Burundi

We Give Praise For:

• Protecting the staff, their family members, and the entire global partnership throughout the month of September 2026.
• Launching the program’s activities in a new watershed. We thank the Lord for good collaboration with local leaders and officials that we have already observed.
• The interfaith conference sessions held for young people during their summer holidays. They were met with great satisfaction by the young people, church leaders, and local government.
• Tree nurseries, which are becoming increasingly established in all 12 watersheds. The nurseries are regularly maintained by communities that are gaining experience setting up nurseries at every stage.

We Pray For:

• Greater protection this October 2026 for all our staff, their family members, and the entire Plant With Purpose Global Partnership.
• The program’s impact evaluation in certain watersheds, with a large workforce, beginning at the end of October. Let us pray for the smooth progress of this work, as well as for the large team that will be deployed and mobilized for several days.
• The return of the rains so eagerly awaited by farmers, which we used to see in September.
• The child of one of our staff members who was in a car accident and is currently hospitalized. Let us pray for his healing and recovery. 

Democratic Republic of the Congo

We Give Praise For:

• Protecting the staff and our participants during this period of the Ebola crisis and keeping all staff safe from the Ebola outbreak.
• The improved security situation in our region, especially in the watersheds where our program activities are implemented.
• Successful contacts and the start of relationships with local leaders in the new watersheds. We thank God that communities were happy to welcome us into partnership to carry out the program together in their watersheds.
• Our team's efforts across all watersheds this month to mobilize the community for peacebuilding and reconciliation. Local leaders supported these important initiatives.
• The health of our finance director, who was sick but is improving and has resumed work.

We Pray For:

• The official launch of our program in new watersheds. We pray that all planned activities are achieved successfully.
• The graduation ceremony, which will take place in the Kiliba and Luberizi watersheds. We pray that all planned activities are achieved and that it is a celebratory time for all stakeholders.
• Staff who are collecting quarter one data. We pray for their safety during field visits and all movement in and out of the watersheds.
• The continuation of security improvements in the region and especially for the ongoing dialogue between the two parties for a ceasefire. 
• The tree nurseries established in all watersheds. We pray for the health and growth of seedlings.

Dominican Republic

We Give Praise For:

• The rains that fell during the past month in some of the areas where we work. We are grateful to the Lord because they were a blessing to the crops and brought relief to the farmers.
• The safe travels of our Interim Executive Director to Thailand. We give praise for God’s care and protection throughout the journey.

We Pray For:

• The farmers in the different areas where we work, that God would continue working in their farms, blessing their crops and allowing their quality of life to improve each day.
• A successful end to the July - September quarter. We pray that God will help us accomplish all the goals we have established and guide us in every step we take.
• The care, health, and protection of all staff. May God continue to protect and strengthen the entire team as they carry out their daily work, especially in areas where there are safety risks.
• Rain in the areas that have not yet received enough water and where drought continues to affect agriculture. We ask God to send the needed rains and allow farmers to continue moving forward with their crops.

Ethiopia

We Give Praise For:

• God’s continuous grace, mercy, and protection over all the staff members and their families.
• The global partnership and their continued support.
• The successful Growing Beyond Harvest and safeguarding training and God’s protection over the training facilitator and the staff during their travels to attend the training in Bahir Dar.
• The successful Strategic Planning Workshop in Thailand and the safe travel of every participant to be part of this important time together.

We Pray For:

• God's clear direction, smooth execution, and resource provision for the Program Year 2027 plan.
• God's divine peace to Ethiopia. We ask for stability, wisdom for leaders, and improved security for the communities impacted by years of conflict in the Amhara region.
• God's help, wisdom, and grace as we navigate our final year of program implementation in the Gota and Mokie watersheds, ensuring a meaningful and smooth year that will conclude with graduation.
• God’s favor and provision through successful fundraising efforts to support our work as we expand into new watersheds this year. 

Haiti

We Give Praise For:

• The health, security, and safety of our staff, participants, and their families.
• Significant rainfall, although later than expected, across all regions where farmers are planting trees and crops.
• A smooth recruitment process, with new staff successfully hired for an existing watershed and a new region and watershed where we will begin working in Quarter 2.
• The successful launch of the impact evaluation (IE) and difference-in-differences (DID) studies across three regions, with no major challenges to date.
• The success of students participating in school partnerships, who successfully completed their official midterm examinations.
• The recovery of our regional coordinator following a serious motorcycle accident.

We Pray For:

• The safety, security, and health of staff members involved in the DID and IE surveys, which have been a significant undertaking.
• The smooth integration and training of new staff members, helping them clearly understand and embrace our organizational values.
• Our participants who experienced the loss of family members during the month of October.
• A genuine consensus among political leaders toward a peaceful election process and the restoration of our nation.

Malawi

We Give Praise For:

• Malawi’s Program Director, who travelled to Thailand for the strategic meeting with all global partner directors and the Plant With Purpose U.S. team. We thank God for the traveling mercies, safety, and the fruitful meetings.
• The successful completion of the fiscal year 2027 planning process and for the alignment that will guide our work in the coming program year.

We Pray For:

• A successful review meeting in the coming weeks. May this time with Plant With Purpose, local board members, and the entire staff be productive and encouraging.
• The successful preparations for the impact evaluation and baseline surveys which will be conducted in November.

