This lovingly crafted olive oil soap combines care, fairness, and hope. The well-known, high-quality olive oil comes from traditional olive groves in Palestine and is processed by the soap manufacturer Lagerhaus GmbH in the Swabian Alb. With every bar, you support the Starmountain Rehabilitation Center SMRC, which has been accompanying and supporting children and young people with intellectual disabilities for many years. The olive oil soap is a product of Moravian Merchandise, the fair trade division of Herrnhuter Missionshilfe e.V., and stands for quality, transparency, and solidarity. It is available at the following graduated prices: 1 piece → €4.90/piece, 10 pieces → €4.70/piece, 100 pieces → €4.40/piece. The soap is also particularly attractive as a sustainable gift idea for companies, clubs, or groups—for example, for Christmas, anniversaries, or as a thank-you gift. With this small, high-quality product, you are not only giving care, but also a future and support for the work of Sternberg. Further information and ordering options can be found at www.moravian-merchandise.org.

The mission festival of the Moravian Church on September 20, 2025, in Zeist also focused on the work of the Moravian Church in the Dzaleka Refugee Camp, a UNHCR camp near Lilongwe in Malawi. The camp was originally planned for 10,000 people and now houses 65,000. The long-time director of the work there, Jonah Sinyangwe, director of MoHDevS (= Moravian Humanitarian and Development Services), was not personally present at the mission festival, but sent a video greeting. See here. Meanwhile, the Moravian Church in Malawi—supported primarily by the Herrnhuter Missionshilfe—maintains several facilities in the camp, which are mostly attended by refugees from Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. See here.

As has only just become known, Jennifer Geerlings-Simons, initially Speaker of Parliament and elected as the new President of the Republic of Suriname on July 6, 2025, gave a welcoming address at the 20th Synod of the Unity Province of Suriname on August 27, 2025. A newspaper report in the Dagblad Suriname can be found here. The president praised the long-standing, reliable contribution of the Moravian Church in Suriname to education, health care, youth care, and elderly care in the country. She called on all synod members to reflect on the future of the country on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Republic of Suriname. She promised that her government would always remain in dialogue with the Moravian Church and its subordinate civil society organizations. The chair of the synod board, Kitty Derby, then responded to the president's welcoming address. She pointed out current problems facing the Moravian Church, such as land use, financing pastors' salaries, and upcoming costly renovations.

November 25, Srefidensi Dey, marks exactly 50 years since Suriname became an independent republic. To mark this occasion, a special book will be published on November 19, 2025, as part of a festive presentation. It contains 50 personal stories and thus 50 perspectives that bring half a century of history and culture, contact and conflict between Suriname and the Netherlands to life. The ZZg is represented with a contribution by Daniël Claas, responsible for communications and fundraising. He recounts the centuries-long close relationship between the country of Suriname and the Moravian Church. The book deals with the history of slavery, the path to independence, migration and integration, economy and heritage preservation, culture and faith. More about the book here. Pre-orders here.

The Zeister Zendingsgenootschap ZZg, the missionary society of the Moravian Church in the Netherlands, reports on the launch of its Christmas campaign 2025. It writes: "The annual Christmas gift campaign for people in Suriname is in full swing. We can now describe it as a wonderful, heartwarming tradition of our society. Needy elderly people (Huize Albertine, Huize Francis, and De Unit), single mothers with children, older and younger children in boarding schools (‘Siswa Tama’) and orphanages (‘Sukh Dhaam’ and ‘Leliën-daal’) – you can bring joy to all of them with a small gift, a package of food or sweets, and a festive Christmas celebration on Christmas Eve. And every year after the holiday, we hear again how special it is that people in the Netherlands think of those in need in Suriname." See here.

To mark the 120th anniversary of the founding of the Spangenberg School in the Nickerie district of Suriname on November 1, 2025, a major clean-up of the school grounds took place recently. Some pictures can be seen here. The Ministry of Public Works and Spatial Planning and its subordinate authority, the Office for Public Green Spaces and Waste Management (OGA), were also involved. With combined efforts, they succeeded in restoring the somewhat neglected, large outdoor area of the school to a well-maintained appearance and trimming the hedges and trees. On October 25, 2025, Facebook reported: "The OGA team mowed, raked, fertilized, and cleaned the lawn. Old cardboard boxes and other litter were also disposed of. We would like to thank the OGA team. With this effort, the government of Suriname demonstrated its ongoing commitment to a clean, green, and livable environment in all districts of the country."

