Here is a brief overview of what I’ve been up to this past month and some of the ways God has been faithfully at work with us! To read more updates, feel free to visit my blog-site here!

Barclay College / Hutchinson Friends Church
This month, Nick, Viany, and I traveled out to my home-state of Kansas to help lead Barclay College’s personal evangelism seminar. While in Kansas, we were also able to visit my dad’s side of the family and preach and teach at Hutchinson Friends Church, where my dad is pastoring. We had a wonderful time leading the seminar with Dan Cammock and Brockie Follette and were grateful for the opportunity to share the Gospel with both believers and nonbelievers. We pray that what was shared and practiced will be used by God in the lives of those who attended.

After the seminar, we spent time with family and had the opportunity to introduce Viany (my wonderful girlfriend!) to them. On Sunday, we preached and taught a version of our Archways Training, a conversational approach to evangelism. We had never done this training in a sermon format, so we were adapting as we went, but it was a meaningful time.

Cal-State Fullerton
This month at CSUF, we tried a slightly different approach to engaging students through an “outdoor classroom,” teaching on foundational aspects of the Christian faith like the Gospel, discipleship, and the resurrection. We have seen mixed results in engagement, but it has been especially helpful for those we are discipling, as many have an insufficient understanding of the basics of our faith. We have had some great conversations with both believers and nonbelievers and are continuing to explore how this can be an effective tool.

Exponential Conference
This month included some travel, including attending the Exponential church-planting conference in Orlando, FL with a group from Mid-America Yearly Meeting. I was encouraged and challenged by the strong emphasis on the importance of healthy leaders in ministry.

The Holy Spirit used this time to deepen my conviction about the necessity of being rooted in the presence of God, not only for myself, but for those I am discipling. We can train and equip people in many ways, but if they are not abiding in the Father, something essential is missing. I have been reminded how important it is to help people encounter God personally and to prioritize that above everything else in ministry. This is something I am continuing to learn and grow in, and I am already seeing fruit from it within our team.

On the way to the conference, I was briefly stranded in Dallas due to flight cancellations, which unexpectedly led to the opportunity to share the Gospel with two different Uber drivers. I wrote more about those encounters on my blog.

Thank you so much for your continued support and prayer for this ministry!

I look forward to soon sharing my plans for the coming year at the conclusion of this 6-month extension!

With love and peace,
Ivan Penrose

Thank You for Your Support. Here’s How to Continue:

I’m currently at 98% of my monthly need, and your continued support helps make it possible for me to serve through June 2026. If you would like to continue your partnership, please let me know as soon as possible so I can plan accordingly.

There Are Four Ways to Partner With Me:

• Online: Visit the NCP Apprentice donation page by clicking the button below. Once there, scroll to find my tile and select your gift amount. You’ll have the opportunity to indicate whether you are giving monthly or as a one-time gift.
• Credit Card: You may give online (as stated above) or by calling the EFM office at (303) 421-8100 to provide your information to a live representative.
• Automatic Bank Transfer: Download the form here and email it to Debby McElroy (EFM Bookkeeper) at debby@friendsmission.com. Please note that ACH payments are processed on the 10th or 25th of the month.
• Check: Mail a check to EFM, P.O. Box 771139, Wichita, KS 67277. Please mark your check with “Ivan Penrose NCP Apprentice Support” and indicate if your gift will be recurring (monthly, quarterly, etc.). Make the check payable to “EFM.”

The post Penrose | A Month of Ministry & God’s Faithfulness first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

Greetings from the West Coast!

Here are a few brief stories from this past month’s life and ministry! For more details and frequent updates, visit my blogsite here!

This month was full of meaningful conversations that reminded me why I’m convinced that patient, conversational evangelism is one of the most fruitful ways to engage people. Rather than quick debates or rehearsed presentations, slowing down and genuinely interacting with people often leads to deeper questions—and sometimes surprising openness.

One particularly encouraging conversation was with a student named *Nehemiah who walked up to the whiteboard and immediately recognized me from a brief conversation we had earlier in the year. He said he came back because he enjoyed our previous interaction and wanted to continue the conversation. Even more encouraging, he told me that his interactions with us felt very different from conversations he’d had with other religious groups. He described those as sterile and closed off, while he found ours engaging and enjoyable. I’m convinced that this difference comes from both the truth and security of Christianity and the conversational approach we try to take in evangelism.

*Nehemiah had clearly been thinking about religion and arrived with a number of thoughtful questions. In our framework of evangelism, people often fall somewhere on what we call the Open–Seeking Axis—how open someone is to conversation and how aware they are of their need for answers. Ideally we meet people who are both open and seeking, and *Nehemiah seemed to fit that combination well. He admitted that he feels hesitant discussing religion because he doesn’t know the holy texts well and worries about offending people with uninformed questions. I assured him that honest questions are welcome and invited him to read the Bible together sometime.

