NEW DELHI – Indian Prime Minister Modi launched the Swachh Bharat Mission in 2014 to overcome “the poor sanitation and related health concerns [that] have remained a major problem in India since the country’s independence 70 years ago.” and move India toward sustainable ODF. One of the essential and fundamental elements of the Swachh Bharat…
“Blessed is he who considers the poor.” – Psalm 40:17 Wills Point, Texas – GFA (Gospel for Asia) – Discussing the scandals of poverty. Nearly everything about poverty is scandalous. The United Nations Millennium Goals include the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger. Faith-based organizations and other NGO’s, major businesses, and UN member states have…
Wills Point, Texas – GFA (Gospel for Asia) – Discussing the Missing Women Quandary on Mother’s Day by Karen Mains I have decided that Mother’s Day has the potential to make as many women unhappy as it does to make them feel loved and revered. This realization hit me early in my marriage when I…
NEW DELHI – The Press Information Bureau of the Government of India issued separate press releases today concerning the status of the nation’s water supply and its continuing efforts and progress in its campaign for clean water, to provide and maintain clean water nationwide in India. In a nation the size of India, achieving the…
ASUNCION – Paraguay has become the sixth nation to indicate plans to move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. It is the fifth country to do so since U.S. President Trump publicly recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in December 2017. Paraguay’s President Horacio Cartes announced the plans to move the country’s embassy sometime before his…
NEW DELHI – As the world moves on to other matters following World Water Day, the World Water Forum, and Cape Town’s postponement of ‘Day Zero’ until 2019, a global water crisis continues, nonetheless. A crisis already exists for many people in South Asia and there are indications that conditions could get worse before they…
WILLS POINT, Texas – It is no secret that the world is rife with problems ranging from terrorism and wars to hunger and health issues. Many of these and other problems spawn floods of refugees seeking safe harbor from potential harm. Many would consider making a successful journey to a safer place a success. However,…
Gospel for Asia (GFA World) Special Report on the worldwide issue of extreme poverty Written by Palmer Holt of InChrist Communications More than 80 years after George Orwell wrote in his classic Animal Farm that “all animals are equal, but some are more equal than others,” his barbed observation on disparity rings ever truer for…
The Scandal of Entrenched Paradigms Open defecation describes the practice of people eliminate their fecal waste in on the ground or in water or at any other place than a toilet or latrine facility designed for that purpose. No one has an accurate count of people who practice open defecation, but most authoritative sources agree…
New ideas, new ways are vital for greater impact, says organizer of online forum to be held in World Creativity and Innovation Week COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Nonprofits wanting to further their impact need to make themselves more open to new ideas and new ways of doing things, says the organizer of an online forum…
YANGON, Myanmar – The President of Myanmar granted amnesty to more than 8,500 people incarcerated in prisons around the county. The action was, in part, associated with an annual tradition in celebration of the Myanmar New Year. Among those being released are 51 foreigners, eight political detainees, and two Baptist pastors. The two pastors, Dumdaw…
Spanish-translation ministry and distributor welcomes ‘positive movements’ in serving country’s growing church COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Biblica, the International Bible Society, is looking forward to more opportunities to make desperately needed Bibles available in Cuba, despite a setback. Leaders of the Colorado Springs, Colo.-based ministry said that they hoped the return of a shipment of…
CAIRO – On 11 March 2018, Missions Box News reported that Egyptian government officials had granted licenses for 53 churches as a “first block” toward compliance with the legal requirements. The licensing mandate which had been proposed by the Housing Ministry became law in August 2016. Yesterday the Egyptian Cabinet approved the legalization of 166…
Regardless of economy, nations worldwide face need for better sources of clean water, providing opportunity to show God’s love and care: GFA (Gospel for Asia) article WILLS POINT, Texas—Best known for its work helping the underprivileged in poverty-stricken parts of the world, GFA (Gospel for Asia) is spotlighting a universal crisis that unites all nations:…
ASTANA, Kazakhstan – On March 30, 2018, the Center for the Study of Problems of Religion of the Religious Affairs Department of the West Kazakhstan Region has asked selected churches and religious communities to provide personal information regarding “all underage community members attending your religious association.” The Religious Affairs Department is a division of the…
KHARTOUM – A four-day visit to Sudan in 2015 by VOM missionary Petr Jasek turned into an unplanned 445-day sojourn in prison after the Czech Christian was arrested on charges of conspiring against the Sudanese government. Jasek, shared his experience last week at the McLean Bible Church in Vienna, Virginia. He told his audience that…
