Burundi

We Give Praise For:

• Protecting the staff throughout the month of January. We each returned from the New Year holiday peaceful and full of enough energy to serve the Lord.
• This past year 2024, because God was with us through joys and sorrows. There was never a moment when our God stopped being faithful to us and comforting us.
• Our recent data collection initiative that allowed us to monitor and evaluate our work. This initiative was a success despite numerous challenges such as heavy rains and lack of fuel.
• The successful launch of the tree planting campaign, an important event that raised awareness among communities to protect the environment. During this event, over 5,000 trees were planted in collaboration with state authorities and representatives.

We Pray For:

• The month of February and the rest of 2025. May the Lord continue to protect us and give us the energy necessary to accomplish our work in the communities.
• The healing of two members of our community: a member of our staff who was hospitalized following an illness; and the child of a staff member, who was also hospitalized following a chronic illness. May the hand of God be on each of these patients.
• Continued tree planting in every watershed we work in. May our partners, churches, and local administration continue to work hard to plant all of their trees.
• Strong economic recovery for our country, which is suffering from a terrible lack of fuel. May the Lord have compassion on us because the prices on the market have become unbearable.

Democratic Republic of the Congo

We Give Praise For:

• The safety of our staff and their families during 2025. We thank God that all staff and their families came back from the holidays safely.
• The timely submission of the quarter two report. We thank God that our new templates and processes for collecting information were successful, and all staff were able to produce their reports.
• The ongoing tree-planting campaign that started during January. We thank God that the participants are committed to restoring the environment in the existing watersheds.
• We thank God for the launch of our program activities in the new Lugali and Kahungwe watersheds. Though this event was postponed due to government protocols, we thank God that it was an incredible event where we were able to host the minister of environment and other leaders.
• The wedding ceremony of our finance director's son who got married last week. We thank God that the wedding was blessed and the staff were able to attend as a symbol of unity in our ministry.

We Pray For:

• The family of our environment technician from Sange watershed, who lost his mother in January.
• The worsening security situation in eastern DRC, where rebels are progressing toward south Kivu. Millions of people are fleeing the conflict, and hundreds are losing their lives.
• The program activities we conduct with our partners in Lugali and Kahungwe. We are working hard to achieve our targets for this planning year 2025. 
• The new staff who joined the organization this month to contribute to the new watersheds’ activities. We pray for wisdom and integrity as they complete their daily duties.

Dominican Republic

We Give Praise For:

• The recovery of Pastor Mendoza from a partner community, who is healing well after an operation.
• The warm welcome we have received in the Guanuma watershed, and the new Purpose Groups that have been formed there.
• A productive visit with Plant With Purpose team members as we began an income baseline study among new and mature Purpose Groups in several watersheds.

We Pray For:

• God’s help as we pursue our goals in the third quarter
• The 80 women of the Nizao watersheds that attended a microenterprise workshop. We pray that they will understand their God-given value and vision.
• The provision of cacao and coffee seeds, after experiencing shortages last quarter. These seeds are critical for establishing agroforestry plots.
• Motivation among farmers of the Macacias watershed. We pray that they will enthusiastically participate in the work of Plant With Purpose.
• Our ongoing partnership with our Taking Root carbon project. We pray that we will accomplish our ambitious goals according to schedule.

Ethiopia

We Give Praise For:

• Protection throughout 2024 and bringing us into 2025 safely. May God continue to be with us in this new year.
• The successful facilitation of the three-year report for our programs between October 2021 and September 2024. We are grateful for God’s grace in our achievements.
• The protection and security of our staff while working in challenging and insecure situations.

We Pray For:

• Successful facilitation of our fiscal year 2025 quarter three program plans.
• Peace and stability in Ethiopia, particularly in the Amhara region.
• Economic relief and reduced inflation. Ethiopian citizens are currently struggling due to high inflation and macroeconomic policy changes.

Haiti

We Give Praise For:

• The safety and the security of our Haiti team despite the ongoing gang violence and insecurity that Haiti is experiencing.
• The provision and acquisition of basic materials for our programmatic activities in the midst of many shortages throughout the country.
• The institutional analysis that was completed by our leadership team and regional coordinators in support of our organization.
• The accomplishment of our program targets during the second quarter. These targets include trees planted, Purpose Groups started, and new church and school partnerships. 

We Pray For:

• Security and stability all over the country so that vulnerable people can continue their daily activities and take care of their family.
• Perseverance for the farmers and the Plant With Purpose team as they work together to create hope for the next generation.
• Savings groups who are completing activities in the midst of national violence and insecurity, which is impacting their markets and economy.
• Wisdom and discernment for our government officials, as they address the various issues that are harming our country and its people.

Malawi

We Give Praise For:

• The additional Purpose Groups, church partnerships, and school partnerships that Plant With Purpose was able to establish in 2025.
• A new grant that Plant With Purpose Malawi received. We are so grateful for our growing partnerships.

