Out of a Broken Heart Grows a Ministry
Patrick and Deana McCusker felt their hearts break. They heard about a missionary pastor in Cayo, Belize who suffered a heart attack. His fledgling congregation was left without a pastor. So, they went. As simple as that.
But life as a missionary family has been anything but simple since then.
“What we often see in Belize is an attack on relationships. It’s a small country, we live in a small community, and we have seen the effects of rumors, gossip, criticism, and to be honest it’s ugly. It destroys relationships and unity amongst the believers,” says Patrick.
But those challenges have also offered opportunities for growth in the McCusker's ministry. “One thing I will says is that we’ve learned the challenges are a blessing in that they demand that we draw closer to the Lord. We’re learning the importance of intercessory prayer and spiritual warfare because Satan is threatened and when his kingdom comes under fire, he fights back,” says Patrick.
The McCuskers have deep roots in CCO, attending since 1992. Patrick became a Christian when he was a marine in Southern California, by listening to Calvary Chapel radio. When he returned to his home in the Northwest, he soon began attending a Calvary Chapel church, saying, “I liked the way they taught and I liked the music.... We have always believed in Calvary’s philosophy of ministry.”
After finishing his Marine Corps service, Patrick worked as a carpenter, then transitioned into using his Bible college background as a missionary. Patrick and Deana have three children with them in the mission field. He confides that their family is often a target for spiritual attacks.
“Whether in our marriage relationship, relationship with our kids, or interpersonal relationships with other missionaries, those in the church, or in the community, Satan wants to destroy relationships. When Jesus was asked "what’s the greatest commandment," He said, number one love God, and number two is love people,” says Patrick.
Their deepened prayer life has borne fruit by the McCusker's increased reliance on the Lord, as witnessed in Patrick's story as follows:
A while back we were a few days away from a payday. I was concerned about not having enough diesel in the van to pick up people for church. Our neighbor is a Japanese professor here in Belize teaching chemistry to elementary and high school kids. The last time he went to Belize city for a meeting at his office he was jumped, robbed, beaten, and spent a few days in the hospital to recover. When he came back to Cayo where we live I told him I would always give him a ride to the city so he doesn’t have to take the bus and walk through the city alone. Well, he needed a ride to the city. I told him I couldn’t afford the diesel for the van. He put in enough diesel to get us to and from the city and I had enough to pick people up for church and get me through to the next pay day. The beauty of the whole story is that for a little more than an hour I was able to witness to a practicing Buddhist from Japan who God used to put gas in my tank. My heart’s desire is to see this man come to know the Lord and that when he returns to his native country he’ll do so as a missionary.”
God often uses children to help encourage the McCuskers in their ministry. “We love these kids down here and I love to hear them talk about their prayer life and seeing their happy faces after class when they come out to show me their crafts or colored pictures,” says Patrick.
Click here to send a message of encouragement to the McCusker family.
Patrick and Deana