Author: Missions

Miami YFC: Catalyst Hialeah celebrates their grand opening

It’s official! Honoring the faith-filled legacy of our dear Joel Stigale, Catalyst Hialeah is now open. Watch for the dancing in the video! We can’t thank everyone enough for the prayers and support as Youth for Christ Catalyst in Hialeah is open and ready to serve 11 to 19 year-olds throughout the community. By bringing […]

May Brazil Update

Greetings from Brazil. We pray that you and yours are doing well and thriving!  It’s so hard to believe that we have been ministering in Brazil for 26 years, yes, TWENTY-SIX years! So, so much has happened and so many blessings have been poured out, praise the Lord! We have also seen may changes over […]

Nicaragua: New Classroom Space…

As you may know we are working towards a future of constructing an entirely new education building (or two) for Ileana’s School at Club Esperanza. We are doing our due diligence to get things done well on the front end working with engineers, architects designers and builders. But, in the mean time we needed more […]

Miami Youth for Christ – City Life KIX Celebrates their 30th Anniversary!

City Life KIX, a neighborhood outreach program that offers all-inclusive, free after-school services to at-risk children and youth in Miami, is celebrating its 30th anniversary. Established in West Homestead in 1993, City Life KIX has been providing help, hope, and wholeness to young people aged eleven to nineteen years old for over two decades. Despite […]

Nicaragua: 10 years of Hope…

And so everyone must have ice cream!!! Sheyla our long time director posted these fun photos the other day on our Club Esperanza facebook page. This page is a great way to keep up with all of the daily happenings at the club, we post lots of fun pictures and little tidbits of information. It […]

Brazil blessings

Greetings from Brazil! We pray that each and every one reading this is well and standing firm in the Lord as we venture into 2023! We are currently working on a newsletter but, in the meantime, here are a few highlights from 2022: Help for the Hungry—Prayer for the Hurting—Hope for LostHello everyone! 2022 was […]

Miami YFC: God, Hip-Hop, and a Teen’s Heart

As we enter the latter half of the 2022 – 2023 school year, Catalyst Hip-Hop has so much to celebrate! From student’s lives being impacted, to the Catalyst building moving forward in construction; we hope the joy we received from God’s provision can pass on to our faithful supporters such as Christ Journey!              This current […]

Nicaragua: Men’s Retreat at Ruby Ranch

If you have followed our ministry over the years you might have heard about La Iglesia Hashem Adonai. Profesor Roberto, who is now Pastor Roberto, has been a teacher at our school in the dump ever since it began over twenty years ago. He has served for so many years faithfully to the poorest of […]

Miami YFC: Cloud Life featured in YFC USA

Miami and Fort Lauderdale YFC is very proud and excited for our newest ministry, Cloud Life! They were recently featured on YFC USA in a piece that explores the importance of having a presence in the digital realm. On average, American teens spend more than seven hours per day online. That doesn’t include time spent […]

Nicaragua: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Krista and I want to wish you a Merry Christmas from Nicaragua! Our lives are full and we are blessed this season to be the parents to our four lovely and handsome growing children! We are also very thankful for you who pray for us and support us financially! We committed to living by faith […]

Nicaragua: Christmas at Club Esperanza…

Our Christmas party was such a huge success and we wanted to tell you all thank you so much for helping to make it happen! It was an incredible time filled with joy and fellowship, all of the children at Club Esperanza and their families felt so very loved. We were able to have a […]

Merry Christmas from Brazil!

(I mistakenly thought I hit “publish” on 12/22/22 to post this message but, only today, realized I didn’t! arghhhh…..better late than never, right?) The AMO team thanks you (every individual, brother, sister, family and church) for making a daily personal sacrifice so that we can do the Work of the Father and our Lord Jesus […]

Miami YFC: Juvenile Justice Ministry was featured on Channel 7 News!

Juvenile Justice Ministry offers Bible-based programs and Christian mentoring to arrested, abused and at-risk youth living in residential facilities helping them build a firm foundation for life through mentorship, life skills, community and faith. We are grateful for the commitment Christ Journey has shown to this ministry and Miami YFC as a whole.

Brazil: poverty, politics, & hopelessness

Hello dear friends, This is the year of presidential elections here in Brazil. The first official election last month resulted in too close of a call between the two top candidates which legally requires a second vote, which will happen in less than two weeks from now. The sad part about this is that the […]

Miami YFC: THANK YOU, Christ Journey!

The theme was reaching lost youth in authentic, Christ-sharing relationships. Volunteers for each of our ministries were present: Campus Life works with youth at a particular school campus City Life KIX targets low-income neighborhoods Juvenile Justice Ministries serves youth who are arrested, on probation, or in foster care Catalyst uses the 4 elements of hip-hop […]

Miami YFC: Camp Outcomes 2022!

We are still waiting to hear the results for all of Southwind camp, but we do know the outcomes for the youth Miami YFC brought. A quick catch-up for anyone new to YFC camp – each year, youth are given the opportunity to consider their relationship with Jesus and whether they want to commit to […]

Nicaragua: Medical Mission in Action…

As the world opens back up and we move on together from this horrifying pandemic we are excited to start welcoming our friends from overseas back to Nicaragua to serve with us. Christ Journey Church has been providing medical relief here in Nicaragua for almost two decades now…and after a sad hiatus we were finally […]

Nicaragua: Casa Robles fun…

Thanks for your love and prayers for Casa Robles!!!

Miami YFC: Danya’s Story

Each year, we get the honor of helping youth share their YFC stories at our Be the Story event. If you weren’t able to attend this year, here is just one amazing story from our kids. My name is Danya. I’m 14 years old and go to Linda Lentin K8 Center. I stay with my […]

Nicaragua: Walakitang Happenings…

We continue in our support for Pastor Victor in Walakitang and the church planting network along the Rio Coco in the indigenous region of Nicaragua on the Honduran border. We have supported this church planting movement for over a decade now, under the covering of our local church La Iglesia Cristiana Verbo. Recently we helped […]

A.M.O. Brazil in pictures

Photo Update- Brazil Tax-deductible giving There are two ways to give: Online: www.cmcmissions.org/donate select the “Click & Give” logo. Select “Pete & Jodi Brennan” from the dropdown list to give your donation using a credit card.  -OR- By check: Please make your check payable to Central Missionary Clearinghouse and mail to P.O. Box 219228 Houston, […]

Miami YFC: Cassandra’s Story

Each year, we get the honor of helping youth share their YFC stories at our Be the Story event. If you weren’t able to attend this year, here is just one amazing story from our kids. My name is Cassandra*, but at Catalyst I get called Cass or Killa Cass. Catalyst was like a miracle […]

Miami YFC: Leading Her Own

Last spring during small group, a couple of girls would always keep Ms. Gaelle talking for extra long. I would eavesdrop and find Diaka asking lots of different question about her faith and God. Some were even deep questions that adults wrestle with!  These questions led to her accepting Jesus as her Savior and giving […]

Brazil- it’s all about the kids!

Hello everyone, Greetings from Brazil! It seems as if 2022 just started but here we are smack in the middle of March already. Here in Brazil things have gotten somewhat back to “normal”. We still wear masks everywhere but have heard that those mandates might be lifting soon, yay! Brazil has always been aggresive on […]

Nicaragua: ¡Sopa! at Club Esperanza…

We have had a rough beginning to the year down here with our family. Battling Covid and the lingering affects have messed up our routine a good bit. There was nothing life threatening as so many of our friends and family have had to deal with, but it kept us from starting our year in […]

Miami YFC: Why Does She Light Up a Room?

We would like to introduce the beautiful soul that is Erika*. Erika has been coming to KIX since elementary school. Even though she has longevity in the program, Erika often disappears for a while. This happened – again – this summer. She was unreachable until around October, when staff mentor Macrina texted her. Erika began […]

Miami YFC: “It’s Not Just Him – It’s His Daughter”

Did you know that Miami YFC has a sister chapter in Fort Lauderdale? This month, we wanted to share this special story from our team to the North. Thank you, Christ Journey, for making it possible for us to share hope with youth who desperately need it – for themselves and their families. To learn […]

Nicaragua: Celebrating a graduate!

Denis is a HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE!!! Denis has been a part of our family at Casa Robles for most of his life. He has accomplished something so amazing in graduating from high school. He is breaking generational chains, he is doing something no one in his family has done, he is doing something none of […]

Nicaragua: Many Christmas Blessings!

We want to send you and your family the blessings of a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!! Being with family and friends over the holidays is so special and we know that this year hasn’t been the easiest for getting together, but we hope you found encouragement in the moments you did […]

Nicaragua: Hurricane Relief…A Christmas Report of Praise!

This past week we got to participate in one of the best Christmas gift givings you could ever dream of. We made the trip back over to Port to visit fifteen homes that were being completed this week in Wawa Bar and in Hallover. Hurricanes Eta and Iota completely destroyed these two communities last year. […]

Miami YFC: Santa Stops Youth Violence!

Our 6th Over the Edge event to stop youth violence has come and gone, but it wasn’t without its fun surprises! Each year, Miami YFC recruits rappellers and fundraisers to draw attention to youth violence in South Florida. Our first event came just a few months before the tragic Parkland shooting. It was heartbreaking to […]

Brazil- God is so good!

Miami YFC: Join us to make a difference?

Macrina, a program assistant at our West Homestead City Life KIX site, shares her story… I live in the rural village of the Everglades, and every morning I have the opportunity to see young children get on the bus to go to school and parents drive off as they head to the fields to help […]

Nicaragua: Student Story from Club Esperanza…

At Club Esperanza we have a fully functioning Primary Education School called Illeana’s School.  The story of Illeana’s life, her beautiful smile and the hardships she endured leave a big impact on your heart. Our goal is not just to educate with Ileana’s School at Club Esperanza…it is bigger than that. We are a refuge of […]

Miami YFC: Welcome our New Executive Director!

