LIBERIA — Mercy Ships has announced the arrival of the Global Mercy, the world’s largest purpose-built charity hospital ship capable of more than doubling the charity’s surgical and training capacity. The 174-meter, 37,000-ton ship will have six operating rooms and house over 600 volunteers from around the globe representing many disciplines including surgeons, maritime crew,…
WASHINGTON, DC – Global Handwashing Day is October 15. The annual observance was established by the Global Handwashing Partnership in 2008. The Partnership is a coalition of private sector entities, academic institutions, government agencies, and non-governmental organizations that collaborate to promote handwashing. I thought that responsibility belonged to my parents. “Don’t touch anything with your…
WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World and affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada) have released the newest in their acclaimed series of Special Reports. The latest report is about being a girl – and the tragedy that can be. Susan Lawson opens her well-document report with a thumbnail view of the classic…
NEW YORK – World Food Day occurs every October 16 as an effort to remind everyday people like you and me that 11% of the world population is hungry. I had been blissfully unaware that anyone in the world suffered from hunger until I saw the movie, Oliver! In 1968. My naïve, young mind was…
NEW YORK – The International Day of Rural Women is observed annually on October 15. The event particularly recognizes the needs of the millions of rural# women in developing countries who are often pivotal to ensuring household food security. October 15 was specifically chosen for this observance because it if the day immediately preceding World…
BURKINA FASO — Following an escalation in violence against Christians in Burkina Faso in West Africa since June 2019, countless believers have been forced to flee leaving them in desperate need of food supplies. Churches have been attacked by radical Jihadists, with at least 50 Christians murdered and thousands more displaced. Open Doors has responded…
EASTON, MD — As Lebanon’s capital, Beirut reels from a catastrophic explosion disaster that destroyed more than 100 schools, the response of a faith-based satellite television network in the Middle East is broadcasting free lessons every day to thousands of children unable to go back to school. Some 120 public and private schools in Beirut…
QARAQOSH, IRAQ — When the so-called Islamic State (IS) took over their town, Qaraqosh in northern Iraq, Mathi and his family had no choice but to flee. He, his wife Nazik and their six children fled to safety – they knew that their Christian faith made them extremely vulnerable. Five years later, thanks to support…
PITTSBURGH — A pandemic won’t stop FLM Haiti’s efforts to provide needed support for the Haitian people. In fact, the need is even greater this year as Haiti continues to fight the impact of COVID-19 and other ongoing challenges related to education, health care, and housing. With that in mind, the Functional Literacy Ministry (FLM…
LONDON, ENGLAND — There are believed to be around 500 Christian prisoners of faith in Eritrea, many imprisoned indefinitely under appalling conditions. However recent reports indicate a growing number of them have been released. A trusted contact of Release International says the government has set free 27 prisoners, most of whom have been behind bars…
ORLANDO — Despite the unprecedented slew of pandemic-related shutdowns, quarantines, and schedule delays, the Christ for All Nations (CfaN) team has not missed a single Gospel Crusade. In fact, 2020 has been one of their busiest years and by the end of the year, they will have had the most crusades in a single calendar…
NORTH KOREA — North Korea is on the verge of a catastrophic meltdown according to reports reaching Open Doors from North Korean Christians. “North Korea faces a major crisis with multiple causes,” says Timothy Cho, North Korean escapee. “Covid-19 lockdown, catastrophic flooding, and international sanctions.” Although the North Korean Government has claimed that they have…
WEST DES MOINES, IA — A former domestic abuser turned non-profit leader has launched a new national campaign challenging churches across America to help “halt the epidemic of domestic violence.” Michael Clark — an ex-abuser jailed twice for domestic violence — is calling on America’s churches to tackle the nation’s domestic abuse crisis head-on during…
WILLS POINT, TX — Former California megachurch pastor and bestselling author Francis Chan — who has moved to Asia to serve the poor — has revealed how his view of “true” faith was turned upside down by Gospel for Asia founder and mission pioneer Dr. K.P. Yohannan. Chan says his dramatic shift from well-known pastor…
QAMISHLI, SYRIA — Pastor George Moushi leads a church in Qamishli, northern Syria. His church responded when the region was invaded by Turkish forces last autumn, providing vital aid for many vulnerable Syrians. Support from Open Doors has kept them going as they faced a very visible threat – bombs, soldiers, Islamic extremists and now…
CALIFORNIA, USA — Samaritan’s Purse is helping homeowners in Santa Cruz, California, where hundreds of houses burned to the ground in the wake of terrible wildfires. Sharing God’s love in word and deed, their volunteers are sifting through the ashes to find personal treasures for affected families. Mark Bingham, Fire Chief, Boulder Creek Fire Dept….
