This photo was taken at the Thanksgiving table by our friend, Carla.  It is her granddaughter, feasting on some leftovers.

What’s that on her wrist? Looks like one of our crosses!

In addition to enjoying her treat, it appears she is enjoying God’s love as well. Priceless!!

Carla is the parish nurse at our church and spends considerable time with people inside and outside our congregation’s community, sharing her faith in God with them. Her spiritual genuineness and faithfulness to Him oozes like melted butter on a waffle when you spend time with her, and soon, you are warm and comfortable, knowing you are cuddled in God’s loving arms. She is a treasure to all who know her; we love our parish nurse!!

Carla shares with us in many ways; one of those is her writings in our monthly church newsletter. Her message for December was particularly striking to me and I asked her if I could share with all of you. Here is what she wrote:

‘Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat! There are only 27 days until Christmas Day following Thanksgiving. You are kidding?! Nope.

So, how is it going for you and yours?

There is so much to do … Christmas cards, Sunday School Christmas pageants, Christmas lists, Christmas shopping with list in hand (not to forget anyone). Christmas cookies and delivery, Christmas wreaths, Christmas ornaments, decorate Christmas trees inside and out, Christmas lights in town and country.

Christmas music, Christmas decorations in the home, Christmas stockings, Christmas catalogs, Christmas Salvation Army red kettles, Christmas gift boutiques, last minute mass produced Christmas (bragging or woe) letters. Christmas mail requesting donations for every cause known and unknown to humans, Christmas candy canes, outdoor Christmas plastic nativity scenes or those lawn blown up Santas.

Christmas traditions like Grandma’s fruit soup, lefse, Figgie pudding and lutefisk, Christmas fruit cake which has traveled back and forth to relatives for the last 10 years … no one really eats those, do they? Christmas bells, Christmas rush to get out those gifts ASAP to people far away, Christmas concerts (or to be known now as ‘Holiday’ concerts because we don’t want to offend anyone). Christmas classic movies: ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’, ‘Miracle on 34th Street’, ‘A Christmas Carol’.

 What am I forgetting? I’m exhausted just reading the list!

 What if we didn’t do so much? Would it still be Christmas? What would happen if we just got together with friends and family, much like Thanksgiving? Giving thanks to God for the greatest gift of all, His Son. “For God so loved the world, He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world.”

Life is ever changing, but our God is stable and He has promised to be there, giving us love, comfort and peace. Sing Christmas carols … call people in December who are away from us. Then it’s Christmas!’

What a message! Thank you, Carla!!

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We have some new friends who joined the Cross The World family in November and we want to welcome them:

Sharon – California

River of Life AG Church – Cold Spring, MN

Immanuel Lutheran School – Walker, MN

Gethsemane Lutheran Church – Dassel, MN

Trinity Lutheran Church – Detroit Lakes, MN

Monica – Montana

Connie – Illinois

Communities Uniting in Prayer and Service – Lafayette, LA

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Happy Christmas, painted by Johansen Viggo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Peace and much love during this joyous Christmas season and heartfelt wishes for a blessed 2014!!

But, our fondest wish for you is:

Remember to take time to feast on God’s love for us!

Just got some exciting news from our Friend in Christ, Susan, and wanted to share it with all of you.  She is a member of Community Lutheran Church in Bullhead City, AZ and they have been, and continue to be, very active supporters of Cross The World.

So, when I asked her if she would mind me telling you about their activities and how they share our crosses with those around them, she gladly provided me with a breakdown of where all the crosses have gone so far this year.

Here’s her note to us:

Isn’t that an inspiring accounting? We just love to hear from Susan.  And, we’d love to share your accountings as well!!  Please tell us what you’ve been up to and I’ll gladly post to this blog so all can see.

Here’s our story for the month:

In the early part of October, Ernie and I were driving around northern MN. Actually, we were in Emily, checking the town out. It’s a quaint little town … pretty … quiet … and nestled in the colorful beauty of trees currently decked in golds, oranges and reds with lakes crystal blue … very serene and peaceful … totally engulfed in God’s masterful handiwork.

As we were driving about, I needed to use a restroom (as usual) and so Ernie turned the car around in the parking lot of a small church on the edge of town and parked at the gas/convenience store located next door … God at work!!

As I was leaving the store, there were several local newspapers in the stand and so I picked them up for future reading … God at work!!

