When Christians read reports from nations in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia some may wonder why missionaries have not reached out to the unreached long ago. We can easily operate on a false assumption that the current number of unreached and underserved is an indicator of the past failure of others to go and…
WILLS POINT, TX The last Sunday in January is set aside to observe World Leprosy Day. Gospel for Asia (GFA) has released a Special Report examining the problem of leprosy. Across the globe, leprosy charities and partners join together to raise awareness of this disease that many people believe to be extinct, when in fact…
World Leprosy Day: Gospel for Asia-supported workers’ hands-on care for sufferers brings practical help and spiritual hope to those still marginalized by long-feared disease. WILLS POINT, Texas — Gospel for Asia (GFA) is spotlighting its efforts to bridge the historic social gulf caused by the disfiguring disease that leaves sufferers disadvantaged and often despised—one outstretched arm…
CANBERRA – Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison published an open letter this week to “Australians of all faiths.” The catalyst for the letter is the parliamentary debate on freedom of religion versus discrimination against sexual orientation in religious schools and institutions. A Missions Box report published on October 17, 2018, asked the question, “Australia: Can…
GAFFNEY, SC – The closure, censure, and prohibition of churches, whether as congregations or as church buildings has become a regular theme in news from countries around the world. It is reasonable to expect the trend to continue and, eventually, to overflow into the home of the free and the brave. This writer, having once…
FOREST, VA — Every night, thousands of girls in the beach resort town of Pattaya, Thailand, go to work in the city’s red-light districts. Some of them have been taken there from their rural homes and sold into the sex industry against their will. Most of them have no other choice — poverty has prevented them…
SANTA ANA, CA – According to its website, “For over 60 years, Open Doors has worked in the world’s most oppressive countries, empowering Christians who are persecuted for their beliefs. Open Doors equips persecuted Christians in more than 60 countries through programs like Bible & Gospel Development, Women & Children Advancement, and Christian Community Restoration.”…
Contrary to popular belief among many Americans, radio is not a relic of the past. Once again, we are victims of our own isolation and our preoccupation with the ever-emerging technologies that seem to have relegated radio to the recollection of retirees. Then, there is the virtual demise of the once ubiquitous Radio Shack. The…
MANAGUA – Chosen Children Ministries is a faith-based, non-profit organization focused on reaching families and communities in Nicaragua. Its methodology is unique in that the organization has field staff in two locations within the country through which it utilizes teams of volunteers from evangelical churches, schools, universities, and businesses to expand its outreach. Because Nicaragua…
WASHINGTON — The 46th annual March for Life Rally, which marks the anniversary of the 1973 Supreme Court Roe v. Wade abortion opinion, will be held on January 18, 2019 in Washington, D.C. This year’s March for Life theme is “Unique from Day One” and conveys the message that each life begins at conception. The…
A Special Report published in February 2018 by Gospel for Asia (GFA) revealed that more than 40 million people around the world are currently living in some form of slavery. The report added that 25 million of those are enslaved in Asia and the Pacific. Seeking Justice and Defending Human Rights Wherever Poverty and Oppression…
FOREST, VA — For nearly four years, Yemen has been embroiled in a civil war that has led to one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises and famines. World Help is one of the humanitarian groups responding to this crisis. Working with local partners, the organization is providing food and emergency supplies to Yemeni families….
