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 Athens, Greece. The following is a report written by team member Evelyn Portillo.

Who Was On The Trip?

• Kenn Dirrim – Missionary to Greece for almost 20 years (Southwest)
• Matt Macy – EFM staff (MidAmerica)
• Robert Garon – Pastor to Sherwood Community Friends Church (Northwest)
• Alexis Lopez – Canyon Hills Friends Church and Immigration Services Volunteer (Southwest)
• Evelyn Portillo – Friends Southwest Staff and Orange Friends Church (Southwest)

Reflections From The Field

Greece is an entry point for refugees, with the hope of establishing themselves in other countries throughout Europe. As they are on the “go”, so is God pursuing their heart and lives. At this point, some refugees are returning to Greece after months or up to two years of trying to complete their immigration status in other European countries. If their immigration documents have been denied, they need to return to their entry point in Europe. This can be heartbreaking, for their dreams may be shattered but it also provides an opportunity to support them and strengthen their faith. 

Church planting is possible in non-traditional ways: home churches, small groups with a mentor, and a church site. We need to keep in mind that our goal is to form communities of believers and make disciples who will go make other disciples.

How You Can Pray

• Pray for a new team of EFM missionaries to begin a new EFM disciple-making effort with Muslim refugees in Greece.
• The immigration laws and processes continue to change. Pray that people with knowledge in this area will continue to step up.
• Pray for God’s grace and mercy for the refugees as they navigate complex documentation and financial hurdles.
• Pray for the worldwide missionaries who serve in Greece as their hub, that they will continue to work in unity, led by the Holy Spirit. May they continue to experience divine moments.
• Pray that national leaders will continue to develop and step up. Also pray that new believers will continue to take leadership roles with passion and grace.
• Pray for freedom from oppression, and that refugees may be able to fully live a life in Christ.

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 aquí or fill out this interest form!

The post Luke 10:2 Greece Post Trip 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. See more information aquí.

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.

The next 10:2 Prayer Trip is taking place in Northeast Brazil from July 14 to 23. The team is comprised of members from three yearly meetings (RMYM, IYM, and NWYM) and includes Christy Neifert, Phil Burgi, Jacob Stooke, Ryan Barber, Calen Nockels, Shawn Wilson, Jan Cammack, and Sherry Schoening.

The Sertão region of Northeast Brazil is one of the driest and most underserved areas in the country, both physically and spritually. With scarce access to clean water, limited sanitation, and some of the lowest life expectancy rates in Brazil, the people there live in harsh conditions. Despite these challenges, communities like the Quilombola, Atikum tribal people, and the Cigano are open and receptive to the gospel and are asking, “When can you come?” EFM and RMYM are seeking followers of Jesus to join the great adventure of sharing the love of Christ and bringing hope to these unreached and underresourced communities.

The team is going to the field to pray for God’s purposes to be accomplished in the country, in the hearts of the partners in Brazil, and amongst the people they will interact with.

The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to cast out more workers into his fields.

To learn more about how you can join these trips or if you are interested in exploring missionary service, visit here.

The post Pray for the 10:2 Prayer Trip to Northeast Brazil 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, one of them being unreached people groups in Southeast Asia. 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 April, a 10:2 Prayer Trip took place in Greece. The following is a report written by team member Jim Le Shana.

The team included three from FSW (Lisa Dirrim, Tyler, and Tracie Leman) and five from NWYM (Robert Garon, Jim Le Shana, Jennifer Morin, Josiah, and Leisa Muhr).

This proved to be a great prayer team trip. Very full days.  Timely meetings. Lots of prayer. Good mix of new people and veterans on the team. Some new experiences, too, showed some potential opportunities going forward. The trip also confirmed for two team members that they are ready for a significant “next step” (longer “short-term” experience in Greece) as they continue to explore God’s calling. Two key takeaways for the team: 1) the Lord is still at work in Greece among refugees, and 2) EFM made a good decision for Friends to embrace this as a new church planting mission field.