I am overjoyed to formally join the Youth For Christ team as Executive Director. I fell in love with Youth For Christ ten years ago when I had the honor of being introduced to Bonnie and I got to see first-hand the life-changing work being done. I immediately became a staunch supporter of this amazing […]

Happy Faces in the favelas- Brazil

Apologies for not reaching out sooner as we have had so much going on, thus, we are behind in communicating! Ministry continues as usual and, now that a good number of people here are vaccinated, it seems like things have settled down a little for now. Our team is in full swing ministering in the […]

Miami YFC: “You don’t know how much he needs this!”

Slightly stressed but hopeful parents milled about the school cafeteria with their young teenagers at Western High’s Open House, gently pushing them towards the tables that advertised school club opportunities.  Lynn and Kristen stood in front of their ridiculously huge “Connect 4” table game, greeting parents and attempting to explain CAMPUS LIFE clubs in 10 […]

Nicaragua: Darkness Surrounds but There is Still Light…

I was in a great conversation yesterday with one of our long time teachers about where the Lord has taken us at Club Esperanza and how much history we have together all the way back to the days inside the dump. It was so encouraging reflecting on all the good things the Lord has done, […]

Miami YFC: Who, Me? A Leader?

I met Mel a few years ago – she was in 6th grade and one of the first kids to come to our afterschool program at Miami Springs Middle.  She was unapologetically interested in anime, Harry Potter, and dying her hair every color of the rainbow.  She wrote lyrics and didn’t mind putting herself out there […]

Brazil

Miami Youth for Christ: Get Them Out of the House!

Young people are ready to escape the indoors. YFC has planned fun, Christ-filled environments for kids to be kids again, while hearing the Good News of Jesus. City Life Locations in West Homestead, Naranja, and North Miami; email stacy@miamiyfc.com for more details. Dive into Reading, educational enrichment for K-12 Life Groups, gospel-centered small groups TGIF, […]

Miami Youth for Christ

Last Thursday, I caught a few elementary kids throwing rocks through our office’s front door.  It’s one of the joys of working next to a school. I asked them why, and it turns out, they will usually knock on our board member’s window in the back of the building after school. He will make funny faces […]

Nicaragua: Catching Up With Happenings…

Hello Hello Hello to all of our family and friends! We have been moving and shaking and living life down here in Nicaragua over the last few months….but I have been a poor updater and newsletter writer. But alas today I thought I would do a fun long blog of pictures and happenings with our […]

May Cru newsletter – Larry and Betty Barr

Sixty years ago, when Howard was 8 years old, there were no programs for special needs children like him.  He simply did not fit into the regular mold.   Unable to sit and learn like the other children, he could not keep up with the rest of the class.  His teacher stationed him in the “Dunce Chair” right next […]

Brazil May update

Thank you for your faithful prayers! God is doing mighty things in Brazil!

January Cru newsletter – Larry and Betty Barr

Caroline*,  a retired high school Spanish teacher, speaks both English and Spanish fluently.  On three occasions she has assisted with special weekends of spiritual emphasis and teaching inside the county jail.  She and her husband have contributed money to help purchase Spanish language Bibles for men and women in the jail. Caroline participated in a […]

Miami YFC: Our Soul Purpose, Chris’ Story

I was born Christopher Miller-Gonzalez in Hartford, Connecticut and moved to Miami when I was 6 years old. I grew up with Cuban immigrant parents and my younger sister, until my parents separated when I was about 10 years old. Growing up, my mom would often attend the Jehovah Witness church. I never felt any […]

November Newsletter- Brazil

Nov 2020 Newsletter We have so many things to be thankful for and we’d love to share some of them with you! Take a look at what’s been happening here in Brazil…. Blessings, Pete & Jodi

November Cru newsletter – Larry and Betty Barr

In our October newsletter we asked you to pray about our plan to give Good News Comic and Four Fantastic Facts (children’s evangelistic booklets) along with a tasty treat to “trick or treaters” on Oct. 31st.  We ordered 50 booklets, not expecting to need even that many. As it turned out, however, God provided a […]

Miami YFC: Our Soul Purpose

Johnny Cash. Blue jeans. Rallies. Stevie Wonder. Bell-bottoms. The Haunted House. Madonna. Grunge. DCLA. These words define different eras of youth culture and Miami YFC’s 72-year history.  New words will dominate our current students’ memories, but there’s one thing that won’t change: our sole purpose of leading kids to Jesus through authentic, Christ-sharing relationships (or, […]

Miami YFC: “If It Wasn’t For You Guys”

Despite the COVID-19 shutdown, problems in inner-city Miami persist and overwhelm our youth.  Missed meals are adding up, food pantry lines are long, and bills are overdue. The Department of Juvenile Justice brought all programing and volunteer efforts to a halt as part of slowing the spread, which has made it difficult for us to […]

October Cru newsletter – Larry and Betty Barr

Have you ever struggled with the question of whether or not gospel tracts for children are appropriate and effective?   Please consider the following unsolicited testimonial from a man who contacted our Cru Resources office to ask a question and to share his story.      How long has this Good News comic book tract been in […]

Miami YFC: Reckless Love

In May 2018, Falone woke to screaming and gunshots.  She followed the commotion outside, where she saw a body on the ground. It took her a second to realize it was her brother, Marcus.  Her mother was frozen in the doorway, crying, hugging Falone’s niece and nephew.  “So much of the day is a blur,” […]

Nicaragua: A Devotional Thought…

Good morning church family.  I hope this short devotional encourages you today!  Last week, I was moved to tears as I read the story of the blind man in John chapter 9.  I was surprised because it wasn’t the healing, or the man testifying before the Pharisees that struck me.  It was what Jesus did […]

August Cru newsletter – Larry and Betty Barr

Pastor Farrell Isenberg has been meeting with a group of pastors in his community (Owensboro, KY) .  One of the pastors leads a church that is about half African-American and half Caucasian.    The group has been discussing race relations and have brainstormed ways they could work together as a living example to their community that […]

Checking in- Brazil

Greeting from Brazil! Well, the year 2020 has proven itself to be chaotic, to say the least. Everyone’s lives have been turned upside down to where there seems to be no more “normal”. With this came mistrust, misinformation, desperation, fear and hopelessness. THANKFULLY we have a good, good Father at whose feet we can lay […]

Miami YFC: Tough as Nails?

While the pandemic rages on, we are taking a moment to look back and celebrate some pre-pandemic God moments.  Enjoy this story about our Project Dade youth! Every month, I get to spend time with the Project Dade crew – 10-15 boys who are on probation and choose to come to our life skills classes.  […]

Miami YFC Alumni Story: Seeing God in a Tulip

Vivianna was always willing to lend a helping hand, but we hardly ever heard her voice. She attended Campus Life for two school years before she was willing to share anything about her life. Unbeknownst to us, Vivianna had an unexpected death occur in her family that left her angry with God. We knew she […]

July Cru newsletter – Larry and Betty Barr

Dr. Carlos Tuma emailed our Cru Resources office from Argentina in November 2018.  He requested information regarding evangelistic materials to use at  the Miami Marathon just two months later.  As I emailed  back and forth with him, we worked out a plan.  Dr. Tuma paid for us to ship 2,000 copies of The Four Spiritual Laws booklets […]

Making BIG moves!

  Close your eyes and imagine your life without Jesus. What would your life look like if you were never taken to church by your parents? What if your friend never invited you to church or told you about Jesus? What would it look like if your only hope for this world was in your […]

“I Was Just Tryna Check On You”

Chaos. Worry. Uncertainty. Three words that sum up what COVID-19 has brought many of us in our lives. Uncertainty probably does it the most for me. What’s going on with the kids? Are they doing their online schoolwork? How do we get in contact with them? What’s their IG (Instagram) name? I worry about them […]

This is How We P.I.V.O.T. 💥

April & May 2020 View this email in your browser GONZALEZ NEWSLETTER “Thank you for joining me through this. You’ve been a very big help to me throughout freshmen year. I really look up to you. You’ve done amazing things. I’m excited for where God will lead us and I’m excited for the future and […]

May Cru newsletter – Larry and Betty Barr

Our oldest granddaughter, Anna (12), has been learning to use a sewing machine. Earlier this year she created a really beautiful apron for Betty’s birthday.   More recently she created colorful face masks for us to wear to the grocery store and other essential places. Actually, the need for face masks has opened an unexpected door […]

Nicaragua: Building a Bridge…

We have known Doña Irene for over 20 years now.  She has worked with us off and on over the years in different ways at Quinta Havilah (Open Hearts headquarters, where we live and host teams that come to work with us in ministry).  Last month, she asked us to help her build a bridge.  […]

May Newsletter

Ending the year strong with Cru at Purdue! My team and I put together one last virtual weekly meeting where our seniors got to share some of what God did in their lives through Cru at Purdue. We had 75 students join in! In Cru we have a vision for seeing every student sent as […]

Physical Distancing, Not Social Distancing

There’s been a lot of talk about “social distancing” during this whole Coronavirus pandemic, but it seems like that’s the wrong term. Maybe “physical distancing” would be more appropriate. Although we must distance ourselves physically from others in order to stop the spread of this disease, it has given us the opportunity to connect with […]

Pandemic & Ministry in Brazil

Greetings from Brazil! As practically everyone else in the world we too are hunkering down and taking precautionary measures to keep ourselves and those that we minister to safe. Brazil is trying to cope but they are very under equipped in the health sector and there are many who don’t grasp the severity of this […]

Nicaragua: Club Esperanza adjustments for Corona Virus…

We are doing well down here in Nicaragua and we wanted to give all of our friends and supporters an update on how things are going at Club Esperanza with COVID19 being a worldwide pandemic.  We just finished Semana Santa (Spring Break for Easter) and our schools are scheduled to re-open in Nicaragua next week.  […]

Miami YFC Going Virtual!

