Blog

Hello MCC Missions Board,

I am writing to you to express my appreciation for love, support, and prayers for my recent trip to Ecuador. During my time in Ecuador I spent my time with my team in Sucua, Ecuador about 160 miles southeast of the capital Quito. In Sucua, we worked for a Christian high school helping add classrooms to the school. It was 6 days of digging water trenches, moving rocks, and mixing concrete. It was early mornings and we finished our days with late nights in a circle sharing testimonies and discussing how the Lord is moving in Ecuador.

During this week I was able to see just how big the God we worship is and that he is the same God in Ecuador as He is in Cedar Crest and Wheaton, IL. I had many conversations with students about the love God has for His people and that we are never too far from His grace.

I saw a lot of similarities to this trip as I experienced in my trips to Bolivia with MCC. It is a people that value family above all else and seek strong community. This trip was a great reminder that the people I surround myself with are worth more than gold and to continue to pray that God will soften my heart toward His people as I continue to strive to serve Him in all I do.

Thank you again for your support and prayers.
Dakota Powell

Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Matt. 27:46 (NIV)

“It is finished.” John 19:30 (NIV)

Lord Jesus, we feel conflicted about calling the day of your crucifixion, “good.” That there had to be a day when you would take the judgment for our sin is not good at all. But that you would freely, fully, and gladly give yourself for us on the cross, is never-to-be-surpassed goodness. It is quintessential, unparalleled “good.”

From your heart and cross, came these two impassioned cries. “Father forgive them” (Luke 23:34) and “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46). The first required the second. The second secured the first. Together, they humble our hearts, silence our words, and fuel our worship.

And then there’s the third this-changes-everything cry. “It is finished.” There’s nothing more to be done, concerning our salvation. Once and for all, perfectly and fully, we have been reconciled to God. The Just died for the unjust, the Beautiful One for the broken ones, the Lamb of God for the rebels from God. We praise, bless, and adore you, Lord Jesus.

A million-years-plus into our life in the new heaven and new earth, we will still be filled with childlike wonder and ceaseless gratitude for the gospel. Because you were fully forsaken, we are forever forgiven. Because you exhausted God’s judgment against our great unrighteousness, we now live by the gift of your perfect righteousness. Because you love us so extravagantly, we can love each other with kindness and hope.

We bow our heads in awe, raise our hands in praise, and surrender our lives with joy. So very Amen we pray, in your all-glorious, all-grace-full name, Lord Jesus.

Smith, Scotty. The "Goodness" of Good Friday. The Gospel Coalition. April 19th, 2019.  https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/scotty-smith/goodness-good-friday/

Dear MCC Shine Volunteer,
You are amazing! We wanted to thank you for the time and effort you give to the Shine ministry at Mountain Christian Church. Most importantly, we wanted to let you know how God ministers through you! You are part of a body of believers who volunteer for Shine and together we have been able to touch the lives of teachers, staff, students and families of A. Montoya Elementary!
Here are just a few of the quotes from the recipients (we left the notes from the kids as written – very cute!)

• Thank you so much for all that you do for us at A. Montoya. We love the Adirondack chairs in the library and garden. Thanks also for the yummy goodies you bring for us.
• Many thanks for all you do. I especially appreciate the prayers and treats throughout the year! 
• I greatly appreciate the blessing that you are to our community!
•  Shine you are asum! (awesome)
•  Shine I luve you!
•  You’re the beast! (best)
• Thank you Shine for helping our school shine and all your hard work.
• Thanks to Shine they made my life better.
• Thank you for helping our school. You guys just made our school a more magical place.
• Thank you Shine for donating money and food. I hope you still have money. Thank you again!
• Thank you for helping our school.
• God bless you all and I hope God provides all your guys' needs. It was a big blessing to me and my kids and we are very grateful. Thanks!
• Just wanted to thank you again! What a blessing you have been! When I get to heaven I’m gonna look for you and we can jump up and down with JOY for the greatest gift of all JESUS!!!
• I am beyond thankful for all you guys have done for me and my family, words can't express! You all were so very friendly and welcoming, such amazing families. You truly are angels. God bless you all and blessings to all of you and your families.
• I am beyond grateful! This has been a very stressful and trying year for us. God bless you all.
• I'm overwhelmed! I can't believe what I received. I'm in tears. I've been feeling so overwhelmed and so hopeless at times and this is such a blessing. Thank you so very much. I can never explain how much all of this means to us. You and Shine are our Santa Claus this year.
  
