housing
A Dream Turned Into Reality
We all have dreams for our lives – things we want to someday accomplish or create. We might dream of having children, building up a business or traveling the world. Dreams are dear to us. They give us hope for our future and goals to work toward. What if your dream was to just have … Continue reading
Photo Blog: Jubilee, Haiti
-Annie W.
Progress in Haiti
In light of the many setbacks experienced by international aid organizations that rushed into Haiti after the 2010 earthquake to rebuild the country, it’s refreshing to hear a positive report from a ministry who got it right. Last week, I met with Dan Shoemaker, a house-construction contractor who worked with Cross partner MEBSH to provide … 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
New Creations
“My whole life has changed,” says 18-year-old John Michael Montilla, one of thousands of Filipinos benefiting from Cross International’s support of Gawad Kalinga, a ministry that revitalizes old, impoverished slums into new, Christ-centered communities. We help replace shacks made of tin and wood scraps with beautiful, concrete homes; clean up polluted streets; and turn a … 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
Praise Report from Mozambique
Yesterday morning, Cross staff listened as International Projects Officer Tara McKinney shared photos and stories from her recent trip to Mozambique. She visited one of my favorite projects for orphaned and vulnerable children that Cross supports with help from our generous friends, a ministry called Reencontro. Tara shared a story that really touched my heart … Continue reading
Much Has Been Done But There’s Still Work to Do!
Traveling in and around Port-au-Prince recently, I was struck by two contradictory impressions. First, it appears quite a bit of rubble has been cleaned up compared to what I saw during my last trip to Haiti six months after the quake. Of course, there are still places where houses and buildings are waiting to be … Continue reading
Happy Homeowners
On our way through Nicaragua, we dropped by Villa Catalina to see how things have been going at the Cross International homes from our recent Amigos for Christ house-construction campaign. When we last visited the village in February for the dedication ceremony, the fields were a sea of dust under the punishing midday sun that … Continue reading
How to be a good neighbor
At the remote village of Mina de Agua, I came across a dilapidated house that looked as if it might collapse into a pile of sticks before my eyes. Beside the house, an old woman lay on a mat in the sweltering midday heat, weak and struggling to speak coherently. The villagers explained to me … Continue reading
