(Photo courtesy of Global Aid Network via Facebook)

Over the next few months, the food crisis is predicted to become a dire issue. Right now, food and lives are hanging onto a rocky surface.

“We’re trying to educate and get everybody aware of what’s happening so that we can get ahead of it and prepare and hopefully save lives,” Global Aid Network’s (GAiN) Mark Gaither says.

The ministry is helping stabilize food sources in nations hit by the drought.

They’re handing out seed packets to communities, and bringing in drip irrigation water systems to promote healthy growth for the seeds. Using this system, people can grow gardens with a lot less water and labor.

Communities depend on rain, runoff, rivers, and creeks. But, as the drought scorches the land and dries up water sources, it’s becoming more difficult to even get a bucket of water.

GAiN helps to drill and repair wells, which entire communities depend upon.

“There are thousands of wells all over Africa that go down deep enough, but for whatever reason, they fall into disrepair.”

(Photo courtesy of Global Aid Network via Facebook)

Though wells are good for drinking water, they can have adverse affects to crops. A person may carry a five-gallon bucket of water to their garden and drench it but, “Unfortunately, when you do that, the vast majority of that water soaks in, runs off into the dry ground, that’s far away from the roots, or evaporates. The amount of water the plants are actually getting is minuscule compared to what you’re pouring.”

That’s why drip irrigation water systems are mandatory to drought affected areas. The technology slowly gives off bits of water, which saturate the roots with the right amount of water and keep them moist for hours.

The results are incredible, says Gaither.

“The same water that you’re irrigating or using will grow ten-times the amount of food because of the technology.”

GAiN is sending seed packets with no GMOs and open-pollination, which will encourage vegetable growth and raise seed quality in the countries.

With the help of the local church and indigenous ministry partners, GAiN is using the food security program as a way to share the love and Word of Jesus.

They are giving three seed packets to ministry partners and people in the church – one to keep and two to give away. When volunteers hand out seed packets, they tell people how much Jesus loves them and that He is providing these seeds for them. Then, the people are invited to watch a viewing of The JESUS Film. Many have come to Christ because of this.

(Photo courtesy of Global Aid Network via Facebook)

“The local church and our ministry partners, indigenous local partners, would then follow up for discipleship, and then churches would plant and grow as a result of planting vegetables.”

However, there are some setbacks.

“Some countries are, because they’re struggling financially, they’re looking at all humanitarian aid coming in as a potential source of tax revenue. And so in some places where we try to ship food, they’re trying to tax at a rate of 70-percent,” Gaither explains.

“That is a ministry killer because then, instead of much-needed ministry dollars going directly to the people who are receiving the benefit of the humanitarian aid, the vast majority of that is going into government commerce, and who knows what’s going to happen?”

The next few months could promise drought and food insecurity. But, with your help, it could instead result in months of flourishing.

Help plant seeds and churches today!

Pray for government officials to decrease taxes on humanitarian aid being brought in, and for the rains to start again.

Also, an exciting opportunity to send seeds has presented itself through GAiN.

(Photo courtesy of Global Aid Network via Facebook)

“For no cost, thanks to a generous donor, you can go and learn about our seed program, choose from one of three countries where we’re sending seeds, then participate and you will be sending a seed pack to a needy family in the country of your choice. And then, as we then fulfill, we ship the seeds, deliver the seeds, you’ll get follow up information on where those seeds have gone and hopefully what has happened.”

(Photo Courtesy GAiN)

In fact, nearly 900,000 people die each year from diarrhea caused by drinking unclean water. Children make up a majority of these deaths, and all the losses are preventable.

Global Aid Network is working to counteract this slippery killer.

As part of its work, GAiN has established a WaSH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) program in underdeveloped areas of the world. The program is meant to help improve community health, as GAiN helps community leaders design and create the best and most appropriate water solution for them.

This happens in a variety of ways. GAiN uses wells, rain catchments, spring boxes, and filters as avenues to a long-term fix. As for sanitation and hygiene, the ministry works to construct latrines and toilets, along with providing health and hygiene training. All the while, they’re opening a door to share the Gospel.

