“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” – John 13:34-35 Solidarity. Obedience. Love. When I was recently asked to describe what guides Cross in a few short […]
Hope in the Bateyes
In the Dominican Republic, Cross International partners with Good Samaritan, a ministry providing food and medicine to impoverished families who live on the impoverished sugar cane bateyes (settlements). The director of the ministry, Moises Juan, grew up on the sugar cane bateyes. He lost his mother as a result of poor medical care and nutrition. […]
What it’s like to be a sugar cane field worker
“A sugar cane worker is like an orange,” said 45-year-old Ebano. “You take an orange, squeeze all its juice into a glass, and drink. Then you toss the crushed rind away. That is what they do to us.” Ebano is a Haitian immigrant working in the sugar cane fields in the Dominican Republic. Every day, […]
God Sent You
When 79-year-old Precious lies down at night, he finds momentary relief from the pain that gnaws at his bones by day. After working more than fifty years cutting sugar cane in the Dominican Republic, the Haitian-born immigrant has little to call his own. He had to stop cutting cane five years ago because of his […]
Reason to Smile
In Proverbs 17:22 we are reminded that “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine…” Over the last several months we have been overwhelmed with images of sadness and despair from Haiti and, more recently, Chile. Sometimes it is nice to be reminded that the poor smile. Below are recent photos from the field of […]
