In recent months, due to family needs and changing circumstances, the Swards have sensed the Lord leading them to return to the United States. While this transition comes with the sadness of leaving a place and people they deeply love, it also comes with a clear sense that God is opening a new door for ministry.

After much prayer and discernment, we are grateful to share that the EFM Board has approved a new role for Scott and Andrea: EFM Great Commission Mobilizers.

In this new season, the Swards will continue their calling to cross-cultural ministry by focusing on three key areas:

• Engaging unreached people groups in diaspora communities here in the U.S., particularly among Muslim populations
• Mobilizing and equipping Friends churches to rekindle a passion for the Great Commission and send workers into the harvest
• Continuing to mentor and invest in emerging leaders in Cambodia

This is not an ending, but a continuation of the same calling in a new context. We believe this role uniquely aligns with the Luke 10 vision God has given EFM, as we seek to send workers into the harvest and participate in what he is doing among the nations.

I invite you to hear directly from Scott and Andrea as they share how God has been guiding them into this next chapter:

Last year, Andrea and I sensed a shift coming. We assumed it meant staying in Cambodia and redirecting our focus to another unreached people group. But God had a different plan. Months later, we realized we were being called back to the US—a move that left us confused and uncertain.

In time, the Lord made his direction clear: our calling to serve unreached people groups (UPGs) hasn’t changed—only the place and the approach. While remaining connected to Cambodia, we’re now excited to serve diaspora UPGs in the US, and to help mobilize others to join God’s work among the world’s 7,000+ remaining people groups with little to no knowledge of Jesus. God is faithful, and we’re eager to see what he has in store in this next season.

As the Swards step into this new season, we invite you to prayerfully consider partnering with them in a few meaningful ways:

Become or Continue as a Financial Partner
Ongoing monthly support will sustain their ministry as they establish this new work in the U.S. and continue investing globally.

• If you are a new financial partner, you can set up your gift here:
  https://friendsmission.givevirtuous.org/donate/sward. Click on the “Donate Now” button and select “Sward Support Great Commission Mobilizers” from the dropdown. You will be given the opportunity to make a monthly or one-time gift.
• If you are already a financial partner and would like to continue at your current amount, no action is needed. Your giving will continue as is.
• If you would like to increase your support, you can either cancel your current gift and set up a new one or contact the EFM office at efmspanish@friendsmission.com and we’re happy to assist.
• If you need to stop your giving, please reach out to the EFM office so we can take care of that for you.
• If we do not hear from you, your current giving will continue uninterrupted.

Become a Prayer Partner
Commit to praying regularly for the Swards as they transition, build new relationships, and step into this calling. Your prayers are a vital part of their ministry.

• Fill out the form at https://friendsmission.com/sward/ to receive news and updates from the Swards.

Give a Transition Gift
A one-time gift will help cover the significant costs of relocation, reestablishing life in the U.S., and launching into this new ministry season.

• Go to https://friendsmission.givevirtuous.org/donate/sward. Click on the “Donate Now” button and select “Sward Transition Gift” on the dropdown menu and select one-time gift.

Your partnership has been vital to the Swards’ ministry over the years, and we are deeply grateful. We are confident that God will continue to use them in powerful ways as they follow his leading.

Thank you for being part of this journey.

In him,

Stanley David Leach
Executive Director

The post A New Season for the Swards first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

by Kathi Perry serving in Ireland

Queridos amigos,

It’s difficult to believe, but I am 63 years old. After 24+ years I am now one of EFM’s senior missionaries on the field (maybe THE senior missionary on the field?). I love my work and I am so grateful to be in Ireland. Naturally, we (myself and EFM) have spent a good bit of time considering when and what retirement will look like for me.

 In October I was able to meet with a financial planner, and he suggested that I work until I am 70. This felt like a relief because I do love my work and any time before 70 sounds too soon!

In recent months I have begun a new outreach called Sólás Café (see the photo here). Already, I have seen people come in weighed down with grief, who leave saying, “I feel lighter.” In the Fall I hope to offer “Grief Share” (which some may be familiar with) through the local church. This ministry is something that speaks to my heart – both with my training as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, a hospice social worker, and my own personal experiences with grief.

