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STORIES OF GOD’S LOVE IN ACTION
At Cross International, we care deeply for each and every individual we’re blessed to serve thanks to the kindness and generosity of faithful supporters like you. Each person is so much more than a number, but sometimes the numbers are helpful to demonstrate the incredible impact you’re making around the globe. Below are some highlights from CI’s 2022 Annual Report.
Number of children and family members who received help in CI’s 2022 Fiscal Year: 100,370
Servings of fortified rice distributed: 4,378,140
6,459 adults and 4,590 children received clean water
4,439 children received daily hot meals at Cross International supported schools
3,888 children benefitted from CI Children with Disability advocacy programs and education
560,495 bottles of pharmaceuticals were distributed
STORIES OF GOOD NEWS FOR THE HURTING
Surviving Ukraine
Partner Highlight
Casa Bernabe, Guatemala
On the Move
A little girl gets the care she needs in Zambia
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Relief by Boat Delivering packages of food to an island in El Salvador
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A Mother and Daughter Seek Help in the Midst of War
WhatsAppening
HAITI: Kids at the Children’s Club of Solino show off their new Bibles, provided by Cross International donors.
MALAWI: Children enjoy a tasty lunch at the Ambuya Development Center (ADC), Cross’ local partner in Malawi.
EL SALVADOR
A group of adults with special needs gather for a meal at HOPAC, a care facility for adults unable to care for themselves supported by Cross International through our local partner, The Friendly Hand Foundation.
GUYANA
Girls show off their T-shirt craft projects at Ruimveldt Children’s Home and Care Center (RCHCC), a CI partner caring for children in need.
GUATEMALA
A teacher gets ready for class at Cross International partner Casa Bernabe, a school and residential care center for children and youth who have been orphaned, abused, and neglected.
NICARAGUA
Construction begins on a new home for a family in need as part of the CI community transformation project in Nueva San Jose.
Relief by Boat
Delivering packages of food to an island in El Salvador
Cordoncillo Island is a picturesque tropical paradise with stunning blue waters and palm trees heavily laden with ripe coconuts. It’s situated near the mouth of an inland waterway on El Salvador’s Pacific coast. The hour or so drive from the capital San Salvador passes through many small villages rife with poverty flanked by expensive looking beachfront homes and resorts. The contrast between wealth and poverty appears again during the short boat ride to the island itself. Just off shore, dozens of beautiful sail boats occupied by vacationing foreigners rock gently in the calm water. Just on shore, a village of perhaps 90 families struggles to survive with few basic resources. It’s this village that we’re here to visit. Cross International staff are joining staff from our local partner, the Friendly Hand Foundation, to bring bags of food relief to the families of Cordoncillo Island.
We’ve loaded a boat with 100 packages of food, including vitamin fortified rice, for a distribution on the island.
Upon arrival, a kind of bucket brigade forms to unload the bags of food from the boat. On shore, a crowd starts to gather. Since this is the second food distribution of the month facilitated by the Friendly Hands Foundation, the people of Cordoncillo Island are excited for the continued help feeding their families. Over the next hour or so each family receives at least one bag of food to take back to their homes.
Maria Fernanda, a 13-year-old girl wearing her school uniform, expresses her gratitude saying, “this food is going to help our family. We’re so grateful for the help you give us!”
Thank you for partnering with Cross International to bring relief and help to the people of Cordoncillo Island, and to so many others around the world!
EMILY, 9
NERY, 7
SARAH, 10
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Meet some of the children of Cordoncillo that you blessed!
This food is going to help our family. We’re so grateful for the help you give us!
MARIA
Surviving in Ukraine
A Mother and Daughter Seek Help in the Midst of War
Ever since Russia invaded Ukraine life has been very difficult for 87-year-old Gerthruda and her 44-year-old daughter, Anna. The pair is from Zaporizhya, a city in Eastern Ukraine. Gerthruda draws a meager pension while, before the war, Anna worked as an artist. Since the invasion, however, there’s no longer any demand for Anna’s art. It only took a few months for Gerthruda and Anna to burn through their savings.
Unable to afford food, the mother and daughter began to face hunger. To save money for food, Gerthruda began skipping her medication, causing her health to deteriorate. Then they found Cross International’s partner on the ground in Ukraine—Dorcas.
On seeing Gerthruda and Anna’s need, Dorcas staff provided them with a food package containing pasta, condensed milk, sunflower oil, rice, and more. In all, it was enough food to last them at least a month. With food in hand, Gerthruda was able to buy more medication. Thanks to the kindness and generosity of Cross supporters like you, Gerthruda and Anna expressed that they now have hope that they will live through the war.
PARTNER Highlight
CASA BERNABE, GUATEMALA
Casa Bernabe, or The House of Barnabas, is a school and residential care center serving children from Guatemala City and surrounding areas. Many of these children have suffered life-altering trauma including losing their parents. When these children come to Casa Bernabe, they receive food, shelter, medical care (if needed), and a quality, Christian education.
Thanks to the ongoing partnership with Cross International, Casa Bernabe has a special transitional living program for ages 13-18. The staff recognized that children with such challenging backgrounds often struggled to make the transition from the sheltered, safe world of Casa Bernabe to life on their own once they age out at 18.
The transitional living program helps prepare kids for a successful adult life through one-on-one counseling, vocational training, and by helping them develop a plan de vida or life plan. Casa Bernabe vocational training programs include carpentry, cooking and baking, cosmetology, and barber school. Throughout their teenage years, Casa Bernabe staff coach each student as they create and refine their plan de vida. This process helps each young person discover who they are in Christ as well as urging them toward a successful future.
Cross the World PARTNER!
When you join Cross International as a monthly donor, you provide struggling children and families with what they need—food for the hungry, water for the thirsty, medicine for the sick, and so much more, all in Jesus’ name! Your monthly gift will provide critical care and ongoing support all year long!
On the Move
A LITTLE GIRL GETS THE CARE SHE NEEDS IN ZAMBIA
The elation of welcoming a beautiful baby girl into the world soon turned into deep anxiety as Grace was informed by doctors that her newborn daughter, Hanna, had clubfoot. Grace and her husband wondered what this would mean for the little girl’s future, and how others in their northeast Zambian community would react.
Desperately wanting Hanna to be able to walk and run with the other children when she gets old enough, her parents sought treatment locally, but had no idea how they would be able to afford care. When it seemed like they were out of options, God made a way. Grace found out that Hanna could receive free treatment at a clinic run by Cross International’s partner Hope Walks!
There was one obstacle. The clinic was in Zambia’s capital, Lusaka, more than 400 miles away. Undeterred, the family made the long journey. During one appointment, they were
thrilled to learn that Hope Walks had opened a new location at Chilonga Mission Hospital in their home province. Transportation support was also provided, further easing the burden.
Hanna is now two-years-old and can stand and walk. She’s progressed from the correction phase of treatment to maintenance.
With the help of Cross International supporters, Hope Walks Zambia is giving the gift of mobility to kids like Hanna at Chilonga and other clinics, while counseling and communicating the love of Jesus Christ to caregivers. This has made a lasting impression on Grace, who encourages the team to “continue in the spirit of helping people” so that others will be similarly impacted. Thank you for your prayers and generosity!
Cross the World Today!
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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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