Almost a month ago, myself and two others were commissioned as the pastoral team at Church of the Nazarene: Greystones. We had been anticipating this moment for over two months since it was meant to occur in March but COVID-19 and other ailments got in the way. As much as I was looking forward to this moment, I knew there would be some sadness.

I knew that during the commissioning there would be a moment where our district superintendent, invited our families up to be prayed over alongside of us. My family is not here with me in Ireland as the others are. As you’ll see in the video attached to this update, I did not need to worry. My friend and teammate, Kathi Perry stood alongside me as my family while a friend, clutched my hand beside me. The love of the Holy Spirit through these women and my entire new church family at the Naz was evident that morning. After the service, another new dear friend, approached me and urgently told me that her family is my family. Her family has welcomed me in so well and I do feel a part of their family but the vocal acknowledgement of that was special to me that morning.

God did not create us to live alone, even though some of us do and some of us prefer it. God gave us the family of faith to walk alongside, to cry with, laugh with, eat with, and mourn with. I am beyond grateful for the family at the Naz that God has given me as well as the families I have in California at Glendora Friends, Gateway Friends, and Rose Drive Friends. Of course I am grateful for my own biological family too, who are coming to visit me on Saturday!!

Blessings,
Molly

I’m Watching…   

• New Derry Girls: If you aren’t watching Derry Girls and you grew up in the 80s or 90s, please stop reading this and go watch Derry Girls. The final season was hilarious, powerful and nostalgic.
• Gogglebox: Channel 4 in the UK produced this series of normal residents of the UK watching the week’s television. It reminds me of watching television and commentating with my little sister, Amy. The laughs are bountiful.

I’m Reading…

• Acts: LifeChange Series: My coach recommended this book to get me back into intentional Scripture reading and I have to say its working.

I’m Listening To:

• New Harry Styles: He gets better with each new album.
• New Brett Elderedge: The first single, Holy Water is beautiful.
• New Ed Sheeran: Long time fan of Ed, doesn’t disappoint.

Praises:

• A few days after my last update went out, I received my PPS number!
• Joining my friend Rachel’s ladies Bible study on a Thursday morning has been an absolute gift. I am so blessed by the women in this group and the teaching of my new friend, Rachel.
• My brother Mark and his family will arrive in Ireland on Saturday afternoon! We will be together for a week and I cannot contain my excitement.
• My church family here in Greystones has continued to be so welcoming and intentional with me.

Requests:

• Summer is a peculiar time for church ministry. Please pray for our summer Sunday school ministry which will be more casual and games oriented. Pray specifically that we have enough volunteers.
• Pray for travelling mercies for my family as they come to Ireland after two weeks in Italy with my sister-in-law, Nina’s family and as they go back to California next week. Pray for me as I watch them leave next week, I’m positive that homesickness will rear it’s ugly head after their departure.
• Continue praying for our pastoral team as we lead together. Pray for our communication with each other and with our congregation. Pray as we make changes while honoring what has come before us. Pray for our families as we lead oftentimes away from them. Pray for Luke as he goes back to the States next month to do some deputation. Pray for Tim as he travels for vacation with his whole family next week. Pray for me as managing personal friendships with congregants.

The post Molly Morton June Ministry Update first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

I wanted to write to you and let you know how things have been in Ireland! It is good to be back and home. Most COVID-19 restrictions have been discontinued which opened the way to re-start the Little Friends Mother and Baby group in April. The response has been fantastic and it is good to be meeting some new (and a few returning) mums.

You may remember that in 2019-2020 I was in the midst of a time of sabbatical when COVID-19 hit and everything came to stop. I have been encouraged to come up with a new plan and complete the sabbatical. So, at the end of April, I wrote a new plan – where I get to stay in Ireland and rest. It seemed easiest to do it now, before I begin more groups or endeavors in the community. I have continued with the baby group, but for the time being I have stepped away from other responsibilities for May and June. Next week I will be traveling by ferry to Wales and I will spend a week at a Jesuit monastery meeting with a spiritual director daily, but otherwise this will be a silent retreat!

Pray for me as I spend time thinking about what comes next in Ireland, and how to move forward in this changed “COVID-19” environment (I want to say “post” COVID-19, but we aren’t really there yet!). I think that many of the programs (and people that were participating before all of the upheaval of the last couple of years) probably will not continue – at least not in the same way. I want to take time and be thoughtful about this. I will be away from June 13-20. Please pray also for the travel. I am part of the minority of people who have not yet had COVID-19 and I would like to continue that streak! Cases are on the rise again in Ireland.

