Sri Lanka is facing their worst floods since 2003. In it, over 200 people have been killed. Per The Indian Express, “The death toll in Sri Lanka’s floods has climbed to 202 with 94 people still missing in the country’s worst torrential rains since 2003 that displaced nearly half a million people. The Disaster Management…
Photo by archer10 (Dennis) The new Thai King endorsed the 20th Constitution of Thailand in early April. Per Fox News, “King Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun endorsed the document in an elaborate ceremony at the Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall attended by senior members of the country’s military government as well as foreign diplomats.” The military had seized control…
Wed April 19, 2017 – Gospel for Asia Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported workers provide disease-prevention systems and lessons to improve health, offer hope in World Water Day effort WILLS POINT, Texas—Fresh water sources are freeing impoverished families in Asia from sickness and disease. GFA (Gospel for Asia)-supported workers dedicated new Jesus Wells in series of…
Photo by Unukalhai Venezuela used to be an oil-rich nation, but since Maduro took over, things have been going downhill. Fox News reports, “The once-wealthy oil producing nation has fallen on hard times since Nicolás Maduro took power following the death of socialist leader Hugo Chávez in 2013. A drop in global oil prices has…
Image by Gospel for Asia Farm animals can provide income to those who are in need. These animals may provide milk or their young may be sold for a price that will take care of the family. Either way, people may wonder why this kindness was shown to them and it provides opportunities for Christians…
CC BY-SA 3.0 President Jammeh, wouldn’t step down despite his defeat in Gambia’s election. According to CNN, “Jammeh, who took power in a 1994 military coup, suffered a surprise election defeat in December to Adama Barrow, who won 45% of the vote. Jammeh originally conceded the presidency, but then announced his ‘total rejection of the…
By Bernard Gagnon (Own work) Since the war hit Yemen, there has been a rising amount of poverty and malnutrition in the country. AP reports, “International agencies have classified Hodeidah among nine of Yemen’s 22 provinces that are a step away from famine. A U.N. report in June said that in Yemen, ‘the highest…
The Rohingya of Myanmar is one of the most persecuted group in the world. They have no home. Per Fox News, “Some 300,000 Rohingya Muslims have lived in Bangladesh for decades after fleeing there from neighboring Myanmar in the face of persecution by its military and majority Buddhists.” Many of the Rohingya are forced into…
By Mugchee On Sunday, February 19, six tornados touched down in San Antonio and Austin. According to KTRK, “At least six tornadoes hit parts of San Antonio and Austin area, damaging dozens of homes but causing no major injuries.” Not only was there tornadic activity, but also flooding in San Antonio. Fox 29 San Antonio…
CC BY-SA 3.0 Brexit, which is Britain splitting from the European Union, will include a close relationship with the EU. Per BBC, “The UK will withdraw from the single market and seek a new customs arrangement and a free trade agreement with the EU.” Immigrants are worried they will be deported from Britain because of…
PizarroContreras Chile is undergoing a water crisis due to the flooding there. This is located in the capital city of Santiago. The BBC reports, “Rainstorms and landslides in Chile have contaminated a major river forcing the authorities to cut off drinking water to at least four million people in the capital, Santiago.” These homes…
More than 700 million women living today entered into forced marriages as children under the age of 18, according to a landmark report by Save the Children called Every Last Girl. The current rate of marriage worldwide for girls under 15 is one every seven seconds. These teenaged and pre-teenaged girls are not falling in…
The World Health Organization (WHO) certified in September that the island nation of Sri Lanka off the southeast coast of India is malaria-free. Sri Lanka joins a list of 33 nations that have achieved that status, while 94 nations and territories still have malaria transmission. “It was a hard fight, [but] this is an example…
GOSPEL FOR ASIA-SUPPORTED WORKERS GIVE HELP AND HOPE TO THOSE LIVING IN ISOLATION. WILLS POINT, Texas – People affected with leprosy throughout South Asia received food, shoes, blankets and household supplies as workers supported through Gospel for Asia (GFA) commemorated World Leprosy Day, held each year to promote awareness and prevention. Gospel for Asia (GFA)…
Two Presbyterian pastors are on trial in the Republic of the Sudan on charges of waging war against the state, espionage, and undermining Sudan’s constitutional system. Each faces the death penalty if convicted. Sudan is holding two others, Czech aid worker Petr Jasek and Darfuri human rights activist Abduelmoneim Abdulmawla, on charges…
By Farhan from Karachi, Pakistan – Are they independent – Karachi Jail, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4292206 Pakistani Christian Asia Bibi, who was sentenced to death for blasphemy, has had her appeal before the nation’s supreme court delayed pending a new hearing, after one of the judges recused himself from the case. The Bibi case has…
Introduction John Paton was a man of courage. Like his father before him, John Paton was strong in his faith and worked among the cannibals of the New Hebrides, which is the modern nation of Vanuatu in the South Pacific Ocean. Early Life John Paton was born in 1824 in Scotland. His father was devoted…
