We are living in the midst of an uncertain time. Likely, you have been following the developments of the COVID-19 outbreak around the world. EMM staff and I have been closely monitoring the situation and praying for all who are being affected by the disease. Our Leadership Team has also taken a number of steps to ensure the well-being of our global workers and domestic staff.

PHENIX CITY, Ala. — This summer, Eastern Mennonite Missions (EMM) Kingdom Teams will venture into a new region in Phenix City, Ala. However, Alabama is not new to EMM, having operated ministries in this state since the 1940s when it began sending evangelists. 

SALUNGA, Pa. — Eastern Mennonite Missions (EMM) is monitoring the coronavirus epidemic and actively praying for all being impacted. 

SALUNGA, Pa. — “Donald Jacobs was a visionary leader. To fit into a culture, one must have love. Don had love in his heart,” said Bishop Nelson Kisare.

Ever since I can remember, I have struggled with believing in the lie that my voice doesn’t matter.

As a new follower of Jesus Christ in my early 20s, I was drawn to missionaries when they visited my church. A short-term mission trip led to a discipleship training program which led to meeting my husband of 30 years, Michael. We decided to divide the first three years of marriage by living six months in Chile and six months in Richmond, Va. As our family grew, we chose to plant ourselves in Puerto Montt, Chile.

LANCASTER, Pa. — Eastern Mennonite Missions (EMM) and 300 attendees celebrated the beginning of the renovations of 450 North Prince Street on Sunday, February 9. EMM is eager to move its administrative offices into this new space, which will allow them to continue their global ministry while engaging the local Lancaster community through a cross-cultural hospitality center. The drop-in reception and ceremony provided an opportunity for people to explore the building, view renderings of the renovated space, and ask for God’s blessing on the project.

Asher started second grade in the fall. For most second graders, starting school is a familiar process. They may return to the school where they went to first grade and might know the other kids in their classes. They may be a bit nervous about their teacher or disappointed to end vacation but overall not feel too overwhelmed. Asher’s first day of second grade felt a bit different from that.

In a culture that prizes independence and freedom from restraint, obedience sounds confining, even oppressive. It implies doing something I don’t want to do just because of a command from a person in authority. Children know that the most unsatisfying answer to the question “But why do I have to?” is “Because I said so.” As parents, we wish for that answer to be enough; we wish that our children would trust in our wisdom and love for them and know that obedience is for their good.

SALUNGA, Pa. — “Do Christians, Jews, and Muslims worship the same God?” is a perennial question that has led to much division in Christian theological circles. Eastern Mennonite Missions (EMM) global consultant Dr. David W. Shenk was invited to share his ministry reflections on this question in an October 2019 publication called Do Christians, Jews, and Muslims worship the same God?: Four views.

CATEL, Guinea-Bissau — “Yahweh, Yahweh,” sung with jubilant exultation ricocheted off the stucco walls of the modest Bissau-Guinean Mennonite meetinghouse. Dressed in colorful, traditional West African attire, participants at the annual conference of Mennonite Church West Africa (MCWA) celebrated the growing interest of Christocentric theology throughout the region.

Obedience is rarely what I think. When I say yes to God, I assume the story will take a particular turn or that He is concerned about a specific outcome, only to find new and different treasures He has in store for me. Maybe this is why obedience may cause confusion, disorientation, and pain. But it also brings beauty.

SALUNGA, Pa. — Paul Timothy (P. T.) Yoder Sr. passed away at the age of 91 on December 16, 2019. Yoder and his wife, Daisy, served as missionaries with Eastern Mennonite Missions (EMM) from 1956 to 1977.

SALUNGA, Pa. — On December 14, 2019, the Lord welcomed home his faithful servant, Richard A. Showalter. Having served as the sixth president of Eastern Mennonite Missions (EMM) from 1994 to 2011, Showalter left a lasting legacy on both the organization he served and the Global Anabaptist church. 

SAN JERÓNIMO, Peru — While Quechua culture has garnered the attention of American audiences with the recent film “Dora and the Lost City of Gold,” one Mennonite school in Peru has worked quietly to educate Peruvian children and protect their culture for nearly 15 years. 

BISHOFTU, Ethiopia — Standing in one of the regional offices of the Meserete Kristos Church (MKC), the church’s former president, Tewodros Beyene introduced several LMC leaders to the church’s administrative staff. He explained that the LMC delegation had come to listen to MKC.

LEBANON, Pa. — After one very long day on the road, having traveled more than 900 miles, the record-setting youth group from Kalona (Iowa) Mennonite Church arrived in Lebanon on Sunday, July 28.

WILLOW STREET, Pa. — On July 13, 2019, Eastern Mennonite Missions (EMM) held its annual missions and culture event at the Hans Herr House and Museum, drawing an estimated 1,600 visitors to Global Fair. Attendees had opportunities to hear a number of international performers on the fair’s new World Stage and to interact with EMM workers and community organizations, purchase food, or play kids games at more than 50 stands representing about 30 different cultures.

MUSOMA, Tanzania — Shouting, singing, and celebration resounded throughout the village. Water came flowing into tanks from Lake Victoria, which is just to the north of the Mennonite Theological College of East Africa (MTCEA). Acting Principal John Wambura recalled people in the village declaring, “God is back in Nyabange Mission.” 

WILLOW STREET, Pa. — A limited budget or scant vacation time doesn’t have to mean a dismal summer. In fact, you can go around the world in just 4 hours at the 24th annual Global Fair on July 13, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Hans Herr House and Museum in Willow Street, Pa.