You may also remember that last fall I began taking courses at Barclay College in an effort to complete a degree that I began a long time ago! I will be working on the research portion of my Capstone Project over the summer. You can pray for me as I figure out online survey systems, data collection, and all that goes with that. I’m excited about it, and also recognize that I have a steep learning curve ahead of me! In the end (hopefully in December) I will have an M.A. in Practical Theology.

Thank you for your prayers and encouragement.

Kathi

The post Kathi Perry June Update first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

On May 23-26 of this year 17 Friends who are exploring a call to missionary service and 13 missionary mentors met up at Quaker Ridge Camp in Colorado for the second annual Future Missionary Retreat. The first retreat was held a year ago at the same location. Six of the potential missionaries and 11 of the missionary mentors who came to this year’s retreat were also at the first one.

What regions/yearly meetings did the potential missionaries come from?

• Seven came from Evangelical Friends Church-Eastern Region (EFC-ER)
• Seven came from Evangelical Friends Church-Mid America Yearly Meeting (EFC-MAYM)
• Two came from Friends Southwest (FSW)
• One came from Northwest Yearly Meeting (NWYM)

Most of these participants were young adults. A few of them are still in high school. It is so encouraging to see young people who are eager to serve the Lord and are seeking his direction for their lives!

Who were the missionary mentors?

• Ron and Carolyn Stansell who served in Bolivia under NWYM
• Dave and Cindy Aufrance who served in Hong Kong under OMS and with close ties to EFC-ER
• Gene and Myra Pickard who served in Guatemala under FSW
• Duane and Lois Davis who served in Honduras and El Salvador under FSW
• David Thomas who served in Rwanda under EFM and continues as EFM’s Whole-Life Discipleship Mentor
• Edwin and Maria Giron who served in Mexico under EFM (Maria continues as EFM’s Missions Mobilizer for Hispanic Friends)
• Dan Cammack who served in Peru under NWYM and is EFM’s Field Director
• Matt Macy who serves as EFM’s Director of Mobilization

All of the mentors spent time getting to know the potential missionaries and responding to their questions. Most of the mentors also gave workshops on topics like these:

• Discerning God’s Will (Davises)
• Key Missions Principles and Practices (Stansells)
• Preparing to Be a Missionary (Pickards)
• Ministering Cross-Culturally (Aufrances)

Brad Carpenter, who serves with his family as EFM missionaries in Rwanda, was able to do a session of the retreat via Zoom. He shared their journey with God towards missions and explained how to do a timeline of that kind of journey. Afterwards the potential missionaries prepared timelines of their own and shared them in small groups with their mentors. Another EFM missionary, B. A., who serves in Nepal with his wife, D., was at Quaker Ridge and gave a message entitled, “What God Has Taught me through the Years.” It ended with a powerful time of prayer for all the potential missionaries.

On the last day of the retreat all the potential missionaries and their mentors got to spend time with the EFM Board which was starting its first day of meetings. It was a great opportunity for board members to meet those who are seeking God’s direction for their lives, and for the latter to meet those who may have a role in sending them out as missionaries someday. There was a good time of prayer and fellowship.

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The post June 2022 Prayer Letter first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

This update includes several things:
1. An update about the Future Missionaries Retreat we had at the end of May.
2. News about a trip Brad is going on with EFM leaders and future missionaries.
3. Our plans to return to Rwanda at the end of July.
4. An update on our family.
5. Some specific things to pray about with us.

It was a special time with the Lord and some of his children from Evangelical Friends Churches all over the U.S. We had 15 people come who are sensing that God might be leading them towards becoming missionaries. We also had 18 former or current missionaries/mission leaders who came as mentors, to join the future missionaries in their journey of discernment. During the retreat we had times of:

• Worship through singing.
• Teaching and discussion about various topics related to missions.
• One-on-one times for future missionaries to meet with a mentor/mentor couple.
• Solitude for each one to sit and reflect with God about what he/she was learning.
• Small group discussions to share and encourage one another.
• Fellowship around wonderful meals together.
• Free time for informal conversations.

We do not know all that the Lord is doing or will do through that time of retreat together, but we expect him to continue the good work that he is doing in each one who was there. It was a joy to be able to be a part of that time in this next phase of God sending out missionaries from among the Evangelical Friends Churches of North America. And we pray that each one and many others will have eyes to see the Lord, ears to hear his call and hearts and bodies to respond in obedience to serve in missionaries.