When GAiN enters a region, the organization doesn’t only try to create options for clean water. They also look for opportunities to share the Living Water of Christ. And you can help!

(Photo Courtesy GAiN)

Pray for God to continue to provide different ways for people to access drinkable water. Pray He would provide the funds GAiN needs to continue its work, and for all who hear the Gospel to have their hearts changed for Him.

But also, would you consider donating to the cause?

You can give to provide water filters, restore broken wells, or to dig new wells. Other ways include hosting a drive with friends, family, or even your church to bring in the funds to donate.

Don’t forget though, once the funds are raised, you could witness firsthand the changes made in a community by joining one of GAiN’s humanitarian outreach trips. Click here to learn more!

(Image courtesy Wikipedia)

The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed Friday the death of a 30-year-old woman in Liberia’s capital city. It’s the third Ebola flare-up in the country since spring 2015.

While it’s no longer an international threat, the three nations most affected by 2013’s Ebola outbreak — Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone — are still struggling to contain it.

Global Aid Network (GAiN) is helping churches throughout Liberia respond in the name of Christ. They’re committed to stay as long as it takes, but they’ll need your help, too

GAiN describes their long-term response to the Ebola crisis on their website:

When Ebola struck Liberia, imports of staple foods, like rice and vegetables, stopped altogether. As increasing numbers of people succumbed to the disease, the diminished workforce struggled to plant and harvest food.

(Photo courtesy GAIN)

As Liberia’s economy spiraled downward, many lost their jobs, so few could afford what little food existed. Consequently, food security and sustainability became a major challenge. During that time, Wolobah Taylor, the national director of Cru in Liberia (known as the Great Commission Movement Liberia), and his team delivered food, water filters, medicine, and medical supplies.

Now that the epidemic in Liberia has subsided and the nation begins the long process of recovery, food security remains a serious problem. Rather than undertake the slower, less lucrative work of growing vegetables, individuals devote themselves to producing cash crops like rubber. What is helpful in the short term for individuals, however, may prove harmful to the nation at large. People are consuming, not producing. Consequently, some individuals will prosper for a brief time at the expense of economic recovery for all.

Everyone–outsiders and insiders, amateurs and experts–all agree that the immediate future of Liberia appears bleak. The devastation left in the wake of Ebola may last for decades. Even so, Christian workers remain hopeful.

GAiN partners are delivering clean water filters to communities, and will continue as God supplies resources.
(Photo, caption GAiN)

They are strengthening the local churches to raise resources and mobilizing congregations to take the lead in agriculture. They see opportunity for churches in Liberia to help the nation overcome food security issues. They are helping to provide ongoing awareness and health education to stifle any new outbreaks of the virus. They are delivering clean water filters to communities and will continue as God supplies resources.

As the crisis subsides and mourning gives way to dancing, faithful Christian workers give thanks to God and bring glory to Him through their praise. Because they faithfully served the physical needs of their neighbors—and continue to serve as they receive provision from supporters like you—their spiritual message of life in Christ resonates within those who were helped. As this darkness passes, the light of the Gospel shines brightly. Now, more than ever, barriers to ministry have fallen and the fields are ripe for harvest.

A report released by The ACAPS Ebola Project details secondary impacts of the widespread Ebola outbreak on the region. While 28,598 people were infected and over 11,000 were killed, secondary problems like those listed below threaten the “lives and livelihoods” of over 22 million people:

(Photo courtesy GAiN)

• Ebola created increased demand for healthcare resources and workers, at the expense of other healthcare programs.
• Lack of access to clean water and sanitation (WASH).
• Deteriorated security left children and women the most vulnerable.
• Heightened risk of children dropping out of school.
• Higher prices and lower harvest yields undermined the region’s already-fragile food security.

Partner with Christians in Liberia through GAiN to help the nation overcome these challenges.

South Sudan’s history, though short, is full of violence. (Photo courtesy of Steve Evans via Flickr)

South Sudan (MNN) — It may be easy to overlook South Sudan’s crisis amid a plethora of larger global conflicts: ISIS expansion into Europe, the Middle East refugee dilemma, ongoing tensions in South Asia, etc.

