The Cross Family in Spain
An update from the Cross family – September 2024
September 2024
Ministry Update
Changing Our Perspective…
Sometimes living overseas can be hard and frustrating and make you question, “Why here, Lord?”. A simple task such as going to the grocery story, only to discover that the town where your store is located is having a fiesta (or holiday) so the store is closed. Or maybe a larger task such as a visa renewal. You have all the papers needed, photocopies made and taxes paid. However, 3 out of the 4 of you must travel to 3 different police stations to have your finger printing done. Or even bigger still, seeing any sort of fruit come from ministry is sometimes incredibly slow growing. It’s been a hard lesson, but we are slowly learning.
In church this past Sunday the guest pastor put these “hard” things into perspective for us. He reminded us how, as believers in Christ, we are a CHOSEN people; a royal priesthood. We are ON MISSION WITH GOD. HE placed us here, through His will. He also reminded us of the Israelites (in Numbers 14), God’s chosen people. People moving from one country to another, but through their “hard times” God put them through a cleansing process. Just like He does with us today to encourage us to change our perspective.
So often we look to the “land” we are going to with a vision of what we are going to GET from the land. Maybe your “land” is literally moving to another country. Or perhaps it’s moving to a different job/career. Perhaps if we come to the “land” with the vision we are on mission WITH God it will change our perspective on what we are “getting”, and it might help us to see what God is doing.
In Numbers 14:24 it says, “But my servant Caleb has a different spirit…” What was that different spirit? As the other spies saw nothing but scary giants, Caleb saw God at work.
All this leads us to ask, in what areas of our lives do we tend to see more of the giants than the fruits that God has promised us? In what areas of our lives do we tend to focus upon the hard instead of where God is at work?
Thankfully, being on mission isn’t an individualistic mission. We are in this together. We are an inspired shared faith in action. Corporate, a body of believers, working together. May we be one in purpose and in spirit.
Would you please pray for…
- Please pray for the new school year as we are gearing up to begin a new semester of classes at the Friendship House.
- Pray for the financial provision so we can hire an intern.
- Please pray for wisdom as we seek to serve the FH families well.
- M, my English student from the FH last semester is still in the neighborhood. I have already contacted her to inquire if she’d like to continue English classes this next semester. She immediately responded with a, “Yes!” Would you pray for me, that I would be more bold in sharing the truth, love and hope of Jesus with her? Would you pray that our God would move in her life & perhaps even reveal himself to her through divine ways?
- Evangelical Christian Academy’s (ECA) school year has begun and I’m back assisting 3 English Language Learners (ELL). One of my students is new to me and ECA! Please pray for wisdom for me as I come alongside these students and assist them in their grasping of the English language.
- Praise the Lord with us as Sean was able to assist Ethan to resettle back at APU. They drove the long distance between Boise and Azusa without incident
- Pray for wisdom for Sean and the other ECA Board members as they seek to serve the schools families as well as the surrounding community well.
- Praise and thanks to those who have been praying for me as I work through past trauma. Please keep praying. Honestly, some days are more discouraging than others which make it difficult to press-on. But God…(probably the two smallest words that are filled with the largest amount of hope.)
- Pray for the requests for our children.
Much love & many blessings,
Sean & Ruthann
Our mailing address is:
Cross Family
Calle de Ntra Sra del Rosario 39
28816 Camarma de Esteruelas
(Madrid)
Spain
Our emailing addresses are:
Sean: sean4031@gmail.com
Ruthann: ruthanncross@hotmail.com
ONLINE MONTHLY GIVING:
1. Click on the “Cross Family Partner” button below.
2. One on the website, click “Create a Partner Account” or login to your existing account using your email.
3. Select the type of donor (ex. person, organization)
4. Enter your personal information.
5. Enter “213” or “Sean and Ruthann Cross” when asked about the worker you’d like to support. This will ensure you are supporting our family.
2. One on the website, click “Create a Partner Account” or login to your existing account using your email.
3. Select the type of donor (ex. person, organization)
4. Enter your personal information.
5. Enter “213” or “Sean and Ruthann Cross” when asked about the worker you’d like to support. This will ensure you are supporting our family.
GIVING BY PHONE: Call (720) 283 – 2000
GIVING BY MAILING A CHECK:
1. Make the check payable to “WorldVenture”
2. Add our families account number “213” on the memo line.
3. Mail the check to WorldVenture 20 Inverness Place East Englewood, CO 80112.
2. Add our families account number “213” on the memo line.
3. Mail the check to WorldVenture 20 Inverness Place East Englewood, CO 80112.
Again, we are so thankful for your willingness to join us in ministry here in Spain.
Blessings,
Sean and Ruthann Cross
WhatsApp +34 646 303 319 Sean
WhatsApp +34 676 495 880 Ruthann