Believe it or not we just finish week 5 and we only have 1 more week of school! This week was AMAZING! Such good topics and was such a meaty week learning wise 🙂
This week we pray/learn/jump into writing our direction statements for the future: doing specially a passion statement along with strategies and a target. 
We also learn about team decision making by using the 7 hats 🎩principle and that blow away my mind in how it is such a practical tool. 
“Carefronting” and conflict management was also a big part to this week. 
We also got to experience the free from intimidation workshop and it was so powerful to release many of the fears that has been holding us back! 
Another fun thing we did was to do a “value” presentation where we got to share about 1 value that really represents one of the key things that represents our leadership. 
We can’t believe that the last week of our school is almost here!

On week 4 of the LDC we talked about 4 things mostly:

• Leadership and money issues 
• Leadership and sex issues 
• Leadership and power issues 
• Self-Leadership

It was such a good week! It gives us an opportunity to discuss with other ywamers about what to do in situations that involves power, sexual immorality and misuse of finances in ministry and leadership. It was also amazing to hear what other bases do to keep good boundaries and policies around this 3 subjects. 
Self leadership was also amazing! We digging in the different roles that God has placed in our lives during this season in 3 aspects: personal, relationships and ministry. We learned about broad goals and smart goals! 
During this weekend we got to go to Hobbiton and that was amazing! Thank you to that one person that gives us money specifically to take our family there

Week 3 is over and I am a little late giving an update! Last week was too good too. The first part of the week we learned about growing in our signature virtues and dealing with our signature sins through the freedom cycle. It was an emotional first part of the week as we had opportunity to go through the freedom cycle in our peer groups together with our mentors. It was so powerful and God really deal with Luke and I sense of shame. Part of being good leaders is being healthy emotionally. 
The second part of the week we learned about the importance of team leadership and what are our gifting when it comes to leadership. I score the highest in operational and Luke in pastoral. 
We also had the amazing opportunity of participating in the blessing workshop where our staff put together an amazing time of blessing us in all different types of way from marriage to milestones that we haven't celebrated t! 
On friday we had David and Sue Cole as guest speakers. It was amazing to hear what Abba is doing all around the world in Asia. They organized the big conference Luke went last September on Thailand. 

• For Gods INMESURABLE grace in the middle of moving, starting a new chapter as Base leaders and moving The Nest.

With much love and joy, 

Luke & Cristal McClain 
(Asher & Matias) 

During the last 10 years we have been all over the world serving with Youth With  a Mission (YWAM), during this time God really instilled in us a huge passion for his people and the harvest that is ready all over the wold. Fast-forward to 3 years ago, God called us to open a brand new ministry under YWAM  called "The Nest Maternity Home" and really gave us eyes to see the harvest that is ready right in our backyard. 

During that time doing The Nest, we still felt the passion and love we had for sending people into the nations, and at the same time feeling that we LOVED what we were doing locally, which left us feeling that we had chosen one over the other. It wasn't until these last six months where God really showed us that he was bringing both together as Luke accepted the position of being YWAM Minneapolis Base Director. 

During the last 6 months God has really showed our family that we are called for this season to be GLOCAL. In other words, having both a GLOBAL & LOCAL perspective about missions. It is so cool for us to see how God has brought both of our desires together and we feel that he has trained us to do both. 

Through all those years in YWAM as single and early in our marriage we developed a love for missions globally and these last 3 years God has really given us also a deep love for doing missions in our backyard too. 

We get to be GLOCAL through: 

• Training and sending missionaries into the nations 
• Going ourselves on occasions where God calls us to go
• Continue to serve locally with The Nest, our church and other ministries in our community like MOPS. 

We are excited for the call to be GLOCAL and for the opportunity to bring the WHOLE Gospel to the WHOLE Person both around the corner and around the world! 

Christmas has always been one of my favorite seasons of the year. I love reflecting and really taking a pause to see what is around me, what are the treasures each holiday is really about. This Christmas I have been deeply touched, it feels like the darkness around us is thicker than ever and just as I get smacked in the middle of this, I get to celebrate that HOPE came to this world in the form of a beautiful baby. There is nothing more soft, more open and vulnerable than a baby and it is amazing to me how God sent his hope to this world in something so precious and so opposite of what this world is facing.

At The Nest, we are thankful for the gift of Jesus to this world and especially close to our hearts of our mamas. Because when we feel short of wisdom for our residents we remember that HE IS their: 
WONDERFUL COUNSELOR {In the middle of so many decisions and ups/downs that our mamas face}
MIGHTY GOD {when so many of them and us need a true miracle today}
EVERLASTING FATHER {the one that never will leave us or forsake us}
PRINCE OF PEACE{oh sweet peace, how much we all need it}

This is our desire for you also in this Christmas season. That the good news that Jesus is real would be in your life today and always. You may need the prince of peace this season or maybe you need a good advice of the wonderful counselor or you may need all the above. But let us lean into sweet baby Jesus this season as the reminder that Emmanuel came to us. ​

"Before you saw the light of the day, I had holy plans" 

My dear Elisha

I love you. With an eternal and longing kind of love. A love that doesn't matter how far you are, it makes me feel that you are closer than ever. When I found out about you, I was ecstatic! Your daddy's and my anniversary was just 3 days away, and originally I was planning on telling your dad that day, but I couldn't wait for it so the moment he got home I told him about you. We were both so joyful, so filled with hope after waiting for you for a time than felt longer than normal. I talked to you everyday and your big brother Asher learned how to say baby and kiss my belly. He was so sweet connecting with you even that early on. 

I was kind of shocked when I starting having some minor bleeding. They told me not to worry and we scheduled an ultrasound just in case. Your daddy and I felt a little unsettled about it, but we when to the ultrasound full of hope and fear. Once they started the ultrasound, we knew right away that you were too beautiful for Earth. We wept in that tiny ultrasound room as it sank in to us that we won't be able to hold you for awhile, that there will not chubby cheeks to kiss, a first laugh to hear, or a competition to see if you say Mommy or Daddy first. 

It has been an interesting journey that on which we have had to embark. Some days are better than others, but I can tell you for sure that there is not one day that goes by that I don't miss you or think about you. Your name means "My God is salvation" and it is the fuel that pushes my faith as I think that your very own name reminds me that one day, I will see you again. I don't know in how long that will be or how are you going to look like, but I do know something... what a glorious day that will be.

Something that has help us to go through this is something your daddy was reminded of that your Aunty Lisa asked Jesus one time. As she hiked through mountains she encountered beautiful flowers all over it, she wonder "what a waste, these flowers won't be enjoyed by anyone." She then felt Jesus telling her that he values them and he enjoys them, and even if He is the only one who gets to enjoy them, they are still as valuable as any other flower. Your daddy felt Jesus telling him as we went through all the ups and downs of losing you that in the same way those flowers are there for Him and they have the same value than any other flower, your life wasn't any less valuable just because God is the only one that gets to see it. You are our little mountain flower. We will always be reminded of you, when we see one. 

I love you my precious child. I am still grieving for all the moments that we won't have here on Earth but I look forward to eternity with you. 

Love you, Mommy