<![CDATA[Yeye Goes to China - Agape Asia]]>Sun, 23 Aug 2026 12:36:19 -0400EditMySite<![CDATA[More Than a Retreat: Building a Network That Learns Together]]>Sat, 22 Aug 2026 17:55:13 GMThttps://www.yeyegoestochina.com/agape-asia/more-than-a-retreat-building-a-network-that-learns-togetherPicture
CHIANG MAI, Thailand -- Sometimes a retreat is more than a chance to get away. When the Agape Asia Network gathered in Chiang Mai, Thailand, on July 20-24, 2026, for its second bi-annual retreat, the gathering became something much more significant than just getting away for a few days. It was a time for rest and renewal, but it was also an opportunity for ministry leaders from across Asia, and their American ministry partners, to listen, learn, share ideas and strengthen relationships.
The retreat and workshop, held at the Juniper Resort in Chiang Mai, brought together nearly 40 participants. The setting made it possible for everyone to stay together in small cabin-like houses, share meals, spend time together and have room for both rest and reflection.
 
Agape Asia has ministry operations in nine Asian countries; Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Laos, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, and Thailand. In those countries are more than 25 ministry operations under the umbrella of Agape Asia. Leaders from eight of the nine countries were represented at the retreat, with Cambodia being the only country unable to send a participant.
 
The decision to hold the retreat in Chiang Mai was intentional. The location made it relatively easy for ministry partners to travel back and forth to their home countries without the visa complications and significant paperwork that can make international travel difficult. The result was a gathering that brought together people who often work thousands of miles apart.
 
Ministry partners came from different countries. They spoke different languages. They serve in very different cultural and economic environments. But they share a common calling. And for four days, they had the opportunity to learn from one another.
 
For Agape Asia, the retreat represented something bigger than a four-day event. It offered a practical demonstration of what it means to be a network.
A Place to Rest and Prepare
Agape Asia Board President Steve Shaner opened the workshop with a message centered on the importance of “rest and readiness.” The idea was simple: people engaged in difficult ministry work need opportunities to stop, breathe, renew themselves and prepare for the work ahead.
 
That emphasis shaped the retreat. The schedule included formal training and ministry discussions, but there was also time to eat together, talk together, relax and enjoy one another's company. One day was devoted to an excursion that gave everyone an opportunity to play with elephants in Thailand. Those moments may seem unrelated to ministry strategy, but they were part of the retreat's purpose.
 
Agape Asia works with ministry leaders who often serve in difficult circumstances. Their united goal is to; care for abandoned and vulnerable children, make disciples and plant churches, and help each ministry to become self-sustaining. These objectives are met by leadership training, strategic planning and accountability. Some are dealing with poverty. Others minister in politically unstable environments. Some are leading ministries through significant transitions.
 
Collaboration in Action
One of Agape Asia's core values is collaboration, and the retreat gave participants an opportunity to experience that value rather than simply hear about it. Participants were placed in groups twice each day to talk, exchange ideas and debrief about what they were learning.
 
American ministry partners also participated, including representatives from Mission Resource Network, Hope and Equip, Flint Global and The Exponent Group. Their representatives helped conduct workshops and interact directly with the Asian ministry leaders. That interaction was valuable for practical reasons. Participants were able to meet people they might otherwise know only through email or online meetings.
 
The presence of multiple organizations demonstrated to Agape Asia's Asian partners that ministry organizations can work together without competing for control, recognition or money. They could simply collaborate. That example may have been as important as anything taught during the formal sessions.
 
Community Beyond Borders
Another of Agape Asia's core values is community. The retreat provided perhaps the clearest possible picture of what community means. Participants lived together. They ate together. They talked together. They worshiped and prayed together. And, yes, they played with elephants together. Those shared experiences helped create relationships that cannot easily be manufactured through a quarterly Zoom meeting or a PDF training document.
 
The retreat also brought together people who would not ordinarily have an opportunity to meet. A ministry leader from one country might have discovered that another leader thousands of miles away was dealing with exactly the same challenge.
 
Someone working in India might have found an idea that could be adapted in Nepal. A leader from Myanmar might have discovered a new approach being used in Thailand. Those connections are at the heart of Agape Asia's growing network philosophy. The organization is not simply trying to tell its partners what to do. It is trying to help them discover what they can learn from one another.
 