For South Sudan’s people, war is a never-ceasing reality.

Approximately 2.4 million people have been displaced or driven from the country. Nearly 4 million people remain “severely food insecure,” according to the UN.

Thousands of kids – somewhere around 16,000, to be exact – have been used by the government and rebel forces as child soldiers.

Global Aid Network (GAiN) is in the middle of it all, sharing Christ through word and deed as they help people in need.

Background check: South Sudan

The world’s youngest nation has yet to witness a prolonged period of peace and stability. From the nation’s bloody birth to present-day, South Sudan has endured wave after wave of armed conflict.

South Sudan is the world’s newest country.
(Wikimedia Commons)

In January 2011, the people voted to break away from Sudan and form a new nation that would officially become South Sudan seven months later.

Sudan has a difficult time letting go, though; battles ebb and flow into 2013.

As 2013 came to a close, a new war sprang forth – this time, the turmoil came from within as South Sudan’s president accused the vice president of trying to overthrow him.

A chain of broken ceasefires, failed peace agreements, and horrific war crimes followed.

See a full history here.

GAIN’s involvement in South Sudan also began in 2013 and continues today. The project began with aid delivery to a teaching hospital in Bor, and now includes helping refugees in a camp near Juba.

South Sudan’s present prognosis

A thorough and lengthy investigation by the African Union uncovered multiple atrocities at the hands of South Sudan leadership, and the pursuit of justice is underway.

Earlier this week, a so-called “Hybrid Court” got the official backing of the European Union, though most signs on-the-ground point to an extension of the conflict.

Sisters stay warm with a blanket provided by Global Aid Network .
(Photo courtesy GAIN via Facebook)

There may be no end in sight to South Sudan’s violence, but GAiN is helping war victims endure today and find hope for tomorrow.

In recent days, a GAiN team visited ministry partners serving in a refugee camp near Juba, South Sudan. Approximately 4,000 displaced people and refugees take shelter in this camp.

What follows are some of the updates shared by team members on GAiN’s Facebook page:

“Residents occupy tents provided by the government of South Sudan with help from the United Nations. Each measures roughly 20×30 feet and houses 4-6 families (20 people on average). Unfortunately, the already crowded tents cannot hold any more people.

“Scores of homeless refugees remain homeless at the camp. At night and during storms, they take shelter in the crude school building and clinic waiting area, but are forced to leave, usually to a spot out in the open somewhere.”

A gift of $7 provides refugees with a blanket, keeping them warm and dry when storms arise.

“Monyluk,” a refugee himself, is using his abilities to help those around him. GAiN and its partners are coming alongside to support his efforts – will you?

Dr. Monyluk, surrounded by patients.
(Photo courtesy GAIN via Facebook)

“Monyluk fled his home city to escape the violence in his home town and He found his way to a refugee camp, where he took on the responsibilities of camp physician. He struggles to serve more than 4,000 residents of the camp with virtually no equipment and no medications.

“‘Most of the illnesses I see can be prevented,’ he said. ‘Clean water and mosquito nets would eliminate more than half of the cases here.’

“While help is on the way, including a long-term solution for water, GAIN wanted to help right away. Thanks to the generosity of donors, we were able to purchase blood pressure cuffs, stethoscopes, and an otoscope for the clinic. Our donors also supplied mosquito nets for at least 25 families.”

(Photo courtesy Global Aid Network)

Middle East (MNN) — On Wednesday, thousands of refugee families huddled together in their tents and scrap material homes during a rare and harsh snowstorm in the Middle East, leading temperatures to be around zero degrees.

So far, The Weather Channel reports Israel, Syria, Palestine, and Lebanon have been hit the worst.

During the storm, the Red Cross reported a Syrian man, Ammar Kamel and a 7-year-old boy, Majed Badawi, had died.

A security source told AFP the two were hiking across the mountainous Syrian and Lebanon border and were found in the Shebaa region in Lebanon. The refugees would have faced temperatures as low as -20 degrees Fahrenheit.