Introduction Throughout Jesus’s life, he met and healed lepers. He had compassion for them, because they were the outcastes of society. There was and is a stigma attached to leprosy. Christians continue the work of Jesus by caring for those who have leprosy and bringing healing to them. The Disease of Leprosy Leprosy is a…
The migrant camp known as “the Jungle” is being demolished, even as Calais’ mayor warned the refugee crisis is not over. Protestors and police clashed as orange jumpsuit-clad workers tore down makeshift shelters in the camp. But Calais Mayor Natacha Bouchart warned this will do little to resolve the refugee problem. “Migrants are continuing to…
KAMPALA, Uganda – Uganda’s ministry of education is looking toward low-cost private schools to counter the failure of the public school system caused by teacher absenteeism, poor facilities and high dropout rates. According to the BBC, 68 percent of Ugandan students do not complete elementary school. Teachers are ill-prepared for their careers, with 78 percent…
South Africa’s Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba withdrew the visa exemption of controversial American Pastor Steven Anderson calling the American an “undesirable person.” This is an unusual move, as Americans typically receive entry visas from South Africa without problems. Gigaba acted following input from South Africa’s LGBT leaders who objected to Anderson’s endorsement of the…
Multiple faith-based humanitarian organizations are responding to the disaster in Haiti caused by Hurricane Matthew. Lutheran World Relief (LWR) has focused on long-term needs of the hurricane victims, helping 16,643 people and partnering with Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) to reach 10,000 people. NCA distributed hygiene kits with water purification tablets, soap, shampoo, toilet paper, toothpaste…
Introduction Brother Andrew’s real name is Andy van der Bijl. Brother Andrew lived for adventure. When he was younger, he never knew of the adventures he would be having as an adult. Never in a million years, would Brother Andrew think he was going to smuggle Bibles into a restricted country behind the Iron Curtain….
Introduction There are millions of people around the world living in poverty and without the opportunity to earn a sustainable income. Some ministries give dignity to people through providing some people work. For example, Gospel for Asia (GFA) provides farm animals or other items that help people get to work, so they do not have…
WILLS POINT, Texas – Responding to requests for help, Compassion Services Teams supported by Gospel for Asia (GFA) recently visited poor areas in Sri Lanka to supply school children with book bags filled with school supplies and other items needed to continue their education. They also helped equip a particular school with much-needed musical instruments…
WILLS POINT, TX – The Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported Bridge of Hope Ministry has assisted struggling families in Asia by providing 2,300 sewing machines in March to graduates of its vocational training centers. The 280 centers across the region provide students with work skills to improve their employment and economic opportunities. “Escaping from poverty often…
Turkey’s federal government has detained nearly 80,000 military, police and civil service employees after a failed coup attempt this summer that resulted in more than 270 deaths and the shutdown of more than 130 news outlets. The purge, ordered by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, included military, media, education and justice sectors, as reported by The…
Alleviating Poverty By Providing Work Jesus promised we would always have the poor with us. This does not mean we should ignore the poor. But how can we help those in poverty? We should give income generating opportunities to the poor as we’re able to. Items from Gospel for Asia’s Christmas Gift Catalog help provide…
WILLS POINT, Texas. – Workers supported by Gospel for Asia (GFA) recently distributed some 33,000 mosquito nets to guard against insect-borne diseases, including yellow fever, malaria, dengue and Zika, to commemorate World Mosquito Day. Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported workers held a variety of events to distribute the nets, including distributing 9,000 nets to students living…
WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia’s Bridge of Hope Program has opened a new center in Mumbai, where sponsored children receive education, school supplies, a daily meal, medical checkups and more. “Many families often struggle to earn enough money to provide food for their table each day, let alone earn enough to send their…
Wed Oct. 12, 2016 – Gospel for Asia (GFA) The gift of a goat, bicycle, or even a blanket can make all the difference for people across the globe. WILLS POINT, Texas — Gospel for Asia (GFA) is launching its “Forgotten Christmas” campaign this year to encourage and show Christians how to make an eternal…
Christmas is a joyous time. It is accompanied by Christmas trees, Christmas carols, Christmas gifts, etc. Yet, we can get so caught-up in consumerism, that we become stressed and not focused on Jesus at that time. Many people (over 2 billion) have not had the opportunity to hear of Christ’s first coming for even one…
As the world focused on Rio de Janeiro for the 2016 Olympics, prostitutes as young as nine years old poured into the city in hopes of cashing in on the influx of tourists and money. Prostitution is legal in Brazil, and so rampant that child prostitutes regularly work the 262 truck stops on the 2,800-mile…