Learning From the Front Lines
Each of the three primary ministry days focused on one of the areas central to Agape Asia's ministry model: discipleship, childcare and sustainability.
 
Sessions were led by Dale Taylor, Executive Director of Agape Asia Network; Kris Bowen, Director of Southeast Asia Operations and Social Work; and Caleb Meeks, Director of Innovation and Africa/Asia Program Manager for Flint Global.
 
Each session included panel discussions and breakout groups designed to hear directly from the ministry leaders themselves. Participants could talk about what was working. They could talk about what was not working. They could ask questions. They could compare experiences. And they could begin thinking about how an idea being used successfully in one country might be adapted to their own ministry context.
 
The breakout groups were also organized around primary languages, including English, Chinese, Thai, Burmese and languages from India. That structure helped ensure that participants were not merely passive recipients of information. They were contributors.
 
When the Student Becomes the Teacher
Perhaps the most important lesson from the retreat was the power of peer-to-peer learning.
Agape Asia leaders have communicated many of the same ideas to their ministry partners repeatedly.
 
There is a difference between hearing an idea from an organization and seeing that idea being lived out by another ministry leader who understands your circumstances. As one participant explained, ministry leaders have heard Agape Asia talk about children's clubs, sustainability and other ministry strategies before, but sometimes an idea does not fully connect until someone hears a peer say:
 
“This is what we're doing in India.”
Or:
“This is how we're approaching it in Myanmar.”
 
Suddenly the idea becomes more than a recommendation. It becomes a possibility.
The retreat was already producing evidence of that. Some participants were asking for additional training from representatives of Mission Resource Network and Flint Global.
 
Others returned home talking about ideas they had heard from fellow ministry leaders.
One participant wanted to begin a children's club after hearing about the work being done by another ministry. Another wanted to explore how to start a small business to create local sustainability. That is precisely the kind of response Agape Asia hopes the network will generate.
 
Agape Asia can provide the training, but its partners can provide examples. Sometimes an idea becomes most powerful when it comes from someone who is already living it.
 
Moving Beyond the Traditional Mission Model
The retreat also demonstrated how Agape Asia's understanding of its own role is changing.
 
The organization is increasingly moving away from the idea that its primary responsibility is to send money to Asian ministry partners. Money remains important, but it is no longer the entire relationship. Agape Asia wants to bring people together, build relationships, encourage collaboration and create opportunities for partners to learn from one another.
 
As Dale Taylor, Executive Director of Agape Asia, explained:
“We have learned that lasting ministry isn't simply about bringing resources into a community. It is about walking alongside local leaders, helping equip them, and giving them the tools they need to continue the work long after we are gone.”
 
The goal is not simply to have a collection of ministries that receive support from the United States. The goal is to create a network in which those ministries are connected to one another.
 
As one participant described it, the organization wants partners to be able to say:
“I know this person in Nepal who does that. Let me put you in touch with them.”
 
That is a very different picture of international ministry. It is not simply one organization sending resources outward. It is a network in which knowledge, experience, encouragement, relationships and ideas can move in multiple directions.
 
Caring for the Whole Ministry Leader
The retreat also addressed an essential but sometimes overlooked aspect of ministry: the emotional and spiritual well-being of the people who lead it.
 
Each morning, participants were given time for personal reflection and small-group conversation, creating a safe environment to consider not only how their ministries were doing, but how they themselves were doing. They were encouraged to ask difficult but important questions: How am I doing spiritually? How am I doing emotionally? What is weighing on my heart? What am I anxious about?
 
For many leaders, talking about strategy comes naturally. They can discuss how to start a children's club, develop a sustainable business or strengthen the ministry's effectiveness. But leading a ministry through significant change can carry a very different kind of weight.
 
When practices that have guided a ministry for 20 years must be reconsidered, leaders may struggle with anxiety, uncertainty or even the concern that changing direction somehow dishonors the work and sacrifice of previous generations.
 
Kris Bowen, Director of Southeast Asia & Social Work, emphasized the importance of caring for the people who are doing the ministry:
 
“We can't ask ministry leaders to continually pour themselves out for others without giving them opportunities to be cared for, too. Caring for the whole person—including their emotional, spiritual and relational well-being—is essential to sustaining healthy ministry.”
 
