Gene and Heather’s 2024 Year End
Every year, just before Thanksgiving, we send a Year End Financial Update together with a special giving opportunity to everyone who receives our prayer letter.
We will be updating this page through the end of the year, so check back often!
If you would like to give a special year end gift to our staff account, you can do that here.
Thanks for being on the journey with us,
Gene and Heather
1/6/2025: Wrap up… The season always flies by. Christmas, New Year. Family. Hopes. Dreams. Evaluation. Adjustments. It’s all there. It’s all here. And we are grateful. For the love of Christ. For his graciousness in our lives. For the plans he has for us. The works he created for us.
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Trusting God.
That trust is displayed in our partners when they give. Year end giving to our staff account always blows us away. In it, we see God’s grace.
Our 2024 annual giving was up again. Recurring giving was up. Special giving (year end giving included) was very good. And so we are starting off 2025 on solid financial footing!
To God be the glory!
12/27/2024: Christmas day is past. Yet the prominence of the incarnation in my thinking lingers. I hope it lingers all the way until next Christmas.
Heather and the kids are in Whitehouse for a few days to celebrate Christmas with family there. They left yesterday. I didn’t realize that it would happen this way. Will and Sadie were initially going to stay and work. So I made plans to stay behind with them. And also to take a steer to be processed. And to read and write and pray. (I’ve got some catching up to do in my journal 🙂) And I thought it would be a great time to work some holiday kinks out of Daisy’s behavioral system. She has developed the one year old “I can’t hear you”‘s. Especially when a cat or another dog wants to play. 😬
So here I am, drinking and thinking. Coffee. I’m drinking coffee and thinking about the gift of Christ. And I’m thinking about 2025. About hopes and dreams. And equipping professors who are wanting to live in light of the gospel with opportunities, resources, and connections to help them flourish in academia. And students trying to figure out what they believe while navigating growing up. Often alone or without healthy families and friends who are good for them.
And I’m thinking about “20 campuses.” Wondering, “What was I thinking!?” But it wasn’t just something I dreamed up. The idea of multiplying movements on 20 campuses was born out of a conviction that all people everywhere deserve the opportunity to hear the gospel in a way that is clear and compelling. And it was born through prayer. And I believe that working as hard and smart as we can towards that goal is good. It is right. And it will honor God.
And I’m thinking about how it is that we get to work toward such an amazing thing. And we all know that it isn’t because we are somehow special. I’m not. And those who know me know that I am a mess. Not qualified for such an assignment. And yet many who know us and know me give sacrificially of their prayer and finances so that we can try to reach people with the most amazing truth of all:
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. John 3:16-17
We are so very grateful. Grateful for God. Grateful for our partners. Grateful for the opportunity to continue in our job of connecting people to Jesus and helping them grow in their faith.
And we are grateful for the way God has provided for our work. And so, while we are still chasing our year end giving goal (we are about 27%, or $4,700 away) with about 4 days remaining in the year, we know that what God has done is perfect. And what God is doing is perfect. And what God will do in the next few days will be perfect. Heather and I trust him! No matter what, we are honored to continue doing the best we can, leaving the results to him.
The truth is, the fact that our partners have already given nearly $13,000 in special year end giving is amazing! Incredible. We are so thankful!
Glory to God!
12/19/2024: I met with pastors from 5 Pleasanton area churches this morning and was very honored to be invited, since I was the only one not a pastor of a local church. We met to pray. It was really interesting participating in that context. And really helpful.
The young men and women we are reaching and training on college campuses are the future (and in many cases the present!) leaders of churches. As a part of a local church (we are church people!), it is easy to see the gap. I’m sure that if you look around your church on Sunday mornings, you will notice the gap as well.
But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Together, we are making a difference in the churches around the world for today and for tomorrow. As I pray about expanding from 4 campuses to 20 campuses in 2025, I am drawn to the difference that is going to make in people’s lives, families, churches, communities. Everywhere.
I was also struck by the idea that came into my mind this morning as I was praying… we don’t need bodies in church as much as we need multiplying disciples of Jesus Christ. And that is what our work is all about.
OK, today is the 19th of December. Thursday. I just learned that we have to submit any last minute remaining min expenses or salary requests by next Thursday the 26th for them to count in 2024. Having everything possible count in 2024 helps increase opportunity in 2025. So, if you haven’t given a special year end gift yet and would like to, please give online by Monday 12/23, if possible, so your gift can be processed into our staff account in time.
To God be the glory!
12/16/2024: Today is our anniversary… 24 years…
I love us!
We met on January 7, 2000, were engaged by Easter, and were married on 12/16. It was quite the year!
I believe that 2025 will be quite the year as well. It will be the year that our ministry turned into a landscape dotted with many growing fires ready to become out of control wildfires. Movements of multiplying disciples on 20 college campuses. Students and faculty banding together to share the greatest story ever told. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, taking steps of faith. Bravely venturing beyond their comfort zones. Growing in their faith.
It is amazing how few people actually understand or can effectively communicate the good news and invite someone to begin a relationship with God by putting their faith in him. Even people who say they grew up in church.
We were just collaborating with a church on the west side of San Antonio to look for leaders to launch a new Destino movement at St. Philips College. A young lady indicated that she was a Christian, had grown up going to church, and wanted to multiply her faith on her campus. So Heather and Dyran (a leader at the church) met with her later that day in the student center. During that short meeting, Heather shared the gospel. The young lady was amazed and realized that she had never actually entered into an actual relationship with Jesus.
In that meeting, she put her faith in Jesus! Very cool. And I happened to see them talking and took a picture. I had no idea of what was actually happening.
