Click on the image below to view the annual report.

New Life Ministries, in partnership with NEXT Manga and Mission India, is committed to printing and distributing 550,000 Manga Messiah in Hindi for the people of India.

How exactly would that many books be used? Mission India, our partner on the ground across the country, is conducting children’s bible clubs, adult literacy classes, and church planter training, connecting with literally millions of adults and children. They have a strategic plan for reaching youth for Jesus in states throughout the country.

Children’s Bible Clubs

Each year, approximately 5 million children are reached through 10-day Clubs (similar to Daily Vacation Bible School). Resources are available in more than 20 languages, and approximately 60-70% of children in these Clubs are from non-Christian families. Summer programs are followed up with Year-Long Clubs, which meet for two hours each day. These year-long discipleship group are led by volunteers from local (Indian) churches. Each Club has 40 children on average, and each year 5,000 to 6,000 Clubs are conducted across India.

Adult Literacy Classes

These Bible-based Literacy Classes run for two hours per night, five nights per week, for one year. The most responsive populations are the rural poor, mostly of the social status that is called “untouchable” or Dalit. Just under 4,000 of these Classes will start in August 2018 (4,000 different villages and communities). Classes have 30 learners each and are offered in nearly 30 Indian languages. This is a critical opportunity because newly literate adults read to their children and families.

Church Planter Training

During the year-long program, Church Planters are trained and equipped through classroom instruction and on-site fieldwork — with the goal of reaching 600 families and establishing two new worshipping groups during the training. Church Planters visit hundreds of homes and start three to five home prayer groups, which are eventually gathered into a worshipping group.

Manga Messiah would be extremely useful in the early stages of this work to help people read and understand the Gospel. The book has been tested in a number of places and now workers are trained to use a method called “over the shoulder” evangelism, which is to simply sit in a semi-public place and read the colorful Manga book. Curious people, especially young people, will look over the shoulder of the reader, and ask “where can I get one of those?”

Indeed, the need is only surpassed by the great opportunity before us. Will you help in getting this powerful tool into the hands of children and adults across India? Contact us at info@newlifeministries.jp or donate to learn more on how to support this project.

These pictures were taken during OpSAFE training of trainers where we teach local churches how to care for the psychological needs of children who have been through disasters. Melai Cuarentas is an amazing storyteller from Lawaan, East Samar who really knows how to bring the stories of Pete the Penguin and his friends to life and served in many camps following Typhoon Haiyan.

We are taking Melai to Mindanao to help train the churches in Surigao Del Norte as they care for children after a 6.7M earthquake. You can help bring experienced trainers like Melai to Surigao Del Norte by donating to OpSAFE International. bit.ly/giveOpSAFE

https://www.facebook.com/OperationSAFE/videos/10152721679037120/

Click on the image below to view the annual report (17MB).

At 10:03 p.m. on 10 February 2017, a 6.7-magnitude earthquake with a depth of ten kilometres and an epicenter located near Surigao City, Philippines caused loss of lives and damage to properties in the Caraga region, located in Surigao del Norte province.

In 2016 OpSAFE International in partnership with the Philippine Children’s Ministry Network held a training of trainers in Davao City in Mindanao. These trained psychological first-aid workers are now ready to bring help and hope to their neighbors in the Caraga region.

They are currently assessing needs and coordinating with local churches to train and conduct OperationSAFE camps for 3,000 children in 12 schools that were damaged by the quake.

Please join us as we raise $9,000 to support this effort.

OpSAFE International has conducted training in the Philippines since 2013 responding to the siege of Zamboanga, Typhoon Haiyan, Typhoon Ruby and catastrophic fires in Cebu, Manila and Mindanao.

Each OperationSAFE psychological first-aid camp is led by Christian volunteers who are fluent in the local dialect and have roots in the community. Children who attend the camp are cared for by local volunteers who are not leaving after the response is finished.

In the aftermath of disasters there is a perfect opportunity to not only strengthen the resilience of children to trauma and adversity but also to help communities ensure the safety of their children from trafficking, exploitation and abuse. Our partners, the Philippine Children’s Ministry Network are experts in this area and have successfully implemented child protection programs after building connections with the children and community through initial disaster response.

Since 2013 over 10,000 children in the Philippines have experienced an OperationSAFE camp. However, many more children in the Philippines are affected by natural disasters each year. Each time we respond to a disaster we increase the number of trained volunteers and the capacity of local churches and organizations to meet the great need of the children.

OpSAFE International is a global partner of Global Intercultural Services (GLINTS)

Thank you for your support of CRASH Japan. We are finally now giving you an update about our activities in the Kumamoto region of Japan. Sorry that we have not written before now – we started writing in each language several times, but we have all been busy dealing with the disaster response itself. The Japanese text below was written about two weeks ago, but we’ll give you more fresh information in English.

Beginning with a Magnitude 6.5 on April 14th that was merely a “fore-shock” of a magnitude 7.3 before dawn on April 16th, damage has continued to spread across a wide area as hundreds of aftershocks hit the area. Every day in Kumamoto, multiple small aftershocks can be felt. (more…)