WILLS POINT, TX — Few people knew George Verwer, legendary founder of Operation Mobilization (OM) who died April 14, in the same way as KP Yohannan, founder of GFA World, who first met Verwer at the age of 17. More than a half-century ago, Yohannan, the self-described “skinny village teenager,” responded to Verwer’s radical invitation…
SENEGAL, WEST AFRICA — It’s every parent’s joy to see their baby take their first steps. But for Binti and Ibrahima in Senegal, something troubled them about their daughter, Sira. She struggled to walk and stand. When Sira was six, her legs had bowed outwards.Her parents prayed for healing. One day, they heard of Mercy…
KOMANDA — Violence is continuing to displace Christians in the Democratic Republic of Congo – but believers have not been forgotten. Thanks to the charity Open Doors displaced Christians in Komanda have received food and other relief aid. Man: It’s clear that the displaced people suffer enormously. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, ADF, an…
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK — YouVersion and OneHope created the free Bible App for Kids in 2013 to encourage children to engage with God’s Word. Since then, the app has been installed by families in every country in the world. While it took seven years to reach the first 50 million installs, the app saw another…
SOUTH EAST ASIA — Jade* is an Open Doors worker who supports Muslim-background believers in a country in south east Asia. Tragically, she lost her fiancé in an attack on a church. But despite the tragedy, it’s because of his example that Jade herself came to enter the ministry. *Name changed for security reasons Jade…
UKRAINE —Samaritan’s Purse is providing warming centers in Ukraine where people can come to get warm, gain access to news, charge their phones, eat a hot meal, and find shelter during bombings. Ryan Lane – Samaritan’s Purse: Samaritan’s Purse is here in southeastern Ukraine, and indeed, all across the country, setting up warming centers like…
MEXICO — As migrants of many nations gather in improvised camps near the U.S. border, hope can come in the form of a solar-powered audio Bibles. American seminary students and church members visit a camp in Reynosa, Mexico, to deliver the Galcom devices, entertain the children, and bring comfort and aid to those fleeing conflict…
NORMAN OK — Revival is set to continue through a major stadium event to take place on Saturday, April 29 at the University of Oklahoma (OU) in Norman, Oklahoma OU students Josh Robinson and Nathan Wong started praying for revival many months ago. They formed a core team that has now grown to over 150…
AFGHANISTAN — Sitara* was already studying in a different country when the Taliban forcibly took control of Afghanistan in August 2021. Here she shares what life is like for the women who remain in Afghanistan. *Name changed for security reasons. Sitara* – Afghanistan Christian: Taliban took Afghanistan and everything changed, like the days changed to…
WILLS POINT, TX — Few people knew George Verwer, legendary founder of Operation Mobilization (OM), in the same way as KP Yohannan, founder of GFA World. From the earliest OM days in Asia, Yohannan recalls the unprecedented impact Verwer made on global evangelical missions over 60 years in the world’s hardest places. No One Tells…
ATLANTA — The death has been announced of George Verwer, who founded the global Christian mission agency, Operation Mobilization, and directed it for 45 years. He passed away peacefully with his family by his side at his home near London, England, the evening of April 14. He was 84 years old. Verwer was born in…
NASHVILLE — No child, no matter where they live, should have to face hunger and malnutrition. Unfortunately this is the tragic reality for millions of children around the world. In just two years, food insecurity has doubled to affect 276 million people. In 2021, 22% of children under age five experienced stunted development from malnutrition…
A good friend and well-known Christian theologian visited our work in Asia. He came to one of the leprosy colonies, filled with people who are in horrible pain and suffering. They are so alone, rejected by everyone, without any hope of relief. Then, he was invited to share something to those who had gathered, share…
BAKERSFIELD, CA — On Saturday, March 25, CityServe International officially launched CityServe Costa Rica in Carrillo Canton. In partnership with the Mission in Action Foundation, CityServe Costa Rica has hit the ground running with a robust plan to resource a network of local churches to help impoverished communities. CityServe Costa Rica opened with 8 containers…
WILLS POINT, TX — Mission agency GFA World (Gospel for Asia) now provides a water lifeline to nearly 40 million desperate people – a number roughly equal to the entire population of California. Globally, 663 million people lack clean water. Every year, around 500,000 people — including 360,000 children under the age of five —…
EAST AFRICA — Munah* is a young woman from east Africa and one of only a handful of Christians in her strictly Muslim tribe. Her family’s choice to forsake the beliefs and practices of their people group came at the considerable cost of isolation.But an Open Doors trauma care programme is helping her in healing…