Remained Flexible: In the weeks before the trip, the Greece Prayer Team embraced the theme of staying “flexible” to whatever might happen and to whatever the Lord may want to do (not an uncommon awareness for short-term teams). It turned out that our mascot of “Gumby” was apropos from beginning to end, as Kenn Dirrim was unable to travel due to some health issues, weather prompted some to leave abruptly a day early (with only three-hours warning), and an airport strike forced everyone to reschedule their return flights (except for one person who already planned to stay a little longer). The Lord helped us at every turn. In Kenn’s absence, Lisa Dirrim filled the role of guide in various ways, helping us to make connections with a number of missionaries and locations, and Robert Garon stepped up as our team “chauffeur” for the entire time in-country.

Prayer: The purpose of this trip was to pray, listen, observe, and pray some more. In addition to praying for specific missionaries we met, refugees, and the needs we observed in various locations, we typically also prayed for workers for the harvest field (Luke 10:2, Matt 9:35-38) and for the Lord to build his Church there (Matt 16:18). Three especially meaningful places where we were able to pray included: the Helping Hands facility that first introduced many of us to refugee ministries (where the Dirrims served previously, but which has undergone many changes), outside a refugee camp in Corinth in the middle of the city, and in a creative new facility run by Christians outside the refugee camp in Malakasa (north of Athens). We considered ourselves a kind of preparatory team, helping to lay a prayer foundation for those who will come after us.

Meetings and Conversations: Lisa helped to organize a total of eight key appointments for us with various missionaries. Altogether, we met with 18 missionaries/refugee believers from 8 countries (Greece, the US, Finland, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany, Afghanistan, and Iran), all living/ministering in Greece, serving refugees. Each of these individuals, both active missionaries and refugee believers, fits in the category of “people of peace” for us, continuing to encourage and invite us to come. These meetings and times of prayer kept us quite busy, but it was a joy to be able to engage deeply and pray with so many in such a brief time. Since most refugees are still primarily in camps, we did not have as much direct contact with them as we sometimes did. However, at one location, we met with some refugees in a missional/relationship-building context (Malakasa), and the conversations with the refugee believers were rich and inspiring.  In addition to these meetings, we took a little extra time to visit briefly the biblical sites of Athens, Corinth, and Cenchrea, often being reminded of Paul’s missionary efforts in that region.

Trip Highlights

We asked the team to mention highlights of the Prayer Team trip for them. Below is a summary of some of the comments.

Praying Outside the Refugee Camp in Corinth. Several of us commented about the impact of praying outside the Corinth refugee camp. As we circled together in prayer outside the gate, we could hear children laughing and just being kids in the playground over the wall. It provided a stark reminder that these are real people, with real children, and real needs for the gospel, just like us. Not only are there needs near Athens, but throughout the country as well. Josiah wrote that the experience at this camp in Corinth “left a lasting impact.” It reminded him and all of us that “there are refugee camps all over Greece that are often forgotten or overlooked,” y “how much opportunity there still is in Greece and how much need there is for more workers.” Each person prayed around the circle, and just as we said the final “Amen,” two guards reached us and kicked us off the property. It felt as though the Lord preserved us there for those moments.

Praying and Serving in the “Refuge in the Pines” near the Refugee Camp at Malakasa. We were able to attend and help at the second opening day of this converted restaurant (the “Refuge”) near the Malakasa camp. The female team members participated in making crafts and relationship building with several Syrian refugees who chose to attend. Leisa commented that, “Speaking to several young girls from Syria we learned about how they got there, where they were from and where they wanted to go. We laughed at silly drawings, language barriers, and how terrible I am at making bracelets. These young women showed passion and determination.” Tracie wrote, “We played games, made bracelets, and shared time together.” She added that she was “especially touched when two of the girls made bracelets for me and my two daughters back home,” which she hoped would “plant seeds for their own hearts for missions.”