We’re Going Virtual! Dear friends, This is an unprecedented time in world history – a global pandemic is stretching across the globe, closing schools and businesses, forcing everyone inside. We at Miami YFC pray that you are healthy and that you are protecting yourself and your family from infection. Our theme in this season is “replace, […]

April Cru newsletter – Larry and Betty Barr

The woman on the other end of the line was clearly distressed.  Her two daughters were packed and ready to go.  In cooperation with another mission agency, the girls’ Cru campus ministry group was scheduled to fly to Central America that night to participate in a spring break mission trip. But word had just come […]

Nicaragua: Farrington Family Spring Newsletter

Below is a digital version of our Spring Newsletter.  We share some of the current activities down here, some fun family happenings, and also the ways that the Corona Virus is affecting us in Nicaragua…check it out below. Thank you church family for your continued prayers and support for our family! Chris & Krista Farrington

Coronavirus in Brazil

Dear prayer partners, During this time of craziness due to the Coronavirus we ask that you please keep in prayer all the downtrodden, poor, sickly, uneducated masses who don’t stand a chance against such a cruel virus nor have the means to “self-isolate” or even buy the basic supplies to keep them safe….. Alexandre Pires […]

Miami YFC: 2020 Vision

When I first met Stephanie, I could tell two things: 1) like most middle schoolers, she was a little insecure, and 2) she wasn’t a “girly-girl.” As a matter of fact, she identified as gay, always had her hair pulled back in a short pony tail, and wore big, baggy clothes. As I got to […]

A Great Start to a New Year!

March Cru newsletter – Larry and Betty Barr

Shelly* grew up in a family that was loosely involved with church.  She had a prayer book and a Bible, but they were written in Old English and she couldn’t understand them.  Describing herself as a “good girl,” Shelly wanted to please her parents, but she was not really pursuing God. When she went away […]

Miami YFC: All It Takes is a Donut

I first met Markus as he was coming out of a cell in at the Miami Dade Regional Detention Center. He was 16 years old and quiet. I wasn’t sure if he was quiet because it was his first time being detained or because that just happened to be his nature.  It turns out he […]

Brazil- Rainy days and baptisms

Greetings from Brazil! 2020 has started off with a bang and it looks like we’ll be kept very busy this year! Activities, events, baptisms, all taking place already plus we have an almost full mission team schedule for this year. Many teams will be coming to help us hand-in-hand in the favelas as well as […]

Nicaragua: Night To Shine!

A huge special thank you to The Tim Tebow Foundation who puts on Night To Shine prom all around the world in over 34 countries at over 700 churches…and a big thank you to Vida Abundante Church who made it happen in Nicaragua this year!!!  We were so thankful that a group of our kids from Club Esperanza were invited guests […]

January Cru newsletter – Larry and Betty Barr

When we first moved to Miami, FL, (January 1988) we rented an apartment while we were house hunting.  Six months later, on a sweltering day in the middle of July, it was time to pack up the apartment and move to the house.  We will never forget that our new church friend, Joe Molina, showed […]

Merry Christmas- Brazil

We are incredibly thankful for the blessings of 2019 and look forward to what the Lord has in store for 2020! Merry Christmas to all and may you be blessed with a healthy New Year!!- Much love, Pete & Jodi 

Changed lived for Jesus

During the past 12 months I have had the privilege of participating in two mission trips; one to Guatemala with Filters of Hope and one to the Ocean City, New Jersey summer beach project. Both trips transformed the lives of Purdue students. Hear about it straight from the students themselves… “A week is an incredibly […]

Nicaragua: Christmas has begun….

We had a wonderful time together last Friday with our extended family of Casa Havilah and Casa Robles. Officially the first Christmas party of our year! This past year has been full of life, new things, salvation and ups and downs as well. God is so good and we celebrated each of these children we […]

Touching Miami with Love’s children are trusting God!

At this year’s Thanksgiving Showcase, we had a packed house at our Overtown site as parents and relatives gathered for dinner and a show. We host this event as an opportunity to get to build stronger bonds with our families outside and bless our community with a memorable meal as Amanda, our Spiritual Formation Director […]

Nicaragua: Rescue Home News…Good News!

What a great day over Thanksgiving Week!  In our lives as Christians many of us remember our baptisms very fondly as an important part of our journey in faith.  Yesterday Fredder and Denis were baptized in the pool here at the Buzbees.  It was so awesome and we were so blessed to participate! These boys […]

Miami YFC: I Have a Confession To Make…

I have a confession to make. I have been asking you for the wrong things! In order for Youth for Christ to reach teenagers with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ, I have been asking you to volunteer and donate. I have made the practical needs paramount and I have barely mentioned our dire and […]

Nicaragua: Please pray for Angelica

Mama Angelica (who is the house mom at our boys rescue home Casa Robles) was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer in the late spring. It was a really harsh diagnoses to hear, as you can imagine. She found the lump in an annual mammogram and the biopsy showed it was cancerous and fairly large. […]

October Cru newsletter – Larry and Betty Barr

“Hi!  Can you give me a brief update on CRU that I can pass on to the mission team?” This email request came from our “champion” on our local church’s mission committee.  Here are the broad strokes of what we shared with him, plus a little extra information. A thoughtful perusal of 24 days of […]

A New School Year Begins!!!

Your financial and prayer partnership is making an eternal difference in the lives of these sweet students! I thank you for your dedication and perseverance for the sake of the gospel!  

What Are You Hungry For?

As we walk with students, athletes, and ministry leaders in their spiritual formation, at some point, the topic of sexuality comes up. And, more often than not, the question above leads to deep conversations of…

Miami YFC: “I Want It!”

One of my absolute privileges is getting to work with Glenn, who has been with YFC for over 30 years.  This month, he shared his joy over going in the detention center with us in our newsletter.   If you don’t receive our newsletter but would like to, please call our main office – 305.271.2442 – […]

Impact Takes Years

Touching Miami with Love is all impact. Long term impact. The kind that takes years and years. From seeing children learn to read,  moving into middle school and discovering their faith, to walking through college and career planning with youth in their senior year–we love watching our TML kids grow up. We love listing the […]

Brazil- post experience in 2020

Participating in post can be a life changing experience! We host international teams throughout the year and the impact, especially on high school to college age kids, is incredible. We now have a 23-year-old young woman arriving tomorrow to permanently live and work with us as a full-time missionary! She started coming here on her […]

Miami YFC: God Answers Prayer!

Even though we’ve been back from camp for 2 months, we are still celebrating the many ways we saw God at work.  Mari shared how she got to see God work in her own life as a camper, and now in her friends’ and students’ lives. Camp is really close to my heart because a […]

September Cru newsletter – Larry and Betty Barr

In August a long-time friend from Los Angeles emailed, “Do you know where my friend Sandra can get Bibles in Croatian and Slovakian?  Even Gospel tracts might work as well.  Sandra wants to take them with her on a trip next month.” Although we have nothing to offer in Slovakian, Betty and I still have […]

Nicaragua: Christ Journey Summer Finale…

This post is a few weeks over do…..but what a finale to our summer we had with our church family from Miami!  As everyone’s school year is starting up I thought it would be a fun blog post to share pictures and stories from the ending of our summer days down here…we love our church […]

Miami YFC: An Atheist Gets Her Christmas Wish

If I could choose one word to describe this summer it would be “WOW”! The Hip-Hop Catalyst team is in awe of God and the work He has done in the lives and hearts of our students. Angel participated in our after-school program the entire school year. She loved the Hip-Hop classes and activities but […]

Visits and updates on Brazil

Hello everyone, This has been a wonderful and crazy month for us as we are currently in the U.S. visiting family, friends, and supporters. When I say “we” I mean Pete, myself, and two of our three adopted daughters (sadly, the third was denied an entry visa for this trip). Our oldest daughter, Jessica, and […]

August Cru newsletter – Larry and Betty Barr

The middle of July was a whirlwind of activity as we prepared to fly to Colorado for Cru19, the biennial gathering of all U.S. Cru staff members at Colorado State University. Once we arrived on campus on July 19, things didn’t slow down.  We stayed busy going to main sessions in Moby Gym, as well […]

Honduras Women’s Mission Team: Days 1-3

The Honduras Women’s Team has been teaching and praying with dozens of ladies in several villages in the Agalta Valley for the past three days. We have shared the hope of Jesus and the truth that we are daughters of our Heavenly Father, in whom we can place our trust and identity.  Eight village women […]

YFC Camp: Where Everything Changes!

Some of you may remember Angel, who asked for a YFCamp trip for Christmas! Well, she’s no longer alone – we have five students who want to go to YFCamp, “where everything changes.” This will be our first year taking kids to camp, starting next week on July 27. We have already fundraised with students […]

Sun, Sand, and Spiritual Convos!

I had the awesome privilege of spending six weeks in Ocean City, New Jersey for a Cru summer mission where 80 students and 35 staff joined to deepen our walks with Jesus and share the good news of the gospel to the surrounding area! Below are just some highlights from all that God did in […]

Nicaragua: A new home for a hard working friend!

Don Horadio has been working at Ruby Ranch as part of the full time staff that maintains the Ranch year round for over seven years now…pretty much since the beginning of the ranch.  His house had gone into disrepair and was starting to fall down….because God is huge, just last month he and his wife […]

July Cru newsletter – Larry and Betty Barr

“A Blast from the Past” – (From a previous Cru Staff Conference in Colorado several years ago) Leaving Moby Gym after the morning session, we began weaving our way through the throng of fellow Cru staff members.  Our friend and former Cru teammate Michele leaned close and whispered, “Betty, see that girl over there in […]

Camp, Cancer and Church

Carlos came to YFCamp last year because his friend invited him.  That was the main reason. He definitely did not come to camp because he cared about God – in fact, he was pretty closed off to God in general. At YFCamp, Carlos met Daniel, one of our Campus Life Site Directors.  Daniel and Carlos […]

Brazil- “Generational Curses”

We have been very busy this week hosting a team of fifteen people who came to work alongside of us in the favelas AND help with some pretty major roof reconstruction on our home. It has been a VERY blessed week and I’d like to share with you Day #1, from a team members perspective:

Perfect Excuse to Get Out of the House!