One of his first questions surprised me: he asked about the story of the wise men. We walked through the account of Jesus’ birth and the visit from both humble shepherds and wealthy travelers from afar, highlighting how the story reveals that Jesus came as King and Savior for all people. The discussion eventually moved into deeper questions about sin, forgiveness, and salvation. Using a simple analogy of a laptop designed to function in specific ways, I explained how sin can be understood as living contrary to the design God created us for. God’s law isn’t arbitrary restriction but a description of the life in which humans truly flourish.

Later in the conversation, *Nehemiah became curious about the origins of the Gospel accounts. He mentioned that an atheist English teacher once required his class to write a paper arguing that the Gospels contain contradictions. That left him wondering whether the accounts are actually reliable. We discussed how eyewitness testimony can record the same event from different perspectives without creating contradictions. He seemed genuinely interested and even said he’d like to revisit the paper he wrote and examine the supposed contradictions together sometime.

Another memorable discussion this month happened with a group of Christians as we talked about the mission of the Church and the Great Commission. One issue that stood out to me was a tendency to separate restoration from salvation, as though Jesus saves people and then later restores them. In reality, salvation is restoration—being saved from rebellion against God and restored into life under His good rule. When those ideas are separated, Christian obedience can start to feel like an obligation rather than participation in the life we’ve been saved into.

We also discussed the common belief that Christians must stay deeply informed about global affairs in order to fulfill the Great Commission. When asked where I get my global news, I simply answered, “I don’t,” and then added, “Paul didn’t.” My point was not that global awareness is bad, but that Scripture places the emphasis elsewhere. The Great Commission focuses on making disciples, not tracking world events. Too often Christians become consumed with distant issues while neglecting the simple command to make disciples where they actually live.

Finally, I had a fascinating conversation with two high school boys visiting campus. The whiteboard question that day asked, “What is the most important thing to know?” One of them wrote “peace,” meaning internal peace. When I asked how someone obtains it, they suggested introspection and meditation. To test that idea, I asked whether someone who had committed serious wrongdoing could find peace simply by looking inward. That led to a deeper conversation about guilt and forgiveness.

Interestingly, one of the boys suggested that someone might call on Jesus for forgiveness—even though neither of them considered themselves religious. As we talked further, one said he didn’t believe in Christianity because he had never seen enough evidence. That opened the door to discuss how we make decisions in everyday life based on the most reasonable explanation rather than absolute certainty. From there I explained the cosmological argument for God’s existence: everything that begins to exist has a cause, the universe began to exist, and therefore the universe has a cause beyond itself.

Both of them said they had never heard that reasoning before and agreed it made sense that a Creator must exist. With only a few minutes left before they had to leave, I explained the Christian claim that this Creator revealed Himself in the person of Jesus. I gave them copies of the Gospel of Mark with a built-in journal so they could read and explore the life of Jesus themselves. Later a friend spotted them still carrying the Gospels in the student union.

Conversations like these are so energizing as they remind me of the great needs within and outside of the established Church communities around us. Whether it’s a returning student exploring religion, fellow believers wrestling with the mission of the Church, or two teenagers discovering the possibility of God for the first time, patient dialogue continues to open doors for the Gospel. I’m grateful for the many opportunities this month and excited to see how these conversations develop!

Thank you so much for your continued support and partnership in this ministry!

With love and peace,
Ivan Penrose

Thank You for Your Support. Here’s How to Continue:

I’m currently at 98% of my monthly need, and your continued support helps make it possible for me to serve through June 2026. If you would like to continue your partnership, please let me know as soon as possible so I can plan accordingly.

There Are Four Ways to Partner With Me:

• Online: Visit the NCP Apprentice donation page by clicking the button below. Once there, scroll to find my tile and select your gift amount. You’ll have the opportunity to indicate whether you are giving monthly or as a one-time gift.
• Credit Card: You may give online (as stated above) or by calling the EFM office at (303) 421-8100 to provide your information to a live representative.
• Automatic Bank Transfer: Download the form here and email it to Debby McElroy (EFM Bookkeeper) at debby@friendsmission.com. Please note that ACH payments are processed on the 10th or 25th of the month.
• Check: Mail a check to EFM, P.O. Box 771139, Wichita, KS 67277. Please mark your check with “Ivan Penrose NCP Apprentice Support” and indicate if your gift will be recurring (monthly, quarterly, etc.). Make the check payable to “EFM.”

The post Ministry Update: How Your Partnership Is Reaching Students first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

Here is a brief insight into this past month of ministry! There’ve been some significant shifts in my ministry focus this month as I’ve begun training and equipping the new EFM/NCP disciple-making apprentices! For more updates and insights into our ministry, check out my blog-site here!