Hearing Testimonies by Refugee Believers. As we met with some former Islamic refugees who are now believers and heard their stories, it served as a fresh reminder that God is working in the lives and hearts of refugees. Missio Dei is real (this is God’s mission). For me personally, even though I had been blessed by these stories before, I felt as though I heard some new parts that underscored God’s persistent love even more for his lost sheep. Especially hearing Sahar’s story again (and that of her mom for the first time), these stories served as a reminder that there are other “Sahars” that are out there waiting to be reached by the love of Christ!

What did We Pray for? How Can You Continue Praying?

Workers for the Harvest Field. The fields are ripe for harvest, and we praise the Lord for those refugees who are coming to know the Lord. However, many more workers are needed to serve in a wide variety of ways, including evangelism, discipleship, relationship building, business as mission development (literally helping to create jobs), and creative collaborative church planting. Demonstrating the love of God through kindness, spending time, relief efforts (food, clothing, etc.) and more are all important and vital, missional bridge-building tasks.  Specifically, please pray also for one couple who are ready to commit to the “next steps” in this process, but also pray for the Lord to raise up a harvester (church planter) “from the harvest field” (a refugee), and for two other missionary units to be raised up as team members.

Continued good, cooperative efforts among the Christian missionaries in Greece. We know that Kenn and Lisa Dirrim helped to create a positive and collaborative environment among believers and missionaries in Greece. Please pray for this spirit to continue, and for Greek national churches to see more and more ways to partner with what the Lord is doing near where they live. We believe that good relationships among all these missionaries and believers will provide a positive environment as we send our first missionaries there to be “partners in the gospel” (some of whom may be excellent initial mentors us).

For the Lord to build His Church in Greece among Refugees. This was part of our constant prayer. We know that God is reaching refugees. We see Him working through the stories and testimonies we heard. But there is a need for churches of all kinds to be started among them, both ones that stay in Greece and those that are started and then replanted in other countries or locations. Robert suggested that we may need to “redefine what ‘church’ looks like.” It “may not always look like a building or a traditional church,” he wrote, “but it will always bear His fruit because God germinates the growth.” Please join us in prayer that God will build His Church, and that we would be wise, timely, and relevant in the way that we join Him in what He is doing!

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 aquí or fill out this interest form!

We look forward to sharing more news as it becomes available about what we are finding and discerning in EFM’s Luke 10 Initiative.

The post A Report from the 10:2 Prayer Trip to Greece first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

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.

The next 10:2 Prayer Trip will take place in Greece from April 2 to 9. The team is comprised of five members from NWYM: Robert Garon, Josiah Muhr, Leisa Muhr, Jennifer Morin, and Jim Le Shana, and three members from FSW: Lisa Dirrim, Tyler Lemen, and Tracie Lemen-FSW.

The hope for this field is to plant churches among Islamic refugees who continue to flood into the country. In 2021, 9,000+ new refugees came into the country. Last year, in 2024, that number ballooned to over 62,000.

Team leader Jim Le Shana shared the following about the trip. The purpose of this prayer team is to serve as a kind of spiritual reconnaissance squad or an advance exploration group – to pray, listen, observe, and to pray some more. A couple of key phrases that we plan to pray about frequently are: 1) for workers for the harvest field, and 2) for the Lord to build his church. These come from key passages of scripture, which are: Luke 10:2 (and also Matt 9:35-38: “ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest field”) and Matthew 16:18 (“I will build My Church and the gates of Hades will not overcome it”). Thank you for your prayers for and with us!

The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to cast out more workers into his fields.

Matt Macy

Director of Mobilization

matt@friendsmission.com

To learn more about how you can join these trips or if you are interested in exploring missionary service, visit here.

