Oct. 2011 Update

Thank you once again for your faithfulness to God and to us as you keep us in your prayers. You are a vital part of our ministry team. Border News Nogales Station (Nogales: 91.1FM, Tucson: 100.1FM & 102.7FM, Phoenix: 91.1FM) Steve has been busily working with the Nogales radio station (KNOG) getting ready for their sharathon that was held this past weekend.  The sharathon was a good time to hear the comments of the listeners and to even see some little children bring in their donation to the station. Pray for the pledges to come in as expected and that God would bless the supporters of the station.  You can see the new website that is being worked on at www.knog.org (though it is still a work in progess).  You can also check out the KNOG Facebook page. Our Own McCracken Sharathon Those of you that have been reading our updates know that we normally don't emphasize finances.  At the same time, our mission is telling us that we are quite a bit below where we need to be with our financial support and that we need to get the level up to where it needs to be.  Our mission does not make up the difference we lack in support; it only passes through the funds provided for our support after subtracting administrative expenses.  In reality, we are living on less than half salary which means we have no health insurance or retirement fund.  So, we are asking for your help as we work toward building up our financial support base.  Would you consider raising your support level and sharing our need with others you know? On-line, you or others can donate directly or get a form for automatic monthly donations.  All you should need is at http://donate.themccrackens.org.  To make sure that any donation is directed to the McCrackens' ministry, be sure to write or mention our name and account number: The McCrackens—#10053.  If you can't get on-line, either you can call the mission headquarters at (956) 787-9788 or toll free: (888) 976-7266 or you can send a check to: World Radio Network PO Box 3765 McAllen, TX 78502 We pray that many will commit to our own "McCrackens' Sharathon" in pledging monthly support.  Our goal is to raise an additional $3000  per month.  Besides the needed monthly support one time gifts are also appreciated and would be applied to our current deficit. Other Aspects of the Ministry While we are continually involved in helping the radio stations along the border with their technical needs, we also wanted to take a moment this time to share with you a few more aspects of our ministry. At various times through the month you might find the McCrackens in: Food distribution – once a month a local church is helping out the area with free food distribution. There are quite a few Spanish speakers which come and Steve helps out here. A Bible study has come out of this with a Spanish pastor from Tucson now holding a weekly Spanish study at the church. Nursery ministry – Pauli, with her tender heart for children, has taken charge of the nursery ministry at another local church and is organizing the ministry and sharing the love that God has given her with the little ones many a Sunday morning. AWANA – A local church has the AWANA Bible club weekly and Steve and Pauli are both involved in helping as leaders and helping the kids learn the lessons and verses each week. Translation – Another local church asked for us to be involved in their Saturday evening church service to provide for the possibility of simultaneous translation of the service into Spanish. While this is no longer an emphasis, we continue to be available and have enjoyed being able to attend the service together. Mexico kid's café – about once a month the whole family goes to help a ministry with a kid's breakfast in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico. It is a good time to encourage the local leaders of the ministry and to serve them and the kids there. It is also a time where our kids (Keilah, Kendra, and Kyle) participate in service and help translate for the others who don't speak Spanish. Journey to Bethlehem – A local church is going to be presenting once again “Journey to Bethlehem” this year. This is a dramatized live nativity with different stations for the various scenes. As a whole family we are helping to get a Spanish presentation of the drama on two of the nights. (Pray for Spanish actors) The community – one aspect of our lives is trying to spread the light and love of God in the community around us through our involvement in: Spanish Club – Pauli is helping out at the after school Spanish club one day a week at the elementary school our girls attend. Kid's Club – One day a week a local church has a Kid's Club at the local park and, when we can, we try to help out there. Kid's playing – when the kids are playing out front on their bicycles or such with the other neighborhood kids, it is a good time to talk to and get to know the other parents or adults in the neighborhood. Movie nights – every so often on a Friday night we have a kids movie night (with popcorn!) at our place inviting some of the neighborhood kids over. Soccer – Keilah has entered into soccer again this fall and during the practices and games it is a good time to interact with the other parents. Ballet – Kendra has started up Ballet again this fall and during those practices, Pauli, Keilah, and Kyle interact with the other families there. Things that just “come up” - God can direct our lives of service in various ways if we are willing to listen to those things that just “come up”. IT (Computer) Consulting – As one of the local churches has needed, Steve has helped advise at various times for their computer and connection needs. Internet filtering advice – Steve has been able a couple of times recently to advise on various options for filtering the content of the Internet that people allow their computer to access. Jehovah's Witnesses – Pauli has gotten into conversations with a couple of the Jehovah's Witnesses that have repeatedly come to our door. Please pray for the follow-up conversations with these ladies that God will open their eyes to the truth. Specific Prayer Requests From across the Border Last time we introduced you to Juan Carlos, one of the leaders of an outreach ministry across the border.  This past week, his son David has been diagnosed suddenly with something like leukemia and almost died before being stabilized on Saturday.  Please pray for this family and for David's health.  You can read about this situation on the ministry's Facebook page: cuirimoutreach Catching up We asked you last time to be praying for Pauli's mother, Blanquita.  Thank you for your prayers.  She is doing much better now back in Ecuador and is trying to work out a trip to come visit us over Christmas.  We also asked you to pray for missionary friends from Ecuador, The Umbles, who returned to the States to look for a kidney transplant.  Thanks for your prayers.  Though the recuperation went longer than they expected, the family is now back in Ecuador and rejoicing that the medicine Randy needs can be bought locally.