From June 30th through July 13th, Brad will be a part of a trip to visit the Evangelical Friends in Aguascalientes, Mexico. He will be traveling with Matt Macy, Edwin & Maria Giron (former EFM missionaries to Aguascalientes), and seven individuals who are sensing that God might be calling them to join him as missionaries. This trip will include times of worshiping and encouraging the believers there, doing ministry with them, as well as a lot of time for learning and discussion as a team with Mexican Friends Church leaders. We are trusting that God will bless this trip, make the team a blessing and that he will also be speaking into each future missionary’s heart and mind, giving direction and affirming his plan for them.

When we came to the U.S. at the end of May 2020, we planned to be here for three months. For various reasons we have had to extend our time here five different times! COVID-19 certainly impacted our schedule in all of this! Also, Brad’s back and neck issues were a big issue, too. While he is not completely healed, he is much better. Thank you for praying with us about this! We were also exhausted and needed a break from culture and ministry so that the Lord could restore and renew us. He did that, too! He made us lie down on green pastures, led us beside still waters, and restored our souls (Psalm 23).

We now plan to return to Rwanda at the end of July. COVID-19 cases are increasing quite a lot right now in Rwanda. So, we are praying for the Lord to give relief and healing in Rwanda and worldwide. We are also praying that God would draw people to himself through these difficult times!

At the time of writing, several of us are dealing with sniffles and sore throats, but in general we have been doing well. We have been doing a lot of list-making, sorting, packing, shopping, visiting people, and running errands to prepare for our move back to Rwanda (the list feels overwhelmingly long!) We are going to miss our family and friends here so much, but we also are eager to be in our Rwandan home. The kids feel this way too, and we are trying to remind each other that it’s normal and right to feel several emotions at the same time, like grief and eagerness, stress and peace, fear and joy.

1. That God would protect and take care of us while we are away from each other during the Mexico trip.
2. That God would help us get everything done that needs to be done, and that we would trust him in the midst of the chaos.
3. That God would heal Rwandans of COVID-19 and that case numbers would go down quickly so that they and we can get back to normal. Also, He would take care of us even when things aren’t normal yet, and that we would still be obedient and trusting.

Thank you so much!

Love,

Brad & Chelsea

Sarai, Gideon, and Ian

The post June 2021 Carpenter Update first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

As you will see in their message below, Roy and Jinky are feeling led to retire from EFM at the end of this year. Lord willing, the Twaddells will travel from the Philippines to the U.S. around October of this year and spend time with those who have supported them along the way through prayer and finances. It will be a time to celebrate what the Lord has done! Then they will return to the Philippines where they plan to live and continue in ministry as the Lord opens doors for them to do so. Since the world we live in is still feeling the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, please pray that this visit to the U.S. will be possible.

On behalf of EFM I would like to express our appreciation to Roy and Jinky for their faithfulness in ministry and their passion to reach the lost for Christ. We are proud of you!

Dan Cammack

Executive Director

The post Twaddell Retirement Announcement first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

During the 1980s Ana, and then Voicu, came to the Lord through the ministry of Evangelical Friends in Alliance, Ohio. They were from Romania but living and working in the U.S. at the time. After they gave their lives to Christ they heard him calling them back to the country from which they came. Voicu and Ana, along with their two children, Christina and John, obeyed the Lord’s call and returned to Romania in the year 2000.  They settled in the region of Sibiu where the Lord has used them to touch the lives of many, many people over the last twenty plus years. They have sown a lot of Gospel seed and they rejoice every time they see signs that it is bearing fruit.

As you can see from their message below, Voicu and Ana are retiring from missionary service and plan to be in Ohio this summer. We are looking forward to celebrating with them what God has done in and through them. Please hold them in your prayers as they get ready to travel and as they go through this transition called “retirement.” It’s not an easy transition to make, but they are feeling that it is time to do it.

Voicu and Ana, on behalf of EFM I want to thank you for your obedience to the Lord and your faithfulness in the ministry he has given you. There is no doubt in my mind that you will continue to minister wherever you live. You can’t help it!  It’s so much a part of who you are. We look forward, along with you, to seeing how the seed you have sown and are sowing will continue to bear fruit.

