New Beginnings

Hello! It's Leah here, and it has been a while since I've written a blog and that was not my intention, so I apologize. To be honest, the goal is to write once a month or at least once a quarter but I have been busy and that is a good thing!

When the pandemic hit in 2020, it made a pretty big dent in the Ministry. In January of that year our team took a trip to El Salvador. It was Mama Jean's first trip in a few years and I believe she knew that this would be her final trip. But, she didn't know how traumatic it would be. Most of you should remember that Mama Jean barely made it home and she managed to bring home three strands of E. Coli with her! It was scary for her and the team but Praise God, He took care of her! Needless to say, we took a break after that. A near death experience of our fearless leader paired with coming home to a pandemic that seemed to have taken over the world is enough to make anyone want to stay home. Not to mention, we literally had to stay home.

In 2021 Mama Jean stepped down as President and her daughter/my mom, Cathi, was elected. And if I must say, she is doing a fabulous job! I was elected Vice President and together we took on the entire ministry. Boy, is it a lot of work! We had no idea how much went into running a non-profit organization because Mama Jean made it seem so effortless! Plus, my mom and I both work full time jobs in addition to running the ministry. But, the ministry is where our passion is and after about a year and a half now of being in charge, I'd say we're doing a pretty good job! We had some changes along the way - one of those being that our Ministry Director in El Salvador, Rafael Madrid, moved to the United States and stepped down from his role in the ministry. We are so happy for him but we do miss him. Thankfully, God knew who was going to fill that role! We offered the position to Pastor Bernardino Mena and not only has he accepted but he has done a wonderful job!

Pastor Bernardino along with his wife, Doris, have done a wonderful job running our William McDonald Ministry to Feed the Hungry. With help from one of our other Pastors, Pastor Transito Chavez and his wife, Alicia, they are delivering food to each family that we sponsor.

We currently have 39 families that we are able to provide food for monthly, and we are so appreciative of each and every one of our Sponsors. We could not run this ministry, or our Student Ministry without all of those who graciously give.

For a while, we had decided to stop accepting new applicants. We know that committing to sponsor a student or a family is a big commitment and it takes a true calling to do it. However, before My mom and I went to El Salvador this past January, I told her that if someone asked for us to sponsor their student, that I wanted to at least try to find a sponsor for them, and she agreed. We came back to the United States with about 15 applications from students asking for sponsorship. It had been years since we had to ask for sponsors so we were not sure if we would be able to take on all of these students. After sending out a newsletter and my mom and I presenting our ministry to the ladies at our church, Encounter Life Church Newnan, we were able to cover each of those new students! That was a true gift from God!

So what about the Feed the Hungry program? If we are taking new students for the Student Ministry, then shouldn't we try to help more families in need? Our previous cost to feed a family for a month in El Salvador was $35. The price has gone up a bit (hello inflation), so now we are asking for $40/month to sponsor a family. Think about how much we spend on a regular basis without even thinking about it? I know I'll run through a drive-thru at any time and spend $10 on a meal at Chick-fil-a and not even think about it. Or what about a $6 drink from Starbucks?

This is not to guilt trip anyone into sponsoring a family. As I said above, doing so is a true commitment and I don't want anyone agreeing to something like this if they're unsure or if their heart isn't truly in it. But with that being said, we do have some families that could really use our help. Pastor Bernardino has requested sponsorship for six families from his congregation as well as seven families from Pastor Transito's congregation.

I know that 13 families sounds like a lot, and it is. But, God has provided sponsors for 39 families, so we know that 13 more is nothing for Him! The great thing about sponsoring a family through an organization like ours, is that you're not just throwing money towards something and never seeing where it actually goes. These are families that attend churches of our Pastors that we have personally met. You'll be able to see photos of the family you sponsor receiving food. Being a sponsor myself (I sponsor a student), I can tell you how rewarding it is to know you're helping someone in desperate need. Please let us know if you or anyone you know may be interested in sponsoring a family.

There are other opportunities to give as well. For example, the mother of one of the families we sponsor needed glasses. She has a very specific prescription and her eyes are so bad that she needs very thick lenses. The cost was $265 and she could not afford them. Thankfully, her sponsor graciously sends above what is required for the families they sponsor and we were able to use the extra donations to cover the expenses for her glasses! Here she is after receiving her new glasses. Praise the Lord!

We have been asked to help another young lady purchase her glasses. She is the daughter of one of the families we sponsor and needs a special prescription and cannot afford them. The cost for her glasses is $135. We do not have the extra funds to cover the cost. All we can do is ask for help.

Lastly, Pastor Bernardino has requested help with a woman whose house is falling down. He writes: "The reason for this email is to send you photos and information on a request for humanitarian aid for Sr. Silvia. She is going through a situation in which her house is falling down and she urgently needs 15 sheets for her roof, which is currently covered with pieces of sheet metal and plastic." The sheets for her roof cost $17 each. She is need of 15, so the total cost is $255.

Again, we know that these are a lot of needs but we also know that God is a provider! If you feel lead to sponsor a family or help with the cost of these needs, we have many ways to give. We accept donations via Venmo @crucified-life, Paypal at admin@crucifiedlifeministries.com, or if you prefer to send a check, you may send it to 133 Garrison Chase, Senoia, GA 30276.

No donation is too small. If you are committing to sponsor a family, their sponsorship could start as soon as August 1st. We do ask that you specify in the comments of your donations to include where you would like your donation to go: WMF Family, Glasses, or Silvia's roof.

Thank you for your consideration,

Leah Whitehead

Vice President

Crucified Life Ministries

Crucified Life Ministries is a 501(c)(3) not for profit organization and all donations are tax deductible.