The Weather Channel said at least three others were injured in the storm, and thousands were left without power. According to DailyMail.com around 9,000 in Israel lost power. Schools scattered throughout the Middle East were closed on Wednesday, and many government officials couldn’t make it in to work due to the rugged conditions.

Mohammed al-Hussein, a refugee in an east Lebanon camp, told DailyMail.com, “I’ve been a refugee here for two years, but this is the worst winter I’ve seen.”

The snowstorm has shut down an airport in Israel, and flights have been delayed. Many roads have been cut off, and access into refugee camps is becoming nearly impossible.

According to The State, refugees in Syria had to use brooms and sticks to scrape snow off their tents, fearing they might cave in under the weight.

DailyMail.com said prior to the storm, United Nations Refugee Agency gave out cash and fuel coupons to over 80,000 refugee families in Lebanon. However, “There is a lack of food and heating materials. We are asking charities to intervene,” reported a refugee.

Global Aid Network staff is working with refugees who have been traumatized and continue to suffer. GAiN is building relationships and showing the love of God as they distribute supplies fairly and equally.

They are collecting funds for basic needs like food, clothing and medical supplies. Also, they need donations to provide tents sturdy enough to hold up against the rest of the winter. Each tent will be equipped with a heater.

Can you show the love of God to families by giving them warmth and food? To donate, click here.

Picture taken in 2006 of a church in Baghdad.

Iraq (MNN) — Islamic State (IS) terrorists have set their sights on Baghdad as they prepare to take Qara Tappa, a town just north of the capital. It’s reportedly a move to fend off Kurdish fighters, but it could also be a step closer toward the militants’ stated goal of seizing Iraq’s capital city.

“Seizing Baghdad would be difficult…but a foothold just near the capital could make it easier for the Islamic State to carry out suicide bombings, deepen sectarian tensions, and [destabilize] Iraq,” writes Reuters’ Raheem Salman in a recent report.

According to the UN, around 1.2 million people have been driven from their homes by the recent crisis. In July, over 5,500 civilians had been killed during the first half of 2014 as a result of insurgent violence. Iraq has been given the UN’s highest emergency status, “Level 3 Emergency,” along with Syria, South Sudan, and the Central African Republic.

(Photo cred U.S. Navy)

Bombings, kidnappings, and death have become a daily reality throughout Iraq. Things are pretty bad, but it’s not intimidating Global Aid Network (GAIN) USA.

GAIN USA’s Mark Gaither says they’re upping a commitment to help ministry partners and refugees, both in refugee camps and a few cities where people are taking shelter form the Islamic State.

“We are in the process of mobilizing to dig deep wells…at least five wells in each of these cities,” Gaither reports. “The most critical need right now is water, because of the long-term nature of what we’re likely to see.”

GAIN USA is also sending help in the form of food and medical supplies. Help their efforts go farther here.

Crisis leads to opportunity
As ministry partners distribute supplies, they become friends with refugees. This often leads to a chance to tell them about Jesus.

“We have these opportunities one-on-one, and that’s one of the reasons we shy away from doing mass distributions, because it’s very difficult to follow-up and build relationships,” Gaither explains.

Global Aid Network ministers to refugees in the Middle East (Photo courtesy of GAIN USA)

However, when desperate situations call for a mass distribution of supplies, GAIN USA has a strategy for evangelism. They partner with their sister ministry, The JESUS Film Project, to show the film, JESUS.

“They see the Gospel of Luke played out for them, and they hear, in their own language, Jesus talking to them and asking them to follow Him,” says Gaither.

This gives team members a starting point to share their own personal testimonies of salvation and engage in group discussion.

“We have people whose hearts are darkened, who are not filled with the light of the Gospel, and that’s why when we engage in humanitarian aid. It’s not just about meeting the physical needs,” Gaither states.

“We’re dealing with the hearts of people who need to be submitted to Jesus Christ, and that’s really the only long-term solution.”

Please continue to surround this crisis in prayer. Gaither shares specific requests here, or you can find them listed on the upper-right side of this page.

Pray for the plans of the Islamic State to be thwarted.