With the world facing a clean water crisis, technology companies, governments and NGOs are working to find ways to provide clean water for people in a place where clean water is either in short supply or non-existent. The United Nations even sponsors a World Water Day. While cutting-edge technology is trying exotic methods to capture…
Global Clean Water Crisis – a Special Report by Gospel for Asia (GFA World) Written By Karen Burton Mains The “Blue Marble” photo of Earth shot from Apollo 17, the last of NASA’s Apollo missions as the rocket ship was hurtling toward the moon, wasn’t the first satellite image of our planet, but it was the…
No one would disagree with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) that “Health is . . . essential to development. Good health improves learning, worker productivity, and income. As such, health contributes to economic growth.” There is a logic here. People must be healthy to be productive. Good personal and community health are necessary, not only…
Diarrhea. Just say the word out loud and watch people cringe. It is so sickening that no one wants to hear about it, let alone have it. One of America’s most trusted healthcare websites, WebMD, says, When you have diarrhea, your bowel movements (or stools) are loose and watery. It’s very common and usually not…
NAIROBI – Officials in Kenya are serious about cleaning up the country to make it a healthier place. This is especially true in the case of their campaign to become an Open Defecation Free (ODF)region. There are many ways to approach providing more sanitary conditions, but Kenya may be taking a couple of approaches that…
BEIJING – The People’s Republic of China released a white paper today entitled, “China’s Policies and Practices on Protecting Freedom of Religious Belief.” A title like that might encourage Christians about the prospects of sharing the Gospel in mainland China. However, this may be a classic example of not judging a white paper by its…
What if every day you turned on your faucet and risked becoming seriously ill from drinking the water? That is a question posed on the website of Water for Thirty Thousand. It is a question that needs to be asked of all of use in the Western world. We take water for granted whether it…
MOTIHARI – Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the featured speaker at the celebration of the close of the centennial celebration of Champaran Satyagraha on April 10 in Motihari. 20,000 Sanitation Ambassadors (Swachhagrahis) are expected to attend. Half of the ambassadors will be from Bihar. The other 10,000 will come as representatives of other states….
NEW YORK – April 4th is the United Nations’ International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action, which provides an opportunity for the world to reflect on both the progress made and the challenges that remain in clearing landmines and unexploded ordnance. The vision of the United Nations is a world free of…
Chinese president, Xi Jinping, got rid of term limits, the amount of time a person can spend in office, in the People Republic of China. Once this is in place, the president is able to stay in office as long as he wants. NPR reports, “The move represents a dramatic departure from rules that have…
NEW PARIS, Indiana – An entire container load filled with two million gospel booklets, pamphlets, and Gospel literature recently arrived in Argentina. The literature had been requested by an Argentinian pastor. The items had been supplied free of charge to the pastor and his ministry. He told World Missionary Press, the printer and provider, that…
Developing a broader awareness of various global water crises during the month of March has been prompted, in part, by the UN’s Annual World Water Day on March 22nd. Gospel for Asia has contributed several articles intended to bring attention to the drought in South Africa, the meeting of the World Water Forum in Brasilia,…
Several billion people around the world live without sufficient access to clean water. Over one billion people lack water supplies. Another 2.7 billion find water scarce for at least one month of the year. Read Gospel for Asia’s Special Report on The Global Clean Water Crisis here. A 2014 survey of the world’s 500 largest…
MUMBAI – March 24, 2018, is World Tuberculosis Day. TB is often misunderstood, not only by the public but also in the ability to accurately track. Therefore, myths abound among the populace and statistics are often misleading, even for the experts in the field, including the World Health Organization (WHO). This is especially true of…
American pastor Andrew Brunson has been in prison for 18 months in Turkey, accused of ties to an American terrorist. Pastor Brunson had been in Turkey for 20 years before his arrest, in which he was charged with plotting with terrorists for a coup, according to Fox News. He’s also been accused of helping a Kurdish…
Gospel for Asia (GFA World) Special Report on the global problem of violence against women Written By Michelle Jimenez, GFA Staff Writer Geeta, a mother of two, lived in the slums and struggled to put food on the table every day with the meager 20 rupees her husband gave her. That amount equaled less than…
Turkish Army Takes Afrin, Syria from Kurds AFRIN, Syria – Turkish forces have overtaken the Syrian town of Afrin, driving the Kurdish forces out. To most readers in the Western Hemisphere, this news has little relevance. Most us have no idea who’s who or what is where in the conflict in Syria. The situation for…
CAPE TOWN – Officials have deferred what was once considered the impending Day Zero for Cape Town water supplies from July 11th until an undetermined date in 2019. The news has left the public and much of the news media scratching their heads and wondering why. As far as anyone can tell, nothing has changed….