This month, Cassi Coleman and Thomas Moore joined our team as EFM/NCP disciple-making apprentices. They have begun the same apprenticeship which I participated in this past year, but they are stuck with me as their primary “trainer and organizer”! I’m kind of the assistant to the regional manager (The Office reference). There’s probably a better way to describe my role regarding them, but I am essentially learning how to lead people in a structured process of being and making disciples of Jesus. This is a more intensive engagement of this “muscle group” from what I’m used to, so I’m very excited to work it out and get stronger in it! Here are a few things from our ministry this month!

Cassi and Thomas have started their training in Bible-dialogue, prayer walking, conversational evangelism, DMC 1, as well as various hands-on opportunities to grow as disciples of Jesus as well as making disciples of Jesus. We’ve jumped back into ministry on campus and, as you can see in the whiteboard photos above, we have had a great engagement with students – new and returning. We’ve also had the opportunity to join Noah Granger, a part-time NCP apprentice, for evangelism at the Orange Circle on MLK day. In the photos above, you can see Colt (CSUF student who ministers with us) and me talking to some Jehovah’s Witnesses who set up in the Orange Circle. They were not open to honest conversation, but it was nice to be able to talk to them with Colt for the first time. Cassi and Thomas have done such a great job at jumping right into ministry activities, immediately starting up conversations with students on campus as well as making the best of strange surprise-situations interacting with moderately unstable individuals on the streets. You can read more about some of these interactions in my other blog posts this month!

This month, we also had the opportunity to lead another Archways workshop – learning how to witness through common conversations in everyday life. Above you can see some pictures from that as well! This was such a great time of teaching and fellowship with Bell Friends Church, who are a primarily Spanish-speaking congregation. Because my Spanish is no bueno, we utilized translators as well as an AI translation device that broadcasted a translation to individual headsets. Pretty legit if I do say so myself. However, the AI didn’t even compare to the degree of profundity that the food had!

There is so much more that I could share about what has taken place this month, but these are just a few glimpses into our ministry activities!

Thank you so much for your continued support and prayer for me and this ministry! Your generosity and faithfulness make my training and ministry possible!

With love and peace,
Ivan Penrose

Thank You for Your Support. Here’s How to Continue:

I’m currently at 85% of my monthly need, and your continued support helps make it possible for me to serve through June 2026. If you would like to continue your partnership, please let me know as soon as possible so I can plan accordingly.

There Are Four Ways to Partner With Me:

• Online: Visit the NCP Apprentice donation page by clicking the button below. Once there, scroll to find my tile and select your gift amount. You’ll have the opportunity to indicate whether you are giving monthly or as a one-time gift.
• Credit Card: You may give online (as stated above) or by calling the EFM office at (303) 421-8100 to provide your information to a live representative.
• Automatic Bank Transfer: Download the form here and email it to Debby McElroy (EFM Bookkeeper) at debby@friendsmission.com. Please note that ACH payments are processed on the 10th or 25th of the month.
• Check: Mail a check to EFM, P.O. Box 771139, Wichita, KS 67277. Please mark your check with “Ivan Penrose NCP Apprentice Support” and indicate if your gift will be recurring (monthly, quarterly, etc.). Make the check payable to “EFM.”

The post Ivan Penrose | January Update first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

By November 2024 EFM had made a commitment to launch seven of the nine fields that were under exploration. Those seven fields are now moving on to the prayer and pre-launch planning phases.  Meanwhile, we are currently still sending Luke 10 Exploration Teams to consider other potential fields. You can learn more here.

A 10:2 Prayer Trip is an annual trip to the mission fields where EFM has committed to sending missionaries. Teams are asked to pray for the soil (Matthew 13:1-23) and pray for the workers (Luke 10:2). Teams are sent or guided by sponsoring regions/yearly meetings of the new EFM fields that have been leading exploration. 10:2 Prayer Trips will target appropriate communities for prayer walking and interceding that “the Kingdom come, and God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven” in those places.

In November 2025, a 10:2 Prayer Trip took place in the Dalmatia region of Croatia. There was an additional phase of the trip where part of the team stayed longer to accomplish pre-launch planning.  The following is a report for the 10:2 Prayer Trip written by team member Jonelle Liddell.

Who Was On The Trip?

• Christy Neifert
• Soni McGrew
• Fred and Jonelle Liddell
• Jim LeShana
• Kathleen Dungan

Where Did You Travel?

We traveled in the Dalmatia region of Croatia, and briefly crossed the border to Capljina in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Trip Highlights

On our first day together as a team, we visited the Croatian church in Vela Luka, Croatia. We were all encouraged by the open arms of the pastor and the congregation. This Croatian pastor and his wife are key potential ministry partners and mentors for our long term team, and is modeling love for others across ethnic lines, evangelism to neighboring communities/islands with no current evangelical presence, and active presence in your community for relationship building and witness.