There has been a Moravian community in the village of Quinhagak in the south of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta at the mouth of the Kanektok River for 100 years. From there, Yup'ik elder Warren Jones reports on the devastation caused by Typhoon Halong over the last ten days. The wind and floodwaters completely eroded a 60-meter-wide strip of land. “This is no longer our coast,” said Warren Jones. “It looks like a bomb hit. For the first time in living memory, the water reached the Moravian church in the center of the village. Boats and fishing nets are hanging in the alders that line the Kanektok River.” Half a mile downstream, wind and waves damaged the village's large sewage pool, which is now located directly on the coast. Boulders must be used to prevent untreated sewage from flowing into the sea during the next storm. In the nearby village of Nunalleq, the largest archaeological site of the Yup'ik in Alaska was largely destroyed. Yup'ik artifacts from the 16th century, including valuable masks, now lie in the water or were scattered across the beach. More in English here.

Six days after Typhoon Halong struck western Alaska on October 12, 2025, there is an update from the region. Damage was reported in the Moravian Congregations of Kongiganak, Bethel, Napakiak, Kwigillingok, Napaskiak, Kipnuk, Quinhagak, and Tuntutuliak. Hundreds of people from Kwigillingok, Kipnuk, and other flooded and destroyed villages were evacuated by the National Guard to Bethel and Anchorage in huge military transport planes. Moravian Church facilities in Alaska have begun to help those left homeless by the storm, providing shelter in the church in Bethel and at the Moravian Bible Seminary in Bethel. Several people are still missing. The Moravian Church's Board of World Mission (BWM) in North America has initially transferred US$10,000 as emergency aid. Together with local organizations and regional partners, further ways to help are being sought. More here. Donate online to the disaster relief fund here.

The Board of World Mission (BWM) of the Moravian Church in North America published another Ahuas Spotlight on October 21, 2025. See here. Reports from five different areas of the Clinica Evangelica Morava in Ahuas on the Honduran Mosquito Coast: a) the arrival of a container of relief supplies from the US, b) 27-year-old patient Ora Haylock and her baby, who was born after a previous miscarriage, c) the urgent need to purchase a new X-ray machine, d) the now realistic plan to build a new doctor's residence, e) several so-called 2nd Mile Projects (follow-up projects to secure previous investments). The Clinica Evangelica Morava in Ahuas is the only clinic in a huge, structurally weak area where people in need, mostly indigenous Miskoto, can receive medical assistance.

On Friday, October 17, 2025, students in grades 9 through 12 from the Moravian Institute in Rajpur took an educational trip to Prem Nagar, a district of Dehradun (population approx. 710,000) with a “Science City.” This city grew out of an Indian military academy founded in 1932. In a science park, the four classes enjoyed an exciting and entertaining day with practical examples and applications of the natural sciences. This allowed the students to combine their knowledge from class with practical experience. Many pictures here. Founded in 1963, the Moravian boarding school is located in the small, mountainous northern Indian state of Uttarakhand, which has more than ten million inhabitants (83 percent Hindu; 14 percent Muslim; only 0.4 percent Christian; urbanization rate 30 percent). About 80 percent of the rapidly growing population can read and write.

In July 2025, the Moravian Congreration in Herrnhut invited Joachim Kreusel, bishop from Ockbrook, British Province of Unity, to a community evening. The guest spoke on the topic of “Moravian Churches in India,” which he knows well from his own experience. During the meeting, a collection of 170 euros was taken for the Moravian Institute in Binnakandi/Assam. In the days that followed, further donations were received, so that a total of around 20,000 rupees could be sent to India, which was not entirely straightforward. Joachim Kreusel wrote: "I have transferred the money to Titus Gengmei. He is the head of the school, and he will use the money where it is most needed. I was last in Binnakandi in January 2025. The Moravian Church there also takes great care of the families of the workers in the tea plantations. These are often the poorest people, and it is important that their children receive a good school education."

The Kipunguni Moravian Church, located in a young, informal district of Dar es Salaam – six kilometers southwest of Julius Nyrere Airport – still does not have a proper church building. Until now, the congregation has been meeting in a temporary church. To bring this temporary situation to an end, another fundraising service was held on October 12, 2025. Pictures here. A video here. During this service, Ndisechele Protas and Nsyani E. J. Atahudumu spoke about the details of the planned construction project. The sermon was based on the Bible verse Haggai 2:8-9: “The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the Lord of hosts. The glory of this new house shall be greater than the glory of the former house, says the Lord of hosts; and in this place I will give peace, says the Lord of hosts.” There was also joyful singing and confident prayer. Many pictures here and here.

