Christina Ray Stanton
Who and Why?
Who am I?
My name is Christina Stanton, and I am a 55-year old Florida native who has lived in New York City for the past 30 years. I had a successful career as a singer in musical theatre before turning my full attention to my job as a professional, licensed NYC tour guide. I have worked for 28 years total as a guide, and my tours have been written up in multiple publications and featured on travel channels. I've led thousands of people on tours over the years, and I truly enjoy it. From 2009-2020, I also worked as the Director of the Short Term Missions Ministry at Redeemer Presbyterian Church (Founder, Dr. Timothy Keller). I revamped the ministry, increasing its scope from two trips of 30 people each year to 14 trips per year with more than 200 people participating. My years of leading mission trips have helped me pinpoint some unmet needs, so in 2017 I founded a nonprofit called Loving All Nations (www.lovingallnations.org). My husband, Brian, has worked as Redeemer Presbyterian’s Chief Financial Officer since 2002. We’ve been married since 2000, and we’re one of Match.com’s original couples! We are longtime residents of the Financial District.
Why the 9/11 book?
9/11 totally reset the course of our lives, something I recognize and appreciate more with each passing year. Interest in 9/11 has waned, and I regularly meet young people who know very little about what happened. I wanted to describe more details about that day from my unique perspective. This book will help some readers remember that day, and it will help others learn facts about it for the first time.
Why the COVID-19 book?
When I caught a bad case of COVID-19 in March 2020, I was one of the earlier cases. Not much was known about the virus and how to treat it, which bred a cesspool of fear and confusion. As a result, much misinformation circulated, and my family and I endured the worst of the virus during what will surely be remembered as a very turbulent and unsettling period in US history. I wanted to share our story to: 1) Profile my battle in a detailed running commentary to provide an opportunity for others to experience it vicariously 2) Offer ideas how to practice mental and physical self-care if one contracts a disease or otherwise endures hardship 3) Model how one's belief system can impact the outcome of a personal trial, and give examples of ways your support system can help or hinder the process 4) Raise awareness of life-lessons I learned and COVID long-term health effects I suffer as a result of contracting the virus 5) Lastly, I give an insider view and timeline of events of New York City as it shut down and then succumbed to the virus, tragically becoming a deadly Global epicenter.
What makes my 9/11 book different from the gazillion other books about 9/11?
1) I moved to NYC just months after the original 1993 WTC bombing. The fallout from that disaster was my initiation into NYC and left a big impression on me. 2) My husband and I were -- and still are -- residents of the Financial District, where the WTC complex is located. We witnessed the attacks from our 24th-floor terrace apartment just six blocks from the Twin Towers. 3) We were trapped with our dog in Battery Park when the Towers fell, and we were evacuated by boat into New Jersey in the largest boat evacuation in history. 4) We didn’t permanently return to our apartment until the next January. 5) My husband’s fraternity brother died in the attacks, and our dog died from cancer related to toxins he inhaled on 9-11. 6) A NYC tour guide since 1995, I took hundreds of tourists up to the original WTC observatory and toured the complex for years before 9/11. My more than two decades as a tour guide have given me a unique perspective on the City before, during, and after the attacks.
Finally, and most significant, my books are a testimony of how God changed my heart through battling COVID and surviving 9/11. Every Christian has a testimony of how and why they decided to dedicate their lives to Christ. Through these stories I am able to share mine. :)
Who am I?
My name is Christina Stanton, and I am a 55-year old Florida native who has lived in New York City for the past 30 years. I had a successful career as a singer in musical theatre before turning my full attention to my job as a professional, licensed NYC tour guide. I have worked for 28 years total as a guide, and my tours have been written up in multiple publications and featured on travel channels. I've led thousands of people on tours over the years, and I truly enjoy it. From 2009-2020, I also worked as the Director of the Short Term Missions Ministry at Redeemer Presbyterian Church (Founder, Dr. Timothy Keller). I revamped the ministry, increasing its scope from two trips of 30 people each year to 14 trips per year with more than 200 people participating. My years of leading mission trips have helped me pinpoint some unmet needs, so in 2017 I founded a nonprofit called Loving All Nations (www.lovingallnations.org). My husband, Brian, has worked as Redeemer Presbyterian’s Chief Financial Officer since 2002. We’ve been married since 2000, and we’re one of Match.com’s original couples! We are longtime residents of the Financial District.
Why the 9/11 book?
9/11 totally reset the course of our lives, something I recognize and appreciate more with each passing year. Interest in 9/11 has waned, and I regularly meet young people who know very little about what happened. I wanted to describe more details about that day from my unique perspective. This book will help some readers remember that day, and it will help others learn facts about it for the first time.
Why the COVID-19 book?
When I caught a bad case of COVID-19 in March 2020, I was one of the earlier cases. Not much was known about the virus and how to treat it, which bred a cesspool of fear and confusion. As a result, much misinformation circulated, and my family and I endured the worst of the virus during what will surely be remembered as a very turbulent and unsettling period in US history. I wanted to share our story to: 1) Profile my battle in a detailed running commentary to provide an opportunity for others to experience it vicariously 2) Offer ideas how to practice mental and physical self-care if one contracts a disease or otherwise endures hardship 3) Model how one's belief system can impact the outcome of a personal trial, and give examples of ways your support system can help or hinder the process 4) Raise awareness of life-lessons I learned and COVID long-term health effects I suffer as a result of contracting the virus 5) Lastly, I give an insider view and timeline of events of New York City as it shut down and then succumbed to the virus, tragically becoming a deadly Global epicenter.
What makes my 9/11 book different from the gazillion other books about 9/11?
1) I moved to NYC just months after the original 1993 WTC bombing. The fallout from that disaster was my initiation into NYC and left a big impression on me. 2) My husband and I were -- and still are -- residents of the Financial District, where the WTC complex is located. We witnessed the attacks from our 24th-floor terrace apartment just six blocks from the Twin Towers. 3) We were trapped with our dog in Battery Park when the Towers fell, and we were evacuated by boat into New Jersey in the largest boat evacuation in history. 4) We didn’t permanently return to our apartment until the next January. 5) My husband’s fraternity brother died in the attacks, and our dog died from cancer related to toxins he inhaled on 9-11. 6) A NYC tour guide since 1995, I took hundreds of tourists up to the original WTC observatory and toured the complex for years before 9/11. My more than two decades as a tour guide have given me a unique perspective on the City before, during, and after the attacks.
Finally, and most significant, my books are a testimony of how God changed my heart through battling COVID and surviving 9/11. Every Christian has a testimony of how and why they decided to dedicate their lives to Christ. Through these stories I am able to share mine. :)