This open armed welcome was repeated in our other interactions with existing contacts. We had a sense that previously there had been expressions of welcome with emotional reserve (which aligns with what we’ve been told about the culture in this region), and that this reserve had reduced or vanished. Now, we were just brothers and sisters.

We went on prayer walks in several villages, towns, and cities, and at different points most of us felt a sense of the either the Spirit speaking or impressing a message, or of spiritual resistance and oppression. This resistance was felt physically as several of us had significant health issues, unrelated to each other. God’s timing and provision was clearly seen, but the resistance was clear.

How You Can Pray…

• We sensed that the hearts of many individuals are closed like shuttered windows.  We prayed that God would remove the spiritual shutters and let His love and grace pour in, driving out sin’s darkness.
• We thanked God for the faithful believers we met and prayed that God would bless their witness and bring many to Himself.
• We prayed that spiritual stronghold would be removed and this whole country would be filled with the knowledge of the Lord.
• In addition to joining in those prayers, please pray that the workers God is calling to this field would respond.

Are You Feeling Called to Join EFM?

Are you interested in exploring missionary service? Do you know of anyone of any age who might be interested in exploring the idea of serving as a missionary overseas for two or more years?

EFM is currently looking to contact and connect with people about opportunities to explore serving as missionaries with the Friends Church! To learn more, visit here or fill out this interest form!

The post Luke 10 Pre-Launch Prayer Trip | The Balkans first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

Greetings from the West Coast!

Thank you for your continued partnership and support in this training and ministry! Here is a brief overview of the ministry we engaged with this month! For more frequent updates and insights into what I’m up to, click here to visit my blog site!

There has been so much to be thankful for this month, and, among the many things, the support and partnership of the NCP team and you as my partner in ministry is certainly at the top of my list! I apologize for such a delayed newsletter for November! Time has really flown by amidst the many exciting things going on!

This month, I was blessed with so many amazing conversations and opportunities to engage in ministry at CSUF and beyond! I think back to my conversations with one particular young man on campus who I’ve repeatedly conversed with, though with quite some struggle at first. It seemed like every time we talked together it was the same topic and yet we never seemed to make forward progress in our discussion until one day when I changed my approach with him. There were a few things that he was very focused on in all of our conversations; however, that wasn’t the real issue at all. In setting aside his various red herrings, we had an amazing conversation about the very root of the issue at hand and very practical steps in our discipleship to Jesus. The conversation was certainly tense at times as he was forced to recognize his resistance to obedience and his covering up of that reality with numerous attempts at good works and asceticism. However, the Holy Spirit has certainly been at work in this young man before we ever met, but it is such a blessing to see a growing openness in him towards simple steps of obedience and discipleship to Jesus!

Again, I am blessed as I remember the conversations that I’ve had with the many diverse demographics on campus this month! I had a fascinating conversation with a professor who was a pantheist, and we discussed how his worldview leads to the conclusion that god is at war with itself (as there are brutal conflicts between the things which are allegedly part of his god). I was blessed to meet this man and discuss with him in the short time he had, but I was also blessed by very good conversations with Muslim students on campus. One conversation in particular was with a young man who was quite open to converse about Islam and Christianity, and by the end of the conversation was on the verge of rejecting Islam. That was a very interesting and exciting conversation as that kind of progress in merely one conversation can be quite rare!

Another exciting thing that happened this month was the start to what is currently called “Ekballo Fellowship”! Above, you can see a picture of our first gathering at Avalon Bagels to Burgers as we engaged in biblical dialogue, prayer, worship, and Christian fellowship together. The current name of the gathering is sourced from the Greek word that Jesus used in Luke 10:2 for “cast out”, which is the same word used to describe how demons are “cast out” in exorcisms. Jesus commands His disciples to pray that God would forcefully thrust His people into the work of ministry and evangelism, and that is the primary emphasis of this gathering – to not only pray for the harvest and its workers, but also to obey the command to join the harvest ourselves! So far, it has been a wonderful time that gives Christians a launch pad into ministry and offers a place for those we minister to throughout the week to join us in a more casual and comfortable setting as they continue exploring a life with Jesus!

I will be visiting Kansas for a few weeks this December and will have the opportunity to share in a number of different environments – from public middle and high school groups, established church communities, to student leaders at a private Christian school. I have been given many opportunities to share and engage with these various communities, and I would ask your partnership in prayer as I seek to faithfully deliver what God desires to each of these diverse groups. There are many things that I could speak about or do, but, above all, I pray that my sharing might be in submission to God’s direction and edifying to the Body of Christ!

Thank you for your faithfulness in prayer and support!

