Focus

In Central Asia, an EMM worker named Riza meets a woman wounded by her father’s rejection. Through prayer and forgiveness, she discovers her heavenly Father’s love—and Riza recognizes the poetry of the name God prepared in advance.

What begins with one week of service can shape a lifetime of following Jesus. EMM worker Paul shares how Kingdom Teams brings youth groups together in Lancaster to serve alongside local ministries, build relationships with refugee and immigrant neighbors, and put faith into practice. From unexpected friendships to a former participant returning as a teacher, discover how God grows lasting fruit th...

After years of homelessness, addiction, and repeated setbacks, Nathan found a community that continued to welcome him, speak truth, and point him toward Jesus. EMM worker Michael shares a story of patient love, clear boundaries, and growing freedom. Now sober and quietly serving his church, Nathan offers others the hope that carried him: “He’s always been waiting for you.”

What happens when biblical education meets small business training? Through a partnership with Global Disciples, the All-nations Association of Bible Schools is helping Christian leaders turn practical skills into income that sustains their families and ministries. Hear how everyday work can strengthen communities, build relationships, and open natural opportunities to share Jesus.

Four clinic days, 13 team members, and more than 800 patients served in remote Honduran communities. An EMM worker reflects on a medical ministry trip filled with winding mountain roads, heartfelt connections, and reminders that no need escapes God’s care. Amid the joy of serving and the ache of leaving, one simple prayer carries her through: “Jesus, I depend on You.”

After decades of faithful sowing in North Africa, EMM workers are witnessing new faith spring up in remarkable ways. As unusually abundant rain brings dry ground to life, a local believer’s joyful witness is introducing others to Jesus. Hear a story of unexpected spiritual fruit, new believers receiving their first New Testaments, and God working far beyond what we can ask or imagine.

Amid air raid sirens and disrupted plans, an EMM teacher in the Middle East finds moments of joy, laughter, and connection with her students. Reflecting on a school year marked by uncertainty and God’s sustaining care, she shares how Revelation’s vision of every nation worshiping together—and prayers rising like incense—offers hope when answers to prayers for peace remain unseen.

When Mother NuPhin first heard the gospel, she recognized Jesus as the Savior her family had awaited for generations. What followed was decades of quiet faithfulness through abandonment, loss, and seemingly little fruit. EMM workers Mark and Sarah Schoenhals share how God worked through one woman’s life to bring reconciliation, renewed faith, and new believers across villages in Thailand’s Isaan r...

What does trust look like when uncertainty stretches on and the next step remains unclear? EMM worker Jan Heindel shares an honest glimpse into a season of discernment in Prague, Czech Republic—finding joy in familiar community while prayerfully considering a ministry shift. Hear how Jan is seeking to stay rooted in God’s faithfulness, and join in praying for direction, the Dobříš English Camp, an...

When someone engages with EMM, it isn’t just a single “splash” in time. It’s a movement of the Spirit that travels across decades, continents, and generations. 

Michael found a house. He found a generous supporter who believed in the vision enough to purchase it. And the house was placed under the care of Homes for Manheim, or HFM. HFM is an IRS reconized 501c3 nonprofit for the state of Pennsylvania. Its mission is to acquire and steward properties for ministry, offering affordable housing to those in need throughout Lancaster and Lebanon counties. 

We cannot plant all of the seeds on our own, nor do we want to try to do so. EMM is committed to training more workers to help in preparing the soil, planting the seeds, nurturing the sprouts, and harvesting the fields. Our Impact Fund provides the support for us to be able to invest in leadership development locally and around the world. When you support the Impact Fund ,you’re not only helping t...

On the last three episodes of Focus, we talked about the first three fields: the open, seeded, and sprouted fields. Today, we’ll look at the fourth field: the one that is experiencing the harvest. In the 11 countries that make up the geographic region of Southeast Asia, there are more than 680 million people! The Joshua Project estimates that nearly 53 percent of the people in this region would be...

EMM has been committed to reaching the least-reached people of the world for nearly a century. Our initial ministry to the Luo people of Tanzania was one of reaching out to people who had not heard of Jesus. This continues to be a central focus for EMM: going to places with “open fields.”

EMM workers John and Debbie Coats were instrumental in establishing a children's program in Cambodia. Three sisters, who were part of the program, lost their parents and grandparents at a young age, and they have largely been responsible for taking care of themselves. Seena, the eldest sister, took on the role of caretaker for her younger sisters during their formative years.

Responding to an invitation from partners in Indonesia, EMM Christian-Muslim Relations Team Member Jonathan Bornman traveled to Indonesia from September 10 to 27 for the premiere and tour of the film Unexpected Peace . Along with Michael Hostetler, he participated in seven screenings across six cities, where local Muslim and Christian scholars reviewed the film and engaged in discussion panels. Th...

Five hundred years ago, a handful of believers dared to reimagine discipleship — not as a cultural inheritance, but as an embodied response to Jesus. Their practices proved life-changing. Their Scripture reading awakened hearts, their communities redefined belonging and their baptisms defied empires.

God prompted Jen Hoover's spirit during worship as the congregation sang a beautiful song, "Vuelvo a casa, a la casa de mi Padre, donde me ama y me llamas por mi nombre" — which means, “I'm going home to my Father's house, where he loves me and calls me by name.” As she pondered these words on her drive home, the sentiment created an image in her mind of walking through the f...

When Jesus taught his disciples how to pray, he began the prayer by proclaiming God’s kingdom on earth. “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” This was not just some lofty future vision, but a powerful declaration of his inauguration as a different kind of king.

EMM worker Stacy Prknova felt a long-standing call to church planting, a calling that began even before she moved to the Czech Republic. As a member of West End Mennonite Fellowship, she gained practical experience by participating in one of their church plants, understanding the importance of knowing how a church operates before venturing abroad. When she sensed God’s nudge to join EMM in the Cze...

Somewhere in the archives of EMM, there is a video taken with a camcorder in October of 1990 of the first baptism of the Peruvian Mennonite Church. There might also be some slides or even some fuzzy photos taken with a film camera of that highly significant day. Somehow, by the grace of God, a church was born on October 12, 1990! Steve and Beth Gibbs were fortunate enough, along with other EMM mis...

EMM workers John and Debbie Coats are thankful for positive developments among the staff of the children’s program they run in Cambodia. These stories represent the first young Christian families in their villages, marking the second generation of believers. The initial believers came to faith in the early 1990s, and now their young children have grown up, married fellow believers, and started the...

Multiplication is a buzzword in many missions and church circles regarding the expansion of the kingdom of God. Let’s say you start with one church. At some point, the church plants a second church. Later, another church is planted, and you have three. When a fourth church is planted, there are four. That’s addition. Now, think of it another way. Let’s say you start with one church. And at some po...

“Called: Taking the Next Step” is a 24 hour retreat that is co-sponsored by EMM and LMC. We will engage with these three themes: Direction, preparation and timing, by worshiping, learning, and reflecting with others. Together we will respond to the nudge of God’s Spirit and break through the inertia in our lives. You can learn more and register online at emm.org/called .

A dream came true for Elizabeth* this past summer when she had the opportunity to travel to Great Britain and attend the summer school of a community she belongs to called "Movement in Worship." Elizabeth had joined the online community several years prior because, as many of her friends know, using movement to express her worship is one of her primary love languages with the Father. Dee...