Dan Cammack

Director Ejecutivo de EFM

The post Marian Retirement Announcement first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

The post June B. and D. A. Update first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

D. K. and Choity Sarkar | Serving in India

We are at war. The whole world is fighting against an unseen enemy. We do not know who will be affected and when they will be affected. Still, we are fighting. We do not have enough weapons to fight. Still, we are fighting. We are fighting because we do not want to die; we want to save our lives. We are using masks so that the virus cannot enter into our body, keeping distanced so that we should not come in touch with others. The enemy keeps us so busy that we cannot reach others. So, no preaching, no evangelism, no prayer meetings, no fellowship, and no outreach programs. The churches are shutdown; we are hiding ourselves.

Dear believers of Christ, in India, the second phase of the virus is so powerful that it is increasing every day. The death toll crossed 10,000 per day. There are no beds in the hospital, no medicine, no oxygen. People are dying without receiving any medical treatment. New channels are covering the procession of the dead. Everywhere there is lamentation, weeping, and great mourning.

Still, there is some good news at EFM Kolkata. We had to close our service for eight months. There was no house fellowship or staff meetings. Even we could not send the money to the tour staff in time. Still our staff worked hard to win souls. The church was closed but our staff visited house to house and preached the gospel in and around our homes. God is good. He saved us from all kinds of sickness, especially from COVID-19. He gave some reward; some fruits.

Here is brief description of our reward:

• Church and House Fellowships – By his grace, we started a church in another district named South Dinajpur. Also, we started a church in North 24 Parganas district. The name of the place is Ichhapur. Another new church was started in Nadelli, Nainital, Uttarakhand. We have established 60 new house churches in different districts in West Bengal and Uttarakhand. Praise the Lord. Thank you very much for your prayer.
• Holy Week Program – Last year in 2020, we could not have any holy week program due to lockdown. This year, by the grace of God, we had a very good holy week program. We distributed tracts and booklets, and organized programs in different churches.
• Baptisms – On 31^st March 2021, we had public testimonies of baptism. In Kolkata there were four, in Malda three, in Murshidabad one, in Gosaba one, in Shyanagar four, and in Nazatt six. This the reward from the Lord. Praise be to his name.
• Coaching Centers – Our five coaching centers are running well. These students are very poor. With the permission of Wabash Friends Church, we distributed relief among the parents of the coaching classes. The local people are very happy seeing our attitude to the poor. A total of 130 families received the ration from our church.
• Relief Distribution – With the help of EFM, we distributed relief among the poor people. We had two disasters: 1) Cyclone Amphan, and 2) COVID-19. Many people of the coastal area lost their houses due to the cyclone. Then, because of COVID-19, people lost their jobs, businessmen lost their businesses, and common people were in serious trouble. The hospitals were full – no beds, no medicine, no oxygen. In this situation, people were surviving. Many people died and many are still suffering. We distributed rice, dal, soyabean, and oil to 600 families around our churches. The name of the Lord and his churches are glorified. Praise the Lord.
• Administrative Work – We had only a one-time in person monthly staff meeting in the last few months. However, we were able to meet four times through Zoom. We shared the word of God, our prayer points, and we prayed together. We had a wonderful time with the Lord. Praise his name.

Please pray in spite of all the oppositions and obstruction, we can preach his salvation. We are called for that job. May God give us wisdom and strength.

The post June 2021 Prayer Letter first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

Evangelical Friends Mission Kolkata

January – March 2020

It is an opportunity for me to thank God for all his mercies and to you for your sincere prayers and support. Without your prayers and support, it would not be possible for us to continue the ministry here in West Bengal and Uttarakhand. By God’s grace our mission is moving towards her vision and Goal.

Celebration – December was a month of celebration for us. We gave some extra gifts to the EFM Staff. We celebrated with a Christmas gathering on 14 December. All the staff (and most of their families), board members, and senior church members attended the celebration program. It was a great joy for us. Besides that all the churches celebrated the Christmas in their respective churches. The purpose was to invite non-Christians in the program. It worked very well.

Tract Distribution – In this month we distributed 1,200 tracks and booklets in the local church area. We also distributed 600 New Testaments to our friends.

Open-Air Preaching – We had an opportunity last year on 27 December to hold an open-air meeting on the street. Around 600 people attended that celebration. We sang Christmas songs, shared testimonies, and shared the Good News to all people. Finally, we prayed for all the people.

Prison Ministry – On 23 December, we got an opportunity to celebrate the Christmas program at Dum Dum Central Jail. Six of us went there. One hundred and fifty prisoners and the staff of the prison attended the program. We sang the Christmas songs; one person shared his life changing testimony and then we preached the birth of our Savior. It was a very good program. They requested us to come again next year.

