June 2026 - Yes, We Prayed
We prayed yesterday. Around the world, perhaps in your city or church, and certainly here at Cru’s Lake Hart in Orlando.
Every June 2 (our Josh’s spiritual birthday) for more than 20 years has been Worldwide Prodigal Prayer Day. Parents, grandparents, siblings, friends give us names to be prayed for. We post only first names, and those names remain on the list unless there is a request to remove the name. Of course, many prayers have been answered—some immediately and some over time—but no one really wants to stop people from praying for their loved ones. We have more than 13,000 on the list so far.
Our theme this year, as I mentioned last month, is Transformation—the transforming work of God in our lives and potentially in those we pray for. I based the theme on five words from Scripture that God has used to bring significant change in my life: thank, love, grace, mercy, bless. Click on one, or all, to see the transforming work of each.
The Wonder of Summer Projects
For as long as I can remember, Cru/Campus Crusade has been sending students, with some staff, on summer projects. The earlier projects were scattered across the U.S. at beaches and resorts, anywhere students hung out during summer break. It was a great way to develop staff leaders and student leaders—and to initiate conversations and relationships to share Christ with students.
Then we started doing the same thing around the world—sending teams to begin evangelistic/discipleship ministries in nations we did not yet have outreach with.
Meet Bobby and Mary Hegedish. Bobby was Steve’s travel assistant, and Mary was mine. When she arrived, Bobby was smitten. It took her a little while, but they married during Covid. Now Mary works with the Cru advancement team, and Bobby directs at University of Central Florida.
“God has been moving in our international partnership, Bosnia Herzegovina,” Bobby reports. “This year marked a big shift for our ministry there as we are focusing on planting in the capital city Sarajevo. Among all the connections and conversations in a spring break week, three Muslim-background students indicated decisions to profess belief in Jesus. In a place that is considered “unreached” with the gospel, this is unheard of. Praise God for how He is moving in the world despite global instability and chaos. Pray for direction as He leads us to build a ministry in Sarajevo. Mary and I will follow up the work this summer as we help lead a month-long trip.”
Digital Ministry Consultant & Writer
Equipping the Hand, Inspiring the Creative Heart at Cru
Sus Schmitt helps Great Commission workers move from confusion to confidence by mastering the digital tools they need for the mission field. For decades, she has served at the intersection of technology, strategy, creativity, and faith—taking Cru staff from "good to great" in their digital footprint.
Her consulting and writing are anchored in the "Power of 4"—providing stable, actionable resources across four vital pillars:
MPD & Newsletters: Simplifying support tracking and partner communication.
Tech & Systems: Navigating organizational workspaces, G-Suite, and mobile ministry.
Digital Strategy: Expanding online reach through intentional blogging and networking.
Creative Excellence: Cultivating creativity as an essential gospel tool to make God fully known.
Beyond the technical mechanics, she believes that technology is a canvas for creative expression. Her writing inspires missionaries to use their artisan skills—writing, storytelling, and design—to reveal the character of God. Sus serves on our Women's Resources team and has helped me in many ways.
Explore the Resources: Check out her blogs for curated guides, templates, and reflections from her digital resource hubs (eQuipping4eMinistry and God Fully Known).
Time with My Sisters
I have three wonderful sisters. If you’ve been reading First Wednesday for more than three years, you might have read these before descriptions before:
Betsy, mother of three and grandmother of six, has been a nurse in NICU and hospice. She and her husband built their mountain home and she keeps a spotless home and aces jigsaw puzzles.
Judy (yours truly) is a writer, a missionary, former magazine editor, a Texan away from home, a sports fan and briefly a soccer coach, with three children and 10 grands.
Mary has two children and two grands and has been a teacher, a horsewoman, a masseuse, an aquaponic gardener and other interests.
Susan has sold RV’s, worked as a pawnbroker, been a farmer and an artist, but most of all is a servant and encourager. She is a mother of two, stepmom to two, and grandmother to five.
Two weeks ago we spent a week together at Mary’s home in Round Rock, TX—a great family time. We had a light supper with Erica and Jay in the home they built, dinner with Mary’s Rusty and Jonathan at Austin’s popular Jack’s, dinner with James and Zeynep at Saltgrass Steakhouse (see photo), lunch with Mary and husband, Dale, at Jack’s. We ate well.
And they (Betsy, Mary, and Susan) worked on a challenging but beautiful puzzle—I put in 15 pieces, and we played Chicken Foot, Sorry and Clue. I did not win.
People are surprised we have stayed so close and so intentional. We are grateful.
Still celebrating
June 8, 1975. After five years of dating, Steve and I got married. He was so worth waiting for. And Steve is joyfully Home, and I miss him every day. And I thank God over and over for the gift of Steve.
May God surprise you with His blessings,
Judy