At our City Life KIX site, 16 year-old Cham’s nickname is “the Mayor of Homestead” because everywhere he goes people know him and want to say hi. He is tender with the children he serves at KIX Club, making jokes, playing basketball, and living as an example of a godly young man from their neighborhood. […]

Nicaragua: Farrington Family Spring Newsletter

We would like to share with you our most recent newsletter.  We are so thankful for Christ Journey Church’s support and continued prayers for our family as missionaries and the ministries we operate. God Bless from Nicaragua!  – Chris & Krista Farrington

CRU Destino @ UCF: year one done!

Freshman Year: Although I am not a student, I suppose you can say I just finished my freshman year at the University of Central Florida. Like many students who finish their first year in this new environment, it brings me to a time of reflection. I lived in a new city, had roommates for the first […]

East Asia: we’re having a baby!

Hello Christ Journey Family! It has been a whirlwind of a semester and some time since I last wrote you. In this time as usual we have blessings and prayer requests to share. I should go ahead and share the big news, that Maggie and I are going to have a baby! We are so […]

May newsletter – Larry and Betty Barr

“Sir, I have never believed in God before.  Is it okay to ask for His help now?  Will He hear me?”  A young Marine recruit posed this question to Cru staff member Dave Eatman one Sunday morning at Parris Island, SC (Marine Corps Recruit Depot).  The young man had not grown up in a Christian […]

InterVarsity: Empowered for Life

God is REAL, Jesus is REAL, Holy Spirit is REAL This is the conclusion we all came to at our April retreat, Empowered. The five students pictured above all came in knowing and believing in God, but at Empowered they were given opportunity after opportunity to experience him in ways many of them never had – and it was AWESOME! When we practiced listening […]

Greetings from Brazil!

Greetings from Brazil! In our day-to-day routine it’s easy to get caught up in the “busyness” of it all. So many overwhelming needs, prayer matters, physical work, projects, family time, etc that we need to keep our focus on Him. The verse Psalm 46:10 came to mind…..

Juvenile Justice Ministries: John’s Story

I am grateful for every volunteer who gives even an hour of their time to YFC.  In addition to saving us $156,633 a year, they also make a life-time of difference in a child’s life. Nowhere is that more true than in our Juvenile Justice Ministry.  The men and women who go into detention programs and […]

April Cru newsletter – Larry and Betty Barr

When our girls were moving through those “tween” years toward adolescence, we kept our eyes and ears open, eager to learn from other Christian families how to help prepare Ruth Ann and Angela to stay on course with the Lord for the long haul.  A seasoned Campus Crusade for Christ staff couple offered the following […]

From Bondage to Alcohol, to Freedom Through Living Water

The Filter is the Excuse. Jesus is the Reason.  “Are you the one who has the problem with alcohol in the family?” Luke looked back at me with wide eyes, surprised at the brashness of my question, but I assured him it needed to be asked. Luke asked my question again, this time directed toward […]

Colombia Students 2019: We love Colombia!

Guatemala Middle School 2019: We are home!

Ecuador Men’s Team: Day 6

Guatemala Middle School 2019: Day 6

Today was a great day for the group as whole as it was the first time the construction team was able to join the core group and serve together at the Malnutrition Center. In the morning a small group went over the near by senior center to spend some time bringing joy and the good […]

Dominican Republic Students 2019: Day 6

Hey ya’ll, it’s Ari and Xochitl and today was the last day with the children of El Carrizal. Waking up this morning was pleasant. We have been the only girls to go up to the rooftop every morning of this post trip, and as usual did it this morning as well. Looking at the sun […]

Ecuador Men’s Team: Day 5

Our days have been FULL of activities from morning to night. We have been treated like Kings! There has been such spirit of welcoming us into the community and serving us sooo many things! We have now been to two incredible restaurants and been served so much good food, cooked and served by Margarita. She […]

Miami YFC Update: “Don’t Get Your Hopes Up”

We met Kara last February when South Miami’s club launched, but she’d already been on a YFC Core prayer list* since October. Her best friend Jenny has been praying for her since 2014 and was excited when Kara started attending club weekly! When I let Jenny know that I wanted to sponsor Kara to go […]

Colombia Students 2019: Day 5

Today was the most powerful day of the mission trip for the majority of the students. We started off with a morning of worship in the bus on the way to the school. All of the students sang in harmony while catching a glimpse of the beautiful mountains. When we arrived at the school many […]

Ecuador Men’s Team 2019: Day 4

Today was filled with trials and triumphs! Our team continued the work of welding window frames for the new school of Amor y Esperanza. We are teaching and learning alongside a group of talented men from the community.  

Seniors take Guatemala: Day 5

Greetings from Guate, Bienvenidos a nuestro blog. Prepárate, it’s been quite the day. Somos Katia y Kaylee (aka the post blog dream team). Please check out our posts from the previous three years if you don’t believe us. Now on to today… It was a typical start to the morning: a firm bang on our […]

Guatemala Middle School 2019: Day 5

Hey y’all! Pastor Andrew here! I’ve been at the malnutrition center, Colonia Infantil, for most of the week. I’ve had the opportunity to bounce around in the 2-6 year old classes. I’ve been so happy with the hearts of our students and adults. They have both displayed such servant hearts on this trip. One of […]

Dominican Republic Students 2019: Day 5

This morning the boys finally got an early start at 5:30 and joined Jimmy, one of our One More Child leaders, in an early morning workout. 150 push-ups later, we enjoyed another delightful breakfast prepared by Ivelisse, our wonderful housekeeper from One More Child. The breakfast today included fried queso blanco, eggs, sausage, and fruit. […]

Colombia Students 2019: Day 4

Today was a very important time in my life. We started off in the school to teach them about the gospel in different ways for the first time. In my life I never experienced this with children. I was able to interact with all children and enjoy time with them. I genuinely felt incredible knowing […]

Guatemala Middle School 2019: Day 4

The Guatemala Middle School team members spent their day either caring for children in the malnutrition center or helping to construct a latrine and shower for a local family. We are thankful to One More Child for the opportunity to join them in their mission to help meet the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of […]

Guatemala Seniors 2019: Day 4

Hola a todos! Amanda and Bailey here, coming to you live from San Antonio Huista, Guatemala! The day started with a delicious breakfast and then by the good grace of God we managed to stay on schedule. By 8:30, we were in our cars and trekking up the mountain to the community of El Pajal. […]

Dominican Republic Students 2019: Day 4

Welcome to Day 4! At 6:30 A.M., we had eggs, bacon, potatoes covered in cheese, and tropical fruits for breakfast. Around 7:30, we departed for the site to get the day started. In the morning we fed the younger kids to make sure they’re well-nourished. Following that, some of us continued the home visits while […]

Ecuador Men’s Team 2019: Day 3

Today being the 3rd day some of us are feeling the effects of altitude and a few differences including missing our families but the work as proof of love of our living Christ pours from us on unknown friends and family is very important it’s way more than just words !! At arrival on site […]

Colombia Students 2019: Day 3

Good Morning, Yesterday (day 3) we visited the wonderful mountain of Mozarate and the view was magnificent! We went inside the sanctuary and hundreds of people stood and were glorifying the Lord. We then went up the mountain where all the students used their pesos to purchase all kinds of souvenirs and clothing. After leaving […]

Ecuador Men’s Team 2019: Day 2

We are on our way back to the hotel and day two has been an amazing experience. We came to Ecuador to serve at Amor y Esperanza to help this organization advance the opening of their school. Many of us thought we were coming to fill others with hope and joy through our actions but not […]

Guatemala Seniors: Day 3

Greetings America del Norte, Our first day in El Pajal was nothing less than eventful. A day that began with an awe-inspiring (albeit slightly nauseating) trek upwards through the mountainous terrain of Guatemala consisted of unforgettable conversations and interactions with loving locals. Waking at the crack of dawn, to the sound of David Camacho’s beautiful […]

Guatemala Middle School 2019: Day 3

Today was really good with the senior citizens. We played with them and they were super involved and loved the games we played with them. They were amazingly grateful for us going there and reminded us not to forget them. They hadn’t had a mission team in a really long time so, they really enjoyed […]

Dominican Republic Students 2019: Day 3

Day 3 RECAP! This morning, a delicious traditional Dominican breakfast was served at 6:30 AM, just a little difficult for us high-schoolers. Following breakfast, we had our devotionals that was by led by freshman boy, Caleb Harris. We spoke about what we’re grateful for, any fears or anxieties we felt that morning, how we can […]

Ecuador Men’s Team 2019: Day 1

We started the day with a visit to the site where our work will begin, we also had a chance to visit the Equator where my mind was blown away with the power of God through His creation of our earth. After we shared an amazing Ecuadorian home-cooked meal, we had our Devotional time with […]

Nicaragua: New faces at Casa Robles

We want to introduce you to Samael and Elery.  As this year started we had a visitor come to the gate asking to speak with Don Michael (Krista’s dad).  It was a mother asking for help.  She was desperate and was not able to care for her two sons anymore.  The situation in Nicaragua has […]

Colombia Students 2019: Day 2

Today we went to a small church and led worship in English and Spanish. We met the pastor and his kids and it was an instant connection with everyone! They all welcomed us as we engaged with the kids of the Venezuelan refugees. We were able to connect with each one of the kids and […]

Guatemala Middle School: Days 1 & 2

The first day of the middle school Guatemala mission trip was great! We arrived at the airport safely, drove an hour and a half out to the One More Child center, and settled in for the night. Once we woke up the next morning, we drove out to a coffee plantation in Antigua and had […]

Guatemala Seniors 2019: Greetings From Guatemala

Greetings from San Antonio Huista, Guatemala! We are so excited and blessed to be here and to be able to share our Day 1 and 2 experiences with you… Our flight went smoothly and wonderfully. No member of our team sat alone and the whole ride solely consisted of jokes, laughs, and amazing biscotti. We […]

Dominican Republic Students 2019: Day 2

Day two recap lets gooo!! Today was nothing short of incredible, as predicted. Deanna, our leader from One More Child, gave us the opportunity to sleep in a little bit this morning, and I think the extra hour was appreciated by all. We enjoyed a yummy breakfast, followed by a powerful morning devo led by […]

Colombia Students 2019: Day 1

While today was a travel and settle in day, it was certainly filled with lots of joy and excitement about the work that starts tomorrow.  Once we arrived at the hotel and had dinner, the team had an orientation meeting with Alfredo from One More Child, along with Pastors Freddy and Diana.  The students learned […]

Dominican Republic Students 2019: Day 1

Today was our first “day” in the DR . When we arrived, customs was quick and didn’t take more than 30 minutes and we praise the Lord for that. The apartments we are staying in are 2 hours from the airport, and we stopped at a “Dulceria”; a local store with sweet baked goods. When […]

March Cru newsletter – Larry and Betty Barr

In 1971, when Patty Fisher arrived at Oklahoma State University as a college freshman, her focus had changed dramatically from the previous year.  She and her high school girl friends had dreamed of “taking off (to college) and being free.” But Patty’s new longing was to be “fed” (spiritually). During her growing up years, the […]

Brazil- January/February Update

With your prayers, love and support January was one of the most impactful months to serve the children in the slums of Várzea, São Paulo, Campinas and even locals in Jarinú!