When we returned home and started reading those papers, a small article in one of them caught our eye.  That small church whose parking lot we had turned around in was going on a mission trip to Haiti this month. AHA!!  They needed to know about us!!  So, we called to introduce Cross The World to them and offer some crosses to take with.  Subsequently, crosses were sent and they are now being hand carried, along with Bibles, by the 6 people from that small church in northern MN as they set out on their first mission trip to Haiti!  We hope to meet these missionaries soon and hear of their God stories while in Haiti; we are also hopeful they will be willing to share with you as well.   God at work!!

And, so, this month, we warmly welcome the Wesleyan Church of Emily to our Cross The World family. They join the following CTW family members who have made God’s love visible to others, one cross at a time, during the month of October:

• Bob – MN

• St. Paul’s School – Perham, MN

• Community Lutheran Church – Bullhead City, AZ

• Stephanie – AZ

• Andrew – MN, for a mission trip to Ghana

• Blue Star Mothers

• Cedar Valley Church – Bloomington, MN, for a mission trip to Thailand

• Monica – MT

BELIEVE IN HIS MIRACLES!!

REJOICE IN HIS GOODNESS!!

As the growing season is closing down for us here in Minnesota, our thoughts are turning to what’s ahead. Predictions for this winter are colder than normal with a less than normal snow pack. Well, doesn’t that just make us all feel warm and fuzzy?? There is a change in the weather … some good, some bad. We’re experiencing a wet fall … not helpful to the farmers trying to get their fields harvested but making our drought suffering plant life smile! A lack of Asian lady beetles on our farm was made up by an abundance of boxelder bugs which scrambled for cover when I tried to smash them under my shoe. Woolly caterpillars are seen here and there and the leaves … well, they are mostly laying on the ground now, thanks to last night’s wind and driving rain. Yes, autumn is here and winter is just around the corner; summer is a pleasant memory.

Cross The World has had an active summer, thanks to your participation. Lots of mission trips taken where our crosses were placed in eager and receptive hands. SonShine Festival helped us touch a lot of people who, in turn, magnified our outreach. Churches and people, just like you, handed out our crosses at festivals, Bible schools, camps, parades and dinners, encouraging the recipient to ‘pass it on’. And, while it has become extremely difficult to keep track of (which is a such wonderful situation to be in), our giveaway count to date is somewhere over 60,000! Wow!! Thank you for your part in making God’s love visible, one cross at a time!!!

We welcome your comments and would very much like to share the experiences you have had with our ministry. Please consider letting us post your information on our blog … your experience may open the door for someone else with your ideas and messages.

The season of family gatherings is rapidly approaching … a time to seek out those we haven’t spent much time with during the year … a time to be close to each other … a time for us all to share with each other. It’s also a time of year when depression, loss, separation and suffering can be magnified to a debilitating stage. What simpler opportunity for us to make people feel warm and fuzzy than to give them a cross so they may feel our Father’s closeness … know they are not alone but wrapped tightly in His arms and sheltered by His love … that they are a very important member of His family? REJOICE IN HIS GOODNESS … RELAX IN HIS PRESENCE … and then, pass it on! It will be returned to you tenfold; that is God’s promise!!

We thank the following who joined in our mission during the month of September. You’ve helped make many people feel closer to Jesus and His love!

Assembly of God Church – Willmar, MN

Judy – MN

John – MN

Our Savior’s Lutheran School – Crookston, MN

Margret – SD

St. Joseph of the Lakes Catholic Church – Lino Lakes, MN

Calvary Evangelical Free Church – Rugby, ND

Cedar Valley Church – Bloomington, MN for a mission trip to Thailand

Marlys – MN

When we give away our crosses, we aren’t always sure where they will go, who will receive them or how they are used so it is always a wonderful experience for us when we get a note from our friends in Christ who have helped us spread God’s love. We wanted to share some of their awesome messages.

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Jadynne from MN sent this note along with photos from her mission trip to San Estevan, Belize:

‘Thank you so much for the crosses. We were able to take them with us to Belize on our mission trip. In this small village, we were able to bring the word of Christ to over 130 children in VBS. We had a wonderful time and made many new friends. I saved out a few crosses to take with me back to Florida to give with our prayer shawl ministry. God bless.’

