Focus

Jeremy and Jennifer* are EMM regional representatives for Southeast Asia. Their theme for this year has been ‘brokering relationships'. This is a new term Jeremy learned during a 20-hour road trip with an amazing group of people in the highlands of Vietnam. Jeremy and Jennifer have always seen relationships as the means and the ends of what they do in cross-cultural work. But as they understand their role better and deepen their connections around the world and locally, the need to broker, steward, and connect those relationships effectively is becoming their most important task.

Lena Kauffman served as a participant in the 2023–24 Advance cohort. She is currently serving as an Advance staff intern for the 2024–25 Advance team. So what inspired Lena to stay on as Advance staff? As Lena approached the end of her outreach, she found herself contemplating two options: returning to serve or going to college. She struggled to decide until she realized she could pursue both simultaneously.

Rat intestines for lunch, anyone? Wear a matching shirt with your host family. Sit on the floor for hours. Find creative ways to communicate when there is no shared language. Tag along on a hospital visit, a wedding, visiting neighbors, worshiping in outlying villages, helping sell grilled meat. These are just a few of the new experiences that participants in the new Isaan Doorways Program have had in recent months!

In 2022, we set a new strategic focus for our work through 2028. This strategic focus, the Kingdom Multiplication Vision, is something with which we are diligently engaging to see people come to know Jesus. This episode of Focus serves as a way to update you on the progress we are making, and also to highlight the room for opportunity that we have together in our work of sharing Christ's transforming love with the world.

Jen Hoover, her husband, Daryl, and their sons serve with EMM and VidaNet in Costa Rica. This Focus is looking at a beautiful reflection written by Jen about another employee with VidaNet and how Jesus' light shines through her.

A soccer club has provided Genie* with amazing opportunities to connect with kids and share the gospel. She has had the chance to lead the end-of-club devotional/encouragement and was able to share a lesson about how we are all created unique and special to God. This was a special moment she will remember with much joy.

Sarah prayed, “Dear Lord, if it is in your will please allow the door to be opened so we can go into her house and pray for her and her family.” Just as soon as those words had come out of Sarah's mouth, the little girl Sarah was praying about, and her mother walked by. It was God's perfect timing....

“That would be the worst job in the world!” EMM worker Elizabeth* thought to herself the first time she heard of “recruiting full-time intercessors to join overseas church-planting teams.” She pictured the full-time intercessor locked up in a room from 9 to 5 with lists of all the problems in the country, reading these lists out loud to God over and over again. But now, she calls it the best job in the world!

Sarah Ariola has now been in the Gambia for several months, and she is experiencing living in community in West Africa on a new level. She and the rest of the EMM team pretty much do everything together. They even share a meal in one bowl called a "community bowl.”

Throughout this month, God has been showing Ana Borntrager that living overseas is not a big profound thing; it's simply navigating mundane life in a new context. She finds it amusing how, as Christians, people tend to put missions up on a pedestal. For Ana, it's about learning how to relate to the people around her, navigating the basic necessities of life, and sharing everyday experiences.

Exciting changes are happening with Carissa Sherer as Hope for Home is preparing to move to its new location in the town of Parramos. The moving day is February 12, and it will be quite the ordeal, as they move 13 children with special needs, as well as all of the items necessary to care for them.

Despite having heard the gospel for many years, Biak remained a committed Buddhist. An intelligent man who likes to learn, he explored aspects of Christianity at times, but he was not convinced ... until 2024.

EMM workers Owen and Abby* had just begun a new assignment in a different country in Southeast Asia. Owen and Abby are currently doing language learning at a YWAM base in their current country. They were able to join in some of the ministry to a local village. They celebrated one person choosing to follow Jesus.

If you pass by 450 North Prince Street in Lancaster, you might think it's just another office building with a coffee shop on the first floor. You might even think that Lancaster doesn't need another building like this one, even if the coffee and tea are excellent. But that would be an incorrect assumption … because of other activities that you might not notice. Every Tuesday and Thursday morning and evening, Neighbors Community Center is a classroom — several classrooms in fact. These classrooms are filled with adults learning English. They are also filled with laughter and fun.

