Our Story

I’m Brian Keene and I’m the founder of Cross to the Mountain Ministries. In 1999, I married my best friend and wife, Trina. We have 8 children between us and our kids blessed us with 14 grandchildren…number 15 is on the way! We both grew up in the south suburbs of Chicago and that is also where we raised our blended family. Both Trina and I are a result of God’s Miracles and Grace as I have 30 years sober and Trina is celebrating 28 years. God saved me from a very self-destructive life of drinking and drugs in 1994. I surrendered my life and desire to drink to Him on my knees in a rehabilitation facility and have never had a desire to drink since that day. Surrender is an important part of my recovery and my life today. When I surrender, God works miracles in my life.

God was always a big part of our life raising our family and we were always very involved in church. We went through the court system trying to get custody of my 4 children in 2004. I was determined to save them from an abusive stepfather and an unhappy home. We went through different attorneys and several court appearance. We were subject to interviews by the Department of Children and Family Services and eventually were told we would need well over $30,000 to continue. It was not a near impossible task. I was considering very desperate measures…I needed to save my children! One day at work on the construction jobsite I surrendered my kids and the situation to God. Desperate and afraid. God moved! I was awarded custody of my kids just weeks after I surrendered - no attorney, no court costs! God works miracles when I surrender to Him.

We raised our family and worked hard to provide a good home for our children. We attended church regularly and were always grateful for God’s work in our lives. One by one the children grew up and some went off to college others left home. We were proud of the life we were able to provide for them. They are all amazing people!

The Island

After raising our children we moved to St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands in 2016. Our lives would never be the same. We attended a very special church on the beach there on St. John and my faith was tested and grew while we were there. In September of 2017, St. John was hit by two Category 5 hurricanes - Irma and Maria. Strongest storm to ever hit the Caribbean. We took shelter in the bathroom of one of the condos we were managing. The door began to bow inward. I screwed the door closed as we heard the ceilings being ripped off and the windows blowing in. The island looked like a nuclear bomb hit it. Not a leaf remained on a tree. It was devastating! Two weeks later we were hit by Hurricane Maria which dumped over 3 feet of rain within 24 hours. We were without power, water, food. We lived in wreckage for months but we stayed on island and were threw ourselves into the recovery. Mission teams came from the U.S. and our church assisted feeding, clothing and helping all affected. Ever since then, my heart has been drawn to doing mission work and helping others in need.

I loved the island more than almost anything else in my life. But I was feeling very torn. I was not sure what I was supposed to be doing after the storms. I began praying for God to open the next door for us. In my mind, I was never leaving the island. God had other plans. As I continued to pray I got more and more uncomfortable in my own skin. It got so bad that I felt like the island was dying before my eyes. I hit my knees in tears after months of pushing against God’s Will. I finally said, “I trust you and your plan for me, God”. I surrendered and immediately felt relief. But I knew that God wanted us to leave the island. I had made the island an idol. God broke me and made it clear He would not allow that. He will be first in my life. We moved back to Chicago in October of 2018. We thought it would maybe be for a year. God had other plans.

The Cross

We returned to the island in 2019 to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary. We renewed our vows during our visit. I went out one morning to my favorite fishing spot and there was so much beauty surrounding me. An amazing rainbow, floating taco bar and an awesome sunrise. I took pictures and was thanking God for all the beauty around me. After an hour or so of fishing I decided to walk down the narrow island to investigate. While walking back to my fishing spot I was talking to Jesus. I had always struggled feeling worthy of Him or feeling connected to Him. I was crying and asking Him to let me hear His voice. To let me see Him. I approached my spot. Then I saw it…a cross! A simple handmade wooden cross. I heard Jesus speak to me and say, “I’m right in front of you and you don’t even see me”. How did I not see this cross? It was a tall cross made of driftwood with a large stone base! I was standing 10 feet away while fishing. I didn’t see it. When I looked back later at the pictures I had taken at sunrise, it was right there! I hadn’t seen it. I was so distracted by the world that I didn’t notice the cross right in front of me! Ever since that day I have felt Jesus with me. That picture has a special place in my heart. It’s the day that Jesus showed Himself to me. He spoke to me! The King of Kings and Lord of Lords spoke to me. Wow!

