Peace Gospel Blog

Myanmar Project Updates

2010-03-01T06:11:00.009-06:00

Our Myanmar projects continue to flourish in spite of many difficulties in this horribly oppressed country. Scores are coming to Christ as a result of our native team's continued outreach to those affected by Cyclone Nargis and the famine it caused-- one of the 5 worst cyclones to hit South Asia in the past 100 years, with over 130,000 killed. At our piggery project there, two "mamma pigs" just gave birth to some happy little piglets! (See photos below). When full grown, the pigs fetch a net profit of about $75. Yaw Thang, age 8, pictured below, is one of the orphans this project supports. Brought into our orphanage after being left orphaned by the cyclone, he recently received an award at his school for good grades and perfect attendance. We hope to expand our work in Myanmar by starting a new vegetable seed distribution program to the destitute farmers left devastated by ongoing famines and rat infestations. Please pray for the logistics and funding needed to get this new project off the ground. [sponsor a piglet today | sponsor a piglet in someone's honor]

Seamstress School: Recent Graduation

2010-02-17T06:46:00.005-06:00

Editor's note: apologies for the lack of news on the blog. Our small administrative team has been swamped with several new programs and we have not been able to maintain this communication channel. We hope to keep it more current in the months ahead.

Our most recent news is that 19 women from one of our five seamstress business schools in India graduated on February 9th, after a 4-month training course. These women live in a slum area of a city in South India. They were so happy to receive their certificates and new sewing machines. For all of the participants, it was the first of any such achievement in their lives, so you can imagine their joy.

Our women's seamstress business program, which focuses on widows, is now in its 6th year of operation. Over 100 women have graduated from the course and are now running home-based businesses. The program has been very successful, to the point where we have scores of women on a wait-list to get into the program. Program update: The initiative started as an outreach to widows, but has now been expanded to include non-widows who are living below the poverty line. The training program has also been extended from 3 months to 4 months.

How does it work? After taking women through a 4-month course we then equip them with a sewing machine and basic supplies. This allows them to start a practical in-demand business that provides for their families. Our program also includes the incentive of a micro-credit program. The newly commissioned business owners pay back their equipment costs in affordable monthly installments. Of course if a certain participant is having a difficult time getting her business started, the payments can be paused without penalty. These payments are placed into a fund which is used to commission more widows into the program. It further empowers the widows to know that part of their work will involve helping future widows enter the program.

Below are photos from the recent graduation.

Help Us Recover from Worst Flood in a Century

2009-10-11T14:39:00.001-06:00

You might have seen in recent news that South India was hit by what is believed to be the worst flood there in 100 years. Our native team is scrambling to respond with relief aid in the form of food, water and tents. It is estimated that 2.5 million are homeless, seeking refuge in government-run relief camps. We have several churches and one widow's seamstress business school in the villages along the lower half of the Krishna River, which was one of the hardest-hit areas. We fear that our seamstress school there is completely gone, as it was situated close to the banks of the river and is completely submerged at the moment.

Please contribute to our relief fund today to help get much needed relief supplies to those most in need, and to help us rebuild our churches and our widow's seamstress business school. As the average daily wage in India is less than $2, just remember that no gift is too small!

Give online at our website:
http://www.peacegospel.org/disaster-relief/

Or give through our Facebook Causes page:
http://apps.facebook.com/causes/93382

Announcing the Friends of Peace Gospel Network

2009-07-02T15:16:00.001-06:00

The "Friends of Peace Gospel" Network was recently established in response to our constant exposure to highly qualified indigenous ministries requesting partnership with our organization. Honestly, we had felt a little overwhelmed with all of the requests, especially considering that our focus has been solely on South Asia for the past 16 years, and many of the friends we've been meeting are from Africa, the Pacific Rim and Southeast Asia. However, as we received grant applications from many of these ministries, we realized there was an opportunity to partner with them in a limited capacity while developing relationships that could later grow into full partnerships. Our process of review and accountability parameters remain the same as with our top-level partnerships in South Asia, but our level of financial commitment to members of the network is not as deep due to obvious limitations.

We invite you to learn more about our first member of the network, an indigenous ministry in the Republic of Chad. More information will be forthcoming about other pending members, including ministries from Uganda, Kenya, The Philippines and Israel. As these members earn a deeper level of trust and partnership with our organization, you will start to see a move away from our focus on South Asia toward a more global reach in impact, Lord willing. We hope you will stay tuned, and continue to pray for our efforts to empower native missions through micro-enterprise.

Funds Raised for Nepal Goat Farm

2009-06-23T15:27:00.005-06:00

We are happy to report that we have recently reached our fund raising goals for the launch of our new goat farm in Nepal! Work on the new land is already underway. We are very thankful to all of you who contributed toward our goal to make the project a reality. Our native team will care for the farm, and the profits will go toward our existing orphanage and other ministry efforts in the region. Consider helping us grow the farm by sponsoring the addition of one or more baby goats at the farm!

