Fwd: This Christmas season, sow the seeds of hope

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: EMM <micah.brickner@emm.org>
Date: Sun, Nov 30, 2025 at 7:01 AM
Subject: This Christmas season, sow the seeds of hope
To: <philandkelly@gmail.com>

Dear friend,

My heart is full of gratitude. I know that your prayers, encouragement, and partnership are the fuel that keeps Eastern Mennonite Missions (EMM) moving forward. We are constantly reminded that the incredible work being done around the globe is not just our work, but a collective effort made possible by faithful people like you. Thank you for being part of the important work of spreading the gospel!

I am equally grateful for the many cross-cultural workers, staff, board members, and volunteers who bring EMM's mission into focus through specific tasks that share the good news of Jesus. This past year, EMM workers and volunteers engaged in 29 countries with 12 unreached people groups.

But the need remains vast. Right now, more than 3 billion people still don't have access to the gospel or proximity to a follower of Jesus who can share this good news with them. Jesus says, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few," (Matthew 9:37). These realities compel us to keep going.

Your financial partnership doesn't just fund a single project; it fuels our Impact Fund. This is the critical support system that allows our work to flourish by providing:
Training and discipleship for new workers to be raised up and sent.
Administrative support and well-being care for long-term workers.
Grants to our church partners around the world.
A rapidly growing Advance program that disciples and sends young people into short-term mission with seasoned workers.

Would you prayerfully consider making a gift today to sustain this life-changing momentum? To give today, you can visit EMM.ORG/GIVE. Thank you again for being a vital member of the EMM family. We are deeply grateful for your trust, your prayers, and your commitment to the Great Commission.

With heartfelt gratitude and in Christ's service,

Dr. Marvin Lorenzana

President

P.S. Jesus commanded us to go (Matthew 28). I know we can't all go, but your contribution spreads the good news of Jesus through many who are prepared and willing to go. Please give as the Lord leads.

DAILY PRAYER

Southeast Asia

1 | Join Gerry and Donna Keener in prayer for the recently formed Evangelical Peacebuilding Team in Vietnam to grow skills in coaching and mediation to effectively guide people through conflict in order to experience reconciled relationships in marriages, families, and in the church.

2 | Pray for William Higgins as he prepares to teach in March in Vietnam, including a new course on the Gospel of Mark. Pray that things will go well and that the material will equip and bless the students and leaders who gather.

3 | Pray for the Burmese people living in Cambodia. The Burmese are predominantly Buddhist. The traditional goal in Buddhism is to seek the middle path to nirvana, or the ultimate peace. Pray that they would encounter Christ and find peace in him.

4 | Pray for God to call pioneer church planters into the harvest field of Thailand to join the team there.

5 | Pray for workers to be called to Thailand, to work with displaced people from Myanmar

6 | Pray for God to continue to prompt young adults to explore a call to missions through a mission internship with EMM in Southeast Asia.

Lancaster, Pa.

7 | Pray for discernment and connections for Jan Heindel as she seeks partners and opportunities to offer spiritual care to local and expat communities.

8 | Ask God to empower the EMM Finance Team to wrap up the year well in work and in personal health

9 | Pray for God to move his people to give generously to the Impact Fund at the end of the year to cover EMM's financial needs for 2025.

10 | Pray for God to call volunteers for the programs at Neighbors Community Center, at Hub450, our building in Lancaster, PA

11 | Pray for Sudanese Arabs living in Lancaster. Sudanese Arabs are majority Sunni Muslims. Pray for clear presentations of the gospel to be presented to them.

Central Europe

12 | Pray that God would give Vojta and Stacy Prknovi local teammates in the Czech Republic for a closer connection in church planting.

13 | Pray for Kazakhs living in the Czech Republic. Their tribal culture is waning in urban locations like those in the Czech Republic. Pray that they would find Christ and be able to ultimately identify in him.

14 | Pray for the Indonesian people, most of whom are Sunni Muslims, living in Germany. Most Indonesians in Germany are their for education or for work. Pray that they would be curious about Jesus and seek answers to their questions.

15 | Pray for the Bosniak peoples living in the Czech Republic, for most of whom Islamic identity has more to do with cultural roots than with religious beliefs. Ask the Lord to reveal himself to them in a way that resonates deeply with them.

16 | Pray for God to continue to prompt young adults to explore a call to missions through a mission internship with EMM in Central Europe.

Central Asia

17 | Join Elizabeth* praising the Lord for sending some amazing and specific answers to her October request about her family visiting. From December 15 through 18, about ten local women from around the county will be meeting in a central city to fast, pray, and seek the Lord together. Join them in asking for God-encounters that lead to personal and wide-scale breakthroughs.

18 | Pray for God to send workers to the field to work in business for transformation and teaching English.

19 | Pray for God to continue to prompt young adults to explore a call to missions through a mission internship with EMM in Central Asia.

20 | Pray for the Balkar people in Kyrgzstan. In their culture, every aspect of life, from birth, to marriage, to death, is governed by folk-Islamic and Balkar traditions. Pray that they would experience the love of Christ and be transformed through relationship with him.

21 | Pray for the Kalmyk-Oirat people in Uzbekistan. Many practice shamanism which includes black magic and secret arts. These have been practiced for hundreds of years. Pray that they would find the light of Christ, and would be able to exchange those practices for trust in Jesus.

23 | Pray for the Northern Bullom people in Sierra Leone, one of the largest ethnic groups in the country. Pray that they would experience the life-changing power of Christ, and be empowered to share him with their neighbors.

24 | Pray for the Hausa people in The Gambia. The Hausa people are the largest ethnic group in all of West Africa. Pray for a powerful Jesus movement around them that can spread across all of the region

25 | Pray for God to continue to prompt young adults to explore a call to missions through a mission internship with EMM in West Africa.

26 | Pray for Nate and Krystle Thorne and their children as they serve in The Gambia. Pray for perseverance for them, and for refreshing times interacting in supportive church community.

27 | Pray for the Gola people living in Sierra Leone. They are concentrated mostly in the small provinces of Kenema and Pujehun. A Gola translation of the New Testament was recently completed in 2020. Pray that work will be continued so that the Old Testament can also be translated

Other parts of the world

28 | Join Tim and Julie Groff in prayer for more healthy employment opportunities in Belize. Many of their neighbors are unemployed, and many of the jobs that are available do not provide a living wage

29 |Join Alan and Carol Wert in praying for the children who will receive free Christmas gifts from The Hive community center, Cardiff, Wales, where Alan serves as facility manager.

30 | Join Austin and Griselda Zuercher in prayer for wisdom as they guide the base's vision and the young adult staff. Pray for Griselda as she leads El Nido and for the young women to find hope in Jesus.

31 | Isaiah 9:1-3 foretold Jesus' coming and ministry in Galilee. Many people around the world still walk in darkness. Pray for God the Father to send his Son's light among them via his children, so that there can be great joy among all the people in his enlarging family.

Some prayer requests adapted from joshuaproject.net.

*Names changed for sensitivity reasons.