Highlights from December

It is a highlight of our year when family comes home! And this year, we were so incredibly blessed to have ALL of our family home for Christmas! And when all are home now, that means 25 of us all together ... four daughters, two sons, four sons-in-law, a son's girlfriend, ten grandkids, a granddaughter's husband, and another granddaughter's boyfriend!

Twenty-five of our family + Gary's older single brother, and we were 26 around our table(s) for Family Christmas 2018 ...

We gathered at our home on Saturday, Dec. 29th, out-of-town family from Dallas, San Francisco, Brooklyn, and McCook NE, joining us and our two daughters & families who live nearby. 

It's such a treat to be together, and also that we can still all fit around our table(s) for Christmas Dinner. The six youngest grandkids eat at a table set up in our living room, but they join us for a family photo "around the table" in the dining room, and also while Gary/Dad/Grampa shares a short Christmas devotional before we enjoy our feast.

Our special Family Christmas Day together continued until 1 am the following morning ... gift-giving, games, a fun snack/appetizer spread in the evening, and more games ... so much joy and laughter, and many memories made. We are grateful to God for His blessings. Life is full of trials and hard times for all (including for our family), but also filled with such special gifts from God. We are filled with thanks for His gift of family.

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December was a very full month for us, as it usually is for everyone. Preparing for having family home, and also continuing with all the activities of Cru on our various campuses can make for a very busy time. But also a very blessed time.

Gary was in Dallas (Nov. 27 - Dec. 2) for the Annual Leadership Gathering of all Team Leaders with Cru, both with the college campus ministry and the high school ministry. While there in Dallas, he also was able to spend time one evening with family ... our daughter Cristy & Mark, and their family. And also blessed to go to a special Christmas Concert at Dallas Baptist University where our granddaughter Crystal and also her boyfriend Braden, attend. Crystal and Braden are both pursuing music-related majors while there, and had a part in the very special concert.

Back at home again, our days were filled with Christmas prep, a fun visit from our daughter Carrie & Tyler and their two children who now live in McCook, and various special musical and band programs that our four grandkids who live nearby were in during the month of December. We also greatly enjoyed time with our CityGroup (small group with our church, Citylight Omaha) at a sweet Christmas Party, and also an invitation from a couple within the group to be their guests at an amazing Christmas performance of the Trans Siberian Orchestra at the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs.

And also, our weeks were filled with Cru ... staff meetings, student meetings, and all the day-to-day administration of Cru Omaha. We finished off the year so grateful for all that God is doing in students' lives. And also so grateful for blessing us with having Jake on our team. It is a joy to serve together with him, and with our 25 volunteers who make Cru Omaha a reality.

Students gathered on our various Cru campuses for Christmas parties near the end of the month. Here are photos of two of those fun gatherings ...

Cru Christmas Party at Central High in Omaha

Cru Christmas Party with Fort Calhoun students

And now, we are into another calendar year of family, Cru, and more! Thanks for visiting Our Cru Communique blog, and we wish you a very Happy New Year!

Our Autumn Overview

Our fall season has held quite a variety of things. From weekly staff meetings, to meetings with volunteers and student leaders, to the weekly student meetings on our seven Cru high school and middle school campuses. Fall is always a very full season of Cru activity and energy!

Our month of September was maybe even extra full for us, as we were also preparing our volunteers and student leaders to cover for us while we would be gone on our vacation trip from Sept. 27 through Oct. 16. It was unusual for us to plan a vacation trip near the beginning of a school year! 

We prayed, planned, and saved up our vacation days, and our money, to visit our son in NYC, and he had suggested that we come in the fall instead of during the heat of summer! So ... that's what we did! We also planned our trip around the time of the beautiful autumn colors in New Hampshire and Vermont, as we drove up there after time with our son. 

The highlight of our trip was our 5-day stay in NYC ... we loved our time visiting our son, Lance! The first day we arrived in the city, we also got to see my (Cherry's) brother and sister-in-law, Steve & Beverly, and one of their daughters, Izzy. Meeting up in Chinatown was such fun!

