Gospel for Asia

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) Special Report #1 – Discussing the world’s quest for access to clean water that is safe to drink. Photo credit Giacomo Pirozzi, UNICEF The statistics are mind-numbing. 502,000 people die each year from diarrhea—caused by unsafe drinking water. [1] 2.1 billion people have no access to safely managed drinking water . [2] 159 million people get their drinking water directly from surface water sources . [3] 263 million must travel more than 30 minutes daily to collect their water. [4] Safe drinking water is something most of us take for granted. But for millions of people, the only water they have is contaminated. And millions more are at risk of having no water at all. According to the United Nations, 1.9 billion people (27 percent of the world’s population) live in “potentially severely water-scarce” areas . [5] They wake up each morning knowing they must fight to survive. For those of us who enjoy ready access to clean water , these numbers are d...

If someone were to ask what a Gospel for Asia Jesus Well is worth, the most popular response from faithful followers of our work might be “$1,400.” That’s because we consistently remind our family of believers that a gift of $1,400 can fund the building of a brand-new Jesus Well. However, $1,400 is what it costs Gospel for Asia to install a well in drought-ridden villages across South Asia. The value of a Jesus Well is something entirely different. [1] Defining the Value of a Jesus Well Whether we realize it or not, we make nearly all of our purchases based on the value proposition of a business transaction. For example, if someone is buying a new tire for their car, their buying decision will take into account the expected length of time they intend to own the car. If they plan on trading the car in the near future, most people will choose to purchase a less expensive tire than they would if they were planning to keep the car for a long time. Price is an issue, but the amount the...

Several billion people around the world live without sufficient access to clean water. Over one billion people lack water supplies. Another 2.7 billion find water scarce for at least one month of the year. Read Gospel for Asia (GFA)’s Special Report on The Global Clean Water Crisis . A 2014 survey of the world’s 500 largest cities estimates that one in four is in “ water stress .” Twelve major cities are in danger of running out of clean drinking water, if not soon, within the somewhat near future . Cape Town. The water crisis in the Cape Town has commanded headlines around the globe when the African National Congress declared a national state of emergency as the city had expected to run out of drinking water by April. The deadline was moved to July but, during the third week of March, the government announced that the immediate crisis had been averted. Sao Paulo is Brazil’s financial center. The city of 20 million faced its own Day Zero in 2015. The city turned off its water suppl...

A charity building wells in Africa needs financial and prayer partners like you to continue to purchase well parts, pay drillers and maintain current wells with needed parts and upkeep. Even in arid continents like Africa, groundwater is available below the surface to access through well drilling. According to Off the Grid News, “Groundwater tends to run in aquifers, which are layers of water trapped in porous stone or sand. But if your underlying geology is rock, it may not be porous enough to allow water to flow through the rock.” It’s important to understand the terrain and have a possible idea of where the aquifers are located. [1] GFA also uses mechanical pumps instead of electrical. Not only are these easier to maintain, but electricity cannot be relied on in many parts of the world, including where we serve in Asia and Africa. Local church members are taught how to maintain the well and its parts, and they commit to making sure it runs smoothly. Properly maintained wells can run...

The cost to build a well in Africa does not need to be astronomical. A standard American homeowner wanting to drill a well can easily spend upwards of $9,000. [1] Many factors are at play, including the labor necessary to make it happen and the landscape where it is being drilled. In Africa, some wells with elaborate electrical pumping systems can cost up to $30,000. GFA World has been installing clean water projects, including bore wells in rural, water-starved areas of Asia for many years and has recently made some water infrastructure improvements in Kigali where we have set up our Africa ministry headquarters. For bore well needs, we have perfected a system and model that allows us to drill a sustainable well and, using local labor and the commonly available India Mark II pump and parts, we can keep the cost of installation and maintenance well below other models. We call it the Jesus Well. [2] A local congregation is commissioned to care for the well, providing regular maintenance...

To donate a well in Africa, partner with GFA World by giving to clean water projects like a Jesus Well. This low-cost, historically proven well system has the potential to save millions of lives if enough wells can be dug for rural areas where water access is extremely limited. These same areas have high concentrations of those struggling to survive every day. According to the World Resource Institute, “Poor communities often face greater exposure to climate hazards, such as more extreme rainfall or drought conditions, and have fewer resources to cope.” [1] The article goes on to point out, though, that investment in infrastructures that deliver sufficient, clean water pays dividends in every area affecting the poor: health, job opportunities, education and more. Clean water is at the heart of many issues affecting the poor. First, there is the time and effort involved in getting the water. Many people in poor parts of the world have to travel an hour or more to fetch water, a process...

According to the World Health Organization, half the world’s population will be living in water-stressed areas by 2025. [1] Africa is one of the hardest hit places in the world due to drought, shifting population needs and infrastructure demands. This is why building wells in Africa must be a priority for organizations who can help ease the crisis millions are facing. A 2022 brief by UNICEF says of the situation: “The protracted drought has led to a water crisis, with more than 8.5 million people, including 4.2 million children, facing dire water shortages across the region. Water scarcity is killing livestock, drying up crops and driving families from their homes in search of water.” [2] Africa has mostly arid climates. Surface water is limited, and large bodies of water to draw from are simply not available in most places. However, there is a sustainable solution. As one article from the University of Texas explains, “Most cities in Africa rely on surface water from lakes, rivers an...