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.

June is HOT!

 

It’s hot I know it is hot everywhere this summer, but as I write this we are on our 10th day with a broken AC at our house!  We have two portable units running that cool our kitchen and our bedroom, and the new unit is sitting in our garage.  We hope to have it installed by the time Macy comes home with three friends this weekend, but it has been a long week or so! What we’re up to At Cru, I end up helping in many different ways.  Mainly, I’m still leading change management for our huge HR changes that involve a new HR operating model, a new job framework, and a new Human Capital Management system.  By the way, I named our new HCM the “HR Hub.”  Genius isn’t it?  I even “wrote” a few songs about our new HR.  AI is amazing. You can listen to one here. And a little jingle. I know it's silly and cheesy. Recently I was  asked to help review our internal audit function, so I guess you can say that I get to audit Audit!  More about that in the future. When Cru asked Dayna to renew her nursing license so she could be the nurse at our staff conference, it also opened up doors to use that license to serve the community.  Dayna recently received the “A Team” award for 1,800 hours of volunteering at Shepherd’s Hope, a ministry for those that don’t have health insurance. When Tim, who has been partnering with us for 40 years, was in town recently, he said, “Your job is a lot different than when you were working with students!”  It really is.  It’s wild how many different things we have done with Cru over the years.   But, it does all support those individual conversations about Jesus, and the invitation to know Him, grow in a relationship with Him, and go to tell others about Him.  The HR changes are all about that.  So is audit.  Whatever we have done, it all supports reaching everyone with the gospel. Thanks for partnering with us.  We can’t express how much your faithful friendship and support mean to us.  We can’t be here without you!   With love and thanks,

After our primary goal of getting an AC for the house, we have some other plans for the summer. We are all taking turns visiting Cara and her family.  Luke and Catelin head out for July 4 and Dayna and I will be there later that month.