SALUNGA, Pa. — Rhoda M. Sauder, 83, a pioneer and career missionary, passed into eternity on March 23, 2019, in Ephrata, Pa. Rhoda and her late husband, James Sauder, served with Eastern Mennonite Missions (EMM) for 30 years.

Gerry Keener, president of Eastern Mennonite Missions (EMM), is pleased to announce that Lorri Bentch has been appointed as the Mission Team director. Bentch will begin employment on April 3, providing leadership to 111 global workers serving in 33 countries, including regional representatives, and five Central Administrative Office staff members.

SALUNGA, Pa. — The Board of Directors of Eastern Mennonite Missions (EMM) announces the appointment of Gerald “Gerry” H. Keener as the president of the organization.

Former EMM worker Brook Hostetter connected a North American children's choir with a Peruvian children's choir. The result was this original song and music video, recorded and filmed in Cusco, Peru! Enjoy Kuska Takisun ("Together We Sing"), and read the story behind the music video below.

"Would you like to join us for a Bible discussion? There's free food ..."

I have a confession to make — I LOVE to fix things. I mean I have it bad, and if you have known me for long, you know this about me, because it has become such a core piece of who I am. As soon as I hear of a need, immediately I am brainstorming and asking, "What can I do? Let's fix this!"

ATTAPEU, Laos and KERALA, India — Two devastating and unrelated flooding incidents in Asia have resulted in high numbers of death and displacement. In August 2018, Eastern Mennonite Missions (EMM) sent $9,500 toward relief efforts.

Before Mary and I went to Vietnam, I was profoundly moved by reading Dietrich Bonhoeffer's The Cost of Discipleship. Bonhoeffer, a German theologian and pastor, hanged in a Nazi concentration camp in 1945, had written: "When Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die."

Many people have never heard of this country, or if they have, they know little about it. The government has guaranteed this cloak of secrecy over the last 60-plus years of military junta ruling by keeping much of the country closed, with severe and swift consequences for anyone they even suspect of questioning their laws or legitimacy. Secret police are located everywhere, spying on their own citizens and making those they feel may be a threat disappear, temporarily or permanently.

I was recently asked, "What does church planting look like?" I have been privileged to be part of two church planting efforts, one in Ohio Mennonite Conference and one in LMC: a fellowship of Anabaptist churches.