The container appeal for Malawi has received overwhelming support over the past few weeks. The container is now around 90 per cent full of high-quality donations in kind, which are urgently needed at the training centres and schools in Malawi. We are particularly grateful for the tremendous willingness to help that we have encountered. Numerous companies and organisations from the region, as well as many private individuals – including people who had never even heard of Herrnhuter Missionshilfe – have taken part in the campaign and donated valuable items. From tools, machinery and sewing machines to school supplies, computers and kitchen equipment: every single donation will help to provide young people with better training conditions and, in turn, new prospects for the future. We are deeply moved by this tremendous support. It shows what can be achieved when many people take responsibility together and pass on hope in a very practical way. We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to all our donors. Without this commitment, a campaign like this would not be possible.

In mid-July, Felix Rapp, who works in Zanzibar and Tanzania alongside Edgar Teacher and the Tanzania Mwangaza (TAM) team, visited Malawi. His trip also took him to the newly opened nursery in Karonga. As soon as he arrived, it was clear just how delighted the children were with their new nursery. With great enthusiasm, they showed Felix around their rooms, played, laughed and enjoyed spending time together. The photos taken during the visit capture this special atmosphere wonderfully. The visit demonstrated once again just how important a place like this is for the children and their families. A nursery is not just a building, but a place where children can play, learn and simply be children. We are delighted with these lovely impressions from Karonga and are grateful that the nursery is now so full of life.

In its short summer series for 2026, the Brødremenighedens Danske Mission introduces Ranya Karam, the director of the Star Mountain Rehabilitation Centre near Ramallah in Palestine (West Bank). She explains that she was drawn to the work at Star Mountain because she wanted to put her experience and leadership skills to use in a place where funds are used wisely and where the work benefits people who are often overlooked and who are thirsting for hope. She has a heart for the vulnerable and leads a team of 30 staff members, both Muslims and Christians, who help 90 children and young people with developmental disabilities – from nursery age through to adulthood – to lead largely self-determined lives in the future. In Palestine, there is still a lack of organisations working in the field of support for people with disabilities. Read the full article by Svend Løbner in Danish here.

In a summer series, the Brødremenighedens Danske Mission, the sister organisation of Herrnhuter Missionshilfe in Denmark, is profiling people with whom it works around the world. First up is Dena Fortuzi from Albania. Under her maiden name, Grillo, she was one of the first children, aged twelve in 1995, to attend one of the newly established Herrnhut children’s clubs in Tirana, which the unforgettable pioneer missionary Ankjær Poulsen had set up here and there across the country together with local Christian women. Today, Dena is the first and, to date, only member of the Moravian Church in Albania to have studied theology and been ordained as a pastor. A detailed report recounts her fascinating and eventful story of conversion and calling, which took her to Denmark, Italy and the USA for several years. See here.  Listen to the podcast here. Before Dena worked as a pastor for the Moravian Church, she worked for the Albanian Olympic Committee, the Albanian Ministry of Education, UNICEF, the OSCE and as a translator at an Albanian university.

The Moravian Church in Albania recently posted on Facebook: “On Sunday 12 July 2026, we brought this year’s four-day summer youth camp at the campsite in Pogradec-Buçimas to a close with grateful hearts. Day after day, we studied the Bible and enjoyed God’s blessings. We thank all the young people and all those in charge who were part of this wonderful journey. We are particularly grateful for the service led by Daniel and Edward, and for the baptism of our sister Drita. In a troubled world where there is ever less peace, we want to choose to live in the peace of Jesus and to share this peace with others. God is always good. To him alone be the glory!” 20 photos here. The summer camp was based on the Bible verse Philippians 4:7: “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Under the heading Love Takes Shape, the Moravian Church in Albania showcases a sewing workshop where shoulder bags, shopping bags and other fabric containers made from various materials are produced using electric sewing machines, some featuring sewn-on buttons and appliqués. See here. The sewing workshop is located in the small town of Buttel in the mountainous region of central Albania. It helps the women working there to generate their own income. An accompanying Facebook post on 3 July 2026 stated: “Our sisters in Burrell have golden hands.” Indeed, the products they make bear witness to the artistic taste and sewing skills of the Albanian women and girls who are supervised in Burrell by Shpresa Gjestila. Burrell was one of the very first outposts of the Moravian Church in Albania in the second half of the 1990s. In this town, which has always been characterised by mining (chromite extraction and smelting), there was great social hardship following the fall of the communist dictatorship.