JOHANNESBURG – According to Times Live, “On Thursday in Johannesburg‚ Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi and SADC health ministers and ambassadors held an emergency high-level inter-ministerial meeting to discuss the world’s largest listeriosis outbreak that started in South Africa.” The ominous approach of Day Zero for the Cape Area of the country has reaped much more…
SHYMKENT, Kazakhstan – A Christian Kazak woman who had been charged with “illegal missionary activity” was acquitted on 13 March by the South Kazakhstan Regional Court. Her illegal activity? Showing another woman how to download a Bible app on her smartphone. The woman for whom she downloaded the app then file a complaint with the…
NALERIGU, Ghana – William Huan and his wife are missionaries working in the Mamprusi kingdom of Ghana. Not long after they arrived, they observed an unexpected spectacle. It was the annual Bugum Toobu fire-throwing festival. With drums beating and the rapport of guns shooting into the evening air, the king emerged with a flaming torch…
CHENNAI – President Ram Kath Kovind announced that India will begin soon offer vocational training services to more than 500,000 survivors of human trafficking. The program follows an anti-trafficking bill approved by the cabinet on February 28, 2018. Observers expect the bill to be easily passed by parliament. That bill includes measures that deal with…
BRASILIA – The World Water Conference opened this morning (March 19) in the capital city of Brazil. An estimated 40,000 people, including 15 heads of state, are expected to attend to discuss the growing crisis with the world’s water supplies. Thursday, March 22nd, is World Water Day. Brazilian President Michel Temer opened the conference with…
“Water is life, and clean water is health.” — Audrey Hepburn Clean, pure water. It really is the stuff of life. And it’s such a non-issue in the Western world. When you need a drink, you turn on the tap. But for millions of men, women and children living in India, access to clean water…
CAPE TOWN –The water crisis in South Africa continues unabated. Officials have declared a state of emergency, but that is, arguably, because of the danger not only to the citizens but also because of the rising and potential damage to the economy. Moody’s, the international credit rating agency, estimates agricultural production in the Western Cape…
For most who read this article, the thought of water evokes images in the mind of a thirst-quenching drink. If we spend a few minutes pondering the world of water, we might think about idyllic, picturesque lakes and streams. Some will think of water’s life-giving qualities. Those who are familiar with the Bible might reflect…
WILLS POINT, Texas – “Child marriage is one of the most worrisome problems in Asia. Boys and especially girls, who are supposed to play, learn and live a free life are married off at a very young age, and this not only affects their freedom but also takes a severe physical and mental toll on…
KERALA, India – The ability to access sources of clean water is a global problem. It is day-to-day problem for about 1.9 billion people. It is a problem that can become personal very quickly. From small villages to major metropolitan areas, water authorities also face the issue of how to provide access profitably. Although controlling…
NASHVILLE – Mohabat TV, the media arm of Heart4Iran, has received the highly-coveted 2018 International Impact Award from the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) at their annual convention in Nashville, Tennessee. Mohabat TV and Heart4Iran work in collaboration with more than 80 other ministries to spread the Gospel in the Middle East. The satellite TV network…
PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea – Prime Minister Peter O’Neill declared a state of emergency on 01 March after the remote highlands of Papua New Guinea were hit by a massive, 7.5 magnitude earthquake on 26 February. Aid workers from Australia, New Zealand, China, Israel, and other countries around the globe have been rushing to…
WILLS POINT, Texas – Gospel for Asia (GFA) has published an authoritative article about the seemingly endless global problem of violence against women. The euphemism of “domestic violence” used in America does not begin to describe the depth of persecution that women suffer in many other countries around the world. For many women, “the greatest…
Syrian Christians are part of one of the oldest churches in the world. They used to be one of the major political forces in Syria , until ISIS started coming after Christians because they believe in an all Islamic state, also known as a Caliphate. BBC explains, “The founder of the Baath Party, which has ruled…
Gospel for Asia (GFA World) Special Report on the Open Defecation Sanitation Crisis Written By Karen Burton Mains For much of my adult life, it has been my privilege to hang out with the “renegades” of Christian missions, that relief-and-development crowd that rushes to help during natural disasters, struggles to alleviate the suffering and abasement…
AHMEDABAD – The United Nations’ World Water Report for 2015 said, “Problems of poverty are, on most occasions, inextricably linked with those of water – its availability, its proximity, its quantity, and its quality.” Piramal Sarvajal is a mission-driven social enterprise dedicated designing, manufacturing and providing clean, safe sources of drinking water for communities across…