After our days with Lance, we drove north of the city to spend the weekend with Steve & Beverly ... such a treat! Then we headed up through Connecticut, Massachusetts, and into New Hampshire for a few days, and than a few days in Vermont, before we started the journey home. We had planned and hoped to be in NH and VT during peak fall color season, and amazingly, we hit it just right! It was simply gorgeous, as you can see from the digital scrapbook page below!

Our route back home took us by Niagara Falls, and then a very special overnight visit in Michigan with one of my (Cherry's) dearest friends from my childhood years in Japan. Though Debby and I have only seen each other three times since our childhood, our friendship continues, and it is always such a blessing for us to spend time with Debby and her husband Dave.

Just five days after our return home, we hosted three visiting Cru staff leaders for three days.  Our amazing Cru leadership try to visit staff regularly, giving encouragement and support. Bill came from Orlando (representing the leadership at our Cru headquarters). Scott (from Denver), and Nicole (from Dallas), are our new regional leaders who oversee and give support for our Cru Omaha team.

You can read more about their visit, and see more photos, by clicking here.

The first weekend of November held our annual Cru Harvest Party, hosted by a sweet, generous couple from our church, Citylight. Some students from four of our seven campuses came together for a fun evening of hot dogs, smores, games, hayrides, and an inspirational time around the campfire.

You are invited to read more, and see more photos about this evening, by clicking here.

Thank you so much for your interest in Cru Omaha, and in our lives as a couple and with our family! We love to give you these little updates, and we are so grateful for your prayers and support!

Wrapping Up Summer

Officially, the calendar still says it's summer for awhile yet, but in reality, the season has already made a change. The focus is now a new school year, both with our families, as well as for us who work with Cru. So here is one last post wrapping up some of our summer memories ... with family, and also with Cru.

We had a very special treat the first week of July ... a visit from our daughter Cristy together with her husband Mark, and the younger two of their four children, Luke and Brianna. Our grandkids are growing older, so two stayed behind: Crystal, with her summer job at DBU where she attends college, and also Abigail, who is now married and preparing for her first year of teaching after college graduation this past May! It's hard to keep up with everyone growing up and that also means that we are growing older, as well.

It was a wonderful time with family home! Then mid-way through the month, we headed off for Chadron State Park, in the northwest corner of our state, for a week of v-a-c-a-t-i-o-n. Our bigger trip of the year does not come until the fall season this year, but we knew that we needed a "week off" during our busy summer. We decided to stay fairly close to home, and reserved a cabin at one of Nebraska's state parks.

Our week away was just what we wished for, and more. Just the two of us ... resting, enjoying the beauty from our cabin deck, reading, extended devotional times ... it was glorious! And another special treat was driving back home to Omaha/Fort Calhoun via a stop in McCook. It was very fun to stop to see Carrie & Tyler, Cruz and Eva just three weeks after they moved into their new home there. We loved our visit with them, and getting acquainted with their new life there in McCook.

July and August have also been filled with Cru activity, as our involvement with students continues throughout the summer ...

Just a few days after our trip to Chadron State Park, we, together with some of our students, had the opportunity to partner with a group who serve the homeless in downtown Omaha once a week throughout the year. It was eye-opening, and heart-breaking, and such a joy to serve together providing a meal to nearly 175 of Omaha's homeless. You can read more and see photos by reading "Cru Summer Update" at CruOmaha.com.

Then at the beginning of August it was such a joy to have Jake & Chelsea, Eleanor and Audrey, over for a mid-morning breakfast gathering just five days after they returned from their month-long Cru mission to Tanzania, Africa. They, together with three other Cru staff, led a group of 16 college and high school aged students to love and serve students in Tanzania. We loved to hear many of the exciting things that happened, along with hearing about the challenges that were also present. You can read more and see photos of their trip by reading "Tanzania Summer Mission" at CruOmaha.com.