With love and peace,
Ivan Penrose

Thank You for Your Support. Here’s How to Continue:

I’m currently at 81% of my monthly need, and your continued support helps make it possible for me to serve through June 2026. If you would like to continue your partnership, please let me know as soon as possible so I can plan accordingly. If EFM does not hear otherwise, your giving will automatically continue through June 2026.

There Are Four Ways to Partner With Me:

• Online: Visit the NCP Apprentice donation page by clicking the button below. Once there, scroll to find my tile and select your gift amount. You’ll have the opportunity to indicate whether you are giving monthly or as a one-time gift.
• Credit Card: You may give online (as stated above) or by calling the EFM office at (303) 421-8100 to provide your information to a live representative.
• Automatic Bank Transfer: Download the form here and email it to Debby McElroy (EFM Bookkeeper) at debby@friendsmission.com. Please note that ACH payments are processed on the 10th or 25th of the month.
• Check: Mail a check to EFM, P.O. Box 771139, Wichita, KS 67277. Please mark your check with “Ivan Penrose NCP Apprentice Support” and indicate if your gift will be recurring (monthly, quarterly, etc.). Make the check payable to “EFM.”

The post Ivan Penrose | December Update first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

What a great opportunity in this important month of 2025, the month in which we celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ, to share with you an account of what God has allowed us to accomplish and the advances of our Missions Mobilization Ministry. 

In 2020, when we began this EFM Missions Mobilization Ministry for Hispanic Friends, we never imagined how far God would allow us to develop this task. 

Praise the Lord for the second Future Missionary Retreat in Mexico, where we had 31 attendees, including four young people who traveled from Bolivia! We are so happy because, since the first retreat, we have had young people interested in exploring the call to missions, and some of them have since begun training at the Friends Theological Institute in Mexico City. These young people are praying earnestly that God will guide them to the places where they will be sent. Another fruit of these retreats was the calling of José Olivas, who has been serving as a missionary for a year now among the Shuar people of Ecuador. Another fruit of these retreats is the Moscosa family (Pedro, Sandy, and their two little daughters), who will be sent in January to start a new church in the state of Jalisco through the VM32 project. We hope to witness and be involved in the process of sending many more.

Let us praise the Lord together for the EFM Latin America Sending Learning Conference held in Guatemala in August. We felt privileged to have been part of the planning team for such an important event. It was truly beautiful to see representatives from 11 countries, including several superintendents and influential leaders of the Friends of Latin America, all gathered in a shared sense of unity, fellowship, respect, and mutual learning. As a result of this conference, several Yearly Meetings have expressed interest in having us share about EFM and missions and in encouraging their leaders and youth to be more active in sending, participating in support, and even going. We have already scheduled several trips in 2026 to some of these Yearly Meetings. Also as a result of the conference, a young, single lady pastor from Guatemala was challenged to join us on the Luke 10 prayer trip to Ecuador. There, she felt God’s prompting to pray for her to explore the possibility of going as a missionary. Although she won’t be sent at this time, this young lady pastor is influential at her Annual Meeting, and we know God will use her to inspire and mobilize others. Glory to God!

The recent Luke 10 Prayer Trip to Ecuador was valuable and purposeful. The main intention was to have very intentional times of prayer with national leaders and in places where God allowed us to go this time. We are grateful that we were able to visit and have ministry experiences in Shuar communities. On this trip, God allowed us to meet and strengthen relationships with key people whom we believe he has allowed us to meet in order to have alliances and national coverage that will serve our EFM missionaries who will be sent to this field in the near future. Thank you so much to all of you who were involved in this trip with your prayers from home.

2025 was fast-paced, very busy, and very intense for us, but very fruitful for the honor and glory of him alone! In the midst of raising our funds, all the events, trips, and experiences have been worthwhile because we see that the kingdom of God is being impacted. God willing, we will continue to strive and be obedient in this mobilization effort to see many more workers sent to the fields where the harvest is ready. “And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent?” Romans 10:15 (NLT)

In Obedience to him,
Edwin and Maria Giron

The post December 2025 Prayer Letter first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

Thank you for your continued prayer and support! Your partnership makes this ministry and training possible! Here is a brief update from this past month. To find more frequent updates and stories, feel free to read my blog here.

This month, we’ve had so many great ministry opportunities and engagements! We’ve continued to develop our relationship with other healthy campus ministries, connected with student evangelists who have begun partnering with us in outreach, started new DMCs, hosted many great conversations at the whiteboard, and more. We’ve continued to see the abundance of the harvest and the desperate need for more workers! Praise God for the harvest, and may He cast His people into the work of harvesting!