Stephanie from MN sent us these photos of her recent mission trip to Nicaragua, along with this lovely note:

‘Hola! Thank you so much for the donation of supplies to make 300 crosses at SonShine Music Festival that I brought to Jinotepe, Nicaragua. Our mission group from Eagle Brook Church in Spring Lake Park, MN spent 8 days at the Arms of Love Orphanage that partners with OrphaNetwork. One day, we went to the WEGO feeding center where most of the children in the community receive their one meal for the day, Monday – Friday.  Along with the crosses, we brought packs of basic necessities (shampoos, soaps, toothpastes, wash clothes, toothbrushes) and taught basic hygiene. We also brought Flannel Graphs to share Bible stories and trained the older kids in a nearby orphanage how to use them as well. In addition, we had candy, nail polish, markers for face painting, a Jesus Loves You pamphlet, stickers and lots of love. Gracias and Dios Bendiga!! Thank you and God bless!!’

Nyla from MN shared this photo of how our crosses were decorated by the children at the mission she visited in Guatamela:

Sue and Greg from MN attended SonShine Festival, took some crosses home with them and emailed us their message:

‘We wanted to share with you how you all blessed us and it multiplied. We met you at SonShine this summer and got 100 crosses from you to take back to our church…Battle Lake Alliance Church. We had our church VBS at the end of July and had the children give a little performance at the local nursing home. These VBS children were mostly unchurched so, VBS is certainly a church outreach. After the children sang, they each took a cross and gave it to a resident or staff worker. It was so cool to see them give! Then, at the final VBS program, we gave each of the children a cross to take home. They were so excited to get one because, they had given first! Thank you for your vision and sharing it with us!!!’

Here’s what Monica from MT had to say:

‘I wish to thank you for the crosses and enclosed you will find a check for the postage. Our people feel very good about our using the cross to reach out to new and old friends alike. Thank you so much for doing such a simple thing with such a great amount of faith. I’m hoping that we will run out of crosses very quickly and need to order more and more. Know that you are in my prayers and your ministry has made the lives of our youth better. Thank you again for your generosity in faith … small things with great love … well done, my friends …’

You can’t imagine how our hearts swell when we get feedback like this. Do you have something you would like to share with your Cross The World family? Send it to me, with permission to use of course, and I’ll be more than happy to post it next month!

You never know who you will touch when you hand them a cross or how they will come to treasure those two simple pieces of wood, but the message we continue to get is that God is smiling because of our efforts. We are working together for the same purpose … we are making GOD’S LOVE VISIBLE, ONE CROSS AT A TIME!

And, we continue to be thankful to our friends in Christ who supported Cross The World during the month of August:

Mt. Zion Lutheran Church – Hudson, WI

Beth – MN

Olivet Lutheran Church – Fargo, ND

Immanuel Lutheran Church – Walker, MN

Center for Family Counseling – St. Cloud, MN

I must apologize … I meant to get this post out right after SonShine Festival but a much needed vacation followed a day after the Festival, followed by multiple computer issues (errggh!!) … so this took a lot longer than it should have but I think we’re back on track now.

So, anyway, you remember that Cross The World was attending SonShine for our second year in July. My husband (Ernie) and I weren’t able to attend at all last year and so we were a little apprehensive about what we were going to find. All we thought we knew about SonShine was loud, heavy metal music that resounded all the way to our home some 30 miles away and we really weren’t looking forward to that! But, being good little troopers, we signed up for our work shifts and kept our fingers crossed for the best.

The Festival started on Wednesday afternoon and the weather was HOT, HOT, HOT! In fact, it was so hot inside the Civic Center where all the vendors had set up, that, on Wednesday afternoon and night, little puddles of (to be politically correct) water dripped to the floor from everyone who stopped to visit with us. Did I mention it was HOT, HOT, HOT?? (Needless to say, all of us vendors walked in with our own circulating fans the next morning!)

In spite of the heat, the crowd appeared to be energetically charged with the yet to come SonShine experience and eager to find out what us vendors were all about.  Ernie and I joined them; we, too, were eager to find out what SonShine was all about.

Our booth was located in the middle of the first vendor row, snuggled between a lovely couple selling beautiful Christian jewelry from California and CTI Music Ministries, a group that promotes young musicians to minister worldwide through their Christian music.

It didn’t take long for us to make a spectacle of ourselves!

Normally, when we give our crosses away, they are already assembled complete with a message hangtag. But, for this venue, we wanted people to have the experience of making their own cross so we provided them the 2 pieces of wood, the hangtag and the string … along with a hammer and some swingin’ room.  Let the pounding begin!!

The response to our crosses was overwhelming, with wave after wave of individuals or groups coming up to us, asking if they could make their very own cross. As the week went on, these people would come back to make another cross for someone they knew or to replace the one they had given away. And, so, day after day, more and more crosses were literally walking around the Festival grounds or quantities being carried home by the bags for church mission work. Cross The World touched a lot of lives in 3 ½ days … we gave away over 5600 crosses from Wednesday through Saturday. Whew!

