An East Texas-based ministry is taking people from darkness to the light, restoring vision to more than 10,000 people through Sight.org’s mobile clinics in West Africa. Since Lewis Swann co-founded Sight.org in 2012 in Tyler, the organization says it’s also shared the Gospel with more than 50,000 people in Togo, a mostly French-speaking country of…
Tag: Faith
East Texas woman navigates grief by building wooden crosses
Everyone handles the loss of a loved one differently. Amber Acosta refused to let her father’s memory fade away after his death in 2016. It was inside his workshop that Amber says she unexpectedly found inspiration. “Someone can have such a large presence in your life. And to not have that anymore, it can take…
Meet Christian worship music artist Reese Germany
A rising voice in the Christian worship music scene, Reese Germany’s songs bring encouragement to those who are hurting. Her lyrics and songs give life to powerful testimony about finding hope through suffering. “I feel like my life is a song,” Reese said. “I feel like God has written a story that only he could…
East Texas athlete defies cancer diagnosis to play college softball
Softball has become a type of therapy for 18-year-old Addison Babbs. The freshman from Nacogdoches County is finishing her first semester at Angelina College and earned a spot on the Lady Roadrunners softball team. Until recently, very few of her teammates knew about an inoperable tumor deep inside the right half of her brain. Competitive…
Artist Robert Puschautz creates sacred art to elevate minds toward eternity
An East Texas artist is looking to his faith to bring beauty to the world. From his studio in downtown Tyler, Robert Puschautz is training aspiring artists to produce sacred art that inspires others. “There’s a need for new imagery, a need for beautiful art to occupy people’s hearts and minds,” Puschautz said. The Stabat…
Andy Eaker’s journey from childhood coma to hospital chaplain
Nearly 30 years ago, Andy Eaker miraculously bounced back from a serious childhood brain injury. Today, the Longview native is using that experience to encourage and empathize with patients as a hospital chaplain. In June 1996, Andy Eaker was one of the first examples of extraordinary faith profiled in KLTV’s ‘Power of Prayer’ series. That…
WATCH: Organist plays in Paris’ oldest church
Click here to listen to an organ playing inside Église Saint-Germain-des-Prés.
WATCH: Inside La Madeleine Church
Click this video to explore the striking architecture of Paris’ La Madeleine Church.
WATCH: The beauty of the Cologne Cathedral
Click here to listen to the beautiful choir during the Introductory Rites of Sunday Mass at the Cologne Cathedral.
Bishop of Tyler points to exodus in German church in warnings ahead of Vatican conference
In a recent pastoral letter to the approximately 120 thousand Catholics in East Texas, Bishop Joseph Strickland warns of an “evil and false message that has invaded the Church.” The August 22 letter reiterates what the Bishop of Tyler refers to as ‘basic truths that have always been understood by the Church” and says they…
East Texas pastor guided spiritual healing after America’s first mass shooting in a church
As gun violence in America has many churches taking a closer look at security plans, one East Texas pastor has a unique perspective on the matter. Brother Norman Crisp’s congregation at First Baptist Church in Daingerfield knows tragedy firsthand. On June 22, 1980, a gunman opened fire there, ultimately killing 5 people and wounding 10…
McClung family moving to Poland to pursue ministry as YWAM missionaries
An East Texas family is preparing to embark on a long-term mission to serve others in the region from a newly-established ministry base in southern Poland. This week marks one year since the start of Russia’s war in Ukraine. The anniversary highlights an ongoing humanitarian crisis across central Europe. In early May, the McClung family…
WATCH: Inside Europe’s finest example of Baroque architecture
The Basilica of the Assumption in Krzeszów, Poland is considered to be one of the greatest examples of Baroque architecture in Europe. Click here to take a tour.
Namesake of Tyler’s first hospital, current chaplain share common connection to Poland
The namesake of Tyler’s CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Hospital and a chaplain currently serving patients there share an interesting connection. Polish-born Mother Frances Siedliska founded the order of religious known as the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth in 1875. Years later in the 1930s, 16 sisters came to Tyler from Chicago to operate…
East Texas missionaries providing housing, relief to Ukrainian refugees in Poland
A team of 25 missionaries from the East Texas-based Youth With A Mission, or YWAM, are on a two-month trip to Poland, providing outreach and immediate aid to Ukrainian refugees who have fled violence in their home country. Josh and Meg McClung are leading an outreach team through MercyWorks, a YWAM ministry. This is the…
Cloistered Dominican nuns mark 75 years of prayer in East Texas
The Monastery of the Infant Jesus is celebrating 75 years since its founding in East Texas. Located on Lotus Lane in north Lufkin, the community of nearly two dozen cloistered Dominican nuns are devoted to praying for the needs of the world around them. “I wanted to be hidden so that God could be the…
World’s largest airport chaplaincy provides peace in busy DFW Airport
At the start of the holiday travel season, countless East Texans will be among the passengers navigating crowds at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. Despite the airport being one of the busiest places on Earth, people are finding their faith inside one of the five DFW Airport interfaith chapels. “You don’t ever know how travel is…
Couple rescued in boating accident reunited with ‘angel’ four decades later
A boating accident on Lake Palestine in Smith County nearly ended in tragedy for two families. Now, almost 40 years later, they’re finally learning the story of the man who rescued them and saved eight lives. Decades ago, Becky and Rodney Owens, their kids, and family friends were enjoying an afternoon of boating while visiting…
Wine-making family weathers seasons of change by relying on prayer
Kiepersol Estates Winery is marking 20 years in East Texas. Their journey from South Africa has become a testament to the power of prayer. The homegrown business has weathered everything from weather extremes to the loss of its founder. But there’s now a sense of peace at the vineyards in Bullard, according to proprietor Marnelle…
WATCH: Centuries of Chinese history lie in wait at Temple of Heaven
Click here to tour the Temple of Heaven, a complex of religious buildings in central Beijing.
