As I drive around town, it isn’t hard to find statues and buildings that have been erected to the affluent and famous.  One medical building’s pediatric wing is named for a philanthropist.  The same is true of the baseball stadium of a local university.  People have always found it satisfying to have their legacy “made permanent” by fashioning it in steel and stone.

We celebrate the life of Vic Gonsalves

And there’s no doubt that such monuments can do a lot of good.  They often provide a home for some useful service to the community.  Still, there is a legacy that, while less obvious, seems more profound to me.  It is the legacy of a life lived for others.

This week, Vic Gonsalves departed this world and left that kind of legacy behind.

Vic was one of the first employees of Cross International and he came out of retirement to accept that role.  He was responsible for seeing that shipments of food, medicines and other important materials were properly shipped overseas and effectively distributed to the poor.  It was a job he did well, because he did it for the Lord and because he cared about the poor families who relied on his help.

Those families are Vic’s legacy.  Some are children who will live out better lives thanks to his commitment and generosity.  Others, the elderly, passed on to heaven before Vic, and we are sure that they welcomed him into their midst.  They are the friends Christ describes in Luke 14…

Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed.  Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

And again in Luke 16:

I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.

Today, in glory, Vic is among those friends, celebrating and looking down on the children living out better lives, thanks to the role he has played at Cross.  We give thanks for Vic and for the legacy he has left us – a legacy in more than stone.

On Thursday, many Christians spent some extra time talking to God while our country observed the National Day of Prayer. The tradition was formally established by Congress in 1952 but has precedents going all the way back to 1775, when the Continental Congress declared “a day of public humiliation, fasting, and prayer.”

Today, many Christians will spend some extra time talking to God while our country observes the National Day of Prayer.

Of course, believers can have a conversation with God on any day of the year. Prayer has always played a central role in the life and faith of Christians. Jesus himself prayed to the Father on a regular basis and taught his disciples to do the same, and you could fill a library with the books that have been written during just the last few decades on how to pray, what to pray, where to pray it and why.

Here at Cross, we begin each workday with a time of prayer and devotions. From a worldly perspective, this might seem like a colossal waste of time and a loss of productivity. But from a heavenly perspective, a conversation with God is the most important “business meeting” we can have. It keeps us focused on the right priorities, reminds us of our dependence on God’s goodness, and opens doors to blessings. We pray for our ministry partners, our friends and relatives, the poor, and lift up prayer requests from donors.

Prayer is also a big part of the ministries we support. Any secular charity can give food to the hungry or medicine to the sick; but our partners do their work in a context of Christian fellowship and heartfelt prayer that imparts real, lasting hope to the poor and suffering.

Check out our “God is at the Office” statement to learn more about Cross’ spiritual focus.

This week, Cross staff met with Haitian mission partner Gladys Mecklembourg, who runs the Togetherness in Christ orphanage, to learn how her ministry is coping with the earthquake crisis. Cross supplies the orphanage with weekly deliveries of rice, beans, oil, and other food, and has provided addition funds to help Gladys meet emergency needs.

Togetherness in Christ orphanage is providing space for earthquake victims to stay while receiving post-operative care.

By God’s grace, all the children and staff at the orphanage were unharmed. But Gladys says the kids are afraid to sleep at night because of the aftershocks, and they are worried about relatives they haven’t heard from since the quake. The children will need a lot of counseling to recover emotionally from what has happened.

Gladys told us that four nurses are currently staying at the orphanage to provide post-operative care for medical patients who are being brought in from an overcrowded hospital. Gladys has an on-site clinic, and she has turned the boys’ dormitory into a temporary hospital where amputees and other wounded and ill patients can recover in safety and comfort. The boys have been relocated to other facilities on the 93-acre property. Gladys said there is also possibility of setting up a tent camp on the grounds for the many refugees who have no place to go.

Despite the challenges facing Haiti and our Cross mission partners in the aftermath of the quake, Gladys expressed a positive vision for the future, applying the words of Isaiah 61:3.

“We trust in our heavenly father to raise up a new Haiti, to bestow on us a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. We will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the lord for the displaying of his splendor. This is the word the Lord had given us at Togetherness for Christ, and we believe in this, and we know there will be a change in Haiti. Not only in the structure, but in the heart – the heart of the people…. There is solidarity among us.”

For the latest news on how we are supporting our Cross mission partners in Haiti, visit www.crossinternational.org/relief

Haiti is still reeling from the devastating earthquake that shook much of Port-au-Prince and the surrounding areas to their foundations on Tuesday, but there is hope. People continued to gather in the streets of the capital today, singing hymns and offering prayers to God, as help began to arrive.

