Hello family,

Sorry if you received our last mailing this morning (it was from months ago). Today, I was actually trying to send out a very different note! I’ve made a mistake, plenty, but today -two- I am ready to fix:

Hi, my name is Raynna, and I’m the writer behind The Martyrs’ Cross.

I took a break from writing here several months ago in hopes that it would help me stay more focused in completing a book project that never would have happened without the community that wears and cares about the meaning behind The Martyrs’ Cross. The problem is, I don’t think I can complete it without staying connected in this way.

There’s a real time investment in creating outward content, and I thought I needed to reclaim that time… I didn’t realize how much that connection made an investment in me as well. Creativity needs community.

I’m gonna show who is here better. Encouragement is a very human thing to do and to need. Writing can often lead to the ability to hide behind words. It’s important to me to not do that. There’s a family behind me, there’s people sojourning here, wanting to serve alongside and be a part of people out there. We believe in authentic and powerful community, even when distance is great.

So, here’s to new beginnings. THANK YOU for being here! If you wear The Martyrs’ Cross “around your neck or around your heart” (heart, meaning, you know that our prayers for family enduring persecution matter!) would you say hello in the comments, maybe even tell us where you’re from too? We’d love that.

Stay prayerful Martyrs’ Cross Fam! We’re with you.
Raynna