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Beyond the Classroom: APU Students Experience Mission in Brazil

Written by danl on . Posted in Brazil.

CMF was founded by a group of college students with a passion to impact the world through creating dynamic Christ-centered communities. A heart for the next generation continues today as CMF remains committed to providing meaningful missions experiences through short-term trips, internships, and residency opportunities for young adults around the globe. One of the ways we pursue this mission is through strategic partnerships with universities that share a passion for equipping and sending students into impactful cross-cultural service.

Through a partnership with Azusa Pacific University (APU), 11 students and one staff member from APU’s Office of Service and Discipleship recently spent 10 days in May serving alongside CMF missionaries, Jordan and Jaime Shelton, in Piancó, Brazil. Throughout their time in Brazil, the APU team engaged in a variety of ministry opportunities centered on relationship-building and community engagement. Their primary areas of service included sports outreach, teaching English, serving in local schools, worship ministry, and community service projects. During sports outreach activities, the team used soccer and handball as tools for connecting with boys involved in CMF’s local soccer ministry. Through games, conversations, devotionals, and prayer, meaningful relationships were formed that extended beyond the field.

The team also participated in English-language outreach through ESL classes at Missão Ágape, a local community center serving children and teens ages 5–17, as well as through classes at SIBAPI, a local partner church serving adults ages 18 and older. APU students led interactive games in English, answered questions about language and culture, and shared about their personal lives and faith journeys. These moments created authentic connections and lasting memories with the communities they served.

In addition to outreach ministries, the team helped lead worship during a young adult gathering and a local church service. They also participated in a hands-on service project by painting the walls of the first floor of the SIBAPI gym, which is currently being developed into a Community Sports Center. This project helped move the facility one step closer to welcoming children from Missão Ágape into a safe and engaging environment for sports ministry and discipleship.

Partnerships like the one between CMF and APU reflect the shared desire to mobilize the next generation through transformative missional experiences. As students step into cross-cultural ministry opportunities, they not only serve communities around the world but also grow in their understanding of God’s global mission and their place within it.

CMF teams across the globe remain committed to facilitating impactful opportunities for universities, churches, and young adults who desire to learn, serve, and participate in God’s work among the nations. We are grateful for APU’s partnership and for the ways these students served faithfully in Brazil.

If you know if a college group or university who would be a great fit for serving on a CMF team, please contact Mobilization@cmfi.org for next steps.

What If Your Skills Are Exactly What’s Needed?

Written by danl on . Posted in Ministry Opportunity.

Around the world, God is at work—on university campuses, in clinics, in community centers, and in neighborhoods where hope is growing in visible and tangible ways. And in many of those places, there’s a common thread: a need for people willing to step in, serve faithfully, and use the gifts God has already given them.

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One Cake for Many: A Lesson in God’s Abundance

Written by danl on . Posted in Chile, Globalscope, Kenya, Missions of Hope.

Mary Stephens has spent several years serving with our Globalscope campus ministry in Viña del Mar, Chile, where she helped launch and build the El Oasis community. Shaped by her own cross-cultural experiences in Peru and Chile during college, Mary has developed a deep love for relational ministry and creating spaces of belonging.

While recently exploring other CMF ministries, Mary spent time with our partners Missions of Hope International in Kenya. In this reflection, she shares a simple yet profound moment that revealed God’s abundance in an unexpected way.

We arrived safely in Kenya and quickly stepped into life with Missions of Hope International, learning about their work among communities facing deep poverty. Over a couple of days, we visited schools, met staff, and spent time with students—receiving far more hospitality than I was prepared for.

One afternoon, a small group of us headed into a school auditorium. I wasn’t entirely sure what we were there for. Earlier that day, we had led an activity for about thirty 10th-grade students, many of whom came from difficult circumstances. So, as we walked in, I assumed we might be doing something similar again.

But this time felt different.

There were about 50 or 60 students seated in rows, some dressed in colorful, almost costume-like outfits. There was a quiet sense of anticipation in the room. As we were invited to move our chairs closer to the front, it started to feel like we were part of something special—maybe even a performance.

Then I noticed it: a white pastry box on a table, slightly too small for whatever was inside, with foil stretched over the opening. It looked like cake. But why was there a cake sitting in front of a room full of students?

A few minutes later, the principal stepped forward and welcomed us to a farewell ceremony.

The pieces began to fall into place.

Students performed dances for us. One student offered a speech and a blessing. Then more singing and dancing—and before we knew it, we had been pulled in to join them, laughing and moving together in the same joyful rhythm.

