Author Archives: Tony M
Good News to the Poor (Luke 4:18)
In Jubilee – a dry and barren slum on the outskirts of Gonaives, Haiti – children are reading God’s Word in their native Creole language and learning about Jesus’ love for them, thanks to the efforts of Cross International partner MUCH Ministries. Together, we are transforming this desolate slum into a place of prosperity and … Continue reading
A Heart Change
You’d never guess these men – well-groomed and fervently worshipping God together at a meeting of Cross International ministry partners in the Philippines – had once been homeless. You’d never guess some had spent their whole lives on the streets, begging and picking pockets. But now here they were, standing before us as living examples … Continue reading
Helping Haitians Help Themselves
In a show of support for MUCH Ministries’ self-help program for poor families in Jubilee, Haiti, Cross ordered a shipment of 5,000 journals from their trade school, where local Haitians have been learning to make various items by hand so they can earn a small income. The ministry responded with this email: Dear Cross, I … Continue reading
Changing hearts in the Philippines
Whenever I see the results of Cross’ Gawad Kalinga house construction projects in the Philippines, my first thought is, “Wow! This used to be a slum?” The newness, the cleanliness, the bright, cheerful colors are a visual repudiation of poverty. This is the tangible part of ministry. It’s also, in some respects, the easy part. … Continue reading
Thank You from the Philippines
Cross has been working with Gawad Kalinga in the Philippines to transform the slums of metro Manila into thriving communities. The difference is like night and day, and you can see the change not only in the landscape but also in the hearts and minds of the families who now have so much hope. Here’s … Continue reading
Ringing in the New Year
2012 is here! And the blogosphere is buzzing with New Year’s resolutions, end-of-the-world theories, and political campaign predictions. With the holidays behind us, society’s focus has shifted a little more toward personal weight loss goals and a little less toward feeding the hungry. But of course, hunger never takes a holiday. I’m sure many people … Continue reading
Dreaming Big through Education
We often write about the value of education in the struggle against poverty. But I think the message is more compelling when it comes from the mouths of the Christian missionaries who are actually working with the children of the poor on a daily basis in Cross-sponsored schools. Here is a letter from a staff … Continue reading
Black Friday in Nicaragua
I don’t need to tell you about the Black Friday mayhem of crazed shoppers, big bargains, long check-out lines, and subsequent buyer’s remorse (or in my case, a quiet day at home putting up Christmas decorations). But there’s another Black Friday story you may not know. A story of Nicaraguan villagers turning on their water … Continue reading
The gift of life
Christmas is coming! No matter how early you start the holiday planning and shopping, the big day always seems to arrive too soon. When I was a boy, though, the month of December seemed to drag on for eternity. I remember lying awake in bed at night, thinking about how many days were left until … Continue reading
New Restavek Center
We got to meet Alexander Venell, the pastor of a brand new MEBSH learning center in Lakawann, Haiti. Cross has been helping dozens of church-operated literacy centers provide food, education, and the gospel to restaveks (a Haitian word for children forced by poverty to work as domestic servants). The Lakawann school has only been open … Continue reading
