Help Build Hope Event: On April 29th CrossRoads Missions partnered with three churches for a Help Build Hope Weekend. One team of our staff helped a church in Cincinnati, OH and another team helped two churches just across the river in Florence, KY. Phyllis, Erika and I participated with the team in the Cincinnati area. Our team framed up two homes. These two homes have been shipped to Beaumont, TX to help with the recovery from Hurricane Rita. More than 150 folks at this church pitched in to send a strong message, that as followers of Christ, we care and are doing tangible things to make a difference in the world.

Storm and Tornado Slams Eagle Pass, Texas and Piedras Negras, Mexico: A report from the director of CrossRoads Missions: Today is Friday, April 27, 2007, as many of you are aware, earlier this week Piedras Negras was hit by severe weather that impacted many families connected to our ministry and our ministry partners. Along with the tornado, high winds and flooding there was a very large hail storm. While the homes in Piedra Angular withstood the wind and rain without issue, 9 homes in Piedra Angular sustained significant window damage due to hail. Also many of our vehicles as well as residents vehicles sustained substantial glass damage due to the hail. CrossRoads will try and assist the community as we are able in repairing this damage. There are also individual families connected to our ministry around Piedras that sustained both wind and hail damage. One of our residents in Piedra Angular (Mari), has elderly parents in Eagle Pass and their home and all their belongings were completely lost. They are currently finding refuge in a local government shelter. In addition to this physical damage one of the students a little girl (Michelle) at Juan Sebastian Bach School (the school CrossRoads has helped build at New Creation Christian Church) was severely injured and has had to undergo surgery. She was with her Mom, one of her siblings and another mother and her two kids playing in the park in one of the hardest hit area’s named La Villa when the storm came. They ran to the local Catholic Church to seek shelter and that is when one of the walls of the church collapsed and injured them. The two Moms’ both had infants and were holding them with the two little girls between them. The six year old girl covered the three year old with her body, probably saving the three year olds life. The six year old sustained the most injury. Her mother (a single mom) was also injured suffering numerous fractures and is hospitalized as well. The little girl’s injuries included losing one of her internal organs and part of her intestines; she will be in the hospital for at least several weeks. CrossRoads has already started providing financial as well as other relief and we will be collecting funds to help offset as many of these expenses as we can. If anyone is interested in assisting, please send your contributions to CrossRoads Missions, 4112 Old Routt Road, Louisville, KY 40299 and we will see to it that our field team there in Piedras gets the aid as soon as it is available.

Please pray for these and the many others who lost both family and possessions in this terrible storm.

Meijer’s Community Rewards Update: Back in 2003 we enrolled in the Meijer’s Community Rewards program. Over these past four years several thousand dollars were donated to our mission work because of those of you who joined and regularly presented your card when shopping at Meijer’s. The plan was so successful overall that Meijer changed the rules, which resulted in a monthly service fee being levied against participants, and the percentages being lowered. During this time the amount of proceeds we’ve received from the program has significantly dwindled. We were receiving an average of $120 a month and today we are now receiving between $20 and $30 a month – and some months nothing. Meijer’s has just announced other changes in the program. As a result of the changes in the program we have decided to not renew our participation. Please accept our deepest appreciation for the efforts you have put forth over the past four years in using this program.

Personal News: Phyllis: While serving as missionaries with Missionary TECH Team in Texas Phyllis undertook training with Child Evangelism Fellowship. You might recall our newsletters at that time sharing about her desire to continue this educational process. It’s her desire to become better equipped to enable her in ministering the Word to children. At that time we also discussed the possibilities of her taking distance education classes towards a degree. We are now, by faith, stepping out in this direction. Phyllis has started the process of enrolling with Moody Bible Institute towards achieving an Associates Degree in Bible Studies. Her approach is to take small steps towards this credentialing. This will help her manage her study schedule, and us manage the financial side of the effort. Your prayers are appreciated as she begins to “hit the books”.

Erika: Erika continues to work through new medication to address her epilepsy. At this writing she has only be on the new medication for a week, and has not yet fully weaned from the old prescription. The first week has been a rough adjustment as the medication has varied side affects. Thank you for praying!

Jim: Jim recently completed work on a web site for Bible Fellowship Church in Olney, IL. You can check out the site by going to www.biblefellowshipolney.org.

Finances: Our support goal is $3,600 monthly. Incoming funds so far for this year are as follows: January: $3,900, February: $1,615 and March: $1,400.

Closing: We often have difficulty in being able to visit and chat with everyone we desire to when we come to Cincinnati. Thus we have plans underway where we would set aside a time at Faith Bible Church, our home church in Cincinnati, where we would take an hour or so on a Saturday afternoon to provide a brief presentation on the ministry areas of our mission work. We are planning to also build a wall as if we were at a Help Build Hope Event! Please stay-tuned for details.

It goes without saying how much we appreciate your partnership with us in enabling the sharing of the Gospel!

Serving With You Because of Him

Jim and Phyllis

CrossRoads Missions is recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)3 organization; as such your contribution may be tax deductible. Contributions may be mailed directly to CrossRoads Missions, 4112 Old Routt Rd., Louisville, KY, 40299 to the attention of “Jim and Phyllis Null Ministry”.

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” – Galatians 2:20