The 167 million “untouchable’ Dalits of India continue to face widespread abuse and discrimination with little hope for their human rights, according to the Dalit Network. This abuse and neglect has happened for 3,000 years as the rest of India view them “only to be slaves, to be broken and crushed.” In Chandigarh, a 21-year-old…
Myanmar called an annual report issued by the U.S. State Department “sad and regrettable” after being named among the worst human trafficking offenders. Along with Iran, North Korea and Syria, the report cited Myanmar’s negligence to meet “the minimum standards for eliminating trafficking.” Reuters reported that Myanmar’s ranking, which got downgraded from the previous year,…
“God gives some people more than they need so that they can be channels of blessing to others. God desires equity between His people on a worldwide basis. That is why the early church had no poverty.” ~ K.P. Yohannan, Revolution In World Missions ~
Recent studies of U.S. deaths show that suicide has increased significantly since 1999, affecting mostly middle-aged white males. Thirteen out of every 100,000 people committed suicide in 2014, the last year data is currently available. Only black males saw a decrease. Middle-aged men saw a 43 percent increase in the last 15 years. While males…
Nearly 25 percent of India’s vast population is facing a severe water shortage and extreme heat that is claiming lives and threatening livelihoods as temperatures reach 42C/107.6F in the shade, virtually wiping out agriculture in three states. Agriculture represents an estimated 15 percent of India’s gross domestic product, according to The Guardian, which also reports that…
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is one of the most mineral rich nations on earth, capable of great economic gain for its people. But decades of corrupt political leadership and war with neighboring countries currently has displaced an estimated 775,000 Congolese in the North Kivu province, according to the United Nations, leaving the country…
“The only weapon that will ever effectively win the war against disease, hunger, injustice, and poverty in Asia is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.” ~ K.P. Yohannan, Revolution In World Missions ~
What started in Brazil and quickly spread to most of the Americas has now appeared in Vietnam where two women have reportedly been infected with the Zika virus. One is a 64-year-old woman and the second is 33 years old and eight weeks pregnant. Government health officials have quarantined the families of each. Zika is…
With 91 of India’s major water reservoirs registering lower-than-normal at about 29 percent capacity, the world’s second most-populated nation is facing its worst water scarcity in a decade. Making the challenge even more critical is that 66,093 rural Indian villages only have access to contaminated water. In West Bengal state, the declining water levels of…
WORLD HEALTH DAY EVENTS SHOWCASE TIPS TO IMPROVE EVERYDAY HEALTH WILLS POINT, TX – Workers supported by Gospel for Asia (GFA) held free health seminars, distributed vitamins and gave away mosquito nets to hundreds of impoverished villagers and workers in Asia earlier this month on World Health Day. The seminars were part of an effort…
“Right now there is another group of people, 250 million strong, for whom the door of opportunity is wide open. Slaves in their own nation of India for 3,000 years, Dalits (“Untouchables”) have been segregated, oppressed and denied basic human rights such as health care, education and access to safe drinking water – all because…
Jesus said the poor would always be with us, and he was right. Scores of impoverished people have inhabited this globe, suffering from multiple hardships. But there is evidence that extreme poverty — the estimated 1.4 billion people in countries outside the US who do not have access to clean water, enough food, sufficient clothing…
The recent violent death of a 16-year-old rape victim again brings focus to India’s crisis of sexual assault against women. The assailant, who also set the teenager aflame before fleeing, was allegedly her 20-year-old boyfriend. Cultural norms in India make the reporting of sexual assault taboo. However, more rape victims are reporting their assaults and…
With an estimated 3 million people facing starvation in Malawi following floods and droughts, the world’s poorest nation now faces an additional challenge — cholera. Not since 2006, when an estimated 1,000 people died, has Malawi faced this level of cholera threat. “People living along the lakeshore areas seem to have forgotten the dangers of the…
China’s President Xi Jinping has ramped up the persecution of Christian pastors and lay leaders while removing crosses and even destroying church buildings that the state had sanctioned. Pastor Joseph Gu Yuese from the Zhejiang province was leading a 10,000 member state-approved church when the government recently jailed him on embezzlement charges. The pastor had…
When Category Five Cyclone Winston struck the Fiji island of Yacata on Saturday, Feb. 20, with 185 mile-per-hour winds, this South Pacific nation of about 100 islands suffered widespread death and destruction, particularly in its remote areas. Christian aid organizations like Church of the Nazarene and regional governments are scrambling to provide food, water and…
The egregious act of slavery, particularly for sexual exploitation, has grown at alarming rates globally. However, governments, non-government organizations and Christian ministries like the Dalit Freedom Network and Passion Conferences are now actively challenging the offenders and offering hope to victims. Everlyn Chumbow, in her contribution to CNN says this: Should you feel compassion? Yes….