YFC Update: A Somber Van Ride

It was a far cry from our typical loud, laughter-filled van routes home. This night was different and we all felt it. When we arrived at her apartment, Jasmine made her solemn exit, and the silence loomed over the remaining students. Eventually Blake broke the silence with this unconvincing statement, “After losing about 15 people […]

Nicaragua: Kicking off the year at Club Esperanza

The 2019 school year is almost upon us, can you believe it?  (In Nicaragua the new school year starts in February)  During the month of January we will be getting everything ready to receive all of our students from last year and some new students as well, nearly 300 in total.  I went to Club […]

Nicaragua: Happy New Year from the Farringtons

We hope that you and your family have a wonderful and blessed New Year! This is our prayer card that we mailed out this year and we hope it gets on lots of our friends and families refrigerators 🙂  We really do love and appreciate the support for our family as missionaries here in Nicaragua […]

Brazil- being the hands and feet of Christ

Reflections…. I’m not one to share much but today I had a very different experience than normal……

East Asia: We are thankful for Christ Journey Church!

It’s been a while since my last message. We have had a wonderful Christmas and new year time and I’d love to share about how things are going over here. As I review the last semester, there are many blessings to share.  This past semester has been one of growth for Maggie and I. We […]

Miami YFC: Angel’s Story

Angel joined our Catalyst after-school program because she wanted to learn how to play the drums, write songs, and record music. But when we first met her, she had a huge wall up. She barely smiled and let us know that she was an atheist from day one. Anytime we would do an activity where […]

Brazil- school vacation bonding!

Hello everyone, We’d like to share with you a Blog post written by our daughter Jessica and her husband, Nate, about the special children’s event that we had here at the AMO property on Monday. This is just the first day of a three day event specifically designed for the little kids that we minister […]

January Cru newsletter – Larry and Betty Barr

The large Toyota service center waiting room was filled to capacity on Monday morning, November 12. I took one of the few available seats and pulled paper work from my canvass bag, hoping to “redeem the time” while repairs were made on our car. A woman sitting in the far corner rattled on and on, […]

Merry Christmas! You Hold the Key: Shalim’s Story

Merry Christmas from Miami Youth for Christ!  Please enjoy this video of Shalim sharing how Jesus changed his life.  People like YOU hold the key to making a difference in the lives of youth in Miami. Click here to learn more about our You Hold the Key campaign.

Cru at Purdue University

2018…What A Year! Here is a look back on all the Lord has done this past year at Purdue University.  “So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever.” -Joshua 4:7  

You Hold the Key: Yolande’s Story

As 2018 draws to a close, we are thinking seriously about the fact that as adults in Miami, we hold the key to unlocking a child’s relationship with Jesus.  When we give our time, talent, and a treasure to God, we make paths straight for children who are trying to walk the right way. Yolande […]

November Cru newsletter – Larry and Betty Barr

Punjabi . . . Hmm?  Sounds like a new Olympic sporting event. Or, perhaps it’s the latest model of one of those cute, one-seater cars puttering along beside you on local streets. Could it be a medical term?  Instead of a tonsil-lectomy or a bursectomy, you might be scheduled for a “punjabi.” Maybe it’s the […]

Brazil Nov newsletter

Greetings to all from Brazil, We would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving! May your time with family and friends be sweet and your hearts inclined towards HIM! Please take a look at what blessings we’ve been honored with…….. with grateful hearts, Pete and Jodi  

Guatemala Medical Mission: Day 6

The Christ Journey Medical Mission Team finished up their work with a half-day clinic.  They saw 75 people today bringing the total to 431 patients seen in three days of clinic. It had rained all night in Vista Hermosa so the clinic area was pretty muddy, but that did not stop patients from walking over […]

Guatemala Medical Mission: Day 5

Today was a full day for the Guatemala Medical Team. When they arrived at the village of Vista Hermosa there was already a long line of people that needed to be seen. So the team hit the ground running. They saw 160 patients.  All of them received the medicines they required. The Guatemalan people have […]

Brazil blessings!

Greetings from Brazil! The Lord is working in so many areas of our ministry with our volunteers, our church, our family, and within the hearts of those to whom we minister daily.

Guatemala Medical Mission: Day 4

The Guatemala Medical Team from Christ Journey traveled early to the village and spent a full day seeing patients.  The team saw 130 people both adults and children.  It’s interesting to note that most of the villagers thought the clinic would be just a small effort. When they realized that they were having three physicians, […]

Guatemala Medical Mission: Days 1-3

The Christ Journey Medical Mission Team consisting of two physicians, an ARNP, an RN and the Missions Pastor arrived in Guatemala on Friday, November 9. Another physician from a church in North Carolina joined them when he arrived 20 minutes later. As they entered the Guatemalan Airport, they were concerned because they had about $7000 […]

The TML Family

Here at Touching Miami with Love, we are so grateful for our decades-long partnership with Christ Journey. Your backing of our work makes each one of you a part of the TML family and there is nothing more fun than to watch family members grow and it’s also sad to see them move away. Family […]

Why I Went Over: To Conquer Fear!

We’ve launched our Over the Edge 2019 event!  In honor of OTE, we’ll spend the next few weeks sharing stories from folks who rappelled last year, in a series called “Why I Went Over the Edge.”  First up, we hear from Roxie, who rappelled for our Campus Life team, along with her husband, Jacob. To […]

Puerto Rico Mission Trip: Days 5 & 6

Puerto Rico Mission Trip: Day 4

Rome wasn’t built it in a day but IT WAS BUILT! Today all rebars were manually finished and installed in Orvie’s house and the concrete beams were nailed in from the inside and outside. The next goal is to pour the concrete but before the real work is the HARD WORK! With this kind of […]

Puerto Rico Mission Trip: Day 3

Teamwork makes the dreamwork! We are working on two different homes this week in Puerto Rico.  One of the goals for today was to clean and organize just to make it a workable space. The conditions we are working for at these homes some would find unbearable to live in YET this is the reality […]

Puerto Rico Mission Trip: Day 1 & 2

Christ Journey Church has sent a six-person team to Puerto Rico to assist in the rebuilding of several homes which were been damaged by Hurricane Maria in 2017. Our global mission partner, HOI, has organized this recovery effort and we are grateful for their commitment to serving those in need. Day 1 – Travel Our […]

October Cru newsletter – Larry and Betty Barr

Chicago’s hard statistics . . . 20 murders on one night, 50 murders over one weekend . . .  prompted us to call to check on some of the ministries which recently ordered materials from our Cru Resources office. Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) Jonathan King, Metro Director of Chicago CEF, explained that the violence actually […]

Cru at Purdue University

The intrigue was written all over Kathy’s* face (her name changed for anonymity). “I just don’t understand how God can forgive us for all we’ve done wrong if we just ask him,” she explained after Hannah and I walked her through the assurance someone has once they place their trust in Jesus. Kathy is a […]

Nicaragua: Casa Robles Rescue Home Update

THE UNSTOPPABLE HAND OF GOD When we sat in a Chili’s restaurant in San Jose, Costa Rica with the Schancks and Fredder having traveled together with Mama Angelica, Papa Yuri, his mom and grandmother by plane from Nicaragua, we were all pretty sure not a single one of us would have ever orchestrated things in […]

September Cru newsletter – Larry and Betty Barr

11th Grade, “Straight A” student, Larry Barr, listened quietly to the Spanish lesson review through his headset in the school language lab.  Suddenly, the Spanish teacher reached over Larry’s shoulder and grabbed the paper on which he had been doodling innocently.  “I can listen and write at the same time,” Larry defended himself.  “Not in MY […]

Superintendent Supportive of YFC’s Growth in Miami

I had almost given up on Campus Life as a viable model to reach teens. Although Campus Life pervaded almost every high school in the 70s, it seriously struggled in the late 80s, and by the 90s it went defunct completely. BUT in 2010 we had one club emerge at Coral Park High that was […]

Honduras Women Mission Team: Day 7

A week of service has come to completion for the Honduras Women Mission Team 2018. We praise God for the team’s safe return and look forward to sending more teams soon to minister and serve in the villages of the Agalta Valley. For more information about global or local mission opportunities through Christ Journey Church, […]

Honduras Women Mission Team: Day 6

Day 6: milking cows, saying heartfelt goodbyes in the village, leading another session of teacher training….the Honduras Women Mission team had another wonderful day. We praise God for this report from the team leader: “We have never had a mission team from North America who worked with our women to unite our village; after the […]

Honduras Women Mission Team: Day 5

Day 5 Update: Teaching these little ones to praise, worship, sing and dance unto the Lord is something we have been preparing for a while, the fruit of which was evident in yesterday’s VBS sessions. They learned it’s not who we are, but whose we are that causes us to worship the great I Am. […]