And then the cake.

The principal uncovered it—a beautifully decorated cake, the kind you might expect to serve 10 or 12 people. As soon as I saw it, my mind began to fill in the next part of the story. I imagined the teachers handing slices of cake to our group while the students—many of whom rely on school meals for daily nourishment—watched from their seats.

I think that thought came from everything I had been experiencing. For the past day and a half, I had walked through places marked by deep need. And yet, everywhere we went, we were met with generosity. People welcomed us into their homes. They prayed for us. They offered tea, food, songs, questions, and laughter.

Students who could easily say, “I have nothing,” kept offering what they did have—over and over again.

So, I expected the same pattern to continue: we would receive, and they would watch.

But that’s not what happened.

Instead, the cake was cut into small, bite-sized pieces. First, the teachers handed pieces to us. Some of us received them on forks, others in our hands, and we all laughed together in the process. Then, just as quickly, the plates were placed into our hands—and we were invited to serve the students.

Soon, everyone in the room was eating cake.

And when there was still more left, we carried it outside and shared it with others—teachers, staff, students, even security guards. Everyone received a piece.

One cake became enough for many.

It reminded me of Jesus—of how we remember Him in the breaking of bread, and of the story of the loaves and fish that fed thousands. What I witnessed that day felt like a glimpse of that same kind of abundance.

Not abundance born out of excess, but out of gratitude and generosity—multiplied by the Spirit.

It left me wondering: what am I holding onto out of fear that there won’t be enough? What has God placed in my hands that could be shared, trusted, and multiplied into something more?

Sometimes, it looks like cake.

Empowered by the Spirit at Hope Home

Written by danl on . Posted in Thailand.

Becca Schafer serves at Hope Home in Chiang Mai, Thailand, a foster home for children with disabilities where she provides daily care, advocates for families, and integrates spiritual formation into everyday life. In this reflection, Becca shares a testimony shaped by Acts 2 and the promise that God pours out His Spirit on all flesh. Through stories from Hope Home, she invites us to see the Spirit’s power, joy, and presence at work in lives the world too often overlooks.

Recently, I was asked to share a testimony from Hope Home at our church. As I prepared, I wasn’t sure what to share. Each week, people had been offering testimonies that highlighted clear successes—a growing business, healing from health challenges, ministry growth, or the baptism of a loved one after years of prayer. Beautiful stories. And honestly, I had no idea how to follow that.

It’s not that I don’t believe Hope Home is successful—I truly do. But I struggled to describe that success in a way others might easily understand. Adding to that, the Scripture passage I was assigned was Acts 2, the story of Pentecost and the coming of the Holy Spirit. I’ll admit, I felt more than a little overwhelmed by the weight of offering a testimony alongside such a powerful and well-known passage. What follows is an adapted written version of what I felt the Lord showed me as I prepared.

As I read Acts 2, verse 17 stood out to me—God’s promise to pour out His Spirit on all flesh. All flesh. Not just strong flesh, or wealthy flesh, or beautiful or intelligent flesh. All flesh. This verse has become a firm reminder that the Holy Spirit cannot be disabled. Being empowered by the Spirit is for all of us, regardless of our circumstances.

Our children and young adults at Hope Home show me this in ways I could never fully explain. They have taught me what it truly means to experience joy in suffering—not the teeth-clenched, “I know I should rejoice” kind of joy, but a deep, heart-rooted joy that seems to overflow naturally. I see it in laughter that breaks through the walls of the ICU. Even when every physical breath is a fight, she somehow breathes His joy with ease. She is empowered and sent by the Spirit to lean into His deep presence and love.

I see the power of the Spirit in a child who doctors once said would never walk and likely would never talk. Yet there he is—attempting to run across the playground while singing worship songs at the top of his lungs. Yes, we’ve done countless exercises and hours of therapy, but honestly, we don’t get to take the credit. No one can fully explain why he is able to do what he can. All we know is that he lives each day empowered and sent by the Spirit.

I see the work of the Spirit in forgiveness, too—in a child with an intellectual disability who forgives swiftly and sincerely. Though he feels offenses deeply, it often takes only seconds for him to forgive. Even more humbling, he is quick to acknowledge his own mistakes. The Spirit empowers him to confess and forgive with an ease I deeply admire.

I see the true meaning of thanksgiving in a young adult who spends his prayer time thanking God for everything—from food and clothing, to people, to the grass beneath his feet. (This is intentionally a run-on sentence; he truly thanks God for everything.) While the world may look at him and assume he has much to ask of God, he instead gives thanks for all God has already provided. This kind of gratitude can only be the work of the Spirit.