But now we wait

In 2020 after Covid and all of the riots that broke out all across the country, I struggled with the state of the world. I reached out to a pastor from the island and he suggested that I get a paper Bible and read it every day. I picked up a Bible and started reading a couple of chapters each day. I also started praying for God to change me and to use me. I prayed to focus my passion and energy towards Him and Jesus. I had felt God had something for me to do since returning from the island, something important. It would be 7 years before we heard from God on what His plans were for our lives.

During that time we were blessed with 11 more grandchildren, we lost my mother-in-law and just recently my father passed away. We also went through the hardest time of our life together. We both had some very hard health issues and in 2023 we lived through the demise of our large blended family. It was torn apart. It was the worst pain we’ve ever experienced. But we kept our faith. We kept praying and keeping God first through it all. I kept reading the Bible. I’d finish it and read it again. The Word of God will change you. It will transform you. God taught me that the world is all just a distraction from Him.

Journey to the mountain

In April 2024 God “kneecapped” me. I was out of work for a month with knee issues. During that time God’s calling was so strong. I had a crazy thought about being a pastor! With my past I thought that was crazy. But if that’s what God had planned I would be obedient. Again I called that pastor from the island and he said that he had just returned from Costa Rica. He said God was really doing some wonderful work there. I put on my VR headset and was looking at pictures of Costa Rica. I looked at a lot of pictures but when I clicked one picture, tears started flowing down and I heard God say, “What if this is where I have work for you? I will bless you beyond your wildest dreams”. Wow.

My wife and I decided to take a vision trip over the holidays to check out Costa Rica and to celebrate 25 years of marriage. The trip wasn’t the best - water was too rough to snorkel, driving was like being in a video game with all the twists, turns, random people and animals in the streets! And I didn’t catch one fish. But we attended Beach Church of Manuel Antonio and from the moment the pastor started speaking I knew that this is where God had work for us. We returned to Illinois and after much prayer (and my wife’s ‘Jacob moment’) we both knew that Costa Rica is where we were supposed to be. After we gave God our YES everything went very quickly. Our house sold for asking price to a customer of mine without even listing it! In February 2025, we sold everything and moved to Costa Rica. We brought our dog Buddy who we had rescued on St. John after the hurricanes. Since our time here I have been connected with a men’s recovery house - Casa de Amor (House of Love). They attend our church and they are in great need of help. After meeting with Jimmy, the program director, and seeing the desperate needs of the facility I knew I needed to help.

We were living in a house on a mountain near Quepos. Up the steep road there was a plateau and a large clearing overlooking the ocean. There was a humble bench made of some old board sitting on 2 plastic buckets. Some heavy God moments took place on that bench and He showed me His presence in some very big ways there! My time on that bench on the mountain was special!

Cross to the Mountain’s Vision

Today the goal of Cross to the Mountain Ministries is to provide financial support and renovations to organizations in need. Casa de Amor is our first mission and we are excited to see what God can do through your support. We have other projects we will be looking into for additional ways to serve and help those in need. We will post updates on future missions as God opens the doors. My heart has always been for helping people in recovery. I also have over 20 years construction experience which I will be using to train groups of men. As we work to renovate the house, I will be teaching them skills that will help them find employment once they complete their 6 month program. Our goal is to provide each man with a set of tools once they are ready to leave Casa de Amor. We will also be performing renovations in the community and at other organizations in need. God has been equipping me for this throughout my life with the skills and heart to serve and help others!

Help us make a difference as we serve those in need in Costa Rica! Your support can make a difference and help God transform lives!