The Cross - Stories of God's Love in Action - Third Quarter 2022

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Our Mission :

Cross International reaches those in deepest need around the world, helping them thrive. Through longstanding partnerships with local Christian ministries working in their own communities, we empower generous believers who give financial and prayer support to strategically advance the gospel and bring transformative change.

We empower the Body of Christ to transform the poor and their communities, physically and spiritually, for the glory of Jesus Christ.

GIFTS IN KIND

Cross International receives donated products such as food and medical supplies from partners in the United States and delivers them to where they’re needed most around the world.

In Cross’ Fiscal Year 2022 we delivered over 4 million meals and over $75 million worth of medical supplies to people in need in places like Nicaragua, Malawi, and El Salvador.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

STORIES OF GOOD NEWS FOR THE HURTING

WhatsAppening:

around the

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A Summer Without Hunger:

Clean Water Transforms

in

Partner Highlight:

for

Finding Her Place:

WhatsAppening

ZAMBIA: A woman waters crops as part of a Cross International agriculture project in partnership with the Kachere Development Program.

UKRAINE: In the midst of the war in Ukraine, internally displaced Ukrainians sign up for help and support from DORCAS, Cross International’s local partner in Eastern Europe.

HAITI: Students celebrate getting new uniforms at a Cross International supported school for restavek children in Haiti.

KENYA: The staff of Kupenda for the Children, a Cross International partner dedicated to serving children with disabilities, pose for a photo outside of their office in Kilifi County north of Mumbasa.

GUATEMALA: A girl shows off some freshly picked coffee beans in El Milagro, the site of a Cross International community transformation project with local partner Hope of Life.

ECUADOR: Kelly Miller, President and CEO of Cross International, visits with leaders of the Moses Project.

A Summer Hunger

School feeding program makes sure hungry kids get the food they need

Summer can be an extremely difficult time for children in the developing world. During the school year, many boys and girls depend on daily school lunches to meet their nutritional needs. For some, school lunches are the only food they can rely on. Then when summer “vacation” comes the meals suddenly stop. Without consistent meals, these children can begin slipping into malnutrition. In the more extreme cases, this can lead to stunted growth, and even impaired cognitive development, which may impact the child for the rest of their life.

For hardworking parents who, try as they might, simply lack the resources they need to ensure that their kids get enough food, the summer months can be heartbreaking. In Haiti, the poorest country in the western hemisphere, lack of nutrition during summer remains a major problem. That’s why Cross International has partnered with Divine Shelter Schools (DSS) to implement a summer feeding program for at-risk children in Haiti.

Serving well over 200 children in multiple locations, the Cross International and DSS summer feeding program includes a morning devotion, Bible lesson, art class, math

and grammar tutoring, sports, hygiene education and, of course, nutritious meals! To ensure that each child is getting the food they need, the DSS staff also make sure to track the weight of each child throughout the summer.

It’s only because of the generous support of kind Cross International partners like you that these precious girls and boys are enjoying daily, healthy meals this summer. Thank you for showing them God’s love through their full bellies!

Meet the DSS Summer Feeding Program Students

Claudine is a rising 4th grader attending the summer feeding program at the Divine Shelter School of Bellanger. Claudine’s father works in a factory that produces ice and her mother sells cookies to help provide for Claudine and her three siblings. Claudine is thankful for the food and fun she enjoys at DSS.

Claudine

Sadly, Jessica’s parents are separated so she and her three siblings live with their father in a rented hut. Jessica will be in 4th grade when school begins again at DSS Bellanger. The daily meals Jessica receives at the summer feeding program are helping her grow healthy and strong!

Jessica

Clean Water

TRANSFORMS LIVES IN

“Our lives were very different before,” remembered Victorino, a father of two from Nicaragua.

“Every day I had to get up extremely early in order to walk to the river so that I could take a shower and return in time to start my workday. It was even more difficult for my wife because she was tasked with retrieving water from the river in buckets, making multiple trips back and forth. She had to go bathe the children in the river and wash all the clothes there because our well, more times than not, did not have enough water at home.”

The lack of clean water in

their region of Nicaragua created problems that permeated virtually every aspect of their lives. Victorino continued, “The water we were drinking from our well was contaminated and we had no privacy to take care of our sanitary needs.”

Not only was the lack of clean water a problem for Victorino, his family, and his community, but economic issues plagued them as well. “Every planting season I would have to seek help from a loan, but the loans I would find always had interest rates that were extremely high and nearly impossible to pay off.” Struggles like these are all too common for those facing poverty in Nicaragua, and other developing nations.