The post Pray for the 10:2 Prayer Trip to Greece first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

We are now sending the second wave of exploration trips to potential new mission fields to discern where EFM and partner regions/yearly meetings will make decisions for launching new fields, based on EFM’s CAN GO Criteria. The next National EFM Luke 10 Think Tank convenes in November 2023 with plans to identify which fields EFM will make commitments towards launching. Ten teams have now explored ten different country/people group destinations on a first Luke 10 Exploration Trip. See more information aquí.

This next trip to Greece is leaving tomorrow and taking place between September 20-30! The team will include eight people: Kenn and Lisa Dirrim (FSW, resident missionaries in Athens), Stan Leach (EFM Executive Director), Josiah Muhr and his fiancé, Leisa Boles (NWYM), Thomas Moore (Former EFM Short-Term Missionary), and Jim and Jeanine Le Shana (NWYM).

Jim Le Shana provided these insights into this upcoming second trip to Greece.

The team will be based in Athens and from there have scheduled a variety of meetings with missionaries, refugees, and other leaders who have been working with refugees. They will be spending more time listening, with the purpose of discerning if the Lord is opening this door to start a church-planting mission field among Islamic refugees. The team plans to visit two refugee camps and anticipate other “unscheduled” interactions and times for sharing and praying and listening together. Some in this team are also in the process of discerning their own personal place/part if the Lord opens this door for EFM, too.

The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to cast out more workers into his fields.

To learn more about how you can join these trips or if you are interested in exploring missionary service, visit aquí.

The post Pray for the Second Luke 10 Exploration Trip to Greece! first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

Luke 10 Exploration Trip: A Report from Greece

The second of the ten Luke 10 Exploration Trips in 2022 went out last month (May 30-June 10) with a team of six to Greece! Thank you for praying for this team and EFM’s Luke 10 Initiative as Evangelical Friends discern where to launch new mission fields as part of EFM’s Five-Year Goal! See more information aquí.

The following is a report from the team, whom are all very grateful for your prayers and support.

The team was comprised of (from Left to Right in photo below):
• Jim LeShana – Newberg, OR, Superintendent NWYM
• Libby Penrose – Hutchinson Friends, Kansas, College student, Future Missionary,
• Jan Cammack – Newberg Friends, OR, Retired University Professor, Future Missionary
• Kenn Dirrim – Current missionary (for past 15 years) along with wife Lisa, working with refugees in Athens through the Greek charity, Helping Hands, From Rose Drive Friends, CA
• Ron Maestas –Friends Church Yorba Linda, CA, Accountant, EFM Board Member
• Josiah Muhr – Sherwood Friends, OR, Graduate of Barclay College, Future Missionary

We were tasked with exploring the potential for EFM to plant churches among refugees that have fled unstable situations in the Middle East. Greece is the first point of entry into Europe for those escaping countries such as Afghanistan, Iran, and Syria. Once in Turkey it is a short boat ride to reach the close Greek Islands and potential asylum in Europe. Although Germany, France, and the UK are the primary goal destinations, COVID-19 travel limitations and European political issues have contributed to many refugees finding themselves “stuck” in Greece.

We concentrated on two areas in Greece that have a high concentration of refugees. We spent the first week in Athens (Athina) and then traveled north to the Thessaloniki area where refugees are currently being relocated.

We met with a variety of people from various backgrounds and experiences. Many of our contacts are former Muslim refugees who are now Christ followers and active in evangelism. Discretion in names and photos is often required to protect their ministries and family members in their home countries.