The retreat helped Agape Asia recognize that truly equipping ministry leaders means caring for the whole person—not simply providing better strategies and tools. Supporting leaders spiritually and emotionally is an important part of helping them navigate change, remain healthy in their calling and continue serving the people and communities God has placed before them.
 
A Network That Is Just Beginning
The retreat ended with plans, prayers, hugs and thanksgiving.
 
Participants returned to their home countries carrying new ideas, renewed relationships and a deeper understanding of the ministries represented throughout the network. But perhaps the most important outcome cannot be measured by attendance numbers or workshop evaluations.
 
It is the realization that Agape Asia is becoming more than an organization that supports ministries. It is becoming a community of ministries that support one another. That distinction matters.
 
A traditional approach to international ministry can easily become a one-way relationship: resources flow from one organization to another, and instructions flow in the same direction.
 
The Agape Asia Network is seeking something different. It wants relationships to flow in every direction. It wants ministry leaders in Asia to learn from one another. It wants American ministry organizations to contribute their expertise without taking control. It wants Agape Asia itself to remain humble enough to learn from the people it supports. And it wants the network to become stronger than any one organization. The retreat in Chiang Mai offered a glimpse of what that could look like.
 
This was more than a retreat. It is the beginning of a network that believes ministry becomes stronger when people stop working alone and begin working together. And as plans begin for the third Agape Asia bi-annual retreat in 2028, the hope is that the network will continue to grow, not simply in size, but in relationships, collaboration, shared wisdom and ministry impact.
 
The ultimate goal is not for Agape Asia to do more ministry by itself. It is to help equip hundreds of ministries that can, together, reach tens of thousands of children and communities throughout Asia. The Chiang Mai retreat was one important step toward that vision.
 
Rest. Readiness. Relationships. Collaboration. Learning. Innovation. And, above all, a network of people committed to discovering what God can do when they learn to work together.
 
Agape Asia Network is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit Christian ministry founded in 1997, with roots in the Churches of Christ and the Restoration Movement. Working alongside local Christian leaders, Agape Asia serves children, equips ministry leaders and strengthens communities in nine Asian countries  through child care, disciple making, church planting, and financial sustainability. Learn more at www.agapeasia.org.
]]><![CDATA[three days in Chiang Rai: A life of faith, mercy, and ministry]]>Fri, 31 Jul 2026 19:16:22 GMThttps://www.yeyegoestochina.com/agape-asia/three-days-in-chiang-rai-a-life-of-faith-mercy-and-ministryPicture
For the last six or more months I have been intrigued by the story of Wendy Wong, a Chinese woman born and raised in Hong Kong, and her Thai husband Anawin Rungrotpanthawee. Together, they plant churches and care for abandoned children, primarily from the mountainous Akha Hilltribe community near Chiang Rai, Thailand. Some of these children, as young as eight, had been forgotten and left to survive on their own. Wendy and Anawin chose to welcome them into their home.
As a leader in the Agape Asia Network, I have read proposals and listened to many ministry leaders seeking help with strategic planning, vision casting, capacity building, and fundraising. Yet this request felt different. The more I learned, the more intrigued and inspired I became. It felt like a Macedonian call—this time from Thailand. I became convinced that God was calling me to meet Wendy and Anawin in person, if only to confirm that they and their remarkable ministry were real. Because I was already planning to attend our biannual workshop and conference for Agape Asia ministries in Chiang Mai, I arranged a site visit for me and Kris Bowen, the Agape Asia Director of SE Asia & Social Work, to see their work firsthand. What follows is a glimpse of what we saw and heard. 

Seventeen years ago, Wendy and Anawin, newly married and fresh out of Bible College, began church planting amongst the Akha Hilltribe people in the mountains of Chiang Rai, Thailand.   Ten years ago, they began taking in children who were homeless or abandoned. It started with one or two, then a few more. As some of the older teenagers prepared to live on their own, Wendy and Anawin continued welcoming new children whenever they had space, even expanding their home and living facilities to make room for more. Today, as many as 30 children live with them in what they now call their Eternal Life Student Centre.
 