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the leading cause of death in the world in 2018 claimed the lives of 42 million people. That’s more than the number who died from cancer, malaria, HIV/AIDS, smoking, alcohol, and traffic accidents combined. Worldometers estimates that there was a total of 59 million deaths globally during the…
KERALA – In an event unprecedented in India’s history, five million women gathered in a single line along a 385-mile stretch of National Highway 66 on January 1, 2019. The focal point of “the women’s wall” was a response to being prevented from entering the Sabarimala temple even after the supreme court ruled that women…
HENAN PROVINCE – On November 30, 2018, Chinese communist authorities ordered a church in Henan Province to remove its display of the first commandment of the Ten Commandments. The directive came during a regular inspection of a church affiliated with the government-approved Three-Self church movement. Freedom of religion in China has been a consistent and…
For many Americans, Christmas is the “most wonderful time of the year” — but that’s not the reality for millions of refugees living in overcrowded displacement camps across the Middle East. Vernon Brewer, founder and CEO of the Christian humanitarian organization World Help, recently traveled to refugee camps near the Jordan-Syria border to deliver aid…
It has been said that Americans think everyone in the world has access to a copy of the Bible. It would be nice if everyone did. The truth is that millions of people have no access to Bibles—the most important thing they need. One of the first lessons that the Lord taught the children of…
Missions Box News recently published a report about GFA-supported pastors and missionaries who had visited an orphanage in which all 28 boys have lost their parents to AIDS and are themselves infected with the dread disease. The pastors and missionaries undertook this effort to assist and encourage the boys and educate them about the HIV…
LONDON – Great Britain’s Foreign Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, ordered a review today into the escalation of persecution of Christians around the world. Current estimates are that 250 Christians die every month as a result of persecution-related violence. The aim of the reviews is to determine what the UK can do aid what is now more…
CHENGDU – Last week Chinese authorities detained Pastor Wang Yi and 100 members of the Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu, Szechuan, China.Bob Fu, the president of ChinaAid, said that “the massive overnight attack . . . represents a major escalation of religious persecution in China.”Former U.S. Senator and current U.S. Ambassador at Large for…
LONDON – Sadiq Khan is the Mayor of London, England. He had been a Member of Parliament since 2005. He is also a devout Muslim. However, whether politically motivated or out of sincerity, he has proven to be kind to Christians. Just a few days ago on December 16th, he addressed a crowd of 10,000…
MOZAMBIQUE – When a young African boy saw the unguarded cell phone, he knew it might be his only chance to ever have one. It is doubtful that he even knew how to use one. Imagine his surprise when he played with the buttons and discovered that what he had taken was not a cell…
WILLS POINT, TX – It is important for Christians to understand the concepts of human rights and social justice from the popular global perspective and in the light of the Word of God. It is, in fact, our responsibility to do so because the popular worldview and the Biblical worldview are not the same. The…
OSLO – Dr. Denis Mukwege, a Christian doctor from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) was named a co-recipient of the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize earlier this week. Dr. Mukwege is a world-renowned gynecologist who specializes in treating the survivors of sexual violence within war-torn regions like his own beloved DRC. Mukwege is the son…
WILLS POINT, TEXAS – World Toilet Day was November 19, and the chances that you celebrated the day are probably quite slim. Neither is it likely that you even discussed the matter at the dinner table that day or three days later on Thanksgiving—even though having functioning toilets is something that the Western world should…
‘Forgotten Christmas’ Campaign Helps Raise Struggling Families Above Poverty Line in AsiaWILLS POINT, Texas—As holiday shopping in the United States is predicted to top $1 trillion this year, Gospel for Asia (GFA) is urging Christians in the West to make the season more Christ-centered by adding someone they don’t know to their gift list. GFA’s…
Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, Until [these] calamities have passed by. KERALA – When we hear the words typhoon, cyclone, or hurricane our first reaction is a heightened awareness of potential danger….
KINSHASA – The current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has escalated into the second largest in history. The outbreak that started in August is known to have infected more than 425 people and has been fatal to nearly 250 to date. The incidence of Ebola cases has more than doubled since…
MUMBAI – The supply of clean water is a world-wide issue. Access to and availability of clean water is so common to American households that we rarely think about it. Turn on the tap. Out flows safe, clean, potable water. Even when Gospel for Asia (GFA) and other NGOs explain the need for clean drinking water…
WASHINGTON – On November 15, 2018, the American Law and Justice Center (ACLJ) published a petition to release John Cao, a U.S. pastor imprisoned in China on fabricated organizing illegal border crossing charges. Cao, whose family resides in North Carolina, was arrested by Chinese officials in March 2017 as he crossed the border between Myanmar…
Gospel for Asia Believes Alleviating Poverty Starts at School Wills Point, TX — As the world “goes blue” to mark World Children’s Day (Nov. 20) Gospel for Asia (GFA) is bringing attention to another color in its efforts to improve the lives of children at risk—the red line of poverty. The organization spotlights the desperate…
It’s that time of the year when Americans celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday, so let’s slow down, take a breath, and consider what Thanksgiving means. Let’s start with what it is not. It is not ‘Turkey Day.’ Nor is it about going over the river and through the wood to grandmother’s house for pumpkin pie. Nor…