The Shristi Academy of the Moravian Church in Kathmandu, Nepal, recently posted on Facebook: “10 July 2026: Our Year 5 and Year 10 pupils enjoyed a rewarding visit to the Natural History Museum today. The children saw fascinating exhibitions on wildlife and marine life, insects and minerals, as well as the natural world. Pictures here. 11 July 2026: In Nepal, Aasar is the month when the fields come to life again. As the monsoon rains moisten the earth, the farmers begin planting rice. Our younger pupils in Years 1 to 5 joined in and ventured into the muddy fields, grateful for nature’s bounty. Pictures here. 13 July 2026: Today we honoured our great poet, Bhanubhakta Jayanti. Many talented children proudly recited poems they had written themselves. Their creativity and self-confidence made the celebration unforgettable. Congratulations to all the winners. Keep writing and dreaming!" Pictures here.

Dimchui and Dimjeng Rongmei from the Moravian Church’s South-West Province in Tanzania have been in touch once again. The couple are originally from the Moravian Church in north-eastern India, in Manipur on the border with Myanmar. However, they have been working in Tanzania’s South-West Province since early March 2026 to gain experience. This time, Dimeng Rongmei sent some photographs and information from the Kanisa la Moravian Itili, one of many Moravian churches in the city of Mbeya (2022 census: 541,000 inhabitants), which is also home to the headquarters of the Moravian Church in south-west Tanzania. On Saturday, 18 July 2026, the Itili congregation hosted a deanery women’s meeting for the Moravian Church. The meeting was accompanied by a market and exhibition on the large, fully walled church grounds, featuring carpets, handicrafts and other arts and crafts, as well as culinary specialities. Click here to view the photos (please scroll right to the bottom).

In mid-June 2026, two staff members from the organisation Plastic Footprint Suriname, which operates with financial and logistical support from UNICEF, made contact with the Moravian Church’s Education Foundation in Suriname (Stichting Onderwijs der EBGS). The relatively new NGO and the Moravian Church in Suriname are united in their fight against single-use plastic. The staff from Plastic Footprint Suriname were made to feel very welcome at the Moravian Church’s primary school in Pikin Saron, a village of the indigenous Kalina people in the south of the Para district. Display boards set up in a classroom showed how the use of single-use plastics can be reduced using simple methods. See here. The school foundation wrote to Plastic Footprint Suriname as follows: “Thank you very much for your valuable contribution in Pikin Saron. We appreciate our collaboration with you and look forward to future joint initiatives for the benefit of the environment.”

Since 1910, the Kinderhaus Saron run by the Moravian Church in Suriname has provided a safe haven for children living in precarious circumstances or in need of temporary support. To ensure the long-term sustainability of the facility, the Zeister Zendigsgenootschap, the sister organisation of the Herrnhuter Missionshilfe in the Netherlands, is providing a grant of 31,000 euros for the renovation of the main kitchen and the office. Since 1913, a church-affiliated foundation has been running this home. There, children have the opportunity to develop into independent individuals on a Christian basis. At present, most of the children come from Maroon villages. Their parents work permanently in the interior of Suriname. The children’s home’s regular income is sufficient to cover running costs, but leaves little scope for investment. Thanks to a great deal of voluntary work and the help of other organisations, a number of improvements have already been made in the past: for example, new electrical and plumbing systems, new mattresses and cupboards. Read more in Dutch here.

• The Medical Mission in Suriname (Medische Zending – Primary Health Care Suriname) would like to remind you that it has had a complaints management system in place since 2019. It writes on Facebook: “Are you dissatisfied with our service or the behaviour of our staff? Please use our complaints system! This ensures that every complaint is dealt with carefully and confidentially. Watch the information video and find out how to submit a complaint. See here.Your opinion is important to us. We want to continuously improve our service.”
• The Medical Mission in Suriname is continuing its dental health awareness campaign. On 6 July 2026, a member of the organisation’s staff visited the primary school in Aporea on the Corantijn River, in the far west of Suriname, deep in the tropical rainforest. The educational, interactive and entertaining sessions focused on oral hygiene and a healthy diet. Lots of photos here.