Ernie and I were at SonShine every day, in one capacity or another. And, we were pleasantly surprised by how much we both enjoyed being on the grounds. The people were friendly and polite, the music was pleasant and uplifting, the speakers were engaging … it was truly a wonderful spiritual experience for us! We could feel God at work as we visited with people. It was calm … it was peaceful … We were all there, working for one purpose, and He was showing us how much He loves us for being his disciples! It was a dynamite experience … one that Ernie and I are totally looking forward to participate in again next year!

Maybe some of you reading this blog post stopped by our booth and didn’t introduce yourselves. Or, maybe, when you stopped by, we weren’t there to meet you. Either way, we’re glad you came; our hope is that the crosses you picked up have found their way into the hands of those who need some encouragement. Let us know when your supply runs short.  If you didn’t attend this year, please give it some thought for next year … you, too, will be pleasantly surprised!

Here are some photos taken during SonShine. My favorite part of all these shots is the smile … not only the one of the face of the person being photographed but the smile brought to our hearts knowing that God’s love was made visible that day, one cross at a time. Enjoy!

This young man assembled 105 crosses so he could give them away to his friends!

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Everyone, regardless of age, wanted to build a cross!

AMAZING!!

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And, lastly, we want to thank the following individuals or churches who partnered with us during July:

Betsy – Minnesota

Susan – Minnesota

Alroy – Minnesota, for mission work in Mexico

Carla – Minnesota

Sue – Minnesota

Tara – Missouri, for mission work in Chicago

Grace Lutheran Church, Becker, MN

Kristin – Minnesota

Roger – Minnesota

Toni – Minnesota

Monica – Montana

Nyla – Minnesota, for mission work in the Ukraine

James – Minnesota

Janelle – Minnesota

Battle Lake Alliance Church, Underwood, MN

Stephanie – Minnesota, for mission work in Miami

Cross The World is busy preparing for SonShine Festival.  Our shop is teeming with the sounds of saws whirring, sanders buzzing, the endless ‘plink’ as pieces of wood flip into this tub or that.  Scissors snip jute, cutting it into just the right lengths; supplies are being gathered and booth schedules are falling into place.  SonShine is coming in a little over a week and we’re getting excited!!

We were there last year. We brought tubs of cross components so people visiting our booth could have the opportunity to assemble, and take ownership of, their very own cross.  From the wood pieces, they took an upright and a crossbar, pounded them together with a hammer, and finished them by attaching a hangtag with a short piece of jute string. It was a wonderfully spiritual opportunity for everyone … and a noisy one!

And, the repetitive rat-tat-tat of the hammers caught the attention of lots of people. Here’s what one of our friends in Christ had to say:

“The noise was what first caught my attention: ‘pound’, ‘pound’, ‘pound’! Curiosity got the best of me and I just had to find out what the rhythmic noise was and where it was coming from. I followed the sound and saw a large group of young people.

What were they doing?

I stretched and stood on my tiptoes but couldn’t see what was going on. Still the noise continued … ‘pound’, ‘pound’, ‘pound’. The crowd began to shift and what I saw brought tears to my eyes. Each young person had stepped forward to ‘pound’ the two sections of a small wooden cross together.

My heart was stirred with gratitude. The experience was powerful and the message was clear: Jesus Christ had heard that same sound as He allowed Himself to be nailed to a cross to cover your sins and mine.

Thank you, Lord, for that wonderful, terrible cross.”

Wow!  Thank you, Nyla, for that awesome testimonial!

Nyla got in touch with us shortly after SonShine and wanted unassembled crosses so she could take them on two of the mission trips she would be going on – one to the Ukraine and the other to Guatamela. She wanted cross pieces so the youth and adults she worked with there could feel the presence of Jesus as they worked together, assembling the visual representation of His love for us all.  Thank you again, Nyla, for helping bring others closer to Jesus!

The response to our unassembled crosses was overwhelming at SonShine!  And, so, we’ll be doing the very same thing this year.  If you are planning on attending the Festival July 17th through the 20th, we invite you in to drop by our booth and learn more about our mission. You can find us in the Willmar Civic Center, or the ‘Mall of SonShine’ as it’s called for the Festival. Just look for the 8’ cross and follow the sound of the pounding! See you there!!