Challenge: 30 days on $30 of Food

2009-04-01T08:50:00.004-06:00

Our good friend Kirby Trapolino has recently launched a blog about surviving off of $30 of food for 30 days. The purpose of his blog is to bring awareness of the plight of the world's poorest: the millions of South Asia's urban slum dwellers who live off of an average of $1 per day. In his desire to heighten awareness of these "poorest of the poor" and their needs, he is living off of $30 of food for 30 days March 30 - April 28. He will be calculating what he would have usually spent on food during that same time, and will donate that to our orphanage in India. We challenge you to do the same! Follow the link to track Kirby's day by day progress through the challenge:

30 Days on $30 Challenge

Nepal Orphanage Update

2009-03-05T11:19:00.002-06:00

We recently partnerned with an indigenous Nepalese church to launch a new orphanage and its supporting goat farm in Nepal. Phase One of the orphanage has already been completed and we've been able to take in a handful of orphans. However we still have a lot of work to do, and the funds for the goat farm are yet to be raised. We're also supporting the work of this church to conduct outreach efforts in remote mountainous villages within Nepal. Less than 2% of the population is Christian, and hundreds of villages are without any established body of believers. Please join us in reaching out to Nepal's estimated 1 million orphans, and the the millions in need of the hope of the Gospel.

• help us reach our goals in Nepal
• help our Nepal work in someone's honor

Seeking Sponsorships for 1000 Shares of Nepal Orphanage & Goat Farm Start-Up

2008-12-31T08:07:00.000-06:00

About two years ago the Lord brought us into a relationship with a small church working to reach out to the rural poor in areas surrounding Kathmandu. After over a year of planning, we are ready to seek funding for an orphanage and a goat farm operation to sustain the work. Thanks to record-setting exchange rates with the Nepalese Rupee, we have an opportunity to fund the project for only $23,000. The more we learn about Nepal, the more we are burdened to begin this work. Poverty is extreme with 1 out of 2 living on less than $1 per day. Furthermore, it is estimated that 9% of children under the age of 14 are orphaned, making for an orphan population of about 970,000. To help you envision the impact your donation can have, we're dividing the start-up costs into 1,000 shares at a value of $23 each, as the total cost of launching the operation will be about $23,000. The orphanage will have a framed inaugural certificate at its entryway, upon which we will list "friends of the orphanage" who donated at least one share toward its start-up costs. [ sponsor a share of the Nepal start-up ]

Check out our latest video

2008-11-12T19:21:00.001-06:00

We take you to South Asia and back in 4 minutes!

Peace Gospel launches new Alternative Gift Catalog

2008-10-07T14:02:00.008-06:00

Through the Peace Gospel Alternative Gift Catalog, we're offering an alternative to the usual commercially-driven gift giving custom. Why deal with the guesswork of what to give? Give the gift of life and hope offered in the name of Jesus, on behalf of your friend or loved one. Gifts include water buffalo sponsorships, widow's seamstress business sponsorships, the sponsorship of an orphan's first year expenses at their new orphanage, wheelchairs for the disabled, piglets at our Myanmar pig farm, or child immunization gift packages. You can also choose between "full shares" of these sponsorships, or a portion thereof. After choosing a gift, you proceed to a simple checkout page. After checkout you are taken to an online certificate which you can print and send to a friend, or save and send as an email attachment. The certificate includes a photo and brief description of the impact the gift has made on behalf of your friend or loved one. It's as easy as that — gift shopping done, while making a 100% charitable impact! [take me there]

Our Myanmar Native Team Continues to Work Among Cyclone Victims

2008-09-08T04:59:00.001-06:00

In Myanmar, our native team continues to work in response to one of the most devastating storms in recorded history, Cyclone Nargis which devastated the area in May of this year. It is estimated that over 130,000 people lost their lives as a result of the storm. The military dictatorship in Myanmar was deeply criticized by the international community for its delays in accepting foreign aid. Thousands of orphans have shown up on the city streets of Yangon. Our native team maintains an orphanage there and has taken in more children. However they must move slowly due to the military regime's frowning upon anything appearing to be well-organized outside of their control, not to mention financial considerations in meeting the needs of these children.

Widow's Seamstress Business Initiative Now in 4th Year

2008-09-08T04:56:00.003-06:00

In a recent eNews edition we gave a detailed report on our Widow's Seamstress Business Initiative, now in its 4th year of operation. The popularity of the program is growing as a result of the success of our widows' businesses. Word of mouth is spreading the good news of the business model's overwhelming success, and thus more and more widows are showing up asking to be enrolled in the program. We hate turning them away, so we often allow them to observe the classes and jump in on machines when they are not being used, to get a feel for the work. However we're not able to sponsor all of them as there are simply not enough funds for this. (In this photo one of our students is holding up her workbook; they work out the basics in miniature before moving to the machines). If you are interested in sponsoring a widow's seamstress business, you can do so from our donate page.

