People encounter God through love
"When we strive to embody Jesus, people encounter God in the purest form, love." — Alisha and Josh Garber, mission workers in Barcelona Photo by Josh Garber. Graphic design by Cynthia Friesen Coyle.
Love
"Love like Jesus." — Reuben Mgodeli Coordinator of Mennonite Bible School in South Africa Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash. Graphic design by Cynthia Friesen Coyle.
Life’s purpose
"The whole purpose of my life is to love people into God’s kingdom." — Irene Weaver, mission worker in India and Africa from 1935-1978 Photo by Angela Rempel. Graphic design by Cynthia Friesen Coyle.
Finding God
“When I open myself up to see the face of Jesus in ‘the other,’ God is found in ‘unlikely places,’ transforming my heart and life.” — Bekah York, mission worker in Bogotá, Colombia. Photo provided by Rebekah York. Graphic design by Cynthia Friesen Coyle.
A Christmas message: The Spirit of the Lord is on me
Luke 4:18 "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind,to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor."
Family to help sustain home for people living in exile
When Joseph and Rachel Givens contacted Mennonite Mission Network about the possibility of becoming mission workers, they came with a keen understanding of what they were not. They were not church planters. They were not pastors. They both knew, however, that they shared a strong calling to reach out to and walk alongside people living […]
Transforming into vulnerability
In Luke 10, Jesus commissions 70 new missionary disciples and sends them out ahead of him into the towns and settlements he will pass through on his way to Jerusalem. He instructs them to travel light, so that they will have to depend on whatever hospitality might be offered to them along the way. He […]
Looking up, looking around, looking forward
The reflections in this annual report sparked a memory about how transformation occurred in my life about 15 years ago. I had been traveling to Costa Rica with ministry groups, as well as on my own, for about 5 ½ years. I straddled these visits with a settled life in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. One day, near […]
Story 1: Broadening horizons at 71
Mission work in a post-modern, post-Christendom setting like Barcelona takes on many forms. Several hours each week I find myself across a table from a local person or neighbor desiring to learn English. As I’m not a formal teacher, we focus on "street English," incorporating idioms, slang, phrasal verbs and conversation practice. One of my […]
Story 2: Building trust in shaky times
People thrive and grow in trusted and mutual relationships, which are essential during these difficult times. An example of these solid relationships involved my fellowship with Oxford Circle Mennonite Church (OCMC) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on the first Sunday of August — their first Sunday back in person after pandemic protocols loosened. OCMC is a diverse […]