Each morning, we pray together. While we often help find ways to communicate prayer requests, the prayers themselves are expressed in each person’s own language—sometimes spoken, sometimes silent, sometimes carried only through stillness. In those moments, it becomes clear that what we are witnessing is not simply strong character traits, but the active and faithful work of the Spirit. I’ve become increasingly convinced of the truth found in 1 Corinthians—that every part of the body is necessary, and that those parts that seem weaker are, in fact, indispensable.

I could share countless more stories. Tomorrow, next week, and next month, I know I will continue learning as I discover more of the Spirit at work in those around me. Ministry here is not always easy or tidy. We experience miracles and heartbreak in equal measure. Yet the presence of the Spirit has never faltered—for them or for me. He is present both in moments of celebration and in the long, dark nights when prayers remain unanswered.

The children and adults at Hope Home remind me daily that each day is an opportunity to listen more closely, look more carefully, and see more clearly the Spirit at work. I am deeply thankful for that gift—and for each of you who support us and join us in this shared journey of learning, growing, and discovering together.

Creating Space for Faith Through Creation Care

Written by danl on . Posted in Globalscope, Netherlands.

Tori Anderson serves with Thuis, a campus ministry in Maastricht, Netherlands, where students from more than 100 nationalities come together at one of Europe’s most international universities. Having been deeply shaped by university ministry herself, Tori now helps cultivate a Christ-centered, hospitable community where students can find belonging, ask honest questions about faith, and grow as leaders.

Originally from Boulder, Colorado, Tori holds degrees in General Dietetics and Biblical and Theological Studies and brings a holistic lens to both faith and everyday life. In this reflection, she shares how creation care, hospitality, and partnership have become meaningful bridges for faith conversations—inviting students to explore God’s love for the world and their neighbors in practical, embodied ways.

Many of our students at Thuis are deeply passionate about sustainability and caring for the planet. That passion is part of what led me to start a creation care small group. Caring for the earth is important to me personally, and I see it as a meaningful opportunity to explore what God says about creation, our role in stewarding it, and how caring for the world around us is one way we love our neighbors. It’s also a way to talk about God’s redemptive plan through Jesus and His great love for both the world and the people in it. I see creation care as another bridge into faith conversations.

To wrap up the group, we hosted an event in collaboration with Shelter City, a global movement of cities, organizations, and individuals who stand alongside human rights defenders facing persecution. During the event, a woman shared her story of advocating for indigenous land rights in Sumatra. Her story was vulnerable and heartbreaking, and I was grateful for the opportunity to meet her and hear about the important work she is doing.

Several new students joined us that evening and became connected to Thuis, which was one of my hopes in collaborating with Shelter City. We often see ourselves as bridge builders—creating space for meaningful connection by partnering with other organizations, sharing hospitality, and inviting students into deeper conversations.

The following morning, I went out with a few students and my friend Kim, who was visiting, to help clean up trash around the city. We hope to make this a regular activity with students as a practical way to show care and love for Maastricht.

From River of Sickness to Stream of Life

Written by danl on . Posted in Kenya.

Born around 2000 in the desert of Turkana, Kenya, Dennis grew up facing the challenges common in his community—scarce food, long days on bare feet, and limited opportunities. He was among the first students at the Nakor primary school supported by CMF missionaries Gene and Melba Morden, and they watched him grow into a determined young man who excelled in school and eventually launched a thriving small business. With firsthand insight into the past and present of his region, Dennis shares what the arrival of wells and clean water has meant for his people. His story is a powerful reflection of both personal perseverance and the long-term impact of the Morden and CMF partnership in Turkana.

For many years, the people of Ngataparin lived with quiet suffering.

Their only source of water was the distant and muddy River Kerio, a river that gave life but also carried invisible enemies of life. Women and children walked long, exhausting distances under the burning sun, carrying yellow jerrycans that felt heavier with every step.

At the riverbank, thirst sometimes defeated dignity. Children bent down and drank directly from the murky water because hunger for water does not wait. The water was brown, unsafe, and silently dangerous.

Soon, sickness became a painful visitor in many homes.

Children suffered from stomach pains that made them cry through the night. Diarrhea weakened little bodies that were supposed to be playing and learning. Mothers watched helplessly as fevers burned in their children while the only available water was the same water that was making them sick. Families spent their little money treating diseases that could have been prevented.

Hope felt distant.

Then compassion spoke through action.

