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Don Cross: dcross@indiana.edu

Bio:Born and raised on a grain farm Southern Indiana, and graduated from a high school with 60 students.  Attended Vincennes University and came to IU-Bloomington in 1968.  Served as assistant director of student publications in the IU School of Journalism for 33 years and retired in 2004.  Family:  Met wife (Jody) at IU in 1968.  Married for 37 years (Jody is retired IU Art Museum Tour Coordinator; two grown children, Sara (married and working as an elementary school teacher in Sweden) and Joseph who is majoring in Fine Arts classes at IU and involved with local music groups.

Spiritual Journey:  My mother taught me Bible stories and “took me to church” as a kid.  I was “confirmed” at age 13, but at 15, I stopped attending church and forgot about God.  While taking classes at IU in 1975, the Gideons were handing out little green Bibles on campus and I grudgingly took one intending to throw it way.   Later, after feeling depressed about life and the thought of death, I came across the green Bible and the words of Psalm 34 “This poor man cried and the Lord heard him and saved him from all his troubles…O taste and see that the Lord is good”.  I began looking for God, reading the Bible and looking for people who were following the Bible.  For the first time, Jesus dying on the cross for my sins became personal and changed my life. 

Hashim Hayik: hayikgchs@hotmail.com

I was born to Palestinian Arab Christian parents in a small village,Eilaboun,in the north part of the “Holy Land”. After graduating from Galilee Christian High School I attended Michigan Christian College (Rochester College today) in Rochester Hills, MI. After receiving my degree in Biblical Studies in 1990, I went back home and started working with my people; preaching for the church and teaching Bible and English at Galilee Christian High School until 2008 (18 years). During that time, I also served as the business manager of the school. I also attended Haifa University and received my degree in English Literature and Education. While in the States, I am working on my graduate degree from Harding Graduate School of Religion.

In 2008 my  wife, Rawia, received a Fulbright scholarship to work on her graduate degree in Teaching English as a Second Language. In the summer of 2008 we, along with our two children, Wiam and Fadi, moved to Bloomington and joined North Central church of Christ. I started working with FriendSpeak in January of 2009. Being an international myself, helps me cater better to the needs of international students and makes it easier to serve them.