We Pray For:

• Continued strong rains so that we may have enough produce during the harvesting season.
• The Plant With Purpose development team, who is working on a new funding application. We pray that this application will create new opportunities for our program.
• The ongoing recruitment process for the position of programs director. We pray that strong applicants will apply, and that our hiring team will select the best fit for our organization.
• Peaceful campaigns for the parliamentary and presidential elections, which are scheduled for September 2025.

Mexico

We Give Praise For:

• The preparation and presentation of our different reports to the Plant With Purpose team and our tax authorities in Mexico.
• The staff vacancies that have been filled. We thank God for bringing people to the team who share the principles and values of the kingdom and the spirit of service.
• The progress we’ve made in translating and adapting the Spiritual Renewal Curriculum to the Holistic Human Development context of our work in Mexico. We are excited to be starting this process with our team.
• Caring for and protecting our colleagues while they worked in the field. We give thanks for the good health that the Lord has given us.

We Pray For:

• The new authorities in Puebla, Chiapas, and Oaxaca. We pray that they will govern with justice and righteousness.
• Healthy plant production and reforestation in the watersheds of Oaxaca. We pray that the new community nursery committees will be strong and effective.
• The formation of new Purpose Groups and goals for the upcoming quarter. We pray that more families will join the transformational development process in Chiapas, Puebla, and Oaxaca.
• The security of communities in Chiapas, as authorities carry out surveillance operations and arrest criminal groups.
• The International and Global Leadership Meeting, which will take place in February. We pray that it will bless and strengthen all participants and programs.

Tanzania

We Give Praise For:

• God’s protection throughout January, safeguarding our team and the communities we serve. We are grateful for God’s faithfulness and care as we embark on a new year.
• A strong start to quarter three, where we’ve already made positive progress. We thank God for this momentum and for the opportunity to continue making a meaningful impact.
• The completion of the quarterly reports. We thank God for the insights and clarity these reports provide, guiding our efforts as we move forward in our mission.

We Pray For:

• Healing and comfort for those facing challenges in health. May God bring peace, restoration, and loving presence to each of them during this time of need.
• Those affected by recent natural disasters, including those in California and other areas worldwide. We pray for all victims and their families who have experienced loss, hardship, and displacement. May God provide comfort, peace, and provision as they rebuild their lives and find hope in the midst of destruction.
• Sufficient rainfall to nourish the land and support our tree planting initiatives. We pray that existing trees will grow well, and that our environmental restoration efforts will be successful.
• Blessing and clarity for the facilitators' bi-annual meetings. We pray that these gatherings will foster collaboration, insight, and direction for the work ahead.
• Wisdom and discernment as we prepare for the 2026-2028 planning meetings in February. We seek God's guidance in shaping the future of our programs and aligning our strategies with God’s will.

Thailand

We Give Praise For:

• The health and safety of the team and Plant With Purpose Thailand so far this year.
• The network of organizations & supporters, who are helping our team mitigate damage due to the flooding and landslides. We praise God that we have people who are supporting us through prayer and finances.
• Our new capacity building program. The activities we implement with farmers in Thailand’s watersheds have helped families become more efficient and sustainable.
• Strong collaboration from farmers, public network partners, government agencies, and donors. We are so grateful for the way our work is strengthened by this network of partners.

We Pray For:

• The development of the activity plan for fiscal years 2026-2028, as well for a successful start to our work in 2025.
• The successful implementation of Farmer Field School and the self-cultivating and tree planting initiatives.
• Our team and the fruitful work we have planned for 2025. We pray for continued health for all our staff and their families as we continue our work.
• The recruitment for new board members for Plant With Purpose Thailand.
• A smooth process as we conduct reports for quarter two of the program term.
• The six-month summary of the lessons we learned in fiscal year 2025. We pray that this project will be clear and helpful to our teams.

United States

We Give Praise For:

• The Purpose Plan Task Force who met last month to refine the first draft of our three-year strategic plan for fiscal years 2026-2028, which will be presented to the board and global leadership team later this month.
• The opportunity to share our mission and learn from peers at the recent InterAction CEO retreat and upcoming ECHO conference scheduled this month. 

• Our two new interns beginning this month, Catrina Sada and Katie Segarra. We are grateful for their talent and the gifts they bring to our team.
• Successful meetings with representatives of Taking Root regarding our pilot project supporting carbon sequestration with the prospect of obtaining carbon credits.

We Pray For:

• The international partnership planning meeting and global leadership team meeting scheduled the week of February 24. With teams participating from the U.S. and our nine country partners over 5 days and several time zones, we pray for strong internet connection, accurate translations, and a productive time together.
• The February 28 board of directors meeting. We pray for wisdom and discernment as they continue to hone the Purpose Plan for fiscal years 2026-2028. 
• Our recruiting efforts as we continue the hiring process for a new grant writer.