Ana Borntrager, who is participating in EMM's Advance program recently arrived safely in Cambodia for the outreach portion of the program. Advance is a 9-month, gap-year program to connect and grow with a team of young adults in a cross-cultural setting through hands-on discipleship training, ongoing mentoring, and missional outreach.

This season we're reminded of Jesus' birth. An EMM worker named Elizabeth (whose last name we can't mention due to sensitivity concerns), wrote a beautiful poem about how Jesus' birth calls us to proclaim his life, death, and resurrection to all people around the world.

EMM worker Tim Groff had the opportunity to sit beside Pastor Victor Gonzales on a long van drive from Managua to the village of Orinoco on the Caribbean coast and listen to his stories. As they traveled with other Garifuna pastors from Honduras, they heard amazing stories of faith; the tales of how God had sustained the church among the people living there.

Now, the Advance participants get to take many of these cross-cultural learnings that they gained in Lancaster with the Neighbors Community Center and grow in their learning internationally. One team will go to Cambodia in Southeast Asia and the other team will be going to the Gambia in West Africa.

Today's Focus is pulled from our Archives — a beautiful poem called “To Give Thanks” written by Daisy Yoder, who with her husband, served with EMM in Ethiopia for more than 20 years. They wrote in 1974 about how they would spend sleepless hours under their shelter in the desert wondering and praying about the mission in the Danakil region of Ethiopia.

If you would like to support EMM's work of training, we invite you to join us by partnering financially. We encourage you to make a gift to EMM's Impact Fund by December 31. You can give online. We are so thankful for your continued generosity!

North American Vietnamese Mennonites and EMM began to reengage with the church in Vietnam in the 1990s, spurring on a new season of growth. The church was legally registered and recognized by the government in 2007. Since then, the church continues to see lives transformed and ministry multiplied. In fact, the church has grown more than 400% since 2020.

Ana Borntrager is participating in Advance Global, a 9-month, international discipleship and service opportunity. Ana is halfway through the discipleship portion of Advance. She appreciates all of the prayers during this time. The team has been enjoying the wonderful fall Pennsylvania weather. From fall festivals to corn mazes to the tri-weekly bike rides that Ana takes to the office.

Nelson Kisare, the leader of the Tanzanian Mennonite Church was asked, “What is the most pressing need of your church?” He answered, “First, theological training; second, theological training; third, theological training.” In response to this, William Higgins finds it a privilege to work with our global partner churches in Vietnam, Kenya, Tanzania, Guinea-Bissau, and other places.

In early 2022, Leon and Naomi showed the course to a dozen couples in south-central Kenya. One of those couples was Stanley and Anne, who pastor a church in the area. They felt that the course strengthened their marriage and gave them the ability to have conversations about areas of their marriage that they stayed away from before.

The Vietnam Mennonite Church consists of over 100 places of worship. The needs for training pastors and workers are great. They have organized a 4-year Bachelor of Theology program (with 20 students in the current cohort), as well as a ministry training certificate program (with 40 students in the current group).  Their request for training from EMM workers is for courses in theology, biblical interpretation, and ministry from an Anabaptist perspective.

The Kairos course is an exciting nine lesson interactive study of the purpose and plan of God from Genesis to the end of the age. Focusing on the biblical, historical, strategic, and cultural dimensions of missions, this course seeks to align every believer's worldview with God's heart for the nations and mobilize the whole Church for His global mission. The next course starts on Saturday, October 19, but the deadline to register for thi next course is on Wednesday, October 16. You can learn more and register now online at emm.org/kairos.

Unexpected Peace is a new documentary film that follows social anthropologist and EMM worker Jonathan Bornman as he explores three stories: the Amish school shooting in Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania; the murders of Murid migrants from Senegal in Harlem, New York; and Muslim-Christian conflict in Solo, Indonesia. You are invited to the premiere of Unexpected Peace, which will be during the Red Rose Film Festival. The screening will be on Saturday, November 9 at 12:30 p.m. at Penn Cinema in Lititz, Pennsylvania. If you would like to see the full trailer, learn more, and get tickets, go to unexpectedpeace.com.