• We met with “IL”. A former refugee now working with a Persian Christian Church, he gave both encouragement and cautionary advice for the challenges of working with those of Persian culture as well as within the national Greek religious environment.
• Our friend “SH” had an amazing testimony of escape from Iran and God’s working in her life. She heads a thriving refugee medical ministry and evangelistic group that is seeing many Muslims come to Christ. She also gave encouragement and planted ideas of how we might come alongside and partner with her.
• The men of our group were able to spend a day at a “men’s retreat” for refugee ministry leaders. They spoke with several who are active in evangelism and discipleship with refugees, including two refugee converts who have recently planted churches among refugees (one on Lesvos Island and one in north Athens). The leaders underscored the need and importance of new churches, as well as some of the challenges.
• We spent a couple days volunteering with “Helping Hands”; a Christian Greek charity working to feed, clothe, and share the gospel with refugees. We made good contacts with both Greek nationals and other expatriates (from Germany, Ireland, USA, etc.) who work there.
• Our Airbnb was providentially very close to a park where many refugee families gather and their children play in the cool of the evening. Language barriers stilted conversation but it was a great place to sit and experience that aspect of refugee life and to connect with people we’d met at Helping Hands.
• We attended a Greek evangelical church and had encouraging conversation with a Greek national experienced in refugee ministry.

Enough salad to feed a multitude at Helping Hands.

The synagogue in Berea where the word was received from Paul & Silas with great eagerness. Acts 17:10-11

• We met with a retired Greek evangelical pastor with many years of experience directing refugee aide ministry and working within the Greek Evangelical and Greek Orthodox culture.
• In the small town of Mylotopos, an hour northwest of Thessaloniki, we were served an Afghan dinner by a refugee family also with an amazing testimony of Christ’s work in their lives. With the help of a local Greek Evangelical church they are now ministering to and planting fellowships for immigrants living in multiple refugee camps in the surrounding area. A retired couple from Finland, who previously worked in Afghanistan, is also part of their ministry team. They would love for us to come and help them.

• There is much need and work to be done with refugees in Greece.
• Muslims, having left their oppressive home countries, have new freedom to question their faith and are coming to Christ.
• Everyone we met expressed a need for more discipleship and help in the training of new believers.
• Culture and language learning (Greek, Farsi, Dari, perhaps Arabic etc.) is essential and years of commitment is required. Planting churches in new cultures is a marathon not a sprint. People willing to commit for the long haul as well as people who already know the culture(s) and language(s) are needed.
• Many refugees leave Greece as soon as they can. Actual numbers and locations are always changing. Those who become Christ followers are starting fellowships in Germany, France, and other parts of Europe even as new believers with little training. In this way refugee work can resemble ministry to college students with whom our influence may be temporary as we disciple them and then send them out.
• Refugees stay and become established in Greece if they can 1) get sustainable employment and 2) belong to a Christian community (church) that can replace the biological family that they lose when they convert to Christ. There is great potential for D4D work (Discipling for Development; whole life discipleship) to establish jobs.

We look forward to sharing more news as it becomes available about what we are finding and discerning in EFM’s Luke 10 Initiative as we continue to explore where EFM may launch new mission fields.

Matt Macy
Director of Mobilization

The post Luke 10 Exploration Trip: A Report from Greece first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

The Luke 10 Exploration Trip to the Shuar People of Ecuador travels May 30-June 16. Team leader, Ken Comfort (NWYM), along with Jerry and Kerri Clarkson (NWYM), Maria and Edwin Giron (Maria is EFM’s Missions Mobilizer for Hispanic Friends), future missionary Rebecca Reimer (EFC-MAYM), future missionary Jael Ayala (EFC-Mexico), and Beatriz Apaza (Bolivia) make up this scouting team.

The Luke 10 Exploration Trip to Greece travels May 30-June 10. Team leader Jim LeShana (NWYM), Kenn Dirrim (missionary serving among refugees in Greece), Ron Maestas (FSW), Jan Cammack (NWYM), and future missionaries Josiah Muhr (NWYM) and Libby Penrose (EFC-MAYM) make up this exploration team.

How Can You Join?

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 aquí or fill out this interest form!

The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to cast out more workers into his fields.

Matt Macy
Director of Mobilization
matt@friendsmission.com

The post Luke 10 Exploration Trip to Ecuador and Greece- How You Can be Praying first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.