In the photos attached, you can see a few pictures of ministry on campus this past month! The large group photo was from a prayer-walk we hosted on campus for various local ministries; including Friends Church Fullerton, Soon Movement, Intervarsity, Campus Revive, and other Christians who desire to see God’s work continued at CSUF. The other photos show conversations and interactions initiated by peoples’ engagement with the whiteboard. We are very blessed by the medium of the whiteboard in evangelism as it naturally draws in those who are open and seeking.

In the photos you can see a great conversation I was able to have with an LDS young man and his Catholic girlfriend. I explained why I was not a Mormon (and why he should likewise not be one), and provided him with simple and clear biblical reasons for rejecting Joseph Smith as a prophet of God. He was grateful for the conversation, and we plan to meet again after he further looks into the argument I provided him!

This month we also tried a slightly different setup with the whiteboard on a few occasions. Instead of asking people to write on the whiteboard, we invited them to sit down in a chair and to tell us why or why they aren’t a Christian. This seemed to work surprisingly well, and the setup created a nice environment for people to share their honest thoughts. We have some of these conversations recorded as they might be of some use for those looking to try similar things for themselves. You can find those videos here. It is such a blessing to be able to be on campus nearly every day as we get the opportunity to continue conversations and build relationships with people over time and repeated dialogue.

As I trust that you are aware, I have extended my NCP apprenticeship through June 2026, and will continue what I’m currently doing with a specific emphasis on engaging the established church. So much of being a disciple of Jesus is caught up in also making disciples of Jesus through evangelism and intentional community of believers. Our campus ministry is already experiencing this development as we continue to find Christian students who desire to fellowship with us and join in evangelism. Our campus ministry structure must adapt and adjust to meet the needs of those we disciple – a valuable lesson to know; an often challenging lesson to remember. The specific methods and setups that we use to engage with people are only valuable insomuch as they support the growth and formation of the individuals. When the lattice no longer supports the growth of the vine, it has lost its potency and should be adjusted or replaced so that the primary goal can be achieved. This is the primary goal: to be and make disciples of Jesus in everyday life; empowered by the Holy Spirit to obey the Great Commandments by participating in the Great Commission!

Thank you for your continued prayer and support!

May God bless you in the ministry He has prepared in advance for you to do!

With love and peace,
Ivan Penrose

There Are Four Ways to Partner With Me:

• Online: Visit the NCP Apprentice donation page by clicking the button below. Once there, scroll to find my tile and select your gift amount. You’ll have the opportunity to indicate whether you are giving monthly or as a one-time gift.
• Credit Card: You may give online (as stated above) or by calling the EFM office at (303) 421-8100 to provide your information to a live representative.
• Automatic Bank Transfer: Download the form here and email it to Debby McElroy (EFM Bookkeeper) at debby@friendsmission.com. Please note that ACH payments are processed on the 10th or 25th of the month.
• Check: Mail a check to EFM, P.O. Box 771139, Wichita, KS 67277. Please mark your check with “Ivan Penrose NCP Apprentice Support” and indicate if your gift will be recurring (monthly, quarterly, etc.). Make the check payable to “EFM.”

The post Ivan Penrose | November 2025 Newsletter first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

Christ’s Light in a Land of Many Idols | Shared by D K Sarkar serving in India

The following report comes from our missionary, D K Sarkar in Kolkata, West Bengal. October was filled with many Hindu festivals across the region, times that bring both challenge and opportunity for believers. Please pray for our brothers and sisters who face pressure during these celebrations and who continue to share the hope of Christ with their neighbors.

I am sending you an update about the Hindu festivals in West Bengal. These celebrations often bring challenges for us. Local festival committees sometimes insist that we contribute money toward the events, and at times the situation becomes very difficult. During these festivals, we organize camps and prayer meetings to encourage and strengthen our new believers. Please continue to pray for us.

The month of October was filled with Hindu celebrations focused on idol worship. People become deeply devoted to these idols, following traditions passed down from their ancestors. They often do not know much about the idols themselves but simply continue the customs they have received.

Many different idols are worshiped, each believed to hold its own kind of power. These idols have no real existence, yet priests and holy men have promoted their worship for generations. Below are a few of the main idols celebrated in West Bengal.

• Ganesh – Considered the god of wealth. Many people believe that if they worship Ganesh, they will gain financial prosperity. This worship began mainly in Mumbai but later spread to Bengal as people desired the same material success.
• Biswakarma – Regarded as the maker or architect of the world. People worship him, believing he will help them in building and improving their homes.
• Durga – Durga Puja is the biggest Hindu festival in West Bengal. She is considered the powerful goddess who killed the demon Ashur (Devil). Depicted with ten hands holding weapons, she is worshiped for four days during a time when schools, colleges, and offices close for the celebration. Her festival attracts many people, even some Christians come to watch the events
• Lakshmi – The goddess of wealth. Hindus believe that worshiping Lakshmi will bring them prosperity and abundance.
• Kali – Known as the goddess of destruction. She is depicted as dark, standing on the chest of her husband, with a garland of human heads around her neck. Her worship takes place at night and involves blood sacrifices, often from male goats.