Honduras Women Mission Team: Day 4

As we pulled up to the tiny blue schoolhouse for day two of VBS, those little faces lit up! A warm welcome at the gate of the school and a beautiful hand painted banner for Christ Journey hung behind them. From the moment we began today’s lesson, the love of God beamed through these children. […]

Honduras Women Mission Team: Days 1-3

Sunday Night After two days of travel, we finally made it to the Ranch in the Agalta Valley of Honduras. There were twists, turns, obstacles, difficult decisions to be made, laughter, tears, and ultimately a joy and peace beyond understanding. To know and truly believe that God controls the good, the bad, the twists and […]

Camp Changes Lives

I met Salena when she asked me to do her hair for 5th graduation. That simple request launched a relationship that completely changed my life and Salena’s. A natural mentorship grew between me and this 4-foot firecracker. But around 12, Salena’s carefree existence turned dark. Domestic violence, molestation, and alcoholism darkened her path. She shut […]

East Asia: Growing faith and steadfast commitment

Hello Christ Journey Church Family, As another school year comes to a close, it is my privilege to share with you some of the amazing things God is doing here, as well as some of the ways you can be lifting us up in prayer. This has been a year of growth for us, both personally and […]

July Cru newsletter – Larry and Betty Barr

Dan Lane faced a difficult situation.  His father had passed away, leaving Dan’s mother with no financial provision.  Coming from a long line of hearty folks, most of whom lived well into their 90’s, Dan’s mom faced the prospect of living another 25 to 30 years . . . but with no income. Dan had […]

Nicaragua: Helping during this deadly political crisis.

There has been so much loss of life, pain and suffering in Nicaragua over the last few months.  With all the uncertainty, we feel burdened by the Lord to help as much as we can.  We asked our teachers and staff at Club Esperanza if there were specific needs that they have during this dark […]

City Life is ON THE BLOCK! (Miami YFC)

  If we want change to come to a City Life neighborhood, we know it’s not going come from outside; it must be within.  That’s why one of our cornerstone beliefs is that we not only lead kids to Jesus – we then teach them how to lead others to that same Love and Hope! […]

Brazil Crisis and Prayer Request

Hello from Brazil! Things here have calmed down since the crippling “Truckers Strike” last week. They were striking due to excessive taxes imposed, again, on gas and diesel. Brazil has one of the highest rates of taxes in the world! Truckers everywhere blocked highways and crippled commerce and all aspects of daily life (post offices, […]

The Spiritual Fruit of Multiplication

“I am SO thankful for the way God has used Megan in my life! When I first came to Moody, she was one of the first people I met and she invited me to her small group right away. I felt so loved and cared for — she helped me feel like I belonged at […]

June Cru newsletter – Larry and Betty Barr

Saturate Orlando Update It’s better to aim for a star and hit the moon than it is to aim at NOTHING and hit IT.  Regarding the Saturate Orlando outreach, which we highlighted in early March, the goal was like aiming for a star . . .  to hand-deliver a door hanger bag (including a multi-language […]

Nicaragua: Revolution in Progress

     Revolution in Progress…We moved here permenantly in 2005 and two years later Daniel Ortega was elected President of Nicaragua.  Ortega was a former President and Sandanista revolutionary from the 1980’s as Nicaragua ended a bloody civil war.  He won in 2007 by promising “Reconciliation.”  Over the past decade Nicaragua grew economically and his […]

Nicaragua: Middle School Team – Dominatin4Jesus#

Highlights of a great trip from Farrington’s recent Newsletter:  On Top of Chapel Hill at Ruby Ranch   Christ Journey Church…we had an awesome time with our home church from Miami earlier this Spring.  We hosted a good crowd of middle schoolers and their parents, all ready to work hard.  One of the major projects […]

Camp Changes Lives! (Miami YFC)

I met Salena when she asked me to do her hair for 5th graduation. That simple request launched a relationship that completely changed my life and Salena’s. A natural mentorship grew between me and this 4-foot firecracker. But around 12, Salena’s carefree existence turned dark. Domestic violence, molestation, and alcoholism darkened her path. She shut […]

GONZALEZ FAMILY • ATHLETES IN ACTION • MARCH 2018

      GONZALEZ NEWSLETTER       “At 2:00am my phone rang. I thought it was one of my athletes. But, the voice on the other line was a store manager asking me to pick up my passed-out athlete from her store in South Beach. I grabbed my keys and went to get her.” This […]

GONZALEZ FAMILY • ATHLETES IN ACTION • APRIL 2018

  GONZALEZ NEWSLETTER At the end of the Easter sermon, our pastor, Bill White, offered the opportunity to make a decision of faith. Admittedly, though we are supposed to keep our heads bowed and eyes closed, I peaked. To my delight, one of the international student athletes who came with us had a hand raised to […]

Brazil Update

Greetings from Brazil! Please take a moment to see all the WONDERFUL things God is doing in the ministry! We covet your prayers! Blessings, Pete and Jodi      

Walking Through Trauma in Miami

My phone buzzed late at night.  I was shocked to see the high school counselor’s name on my phone. It was about Juliana*, a high school junior. She explained that Juliana had been severely abused by a group of young men; she had survived but was in bad shape. My heart pounding, I dialed Juliana and […]

Political Unrest…Please Pray for Nicaragua

Some of you may have heard on Facebook or seen in the news that Nicaragua is in the middle of some pretty serious Political unrest.  We want to let everyone know that we are all ok and nothing has escalated to a very dangerous level for most people.  There are however protests going on in […]

April Cru newsletter – Larry and Betty Barr

We almost crossed paths with Ken Chapman back in 1979 when I (Larry) served as a linguistics instructor for Agape International Training, an intensive, 12-week course required for all Cru staff members heading to overseas ministries.  Ken, a trained dentist, had been recruited to open a dental clinic at the Mengo Hospital in Uganda. His […]

East Asia: Opportunities & Changes

Hello Christ Journey Family, My last message gave a general description of what our River of Life East Asia outreach mission does, and now I’m happy to give another update on the exciting things that are taking place here. We started a new semester a few weeks ago and it has proven to be one […]

Haiti Students 2018: Day 6

Hello family and friends, The only way to describe today would be bittersweet but we’re so full of God’s love. The way He has worked in us in just 6 days truly shows how good and miraculous He is. The emotions that consumed us during the entirety of the day was so overwhelming, at least […]

Ecuador 2018 Day 6

It’s day six and we are all currently sitting in the airport, running on about 3 hours of sleep, but nevertheless, it was another incredible day in Ecuador, and sadly our last. We arrived at the school nice and early after a delicious breakfast, per usual. Science did the diet coke and mentos volcano experiment, English […]

Nicaragua Students 2018 -Day 6

Day 6 – A Lake, A Volcano, and Some Souvenirs Well folks, there is no denying that the end is near ☹ Day 6 was our last full day here in Nicaragua and we were determined to make the most of it. We started with the usual, morning devotional time followed by a hearty breakfast. […]

Nicaragua Students 2018 – Day 5

Day 5 – Ruby’s House of Prayer Sorry for the late entry but we’re non stop here in Nicaragua and we’re 2 hours behind. We continue to believe that each day and each experience can’t be topped; however, the Lord continues to impress and prove us wrong. Each morning starts with personal devotional time somewhere […]

Haiti Day 5- Endless Praise

Hey! It’s Hailey Nicole, Katia Marie, and Jessica Faith (N.M.F.) in the lobby of the hotel recapping the best day ever…The morning started off with us waking up at 7:42am just in time for the 7:45am breakfast. We hopped into the van and headed to “Caye George”, a.k.a. George’s house (George is the main supplier […]

Haiti Day 4: THE BOYYZZZ

Hey guys, it’s your boys, Reed, Max, Spencer, and Colin, coming at you with another blog from Jeanton. It’s day 4 out here and we are having a wonderful and eye-opening experience. Today started like any other day, with Tim banging on our door an hour before breakfast when we only need 10 minutes to […]

Cru at Purdue University- Springs of Living Water to Guatemala

Karly, a student at Indiana University, described sharing her faith for the first time as, “the greatest feeling! I was praying that he [God] would give me the courage to share because I felt like it was something placed on my heart that week and I didn’t want my fear to stand in the way […]

Ecuador Team Day 4

This morning began with an unsettling start; we woke up to the sound of thunder and heavy rain. Fortunately, after a very satisfying breakfast, the rain began to subside, and our excitement began to build for the upcoming day. We divided into two groups and taught the younger children the importance of prayer. Afterwards, the […]

Nicaragua Students 2018 – Day 4

Day 4 here in Nicaragua and the team is really firing on all cylinders. We started the day with a great breakfast (as usual) and jumped onto the big yellow school bus for a 1-hour ride out to the Ruby Ranch. The Ruby Ranch is this magical place out in the country side. It’s equal […]

Haiti Day 3: Speechless

‘Kimothy” began their rounds at 6:30 am…breakfast was at 7:45. There’s nothing better than starting your morning with some eggs and spaghetti. We boarded the bus: little did we know the adventure that awaited. We may have left some parts of the bus in the river and the mountainside, but we finally made it. We began […]

Nicaragua Students 2018 – Day 3

Today was service day 3 and it was another beautiful day. We were awoken with a wonderful breakfast made Margarita and Maria. Our morning was occupied with doing VBS, where we spent about three hours with the kids doing crafts and games. It was our first day of manual labor and we moved 56 HEAVY […]

Ecuador Students 2018: Day 3

Waking up to a hazy skyline and watching it gradually fade away into the terraced cliffs of Quito, surrounded by clouds feet away from our heads, is our team’s daily reminder of the beauty and power of the God whom we are here in Ecuador to serve. After an early start, we had our usual […]

Ecuador Students 2018: Day 2

Today was an extremely powerful day filled with events. Today was a day meant for relaxing. We visited “La Mitad Del Mundo”, where we learned about the historical and scientific marvels of the equator. While the high altitude has done a number on us, we had a lot of fun. After taking a trip to […]

Nicaragua Students 2018 – Day 2

Day two has been very exciting yet it has felt very long. We started off the day by waking up early and doing our devotionals on the third floor. Then, we had a delicious breakfast(cooked by the amazing Mrs. Maria). After that, we went to a church service and thankfully understood the message because of […]

Haiti Day 2: Let’s Hear it for the GIRLS!