On 7 July 2026, after 54 years, former pupil Lucia Wijnker-Gangadin returned to the school in Suriname where she had studied as a child for a single day: the Potribo School in Siparipabo, in the Commewijne district. The curious children were told by the headteacher, Brigita Djojoleksono-Hu-A-Ng, and by Sandra Panka-Bijlhout, a member of staff at the Moravian Church School Foundation in Paramaribo, that the visitor was a well-known author and scholar of religious studies. However, Lucia Wijnker-Gangadin had not only come to reminisce, but also to give the children a present. She donated money which will be used for a school trip for the whole school and for upcoming renovation work. The trip will probably be to Paramaribo, to the Fort Nieuw-Amsterdam open-air museum or to a nature park in Commewijne. Some photos here.

Of the 21 young people who began their training as healthcare assistants with the Medical Mission in Suriname in 2023, only eleven remain. The rest gave up, not because the training was too demanding, but because poverty, long journeys and difficult personal circumstances forced them to stop. Klaus from Nieuw Aurora and Itana from Apetina are among those who are continuing their training. They remain committed to their calling to work in the tropical interior of Suriname once they have completed their training, thereby serving as the first point of contact for medical care in their communities. They say: “The interior needs us. We’re studying so that we can return to our communities.” With limited resources but great dedication, the Medical Mission is working to train more healthcare assistants. The story of Klaus and Itana, as well as that of training coordinator Julie Small, can be found here.

The Surinamese news portal GFC Nieuws Suriname reported on Facebook on 21 July 2026: “The Surinamese mining company Rosebel Gold Mines, founded in 2002, is now part of a Chinese group and operates in the inland districts of Brokopondo and Sipaliwini. Between 2004 and 2021, the company extracted a total of 5.65 million ounces of gold (around 176 tonnes). It agreed to build new homes for teaching staff at two Moravian Church schools: in the villages of Brownsweg and Klaaskreek. A photo of the handover of the houses can be found here. A little later, GFC Nieuws Suriname reported that scouts from prominent Dutch football clubs are also keeping an eye on Suriname. There are occasionally talented young footballers in various regions of the country. See here. One report stated: “Footballing talent does not develop on its own. Good coaches, professional guidance and strong youth competitions are necessary to nurture young players.”

From 12 to 18 July 2026, the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) organised a qualifying tournament in Managua for the 2017 Central American Basketball Championship. Teams from Puerto Rico, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, the Bahamas, the Virgin Islands, El Salvador, Guyana and Nicaragua took part. Elisha Ullith Hodgson, a student at Moravian High School in Bluefields and the first FIBA referee from Nicaragua, was appointed to officiate at the tournament. The school wrote on Facebook: “We are so proud to congratulate you on this important milestone in your career as a FIBA referee. Your dedication, discipline, perseverance and passion for basketball have led you to a goal that inspires an entire generation. May every match you officiate in future give you the opportunity to continue to grow. We wish you wisdom, strength and success in all the challenges that lie ahead.” Some photos here.

The Unity Provinces of Jamaica and Zambia have announced the passing of Reverend Paul Silwamba. His funeral took place on Monday, 20 July 2026, in Newport, Manchester. The deceased was originally from Lusaka, Zambia, where he studied theology and served in the Moravian Church in Zambia. In 2018, the Unity Provinces of Zambia and the Northern Province of the Moravian Church in North America agreed that he should undertake a Master’s degree in theology at the Moravian Theological Seminary in Bethlehem, PA. After successfully completing his degree in 2020, he served for six years in a different cultural context, namely at the “Bethabara Moravian Church” in Newport/Manchester (with the congregations of Bethabara, Sharon and Patrick Town) and at the New Beulah Moravian Church in Mandeville. He was very popular there. His Master’s thesis was entitled: The Bible in the Fight against Hunger in African Households. See, for example, here.