WASHINGTON — Coptic Solidarity’s 5th Annual Modern Coptic Martyrs Day will be hosted on Zoom this Friday, October 9th at 2 PM, Eastern Standard Time. This year’s event will be held on the ninth anniversary of the Maspero Massacre when 27 Copts were brutally murdered by the Egyptian Army while they were peacefully protesting a…
NEW YORK – World Teachers’ Day has been observed annually on October 5 since 1994 as a joint endeavor between UNESCO, UNICEF, the International Labor Organization, and Education International. (Education International is a federation of global teachers’ unions.) The theme for World Teachers’ Day 2020 is, “Teachers: Leading in crisis, reimagining the future.” With the…
NEW YORK – The United Nations General Assembly declared the second day of October as the International Day of Non-Violence. It has been observed annually since 2007, yet its true meaning becomes less clear the more one studies the thought-leaders who address the subject. What Non-Violence Is Not In far too many thousands of cities…
KIGALI, RWANDA – Africa New Life began extending its hands of evangelism and compassion to the suffering nation of Rwanda in 2001. The country was just beginning to recover from what has been described as “the swiftest genocide in history.” Over 800,000 Rwandans had been slaughtered over a period of 90 days. More than 600,000…
GARLAND, TX – Odds are that you have never heard of Twelve21 Global. That’s because it was founded by Yusuph Emmanuel only two years ago in 2018. Yusuph knows first-hand what life on the streets is like in a developing country. He grew up as a street kid in the African country of Tanzania. Life…
DILLSBURG, PA – The Forgotten Voices ministry is committed to doing its part to transform the lives of some of the 4.1 million orphaned and vulnerable children in Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Malawi. Although it is a small organization compare to like-minded global outreaches, its impact is, nevertheless, soul-stirring. Forgotten Voices follows a local church-based, family-focused,…
WILLS POINT, TX — Gospel for Asia (GFA World and affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada) founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan – Discussing World Mosquito Day and how GFA workers are using the day to bring hope into the lives of their neighbors. World Mosquito Day, observed on August 20, marks the date in 1897…
DALLAS, TX – The SIL International story began in the jungles of Guatemala when 21-year-old William Cameron Townsend was distributing Spanish translation Bibles among the Kaqchikel Indians. In the midst of his missionary work telling the Kaqchikel about the Jesus of the Bible, one astute Indian confounded the Bible college-educated Townsend with this question. “If…
SANTA CLARITA, CA – ZOE may be my favorite word in koine Greek, the original language of the New Testament. It means “life.” Among other places, it appears in John 14:6 where Jesus says, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life,” and John 3:16 where He says, For God so loved the world…
MONUMENT, CO – The vision for 4D Ministries was planted in the hearts of Hank and Mona Paulson as an extension of other ministries under their care during the era of the Cold War. When the Curtain Went Up The construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961 was not merely a symbol of the entire…
“Literacy Teaching and Learning in the COVID-19 Crisis and Beyond” was the theme for this years’ International Literacy Day on September 8, 2020. UNICEF introduced the initiative in 1996 to encourage governments, businesses, and non-governmental agencies to promote and participate in programs to advance literacy for men, women, and children around the world. The gap…
BEIRUT — Following Beirut’s devastating explosion several recent initiatives have seen SAT-7 staff bring food and water to those continuing the mammoth task of clearing glass and securing buildings, including providing a breakfast to one volunteer group. Maroun Bou Rached, SAT-7 Lebanon’s Executive Director. explains why their team were preparing breakfast for 250 volunteers of…
GREENVILLE, SC – PAK7 is a brand-new faith-based organization that is preparing for Christian ministry in Pakistan, the fifth largest country in the world by population. More than 90% of the population, of which 70% are under age 35, are Muslim. Pakistan is also ranked as the 5th most dangerous nation for the persecution of…
HENRICO, VA – Good News Jail & Prison Ministry is the largest independent provider of chaplains for jails and prisons worldwide, serving in 22 states and 25 countries. GNJPM will celebrate its 60th anniversary in 2021. Good News JPM’s vision is “To reach every inmate in the world with the Good News of Jesus Christ…
NEW YORK – The Forum of Bible Agencies International is the world’s only forum for international Bible ministry leaders designed to benefit member agencies individually and through the partnerships they create. Let’s imagine that every Bible-believing Christian in America decides to move to a foreign country as ambassadors for Christ. What would that look like?…
ENGLAND — Thanks to a remarkable acceleration of translation work despite the worldwide pandemic, Wycliffe Bible Translators reports the Bible is now available in more than 700 languages across the globe. This breakthrough comes at a significant time as people have been reading the scriptures more than ever before during this time of lockdown. A…
GRAND RAPIDS, MI — According to a 2020 LifeWay Research study, 57% of Protestant churchgoers say they find it challenging to make sense of the Bible when they read it on their own. To help bring scriptural clarity out of that confusion, Bible Gateway, the most visited Christian website in the world, is sponsoring the…
