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Last month, we had the incredible opportunity to visit our partners at the Zentralafrika Mission in Morsbach, Germany. ZAM is the biggest distributor of Emmaus courses worldwide, reaching deep into Francophone Africa with Bible teaching and resources. Each year they distribute over 1 million Bible-teaching resources (Emmaus Worldwide and others). They are also the team that has been developing the Emmaus Bible Courses app which provides access to the Bible and Emmaus courses in 31 languages. The app has been opened in all but seven countries of the world. Our primary goal for this visit was to share our deep appreciation and continued support for their amazing work, and to plan the future of the app together. The fellowship we shared was an incredible gift from the Lord. We had just a small taste of the sweetness we will experience as we worship with brothers and sisters from every nation, kindred, tribe and tongue. For more information about ZAM and their impact for the Lord, visit Zamonline.de.
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From left to right: Silas Clough, Patrick Clough, Judy Govender, Marlon Govender, Jesse McDowell, Sven Becker, Hartmut Schulte, Mark Schibli, and Chris Metz |
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We united around the idea that we don’t simply want to come up with great ideas and ask the Lord to bless them. Our desire is to see where He is working, and join Him in the work there. |
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The App |
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The app discussions really drew our focus to the two characteristics we want to always be true of our mission. The first is to point people to the Bible. The second is to connect people with mentors who can respond to the questions, comments, and prayer requests of those who engage with us every day. The Emmaus Bible Courses app (Emmaus-app.com) is a way that a single link or QR code can give a person access to a Bible in any of 31 languages, free Bible courses in those languages, and a mentor to follow up with their questions and needs. We continue to pray that the Lord would open more doors as the next version of the app is developed. We are also asking the Lord to raise up translators so that more people can access the Bible and Emmaus courses. |
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We are so thankful for the work God is doing around the world through ZAM, and we’re excited to see how the Lord continues to use them in the future. To quote our executive director, “The trip was a success, not because of our strategic abilities, but because the Lord, in His wisdom, joined together the vision and hearts of a group of servants at Emmaus Worldwide and ZAM who all want the same thing - to see ‘all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.’ (1 Timothy 2:4) A most excellent trip thanks to a most excellent Lord!” Please join us in praying for and supporting this important ministry.
Please take a moment to watch this video of our team's recent visit to ZAM.
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Emmaus Worldwide Staff Retreat |
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We were blessed this month to come together for a staff retreat, and take a few days together as a team for fun, fellowship, and vision planning for the future of the ministry. As several Emmaus Worldwide staff are new this year and a third of the team works remotely, it was a wonderful opportunity for the entire team to spend time together in person. Our time together included sharing testimonies and worshiping the Lord around a bonfire. A few of our remote staff members said this about the experience: |
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Gen Kolbasa and Dan Smith |
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Darlene Fizer and Lauren Wade taking a selfie by the original filing cabinets used to store participant's records. |
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Lauren- Communications Assistant
Hello! I’m Lauren Wade, and as a remote employee, I usually interact with my coworkers through a computer screen. However, my recent trip to Dubuque, IA, gave me the wonderful opportunity to meet them in person. It felt like reuniting with family! We had a blast playing a group mystery game where we each took on different characters, and it was so much fun to see everyone laughing and relaxing together. I truly appreciate being part of a team that prays for one another and keeps God at the center of our lives. |
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Tim- National Prison Coordinator
As was the case last year, it was great to come to Dubuque to meet with both the local staff and the remote staff face to face. I had yet to meet Marlon, Lauren, and Silas, and those introductions were quite nice after seeing them for so many months on screen. Having everyone there was good for collaboration, and I feel like we were able to brainstorm more in that couple of days than perhaps we ever have.
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Tim Priano - dressed in character for our mystery game. |
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From left to right, back row: Elena Kerns, Patrick Clough, Marlon Govender, Jesse McDowell, Ann Alvarenga, Dan Smith, and Darlene Fizer. Front row: Gen Kolbasa, Silas Clough, Tim Priano, Kate Smith, Karlyn Meng, and Lauren Wade.
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Sincerely, |
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The Emmaus Worldwide Team |
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