Evaluation – In the month of January we evaluated what we had done during Christmas and what the outcomes were. Malda churches, Murshidabad church, Hooghly church, Shyamnagar churches, and Gosaba churches have done the open-air meetings. Kolkata, Malda, Murshidabad, and Gosaba churches also distributed the blankets or warm clothes to the poor people of their locality.

Outcomes – Around 150 newcomers attended the churches in different districts during the Christmas programs. Praise the Lord. In Kolkata, fourteen adults were ready to take a public testimony of baptism and gave their life to Jesus. The date was fixed on 4 April 2020. Unfortunately, because of COVID-19, they could not take place. We are waiting prayerfully for the next date.

EFM India Conference – We had an EFM India Conference from 19-21 February 2020. The conference was excellent and EFM churches attended from eight states of India. From West Bengal, we had sixteen leaders. Our leaders are excited to meet so many EFM church members from eight states. After the conference, out staff went to Goa for sightseeing. Goa is on the sea shore. Our staff enjoyed the trip very much.

Visit Uttarakhand – After the India conference, Dan Cammack, Choity, and I went to visit Uttarakhand ministry. In Uttarakhand we have four EFM churches. Two are in Almora and two are in Pithoragarh. Brother Uday Singh and Brother Sushil Masih are working there as evangelists. We visited a new center named Jim Corbet Park. It is in Nainital district. We had a very good meeting and a church service there. The Sunday service was in a hired hall. We are happy to see the growth of the ministry in Uttakhand. Let God bless the ministry and the ministers there.

Staff Meeting – Then on 28 February, we had our monthly staff meeting. All the staff came and we had very good sharing. All the staff explaining how they enjoyed Goa trip. They are very happy. In the staff meeting we made plans for the next months.

COVID-19 – Suddenly, this pandemic storm came to the world and everything became a mess. Now we are under lock down, doing ministry prayer sharing, etc. over phone and Skype. During this time, our churches are distributing food to the poor people of their own locality. May God control everything and the people of the world would be saved by him.

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The post Sarkar | June 2020 Newsletter first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

Submitted by Brad and Chelsea Carpenter

Christine: My name is Akingeneye Christine, I am a believer and a member of the Rugarama Friends Church. I have a husband and two children. I was trained in the D for D seminars. In the seminars I learned many things that helped me to change many things in my life.

I want to share my testimony about the transformation in my family in relation to the “4 key relationships” before being trained and after being trained.

My relationship with God: Before whole-life discipleship seminars I believed that going to church services and being in the choir was enough in my life with God. But after the seminars I set a goal to read the Bible two times per week and my family takes time each week to praise God together. During the children’s school vacations, we each take turn teaching from the Bible. The purpose of this is to disciple our children to study the Bible.

My relationship with Creation (Stewardship): Before being discipled I planted crops in our fields however I felt like at the moment without a plan which meant that the crops did not grow well, and we have poor harvests. After the seminars things changed very much. I now use fertilizer and plant with modern methods which has increased our harvests greatly! Now the field that used to produce 2 tons of crops produced 4 tons. Things have changed a lot! I planted fruit trees: guavas, mango, lemon, and avocado trees. They are growing well, and we are starting to harvest guavas.

My relationship with others: I used to visit people every once in a while, but with no plan. But now I make plans for who I will visit and when and I put those visits into our family budget. During these days of Coronavirus and mostly being at home, I have visited seven families.

My relationship with myself: Before being discipled I thought that drinking water was worthless. I mainly drank tea, porridge, and juice. But that changed after the seminars. Now I drink 1 liter of water each day. I have also taught my family to only drink boiled water (rather than bad water). Each week I exercise once by running 4 kilometers. As a family, during vacations, we play games as a family like cards and igisoro (a Rwandan game similar to Mancala).

The D for D trainings were impactful in many ways. I now have a plan for working and I set end dates for each task. In the pursuit of increasing our family’s resources I started a business of buying wood and then selling it to schools in our area and this business is going really well. Also I now have a bank account for savings and that is helping me save for the future. And I am in a savings group that helps me save each week.

The D for D teachings had a part in everything I have mentioned. I praise God because he is always with me and I praise the people who had a part in preparing the D for D lessons. I desire to see these lessons reaching many more people because they are very important for our everyday lives. Thank you. May Jesus be with you always.

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The post June 2020 Prayer Letter first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.