Peace Gospel Distributing Free Wheelchairs to Disabled in India

2008-09-08T04:53:00.002-06:00

We've started working with an organization called Free Wheelchair Mission to distribute wheelchairs to disabled in India free of charge. This is making a huge impact in areas where wheelchairs were before only an elusive luxury. People previously confined to literally crawling along on the ground are gaining mobility for the first time in their lives. According to a recent census report taken in India, 70 million Indians are classified as disabled which is about 6% of the population. Of these, only 2% are educated and 1% employed. It is our hope that by giving the disabled the gift of mobility, the statistics will not be so horribly stacked against them.

Enrollment up at South India Orphanage, Creating Several Needs

2008-09-07T09:52:00.014-06:00

It's been a very busy summer for Peace Gospel. With our new school opening at the Hadassah Orphanage in South India, we've finally been able to fill the open capacity to bring in several more orphans. We're now up to 66 children enrolled in the orphanage. This has led to many more financial needs but the Lord has been good to us to provide as our needs arise. This fall we will begin some new projects to complete an expansion on the second level of the orphanage facility along with a new set of bathrooms and bathing rooms, among other improvements to the grounds. We're also looking to raise funds for new clothes, bedding, and schoolroom furniture to better accommodate the larger number of children.

Security Wall, School Opening Update from South India

2008-07-08T22:20:00.009-06:00

We wanted to post some updated photos from our orphanage and Bible College facility in South India. The construction on the security wall has faced some setbacks due to property line disputes with neighbors. However this has been resolved and the work now continues. You can see a portion of the wall in the photo at right.

We decided it would be best to place the new school construction on the ground level, so the pillars on top of the existing facility will be used for future expansion. You can see the unfurnished construction of the school building in the second photo. We will soon complete the partition work to create five classroom spaces. The school is being constructed in the traditional Indian style.

In the third photo you can see the 40+ students who are registered for the new school year in our dedication ceremony. We expect 20 to 30 more students to register in the weeks ahead. Local government officials and several pastors were present at the dedication ceremony. We are very excited about this expansion of our main South India facility. Please pray for this ongoing work!

Myanmar Relief Update

2008-07-05T17:45:00.001-06:00

As mentioned in our previous post, we were able to grant some relief funds to our newest native team as we have expanded our ministry reach into Myanmar. We are happy to report that they have rebuilt their church and orphanage shelter, several local homes, and distributed several kilos of rice and other basic supplies to those affected by Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar. Please pray for our lead Pastor there, who must remain nameless online due to the government situation there. Also pray for the thousands who remain homeless, and the hundreds of orphans created by this disaster.

Acceleration of our Myanmar Partnership

2008-06-05T15:14:00.005-06:00

For the past 18 months we've been exploring a potential partnership with a native ministry in Myanmar. Before the cyclone hit there, we were in discussions with them to launch a pig farming micro-enterprise effort at some point in 2009. However due to the urgent needs they are facing as a result of the cyclone, we decided to accelerate our partnership with them by sending some relief funds. With these funds they will be able to rebuild their humble church and orphanage shelters. We'll keep you posted as the relationship develops, but know that we are very optimistic of the opportunities the Lord is opening up in Myanmar through this emerging partnership!

Need for 4-Wheel Drive Vehicle

2008-05-05T15:45:00.003-06:00

Back in 2000 we purchased a 4-wheel drive vehicle which has served us faithfully. But lately it has been breaking down and racking up costs in maintenance. We've logged over 200,000 miles on what we affectionately refer to as the "Sumo." The vehicle plays a critical role in bringing supplies from the city to the orphanage along with other important duties crucial to our ministry efforts. We're seeking $15,000 for a lightly used Indian-made 4-wd vehicle. Would you consider making a contribution today to ensure that our operations in South India go uninterrupted?

[ sponsor a share of the new vehicle ]

Update on the New Orphanage School

2008-04-17T14:51:00.001-06:00

Our recent fundraising goal of $30,000 for the security wall and the second level expansion to include a school for the orphans on-campus has already been met! On behalf of the children of Hadassah Orpahange, we thank you for your overwhelming generosity. We request prayer for the various permits that are pending for the launch of the new school. Local Indian governments are notorious for their delays in paperwork and permit processing, but we have faith that God wants this school launched and will deliver the permits to us in time!

The photo isn't the best but you can see the pillars and some of the interior walls going up on the roof of our existing facility! Exciting to see the beginnings shaping up. We'll keep you posted when we get better photos from our native team in India.