LONDON – The Thomson Reuters Foundation presented its annual Stop Slavery Award to a company that has been previously criticized for partnering with offshore suppliers who employed underage workers and used employment tactics that fall under the definition of slavery and human trafficking. The award was presented to tech giant Apple, not because of the…
DELHI – Countless families in Asia have little or no insulation or indoor heating. Those who sleep on the streets are even more exposed to the cold. Blankets provide comfort and protection and serve as tangible expressions of Christ’s love. It is estimated that more than 100,000 men, women, and children sleep on the streets…
SHANGHAI – Channel NewsAsia has reported that African swine fever has spread rapidly to more than half of China’s provinces despite measures to contain it. A joint statement was issued by the ministries of agriculture, transport, and public security on Wednesday, November 14, 2018, stating that: The African swine fever prevention and control situation is…
![Manual scavenging refers to the practice of manually cleaning, carrying, disposing or handling in any manner, human excreta from dry latrines and sewers. It often involves using the most basic of tools such as buckets, brooms, and baskets . . . Manual scavengers are amongst the poorest and most disadvantaged [people].](https://missionsbox.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/The-Scandal-of-Manual-Scavengers-230x300.jpg)
DELHI – If “manual scavenging” sounds like it might be a fun game like a scavenger hunt, think again. Manual scavenging is a scandalous practice prevalent in South Asia even though it is illegal. According to the United Nations in India, Manual scavenging refers to the practice of manually cleaning, carrying, disposing or handling in…
The 410 Bridge is in Alpharetta, Georgia, a few miles north of Atlanta. However, if you were to look at a map of the area, you might be surprised to find that you can’t find a highway number 410. No highway, no bridge, right? Wrong. There is a 410 Bridge. Not a physical bridge leading…
Word and Deed: Serving God, Bridging Communities, Renewing LivesTHOMAS, ONTARIO – Word and Deed is a registered non-profit organization whose mission is based on the Bible directive found in Colossians 3:17 – “And whatever you do in word or deed, [do] all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father…
WILLS POINT, TEXAS – There is nothing scary about the bricks in Will Point, Texas. The main street has been lined with them since the 1920s. But every year, as it nears Halloween, the brick streets turn into a small community event called BOO on the Bricks, where children—and adults—can dress, get candy and learn…
RUKBAN – Situated at the far northeastern corner of the border berm between Syria and Lebanon, Rukban is an arid desert site that is home to more than 50,000 Syrian refugees. Heart for Lebanon, a faith-based NGO headquartered in Black Mountain, North Carolina, is committed to helping refugees in Lebanon in what the United Nations…
Nueva Version International translation in partnership with Streetlights to feature in creative presentation of God’s Word for contemporary audience COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Biblica, the International Bible Society (www.biblica.com), is partnering with a multi-media urban ministry team to share the Bible’s unchanging, relevant truth in an innovative way. Biblica is pleased to bring its Spanish-language…
gosNEW YORK – The Asian and Pacific regions are home to more than 50 percent of the world’s undernourished children. According to a new report issued this week by four separate United Nations agencies, the two regions will suffer “colossal human loss” if the countries there “do not recommit themselves to ending all forms of…
The southern Indian state of Kerala was hit with severe rainstorms in August 2018, resulting in devastating floods. Thousands were driven from their homes. Hundreds lost their lives. Since the beginning, charities and NGOs have been at the forefront, running flood relief camps, donating resources, and raising money. The return to normalcy is still ongoing….
SANAA, Yemen – In yet another of the seemingly endless reports of human suffering around the globe, Mark Lowcock, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, told the United Nations Yemen is in imminent danger of country-wide famine. Over 14 million Yemeni people who already have barely enough food to survive are about…
KOLKATA – The International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC) released a 138-page report on October 21, 2018, entitled, “Taking stock: A decade of drug policy.” The report used data supplied by the United Nations compiled to evaluate its progress of its 2009 Political Declaration and Plan of Action on Drugs. The news on drugs is not…
One WEDEW unit can produce 2,000 liters of water per day Welcome to the first of a regular series of news articles to be published by Missions Box News (MBN) on the subject of clean, safe-to-drink water and clean water scarcity worldwide. It is part of a metamorphosis at Missions Box News to raise awareness on…
World Missionary Press: Free Scripture Booklets for the WorldMissions Box News was established by Gospel for Asia (GFA) to “highlight the good works of nonprofits from around the world.” Most often we do that by reporting news “that pertains to the hardships of living in this world” to show the needs of people burdened by poverty…
Gospel for Asia (GFA World) is a nonprofit founded in 1979 committed to serving “the least of these” in Asia. GFA supports national field workers who in turn bring the love of Christ to those living in rural and under-served areas. Whether it’s providing the opportunity for a brighter future for a child in Asia…
FOREST, Va. — Since mid-April, Nicaragua has been embroiled in a civil conflict that has left hundreds dead, thousands wounded and countless missing. But the unrest hasn’t stopped World Help from launching relief efforts to help the people of Nicaragua. Working with local partners, the Christian humanitarian organization aims to provide food supplies and medical…
Global Focus Shines a Light on Group’s Efforts to Equip Girls for a Brighter Future WILLS POINT, Texas — This year’s focus of the United Nations’ annual International Day of the Girl Child, emphasizing the need for better educational opportunities for girls under the theme “With Her: A Skilled Girl Force,” brings a spotlight to…
