Focus

In 1954, EMM was at a crossroads regarding how it might get involved with ministry to unreached people groups in Southeast Asia. There were two equally important opportunities: Indonesia and Vietnam. In fact, Orie O. Miller, who was the secretary of the organization at the time, made visits to both countries.

EMM worker Andre Provost asked a group of church leaders in Thailand: “Can you read the label on the bottom of the crate?” They responded, “MADE IN THE USA!” A PowerPoint slide of a Thai person in front of an imported crate appeared on the screen. Andre exclaimed to the crowd, “This is our problem! We are following a model developed in an environment very different than ours.” 

It was the perfect day for a spontaneous picnic – there was no rain (even though it was the rainy season in Costa Rica). The blue sky beckoned to EMM worker Jen Hoover’s soul. She sun's warmth tenderly touched their skin and the shade promised to cool their sweat-moistened shirts.  Bar-B-Q meatballs, rice, and steamed broccoli would not be Jen’s first choice for a blanketed picnic meal, but i...

Sarah and Mark Schoenhals serve with both EMM and Virginia Mennonite Missions in Thailand with their two daughters. Recently, Sarah reflected on their trip to participate in the 2022 Mennonite World Conference Assembly in Indonesia. After months of uncertainty about travel restrictions, Covid, funding, and finding an interpreter, the details all came together. 

EMM volunteer worker Gerry Keener recently returned from a two-week trip to Vietnam to reconnect with the Mennonite church in the country. Gerry reflected on how it was a joy to experience the energy of refreshed relationships and … of course, delicious Vietnamese food!

Have you ever had an individual's name come to mind? Maybe you hadn’t thought of the person for a long time. Have you felt your heart grieved about the state of a nation you have never visited? Have you shed tears at the thought of the sins of your people? Was the Holy Spirit perhaps trying to get your attention?

With anticipation, EMM staff member Julia Tsai sits down for coffee with EMM worker Kandace Glenn. She lives in Phnom Penh, Cambodia with her roommates, Thida and Len. The three friends smile at Julia through her laptop screen— this is sure to be an engaging conversation. 

Every month, a small group of believers gathers together for communion at New Life Dangriga Christian Fellowship in Belize. Imagine a tray of about a dozen small plastic cups filled with grape juice and a container of bread on a table at the back of the worship space. But this week, believers in this Dangriga church filled a few more cups.

Wales is a rugby nation. It always has been. It probably always will be. But in early June it was football that captured the heart of the nation. EMM worker Carol Wert is not a football fan. She never has been, and probably never will be. But when she heard that Wales was playing Ukraine for a spot in the World Cup, she found tickets for what she knew might be a historical moment. But Carol was un...

Tuesday mornings start a little earlier than the rest of the week for EMM worker Michael Clancy. Michael serves as an urban missionary in Lebanon City, Pennsylvania. His day begins at 7 a.m. meeting with a man who recently completed a discipleship program.

On February 24, Russia began its invasion of Ukraine. EMM workers Phil and Linda Gottschalk planned to go in August to join the faculty of the Zaporizhzhya Bible Seminary in Zaporizhzhya, Ukraine. Phil had been administrating the seminary’s Master of Theology program there since 2012. He was there in May 2014 after Crimea and the cities of Donetsk and Luhansk were taken. They have both been to Zap...

Did you know that in Southeast Asia alone, there are nearly 674 million people from more than 1,820 different people groups? Of these people, just under 6 percent identify as evangelical Christians. Very simply put, that means that in Southeast Asia alone, there are more than 633 million people who have not experienced the life-transforming power of Jesus. 

Jacob E. Brubaker was a pattern maker who frequently traveled to New York City. During one of his trips, he was intrigued watching the banana boats come in to dock and asked someone for more information about where the boats were coming from. Upon learning that someone could pay a small fee to also ride on the boat back to its home country of Guatemala, Brubaker was very intrigued by the idea of C...

As the post-war world was working to reorganize itself, Mennonites found opportunities to share the peace of Jesus through relief work. Many people think of the Second World War as being fought in European and Pacific theaters but forget about the toll that the war took on the African continent. One of these places was Ethiopia, which had been occupied by Italian forces from 1935 to 1941. Mennonit...

Elam Stauffer was confused by Chief Nyatega’s invitation to start a church in an empty field. He responded, “To whom shall I preach? The trees? The people are down there.” He was right: the people were down there. But what Elam didn’t realize at the time was that even though the people were down there, the people also went up to Katuru Hill.

When Marvin Lorenzana shares with congregations, he often says that Jesus came not to launch just a “church,” but rather a “movement.” This movement, Jesus called the “Kingdom of God” and, as He taught in more than one way, it was meant to grow exponentially as generational disciple making takes place.

EMM worker Lucy returned to the U.S. a few months ago after having served in the Middle East. She is living a very different life than she was three months prior.

Early in January, when Andre and Karen’s first attempt to return to Thailand was thwarted, Andre began to wonder if God would ever allow them to get back into the country. He reflected on the discouragement of Nehemiah in the presence of the king. When the king asked Nehemiah what was bothering him, Nehemiah responded, “The wall in Jerusalem is broken down and I want it repaired.”

EMM worker Jen Hoover serves in disciple-making in Costa Rica with her family. Recently, she asked the question, “Do we need to rent a mixer?" It was a simple question, asked in the presence of three individuals who processed the question very differently.

Jesus calls us to invite the stranger in, to love our neighbor. Come join us on April 28 at 7 p.m. at 450 N Prince St, as we engage with the topic of immigration from a kingdom perspective, featuring Philip Gottschalk, author of the recent book “Entertaining Angels Unaware.” Learn from refugees who were resettled in Lancaster, share your questions and experiences, hear how you can get involved, an...

Carol and Alan Wert serve as EMM workers in Wales, which is in the U.K. In March, they had the opportunity to join thirty people from all four nations of the UK gathered to explore the topic of Reimagining Church in a post-Covid setting.

Eric and Janelle* are EMM workers who serve in Germany. The month of March was busy for them as they prepared spaces in their church’s building to welcome Ukrainian refugees fleeing the current war.

EMM workers Andre and Karen* had just returned to Thailand after having traveled from the United States. They were immediately asked by two friends if Andre and Karen would take them to a wedding three hours away. Andre was reminded of something he felt God was speaking to him as their flight was landing in Thailand.

A few weeks ago, EMM worker Jonathan Bornman went for a walk and stopped to chat with two teenage boys, refugees from Syria. Jonathan asked them if they had witnessed the shooting that happened in front of their house. No, they had not, but their younger brother was on the porch and saw the whole thing.

Esther and Lance are Thai church leaders. The couple’s closest neighbor, who they practically were family with, had a complicated conflict with the couple. Esther and Lance’s neighbor is an older woman who is also a member of the church. Her daughter lives in the same house and became very angry with the church and began verbally attacking Esther and Lance.