As you can see, our investment in the spiritual and emotional health of our missionaries impacts the work that is being done in positive and effective ways. As  you stand with Marlene and I, we stand with our missionaries and by God's help lives are changed and communities are transformed.

 

Thank you for your partnership with us. If you would like to make a secure on-line donation to our ministry please go to

 

www.wgm.org/mcgrady

 

 Ned and Marlene McGrady           

WGM Pastors to Missionaries

Box 948

Marion, IN 46952

 

 

 

 

RENEWAL - PASTORAL WORK

Our recent ministry at World Gospel Mission, Marion, Indiana Campus has been an exciting time of seeing God at work in great ways in the lives of our missionaries. Three times a year we offer a time of RENEWAL for our missionaries that are returning for home ministry here in the USA.

We had 23 missionary adults and children that we lead through a time of spiritual encouragement, celebration, debriefing and personal renewal. God met with us in wonderful ways, as lives were encouraged and hearts were spoken to by God's faithfulness to us.

We heard celebrations of what God has done to transform the lives of His people from Uganda, Africa to Bolivia, South America and many countries in between. God is at work in His World to bring men and women and boys and girls into a personal relationship with the living Lord, Jesus. It is an absolute joy to enter into the lives of these missionaries and their precious families to help them transition and prepare for the next steps in their journey of service. Marlene and I are so thankful to God for this ministry. As a matter of fact, we believe we have the greatest job ever! It is a joy to serve and we take this moment to say "thank you" to you our champions - that pray - that give - that stand with us month by month in this work.

We ask an interest in your prayers for our travels July 28 - August 10. Jordan, Marlene and I will be  traveling with Rev. and Mrs. Dale Dorothy and Rev. and Mrs. Greg Leeth to El Salvador and Honduras. We will meet our missionaries in San Salvador and travel to Jucuapa to visit the clinic and work of WGM in that part of the world. After our visit there, we will travel by van to Choluteca, Honduras where we will be visiting the houses that have been built for people as well as the vocational school that partners with Ohio State University as well as the churches in that area. Our next stop will be the capital city of Tecucigalpa. We have been told that it is the number one city in the world for per capita violence. There is a great need for the work of the church to expand and the love of Christ to be shared. In that area we will visit the ministry sight in Talanga and visit the El Manuelito Project.

El Manuelito is a ministry to the families and children that live and make their living from the dump. WGM has a ministry of child care and education/nutrition for the children living at the dump while their parents are "working" in the dump. From there we will travel to Catacamas to visit the flagship ministry of WGM Honduras, "El Sembrador" - The farm school, training young men in agriculture and education as well as teaching them about Jesus and the message of hope the Gospel message brings. We then go on to visit several other WGM ministries including La Esperanza, El Progreso, La Ceiba, the island of Roatan and on to Punta Gorda were we will visit with and minister to missionaries all along the way.

We also have recognized as God sends us on these journeys, He always has given us opportunities to minister to people all along the way, sharing the Gospel and coming alongside of missionaries to serve beside them in ministry. We ask that you will pray for us to have eyes to see what God may have us to do in ministry and outreach to the people of El Salvador and Honduras.

We then will land on the coast at Telamar, Honduras to lead a 5 day retreat with the WGM Honduras Missionary Team August 5 - 9. We are praying that God will give to us the seminars, messages and ministry that He needs our missionaries to have. We acknowledge that we need God's help as we plan and prepare and we know that the Holy Spirit must meet with us to make the difference. WILL YOU PRAY FOR US as we go on this trip? Yes, we need safety for sure, yes we need traveling mercies, and yes we need your support, but now more than ever we need God's anointing on our ministry and for those prayers we are grateful.

We look forward to updating you after our Honduras trip and will be planning to share our fall schedule of events in our coming blog next month. From our home to yours, we say, "God Bless You and thank you for standing with us!"

In Christian Love,
Ned, Marlene and Jordan McGrady
WGM Missionaries
Box 948
Marion, IN 46952


www.wgm.org/mcgrady - to support our ministry with a secure on-line donation

Look Who's in the Boat!

"Look WHO is in the boat," became the unoffical theme of our recent retreat with the Texas Mexico Border and Mexico Missionaries serving with WGM. Marlene and I had a wonderful opportunity to visit there this past month and God blessed our time there in some amazing ways. It is absolutely wonderful to be in the center of God's work and what He wants to do in the lives and hearts of missionaries faithfully serving His cause around the world. We really do have the greatest job in the whole world! Encouraging missionaries and seeing the Gospel spread through a ministry of encouragement.
We saw God was in the boat in the middle of dry, hot Laredo, Texas. We saw the fruits of our labors from our time of service there as missionaries 25 plus years ago. As we met with former students of Chrisitan Union Institute we heard testimonies of how God has been faithful to walk with them through the ups and downs of life to carry them through as they learned how to place their faith and trust in His care.  Former students and teachers gathered in front of our school chapel for a time of reunion. What a blessing to see God's faithfulness displayed. He showed up in Laredo!
We visited the radio station of KBNL where one of our former students, Rosie Rabel, is serving Christ full time as a missionary. We heard  testimony of Christ's faithfulness in lives .What a tremendous time of blessings.
We headed on down the border with stops at ministry spots along the way in San Ygnacio, and Zapata, Texas where we often visited and pastored. We had a few days to visit Taylor Christian School and Taylor Community Center in McAllen, Texas. During our time there, we learned of the tremendous ministry that is taking place to change the lives of students through education and spiritual impact as well as outreach through soccer sports ministry and community outreach.

The remainder of our time was spent at South Padre Island where we met for several days of retreat and renewal for our missionaries. There was time for prayer, reflection, instruction and listening to the voice of God speak. Worship times where rich with God's presence and prayer times were enjoyed as we saw that through it all, Jesus can be found right in the boat with us. In the midst of every storm, there is the promise of His presence with us!

During one of our family devotional times, Marlene was leading the group and provided an object lesson for the missionary kids. She had them write on a coffee filter with a yellow highlighter all of the sins they could think of. When their list was complete they brought them to the table and we sprinkled lemon juice on them and the sins disappeared! During that devotional to teach the kids of the blood of Jesus which cleanses us from all sin, little 2 year old Edson exclaimed, "It's Clean!" Wow! God showed up through a little one. The next day the object lesson was using a nail to pick up a paper clip, impossible unless you use a magnet (power source). That day, Edson exlaimed, "It's Him!" Wow, God showed His truth to the hearts of the littlest ones there. And to the hearts of all us big people God reminded us, as always,
we can trust Him. He is in the boat with us!

 

Please pray for our ministry during this summer as we are involved in several retreats and ministry opportunities with missionaries at our WGM Marion Office. We will have contact with many missionaries in various conference and retreat settings during this summer. We ask an interest in your prayers for our next trip to Honduras, July 29 - August 10. We will be visiting the field and continuing to meet our WGM Missionary Family. We also have the privilege of being the speakers at the retreat.

 

Thank  you for your prayers and ministry partnership with us. God is at work and your prayers and support make all we do possible. We appreciate you from our hearts.

 

Sincerely,

Ned and Marlene McGrady

6964 Mary Court

Marion, IN 46953

727-459-2966

ned@straightpaths.org