And now, as we near the end of August, schools have started up again, and we are very much involved meeting with our volunteers, our student leaders, and on campus in student meetings. On one of our campuses (Omaha North) a few of the students (above) joined us in a prayer walk around their campus at the start of this new school year.

Would you join us in praying for each of our campuses this year, as well? We desire to keep in touch often this school year, alerting friends and family to prayer needs, and also sharing what God is doing! You can check back here at GaryandCherry.com, as well as at CruOmaha.com for updates throughout the year.

A Few Snapshots from the Month of May

Desiring to keep in touch with family and friends, we're sharing a few memories and snapshots from our month of May. As Cru staff, the month of May can often be one of the busiest months of the year. And it probably is the same for others, as well, with all the events that May can bring!

In the midst of finishing up another year of Cru on our seven area campuses, the month held a very significant event for our family! Our oldest granddaughter, Abigail, was married to her fiance, Addison. We couldn't have been more excited! They met at DBU (Dallas Baptist University), and both sense a deep calling to serve long-term overseas with World Venture to the country of Japan! With my (Cherry's) background as an MK (missionary kid) from Japan, this is especially exciting for me to have a granddaughter and her husband headed for that country!

We traveled to Dallas/Fort Worth for the beautiful wedding on May 20th. 

An added blessing for us was that all six of our (grown) children were able to be there for the wedding, as well ... a mini family reunion!

When we returned home from the wedding, we jumped right back into Cru responsibilities with finishing up the school year. Besides wrapping up student meetings, we took part in the big area fundraising program called Omaha Gives. We are so grateful for the funds that were brought in to help with funding our Cru Omaha Operating Account for the coming 2018-2019 school year.

That same week, we, together with Jake, the other full-time staff member here in the Omaha area, held the Cru Summer Kick-off event ... a fun time for students from various campus groups, and the start up of the summer program for students.

Cru15 - Fort Collins, CO

Sharing memories of our Cru15 Staff Conference, held in Fort Collins, CO, last month. It was one of the best yet - uplifting, inspiring, and thought-provoking! So blessed that we could be there, and so thankful for the privilege of serving with Cru. Thank you to all our friends and support team who make it possible! 

We are now busy preparing for a new school year of ministry to high school and middle school students here in the Omaha area. School is already starting up, and our weeks have been filled since we returned from CO, getting together with volunteers and student leaders in preparation for a new school year. Thank you for praying for a fruitful year of students coming to know Jesus!

(Photos from our "Project Life" digital scrapbook, capturing memories of the summer.)

High School Ministry Days at Cru15

Hearing from our leader, Darryl Smith ...

Our Cru15 (Staff Conference) days started out with High School Ministry Days from Friday evening (July 10) through Sunday afternoon (July 12). What a great privilege to hear from our leaders and to connect with other staff. We always love these times together ...

After the opening BBQ Friday evening, held at a park in Fort Collins, we met for the next two days at Newsome Hall, part of Colorado State University campus.

Lunch together on Saturday between our morning and afternoon sessions ...

Our view of the Colorado mountains as we walked from Corbett Hall to Newsome Hall for our meetings ...

Beautiful Colorado sky view at dusk ...

Welcoming new staff who have joined since our last staff conference two years ago ...

Our last session together on Sunday afternoon was a Celebration and Awards time ... honoring staff for milestone years on staff (we will be awarded for 25 years at the Cru17 conference, two years from now!), and also welcoming the new staff who have joined since the last staff conference two years ago. It was exciting to have a record number of new staff join!

Such a blessed time to connect with our staff friends from across the U.S. And such a blessed privilege to hear from our leaders.

A few of the highlights from my (Cherry's) journal, notes taken during our sessions. 

From Darryl Smith:

• Scope - "every" has always been on God's heart. The Gospel is for everyone ... "make disciples of all the nations". 

• Passion and Compassion - both are important.

• Passion = brings focus.

• Compassion = brings scope.

• The Good Samaritan gives us a clear example of "compassion". Though his passion would not have been to minister to a Jew, the Samaritan was filled with compassion to help someone who was in need. Though our passion as High School staff, is for high school and middle school students, our compassion draws us to care for all those whom God cares for ... everyone.