NICARAGUA

Victorino’s community was in desperate need, but thanks to Cross International friends like you, help was on the way. Through Cross International’s partner in Nicaragua, Amigos for Christ, the community was transformed! “My entire life is drastically different now,” Victorino exclaimed. “Amigos has changed not only me and my family’s lives, but also my entire community… Now we have access to abundant clean, running water, a modern bathroom, we have learned about hygiene and health, and we have grown our family income through a microcredit loan program.”

Stories like Victorino’s are only made possible through the caring and compassionate support of Cross International partners. Thank you for helping to change lives and for showing Christ’s love in tangible ways to struggling families and communities around the world.

They [Amigos for Christ and Cross International] have been a blessing for us and have taught us what we need to know to continue to pursue our dreams as a community.

PARTNER Highlight

KUPENDA FOR THE CHILDREN, KENYA

When Cynthia Bauer, an American grad student, met Leonard Mbonani, a Kenyan special needs teacher, in 1999, they never imagined that their partnership would lead to improved health and inclusion for thousands of disabled Kenyan children. But that’s exactly what has come to pass with the establishment of Kupenda for the Children.

...helping to change and reverse the cultural stigmas around disabilities in Kenya...

Many people in Kenya believe that disabilities are caused by witchcraft or are a punishment from God. Kupenda for the Children’s mission is to fight against these harmful beliefs by training local pastors and

community leaders to serve as advocates for children with disabilities. Today, in partnership with Cross International, Kupenda for the Children provides a series of tailored trainings on disability knowledge, family counseling, and abuse prevention. After that, pastors go through a “Training of Trainers” program so that they are able to train their peers as well.

Thanks to your support of Cross International, Kupenda for the Children is helping to change and reverse the cultural stigmas around disabilities in Kenya and give these precious children the community support they need.

Reaching More Children

At the age of 70.5, IRA account holders can make direct tax-free transfers from their account to a non-profit organization, up to a $100,000 lifetime limit. Charitable transfers can count toward the required minimum distributions most individuals must make each year after they are 72 or older.

John and Kathleen kindly make a gift from their IRA to Cross International every year. This couple directs their gifts to the Thriving Kids Initiative, which meets the urgent long- and short-term needs of children and families in impoverished communities. As John, a retired United States military officer, shares, “It’s easy to transfer funds from our IRA to Cross - and we know that we’re lifting even more children out of poverty this way.” Typically, John and Kathleen direct their IRA giving to help provide medical aid and food to children and families around the world through Cross International.

As part of their estate, donors can designate Cross International as a partial or full beneficiary of an IRA. Doing so can protect your IRA assets from potential tax burdens for your heirs.

of you should use whatever gift

have received

serve others, as faithful stewards

God’s grace in

various forms.

INFORMATION

funds from your IRA to Cross International

designating Cross International

a beneficiary

fund, please contact:

Development Officer

Finding Her Place

IN HAITI DISCOVERS BELONGING

Meh is a 14-year-old girl from Delmas, Haiti. The youngest of five children, Meh was born with Down syndrome.

Despite her condition, Meh began school at the age of five. Sadly, though, she struggled to find the support she needed. Her parents tried sending her to three different schools, but each time Meh’s special needs were not cared for.

At one school, a particularly mean teacher would beat poor Meh leaving her with

bruises on her arms and legs.

Violent protests and civil unrest in Haiti further complicated Meh’s education and her parents didn’t know where to turn next.

Then they discovered the National Academy of Excellence (NAE), a Cross International partner in their area.

Officially opening in 2016, NAE is a school that provides primary education for children living on campus as well as

kids, like Meh, who live nearby.

Thankfully for Meh, NAE even provides for children with special needs, ensuring that they too get the opportunity to learn in a positive and healthy environment.

For Meh and her family, the National Academy of Excellence has been an answer to prayer. Meh has finally found the place where she feels like she belongs.

Since she began attending NAE, Meh has shown remarkable improvement in her fine motor skills, spelling, and vocabulary.

At the NAE’s annual Christmas show, Meh even performed a song during the school play!

In the short time she’s been at NAE, Meh has made great progress and she says how much she loves going to school and how proud she is to be an NAE student!

Programs like NAE are so important for children like Meh who have special needs and nowhere else to turn.

Thank you for helping this precious young lady, and so many other children, get the priceless gifts of loving care and a quality education.

Reaching Those in Deepest Need

Thank you for your ongoing commitment to serve those who are poor and suffering in Jesus’ name. With your help, Cross International will continue empowering local ministries with the help they need to serve their communities.

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