December 2, 2025December 1, 2025

Today only: Be part of something God is doing RIGHT NOW

Giving Tuesday is here — and it’s only happening TODAY. People all over the world are stepping up to give, and you can be part of it too. Every gift counts toward our $100,000 goal — helping move the mission FORward and bring transformation to lives, churches, and cities FOR the least, FOR the lost, FORward in mission.

And today only — your gift goes twice as far. A generous donor is matching every gift up to $20,000, doubling your impact for the sake of the Gospel.

And the impact? It’s already happening.

In Zimbabwe, God is opening doors that no one expected — even behind prison walls. Through CFCI’s ministry in partnership with Abundant Life program, inmates are discovering freedom in Christ.

Base Director Mubaiwa Mangwende shared, “To hear an inmate sentenced for murder confess that he is forgiven in Christ — this has been one of the most powerful moments I have witnessed.”

Since the program began, all inmates engage with their Bibles, reading and highlighting Scriptures that reveal who we are in Christ. Through this process, 35 inmates have chosen to follow Jesus. Those same Bibles are now making their way into rural communities — even crossing borders into Kenya and Zambia — spreading God’s truth far beyond prison walls.

“I was in prison and you came to me…” (Matthew 25:36)

This is what your Giving Tuesday gift makes possible. And with today’s match, your generosity reaches even further. This is your moment to join believers across the world who are giving to see lives transformed.

Don’t let today pass by without being part of the movement.

GIVE NOW

Thank you for jumping in, taking action, and helping move the mission FORward — and into the lives of those who need hope, healing, and the love of Christ.

With gratitude,

Jake Hjemvick
President

November 25, 2025November 25, 2025

Grateful for YOU this Thanksgiving

Whether you’re gathering around a Thanksgiving table this week, enjoying your favorite seasonal food (pumpkin pie? mashed potatoes? or that controversial dish only a few people love 😄), or you live in a place where this isn’t a national holiday at all—we want to pause and say something important:

We are deeply grateful for you.

Your prayers, generosity, and commitment help carry the love of Jesus into cities and communities around the world. Because of you, people are finding hope, hearing the Gospel, experiencing healing, and stepping into the fullness of who God created them to be.

From our entire CFCI family: Thank you for the life-changing role you play in God’s mission.

Whether this week looks like a full table, a quiet moment, or a normal Thursday where you live—may you feel God’s goodness, presence, and abundant love.

Happy Thanksgiving,

Christ For the City International

November 18, 2025November 24, 2025

Bringing Light, One Stitch at a Time

At the YEELEN (“Brightness”) Women’s Sewing and Tailoring Center in Mali, light is shining—one stitch at a time.

What began as a small group of women learning sewing skills has blossomed into a program that’s changing lives—spiritually, emotionally, and economically. Over six months, participants learn not only tailoring but also literacy, Bible stories, and Trauma Healing lessons. Each module has its own teacher, creating a supportive space where women can grow, learn, and thrive.

On November 10, 2025, the center welcomed its third class of 30 women and girls—all eager to work hard and build a better future. “They were all happy to have been selected to participate in the activities,” shared Amos Dembele, CFCI Mali’s base director. “These vulnerable women are working hard to succeed in life.”

This class includes more than eight Muslim women, a sign that the center’s reputation for compassion and empowerment continues to spread throughout the community. “We pray to the Lord for their lives,” Amos said, “that they may truly know Jesus Christ before the end of the program.”

Every woman who joins YEELEN receives more than practical skills—she’s given dignity, hope, and the message of Christ’s love. Graduates receive a Bible, symbolizing how the program weaves together faith and opportunity.

Yet even as the new class begins, many women are still waiting for a chance to join. Space is limited, but the desire to learn and grow is overflowing. “Through this program, we truly want to reach the hearts of these women for Christ,” Amos shared. “We ask for your prayers—and your continued support—so that other sisters can benefit.”

At YEELEN—the place of brightness—light continues to spread across Mali. And you are part of that story. Every gift, every prayer, every act of partnership shines light into new corners of women’s lives—equipping them to transform their families and communities from within.

Your gift to the Mali base makes it possible for more women to learn, grow, and shine with the hope of Christ.

➡️ Help the light keep spreading – Give to Mali!

November 4, 2025November 4, 2025

Moving FORward — together, for the least and the lost

It’s hard to believe—but this year marks 30 years of ministry for Christ For the City International.

Thirty years of seeing God transform lives and cities.
Thirty years of people saying “yes” to His call.
Thirty years of watching Him take ordinary steps of faith and turn them into extraordinary impact.

And here’s the best part: He’s just getting started.

That’s why we’re moving FORward.

FOR the least.
FOR the lost.
FORward in mission.

Isaiah 58:10 says, “If you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday.”

Over the next two months, our goal is to raise $100,000 — to fuel missionaries, equip discipleship, strengthen churches, and bring God’s love to the places where transformation is most needed.

🎥 Watch this short message from me — and see how you can move FORward with us.

