Blog

Alem had a dilemma. As he and Salim shared the Gospel in his southwest Ethiopian village, people were responding in faith. The problem? Many of them were Menja. Alem’s upbringing taught him the Menja were dirty, backward people—even animals. No one would come to a church where the Menja were... read more →

Their four children asleep at last, Aziz and Habiba finally had a chance to sit down and talk with Aziz’s mother, the matriarch of their multi-generational household. Their village in an isolated region of Central Asia had been hit by a measles outbreak. The nearest medical services were a long... read more →

Worldwide, women are disproportionately disadvantaged, abused and exploited. One in three women and girls is impacted by violence during her lifetime (UN Women). Women and girls account for 71% of trafficking victims (UNODC 2016), and at least 12 million girls are married before age 18 each year (UNICEF 2019). Across... read more →

The word “reindeer” often brings to mind images of sleighs, jingling bells and a kind-hearted, jolly old man who delivers Christmas gifts to children all over the world. But to the Nenets of Siberia, reindeer are much more than folklore—reindeer are life. Nenets and their reindeer migrate more than 600... read more →

Every culture has its heroes—women and men, gods and mythical creatures who act for the wellbeing of their people. Sometimes these heroes are historical figures or the gods and goddesses of religious tradition. Other times they’re the legends of human longing, the kinds of heroes we need but haven’t yet... read more →

Jesus knew His disciples were distressed. Suggestions of betrayal, abandonment and death had disturbed what might have otherwise been an ordinary Passover feast. Do not let your hearts be troubled. Though He would be with them only a little longer, He assured the disciples He was going to prepare a... read more →

Sarah, a recent graduate from the University of Oklahoma, had been teaching English for six months in a girls’ school in Bukhara, a city in central Uzbekistan. As one of the few Western teachers, she was lonely and discouraged. While she enjoyed teaching and loved her students, she felt disconnected... read more →

Just before Christmas a few years ago, the Johnson family participated in a program to welcome refugees to Houston, Texas. They received some details about the Al-Fayli family from Iraq and went shopping for practical and fun presents for each family member. They wrapped the gifts and drove to the... read more →

Eight-year-old Gamachu and his older sister, Arfasa, have 10 brothers and sisters. Life in their large family is busy with daily tasks: taking care of the animals, fetching water, gathering firewood and going to the market. But today is a special day, and they’re running as fast as they can... read more →

Batu, a 12-year-old Mongolian nomad, sits on a motorcycle watching his family’s sheep graze contentedly in the afternoon sun. He ponders today’s news: his family group will pack up their six gers (portable traditional dwellings) tomorrow and move to a new location. With the weather growing colder and a few... read more →