Diana Kross is proof that age is no barrier to sharing the Gospel.

This dynamic 87-year-old is the force behind a mission project that is making a significant impact.

For the past decade, Kross has been collecting Bibles for distribution in the Pacific Islands. To date, she has collected more than 1,000 Bibles.

Living in the Noosa coast area of Queensland, Australia, Kross sources the Bibles by visiting local second-hand shops. Some, she receives for free, while others require a nominal fee ranging from AU$0.50–2.00 (approx. US$0.33–1.32) per Bible. Over the years, she has collected new leather-bound editions, children’s Bibles, and study Bibles in various translations.

Kross’ inspiration for starting the project was the World Changers Bibles initiative, which has distributed thousands of Bibles to young people in the South Pacific. She initially worked with Clinton Jackson, a science teacher from Brisbane Adventist College, who used to travel to the Solomon Islands doing missionary work. 

Diana then enlisted the help of her son, Dr. Nick Kross, who visits the Pacific Islands in his leadership role at the South Pacific Division (SPD) of Seventh-day Adventists. Dr. Kross is delighted to be able to distribute the Bibles and finds that the recipients are “so appreciative of these valuable gifts.”

“There’s power in the Word of God, regardless if it is new or a second-hand Bible,” Dr. Kross said. “Everyone can do something to make a difference in the lives of others. My mum has found her ministry in second-hand shops and is serving the Pacific from sunny Queensland.”

Dr. Kross concluded, “She also recites the Lord’s Prayer and her favorite psalm—Psalm 23—daily. These passages are her inspirational ministry texts.”

The original version of this story was posted on the South Pacific Division website, Adventist Record.