Alo! Mwen rele Bailey and mwen rele Amanda, the coolest kids in all the land. By “the land” we mean Haiti! Today was our first full day in ]eanton. We woke up to a beautiful country, ready for a day of giving ourselves to what God would have for us and the community we’re partnering […]

Haiti Students 2018: Day 1

Hi to all! This is Thomas and Douglas speaking, and the following message is going to recap how amazing of an experience our first day in Jeanton, Haiti was. At the crack of dawn, the post team arrived at church, tired from the lack of sleep the night before due to our endless excitement and speculation. […]

Ecuador Students 2018: Day 1

God blessed us with safe travels and great fund during our journey to Quito. Pancho, Pitty, Daniel, Matthew and Maria Victoria were all at the airport to greet us with a warm smile and a hug.

Nicaragua Students 2018: Day 1

“Therefore as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion. kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.” Colossians 3:12 We are in Nicaragua! We are writing to you after just finishing with our devotional time. God met with us on an open aired 3rd floor rooftop where we worshipped Him through song and prayer. […]

Nicaragua: Starting the School Year at Club Esperanza…

In the beginning of February we had the first day of School at Club Esperanza…it was lots of fun!  We were able to do a Facebook Live video and i attached it below…hope you have a chance to watch 🙂 This year we have Early Childhood Education, Elementary School Classes, Elementary School tutoring, High School […]

March Cru newsletter – Larry and Betty Barr

We are writing to invite you to pray for an immediate, time-sensitive, evangelistic outreach in the greater Orlando, FL area, pictured above.  Our Cru Resources office is involved, as you will read below. Our international Cru headquarters (located near Lake Hart in the lower right side of the map) is partnering with YWAM (Youth with […]

Brazil- Sleepover Camp 2018

Camp, that wonderful time of year where kids from the poor communities where we minister get to leave their surroundings for a  few days to get distracted, have fun and eat lots of yummy food. Aka, a time of wonderful exhaustion for all of us camp volunteers! Our goal for Camp is to bring the […]

Gonzalez Family • Athletes in Action • January 2018

“As a college freshmen, when you look at the next four years that you have at the University of Miami, what do you hope for?” asked Brittany as she leaned forward intently listening to indoor-volleyball outside-hitter Cameron Dobbs. Cam, as her teammates affectionately call her, replied, “I want to make an impact on my team for Jesus.”

January Cru newsletter – Larry and Betty Barr

After unusual circumstances rendered this past Christmas one of the most hectic in our memory, it is a pleasure to be “snow bound” and working at home today . . . quite an unusual experience and only the third time in our memory since moving to GA. On top of the regular hustle-and-bustle stresses common […]

A message from our hearts in Ecuador

Dear Christ Journey Family, This year 2018, ends in 8. Eight means “New Beginnings”; but “18” in Hebrew means life. 2017 was a hard year for many of us, most of us or for all of us. However, there is always hope if we trust in our Abba Father. We want to encourage you to believe! […]

Miami Youth for Christ Update: “They treated me like I was one of them.”

My first year as a leader of a City Life KIX program, one girl brought her friend to KIX.  Her pregnant friend.  Her six months pregnant friend.  Her six month pregnant friend who tragically lost her 2 year old son months earlier.  Her six months pregnant friend who tragically lost her son and then had […]

Brazil Christmas

To our friends and family, We want to thank you for your continued prayer and financial support this year and for allowing us to minister to the poor and needy here in Brazil. It has been a whirlwind year which has kept us running even up until this afternoon! Many blessings have come our way […]

Brazil November Newsletter

November 2017 Newsletter We encourage you to take a few minutes and see all the blessings we have received this past quarter! ***Note: After many unsuccessful tries I have finally been able to at least get into the Blog again- whoo hoo! We apologize for the unexpected delay in updating everyone but, now that I […]

East Asia: New Missionary Partners

Every year during this season of giving we support our Global Journey Partners through our GIVE GLOBAL campaign. Our gifts are given in the name of Jesus to extend the message of the gospel throughout the nations. Please consider a gift to GIVE GLOBAL to continue funding brave global mission partners who share the good news […]

Christ Journey Toy Drive

The Christ Journey Toy Drive will benefit children connected to three local mission partners: Touching Miami with Love, Feed Miami Food Pantry and the Florida Baptist Children’s Home. Those toys donated to Touching Miami With Love will be given to their Christmas Store, which serves families in Miami’s poorest neighborhoods of Overtown and West Homestead. […]

Faith in Action: The Raffalski Family

Since 2009, when our daughter, Abigail, and her three sweet church friends decided they could do something about the food scarcity issues in their own city, our family has contributed to this important cause by organizing a neighborhood Feed Miami collection each fall and spring.  And so this is the way we have spent four […]

Chaya & David Sumanth India 2018 Trip Update

Dear Christ Journey Family, As I write this you are busy preparing for Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow with all your loved ones. Have a blessed and meaningful Thanksgiving! David and I are overwhelmed with God’s faithfulness and mercy all through the year, and especially even more so during this trip. We are back in Hyderabad now […]

Nicaragua: Re-Opening the school from La Chureca!

It has been almost five years now since we had to close Colegio Esperanza in La Chureca. We trusted God in that time and didn’t grasp at straws, because we knew that our service to the children and families from La Chureca was for His Glory.  And we also know how much God loves all […]

Guatemala Vision Trip 2017

The look on Pastor John Churchill’s face said it all. Our tire was just inches from taking us to eternity but we are joyful to say we made it safely to our destination! We have been on a vision trip in the Western Highlands of Guatemala, a very beautiful part of the country, to visit […]

November Cru newsletter – Larry and Betty Barr

Paul wasn’t quite two years old, and his brother about four, when the Great Depression hit (1929).  Their father was among the one-in-four American men who lost their jobs.  To survive, Paul’s dad plowed up the yard and planted a garden. In time, Paul and his brother helped by loading up their red wagon and […]

“Student Spotlight” article features Katie Gray

Katie Gray, a seventh grader at Leewood K-8 Center, has been featured in the Community Newspaper “The Leewood Legend”.  She has been highlighted for her academic and sports achievements and her involvement with Feed Miami, City Serve and Christ Journey global mission trips. Last Spring Break Katie went to the Bahamas and this year she […]

Honduras Vision Trip 2017

Many Honduran people in certain areas of the country suffer from lack of food, clean water, medical care, hygiene, a habitable home, job skills and an education. To better understand and evaluate this need, Christ Journey sent a vision team to the Agalta Valley in Olancho, Honduras to visit a ministry site of a potential […]

Nicaragua: God’s Provision at Club Esperanza

In reading Christian history and the amazing things men and women of God have done throughout the centuries, there is inevitably a beautiful story told of God’s provision at the perfect moment.  I remember reading about an orphanage of hundreds of kids in England.  There was no food or milk for the many mouths.  At […]

Open Doors to Open Hearts at Touching Miami with Love

We are so grateful for the support of Christ Journey Church to us at Touching Miami with Love. Our doors are always open for each of you to see the impact of your giving and we invite you to stop in and see us at our Overtown or West Homestead Site. When you do, here […]

October Cru newsletter – Larry and Betty Barr

Please picture a ball pit (that padded box where children release their energy wading through bright yellow, red, green, and blue hollow plastic balls while their moms sit back and enjoy a fast food sandwich and soda).  Now picture yourself giving each child in the pit a large mesh bag.  You explain that on the […]

Athletes in Action at University of Miami 2017 Highlights

Youth for Christ: It Broke My Heart to Tell Her NO

It was at a meeting with the Miami Dade Police Department and Juvenile Services that I had to say no. We were inviting the officers to bring at-risk youth in the south area to participate in Project Dade, Miami YFC’s 12-week faith based course for high-risk youth. Our prayers were answered when they responded with […]

AUGUST 2017 • GONZALEZ NEWSLETTER • ATHLETES IN ACTION

Hi Brittany. My name is Lauren Reedy. I dive at the University of Missouri and am involved with AIA there. I’m always hearing so much about you and I’ve been wanting to…

August Cru newsletter – Larry and Betty Barr

5,000 U.S. Cru Staff Members gathered at Colorado State University, July 16 – 23 for Cru17, the biennial training & teaching conference for Cru / Campus Crusade for Christ. Everyone gathered for General Sessions in The Rams’ Moby Gymnasium.  Heightened security for the conference required each participant to wear not only their large conference name tag, but also a bright […]

Summer 2017 • Gonzalez Newsletter • Athletes in Action

“This is the first time I open a Bible,” Gavin whispered to himself as he turned to Genesis to discover God’s design for sex during one of our teaching sessions of…

Bahamas: Happy Sad (Family Mission Day 4)

Well, today was a full day of readying the garden for seeding, loving the children at VBS and spending quality time with the church leaders as well as with our own team. We are pretty tired, but not weary. We are sun-kissed, but not burned. And we are happy, but also sad. Today was our […]

Brazil- weddings, teams, and kids galore!