COSTA RICA — During a full week of activities, the Luis Palau Evangelistic Association was able to reach various levels of Costa Rican society with a message of hope in Jesus. Prisoners, business executives, politicians, women, children, youth and adults had an opportunity to receive encouragement and redemption from God. More than 100,000 people crowded…
LOVES PARK, IL — Courageous pastors, some wearing bulletproof vests, are risking everything to deliver life-saving aid to desperate people living near the frontline of the war in Ukraine. “Jesus used to go where there was pain, where it was difficult, where people needed him,” said armor-wearing Pastor Vlad, as he and church members distributed food…
KYIV, UKRAINE — In February, KJMC (Kyiv Jewish Messianic Congregation) hosted a course called “Beyond Disaster” which was attended by almost 250 people. For them, it was an opportunity to receive professional help and support, comfort, as well as to find new friends. The course was created to provide practical help for people who experienced…
WILLS POINT, TX – Water shouldn’t have a distinct red color when pulled from a well—but that’s exactly what thousands of impoverished families see when they go to draw water. Water shouldn’t make you sick—but that’s exactly the threat thousands of poverty-stricken people face from their only available source of drinking water. A Global Water…
WILLS POINT, TX — Mission agency Gospel for Asia (GFA World) is challenging people to “pray tenaciously for the world’s vulnerable women like never before” — including the more than 250,000 women and girls who’ve disappeared without a trace in the U.S. As the annual International Women’s Day takes place in March, the Federal Bureau of…
MALAWI —Hours and even minutes are crucial when it comes to cholera. Without timely treatment, this disease can quickly claim the lives of children and adults. In the southern African nation of Malawi, more than 45,000 people have come down with this life-threatening illness in recent months, and sadly, over 1,500 of these patients did…
TURKEY — When Sahar became a Christian in Iran, she lost everything – her husband, her children and her freedom. But she never let go of God, and now she lives in Turkey, ministering to women who are going through similar situations for their faith. *Name changed for security purposes. Sahar* – Iranian Christian: I…
LOVES PARK, IL — Thousands of abandoned and unwanted orphans in orphanages across Russia, Ukraine and the former Soviet countries are highly vulnerable to recruitment by organized crime groups, a U.S. mission agency says. “When children turn 18 they age out of the orphanages and have to fend for themselves,” said Michael Johnson, president of…
SENEGAL, WEST AFRICA — Two Oxford consultants carried out the first ever surgery onboard the world’s first purpose-built charity hospital ship, the Global Mercy, in West Africa March 6th. Rachel Buckingham and Andrew Wainwright, both consultant paediatric orthopaedic surgeons at the Oxford University Hospitals Trust in England, are volunteering in Senegal for international charity Mercy…
WILLS POINT, TX — Mission agency GFA World (Gospel for Asia) is helping to provide vital aid to traumatized survivors of the massive earthquake and aftershocks in Turkey, as the number of deaths now stands at more than 47,000. “Right now, Gospel for Asia (GFA World) is working with our partners to bring relief to the…
COLORADO SPRINGS— YWAM Emerge’s aquaponics program, located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, is creating a global model that is being replicated throughout the world. The program helps local ministries to generate income and a healthy food source that is sustainable and reproducible. Josh Emhoff – director of YWAM Emerge: When my wife and I decided to…
DETROIT — Embrace the Truth has launched “Deliberations,” its third podcast and YouTube show hosted by founder, apologist and attorney Abdu Murray. “Deliberations” is a live Q+A-style companion podcast to Murray’s “All Rise,” which tackles tough objections to Christianity. In “All Rise,” Murray pulls from his extensive legal background, putting the claims for and objections…
BAKERSFIELD, CA — In coordination with No Child Hungry, CityServe International is helping provide meals and other essentials to those left homeless from the devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria last month. On March 4, at City of Destiny Church in Apopka, FL, CityServe will be working with volunteers to package meals provided by No…
KANSAS — Almost forty years ago, in 1986, a nuclear power plant located in north Ukraine was involved in an accident that was rated as a maximum severity level. The disaster, which resulted in the meltdown of a reactor core followed by a fire that raged for about a week, released radioactive contaminants into the…
KYIV, UKRAINE — Kyiv Jewish Messianic Congregation (KJMC) shares about its Hanukkah festival celebration, which is being celebrated by the Jewish community during a time of war and bombing. This year festival was filled with fantastic food, music, and dancing, creating a warm and joyful family atmosphere that is a special feature of Jewish festivals….
