Burundi

We Give Praise For:

• Protecting staff, families, and the entire Plant With Purpose community during November.
• Successfully completing difference-in-differences surveys in seven watersheds. We thank God for helping us complete the surveys and for the support we gained from local administrations.
• A successful planning meeting with staff in two new watersheds. We praise God that the team was well-equipped and prepared before these new projects began.
• Healthy tree seedlings in our nurseries as a result of sufficient rain and committed staff and community members.

We Pray For:

• The goodness of God to be with all of our staff, their families, and the entire Plant With Purpose family this December.
• A successful tree planting campaign in all of our watersheds with local administration, church, and VSLA involvement. We pray that our partners in churches, local administration, and Purpose Groups will be committed to tree planting for the sake of our environment.
• Fuel availability in our country. The lack of fuel is becoming the worst situation we have ever experienced. We pray for an end to this situation, which is handicapping our activities and making daily life much harder.
• A peaceful end to 2024 so that Christmas and the New Year can be celebrated with joy throughout the world.

Democratic Republic of the Congo

We Give Praise For:

• Maintaining the health and security of our staff as they conducted regular field visits in our watersheds.
• Successful watershed mapping and workshops conducted in Luberizi, Kiliba, Kahungwe, Lugali, and Mugera.
• The first tree planting campaign in Luberizi watershed, where farmers were able to plant seedlings from nurseries to local farms and public lands.
• Successful meetings in two new watersheds. Our staff met the communities, conducted Purpose Group meetings, and invited the community to start new savings groups.
• A smooth hiring process for a new environment technician and spiritual renewal field agent in the Lugali and Kahungwe watersheds. We thank God that the candidates are now in the interview stage.

We Pray For:

• The families of two Purpose Group members in Kiliba and Ngovi who died from illness.
• The upcoming tree planting campaign in Kambekulu watershed and for the partners who will be visiting our office during that time.
• The monitoring and evaluation team who are collecting data around environmental restoration activities. We pray for a smooth transition from paper to digital data collection.
• Smooth and successful peacebuilding meetings as we hold them in each cooperating watershed this month. 
• Comfort for the family of our program manager, Birori, who recently lost his mother.

Dominican Republic

We give praise for:

• The abundant rains that are allowing us to plant seeds and grow healthy trees.
• The beginning of the construction of a new road that will expand the community’s access to other regions and encourage economic growth. 
• Progress in the construction of aqueducts in four locations in the Nizao watersheds.

We pray for:

• Health, security, and protection for all staff.
• The end of the quarter and of 2024. May the Lord help us meet our scheduled goals. 
• The seeds that have been planted in the nurseries, that they will grow well and meet the goals of our carbon project.
• The coffee harvest in the Nizao watersheds, which has slowed down and is now impacting farmers' ability to bring their crops to market. 
• Haitian immigrants in the Dominican Republic as they navigate complex challenges. May they find opportunities for stability, inclusion, and a path forward.

Ethiopia

We Give Praise For:

• God’s mighty support as we maintained program activity amid insecurity.
• Successfully undertaking the annual review meeting with the local advisory board.
• The Ethiopia team’s staff and management who were recognized at the annual review meeting for their wonderful achievements this year.
• God’s almighty protection over the Ethiopia team’s staff and property.

We Pray For:

• Successful facilitation of our terminal evaluation and the next quarter’s program implementation plan.
• Peace and stability for Ethiopia in general and the Amhara region in particular.

Haiti

We give praise for:

• Significant rain during October and November which allowed us to plant healthy tree seedlings.
• The safety and protection of the staff during the year 2024, despite growing insecurity in Haiti.
• The Haitian hot chocolate recipe that we were able to share with the U.S. Plant With Purpose development team and will go out to many supporters.

We pray for:

• The Haitian authorities – that they will make good decisions for the wellbeing of Haitian people.
• Comfort for our administrative assistant who lost a relative, who was also a member of a Purpose Group. We pray for all who mourn.
• Quick relief for our coworker who had a minor motorcycle accident.
• Our housekeeper in one of our program watersheds, who is scheduled to have a surgery in a few days.
• The leaders and participants in each watershed in Haiti. We pray that they will grow more involved and achieve their targets for the year.
• The technicians as they discern community readiness for our program activities in new watersheds in the region.

