Alyssa (Aly) McDonald Celebration Service

 Alyssa McDonald was born December 9th, 1964 to Daniel Joseph Siders and Barbara Jean Siders in Stockton California.

Alyssa spent much of her childhood moving around the country because her father served in the Air Force.  Her brother Gregory was born 16 months after Alyssa.  They both made many friends in the various places they lived.  They both participated in several sports.

Alyssa was always good at academics.  She graduated with honors from Clovis High in New Mexico and graduated Summa Cum Laude from National University with her Masters Degree.  Upon graduation, she worked for Tracy Public Schools for 12 years where she taught 1-4 grades and coached basketball.

In 2003, she followed the Lord’s leading and signed on with the International Mission Board and began a new career as a missionary to Kenya and Tanzania absolutely “loving” the people and began calling Africa her “home”.

She returned to the US in 2012.  In 2014-15 she taught in Kuwait.  After that she went back to Africa to teach in Arusha, Tanzania.

She was diagnosed in March 2015 with ovarian cancer but refused to give into the disease. She loved Tanzania and God allowed her to go back twice over these last two years to Do His work.  Many of her students are poised to graduate and become leaders in the church and in the government.  She was able to purchase property for an orphanage and school.  She taught and served the Lord until the Lord took her home.

She is survived by her father Daniel (DJ Siders); her mother Barbara Freitas; her brother Gregory and his wife Maria and son Edward; aunts, uncles, cousins and her Tanzanian granddaughter Elizabeth Omary.

A service celebrating her life will be held at Sequoia Heights Baptist, 1050 S. Union Rd, Manteca, CA., Saturday. August 12th at 11 am.  Donations can be sent to SHBC.  They will be used for the orphanage in Tanzania, Africa.