Robin’s Applicant Liaison team helped guide another group of new staff applicants through the process to become missionaries with Cru and complete Cru’s New Staff Orientation conference in January. Robin and I attended the graduation dinner and commissioning. During the program, the new staff took missionary vows where they affirm that they will commit their time, talents, gifts, and resources to help fulfill the Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20) for the glory of God. As missionaries with Cru, Robin and I reaffirm our missionary vows each year.

Devon is one of those new missionaries with Cru. We thought you might be interested in his story. “At the age of 26 I hated my life even though I was an NFL football player. I was with Arizona (Cardinals) after being let go by the (Indianapolis) Colts. After my 4th game in Arizona, I wanted to die. That's when I met Jesus Christ. I prayed in desperation and God heard me in my broken place. I was baptized the next day after confessing Romans 10:9 (‘Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.’) That begun my walk with Jesus Christ.

“I believe God is calling my wife and me to Cru because we love to help people grow in their knowledge of Jesus Christ. I believe he has called me to minister to a (professional) football team as a chaplain. We ran a ministry together for 10 years and God has moved us on to now use his words and our experiences to impact lives for Jesus Christ.”

Devon and his wife, Shereasher, (circled in the New Staff photo) are joining Cru’s Athletes in Action ministry. Athletes in Action is an international sports ministry focused on equipping athletes, coaches, and sport-minded individuals to grow in their relationship with Jesus and multiply their life into others. Athletes in Action serves in more than 60 countries, on over 200 college campuses, with 40 professional sport teams, and through digital resources.

Athletes in Action’s ultimate goal is to see Christ-followers on “every team, in every sport, in every nation.” You can learn more about Athletes in Action at athletesinaction.org. FYI, if you scroll down on the front page of athletesinaction.org, you will find an article about Kirk Cousins who is the son of Don Cousins, the senior pastor of the church we attend in Orlando.

One thing to note about the photo above of the new staff class is that several people are not in it due to their placement in closed countries. It is your partnership in our ministry that helps people like Devon and others serve wherever God is calling them. Thank you!

Yours in Christ,

Steve & Robin