In recent years, and due to regional hostilities, the number of refugees living in Egypt has dramatically increased. Countless Palestinians have arrived through the Rafah border crossing, coming with nothing but the clothes on their backs, fleeing the violence and uncertainty back home.

Taking Jesus’ words seriously in the Gospel of Matthew, the Pastoral, Outreach, and Mission Council (POMC) of the Synod of the Nile has risen to the occasion and responded quickly to the growing crisis. Our partner is doing so much more than developing new churches.

In the remote, rural village of Nsembedzi in Tete Province, Mozambique, an incredible project is underway. Against all sorts of odds, brick by brick, a school is under construction.

This project presented many challenges for our friends at Holistic Evangelism. It is quite a distance from our partner’s Leadership Training Center, which serves as the base of operations. Because of the isolated location, Project Director Sebber Banda and Assistant Director Rev. Carlos Faquoine struggled to ensure all the building materials could be delivered to the building site. Concrete for the floors and metal roofing sheets presented the largest challenges.

However, by the grace of God, progress is being made!

Under the shade of a beautiful spreading tree in Gambella, Ethiopia, Mrs. Areit Philip gathered a group of Anywaa women from the presbyteries that make up the East Gambella Bethel Synod of the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane (meh-kah-nee) Yesus (EECMY). She led the women through exercises and conversations that led to identifying many of the strengths they found in the community as well as many of the challenges and needs. That was day one of the workshop. By the end of the week, they would begin to build a plan to use their strengths to work towards managing their challenges.

As the war in Ukraine lingers, many of our donors have asked a very good question. What is motivating the Ukrainians’ endurance for so long? The answer has many facets, but one measure of their resolve is captured in a story of a typical believing family under Russian occupation. We are grateful to Ukrainian Evangelical Theological Seminary for this compelling story!

Walls divide, but bridges connect; and sometimes the people who are building those bridges might surprise you.

 In Israel, where walls divide the land, it’s the young people who are choosing to build bridges. In early July, the Evangelical Lutheran School in Beit Sahour, just outside of Bethlehem, opened its doors once again to host Musalaha's Summer Camp, with 110 children, ages 6 to 12, Muslim and Christian alike, gathered under the theme "We Are Building the Future."

Life in Cuba has become increasingly difficult since the January change in fuel sanctions by the U.S. Power outages in Havana last anywhere from four to ten hours per day –nationwide, that number is much higher – averaging 18 hours per day. The effects on the population have been devastating, including food scarcity, hospitals in crisis, and transportation gridlock.

Our partners in Cuba have risen to the challenge and found creative ways to continue their ministries during this economic crisis. Matanzas Evangelical Theological Seminary – the oldest Protestant seminary in Cuba – was forced to move all classes online (via WhatsApp) since fuel shortages meant they could no longer provide transportation for students and professors to and from campus. 

The video is just black, but a joyful voice says, “Can you hear me?”

It’s Samer Karam, the pastor at the Erbil Church in Iraq. Due to the regional hostilities, there is only enough gas to have electricity for around 10 hours each day. At 9 p.m. in Iraq, daylight doesn’t help, so for now just talking will have to do.

The 2025–2026 academic year at San Pablo Presbyterian Theological Seminary was marked by change, enhanced global partnerships, and sending more servants into the field. The seminary, based in Mérida, Yucatán, continues to train theology students from 20 Mexican states, as well as Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, Chile, and Colombia. Many students are fluent in Mayan, reflecting the seminary’s deep connection to indigenous communities in southern México and Central America.

Some of the most meaningful conversations begin with an honest question.

That was true this summer when Near East School of Theology (NEST) welcomed AfterDark, the college and young adult ministry of nearby Resurrection Church, to its campus for an “Ask a PhD Anything” event.

The program brought dozens of young people between the ages of 18 and 22, ranging from “seekers” and young believers to more mature Christian youths of the church, to the NEST campus in the heart of Beirut, Lebanon.

The invitation was simple: ask any question. Nothing was off limits.

It’s already been a busy summer for the National Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon (NESSL).