The community received a life-changing gift when CMF - Christian Missionary Fellowship drilled and installed a hand pump in Ngataparin. What stands today is not just a water point — it is a symbol of mercy, resilience, and restored humanity.

The first time clean water flowed from the pump, people gathered silently. Some cried. Some touched the water as if afraid it might disappear. Children smiled in confusion, not yet believing that water could be clear, safe, and free from the sickness that had haunted their homes.

Today, the story is changing.

Mothers no longer fear giving water to their children. Children are returning to school with stronger bodies. Night fevers are becoming memories. The heavy burden of disease is slowly lifting from the village.

The hand pump has brought more than water — it has brought healing, dignity, and the quiet joy of a community that can now drink without fear.

Yet behind every drop of clean water is the heart of a donor who chose compassion over comfort.

Ngataparin will never forget this kindness.

Because of you, children sleep a little safer. Mothers worry a little less. And hope lives again in the desert wind that moves across the village.

Thank you for turning tears into life and sickness into hope.

Earth Day, New Creation, and Our Calling

Written by danl on . Posted in Uncategorized.

Brian is a long-time CMF missionary serving in West Africa, and he also leads our Creation Care Cohort, where we celebrate and inspire creation care across CMF ministries. Brian and his team integrate agricultural development, beekeeping, tree planting, urban gardening, nutrition, and Creation Care education into their evangelistic efforts through Chronological Bible Storying. Here, Brian shares reflections on Earth Day and our calling as Christians to participate in the reconciliation and restoration of God’s creation.

Friends,

With all that’s happening in the world, you may have forgotten that Earth Day is today—or you may be wondering what the point is of a relatively small act in the midst of the large-scale chaos and suffering we are experiencing. Honestly, I find myself more than a little overwhelmed by the brokenness of the world right now.

Yet, even in the midst of the chaos, each act of faithfulness matters. Every time we follow the commands to love the Creator with our whole hearts and to love our neighbors as ourselves, we take part in something beautiful. These acts may seem small, but their ripple effects can reach far beyond what we imagine. Earth Day is one such opportunity—an invitation to love Creator and neighbor in tangible ways that draw people closer to God and to one another.

Whether on April 22 or any other day, I hope you’ll find meaningful, concrete ways—however small—to push back against the madness with beauty and kindness. I promise, it will do your heart good too.

This calling reminds me of Genesis 1, where God’s Spirit hovers over the darkness and the deep abyss—powerful symbols of chaos in the Hebrew imagination. We often think of this moment as emptiness, but Scripture portrays something more unsettling: deep, dark waters of chaos. It is over this chaos that God speaks life into being—calling forth beauty, goodness, and order. A crescendo of seven declarations of “good” sings the truth of God’s love for creation.

Celebrating the tomato harvest in Turkana, Kenya, a desert region that relies on solar-powered irrigated farms made possible through CMF ministries.

When God surveys all that He has made, with humans authorized as His image bearers to cultivate, bless, and protect this abundant, interconnected community of creation, He declares it all very good.

We know all too well what follows. The biblical story quickly turns to brokenness, suffering, and death as Adam, Eve, and their descendants choose self-will and profit over the life-giving limits God put in place. Much of the rest of Scripture tells the story of God’s tireless work to reconcile His people to Himself and to restore them to their calling—mediating peace and blessing to the world on His behalf.

All of the covenants and promises that once seemed impossible to fulfill come to fruition in Jesus.

In John 1, we’re told that the Word who spoke the world into being became flesh and dwelt among us. Through His life, death, and resurrection, Jesus inaugurates His kingdom, reconciling us to God and ushering in a new creation.

“For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” (Colossians 1:13–14)

“For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross.” (Colossians 1:19–20)

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.” (2 Corinthians 5:17–19)

Through Christ, we have become not only God’s children, but co-heirs with Christ in this new creation. Creation itself is groaning as it waits for us to step fully into our identity, authority, and responsibility as God’s heirs (Romans 8:17–21).

What a profound privilege—to partner with God through Christ in His beautiful work of reconciliation and restoration.

In this Easter season, may we practice resurrection.

Signs of Hope: What’s Happening with Christianity in England

Written by danl on . Posted in England.

For more than 30 years, CMF missionaries Aaron and Diane Lincoln have invested their lives in ministry in England. Since moving there in 1993, they have been deeply involved in church planting, discipleship, community engagement, and leadership development across multiple contexts. Today, they live in Gloucester, where they serve with a young church plant while also helping train and support emerging church leaders.

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