We are enlightened by the blood of Jesus. We know all these idol worships are fake. Only the blood of Jesus can cleanse of our sins. We are called to tell these people about the truth. Please pray for us.

D K Sarkar, EFM Kolkata

Please pray:

• For our strength and protection as we face difficulties and demands during the Hindu festival season.
• For steadfast faith among new believers who may feel isolated or pressured during these celebrations.
• For open hearts among those devoted to idol worship, that they may come to know the truth and freedom found in Jesus Christ.
• For fruitful ministry as we hold camps and prayer meetings to share the gospel and encourage believers in West Bengal.

The post November 2025 Prayer Letter first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

Actualización del Ministerio EFC-Nepal | Compartido por el Pastor Amen y la Familia EFC-N

La oración como fundamento
La oración sigue siendo el motor de nuestro ministerio. En Katmandú, los creyentes se reunieron para orar en cadena, oración de toda la noche, ayuno y oración, caminatas de oración, oración en la montaña y oración de avivamiento. Estos tiempos de búsqueda de Dios mantienen a la Iglesia viva y activa en su misión. También se realizaron Campamentos Regionales de Oración en diferentes distritos, y estamos presenciando el fruto de estas oraciones en vidas transformadas e iglesias en crecimiento.

Seminario y Ordenación de Pastores y Líderes
En la región de Nawalpur, la Iglesia de los Amigos de Magarkot organizó un seminario de tres días para fortalecer a pastores y líderes en la Palabra de Dios. El último día, celebramos un servicio de ordenación de nuevos pastores, ancianos y diáconos que se comprometieron a servir fielmente. 

Desarrollo de habilidades y negocios para el Ministerio
Seguimos animando a pastores, líderes y creyentes a considerar los negocios como una misión, una oportunidad para sustentar a sus familias y al mismo tiempo promover el evangelio.

El pastor Ramesh y su esposa, Binu, ahora administran una tienda de comestibles y una granja de pollos para apoyar su ministerio. El pastor Bijay y su esposa, Salomé, completaron su capacitación en soldadura y costura; Bijay ya ha construido iglesias y casas con sus habilidades. El pastor Adam comenzó a criar cabras después de recibir capacitación gubernamental, imaginando su granja como un modelo para otras iglesias y pastores.

Un día de dedicación y celebración
En Sindhuli, la Iglesia Evangélica de los Amigos de Khurahari inauguró un nuevo edificio por la mañana y más tarde ese mismo día, celebró la boda de su pastor, Bijay, y su esposa, Som Maya (Salomé). Ambos son graduados de nuestro Instituto Bíblico FSTCL y continúan sirviendo fielmente.

Aspectos destacados regionales

• En Chitwan, más de 300 personas escucharon el evangelio, varias fueron bautizadas y otras experimentaron sanación, entre ellas un brujo que se convirtió a Cristo después de orar y una mujer hindú que fue liberada de un demonio, lo que llevó a toda su familia a la fe.
• En Bardiya, 38 nuevos creyentes se están preparando para el testimonio público del bautismo en agua, y se ha establecido una nueva comunidad en el distrito de Surkhet.
• En Pokhara (provincia de Gandaki), después de más de una década de oración, se ha fundado una nueva Iglesia de los Amigos con un salón de culto para 60 personas. Una miembra, Gita, que quedó paralizada mientras trabajaba en el extranjero, se convirtió a Cristo, se bautizó y ahora dirige el culto con la ayuda de terapia. Ella y su hijo pequeño aún necesitan apoyo, pero su fe es un testimonio de la gracia de Dios.

Agradecemos a Dios por su fidelidad, por sus oraciones y apoyo. Juntos, presenciamos la expansión del evangelio por todo Nepal, impactando vidas, construyendo comunidades y avanzando el reino de Dios.

Gracias. Dios le bendiga.
Pastor Amen y la familia de EFC-N

Por favor oren:

• Por la provisión de terrenos y edificios para iglesias en lugares clave y por el crecimiento tanto numérico como espiritual de nuestras iglesias.
• Por la bendición de Dios sobre la próxima conferencia provincial, el seminario de parejas para pastores y sus familias, y el retiro de líderes, para que cada uno pueda tener un impacto duradero, ánimo, guianza y renovación.
• Por un nuevo movimiento de plantación de nuevas iglesias en todo Nepal.

The post Carta de Oración octubre 2025 first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

Thank you for your diligence and faithfulness in prayer and support for me in this ministry and apprenticeship! I am greatly privileged to participate in this capacity and acquire tangible experience in evangelism and disciple-making! Here are a few things I’d like to share with you from this past month of ministry. I hope that you find these edifying and insightful into this ministry, and God willing, they might be useful for you as well in the ministry you have been given! For other ministry updates, look here.