Here is how we most commonly share the gospel and train others to share the gospel.
Here is what we mean when we talk about being filled with the Holy Spirit.
There are many ways to share our faith with others and help people understand what it means to live in step with the Holy Spirit. We aren’t saying that these are the only ways, or even the best ways. But they are great ways. And they are very easy and are transferrable.
11/29/2024: When we think about movements and evangelism and discipleship our north star is multiplying disciples. Multiplying disciples frequently take steps of faith outside their comfort zones. They do things in order to grow and develop with an eye toward multiplying their faith in other people. Like classmates, parents, siblings, friends, even directors of student involvement.
I met Jasmine* a few semesters ago with a student who was interested in getting Destino re-registered as an official student organization at Palo Alto College (PAC). In early September of this year, I was visiting with Jasmine at an org fair on campus. She told me how Joey, a leader at PAC, had blessed her the day before. Jasmine had been having a difficulty day and Joey had picked up on that. He had offered to pray with her. She told me about that as if had changed her spiritual direction. She shared with me that if Joey, a student, could be so full of faith, maybe she could too.
Daniela and Jaileigh (pictured above) are leaders at PAC and Northwest Vista College (NVC) respectively. They are both leading groups of students and are seeking to multiply their faith on their campuses. Daniela expects to transfer to St. Mary’s University next fall and would like to launch Destino there. It won’t be easy. But that doesn’t matter to her because she knows that God is bigger than any obstacle she may face. These two young ladies took another step of faith by emceeing the Destino Texas Fall Retreat in October. Amazing courage.
I am a bit leery the term ‘leader.’ It seems like a fleeting buzzword. But students who are growing in their faith as they take steps of faith can lead others in their faith. And the more of those there are, the better.
* Name changed for privacy.
11/28/2024: Today is Thanksgiving. One of my favorite days of the year. All of our kids are home this week, which we are very grateful for :). It’s early in the day and not many people are up yet. But Heather and Trey are in the kitchen cooking and the smells… oh the smells! Life is good.
I am thankful for my family.
I am thankful for friends.
I am thankful for good books… and puzzles, and peace, and dogs. Good dogs, like Daisy, who is turning into a cow dog and still likes to go to sleep at night on our bed, even though she’s really too big for that.
Tomorrow, I want to tell some stories of students and faculty taking steps of faith. I am thankful for that too. And for the ability to say about our job:
We create opportunities for the gospel to capture hearts, transform lives, and launch men and women into a life-long adventure with Jesus.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Gene
11/25/2024: This is our favorite time of the year! Cooler, drier weather, ducks, deer, chili (actually, it’s always chili time at Muckleroy Base Camp!) Thanksgiving, Christmas… so it seems very fitting that this is the time of year to celebrate God’s provision for our work.
While joy can be found any place, at any time, in any circumstance, we most often experience joy in relationships with God, each other, our kids, our family, our friends, and our ministry partners. Strip it all away, and where we see God’s grace in our lives most clearly is in these relationships.
The relationship we share together with ministry partners in the mission of connecting people to Jesus and helping them grow in their faith is unique. It’s special. It draws us together in the greatest endeavor known to man.
It is built upon trust, commitment, hope, grace, love, and the desire to trust God together in the mission of connecting people to Jesus and helping them grow in their faith. The goal that the Lord has set before us is significant…
Multiplying movements of faculty and students on 20 campuses by the end of 2025.
There is nothing scientific about how these 20 campuses were chosen, although they were chosen thoughtfully and prayerfully. And some may change before the end of the year as we follow God the best we can.
This visually represents priority campuses. Some will begin with Faculty Commons, and some with Destino…
Right now there are movements on 4 campuses in San Antonio. Northwest Vista College, Texas A&M San Antonio, San Antonio College, and Palo Alto College. Going from 4 to 20 in a year is crazy.
Note; Please pray for a dinner we are hosting with open sky solution oriented thinkers on Jan 9. Some great ideas and starting points should come from that.
We believe that by working hard and smart and full of faith, God can use us to accomplish something for his kingdom that is beyond what we can imagine. We don’t know how. We don’t know anyone who does know how. But we believe that strategies and doors will open as we stay rooted in Him and pursue our mission with him.
And that is why we are so excited to share this year end financial update. Through the generous giving of many partners, God provides for this work he has called us to. That provision includes:
- our salaries: we both received a salary from Cru: funded through giving designated to our staff account
- benefits (including self-funded health insurance administered by Blue Cross/Blue Shield and a 403b retirement plan): funded through giving designated to our staff account
- and many ministry expenses:
- conferences, summer missions, ministry partner communication, new partner development, learning, training, travel to out of town campuses, etc: funded through giving designated to our staff account.
- student scholarships, team development, student outreach, and campus materials, etc: funded through giving designated to the Destino San Antonio Operating Account
- faculty lunches, gift bags for new professors, etc: funded through giving designated to Gene’s new Faculty Commons Operating Account
Note: if you are interested in giving specifically to the Destino SA Operating account or the Faculty Commons Operating Account, please let Gene know!
Giving to our staff account has increased each year since at least 2021, and 2024 seems likely to continue that trend. Our committed giving (monthly, annually, etc) has increased most significantly this year and special giving has been solid as well. 2023 year end giving surpassed any other year since we joined staff in 2010, and we are praying and trusting God that 2024 year end giving will increase again.
There is simply no way we could or would pursue the vision God has given us if it were not for the faithful generosity of our partners.
To God be the glory,
Gene and Heather