You may not be packing your bags for the mission field, but your partnership makes this possible. Will you join us?

➡️ Give today and help move FORward with us!

Thank you for walking with us, praying for us, giving to us, and believing in us. Together, we are moving FORward in God’s mission carrying God’s love into every city, every church, every life.

With gratitude,

Jake Hjemvick
President

November 4, 2025November 4, 2025

Unlocking Creativity and Hope in Zimbabwe

In Zimbabwe, women are discovering that creativity can be the key to independence—and to hope.

Through Christ For the City International’s Cosmetics and Detergents Training Program, women learn how to make products such as perfumes, air fresheners, detergents, laundry soap, and skincare items. The program focuses on empowering less privileged women, single mothers, widows, and those living with disabilities—offering them practical skills to build sustainable businesses in a challenging economy.

As they create, their creativity and confidence are being unlocked. They’re beginning to dream up possibilities beyond their circumstances.

Take Lisa, for example. A single mother of two, she learned to make hair dye and perfumes. She’s now saving to start her own company and hopes to expand into jewelry making.

“This has been quiet the opportunity for me and I hope to go very far in life,” Lisa said.

Chido began with perfume making, and her growing confidence has inspired her to start a chicken farming project to further support her family.

Mandile, who is expecting a baby, registered her own company—Whisker Sleek—to sell her line of hair products.

And Anna, a single mother of two, now supports her children entirely through her small business.

Even Beauty, who lives with a disability, is using the skills she learned to care for herself and cover her medical bills.

“These women are being empowered to live in this hard economy,” said Mubaiwa, CFCI Zimbabwe’s base director. “They’re learning to take care of themselves and their families.”

Each product they make tells a story of resilience, creativity, and transformation—proof that when opportunity meets faith, hope begins to grow.

You can be part of this empowering, encouraging, and eternal work happening in Zimbabwe and at our 16 other bases around the world.

Be part of empowering women like Lisa—give today.

October 21, 2025October 21, 2025

She gave her life to Christ—because a teenager prayed

It all started with a prayer.

Students in House Church’s youth ministry began asking if they could go on a mission trip. Together with their leaders, they prayed specifically for God to open the door to a Spanish-speaking country. The Dominican Republic, Cuba, El Salvador, Costa Rica—all were on the list.

Then came confirmation. A new friend—unaware of their prayers—began talking about his partnership with Christ For the City in Costa Rica. The church was barely two and a half years old, but they knew God was leading. They said yes.

That’s how four adults and twelve high school students, ages 13–18, found themselves serving with CFCI in San José. Their days were full—VBS, sports ministry, crafts, worship, street walks, food distribution, prayer, testimonies, and worship gatherings. Their evenings were filled with stories of how God was moving.

One unforgettable moment happened in Tirrases. While the team walked the streets, one student felt the Spirit urging him to stop and pray with a young mom caring for three children. She gave her life to Christ on the spot. Days later, her mother passed away. The team attended the wake, where Enrique, a CFCI leader, shared the news of her decision to follow Jesus. Because one student obeyed, the gospel was proclaimed to an entire family in the middle of their grief.

For Pastor Jordan Fuller, the trip was not only life-giving for his students but deeply transformational for him as a leader.

“I realized that trying to ‘do it all’ can actually rob others of the chance to be used by God,” Jordan said. “Watching Him work through our students grew my faith tremendously.”

The impact of the trip went far beyond Costa Rica. Just weeks later, tragedy struck when a student in their youth ministry passed away unexpectedly.

“The grief was devastating,” Jordan said. “But because of what we had just experienced in Costa Rica, our faith was stronger, our unity was deeper, and our hope in Christ was unshaken. God poured into us there so we could pour His love out here, even in the midst of grief.”

House Church’s trip is a powerful reminder: when you go, God not only works through you but also prepares you for what’s ahead.

Is God calling you to take that step?

➡️ Learn more about Global Teams and other opportunities to go!

October 15, 2025November 12, 2025

What Could A Bigger Classroom in Mali Do?

At our Mali base, women aren’t just learning to sew—they’re discovering independence, confidence, and hope! Our six-month program combines sewing with literacy, Bible stories, and Trauma Healing lessons. Every module has its own teacher, and together they create a space where women can grow, learn, and thrive.

The results are life-changing. One participant shared that before the program, arguments about family expenses were a constant struggle because her husband handled everything. Now, she’s contributing financially and helping her family thrive.

“The program allows you to be autonomous,” says Amos Dembele, our Mali base director.

The excitement keeps building. The last class included five Muslim women, and the next session will welcome around 20 participants! Churches in the area help select students, but space is tight—and there are many women still waiting for a chance to join.

At the start of November, a new class kicks off. And here’s the thing: with a bigger space, we could welcome even more women and give them the tools they need to transform their families and communities. Imagine how many lives could be changed with just a little extra room!

Each graduate also receives a Bible, symbolizing the way this program blends practical skills with spiritual growth.

You can be part of this transformation. Your gift can help us expand the Mali program, giving more women the opportunity to learn, grow, and shine.