Kingdom Teams (K-Teams) are short, summer experiences that provide opportunities for youth to engage with discipleship training and cross-cultural service, in the U.S. or (new this year) in the Czech Republic. Check out these few stories of how God was at work through K-Teams this summer.

The Thornes have been experiencing a shift in mindset about money. Frequently, they receive financial requests. From an American perspective, financial requests oftentimes are viewed with some level of suspicion and at times perceived as one not able to be financially “independent.” As they have experienced these requests, the Lord spoke to Nate and said, “Instead of becoming annoyed by the constant requests, see it as a window into the financial hardship that a lot of people are experiencing here.”

EMM's strategic focus is to identify, equip, and send missional leaders to serve on multi-generational and multi-ethnic teams who invite people to follow Jesus as maturing, multiplying disciples and nurture transforming communities of worship. We primarily focus on least-reached people groups of Central Asia, Central Europe, Southeast Asia, and West Africa, and refugees in Lancaster, Pa.

EMM is passionate about equipping Christians around the world with discipleship, leadership, and cross-cultural training from an Anabaptist perspective. We're inviting you to a special EMM vision and fundraising banquet to learn more about how God is at work through the ministries of training. We hope you can join us for this year's banquet. The theme is, "A Crown That Lasts Forever." Like last year, we're offering three different banquets! You can learn more and register for the banquet online at emm.org/banquet. We have another way that you can connect with EMM this fall. If you or someone you know is a business leader, you might want to know about our Business Leaders' Breakfast on September 24 at 7 a.m. Learn more and register for this event at emm.org/breakfast.

There's a reason EMM worker Christy Harrison does not work in mission recruitment. If she worked as a recruiter, she would tell potential candidates way too much. If you were interested in working internationally, Christy would tell you that this work is hard and slow. That learning to speak coherently in a new language takes way longer than you ever thought it would.

One of the most encouraging components of Carissa Sherer's time in Guatemala has been the recurring affirmation she has felt from the Lord in being there now, particularly in this season in the ministry.

For Michael Clancy, Nick* was more than a person to work with: he was a friend who was growing in his relationship with Jesus, even while using drugs, which Michael hated and Nick knew very clearly that Michael did. It was here that Michael was able to walk with Nick in-between the cracks. In an area where a program wouldn't be able to work, Michael saw an opportunity.

We're excited to be launching a new course on Radix called The Foundations of Christian Leadership. It will be a hybrid-format course beginning on September 19 — with weekly self-study modules and biweekly video calls. This course will offer a biblical look at Christian leadership focused on three key components: Character, Knowledge, and Skill. Register now at radixtraining.org/foundations.

“We believe the same!” Lea's friend energetically interjected with a smile and a tap on her desk to reinforce the point. The almost weekly refrain sometimes felt like an indictment that Lea had failed miserably in communicating the basics of her faith.

The image of the overflowing cup comes from the days of David and was a symbol of invitation, welcome, or dismissal. If a host kept the cup full, the guests knew they were welcome. If the cup was empty, not refilled, the host was indicating it was time for the guests to leave. However, if the host really enjoyed the company, he would fill the cup until overflowing and let it spill over the rim, saturating the table.

EMM's discipleship coach, Dave Houser, has a photo hanging in his office. It's one of his favorite pictures of himself. He's riding a yak in front of a mountain. Traveling to that remote area was a dream in Dave's heart. He had heard it was one of the most unreached places in the world, and he began to pray for the people there to know Jesus. When Dave got the opportunity to go, he started telling people that he was going to ride a yak while he was there.

Finding the lost sheep, coins, or children is so critical to God that he will go out of his way to find them. We are invited into this mission to join God in his work of reconciling all of creation to himself. This is why sharing the good news of Jesus with the least-reached people of the world is so critical to EMM's work.

When Skip and Carol Tobin and André and Karen Provost and their families first moved to Det Udom in the spring of 1995, there were no known Isaan believers in the region. From the beginning, the team was committed to a contextualized house church planting approach among the rural villages of this primarily rice farming community.