As I heard more about Wendy’s ministry, I realized that the true story wasn't simply about what might be called an orphanage. It was about searching for children the rest of the world had overlooked—children who had been abandoned, neglected, or left to face life on their own—and offering them far more than shelter. At the Eternal Life Student Centre, every child is welcomed with the hope of discovering a new family, a new future, and the transforming love of Jesus Christ.
 
Rather than trying to retell Wendy's remarkable ministry in my words, I'd like you to hear it from the person who has devoted her life to these children. Through her own reflections, you'll discover not only the heartbreaking realities that bring children to the Care Center, but also the extraordinary ways God is redeeming lives, restoring hope, and raising up a new generation of young men and women whose futures are no longer defined by their past. As Wendy shares her story, I believe you'll begin to hear the same call that first drew me to the mountains of Chiang Rai, Thailand. 
 
Over three days, we visited the school and children’s center, spoke with leaders and students, and shared coffee, meals, and meaningful conversations with Wendy Wong. I captured those discussions on paper, through digital transcription, and in memory. Because Anawin did not speak English, my conversations were primarily with Wendy. Here are a few excerpts.
THE MINISTRY
SS – Give us a brief overview of your ministry and how it got started.
 
WW - "Our ministry is located near Chiang Rai, a city of approximately 70,000, while the surrounding Chiang Rai Province has a total population of about 1.1 million. The downtown area is relatively small, and many of the older buildings are now occupied by small businesses on the ground floor only.
 
Much of our work takes place outside the city in small villages such as Blossom Village, where many residents belong to the Akha Hilltribe. Many visitors have never heard of the Akha people until they come here and see their communities firsthand.
 
Like many countries, government employment in Thailand is highly valued because it provides stable income, healthcare, retirement benefits, and security for entire families. Many young people dream of working for the government because it offers opportunities they cannot easily find elsewhere.
 
My husband, Anawin and I started our ministry in 2009. We have been serving in Chaing Rai for seventeen years now. Our focus is to do church planting and taking care of some abandoned children.
 
We take care of the children in the AKHA Hilltribe through two ways.  One is the After School Care.  We provide this to about 110 students. It's a school program in Blossom Village that helps students with the languages, reading, mathematics, and Bible education. These children are sent to us by their parents in hopes that we can further develop them for future success.
 
And the other is our children’s refuge center, we call it the Eternal Life Student Centre. Now we have 30 kids with us, and the youngest one is eight years old, the oldest one is almost eighteen years old."
 
THE AFTER-SCHOOL CARE PROGRAM
SS – Tell me about the after-school care program you have in the Blossom Village and how it helped start your children’s refuge center?
 
WW – "Our children’s ministry began shortly after we planted our first church. Two years later we realized that many of the children in the village had no opportunity to continue their education. The village had only two elementary schools, and once students finished primary school, there was nowhere for them to continue their studies.
 
We believed education could change the course of their lives. We wanted these children to have opportunities that their village could not provide, so we began bringing them into the city where they could attend middle school and beyond.
 
The government required us to establish and register another church in the city before we could legally care for the children. After nearly three years of work, we completed the registration and were finally able to move the students into our care.
 
We provided everything they needed—housing, meals, school tuition, books, clothing, and daily Bible study. Ten years ago, we welcomed our first group of 17 students."
 
SS – What kind of services do students that attend the after-school care receive?
 
WW - "During the school year, students attend their regular government schools during the day and come to our center from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. On Saturdays we offer a full-day program from 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.
 
Our teachers provide instruction in English, Chinese, mathematics, and Christian education. The children also participate in games, worship, Bible lessons, and activities that help them grow academically, socially, and spiritually."
 
THE CHILDRENS REFUGE CENTER
SS – Tell me about your Eternal Life Student Centre
 
WW - "Today we care for 30 new students. Ten come from Blossom Village, where our ministry first began. The remaining twenty come from other communities. Some have lost both parents. Others live with grandparents or relatives who cannot provide for them. Some are children of undocumented immigrants. Others have been orphaned because of conflict and war."
 
SS – How do you find or select the children that you take into your Eternal Life Student Centre?
 
WW – "Many of the ministers, churches and church members throughout the region know about our ministry. They regularly recommend children who need help.
 
When we can, we also make home visits to evaluate each family’s situation personally. When we see genuine need, we welcome the child into our home. Currently, our oldest student is 18 years old and beginning college, while our youngest is only eight years old."
 
