Drew and Steph's team recently hosted a Simeon Trust preaching training on Ecclesiastes, involving dozens of men and four languages. Simultaneously, the local church where they lead worship has also been preaching through the book. Their conversations have focused on the book's main themes: the apparent meaninglessness of life/toil versus the call to fear God and enjoy His gifts. Drew's specific focus during the workshop was on how God creates beauty, joy, and reverence even within the seemingly endless cycles of time—a hope made stronger for Christians, whose labor is not in vain but yields eternal fruit in the resurrection. Praise God, Darius*, a dear local friend who came to faith six years ago and is now an elder in his church, recently got married. The wedding was a sweet time where the gospel was clearly proclaimed to many locals, and the fruit of many years of hard work in that city was on display. Also, Steph is close to finishing up two book projects, and they are beginning to distribute the first Advent devotional in the local language.
Andrew Hanna was sent out of Immanuel Community Church in 2021 along with his wife, Mary Margaret, and other members to plant Harvest Church. The Lord has answered many prayers, including: The two teenagers who were prayed for last time have been baptized and joined the church! Another teenager recently became interested in following Jesus and is reading through Mark with Andrew right now. They have also seen the arrival of many newly born Harvest babies—praise God for the healthy deliveries.
Harvest Church purchased the building that they had been praying for! They hope to be moved in by Easter 2026. They are having more unbelievers attend their services than ever before. In the midst of all this, Andrew is still trying to pastor and care for a growing congregation. This puts additional stress on Andrew because he is the only staff pastor.
The Immanuel Singles ministry desires to facilitate opportunities for unmarried saints to build community with others in a similar season and to encourage them to invest in deep relationships with those in different seasons of life. Why? We believe that God has uniquely equipped each Christian with particular gifts meant to build up the body of Christ. Therefore, we aim to encourage single Christians to exercise those vital gifts in the church, community, and their vocation for the glory of God.
Location:
UAE
Population:
2,620,000
Ev. Christian:
?%
Main Language:
Hindi
Spiritual Beliefs:
60% Hindu
Bible in Heart Language:
Yes
South Asians in the UAE constitute the largest ethnic group living in the country. The UAE has experienced a tremendous increase in the population of South Asians who work in petroleum, finance, and other industries.