A father and child wait in the streets for help to arrive in Port-au-Prince. (Photo courtesy of Matt Marek, IFRC.)

We are distributing millions of ready-to-eat meals to the victims of the 7.2 scale earthquake that demolished much of Port-au-Prince. The meals are part of a 10-container shipment that we have on the ground in Haiti today.

The shipments include, nutrient-packed Vitafood meals, shoes, canned foods, and nutrition drinks. We have established a staging post on the ground and are now able to receive outside aid through the airport in Port-au-Prince.

Cross President Jim Cavnar said that cash donations continue to be the greatest need. These will allow us to wire much-needed funds to our partners in Haiti for the purchase of food, clean water, and fuel for rescue efforts.

“As we continue our emergency response, we are also planning for the long-term needs of our partners,” Jim said. “A lot of rebuilding will need to take place once the dust settles. Cross International will be there to meet that need and help the vital ministries we support rebuild.”

Please continue to pray for the people of Haiti and join us in the relief efforts.  Click here to donate. Also, visit our disaster relief page for updates from our staff in Haiti.

There’s a unique difference between the prayers and goals of people in developed nations and those born into abject poverty:

Sign posted on the wall of an orphanage in Haiti, where children are rescued from the ravages of poverty and raised to know God’s love through Christ Jesus.

“I resolve to lose weight” vs. “I am going to trust God for a meal today.”

“I resolve to live a healthier lifestyle” vs. “I pray that I might live long enough to raise my children.”

“I resolve to better handle my finances” vs. “I pray God will bless those with money so they can continue to help others.”

As you contemplate your physical, spiritual, and financial goals for 2010, won’t you resolve to join us in being instruments of God’s love for the poor?

During a recent staff gathering, Jim Cavnar, president of Cross International, gave a retrospective of 2009. We marveled at how God blessed our ministry, especially during these tough economic times.

Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? (James 2:5)

To-date, through the support of compassionate American Christians, Cavnar announced we had shipped $80 million worth of much-needed goods, including food, medicines, and medical supplies, to the poor in developing countries. We had also granted $1.4 million in financial aid to Christian ministries overseas serving the poor through projects such as feeding, housing, schooling, and disaster relief.

Citing scripture from James 2 and Matthew 25, Cavnar’s take on why we’ve experienced such success was profound: “God loves the poor. He moves hearts and wallets and people and circumstances to see that the prayers of the poor get answered. Through the ministry of Cross International, God has been answering their prayers, because he loves the poor so very, very much. We have been blessed to be an instrument of His love for them.”

God bless you for your prayers and gifts to the poor in 2009.

Thanksgiving is perhaps one of the best reminders we have to sit back and take stock of all we have to be thankful for. And we at Cross have found so much to thank God for this year!

In the spirit of Psalm 9:1 — “I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds” — we’d like to take this opportunity to share with you some of the things we are thankful for:

The missionaries we support in the field. Again and again we are amazed by the selfless work of the dedicated men and women who run the programs we support to help the poor overseas. Many have given up comfortable lives to come alongside the poor and share Christ’s love with them through their work. (Read some of their stories here.)

The impact we’ve seen in the lives of the poor. Every story about a child whose been fed, family whose received a house, AIDS orphan whose gone to school, and sick person whose recovered though the work of Cross and our benefactors brings joy to our hearts. (Click here to read some success stories.)

God’s direction in our ministry. With God’s help, all things are possible. And this year we have really seen his hand guiding us as we strive to serve the poor in his name. We are thankful that we are able to take time as a staff at the beginning of each day to submit our work to God. (Read more here about our staff devotional time.)

Our dedicated supporters. Without the support of our many benefactors, none of our work to serve the poor would be possible. We are humbled by their generosity and inspired by their faith. Even in these difficult economic times, compassionate Christians have continued to provide so that we can help the poorest of the poor.

On behalf of everyone at Cross International and the poor we serve, we wish all of you a very blessed Thanksgiving!

As you spend time with family and friends this weekend, take a moment to thank God for everything he has given you:

“For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food,
For love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.”

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Here’s part of an update we got from Annie Chikhwaza in Malawi, who runs Kondanani Children’s Village. Cross helps keep all 135 orphaned and abandoned children there well fed:

Support from Cross and its benefactors helps keep the 135 orphaned and abandoned children at Kondanani Children’s Village well fed.

Dear friends, we are so blessed. A 200-liter, cheese-making machine just arrived! Our animals make such a lot of milk; it will be amazing to make our own cheese—and the best cheese in Malawi! Our cows need to get their act together though. The last four births have been three bulls and one female.