In addition to the ongoing support for its 40 congregations, NESSL, alongside the Committee on Religious and Spiritual Affairs, hosted two camps for youth and children, with several more to come this summer.

Each camp brings together young people from across the Synod, Syrian and Lebanese alike. Located in the mountains at the Synod’s historical retreat center in Dhour Shweir, Lebanon (about 25 minutes from the Synod’s offices in Beirut), the camp offers a chance to get away from the realities of daily life.

First founded for the purpose of providing programs for Syrian refugee children, the Compassion Community Centers continue to provide a safe place for children to learn and to grow.

Operated by Compassion Protestant Society (CPS), the diaconal arm of the National Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon (NESSL), the Compassion Community Centers have long been providing programs each morning for Syrian refugee children. In the last year, in response to the rising need during the current regional crisis, the centers expanded their impact by launching a new afternoon program for Lebanese public-school students affected by conflict and educational disruption.

Radmard, which means “man of purity,” is a one-of-a-kind ministry that focuses on healing Muslim background believing men of their addictions and showing them how to replicate this healing among family and friends. Reza, the ministry’s leader, and his team do all this in the name of Jesus Christ, spreading Christ’s light in one of the darkest spaces in the world as one of our Persian Diaspora partners. Radmard cultivates safe spaces for men, empowering them to confront their histories of rejection, abuse, and addiction.

In June, the Evangelical Theological Seminary of Cairo, Egypt (ETSC) honored 86 graduates during its annual commencement ceremony. Graduates completed degrees across seven unique programs. While the classes and components of each program are unique, their purpose is the same: prepare pastors and leaders to serve the church in Egypt and Christian communities in the Arab world and beyond.

The variety isn’t just about the degrees. As ETSC continues to stretch its impact and reach, these graduates came from all over the world. In this graduating class, in addition to Egypt, graduates represented eight countries including Canada, Lebanon, Kuwait, Sudan, Italy, the Netherlands, Oman, and Syria.

Across the Arabian Gulf region, uncertainty and rapid change have touched every generation.

For the youth in the Gulf, life had generally been predictable. Weekdays were busy with studies and scrolling through social media. Weekends offered time to hang out with friends.

While they could read news updates about war and political fractures, it felt like distant, low-definition background noise – tragedies happening to other people. It was all safely contained behind a screen.

Until the night the sky changed.

The mission of The Protestant Institute of Arts and Social Sciences (PIASS) in Rwanda is to provide well-trained graduates who are committed and equipped to serve the Lord and share His Good News with others. Essentially, the students are answering the call to action found in Romans 10:14:

14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?

Students in the Bachelor of Theology and Religious Studies program are thoroughly trained from a theological view and become skilled in the practical application of biblical lessons in their unique context. Scholarships provided by The Outreach Foundation have helped students answer their call.

The Rwanda Governance Board was clear last year: houses of worship that didn’t meet its new standards would be forced to close. The standards include changes like adding freshwater tanks, adequate safe parking, handwashing stations, toilets for men and women and pastors with theological degrees.

The Presbyterian Church in Rwanda (EPR) faced a great challenge following these new government mandates. Ninety-nine parish temples were closed.

The experience of Jesus and the apostles at this point in His ministry closely resembles the daily lives of many pastors today. They simply longed for time alone, a pause from ministry responsibilities, and an opportunity to rest.

With this in mind, the SARA (Serving as Support, Refreshment and Friendship) Institute has been fulfilling its mission of providing a place of care, encouragement, and spiritual formation for hundreds of pastors throughout Brazil. Over the years, countless pastors have found renewed strength, refreshment, and a healthier rhythm for ministry after participating in a retreat.

From the bustling neighborhoods of world-famous Rio de Janeiro to beach communities on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean and villages in the remote Amazonian rainforest, the Independent Presbyterian Church of Brazil (IPIB) is faithfully expanding the kingdom of God - one church plant at a time. Under the capable leadership of Rev. Caio Baptista, Secretary of Evangelism, the IPIB is actively managing 29 church plants in Brazil; along with emerging works in Portugal, England, and the U.S. Below is a brief snapshot of just a few of these remarkable ministries.