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!