GIVE TO MALI!

Let’s stitch hope, confidence, and transformation—together!

September 9, 2025September 29, 2025

Expect the Unexpected: Jenna’s Story from El Salvador

When Jenna signed up for her first-ever mission trip with Christ For the City International, she wasn’t sure what to expect. She imagined long days of dusty roads and constant spiritual mountaintops—but what she experienced was far deeper, and far more life-changing.

From the very beginning, God began surprising her. At a small school in the mountains, Jenna and her team were greeted by over a hundred children whose joy and affection overflowed before the first game even began.

“They just started bouncing around giving us all hugs, and my heart exploded,” Jenna recalls.

That moment, and so many others, became an unforgettable reminder of God’s love breaking through in simple yet powerful ways.

But it was on a small island off the coast of El Salvador where Jenna’s heart was changed forever. As the team delivered bags of food and prayed for families living in houses made of dirt floors and tin roofs, she saw something unexpected: joy.

“I thought they were missing out on things I had in life,” Jenna said. “But I realized they had something I didn’t fully have—unshakable faith and joy that transcended circumstances.”

That realization shifted her perspective. These families, though lacking clean water or electricity, overflowed with gratitude—not just for food, but for the prayers and presence of people they had never met. Their lives displayed what it means to depend completely on God, and their eyes shined with a light that Jenna says she will never forget.

Of course, the trip also came with challenges—long days, little sleep, last-minute changes, even racing through thunderstorms and nearly missing flights. But through it all, Jenna says, Jesus was present, moving, and teaching her to listen to His voice in new ways.

Her biggest takeaway? Expect the unexpected.

“God used the people of El Salvador to touch my heart as much as He used me to touch theirs,” Jenna said. “He was with us in every moment, and He was leading us.”

FIND YOUR PLACE IN THE MISSION

September 2, 2025August 27, 2025

From Urban Plunge to Global Ambassador: Adalee’s Next Step

When Adalee first heard about Christ For the City International’s Global Ambassador program, she knew it was the right next step. Having grown up connected to CFCI—her parents serve with the ministry, and she herself is involved with Urban Plunge—Adalee longed to serve on a mission trip that went deeper than just one week. The Global Ambassador program offered exactly that.

Her time in El Salvador can be summed up in one word: life-changing.

Each day began early, often before sunrise, as she and her teammate walked to the nearby school or headed out to other ministry projects. Whether teaching, serving alongside local leaders, or helping at the church, Adalee found joy in the rhythms of daily mission life.

“Lunch was always cooked for us and never fell short of delicious,” she remembers.

Evenings ended with family calls, shared meals, and an early bedtime to prepare for another full day of service.

But what stood out most weren’t the routines—it was the relationships. Two second-grade girls at the school ran to hug Adalee and her teammate every chance they got.

“Those hugs were some of my favorite parts of the day,” she shared.

Through this season, Adalee discovered newfound confidence in living independently and gained clarity on the path God is leading her into. She also witnessed the contagious joy of children who, despite difficult circumstances, overflowed with laughter, play, and love.

Her advice for anyone considering becoming a Global Ambassador?

Go with a friend—sharing the experience makes it even more meaningful.
Be flexible—plans will change, and that’s part of the adventure.
Don’t let language be a barrier—sometimes love is best spoken through actions.

When asked if she would go again, her response was immediate: “YES! I know that I will be going again and that I’m called to the nations. This is only the beginning of the plans the Lord has for me.”

FIND YOUR PLACE IN THE MISSION

August 26, 2025September 29, 2025

From Texas A&M to El Salvador: Why John says “Go for it now”

When John walked across the graduation stage at Texas A&M, he knew exactly what he wanted to do before stepping into his professional career: serve the Lord internationally.

“I told CFCI I wanted to work a construction job in another country and I only had a few weeks to do so,” John said. “They took care of the rest.”

With a background in homebuilding, tugboat work, and construction projects, John found himself in El Salvador alongside his friend Jacob—working hard by day, exploring and building friendships by night.

Some of his favorite memories?

Driving up a mountain in the back of a truck with El Salvadorian friends while it poured rain.
Worshipping God in another language for the first time.
Experiencing incredible kindness and generosity from the entire community.

“We woke up, read the Bible, worked until evening, and spent our free time talking, reading, or exploring,” John shared. “It was a great opportunity to grow in my faith alongside Jacob. Everyone we met made us feel so welcome—we built friendships that will last.”

His advice for anyone thinking about a mission trip? “Go for it now. You will not get opportunities to do this later in life.”

Lord willing, John plans to return to El Salvador in 2026—this time bringing more Aggies with him.

Maybe the next person to take that step will be you.

Or maybe you know a college student hungry for adventure, a high school youth group ready to make an impact, or a friend who’s been praying about missions but doesn’t know where to start.

Whether it’s Urban Plunge, Global Teams, Global Ambassadors, or even supporting the work financially, you’ll find a place to step into God’s mission.

➡️ Your mission is out there. Let’s GO find it.