In October of 1990, a group of townspeople and religious leaders voiced their opposition to the first baptism of believers in Lucre, Peru, by resorting to stone-throwing and threats. Surprisingly, two of the initial stone throwers later joined the first Mennonite church in Peru.

After 1979, EMM connected to a Mennonite church in Metapan, northern El Salvador, which was home to displaced individuals who had become Mennonites while residing in Honduras. In the 1960s, hundreds of thousands of Salvadorans migrated to Honduras as their homeland's arable land was taken over for sugar plantations.

By sending James Sauder to lead mobile Bible schools in Haiti several times a year, EMM aimed to promote unity within the body of Christ by empowering Haitians to serve their community. Over time, James spearheaded this initiative, teaching Bible classes and working with a Haitian partner to develop educational materials in Creole. The teaching ministry expanded to the Dominican Republic as per the request of the Region V Council of Spanish Mennonite Churches, with EMM's support.

In 1971, missionaries from EMM were called to the Philippines by Francesco A. Arreola, a former Catholic on a quest for a church aligned with Biblical teachings. Arreola embarked on his journey by baptizing himself and six others in Manila, dissatisfied with existing Protestant sects and striving for a foundation based on Biblical principles. The group dispersed, with many settling in Ilocos Sur, a disadvantaged region in Northwestern Luzon. Years later, Arreola found inspiration in a Mennonite publication that led to a connection with the EMM.

A few weeks ago, we talked about the Honduras Mennonite Church, but we're looking at another movement that EMM helped to start in Honduras. Tegucigalpa served as a vibrant hub for a youth ministry initiative. Ed and Gloria King, former literacy advocates, initiated an informal drop-in center that drew in twenty to thirty young individuals four evenings a week. Additionally, a bilingual coffeehouse on Friday evenings attracted a similar number of attendees.

Jacob E. Brubaker's vision of establishing a Mennonite mission in Guatemala came to fruition in 1967, with efforts concentrated in the Alta Verapaz Province and Guatemala City. The mission, a collaborative effort between the EMM and the Washington-Franklin County Conference, aimed to address the spiritual needs of the Kekchi Mayans, who lacked gospel access. Initial investigation highlighted the necessity of starting in both rural and urban settings to maintain connections with community members moving to cities for better prospects.

In Western Kenya, the growth of the Mennonite Church was closely linked to local needs and culture, engaging meaningfully across borders. Early influences from Tanzania paved the way for a strong religious presence in the Suna area, driven by African Christian missionaries like Zedikia Kisare. Despite initial resistance from the Kenyan government in 1945, persistent advocacy by individuals such as Jonathan Mabeche and Clyde Shenk led to official church recognition in 1965.

In 1960, EMM began work in British Honduras, now Belize, to assist German-speaking Mennonite colonies from Mexico. This Mennonite group had migrated from Russia to Canada in the 1870s and then to Mexico in the 1920s. In Belize, they settled in areas like Spanish Lookout and Blue Creek, facing challenges such as land clearing and lack of medical facilities. EMM, in collaboration with MCC, provided health services, financial assistance, and material aid.

Recognizing a receptive environment for humanitarian aid during the refugee crisis, MCC began relief efforts in Vietnam in 1955, providing clothing, food, and medical assistance. This laid the foundation for future Mennonite missions and service programs.

Jacob E. Brubaker, a Lancaster preacher intrigued by banana boats in New York, envisioned a mission in Guatemala, starting a discussion among his congregation in Lancaster. This curiosity led to an exploration of Central America, after a 1948 mission conference sponsored by East Chestnut Street Mennonite Church.

In the early 1930s, as the EMM launched its mission in Tanganyika, Ethiopia became a parallel interest. Struggling under Italian occupation from 1935, Ethiopia saw Emperor Haile Selassie I flee in 1936, only to return five years later to continue modernization efforts. Post-World War II, the Mennonite Church initiated a relief program in Nazareth, Ethiopia, marked by the establishment of the Haile Mariam Mammo Memorial Hospital in 1947. EMM deliberated on missionary work in Ethiopia, eventually sending Daniel and Blanche Sensenig in 1947 to lay the groundwork under a mandate that included educational and medical services alongside evangelism.