A couple of other important notes:

We’re pleased to welcome to the Cross The World family, and continue to serve, the following partners in Christ:

Stella, Oregon

Joan, Minnesota

Crossroads Community Methodist Church, Spicer, MN – crosses for Vacation Bible School

Tracy, Minnesota

Resurrection Lutheran Church, Monticello, MN

Jadynne, Minnesota – crosses on their way to Belize

Betsy, Minnesota

Additionally, I wanted to let you know that the IRS recently granted our 501(c)(3) request!  We are very happy to finally receive this status which will make any donations received to Cross The World tax deductible.  Thank you, God, for answering our prayers and guiding the IRS to a good decision!!

And, in closing, I wanted to share this photo which was sent to us by our friend in Christ, Susan. Sometimes, we wonder if our crosses are carrying the message we intend them to. I think the smiles tell the story!

With all the unsettled weather this month, my husband (Ernie) and I find ourselves growing a little more tense with each passing day. This week has been especially hard for us.

Last year on Fathers Day, a severe thunderstorm with damaging winds was predicted. We had received so much rain already that month, the ground was like a sponge. It was humid that particular day, with an eerie feel in the air. And that night, the prediction came true. The wind started blowing way up high, actually more like roaring … like a freight train. And, as we huddled together in the office closet with our large dog and small cat, we prayed.

We had lost power and, after the wind died down enough and we felt brave enough to poke our heads out of the closet to look out the windows, we could only get a peek at the damage through the lightning strikes. But, it was enough to make our hearts sink.

Trees laid everywhere … some blocking the driveway, some laying on buildings. Our neighbors, out to survey the damage, called us to confirm what we already feared … we had a lot of trees down and the road past our place was blocked. But, we wouldn’t realize the enormity of the storm until morning.

We were safe, our pets were safe and our house had suffered minimal damage (thank you, God!). But, the lawn was littered with cottonwood branches and leaves, looking like someone sprinkled green confetti all over it. Sides of our house and buildings were plastered with leaves.

The center trunk of our 150 year old maple tree at the end of the driveway lay on the ground and the tree itself now had a peculiar ‘L’ shape to it. Its majesty would no longer be the talk of the neighborhood.

The stately spruce trees which once stood like guards on the other side of the driveway lay on their side, like fallen soldiers. Others simply had their tops snapped off and now stood forlornly looking like headless horsemen.

Some of the trees across the road had toppled too, pulling the power lines down with them. The road was closed to all traffic and everyone living on our road had to make life adjustments with generators and bottled water as we all waited for our turn in the power company’s schedule.

But, the worst of it all was the big cottonwood tree that came down and nearly destroyed the Cross The World workshop … a big hole in the roof, a corner torn off. The building, a converted granary built many long years ago, had even shifted and twisted a little on its foundation. But, it was still standing! Thank you, God!!

Friends appeared like bees on watermelon and, for 2 long hot, humid days, bobcats and chain saws worked together to start the resurrection of our homesite. Piles of trees appeared here; piles of brush grew over there. People walked our grounds where the lawnmower couldn’t go to pick up branches. Spare generators were brought in so we could keep freezers and refrigerators going. Food and bottled water appeared in the trunks of cars. People that didn’t know each other worked side by side and new friendships were formed. There was even some laughter! And, God was there the whole time … smiling … loving us … giving us a life lesson.

It was a long summer for us but, through it all, we found out that we really are as sturdy and solid as that old granary. Storms come and go through our lives; we shift and twist on our foundation but we won’t go down.

Now, it’s a year later and this stormy weather is a reminder to us that when we start to worry about the wind, rain and hail, God is with us. He will help us. He loves us. And, this time, it’s our turn to smile. Thank you, God!!

Someone emailed me this photo last week and I wanted to share with you. I don’t know if it has been Photoshopped or not but, even if it has, the unspoken message is awesome!

Yesterday, we worshipped at Cross Roads Methodist Church. The message was about Memorial Day and what it means. For most of us, it’s a day of visiting the cemetery and placing flowers on the graves of loved ones who have gone before us. Pastor Randy talked about the grave markers (or stones) we would find in the cemetery and, when we look at those stones, we remember.