(Image courtesy GAiN)

Iraq (MNN) — Do you run headlong into danger, or find the fastest route of escape? For one Global Aid Network (GAiN) USA leader, the choice was clear.

GAiN USA CEO Al Goff is sharing firsthand reports this week as he assesses the needs of families displaced by violence.

“Personally, I’m deeply grieved for these people. This war is so much worse than what I’ve seen via television in the States,” Goff shares in a recent blog. “Most have witnessed killing and live in terror of being next.

“Fear is the operative word here. It is palpable.”

A week ago today, Goff left the U.S. for Iraq and was taken straight into the field. Goff has been helping local ministry leaders distribute much-needed medical supplies over the past few days and is continuing to share the hope of Christ with refugees.

Read the latest update on GAiN USA’s Web site.

After living in the same place all their lives, Goff reports, many Sunni Iraqis are forced from their homes with no hope of return. In addition, Islamic State (IS) extremists who were formerly known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) are demanding all Sunni property owners in Iraq to pay up.

“If not paid, [IS] will confiscate the land and sell it. The displaced Iraqis who fear for their lives know the national government will not protect them,” Goff writes.

“So, they face an impossible choice: risk returning home to pay the tax and face the very real possibility of being killed, or flee for their lives and lose everything.”

“We need to keep working to help. There is no lack
of need and opportunity for God to show His
greatness if His people respond.”
(Image, quote courtesy GAiN)

Refugee camps run rampant with fear that IS will find and kill those who’ve fled. Despite this, Goff is confident that your help has a potential impact for the Gospel like never before.

Goff shares three urgent needs:

• Medicine and supplies for clinics in the refugee camps
• Swamp coolers: a type of fan designed to blow across a water-soaked fabric for maximum cooling effect
• Three wells for Christian villages near Mosul

Help GAiN USA meet needs and advance the Gospel in Iraq here.

“They are overrun with IDPs, and the risk of disease grows each day,” writes Goff regarding the Christian villages near Mosul.

“Imagine the impact these Christian Iraqis could have by helping their neighbors who are fleeing for their lives!”

More Iraq updates here.

(Image courtesy GAiN)

Malawi (MNN) — As one of the world’s least-developed nations, Malawi’s needs are great. Low agricultural production means a nationwide food shortage and higher food prices. All of that leads to constant hunger and malnutrition.

It’s hard to focus on the life-saving message of the Gospel when you haven’t eaten in days. But Global Aid Network (GAiN) and their local partners recently used a food delivery to make the Gospel tangible.

By addressing physical hunger, doors opened for workers to share the only solution to spiritual hunger: Jesus Christ.

(Image courtesy GAiN)

“Imagine the effect this has on Malawians when they hear their local pastor say, ‘God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life,'” GAiN stated on their Facebook page.

Pray that villagers will give new attention to the Gospel. Pray for changed lives as local partners do follow-up work.

According to the UN, Malawi’s underdevelopment rate is 47%, primarily due to malnutrition. Globally, hunger results in the deaths of 6.5 million kids under the age of five each year. GAiN’s Food Program provides children and their families with lifesaving food aid in North and South America, the Middle East, Africa and Central Asia.

Find ways to come alongside GAIN’s food program here.

"Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Next month, a Global Aid Network USA (GAIN) packing event is helping Christ-followers fulfill both these instructions and the Great Commission.

"I think we have a proven model that not only fulfills the 'Great Commandment' to love your neighbor and provide him with food and blankets and the clothing that they need. But it also[fulfills] the 'Great Commission,' to go and make disciples of all nations," says GAIN USA's Director of Distribution Phil Liller.

From October 22-26, volunteers are invited to help GAIN pack containers full of aid they send to needy locations worldwide. The "aid" covers a wide spectrum of items.

"Anything from blankets for the refugee camps to food; we're also packing up heirloom vegetable seeds into Harvester Packs," says Liller. "There are five different varieties, and we send that to communities that need the development work.

"Along with our water program and agricultural training, it helps develop communities so they can be self-sufficient."

GAIN containers come with more than physical aid for people in need around the world.

"The humanitarian aid opens the door to have people hear the Gospel [who] would not have otherwise been able to get exposed to the Gospel," Liller explains.