  

As a Shine volunteer you are sowing seeds of the gospel in everything you do. Every small act of support is a seed that God can use to change their lives forever. You make an impact!

In Christ,
Marcy Bryant, Felisa Palfery, Davinia Rizzo, Frank Malizzo, Melissa Feldner, Chris Willadsen, Kari Christian – MCC Shine Core Team

“ Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” - Matthew 5:15-16

 Kay Willadsen blesses our church body so much.  She has previously served on Deacon Council and helps lead our Women's Community Bible Study among the other many ways she and her husband, Chris give of themselves to Mountain Christian.

Philippians 3:10 “I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of
sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death.”

Philippians 3:10 has been my “life verse” for almost 40 years. Early on, my focus was on the “knowing Christ.” That was my heart’s desire. But, as the MS progressed, I knew I needed “His resurrection power” to proceed on in weakness. Then as I began to know my Lord better, learning how to keep myself in His love (Jude 21), God put a desire within me to participate in
the fellowship of His sufferings. Christ’s love was compelling me to live no longer for myself, but for Him who died for me and was raised again. (2 Corinthians 5:14-15)

This began the great adventure of doing the Romans 12:1-2 thing – in view of (because of) God’s mercy, offering my body, a jar of clay filled with the treasure of Christ (2 Corinthians 4:7), as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, which is our spiritual worship. So, I do not lose heart. Though outwardly I am wasting away, yet inwardly I am being renewed day by day.
(2Corinthians 4:16) I pray every day for an eternal perspective, with my eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and perfecter (or finisher) of my faith. (Hebrews 12:1-2)

March is Disability Awareness Month and that's a good time to remember God’s promises. “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18) Colossians 3:1-4 calls us "to set our hearts and minds on things above, because we died, and our lives are now hidden with Christ in God." There could be no safer place, as we follow our Lord in triumphal procession, spreading everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Jesus. (2 Corinthians 2:14)

I have told many of you that I think I am “the most spoiled rotten handicapped person in America.” Have you seen my “transformer car” with a wheelchair folded up on the roof? And my power chair I have at home? And my wonderful husband, who does the shopping and gardening and caring for the “Willadsen Funny Farm”? Things I used to be able to do! Yes, I am
over abundantly blessed! And grateful! I have learned that “gratitude is the on-ramp to joy.”

I want to share the following note my sister received yesterday from Ani Boghigian, a young Christian woman in Syria, who has lived through war, persecution, and earthquake. She has an eternal perspective, finding her strength and joy in her Lord, not in her circumstances.

People say, “These young people are unable to have a life, are unable to enjoy their youth.” I want to tell them, “Do not pity us. We are growing in courage, we are grasping the different realities of life, and we are gaining the will power by facing these struggles. Pity the young people who live in very comfortable circumstances, who have not experienced the loss of their loved ones, who have not fled their homes, who have not experienced losing their treasures. Therefore, they have not learned dealing with the big and small troubles of life.

They used to accuse us young people saying we were weak. But now we are so strong that we can smile every day. They used to say we didn’t appreciate anything. But now we even appreciate the comforts of a good night’s sleep. They used to say we lacked faith. But now our only hope is in God. The war strengthened our hearts, but the pandemic and the earthquake did not harden them.”
Ani Boghigian, Aleppo, March 2023

Joni Earickson Tada, one of my heroes, says “The weaker I am, the harder I lean on Jesus. The harder I lean on Jesus, the stronger I know He is.” So, find your strength in Jesus. It will always be enough! (2 Thessalonians 3:5)