Louisiana Couple Gives Away Free Crosses, Dozens Find Faith

A simple wooden cross with three painted words is opening doors to life-changing conversations across Louisiana.

George and Polly Marshall launched their cross ministry on October 31, 2024, setting up in a shopping center parking lot in Alexandria with 28 handmade crosses. Each one carried the same message: "Jesus loves you."

Since that first day, dozens of people have made faith commitments, and hundreds more have stopped to pray with the Marshalls and volunteers from local churches. The couple serves as missionaries with Alpha-Omega Missions, a ministry supported by multiple Baptist churches that reaches people across the United States and Mexico.

"Almost no one will turn down a free cross, and we use that as a way to pull them into a conversation about Jesus," George Marshall said. "We don't talk long but do say a quick prayer of encouragement and share the Gospel."

The Marshalls spend several months each year ministering in Mexico, then return to their home base in Woodworth. They discovered the cross ministry five years ago through Leo Lytle, a professional woodworker from Pine Valley, Texas, who travels the country distributing crosses and sharing his faith.

The Ripple Effect

The ministry is transforming more than just the people receiving crosses. Team members from various churches say the experience has made them bolder in sharing their faith with strangers.

"Those who have handed out the crosses have gotten more comfortable in praying and asking others about Jesus," George Marshall said. "I'm seeing Christians wanting to get involved in this and they are getting excited about sharing the Gospel."

Lyn Dousay, a volunteer from Pine Ridge Baptist Church, watched a young man's life change at a nursery festival in Forest Hill. "He walked in looking for a cross and walked out with Jesus," Dousay said. "He knew about Jesus but didn't know Him as his Savior."

The brief parking lot encounters force volunteers to focus on what matters most. With only a minute or two per conversation, they've learned to cut through small talk and connect on a deeper level.

The movement continues to grow as more church members join the popup locations throughout Central Louisiana, turning ordinary shopping trips into moments of hope and connection.