Katie Owens, Tennessee Derenne and Wilberth White – the latter originally from Nicaragua – are the names of this year’s three summer interns at the Board of World Mission of the Moravian Church in North America. Under the guidance of Dr theol. Amy Gohdes-Luhman, Director of Mission Engagement, they have been or are currently working at several locations: at the Laurel Ridge Mission Camp in the Blue Ridge Mountains (North Carolina), at the Mt. Morris Camp & Retreat Centre in Wautoma (Wisconsin) and at the Camp Hope Service Camp in Blairstown (New Jersey). They also volunteered at this year’s two synods of the Moravian Church in North Carolina (Southern Province) and Minnesota (Northern Province), as well as at the Chetek Senior High Camp. They then travelled to Peru for a retreat for Moravian Church staff in the Peruvian Amazon region. Between all these events, they work on computers or behind the scenes in the areas of administration, public relations and fundraising. See here.

In its short summer series, the Brødremenighedens Danske Mission in Christiansfeld gives a voice to the Tanzanian church president, Anosisye Mwaikole. He speaks about the history and present state of missionary work in Rukwa Province. Among other things, he says: “The first Herrnhut missionaries did not allow dancing in church. Things are different now. The Moravian Church in Tanzania has become African. It is a church that has completed the transition from the missionaries’ culture to an independent African culture. The Moravian Church in Rukwa Province has over 76,000 members living in 330 congregations. The key is to distinguish between content and form. “The Africans had certain ideas about God when the missionaries arrived. But the missionaries rejected these ideas and replaced them with a Western-influenced form of Christianity.” Read more in the German translation of a Danish article by Svend Løbner here.

As part II of a short summer series, Arngeir Langås of the Brødremenighedens Danske Mission profiled Edouard A. Nsengiyumva, the chairman of the Moravian Church in Burundi, on 30 June 2026. See here. Due to the civil war, he fled from Burundi to Tanzania in 1972, where he was granted asylum and trained as a teacher and later as a headteacher of a secondary school. For a long time, he resisted his inner calling to enter the service of God. A vagrant on the road to Kigoma, with whom he struck up a conversation, taught him obedience. He became acquainted with the Moravian Church in Mayengo and was soon called upon by the congregation to take on various roles. In 2023, a synod finally elected him to the office of Chair of the Church Leadership, alongside Bishop Pascal Benimana. In an interview, he remarked: “I am very grateful for the path I have taken so far. I hope to remain in God’s service until He calls me home.”

The Moravian Brass Band Union of South Africa (BBSA) recently announced with pride on its Facebook pages: “With Raylene Cornelius, the BBSA has reached a new milestone. In May 2026, this young theologian from Humansdorp became the latest BBSA member to be ordained to the ministry. We wish Raylene many blessings as she embarks on this new chapter of her life and throughout her ministry as a servant of God. The BBSA is grateful for you and marvels at the leader you have become – especially in the year in which the BBSA is celebrating its 75th anniversary. ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He will cover you with his wings’ (Psalm 23:1). May this beautiful Bible verse guide, strengthen and sustain you in your calling. Congratulations!” Photo montage here. Under her maiden name Williams, Raylene Cormelius completed an extended placement with the Herrnhut Diakonie in Herrnhut in 2016.

Extensive passages from a work by the Herrnhut missionary Johann Heinrich Buchner, dating from 1854 and bearing the title "The Moravians in Jamaica – History Of The Mission Of The United Brethren's Church To The Negroes In The Island Of Jamaica From The Year 1754 To 1854", are now available online in English. The author takes an extremely critical view of slavery: “No system can be devised that more effectively opposes the spread of the Gospel and hinders it more severely than slavery. The slaves had no time to hear the Word, except when they were exhausted in body and soul by their cruel bondage. Moreover, their souls were damaged by a system that overturns all morality and mocks the clearest commandments of Scripture. How is one to instil the fear of God and an understanding of the abhorrence of sin in a downtrodden, uneducated heathen, when he observes that precisely those who claim to be his superiors are victims of evil passions and shameless immorality, and when he sees his fellow sufferers being treated like animals in the fields?” See here.