For me, I remember how our dad toiled in the fields under the hot sun, growing corn and oats to feed his livestock which would, in turn, feed his family. I remember our mom in the garden, hoeing and harvesting. She canned and froze vegetables, made jams and jellies from the apples, chokecherries, plums, and strawberries my sister and I picked and brought to her … all so we would have something to eat during the cold hard winter.  I remember many summer meals of sweet corn and fried chicken and Sunday afternoon rides, dropping in to visit with neighbors until chore time.  I remember fishing poles tied to the car’s door knob and antennae as we drove to that hidden fishin’ spot to catch a few sunnies and bullheads. I remember Dad welding swing sets and slides for us and the neighbor kids to enjoy year after year.  I remember Mom strapping on her accordion and walking around outside, playing and singing; she had a beautiful soprano voice and was a wonderful musician.  I remember how soft and warm my Mom’s hands were and how weathered and tough Dad’s were.   I remember that they worked hard to provide for their family.  And, I remember how much they loved us.  How different my life is today without them; how much I miss them.

There was another stone Pastor Randy talked about, one I don’t think about much, even though I should. It appeared way back when Samuel was a leader of the Israelites. The Philistines were about to attack when the Israelites called upon Samuel, asking him to plead for God’s help to rescue them from their peril. Samuel did, God answered and to commemorate this, a stone was placed between the cities of Mizpah and Shen by Samuel. Samuel named this stone Ebenezer, which means ‘the stone of help’, and publicly dedicated it as a monument to God’s faithfulness and eternal covenant to us, His children.  It still stands today.

A couple of days ago, I read a daily devotion from ‘Jesus Calling’ by Sarah Young.

‘The world is too much with you, My child. Your mind leaps from problem to problem to problem, tangling your thoughts in anxious knots. When you think like that, you leave Me out of your worldview and your mind becomes darkened. Though I yearn to help, I will not violate your freedom. I stand silently in the background of your mind, waiting for you to remember that I am with you.

When you turn from your problems to My Presence, your load is immediately lighter. Circumstances may not have changed, but we carry your burdens together. Your compulsion to ‘fix’ everything gives way to deep, satisfying connection with Me. Together we can handle whatever this day brings.’

I don’t know about you but, often, I become like the Israelites.  I don’t always remember my Ebenezer stone. I don’t ask God for help until the Philistines are flailing down on me. I’m in control; I can handle every situation by myself, or so I think. The message delivered yesterday was that I can’t do it by myself, no one can. We need God’s help, His intervention and His love. We all need to remember that God is quietly standing by, holding us gently but firmly in His hands. We need to ask for His guidance and then WAIT FOR HIS ANSWERS!  He is, after all, wonderfully, our Ebenezer stone.

Have a blessed Memorial Day, filled with cherished memories of your loved ones.   Be sure to remember the loved one who gave His son for our salvation.

Just exactly how long or how far is 260,000 inches anyway? Well, let’s look at some comparisons.

The average football field’s playing area is 120 yards or 3600 inches … 260,000 inches would be approximately 72 football fields.

The inches in a mile are 63,360 so we’d be looking at almost 4¼ miles.

We drive a Dodge Grand Caravan. The 2013 model measures almost 204” long, or 1274½ Caravans parked bumper to bumper.

The normal semi with trailer measures 70’ long or 840” … that looks like 309½ semis positioned length to length to me.

The Sears Tower measures 1482’. 260,000 inches would be almost 15 times its height!

My point? Since starting Cross The World two short years ago, we have given away approximately 40,000 crosses. Each cross is made from a piece of wood measuring 6½” prior to cutting. Doesn’t look like much when we’re cutting, assembling, bagging and shipping but when you think about how much distance these 40,000 crosses would cover if we laid them end to end, it amazingly counts up!

When our crosses leave our distribution center, we don’t always know whose hands they will end up in … children, military, homeless, addicts, even those who haven’t yet received Jesus as their Savior. We don’t always know what country our crosses will find their homes in or even if people will be able to read and understand the hang tag that accompanies them. We do know that everyone who receives one of these crosses knows what it stands for. They understand that Jesus does love them and that He gave His life so we all could live in Him. We know this because of feedback we get from our partners in Christ.

They are spreading God’s love, each time they give a cross away.

Small steps for a much larger purpose …

BELIEVE IN HIS MIRACLES!

We thank everyone who has partnered with us to date and, now that we have this networking opportunity, we’d like to thank the following for sharing our crosses with others during the month of April:

• Cheryl, Minnesota

• Helene, South Dakota

• Blessed Sacrament Church, West Fargo, ND

• Blue Star Mothers

• Faith Lutheran Church, Spicer, MN

• First Baptist Church, Willmar, MN

• Resurrection Lutheran Church, Monticello, MN

• St. John’s Lutheran Church, Barnesville, MN

• Youth For Christ, Willmar, MN

 REJOICE IN HIS GOODNESS!!

PASS IT ON!!