We recently admitted a little baby called Wilson. The little man was not in very good condition. He must have been fed with dirty bottles because his little mouth was full of thrush. His granny really tried very hard to care for him, but the old dear had to give up. Poverty made it impossible for her to care for her grandchild. We are so privileged to take care of this baby.

I have a few cute stories for you …

- Fiona was helping Mizosi, one of her students, with her class work. She noticed Mizosi was not looking at what she was showing her but stared at her face. Fiona asked her, “What is it? Do I have something on my face?” Mizosi smiled and said, “No Assisi Fiona, I just love you so much, that’s all.”

- Little Pilirani had been telling all the female missionaries that he wanted to marry them. The last time he told me I jokingly said, “I’ve heard you are also planning to marry Assisi Giselle and Assisi Samantha. You cannot marry all of us, you know. Adam only married Eve. You can only have one wife, so you had better decide.” Pilirani said he made his choice and will tell the other two he can’t marry them after all. When I asked why he had chosen me he replied, “Because you are gorgeous and I am handsome, that’s why!”

- The school principal, Martin, was totally frustrated with one of our boys, sat him down and said, “What must I do with you—give you detention, send you home, take away special treats, or give you a hiding? The boy looked at Martin and said, “JUST TELL ME TO STOP!”

Pray for us, we need that. Lots of love from all the Kondananians,

Annie Chikhwaza (Click here to read Annie’s amazing testimony)

Deborah, one of our staff members who usually works at a desk in our Florida headquarters, recently went to Haiti for the first time to see some projects we support in a remote village. Here are some of her raw reflections from day one:

When you have no electricity, you go to bed with the sun and get up with the sun.  As a matter of fact, I am writing this in the dark and hope I can read it in the light of day.

I have more in my backpack than most have in their homes—including food. I didn’t see any stores of food in any homes I visited. In fact, I didn’t see plates or cups or pots to cook with in many of the homes.  Even the animals looked hungry—you could see the ribs on the dogs and livestock.

Cross staff member Deborah approaches the home of an impoverished family living in a remote village in Central Haiti, where medical care is physically and financially out of reach to the very poor.

We visited an elderly man who had cut his leg while using a hoe in his garden. It was a classic example of how even simple things like a cut affect the lives of the poor. The cut was near his ankle. His leg, foot, and toes were swollen. We asked him to remove the rag he used to wrap the cut. When he did there was a leaf covering the cut. The cut was oozing puss. He told us it hurt so badly he couldn’t sleep the night before. We told him to elevate his leg and moved a chair closer to him to show him. We sent back band aids that had antibiotic ointment on them that I had brought, and some hydrogen peroxide. You and I, we would have those things in our First Aid kit and never would have needed a leaf to cover a cut. I sent a Power Bar back for him to eat.  And while that would not cure his undernourished body or his cut, surely the 23g of protein could fill his belly for today.  I hope he could sleep last night.

CLICK HERE to learn more about how you can help Cross answer the need for basic medicines and medical supplies in developing countries.

Two Cross staff members recently returned from a trip to Ethiopia, where they had a chance to tour a brand new Christian pediatric hospital whose construction was partially funded by our donors.

Spiritual Director Mesfin Taye prays over every patient at the Ethiopian hospital and shares the Gospel with their families.

The hospital, which specializes in orthopedic surgery, brands itself as more than just a place for physical healing. The doctors describe their work as evangelism in the truest sense of the term. But the full impact of their outreach can only be experienced firsthand.

During their visit, they met a little boy who was literally missing half his face. A poor diet had led to a flesh-eating infection that ate away his nose, left eye, and cheek. His gruesome condition was hard to look at; but as he followed the Cross staff members through the hospital and held their hands, not wanting to let go, they could not help but notice his genuine smile and the joy that shined from his one surviving eye.

Many of the children have that same shine – a surge of hope beneath the pain – that at first seems so out of place. But as our visiting staff members met with the caring staff and watched them interact with the patients, and as they walked past Bible-themed murals and observed patients watching the Jesus film in the recreation area, they began to understand.

In the city outside the hospital walls, the boy without a face would have reached out his hand in vain. There is no one to give these children a hug or even a smile, because their deformities are considered a curse. Ancient superstitions force their families to hide them from their neighbors, who mock and condemn and shun them as if they did something to deserve their condition.

At the Christian-run hospital, the children learn for the first time that they are loved. The spiritual director prays over each and every patient and shares the Gospel with them and their families, whose hearts are open because they have never before experienced such compassion. That is the power of the Gospel – good news that is truly good. Real hope in a world of real suffering.

You can help Cross International provide surgeries for poor children in developing nations. CLICK HERE to learn more.