Cross My Heart Ministries

THEN - In January 2002, First United Methodist Church of Weatherford, Texas, held a women’s retreat. 

More than 75 women were in attendance.  Andrea Waitley (McWhorter) at that time had presented a three-session teaching from Psalm 86:11, “Teach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your truth. Give me an undivided heart to fear Your name.” Andrea had titled this teaching “Cross My Heart.” The Lord moved powerfully on the hearts of the women who attended. Immediately after the retreat, Pat and Wayne Bodkin came to Andrea and shared with her that she needed to be in a full-time teaching ministry and that they knew the Lord had called them to help bring that to pass.

By February of that same year, Andrea McWhorter Ministries was a reality, and Cross My Heart Ministries was a subsidiary ministry under the covering of AMM. Invitations to speak at various churches began to come quickly.  

Andrea attended a prominent women’s conference in Fort Worth, Texas. Her way to this conference had been paid for by some very generous friends. The cost at that time was $65.

On the way home, Andrea was burdened for women who would never have $65 to attend a conference, much less have the funds for travel expenses. Her prayer was, “Lord, I’ll go wherever You send me if it means women can hear Your Word and not have to pay.” God answered that prayer. Remote towns in Arizona, New Mexico, and Oklahoma invited the Cross My Heart Team to minister. Women who couldn’t make it to the “big” conferences were being blessed!

Another ministry that was birthed out of Cross My Heart was Brown Bag Bible Study. Andrea had a real burden for women who worked outside the home and who just did not have the time or energy to attend an evening Bible study. Brown Bag began meeting at the noon hour.

Careful attention was paid to the fact that these women only had a limited amount of time during their lunch hour. The format was to begin teaching at 12:10 and finish by 12:45 so that they could get back to work. The studies, and lunch format, met a need in the community.

In 2003, Andrea’s husband, Larry McWhorter, went to be with the Lord after a nine-week battle with cancer. In 2004, the Lord brought Frank Waitley of Iliff, Colorado, into Andrea’s life. In March of 2004, they were married, and Andrea and her nine-year-old daughter, Abi, moved to Colorado. The ministry continued with conferences and Brown Bags being established in Sterling, Colorado; Sidney, Nebraska; and Ogallala, Nebraska.

NOW - In June of 2019, Andrea handed the leadership of Cross My Heart over to Kelly Huenink. Kelly is a devoted Christian missionary with a heart to serve the Lord and His people. Through Kelly, Cross My Heart is now an international ministry.

Before Andrea invited Kelly to take the leadership of Cross My Heart Ministries, Kelly was feeling called to more women’s ministry. She had taught with Andrea locally as well as in Kenya. She shared that calling with Andrea having no idea that she was about to be invited to take over the ministry. That was confirmation for both. 

Kelly’s ministry officially began in 2010 when she went on a mission to Uganda. She returned feeling homesick for a place she had only spent three weeks. After realizing there was a call on her life for international assignments, she returned to Uganda the following summer and again that December.

In 2012, she led a team to Uganda as the Director of Missions for Uganda through Christ Community Evangelical Free Church (CCC) in Greeley, Colorado. Eleven years later, she still oversees the work of CCC/Network Beyond in Uganda and has also traveled to Kenya, Cuba, Jamaica, and Costa Rica.

Unlike some who struggle to find a church home, Kelly has many churches where she feels at home. Her home church is the United Church of Crook, and they have partnered with CCC in her ministry. Several other churches support Cross My Heart Ministries and the work around the world. Women’s conferences continue to be held in Colorado, Nebraska, and East Africa. 

Currently, a medical clinic is being built in a remote village in Western Uganda where there are no churches or medical facilities. Kelly’s spiritual son Reuben (a medical doctor) wants to be the Church through the clinic. The Chapel of the Plains in Stoneham, CO, was instrumental in getting the land bought and approximately half of the construction costs.

Other supporters include clean water projects and wells funded by Christ United Methodist in Sterling and ministry support from LaSalle Community Church (LaSalle, CO) as well as the churches already mentioned. Women who participate in the weekly Bible studies also donate to the ministry. Kelly finds it encouraging that people give for projects and (more importantly) people they may never meet this side of heaven.

Since becoming the President of Cross My Heart, Kelly has continued Andrea’s work, such as the Brown Bag teachings (still from 12:10 to 12:45 for women who work) and the Christmas Tea. They have also formed a group called Women of the Truth that has an annual conference in March and workshops in September. 

Brown Bag begins on Tuesday, August 31st at The Rock Assembly of God Church in Sterling, CO and Thursday, September 2nd in Sidney at the Library of the Evangelical Free Church. (Bring your own lunch.) This fall’s teaching series is entitled Simple Faith. 

The Women of the Truth fall workshop will be held, Saturday, September 11th, at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Sterling, CO. This is a free event with a continental breakfast. Debra Jo Walker, Founder of Women in the Word, will kick off the event with a talk on Grace for the Hard at 10 AM. Morning and afternoon workshops will be held following. The conference ends at 4 PM.

If you would like more information on the ministry or the upcoming events, please follow Cross My Heart Ministries on Facebook or contact Kelly at [email protected]. All denominations are welcome!