Malawi

We Give Praise For:

• God’s provision, protection, and good health among our staff and partners in the Lwafwa watershed.
• A successful recruitment process for the new Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) officer which was completed in November.

We Pray For:

• The MEL officer who will join the Malawi team before the end of the year.
• The continuing recruitment for a new program director. We pray that God will guide the recruitment process.
• God’s wisdom and guidance as we establish 29 additional Purpose Groups.
• The training programs and communities who will participate in our training in December 2024.

Mexico

We Give Praise For:

• God’s help so far this year. We are grateful for the favor and blessings we received during 2024, and for all the donors, volunteers, and collaborators through whom this ministry is made possible.
• The formation of 11 new Purpose Groups throughout Mexico during Q2.
• The health and care that God has had for our companions as they went into the field this month.

We Pray For:

• The formation of new Purpose Groups and goals in Q2. We pray that more families will be integrated into activities in Chiapas, Puebla, and Oaxaca.
• The follow-up and graduation activities in the Mesbiljá watershed. We pray that social conflicts will be resolved and our team will have opportunities for safe access to these communities.
• The development and growth of the crops and trees planted throughout Mexico. We pray for their protection against strong frosts, winds, and rains that are expected in the coming weeks.
• The health and care of the team, families, and communities. Many communities are bracing themselves for harsh winters, rains, and landslides.
• Peace in the regions of the world where there are currently conflicts. May God touch the lives of their rulers and may they have the wisdom to make just and peaceful decisions. We pray for the Lord's mercy for our land and our people.

Tanzania

We give praise for:

• The rainfall that enabled a successful start of our tree planting campaigns. We thank God for the active participation of so many community members.
• The success of the Spiritual Renewal Workshop, including an impactful pilot and transformative curriculum that promises to change lives for both participants and staff.
• Safe travels for Annah Amani, who facilitated a pilot workshop for our new curriculum with great commitment and expertise.
• The safe visit of Sarah, an author who is documenting our program, amplifying our program’s impact, and inspiring others.
• The gift of a new baby to our colleague Bernardo, the environmental restoration officer.

We pray for:

• Sufficient rainfall in December to help meet our tree planting targets and ensure the healthy growth of our trees.
• A successful conclusion to December, allowing us to finish the year strong and celebrate the progress we have made.
• The smooth and accurate completion of the quarterly data collection exercise, which is planned for December.
• The efficient preparation of second-quarter reports. We pray that our team will effectively capture our achievements and efforts this quarter.
• A restful and meaningful Christmas break, allowing staff and participants to recharge, enjoy quality time with their families, and return refreshed for the year ahead.

Thailand

We Give Praise For:

• The health and safe travels of our staff, participants, and families.
• The farmers and volunteers who have participated in the work, making program activities run smoothly in every watershed.
• The help and encouragement from organizations and networks after experiencing flooding and landslides in the region. We praise God for protecting us and allowing us to overcome those challenges.
• God’s guidance in the field observation study in the Mae Ta Chang and Mae Yang Mint watersheds.

We Pray For:

• The implementation of our plans for December and the end of the year. We pray that our partnerships, Farmer Field Schools, and other programs will all run smoothly and meet their projected targets.
• Safety and health for our staff as they travel to and from the field. We pray that God will protect them from danger and sickness.
• The partnering farmers who are cultivating and planting trees throughout Thailand. May God take care of them daily as they travel, work, and harvest crops. 

United States

We Give Praise For:

• A successful and productive November board meeting, and for Christy Vines and Darrell Shrader joining our board in 2025 each bringing their unique gifts.
• The successful development of a new Spiritual Renewal Curriculum and for the teams in Mexico and Tanzania who recently piloted the program.
• The Purpose Plan Task Force who met last month to begin their work on the fiscal year 2026-2028 three-year rolling organizational goals and priorities. 

We Pray For:

• The Senior Leadership Team strategic planning meeting this month. We pray for wisdom and discernment as we review strategic priorities and goals for fiscal year 2026 - 2028. 
• The success of our critical year-end fundraising campaign and for blessings over our generous donors. 
• The selection of the right partner agency to support the development of our new Church Engagement initiative.
• Peace and unity around the world as we celebrate Christmas and reflect on Jesus’ birth and on Jesus’ example of love, compassion, and humility.