Steve's Ruminations Wow, it's already  about the end of October and I was just thinking about how it was “already September” just a “few days ago”. It was an interesting summer from drought to floods and from an earthquake in Virginia to a hurricane in NY to wildfires in Arizona and Texas. Politically, we've had budget and debt fighting in the US, bail-out fights in Europe, new freedoms in some Arab countries to crackdowns in others. It makes one wonder where we will be in the not too distant future if we only look toward humanity for the answers to our problems. Thankfully, we don't have to. Praise God that he is still in control and we can find our peace in him. It reminds me of the passage where God allows these type things to get us to turn back to him, but we are a stubborn lot, us humans. Recently I also read that the government was touting the news that in the Arizona section of the border that the arrests for illegal immigrants and drug and/or human trafficking were down from over 600,000 per year in 2000 to just over 200,000 per year ten years later (the only section of the border with over 90,000 arrests per year). I also read that there was a push to inform the people around Mexico City and southern parts of Mexico through radio announcements and such that things are tougher than the smugglers are telling the people. It was a recognition that by the time the people reach the border they have already invested too much money, time, and hardship to be easily turned back at that point. They were trying to get more to the start of the process or closer to the root of the problem.	Ruminations continued... As Christians, we already recognize that the root of the problem of mankind is the heart. Our purpose is to shine the light of God exposing the root of the problem—the heart of mankind. Pray with us that those listening to the radio and going through the Academia Cristiana del Aire materials will hear God reaching out to them and let him treat their heart with his love and forgiveness. Earlier this year someone suggested a couple of books for me to read, which I would in turn recommend to you. One is “Radical” by David Platt. The subtitle of the book is “Taking back Christianity from the American Dream” and it is a challenge to each of us to look at our Christianity and evaluate it according to what Jesus really calls us to. (Incidentally, I would recommend “Radical” and the other book “Crazy Love” by Francis Chan to each of you.) Whether or not the things we have seen lately point toward us being close to “The End of the World”, no one can deny that each day brings us one day closer to Christ's return. I doubt any would want to be like the virgins that didn't have enough oil for their lamps, so it would behoove us to examine our faith to see that we are ready. As you pray for our ministry and ask what the Lord would have you contribure to our support, may we all be actively shining the light of God in this world allowing the Holy Spirit to draw people to be active followers of our Lord Jesus Christ before the end comes.
We're Praying Pray to God with us for additional members to join our support team and that we will receive the needed additional financial support to continue in our ministry. Continue to pray with us for those on our support team who have had to drop financial support as they have lost jobs.  Pray for their families and for them to find peace in God during this time.  Pray for God's provision in their lives. Pray for the radio listeners and those going through the Academia Cristiana del Aire studies. Pray for God's wisdom for Steve as he works with the Spanish Christian stations along the Border. Pray for Juan Carlos and David mentioned above. Pray for Miguel and Mari (other leaders in ministry across the border) as they seek direction from God in their lives. Pray for a local pastor and his wife as they work through issues brought about through the stress of her work as a teacher at a local school. Pray for our brother-in-law who continues to fight his cancer.  See their testimony here: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/bryankephart Continue to pray for us as parents as we try to raise our kids in such a way that they love and desire to serve God.