Last week, I took an eerie walk in my office area. At 1 p.m., the lights were off. I heard no sound but the humming air conditioner. It was my first time there since the office was closed due to COVID-19 more than 120 days ago for any work that could be done from home.

The visit was representative of changes my team is going through this summer. I was allowed in to clean out a desk and office. Sarah was an intern with our team during the last school year. In May, she moved home to Michigan, but couldn’t enter the office to pack up. Now, she finally has her pens, decorations, mugs and other office items.

Then in June, I began supervising all eight writers and editors on our team. I’d shared leadership with Jason for a time until he moved to another writing and editing role in Cru. This month, I’m working with my director to reorganize the team to offer more opportunities to our writers.

In August, we’re expecting another writer to join us. I’ll be getting to know him by phone as we prepare for his arrival. We still don’t know when our office will reopen, so having someone join the team will be a different experience than it has been in the past.

Even as we go through these changes, my team and Anne Marie’s team both continue to disciple people long distance. The enclosed newsletter, which Anne Marie edited, shows how teachers connected to the International School Project continue building disciples, even while schools around the world remain closed.

My team looks for ways to continue to help readers of Cru Storylines build disciples. You can see our latest issue online at Cru.org/Storylines. Our July issue featured “Reflecting Jesus in these Hard Times” to help readers interact with others while social distancing. And I’m excited we got to publish “The Most Important Week of the Year” as it takes place in Nebraska. Reading it now feels odd, as it was gathered last August, before COVID-19 was on our radar.

For the next issue, we’re working on a story about how Christians can appropriately wrestle with doubt, one showing how Cru’s summer mission trips changed to online discipleship on short notice, and we’re telling about a gardener who gives away his produce to aid his neighbors as he shares the gospel.

As you think of us over the next few weeks, please pray for me as I supervise our team and add a team member while we all work from home. And would you  pray for Anne Marie’s team to continue serving teachers  around the world without being able to travel as they have in the past?

We’re grateful for your friendship and partnership in or lives and ministry.

— Mark, for the Winzes —

P.S. If you’d like to give a gift to our ministry now, you can do so here.. Thank you.