SYRIA — In a recent video interview, Pastor Ibrahim from Syria discussed the challenges his community has faced following a devastating earthquake. In the interview, he emphasized the importance of prioritizing prayer during difficult times and fostering a deep relationship with God. Pastor Ibrahim shared how his church is helping the victims of the earthquake…
GUADALAJARA, MEXICO — After many years of not being able to have children of their own, the Price family felt God was calling them to adopt children with disabilities. One of their many adopted children, Vicki Price, was a joy to all who met her, always smiling even though she lived with a debilitating disability.Her…
TORETSK, EAST UKRAINE — The reality of living with war means that with no electricity, heating or water in their apartments and constant explosions nearby many families are taking shelter underground in a basement in the city of Toretsk in East Ukraine.Mercy Projects team members spoke with a father and a young boy living underground…
LOVES PARK, IL — The war in Ukraine is accelerating an orphan crisis in the embattled nation and neighboring Russia, a U.S. mission agency says. Children are being swept up in the turmoil in Ukraine and taken to overcrowded orphanages miles away across borders, often separated from family members desperately searching for them, says Illinois-based…
IZIUM, EAST UKRAINE — Christian charity Mercy Projects is helping provide vital heating supplies to some of the most vulnerable people in East Ukraine who have been devastated by the war. Their team recently delivered wood burning stoves and clothing to people in the ‘forgotten city’ of Izium which had been under Russian occupation until…
WILLS POINT, TX – GFA World (Gospel for Asia) one of the largest global mission agencies now in both Africa and Asia, has seen significant growth in the reach of GFA Minute, its rebranded radio program – now on 250 radio stations across the U.S. The minute-long program features K.P. Yohannan, founder of Gospel for…
LAOS —Khamsay* and his wife Mali* were attacked by their family and community in rural Laos, who follow local traditions and beliefs. Khamsay has taken part in literacy training run by Open Doors – now that he can read the Bible, he has been strengthened in his faith which he is keen to share with…
MONGOLIA — Erdembayar, a boy in Mongolia, tired easily and couldn’t participate in physical activities with his friends. After he underwent heart surgery arranged by Samaritan’s Purse, he gained new energy and could actively play like other kids. More importantly, he and his mother both trusted Christ as their Savior. Now, Erdembayar wants to become…
SYRIA — Apo and Jina have featured in several years of Open Doors’ ongoing Hope for the Middle East campaign. Here, they share their experience of the earthquake and their hope for the future. Apo and Jina: I was sleeping on the bed next to my son. A mild earthquake started and then it got…
ALEPPO, SYRIA — After the earthquake struck Syria Open Doors partner Pastor Abdalla immediately opened up his church in Aleppo to provide help for the survivors. He shares what it was like the day of the disaster and how they are providing support to their community. Pastor Abdalla – Open Doors Partner in Aleppo, Syria:…
NORTHERN IRAQ — Samaritan’s Purse is helping internally displaced families in Iraq heal from the ongoing wounds of trauma caused by ISIS’ reign of terror. They’re addressing these painful realities by sponsoring trauma recovery classes for men, women, and children in multiple locations across Iraq. From Mosul Family Center on the central Nineveh Plains, to…
NIGERIA — More Christians are killed for their faith in Nigeria than in the rest of the world combined. Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) faces a vast humanitarian catastrophe, as a wave of religiously motivated violence nurtured in Nigeria has swept across the region, targeting Christian populations at an alarming rate in countries like Burkina Faso, Cameroon,…
NASHVILLE — Parents have new allies in “Growing Pains” star Kirk Cameron and parenting expert Mark Gregston. The duo announce a live simulcast event on February 18, 2023. This exclusive one-day event will provide parents across the country the opportunity to learn from two fathers who have dedicated their lives to making this world a…
LOS ANGELES — In honor of January being National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, PragerU has launched a “Protect Children’s Innocence” campaign to educate the public about the evils of exploitation and sexualization of children on a massive scale. Change starts with awareness. Child exploitation and trafficking are affecting millions of children all over…
UKRAINE — Elizabeth Groff praises God for the Operation Christmas Child shoebox gift she received while living in an orphanage in Ukraine. It softened her heart for the Gospel to take hold. Elizabeth Groff: When I was about one year old, my father was killed. After his passing my mom just really could not deal…
CENTRAL ASIA — Forty-year-old Abdulla*, his wife Nilufar* and their three children fled Afghanistan when the Taliban came to power in August 2021. Now living as a refugee in Central Asia, he shares his story about what life is like for Afghan people – and Christians – remaining in the country. *Name changed for security…
EASTON, MD — A U.S. organization focused on the Middle East and North Africa is casting the spotlight on what it calls the region’s top 5 “evolving crises” at the start of 2023. With the world’s gaze fixed on Ukraine-Russia and muscle-flexing in China, “seismic events unfolding in the Middle East are simply off the…
COLOMBIA — Thirty-year-old pastor John used to persecute Christians after joining a paramilitary group to seek revenge for his father’s death. But it was while John was serving time in the Colombian prison that he met Jesus – and his whole life changed. John – Colombia: “When I was not a Christian, I was one…
STONEY CREEK, ONTARIO — Every year GFA World and their mission partner, St Cyprian BEC, work together to bring beauty and light to their neighbourhood. One of the ways we do this is by turning three large evergreens into Christmas trees! On November 27 we held a Christmas Tree Lighting. At this event, the Christmas…