I find myself combining two months posts into just one and I really don’t know where to start! To say we’ve been busy would be a total understatement! We had the incredible privilege to see our oldest daughter, Jessica get married recently. We are officially the proud parents of a wonderful son-in-law, Nathan Becker. Pete […]

Bahamas: Robots and Rakes (Family Mission Day 3)

Greetings from the island! Things are underway and going well, not without some usual distractions and diversions that always seem to accompany a mission, but nothing that surprises God and prevents Him from doing what He wants to do here. Yes, it’s HOT! Yes, the insects enjoy us! Yes, the technology didn’t initially work as […]

Bahamas: Getting to Work! (Family Mission Day 2)

We are ready! This morning, right after breakfast, we began detailed preparations for today’s work. The dads in our group went to assess the spot where we will build a garden, while the rest of our team met to practice (pic below) for the teaching and worship time of today’s VBS. Once the soil and […]

Bahamas: Safe, Sound and Sea-sickless! (Family Mission Day 1)

Good morning, Christ Journey! As you prepare to gather in Coral Gables or Kendall in Miami… or anywhere around the world if you’re joining us online, our power-packed team of 12 is preparing to worship Bahama-style at the Emmanuel Baptist Church in McLean’s Town, Grand Bahama. We had a long day of travel yesterday, making […]

July Cru newsletter – Larry and Betty Barr

The timing of the two emails from a university faculty member couldn’t have been better.  We had just begun to work on a newsletter to highlight an outstanding new resource (A Grander Story: An Invitation to Christian Professors) just released by Faculty Commons, Cru’s ministry to faculty and graduate students.  And who should we hear […]

Touching Miami with Love & Run51 Music Video

Touching Miami with Love kids know how to live and enjoy each moment!  We were so pleased to be invited to take part in Run51’s latest music video for their song “This Moment.” Jason Burris of Athletes in Action at the University of Miami is Run51’s drummer and long-time partner of Touching Miami with Love. The […]

Ecuador • Fundación Amor y Esperanza • May 2017

In April, we received a team from our Christ Journey Church family. Twenty students and leaders blessed us with their hard work on the ongoing construction for our new school building. The Christ Journey team worked with the students at the school during the mornings and then they headed to the new school building to […]

May 2017 • Gonzalez Newsletter • Athletes in Action

“God is on the move in the UM Athletic Department,” said Kyle Bellamy, as he spoke during our appreciation brunch this month. We had the honor of hosting Kyle and his family in our home as he shared with our…

May Cru newsletter – Larry and Betty Barr

Unfortunately, we didn’t think to snap the picture that would have been worth a thousand words.  Machine parts were lying about while the repairman tried to attend to the needs of our aged and ailing photocopier.  He practically crawled inside the machine looking for the proverbial missing screw, although in this case it was an […]

Brazil Update

Hello everyone, Please check out our latest newsletter!……

April • Gonzalez Newsletter • Athletes in Action

She’s only been involved with Athletes in Action (AIA) for the spring semester of her senior year, and Angela Algee is taking advantage of…

Brazil- April Easter Update

He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Matthew 28:6 What beautiful words those are! To know that death does not have a hold over our Lord and Savior! Today was such a beautiful day to worship and thank our heavenly Father for His Son, His sacrifice, and His love! This has been […]

Bahamas Student Mission Trip – Day 6

As this middle school mission trip comes to its conclusion, Evan and I reflect on our final day filled with a hope, encouragement and excitement that is truly unexplainable. We began our final morning incredibly early, just as the sun rose, to participate in a local church service which began on the street to honor […]

Brazil- March Update

So many things have happened since our last update …. A really big blessing is that the girl for whom we requested prayer in our last update trusted in Jesus as her Lord! She came to our four day sleepover Camp and was impacted by what she learned during that time. She tearfully gave her […]

April Cru Easter note – Larry and Betty Barr

Standing before Pilate, Jesus clearly and simply stated His purpose.  “. . . for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth.”  (John: 18:37) “What is truth?” Pilate asked.  But he refused to search deeper to discover the answer to His own question. Our country […]

Ecuador Mission Trip – Day 5

Assuming that you’re reading when you wake up, good morning! It is currently 1 am here in Ecuador and we are still up writing each others encouragement letters, and needless to say, we are all very tired. Our day began with chocolate covered fruit kabobs and blue skies. As we all pilled on to the […]

Bahamas Student Mission Trip – Day 5

Today, we woke up to an amazing breakfast that consisted of pancakes & eggs. Later, at about 3:00, we drove over to the youth center to start VBS. In VBS, we talked about seashells and how they represented the empty tomb that Jesus rose from. Today was the last day of VBS and it was […]

Bahamas Student Mission Trip – Day 4

Today started off with some of the kids trying to keep up with our marathon runner Evan. They ran about two miles on the beach which really made it difficult!  After that we went to the church to put on VBS and Christine taught the kids that they should “always share Jesus with others!” I […]

Ecuador Student Mission Trip – Day 4

Happy day to all of our family and friends! It’s Marlee, Tori, and Ryan speaking, and we would like to apologize for how late this post is going to be. Tonight’s devotional with Pancho and Pity was overwhelmingly beautiful and we’re still recovering from the intense amount of tears shed because of the breakthrough experienced […]

Nicaragua Student Mission Trip – Day 4

Crowded streets and traffic were replaced by winding roads and horses, as we made our way to Ruby Ranch. It was almost impossible not to stare in awe at the scenery that surrounded us. We arrived at Ruby Ranch and received a disclaimer from Krista Farrington who warned us that, “It’s the dry season, so […]

Nicaragua Student Mission – Day 3

When waking up to a beautiful sunrise and birds chirping, our day was already set up for success. After making some of the best peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to ever be created, our team enjoyed breakfast and hopped on to the bus to head to day 2 of our VBS at Club Esperanza. Our […]

Ecuador Student Mission Trip – Day 3

While it rained, our second day at Amor y Esperanza was a beautiful success. Learning from trial and error from the first day, as we gathered for lunch for some fantastic burritos, the team was expressing how great today was and how much the kids enjoyed the math lessons. After building relationships with the kids […]

Bahamas Student Mission Trip – Day 3

Today was even more than expected. We had amazing French toast and fruit. Once we got to the church, we painted the entire thing. During VBS, the kids learned that even on our crabby days we can still turn to God. Christine asked me to share the Bible story of “Jonah and the Whale” with […]

Nicaragua Student Mission Trip – Day 2

Today was a great day of JOY!  We visited Club Esperanza for a full day of fun and hard work.  From the red light green light to the armor of God, the children spread immense joy and happiness. The side walk is half finished and the bones of many are sore but we still hold the […]

Ecuador Student Mission Trip – Day 2

Click here to watch the morning with the kids. We back, part 2. It’s just us boys this time. Reed, Niko, Trevor, Colin, and Ryan. Today we woke up to a surprising beautiful view; excited to meet our students for the first time. We loaded up the bus and headed out to Amor y Esperanza […]

Bahamas Student Mission Trip – Day 2

Today was even better than yesterday. Some of the guys woke up at 6:00am so they could work on the church. Today we just primed the church and dug up all the weeds with butter knives. Once we finished working we started to prepare for Vacation Bible School. We set out snacks for all the […]

Nicaragua Student Mission Trip – Day 1

Waking up at the crack of dawn, we felt exhilarated at the thought of what was to come, while at the same time a nervousness that was driven by us both being first time Mission-Trip-goers. The church experience in itself was so different than anything that we had ever been to. Whether it was the […]

Ecuador Student Mission Trip – Day 1

Hello from Ecuador, it’s Amanda, Brianne, and Lindsey here. We’re going to take this blog all the way back to the beginning of our day. We woke up to the lovely knocks of Mr. David Gray at the door at 7am… sharp and headed UP the many…MANY stairs to eat the amazing empanadas and blackberry […]

Bahamas Student Mission Trip – Day 1

Today started up nice and early. We woke up at 7:00 to go to the Palm Sunday service at New Emmanuel Baptist Church. The service was incredible and the worship was even better. After church we came back to our bungalows and ate gourmet PB&J’s which where delicious. After we finished eating we drove over […]

Touching Miami with Love Supporting Families

Family time is important in order to strengthen bonds, and sharing in special events together creates memories that make being a part of a family feel special. But what if you don’t have transportation or you can’t afford the entry price for the popular events in your city?  Without a car, it is hard to […]

March Cru newsletter – Larry and Betty Barr

We designed our display to be self-explanatory.  Someone passing by our table at the post conference could easily grasp who we are, what we do, and why. 65 . . . 25 . . . 400 . . . HIKE!  Well . . . no, we weren’t talking football.  Panel #1 of our display simply […]

Update- Brazil

Happy 2017 to everyone from all of us here at Apascentai Minhas Ovelhas (Feed My Sheep) Brazil! We are overjoyed at the abundant blessings that the Lord has poured on this ministry. He continually provides for our needs and opens doors which seem impossible, to the human eye, to open. If you have not read […]

January & February • Gonzalez Newsletter • Athletes in Action

“Come meet the team Wednesday at 5pm,” said Head Baseball Coach, Jim Morris, as he invited Steve DeBardelaben and I (Anthony) to share our ministry with the UM Baseball players. During the team meeting, Steve, Jason Burris, and I shared our testimonies and made ourselves available for follow up. Amazingly, 21 out of the 31 players indicated a desire to…

Year end blessings- Brazil

What a joyful Christmas Eve celebration of Jesus’s birth in the slums that are overridden by drugs, crime, prostitution, drunkenness, hunger and abandoned children and infants who die young. God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit was the unseen God attending and providing a banquet in honor of His Son’s birthday […]

January Cru newsletter – Larry and Betty Barr

Jane’s regular job as a flight attendant gave her a flexible work schedule, and she wanted to invest some of her free time in Christian ministry.  A friend suggested that she contact Cru (known then as Campus Crusade for Christ).  Sure enough, John, the Southeast Area Director for the campus ministry needed a part-time, volunteer […]

Athletes in Action • Gonzalez Newsletter

Shannon McCarthy has been a frequent story that we’ve shared. She has recently completed her final soccer season with UM as the team captain, and here’s what she wrote as her “Captain’s Corner” entry on the Hurricane Sports webpage. “Recently, I have been asked what the best part of my college career was. Academically and athletically, […]

New Missions Blog

We have launched a new website for Christ Journey! We give thanks to God for the skills, dedication and provision in making this possible. Many more improvements are still on the way. We hope this new online experience will be of much benefit to you. Stay tuned for updates from our local and global partners!