• Always pursue First Love ... above what we do; our focus first of all is always the Gospel, always growing in our love relationship with Jesus. 

From worship songs:

• I will live to carry Your compassion ... by the power of Your Name.
• ... offer this heart, O God, completely to You.
• ... remind myself of all You've done ... I am Yours, forever Yours.

Special focuses:

• Tracy sharing how critical it is to reach middle school students - such a harassed culture, helpless; prime time to want to know Jesus.

• Sunday morning prayer focus led by Stephanie. The key to God's heart is prayer; the door to God's heart is Jesus. Prayer (communicating with and listening to God) ... our invitation to come "home" to ultimate intimacy and acceptance. Intercession = laying our pressing emotions and heart concerns for ourselves and others before the King.

These are just a few of the ways we heard from God through our time together; thoughts to carry with us. The biggest take-away from time with other High School staff with Cru is always ... the Gospel and growing in our love relationship with Jesus. This is always held up as of prime importance and focus. All ministry is an overflow from this ... 

Be Part of a Miracle

This article, written recently by Gary for a local newspaper, explains in a nutshell why we do what we do ... and explains what we all can be part of - a miracle!

Be Part of a Miracle (From The Enterprise - July 25, 2014)

We read in Mark 16:15, Jesus said to His followers ...

Go everywhere in the world,

and tell the Good News to everyone.

This command is termed "The Great Commission" because Jesus emphasizes this so clearly in each of the first four books of the New Testament. Therefore, since Jesus puts so much importance on this, one would think that we Christians would take it seriously. Yet, in actuality, sharing the Good News of what the eternal Son of God has done for us - entering our world as a man, living a sinless life, revealing His power and His love, giving up His life to pay the penalty of death for our transgressions, and then rising from the dead to conquer death for all mankind - is something most of us don't really do very often.

The Bible even gives us many promises of His presence and His help if we do get up the nerve to share. In fact, Isaiah 55:10-11 uses the comparison of sharing God's Word with a farmer sowing seeds for his crops to emphasize that when we share God's truth, it actually will sprout and grow. We have the promise from this passage that sharing will not be in vain, but will actually accomplish God's purpose in that persons life! Yet, because of it's supernatural aspect, this can be difficult for us to grasp. As a result, we may still shrug off sharing, thinking that it won't do any good, or that others won't listen to what we say anyway.

But this shouldn't dissuade us. In Mark 4:26-27 we read the story of how the farmer scatters seed, and the seed sprouts and grows, but even the farmer does not know how that actually happens.

 It's somewhat of a mystery that God just makes happen. 

Yet we know that all the farmers in this world 

still plant their seed every season. 

So, too, when we share the gospel, God is the one who makes it bear fruit. Therefore, it's not up to us; it's up to God. We can trust Him even though we don't understand it all. In fact, we should marvel that we can be part of the miracle that God can do in someone's life.

In 1973 a 2,000 year-old cache of date palm seeds was discovered on the mountain called Masada in Israel. In 2004, another researcher persuaded those holding this ancient cache of seeds to give him some seeds to try planting them. They gave him just three seeds. Out of those three, one of them actually grew! It actually sprouted and grew after over 2,000 years! (Israel My Glory, Article by Peter Colon, page 31, May/June 2014). 

If a date palm seed can last 2,000 years and still sprout and grow, we should be able to believe that God can take a seed of truth that we share with someone, and make it grow at the proper time. Galatians 6:9 says, "And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up." And II Corinthians 9:10: "He will multiply your seed ... and increase the harvest of your righteousness."

Cru (Campus Crusade for Christ) has an encouraging way to look at sharing God's Good News: "It's simply taking the initiative to share Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit, leaving the results to God." In other words, anyone can share Christ.

It's up to God to take that seed of truth that we share

and cause it to sprout and grow in someone's life.

What could we do that would be more fulfilling than that?

(This is a devotional article, written by Gary, as published in The Enterprise, a weekly newspaper in Washington County.)