On May 18, I’ll be traveling to the U.S. for a season of deputation. With retirement on the horizon, this will likely be my final extended time reconnecting in person. I’m looking forward to sharing stories of what God has been doing in Ireland and spending time with many of you who have been such an important part of this journey. Would you pray that this time would be meaningful and fruitful – that God would guide each conversation and continue to provide what is needed for the work ahead? I’m deeply grateful for the faithful partnership that has made it possible to serve here for so many years.

Recently, while reading scripture, two phrases stood out to me. The first was from Mark 10:45 where Jesus said, “For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.” I may not have done this perfectly, but this has been my desire in Ireland.

The second phrase was from John 19. Jesus is on the cross and in v.28-30 it says, “… knowing that everything was already completed… he gave up his life.” What would it be like to know that “everything was already completed”?

What can I do in these final years to cultivate ministry that will last, and then, (figuratively speaking!) give up my life? These are my thoughts as I contemplate one more term. Pray that God would work through me, to love and serve the people in Ireland.

With so much gratitude for your faithfulness,

Kathi Perry

The post April 2026 | Prayer Letter first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

I have been back in Ireland for nearly six months, and I am grateful for the work I get to do on behalf of our church and the wider Kingdom of God. As most of you know, I was in the U.S. for six months in 2025, where I got to spend lots of time with my family and friends, as well as travel to visit partnering churches. We also unexpectedly lost my dad while I was in California. He was a strong presence in our family’s life and a pillar of his church community. We continue to grieve the loss of our dad and grandpa. Thank you for your prayers for me and my family during that time of loss and grief.

I am writing to you from the warmth of my office in our church building at the Church of the Nazarene in Greystones, where I am blessed to serve as administrative pastor. As soon as I arrived back in Ireland, I was warmly welcomed by my church family here in Greystones. It has been such a blessing to have a strong support system here at “the Naz.” The holidays are typically a challenging time for me to be away from my family, especially considering how much time I was able to spend with them that year. We were blessed as a staff to have a Thanksgiving lunch made for us by a church member. We invited some other Americans you might recognize in the photo. I am honored to be on this pastoral staff and to serve alongside such gifted and talented leaders. Please pray with me and my colleagues as we lead our congregation in the New Year.

At the end of January, our congregation hosted an “All Island Gathering” of all the Nazarene churches on the island of Ireland. Currently, our congregation is the only Nazarene church in the Republic of Ireland, but there are twelve churches in Northern Ireland. Almost 150 people from those Northern churches traveled to Greystones at the end of January to join us as one unified body of believers in Ireland. It was an amazing time of fellowship, eating together and praising God for what He has done and will continue to do on the island of Ireland. Our church in Greystones was able to share our vision for a new building development that will further God’s mission in the Republic of Ireland alongside the churches in the North. We ended with a time of prayer over our Greystones church board and pastoral staff, led by the leadership of the churches from the North. It was a very sacred time. Please pray with all the churches on the island of Ireland as we continue to build His Kingdom here.

Just before Christmas, my family put my dad’s house in Corona, California, on the market. My brother, Mark, and sister-in-law, Nina, managed all the details, with a big assist from my sister, Amy. I am grateful for the strong bond my siblings and I share during this challenging time as we settle my dad’s affairs. We were able to secure a buyer for the house right before Christmas, and the keys were handed over by the middle of January 2026. It is a strange feeling to think that I will never go back to my dad’s house when I visit California. That house was a central physical touchstone for our family, and now we have moved on from it. Please pray with my family and me as we continue to navigate grief.

Por favor, oren...

• For myself as I continue to navigate grief thousands of miles away from my family that is also grieving. My dad’s death has awoken more grief about my mom’s death thirteen years ago. Pray that I can have grace with myself.
• For our church in Greystones as we are trying to raise the necessary funds to begin re-developing our building. Pray for the congregation to catch the vision and for God to provide.
• For favor with the Irish government as I endeavor to renew my visa.

There are four ways to partner with me financially:

• Online. Visit https://friendsmission.givevirtuous.org/donate/morton. You’ll be given the opportunity to indicate whether you are making a recurring or one-time gift.
• Credit Card. This may be given online (as stated above) or by calling the EFM office (303-421-8100) to give your information to a live person.
• Automatic Bank Transfer. Download the form aquí 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. Make sure to mark your check “Morton Support” and note if you will be giving on a recurring basis (monthly, quarterly, etc.). Pay to the order of “EFM”.

The post Thank You for Praying. An Update from Ireland first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.