NEW YORK – The International Day of Peace was initiated by the United Nations General Assembly in 1981. Twenty years later, the General Assembly agreed unanimously to “invite all nations and people” to cease violence and hostilities during the 24 hours of the International Day of Peace. The theme for this year’s observance is “Shaping…
IRAQ — Dalia is a woman of remarkable spiritual strength and fortitude. Her life was threatened by so-called Islamic State and her home in the Ninevah plains was ransacked, but with support from Open Doors she has overcome these difficulties to become a leading figure in her local church. In 2014 the so-called Islamic State…
DALLAS, TX – International Literacy Day is September 8, 2020. Pioneer Bible Translators’ approach to reducing illiteracy is unique. Their name implies that their work is limited to Bible translation. While Bible translation is a key component of their work, Pioneer Bible Translators’ mission and vision are much broader. The PBT team includes translators who…
ORLANDO, FL — Wycliffe Associates, an international organization that empowers mother-tongue Bible translators and partners with local churches in the advancement of Bible translation, is providing computer tablets and virtual tools to help mother-tongue translators continue their work in spite of COVID-19 and oppression from anti-Christian authorities. “Several Christians traveled from a dangerous country to…
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO – It all began in 1979 when a few men had a vision for supporting the church behind the Iron Curtain. Knowing the church was struggling, they connected 12 Christian mission organizations to consider how to support the church at risk. In a great collaboration, they developed a comprehensive biblical training program…
WILLS POINT, TX — Gospel for Asia (GFA World and affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada) founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan – Discussing how many NGO and charity organizations, such as Gospel for Asia , have sought to fill the gap between resources and needy communities who don’t have access to them as mandatory masks…
STREAMWOOD, IL — Awana®, historically known for its midweek curriculum discipleship programs for children and youth, has released a new digital weekend curriculum “Brite,” now available via subscription. The flexible, engaging Bible lessons for elementary and student age groups fit Sunday school, large or small group models, as well as home discipleship. Awana practitioners and…
NIGERIA — Living in Plateau State in the middle band of Nigeria, Rose is in one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a Christian. Nigeria is number 12 on Open Doors World Watch List, but it’s at the top of the list for Christians murdered because of their faith. And on…
CHINA — The Chinese church continues to grow at a phenomenal rate with forecasts that it will reach 224 million people by 2030. This acceleration comes in the midst of what’s believed to be the country’s worst persecution of believers since the Cultural Revolution in the 1960s according to China Aid’s Bob Fu. Some of…
ZION, IL – ZEMA is the acronym for the Zion Evangelical Ministries of Africa. Based, somewhat ironically in Zion, Illinois, ZEMA ministers primarily to the Zionists of independent African churches. This would probably be an appropriate time to explain African Zionism. This requires setting aside any preconceived notions of the popular usage of Zionism related…
WILLIS, TX – Mike Reiszner and his wife, Mandy, were living “the American ministry ideal.” Mike had held a secure position as a youth pastor in a vibrant, growing church in Houston for 10 years. Their future and the future of their youth ministry was bright and promising. Two things happened in 2009 that would…
INDIA — Gospel for Asia (GFA World and affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada) founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan – Discussing how COVID-19 is seriously affecting those in Asia and hoe Gospel for Asia workers are combating this in a two-tiered approach. COVID-19 poses a dual threat to the lives and livelihood of Asia’s citizens….
EASTERN AFRICA — As a young teenager in eastern Africa, Tariku was beaten and kicked out of his home for becoming a Christian. Life on the streets was hard, but he survived by carrying loads like a donkey for pennies a day. He wanted to go back to school but never dreamt what God had…
PERU — Angela was born in Peru with cerebral palsy and hydrocephalus. With limited financial resources, her family suffered discrimination at local hospitals as they sought out tests and therapies for their daughter. Feeling rejected, Angela’s mother prayed for help. Through Joni and Friends, Angela’s mother received a tangible answer to her request. The charity’s…
GUATEMALA — In this Day-Care-Center like ministry, OM Guatemala helps around 45 children twice a week with food, tutoring, teaching values and mentoring. Also the mothers of the children receive guidance and support in different areas of their lives. OM Ministry Coordinator Ruth Schmutz explains more about how Project Rescue works and the impact it’s…
SAN DIMAS, CA — Christian Community Credit Union donated $10,000 to International Ministries’ (IM) relief effort in response to the devastating massive explosion in Beirut, Lebanon. IM has global servants serving in the area who can offer immediate help to those affected by the blast. The funds for the donation come from the Credit Union’s…
QUERETARO, Mexico — Churches all over the world are finding creative ways to maintain social distancing and other restrictions while continuing to hold regular worship services. Such is the case of this church in Queretaro (que-RE-tah-roh), Mexico, which, despite many difficulties, was able to minister to the congregation in their cars. They parked at least…
