Launch!

Launch!

On October 13, I got on my bike to ride to the gym and looked up to see that a Space X Falcon 9 rocket was on its way into orbit!  We have seen a lot of launches, not nothing like this!  The rising sun hit the exhaust and formed what is called a "space jellyfish."  It was stunning!

At Cru, on September 28, we launched our new HR system after many staff worked for 9 months getting ready.  The most important result was that payroll ran with 99.6% accuracy!  Now we are getting it ready for our first open enrollment for healthcare on November 15.  We are in what they call "hypercare," fixing all of the bugs and making sure people are getting what
they need.  Someone described setting up a new Human Capital Management System like doing open heart surgery on a runner during a marathon!

When it's faster and easier to do these HR "things," staff have more time and energy to share Christ.  This makes joining and working with Cru easier.   

75 Years

In October, at our biannual Day of Prayer, we celebrated Cru's 75th anniversary.  It's wild to think we've been around for 40 of those years!  Take a minute and visit cru.org/75 to join a prayer challenge, share your story with Cru, or read the So Everyone Knows devotional.

Birthday Rendevous

With Macy up in Auburn, we talked about how to celebrate her early October birthday.  So, we found the midway point between Orlando and Auburn and rented an Airbnb in Voldosta Georgia!  

We visited a Fall Festival, played games and enjoyed being together.  Macy is enjoying Auburn and doing well in her program.

It has been a very full and busy month, but we are still here, and God is using your investment to help reach people all over the world with the good news that God loves them and offers a life of grace and truth.  Thank you for partnering with us.

With love,

You found me!

A part of it all

Like you, we are dismayed by the number of calamitous events around the world in the past weeks.  It is difficult to comprehend the devastation experienced by people impacted by earthquakes, flash floods, and war.  

When you read about these events, consider that because of its presence in 180+ countries, our Cru staff are often impacted by these calamities, or may be responding to them.  

Allow us to share some examples of Cru's presence around the world, here in the US, and invite you to join us on a prayer journey.

Ukraine

"On the evening of August 28, the enemy destroyed the warehouse and office of our mission’s humanitarian ministry - an entirely civilian facility that had been used every day for the past four years to help people in need." (click here to read the entire post)

Despite the war, our Ukrainian ministry has been ministering to soldiers and the communities, sharing the invitation to know Jesus, while providing aid to help provide care.

Columbia

The earthquake in Columbia has been devastating.  Unto, Cru's humanitarian ministry, has partnered with our Columbian staff to relieve suffering, restore dignity, and reveal hope.  Unto isn't a huge humanitarian organization, but the key advantage we have is that we partner with each Cru national ministry around the world.  

US Campuses

Cru is helping Christian students at colleges around the country start movements to help reach their campus.  Check out this cool story about Conner at Cleary University.  He is a student who wanted to impact his Campus, and this is how Cru came alongside him.

C

Cru's 75 Anniversary & 75 Day Prayer Challenge

Cru launched in the fall of 1951 at UCLA.  One of the first things Cru initiated was a 24 hour prayer chain.  As we celebrate Cru's 75th year, we are inviting our staff and partners to join us on a 75 day prayer challenge.  You can see the prayer guide by clicking on the image to the right, and download it as well.  

 We thank God for you.

We appreciate your prayers for us.   Thank you for your partnership with us.  Our prayer request is what we pray for you.  

Please pray that we will walk by faith and rest in Him.  None of us know our future or how God will provide for us, and we all have challenges where we need to depend on Him for His perspective and wisdom.  Lord, help us to rest in You!

My (Barrett) medical journey continues with a month long heart monitor and in later September they'll do a transesophageal echocardiogram to learn more about that hole in my heart.

We are grateful for you for your prayer and partnership with us.

P.S.  The matching gift for new and increased monthly or annual support is active.  You can start and edit your gift at give.cru.org/0374749.  Thank you for considering helping us get to the support level we need this fall.  

Go.

Everyone, Everywhere

The Bible is clear that God loves everyone, and calls us to go to everyone with the good news of his love, forgiveness, and new life.  

In Matthew 28:19  Jesus said to "go and make disciples of all nations."

2 Peter 3:9 "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."

Cru is always asking the question, "how do we get to everyone?"

It's why Cru started the high school ministry that God used to lead Dayna and I to Jesus. Another student shared the gospel with Dayna, and I went to an outreach held at the middle school next to my high school.  They came to where we were.

It's why we send staff around the world and why we have ministries in over 180 countries.  And it's why many of those countries are sending staff and students to the least reached locations.

USA Today just ran a story about a small team of Cru staff that are finding ways to reach into the virtual world.  It's a good article.  I don't love the title, but the story is really about going to where people are to introduce Jesus.

Click here to read the article.

Summer Adventures

Dayna and I visited Cara's family in California in late July, and before that I went with Cara and her boys to the Grand Canyon.  It was truly and adventure.  Cara is expecting, and has not been feeling well, so it was nice that we could be with her. (see more below)

Last week we moved Macy into her apartment in Auburn, where she is beginning her masters program and Behavioral Analysis.  She is very excited about the program and loves Auburn so far.

Macy met Aubie

Requesting prayer.

It is very much an honor for us to have your partnership, and for you to share in our calling to ministry with Cru.  We appreciate your prayers for us, and want to ask you to pray with us about a couple of things.

• It’s a long story, but Barrett spent a night in the ER last week after an ocular migraine resulted in some “brain fog” issues for about an hour.  Lots of tests were taken, and more is to come.  He got a new medicine to take. Brain scans found nothing, as expected (haha), but they did find a hole in his heart and will figure out if that needs to be repaired. He has more procedures scheduled to look at that. He is doing well overall.


• Navigating life.  Every stage of life has new ways where each of us need to trust God and learn to walk in the Spirit with new challenges.  Pray for our finances, healthcare decisions, marriage and being parents to our adult children.  

We appreciate your partnership in our ministry, but even more as friends who care about us.  Thank you.  We could not be here without you.

With love and thanks,

PS. here are some fun videos from my time with the boys. They are both pretty silly.

I made an AI song about our Grand Canyon trip and made this video.