[ help bring in more orphans | more photos ]

Hadassah Orphanage Security Update

2008-03-30T14:36:00.003-06:00

Back in February we updated you on the tragedy of one of our orphans' classmates being kidnapped and found murdered near our property in South India. As you recall, we made a plea for support to build a security wall around our 1/3 acre campus. We're very glad to report we had an overwhelming response to our plea and that the wall construction is well underway! The children could not be happier to see the wall going up. It is difficult for them to comprehend your love and support coming from half way around the world, but they are grateful to you and pray for you every morning in their group prayer time. Please continue to keep these children and their security in your thoughts and prayers. Specific prayer request: the land owner on the East side of the property has brought some complaints to the local magistrate about the wall, even though we received all needed permits from the local government to proceed with the project. Pray for good communication and understanding from this neighbor.

[ help bring in more orphans | more photos ]

Urgent security situation for Hadassah Orphanage, South India

2008-02-19T14:35:00.008-06:00

Children from our orphanage in South India attend a public school about a quarter mile down the road from the orphanage. Last month, a 7 year old girl, classmate to several of our orphans, was kidnapped on her way home from the school, raped and killed. The authorities were able to catch the man responsible and brought him to justice, but other kidnappings have occurred in the area which remain unsolved.

Tragically, it is not uncommon in India for this kind of thing to happen to Dalit children. The Dalit are regarded as India's "untouchables" and are the victims of some of the world's most grievous human rights violations.

All of our children at the orphanage have been going through an extremely difficult time thinking about what happened to their classmate. We have been in intense prayer for them and have had our native staff spending extra time counseling and comforting them.

This news has necessitated an urgent acceleration of our plans to build a security wall around our 1/3 acre campus. Naturally, the children are frightened and see the plans for the wall as a huge comfort, so it has now moved to the top of our list as our most urgent priority. We urgently need to raise $7,500 to build the wall.

This week we will begin construction on the wall immediately in faith that the funds will begin to come in. Please consider how you might be able to help us raise these funds— even if it's a small amount, it will make a huge impact. Please consider giving something today.

[ contribute toward the goal | orphanage photos ]

Widow's sewing program receives local attention, expands to two locations

2008-02-18T16:49:00.000-06:00

The success of our widow's sewing program has received growing local attention. Government officials at the local level have taken notice and are asking us to start more training centers for their low-income mandals (equivalent of precincts or wards). We have complied by recently expanding the program to add one additional training center. We are receiving so many requests from local widows that we cannot keep up with the demand. At either of our training centers, there are a dozen or more women who show up to receive training, knowing that they are not yet sponsored to receive a sewing machine and supplies. They are so eager to get into the program they simply receive the training as we can work them in. The picture is that of a room full of sewing machines humming away, while several women stand by to watch and hop on the machines as the other ladies take breaks. Our new center meets in one of our church buildings in a slum area. This is one of our dreams— to see the church empowered to not only spiritually impact the local area, but also to make a lasting physical impact through sustainable means.

[ sponsor a widow's sewing business | photos ]

New ways to donate: introducing "shares"

2008-02-07T15:38:00.000-06:00

Many of you who cannot afford a full sponsorship have requested a way to go in with others to sponsor a buffalo, sewing program enrollee, or an orphan. We've recently overhauled our specific giving options on our donate page to allow you to buy "shares" of these sponsorships. We hope this will encourage more of you to jump in to meet our goals more quickly.

Partnership with 963 Coffee

2008-01-30T11:39:00.000-06:00

We're pleased to announce our partnership with a Christian-owned Fair Trade coffee roaster called 963 Coffee. We'll be selling the coffee to churches and individuals to raise funds for our work in South Asia. The coffee comes in a variety of blends and is shipped to your doorstep straight from the roasting facility to ensure optimum quality. For each bag of coffee purchased through our website, $4 goes toward Peace Gospel programs, and $6 goes toward 963 Coffee's program to end poverty among coffee growers. Thus 100% of your purchase is making a charitable impact. 963 Coffee was founded with a unique mission: to help missions agencies like ours raise funds by selling a quality product, while ensuring that farmers get a fair wage for their coffee beans. Their name comes from Psalm 96:3, "Declare the glory of the Lord among the nations, his good deeds among all peoples." Need we say any more? Why not buy your first bag today?

If you're with a church, cafe or school and might be interested in buying your coffee from us in 5 pound bags, please contact us.

New Websites: Spanish, Korean, German

2007-12-11T11:54:00.000-06:00

After several months of testing and editing, our new foreign language websites are complete! Check out the Spanish, Korean and German versions of PeaceGospel.org. We're currently seeking volunteers with mastery of these languages to help in ongoing translation work. Please contact us if you would like to contribute to our ministry in that way.