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth… For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known” John 1:14-18

What does it look like, as Christians, to love others? Well, I think there are a number of responses to this question that would certainly be true and weighty; however, there seems to be one central expression that most Christians veer from participating in. The expression of love I’m speaking of is directly connected to the Gospel and is actually commanded by Jesus explicitly to those who follow Him. While you might disagree, I do believe this to be of the truest expressions of love a Christian can show to someone – anyone. If we simply step back and view this message of Jesus, I believe that it will become abundantly clear what this act of love is; however, truly understanding this Gospel of Jesus necessitates a response and participation from us. Can the finder of a bottomless well possess genuine love while watching a world die of thirst? Can one who is reconciled to God imitate the incarnational love of Jesus without likewise extending living water to those who are thirsty?

I find that evangelism becomes exponentially more natural the more connected I become with the message Jesus came bearing. Has the American Church settled for a reductionistic view of Jesus’ message that leaves behind an uncompelling and uncompassionate community of people – malformed from Jesus’ image in our lack of love for those outside the four walls of the church? Do we love those outside the church? If so, why do we withhold the only thing that can bring life to their mortal bodies? If not, for what reason do we now lay down the cross of Christ which we ought to bear? Evangelism, that is sharing the Gospel of Jesus with the lost, is the beginning of the ministry that we have been given as Christ’s followers, reconciling the world to God.

My apologies for the long-winded open, but I find that this summarizes what I wish to share in the rest of this update and places an important emphasis on our participation in God’s reconciling work and our transformation into Christlikeness.

This month has been full of great interactions at CSUF as well as in other ministry settings! On multiple occasions, we’ve met students who are Christians and hungry to follow Jesus into reaching the nonbelievers around them. In this, our group of CSUF ministering students is increasing and becoming more involved in ministry on our campus, at the whiteboard and beyond. These have been blessed partnerships which we pray will continue to flourish the ministry we desire to partner with God in at CSUF.

We’ve had so many great conversations with those of various religious beliefs, and we’ve seen a number of those who previously opposed or rejected what we do grow in openness and understanding to us and our ministry. It is certainly wisdom that a good reputation is to be valued above riches as we’ve seen the impact of that firsthand. The cult engagement on campus has been lively this month as we’ve seen and participated in the release of members of the Fellowship Church cult. There is a significant group of members within the cult who recognize the corruption and evil present in the leadership and practice, and we’ve been blessed to see the openness of their hearts towards Jesus above their abusive leaders. Many of these members have moved from out of state to escape bad life situations and are made completely dependent on the cult for resources and housing. This is one of the large hindrances for members when considering disagreeing with or challenging the leadership – they know that they can easily be put out on the streets with nowhere to go. Please join us in praying for these young adults who are being taken advantage of and abused in the cults on our campus – that they would boldly proclaim the word of truth, taking up the cross of Christ for the sake of righteousness and the exposing of darkness.

Please join me in prayer as I so eagerly desire continued conversations with my neighborhood Jehovah’s Witnesses, but I find a reluctance in the members I am repeatedly pointed to for conversation. I need wisdom in how to reach this demographic as they are uniquely ungrounded and sensitive to correction theologically and historically. I’m praying that God might give me the opportunity to converse with a genuinely open and seeking member of this community who has not yet fully been brainwashed to unplug their critical thinking.

Thank you so much for your continued generosity and investment in my training and ministry! Without your support and prayer, I would be unable to participate in the capacity I currently can!

May God bless you in the ministry He has given you!

With love and peace,
Ivan Penrose

There Are Four Ways to Partner With Me:

• Online: Visit the NCP Apprentice donation page by clicking the button below. Once there, scroll to find my tile and select your gift amount. You’ll have the opportunity to indicate whether you are giving monthly or as a one-time gift.
• Credit Card: You may give online (as stated above) or by calling the EFM office at (303) 421-8100 to provide your information to a live representative.
• Automatic Bank Transfer: Download the form here and email it to Debby McElroy (EFM Bookkeeper) at debby@friendsmission.com. Please note that ACH payments are processed on the 10th or 25th of the month.
• Check: Mail a check to EFM, P.O. Box 771139, Wichita, KS 67277. Please mark your check with “Ivan Penrose NCP Apprentice Support” and indicate if your gift will be recurring (monthly, quarterly, etc.). Make the check payable to “EFM.”

EFM is blessed to journey with future missionaries to prepare for potential missionary service opportunities. EFM is also thankful for the partnership with North County Project in Southern California to provide this disciple-making apprenticeship for further training, experience, and discernment for missionary service.

The post Ivan Penrose | October 2025 Newsletter first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.