Janice and Mads Jakobsen, the Danish missionary couple who worked for seven years in the Rukwa Province of the Moravian Church in Tanzania (mainly in Kipili and Sumbawanga), arrived at their new place of work in Mwanza in Lake Tanganyika Province on October 17, 2025, after a three-day drive. In a newsletter, they report on the warm welcome they received in the big city on Lake Victoria. Pastor Mlewa, the district pastor of the Moravian Church in Mwanza, and his wife visited Janice and Mads in their newly renovated house on the evening of their arrival and welcomed them. During their first week of service, the couple was shown several Moravian congregations, giving them an insight into local church life. The newsletter also mentions the farewell party in Kipili. Last Sunday in Rukwa Province, the leadership of Rukwa Province came from Sumbawanga to thank and bless the missionaries in a church service. From the end of December 2025 to the beginning of February 2026, the missionaries will be on home leave in Europe. More in a blog post by the Broedremenighedens Danske Mission here.

October is the most important month of the year for the Moravian Brass Band Union of South Africa (BBSA). The BBSA Eastern Cape Junior Band Festival has already taken place at the Bloemendal Moravian Church. On October 12, 2025, the festival management wrote on Facebook: "What a blessed and joyful event our Junior Brass Festival was! Thanks to everyone who was there, who clapped, sang, and prayed along with us. You made the day unforgettable. Our young musicians are talented. They were diligent and played with dedication. Truly, this was a day that the Lord made. We rejoiced and were glad! Our BBSA has a bright future. The next generation of brass players is ready. Young brass players, keep the spirit alive, keep making music, and remember: one brass choir, one sound!" More here. On October 19, 2025, the BBSA Eastern Cape Senior Festival took place in Wupperthal. Poster here.

On Sunday, October 19, 2025, a small community day was held in the Unity Province of Jamaica. The Holy Cross Moravian Church in Santa Cruz, founded in 1984, had invited its neighboring congregations to a Central District Conference Covenant Day Service, which was sometimes lively. See here. Although the Unity Province of Jamaica is a province with many ordained women, young men also seek ordination, as was recently the case with Barnabas Nyirenda. Last August – the spiritual month in the worldwide Moravian Church – the Moravian Women's Fellowship (MWF) in Jamaica invited participants to a three-day retreat at Camp Hope in the island region of Westmoreland. The theme was: “Women stepping up for mission, healing, restoration, and empowerment.” See here. This theme is also the annual theme for 2025 of the Unity Province of Jamaica.

The Moravian Church in northern and northeastern Brazil is the youngest member of the worldwide Moravian Church. At the beginning of the month, they celebrated Children's Day, which was also enjoyed by adults. The Board of World Mission (BWM) of the Moravian Church in North America, which accompanies and supports the young Brazilian congregations, wrote on Facebook on October 23, 2025: "The day was a day of joy! Church leaders played, sang, and prayed with the children. Yes, they preached, but they also provided ice cream and treats, snacks, and small toys. Several mothers also took part in the children's festival and were deeply moved by the fellowship on that day. We thank our partners in Brazil who share God's love with the congregations through their compassionate commitment!" Five pictures here. For the annual report of the Moravian Church in Brazil for the year 2024, click here.

On Sunday, October 26, 2025, two Moravian congregations in two different countries were connected online for a worship service: the Cruz de la Esperanza congregation in Chiclayo, Peru, and the Iglesia Morava Ebenezer congregation in Santa Clara, Cuba. Some pictures can be found here. The sermon was based on Acts 26:16-18 and was entitled: Your natural eyes and your spiritual eyes. A joint celebration of Holy Communion also took place. For more than ten years, the Board of World Mission (BWM) of the Moravian Church in North America has been working to connect the Spanish-speaking congregations of the worldwide Moravian Church in the southern United States, Cuba, Peru, Nicaragua, Honduras, Costa Rica, Belize, and among the Garifuna (several countries) through international conferences, retreats, and seminars. In Nicaragua and Honduras, however, Miskito is the main language spoken in the Moravian churches.