| 
February 2024 |  We are in the season of Lent now: a time to go deeper with God. This month's stories tell of the global family learning together: pastor training in Indonesia, young people connecting in Tanzania, peace training in Ethiopia and walking toward reconciliation in preparation for the 500th anniversary in Zurich.
As president Henk Stenvers writes in his Lent letter: "Living out unity amid our mosaic of diversity, we proclaim the kingdom of God by resisting the trend to polarization and by affirming 'In Jesus Christ, we are one family'." —Elina Ciptadi, Interim Chief Communications Officer PS. If you missed our survey last month, please fill it out this month!
| | | Lent 2024: Go deeper with God Dear brothers and sisters, Greetings to you in this sombre season. Through the centuries the church has observed the 40 days leading up to Easter as a special time to focus on God, called Lent. A path to finding extra space in our lives to listen to the Spirit is often practiced through austerity... Read more | | | Zurich 2025 builds bridge to reconciliation "We have walked a long way as Anabaptist-Mennonites; today we are learning to be bridge builders," says Jürg Bräker, general secretary of Konferenz der Mennoniten der Schweiz/Conférence mennonite suisse. "The Courage to Love" is a public, international event on 29 May 2025 marking the 500th... Read more | | | Beneath the baobab: A journey of unity, laughter and inspirations Assuming the role of the YABs Representative for Africa is not just a title; it is an immersive experience into a world of diverse perspectives. Collaborating with fellow representatives is a profound learning journey, encompassing cultural understanding, decision-making skills and the cultivation... Read more | | | We would not have killed each other The Meserete Kristos Church Development Commission (MKC-DC) with the financial support of MCC-Ethiopia launched a peacebuilding project in the four zones of southern Ethiopia regional state at the end of 2023. The project aims to heal the traumatic experiences of the people and restore peace... Read more | | | Equipping future church leaders As a generation of experienced pastor enters retirement age, many churches around the world are seeing a shortage of trained leaders. Pastoral candidates who have studied Anabaptist theology are even more rare. However, the three Anabaptist-Mennonite synods in Indonesia have proactive strategies to... Read more | | | Becoming part of God's bigger picture From sleepy Antakiya Mennonite Church in rural Kodopali, India, to Iglesia Hermanos Menonitas Concordia in bustling Asuncion, Paraguay to the open-walled gathering place of the Mennonite Church in Ntale, Uganda, to congregations in North America and Europe with generations-long followers of Jesus,... Read more | | | Help us serve you better! Let us know how MWC Info helps you see your part in the global Anabaptist-Mennonite mosaic. Read more |  Online Prayer Hour "Praise God we had a meaningful prayer time for unity of Spirit... We will continue pray for shared points," says participant Rechal Bagh. Read more |  Courier The churches of GITJ, Indonesia, had been in conflict for some 22 years. This was largely because one group was recognized... Read more |  GAHEN webinar Postponed to March 2024! We will learn about Bethlehem Bible College from its president and the unique context in which is found. Read more | |
For the DR Congo, pray for families who are scattered, especially fathers who are separated from their children due to war and the widowed women who struggle to have enough to survive. Pray for the soldiers who use sexual violence as a weapon: may God touch them to respect their fellow human. As the election results from December are settled, may the government and the people learn to love each other as neighbours even across party lines, and may the leaders develop a heart for the poorer citizens whom they govern. Pray for the Mennonite Bible training institutions to have partners to improve their service.
—submitted by Robert Irundu, Communauté Mennonite au Congo
Recently Ecuador has experienced situations of extreme violence and social disorder, and the government has responded with militarization. We pray that the families and communities that are experiencing situations of violence in any form – extortion, robberies and all kinds of insecurities – may find peace in God, that the ecclesial community may be the arms of the Lord and ears to listen to how people feel, and that the churches may know how best to witness to the values of the Kingdom of God.
—submitted by Pablo Stucky, MWC regional representative for South America – Andean region, and Marina Plua, Ecuador
High rainfall caused the collapse of one of the irrigation dams in Central Java. The resulting flood submerged many residential areas, many farmers' rice fields, and even cut off access to highways connecting several cities in Central Java. Pray that this will handled well, so that the displaced people can return to their homes, their damaged rice fields can be re-worked and access between cities can be restored, as well as aid supplies to the victims can be distributed properly. No GKMI congregations are in the affected area, but nearby ones are responding with aid and offering shelter.
—submitted by Agus Mayanto, MWC regional representative for Southeast Asia Read more
| | | |