"It's a door-opener; it's a multiplier. We will frequently team with The JESUS Film or the Cru ministry staff in the local countries, and it's exciting to be part of that."

And, it's not only the container recipients who grow in Christ. Those who participate in this event are often blessed as well.

"People come from as far away as California and Arizona and Canada to help us pack, and that's almost a yearly thing," says Liller.

"We have some people from the local area as well, and from surrounding states: New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, New York, Virginia, etc. To get more information on what we do and how to get involved, you can go to our Web site."

Click here to visit GAINUSA.org.

"Click on the 'Get Involved' tab and then it'll have the Distribution Center, and [it'll] give information on the packing event," explains Liller.

With age-appropriate packing activities, Liller says the entire family can join in.

"One of the things that we've done throughout the years is inviting families and having a family-friendly environment," he states. "We have some kid-friendly processes that we save for the younger kids, like packing up our Care Packs of school supplies."

Mentioning Proverbs 22:6, Liller says the packing event gives kids an early start on the Great Commission.

"If they start packing up aid at an early age, and hearing about what it does to help people overseas and about spreading the love of God, they get caught-up in doing it lifelong," he says.

Ready yet? You can connect with GAIN USA through the Featured Links section of our homepage, or you can click here to visit the Event page directly.

"If you're a Christian, you are a laborer for Christ in this life, and you've got to be doing something," Liller states.

On the latest GAIN trip, team members shared the Gospel on home visits, helped build a church, and worked in a local school. (Image courtesy GAIN)

A team with Global Aid Network, or GAIN, recently personified this passage in Guatemala. They worked at a school, helped build a church, and shared the Gospel on home visits.

“We had some teams that walked as far as 45 minutes to get to a home,” says team leader Steve Watson. “It lends credence to the story when you tell them about Jesus — God will go to great lengths to get your attention.”

There were 33 people on this short-term mission trip, so they divided into smaller groups to get projects done more efficiently. And, it wasn’t just college kids on this mission trip.

“We had ages from nine, with our youngest, up to someone in their seventies,” says Watson.

GAIN works with a local Campus Crusade ministry in an area near the mountains. Watson said it rained during most of their trip and as a result, the ground was often muddy. This only served to underscore the power of God’s love during home visits.

“We even had a person say, ‘I can’t believe that you came to see me’,” Watson adds.

When teams were invited into a person’s home, Watson says, the relationship-building began. After listening to the homeowner’s testimony, team members would share their own. Eventually, the conversation turns to Christ and the Gospel is shared in an intimate setting.

“Then at the end of the week, we did a distribution of food and toys, and things like that,” says Watson. “After we had built relationships and got to know people, then we gave them the gifts.”

This trip didn’t just change the people of Guatemala.

“To see how desperately poor they are, but the love and the joy that they have that comes from the Lord — yeah, it definitely changes your own heart,” Watson says. People are already contacting him to go on the next trip, he adds.

“[They tell me] ‘I want to go back, I need to go back’,” he says. “Doing the home visits the way we did, [the trip] was even more impactful because they didn’t just see faces in a crowd. They built relationships with people.”

Watson says another trip is planned for November. Click here to learn more.

“We will be building on what we did in this last trip,” Watson says. “If God’s tugging at your heart to go, then step out and be obedient. Even if you don’t wind up going, take the step.”

You could also “call the office, talk to me or one of the other trip leaders, and get more information,” says Watson. The office number for GAIN is (972) 234-0800.

Not feeling led to Guatemala? GAIN is planning to visit a Central Asia nation in April 2014.

“It’s very different. It’s a much harder terrain (spiritually) than Guatemala,” Watson says.

“Because it is a closed country, we do the same type of work… not so much focused on large evangelism, but [building] relationships and helping to strengthen the ministry in that country.”

GAIN doesn’t just need people to go. They need prayer warriors too.

“Pray for people who are going to take that first step, some of them for the first time,” Watson says.

Ask the Lord to prepare their hearts for ministry in Guatemala or Central Asia. Pray also for the native people of these countries, that God will prepare their hearts to receive His love.