US Cru Missionaries Conference

US Cru Missionaries Conference

Peace be with you. We pray that in this hot summer you and your family have found strength in the Lord. We attended and served during the US Cru missionary conference. It was the first time all our five thousand US based missionaries met face-to-face since Covid began.  It was such a great time of encouragement and joy to meet with our co-laborers in Christ again. During the conference we heard testimonies of God at work from many ministries, prayed together, and had our hearts re-united in the Holy Spirit. We heard how one 92 year old Cru missionary is retiring in August of 2022. He was one of the first missionaries with Cru and he said he picked his retirement center based on which one had the most people he could share the gospel with. We were moved and challenged by the passion of our senior servants of Lord who are sharing the Gospel until they meet their savior face to face.

Another special moment was hearing what God is doing from the Ukrainian Cru National Director. He thanked us for prayers and support then shared the Ukraine ministry status during the war.  Currently, there are 137 Cru Ukraine missionaries. Most of them have become internally displaced peoples (IDP) or refugees and 2 of them were drafted to fight on the frontlines with the army. Nonetheless, all of them are still called to share the Gospel. The 2 draftees are on the frontline for Jesus sharing the Gospel to their fellow soldiers.  The Cru IDP organize sending “Yellow Boxes” each week containing food and the Gospel. In neighboring countries, missionaries are helping organize Christians who want to show love and care to the refugees by opening their homes to them so they can hear and experience God’s love for them. And, something so praise worthy, during the war God called six new Ukrainians as missionaries to join in taking the Gospel to those in their country. Please pray for the Ukrainian missionaries and their families who are sharing the Gospel in these difficult circumstances.

Acts of God

During this conference full of missionaries we prayed for God to give us opportunities to share the Gospel in unexpected circumstances.  On the flight home, the seat next to us was empty, and we prayed the same prayer again. Then a man sat down next to us taking the last seat on the flight. He is a truck driver, and he said a tree suddenly fell, hitting his truck while moving truck between the driver’s seat and the trailer. The damage was so great they had to tow the truck to a shop, which is why he was on our plane. He called it an act of God and indeed it was, but we knew it was an act of God not just for vehicle insurance purposes but for eternal security. We started talking to him, saying “God loves and protected you today.”  He was surprised and asked “Do you know what day today is?” He took out his driver’s license from his wallet and showed it to us. That day was his birthday. We congratulated him on his birthday in the sky, shared our testimonies, and prayed with him until we arrived. We pray God uses that conversation to open him to hearing more about Jesus and we are thankful for God work in unexpected circumstances.

  

What are the unexpected circumstances in your life? We pray that you will recognize God’s plan and follow His leading in the midst of the unexpected. Thank you for your partnership with us.  Let us know how we can be praying for you. 

Prayer Requests

1. Global Faith & Law Convocation (UK, September 12 ~ 19): A Global faith & Law Convocation in the UK, Christian legal professionals and law students will attend. Pray that the steps of the participants from over 40 countries will be guided safely and smoothly. Pray that the convocation will revive the attendees spiritually and build them into influential Christian legal leaders.  
2. Global Alliance for Church Multiplication (GACX) Forum (Minneapolis, October 2 ~ 7): Pray that this forum, attended by more than 400 church planting ministers, pastors, and leaders, will be a time to establish specific strategies and work together to help build and grow one healthy church for every 1,000 people around the world.