Good Samaritan couple survives roadside crash
After a violent roadside crash, an East Texas couple is dedicating their lives to restoring others’ relationships with God. Late on May 19, Jerry and Sheri Beeson pulled off Interstate 20 at the Farm-to-Market Road 31 overpass west of Marshall. They were trying to help a man who had wrecked his Jeep Grand Cherokee earlier…
Commander’s widow shares journey of faith on 15th anniversary of Shuttle Columbia tragedy
This month marks 15 years since the Space Shuttle Columbia broke apart over East Texas. The widow of the Columbia’s commander is sharing how that tragedy turned into a test of faith for her family. While enduring the loss of a spouse wasn’t easy, Evelyn Husband-Thompson says she has been able to find healing comfort…
Why the Cologne Cathedral is Germany’s most-visited destination
The Cologne Cathedral, a symbol of Christianity’s influence through the ages, is the most-visited destination in Germany. Situated along the shores of the river Rhine, the church is also home to the shrine of the Magi, making it one of the most significant pilgrimage destinations for believers. After the remains of the Magi were transferred…
Ministry reaches English-speaking pilgrims marking 500th anniversary of Protestant Reformation
As Christians around the world mark the 500th anniversary of the start of the Protestant Reformation, an English-language ministry is reaching out to the thousands of visitors making a pilgrimage to Germany. On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther, a German monk and professor of Bible studies at Leucorea University in Wittenberg, Germany, is said to…
Europe’s largest cathedral steps up security amid international terrorism threats
Amid a wave of terror attacks abroad, steps are being taken to protect visitors to Germany’s biggest tourist destination, the Cologne Cathedral. In August, police and the City of Cologne agreed to make closures near the historic church in response to the van attack in Barcelona, Spain, which killed 13 people. According to the Cathedral’s…
Pay to pray: Understanding Germany’s church tax
A so-called church tax in Germany may be behind a steady decline in the European nation’s church membership numbers. The Pew Research Center, a non-profit, non-partisan public opinion group based in Washington, DC, cites the tax as a factor behind an exodus of Germans officially leaving their religious communities. Germany is among several European countries…
Baseball legend Darryl Strawberry uses ministry to reach others battling addiction
After a very public fall from grace, a Major League Baseball legend, has dedicated his life to preaching the Gospel and sharing a message of redemption. Darryl Strawberry became one of the biggest stars in baseball in the 1980s and 1990s, until his career was derailed by drugs. Drafted by the New York Mets, Strawberry…
Sewing Hope: The extraordinary woman called the ‘Mother Theresa of Africa’
Wednesday, I had the opportunity to spend time with an extraordinary woman who has changed the lives of thousands of young girls, who otherwise would remain on the fringes of society. Sister Rosemary Nyirumbe is gaining worldwide attention for her humanitarian work to rescue children from a notorious rebel army in Africa. She’s helping mend…
Pastor’s spiritual walk leads him from orphanage to Capitol Hill
As a coach, pastor, and foster parent, Reverend Jerome R. Milton has touched the lives of hundreds of East Texans. On December 12, 2012, his devotion to spreading the word of God earned him an invitation to lead the U.S. House of Representatives in prayer as guest chaplain. After an introduction by East Texas congressman…
Major relics of history’s youngest saint in history visit Tyler cathedral
Thousands of East Texans journeyed to the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Tyler this week to venerate the youngest saint ever canonized. The major remains of Maria Goretti left Italy for a first-time tour of the United States. For the faithful, it was an opportunity to reflect on the life and sacrifice of the…
Actor Kirk Cameron shares his spiritual walk from atheist to evangelist
Actor Kirk Cameron became a pop culture idol as the star of the 1980s hit TV comedy ‘Growing Pains.’ Raised in a family without God, he found his faith while portraying teenager Mike Seaver on the ABC sitcom. Now, as one of the most prominent Christian voices in Hollywood, Cameron is inspiring others by sharing…
Ministers patrolling E. Texas streets through community policing program
Rockie Simpler is not a peace officer, but a man of the cloth. Still, his ministry puts him alongside Mount Pleasant police officers — armed only with the word of God. “This patrol car is my church,” Simpler said. “I use it as a tool to go out and help people with the Lord. I…
Theology on Tap serves up Bible study with a twist
A Christian men’s group in Tyler is reaching out the faithful in an unlikely way, through Bible study with a twist. Theology on Tap provides fellowship and conversations about faith and spirituality in a casual setting. Rev. Justin Braun, a priest with the Catholic Diocese of Tyler, helped start the group in 2012. “We’re East…
E. Texas priest awaits ordination as bishop of Tyler diocese
In the two months since the announcement that Pope Benedict XVI had chosen a local priest to become the fourth bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Tyler, Reverend Monsignor Joseph E. Strickland has kept a whirlwind schedule. Through his blog, “Run Father Run,” Bishop-elect Strickland has provided an inside look at his latest spiritual journey…
Oldest town in Texas celebrates diverse heritage
Nacogdoches, the oldest town in Texas, is quite proud of its rich heritage. Having worked for the Convention and Visitors Bureau in Natchitoches, Louisiana, I have a special interest in history and cultural studies. Through Nacogdoches’ architecture, people, food, and in the city’s general way of life it’s easy to see the many different influences. Sacred Heart…
Lane Luckie 