Even though we live in this exciting digital age and a World full of incredible advancements in medicine, infrastructure, air travel and communication, at the other end of the spectrum the World still faces a challenge like no other, poverty. This plight befalls millions of people across the globe who, through no fault of their own, are living in some of the worst conditions known to man. Thankfully poverty has been reduced significantly over the last 30 years, thanks in no small part to the kindness of the human spirit. Charities and organizations have mobilized to help those in need and one such organization that has been doing fantastic work across Asia over the last 30 years is Gospel for Asia, a Christian based charity that is changing lives, here we look into what they are doing in a little more depth.
Their Mission
The mission of the charity is simple:
“Our mission in life is to be devout followers of Christ and to fulfill the Great Commission among the unreached in Asia through training, sending out and assisting qualified laborers in partnership with the Body of Christ.”
Through their methods of sending out missionaries to some of Asia’s most impoverished areas, the charity has re-shaped the fortunes of thousands of Asians over the years in many countries across Asia, the countries in which they operate expands each year and right now they are actively helping in the following nations:
- Bhutan
- Bangladesh
- China
- Cambodia
- India
- Sri Lanka
- Thailand
- Laos
- Vietnam
- Myanmar
Their Methods
In order to best help those in need, the charity has set up several ministries that focus independently on various plights that are faced by those in poverty. This method of honing in on particular problems gives the charity the best opportunity to help problems individually rather than addressing poverty with a broadstroke. The charity trains missionaries in various ways in order to best help those who need it. Here are just some of the ministries that the charity operates.
Slum ministry – Helping those who live in the slums, some of Asia’s poorest areas, through offering healthcare, education in numeracy, literacy, religious values and teaching about the dangers of infections such as HIV and educating about addiction and sexual health.
Leprosy Ministry – Leprosy is still an affliction that many poor Asians suffer from, this ministry seeks to help those who are suffering from leprosy and educating those without it on what they should do if they contract it and how they can prevent it from happening.
Bridge of Hope – The Bridge of Hope ministry focusses solely on the children, helping over 75,000 children everyday by giving them meals and clean water, offering education in a number of subjects in order to ensure that the next generation of those living in poverty have the skills they need to change their future.
These are just some of the many ministries that the charity has and year on year they are growing and helping thousands more people across Asia.