Mexico

We Give Praise For:

• The return of our administrator to work last August following several months of treatment. God has shown grace and mercy by strengthening her health and providing for her treatment needs, and God has blessed us with the joy of having her back.
• The new groups formed this quarter. Each group represents a fresh opportunity to restore relationships within the watersheds where we work.
• The continued output of the nurseries in each subwatershed and the participants' ongoing motivation, despite seasonal water shortages.
• God’s faithful love that sustains and protects us every day.

We Pray For:

• The 11 participants of this October’s Vision Trip to the Puebla program. We pray they may have safe travels and a rewarding experience, both for the communities and the visitors.
• The safety of the team as they travel to the communities along winding roads—often facing rain, wind, and cold—and for their continued health.
• God’s guidance, direction, and provision for the work as we pursue the vision of transformative development for the communities and for all of us involved in this process.

Tanzania

We Give Praise For:

• God’s faithfulness, protection, provision, and guidance throughout September, sustaining our staff, partners, communities, and their families and enabling us to continue the work with strength and commitment.
• The successful completion of the first quarter of fiscal year 2027, and for the wisdom, strength, good health, and provision that enabled our teams to implement planned activities and make progress toward our targets.
• The progress made through the M&E exercise and Impact Evaluation preparations, and for the cooperation of staff, communities, and other stakeholders throughout the process.
• The progress made in preparing for the Saseni watershed graduation, and for the transformation, growth, commitment, and ownership demonstrated by the communities throughout the program period.
• The continued opportunities to collaborate with communities, government authorities, institutional leaders, and VSLA groups, and for the opportunities to demonstrate Christ’s love through our work and relationships.

We Pray For:

• God’s protection, guidance, wisdom, good health, and provision as we begin the second quarter of fiscal year 2027. We pray that God will guide our plans, protect our staff and families, and give us strength and wisdom to accomplish the priorities of the new quarter.
• A successful staff review meeting, asking God to give us wisdom, unity and openness as we review our achievements, challenges, lessons learned, and priorities and identify practical ways to strengthen teamwork and improve our performance.
• The successful Saseni watershed graduation ceremony, asking God to provide the necessary resources, good coordination, and active participation of communities, leaders, partners, and staff as we celebrate the transformation achieved in Saseni.
• Successful stakeholder meetings, including Purpose Group leaders’ meetings and partner institutional leaders’ meetings, asking God to guide the discussions and give all leaders wisdom, unity, and commitment. We pray for good participation, open communication, stronger leadership, ownership, accountability, and continued collaboration as we work together to achieve the program’s goals.
• Successful Purpose Group opening in the Mbakwe watershed. We pray that the sensitization meetings will lead to strong participation and help achieve the group-opening target.

Thailand

We Give Praise For:

• The tree planting in Q1 2027. Praise God for guiding and helping farmers' tree planting to continue steadily and that the planting season is now nearing completion.
• God’s care for and the health of all staff. Praise God for caring for, protecting, and granting health to the staff throughout this past period.
• God’s care throughout this past month. We give thanks for God’s guidance and care in every situation, including the team's work and travel.
• The cooperation of farmers and the community. Praise God for the participation of farmers and the community in the work carried out so far.
• Safety in the transport of seedlings and tree planting. Praise God for protecting and watching over the team, farmers, and seedlings, keeping them safe throughout the transport and tree planting in the community.
• God’s blessings and protection upon our accountant, who has safely delivered a healthy baby boy.
• The executive leadership team field visit. We give thanks for God’s guidance over the visit, the travel, and the meetings with the team and community, fostering good understanding and cooperation.
• The team in the watershed. We give thanks for God’s guidance over our work together with the team and the building of good relationships with farmers and the community.

We Pray For:

• The follow-up and data collection for a specific funding partner. We pray that God would protect and watch over the team during their travel, and guide the follow-up and data collection to proceed smoothly, completely, and accurately.
• The daily life, work, and health of all staff. We pray that God would care for their health, strengthen them, and grant wisdom in their work as well as in their daily life.

United States

We Give Praise For:

• The Global Strategy Workshop that was held in Thailand on September 2 - 5. Members of the global leadership team met to update and revise our strategic plan. It was a time of inspiration, collaboration, learning, and fellowship. We’re grateful to God for the travel safety and health of participants as we gathered together for this critical planning session.
• Our Planting Hope Gala! September 19 was a night to remember as we celebrated the impact of Plant With Purpose around the world. We thank God for the volunteers, staff, auction contributors, and especially the generosity of our gala guests that made this event a success.
• Valerie Foulkes and Doug Satre who were in New York during the United Nations General Assembly last month and represented Plant With Purpose at two related Sidebar events. Doug was a discussion group leader on “financing community-led conservation,” and Valerie was part of a panel discussion on water. We’re thankful for the opportunity to share the work of Plant With Purpose in these highly visible forums.

We Pray For:

• The upcoming Vision Trip to Puebla, Mexico scheduled for October 18-23. This is the first Vision Trip to visit our Puebla communities. Trip participants include representatives from Chapelwood United Methodist (Houston), Clear Lake Presbyterian (Houston) and Village Church (San Diego). We pray for travel safety and a rich time of sharing and deepening connection between trip participants, our local team and community members.
• The collaborative work and efforts of the Strategy Workshop last month continue to align our global team, creating a stronger partnership. We ask for discernment, unity, and God’s wisdom as we prepare to roll out the first draft of the revised strategic plan.
• Craig Jaggers as he travels to Dallas, Houston, and Austin this month to meet with Shawn Welling and Plant With Purpose supporters. We ask for safe travels for Shawn and Craig and that their meetings be richly engaging and meaningful.