SS - What kind of differences do you see from a child from the time they arrive at the Eternal Life Student Centre, and when they eventually leave?
 
WW - "Well, most of the children, when they first came to see us, they were very nervous. They didn't know how to handle the relationship with other strangers, and most of them, they just didn't know how to take care of themselves, because they just didn't know how to live with a schedule, a timetable.
 
After several months of adjustment, most of them are more cheerful, they love our center, they like their home, and they start to know that having a schedule is very good in their lives. And then they enjoy playing together, eating together. Now they just love to be living in a group that has become their family."
 
OBSTACLES AND SETBACKS
SS – What has been the biggest obstacle to being able to do more for the children of the AKHA communities?
 
WW - "In 2024, severe flooding destroyed our facilities. We could no longer safely care for the children, so we placed them in other children’s homes where they could receive proper shelter and care. About a year and a half later, after our buildings had been repaired, we invited them to return. By then, however, most had established new lives and could not come back."
 
WW – "Our ministry has been filled with both great joy and difficult challenges. One of the most emotional experiences in our family involved our firstborn, a daughter.
 
Our daughter arrived prematurely at just seven months and spent about 45 days in the children’s hospital. During those weeks, I was constantly traveling back and forth to the hospital, staying with her whenever I could. It was an exhausting season, but God was faithful. Today she is healthy and thriving. We named her Mercy because we believed she especially needed God’s mercy in order to live and grow… Of course, don’t we all?"
 
THE FUTURE
SS – What do you hope will be in the future for these children and your ministry?
 
WW - "Our greatest hope is that the seeds of faith we plant in children’s hearts will remain with them throughout their lives. Even if they drift away from God for a season, we pray they will one day remember what they learned and return to the Lord and to His church.
 
Some of the young people who have grown up with us are still faithfully involved in church. Others have stepped away because of the pressures of society and the difficult work environments they now face. In Thailand, many aspects of culture conflict with biblical teaching, so discipleship requires continual encouragement, teaching, and honest conversations about how to live faithfully in today’s world."
 
PERSONAL JOURNEY
SS – Tell me about your personal spiritual journey?
 
WW – "My own journey with Christ began in 1990, when I responded to an invitation to become a Christian at a Gospel meeting that a friend invited me to attend with her. Afterwards I began attending a church near my home in Hong Kong.  I soon heard God’s call to become a missionary.  And, although I loved my church, it placed little emphasis on missions. When God began calling me to become a missionary, my own congregation discouraged me. They even told me they would not recommend or support me if I pursued Bible study and training because they wanted me to remain and serve only within the local congregation.
 
It was a painful decision. Yet God’s calling was unmistakable.
 
I continued praying, and God opened another door. I joined a mission organization serving in China, where my calling became even stronger. Eventually I did take college level classes in Hong Kong without the support of my home church.
 
While studying there, I became acquainted with the man who would later become my husband. We had known each other for years, but during college we began praying seriously about our future together. We agreed that if God continued to lead us, we would marry after graduation.
 
When I shared this decision with my family, they were surprised. Although they were not Christians, they eventually accepted my calling. They later visited us in Thailand and saw the ministry firsthand. They watched the children we were raising and recognized that God was using our lives to make a real difference.
 
Today they fully support what we do.
 
Financially, we have very little. We have never accumulated much wealth or many possessions. I cannot give my parents expensive gifts or provide them with financial security.
 
But I can tell them that I am doing exactly what God has called me to do.
 
They now understand that while we may appear poor by the world’s standards, we are rich in purpose, rich in faith, and rich in the joy of serving Christ."
 
Finally
As our three days in Chiang Rai came to an end, I realized that the Macedonian call I thought I heard was not simply an invitation to visit Thailand—it was an invitation to witness what God is doing through ordinary people who have answered His extraordinary call. Wendy Wong and Anawin Rungrotpanthawee are not seeking recognition; they are simply opening their home, sharing the love of Christ, and trusting God to transform one life at a time. The children they welcome today will become tomorrow's parents, church leaders, teachers, and servants of Christ. Their stories are still being written.
 
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]]><![CDATA[faith in action]]>Sun, 08 Jun 2025 00:17:50 GMThttps://www.yeyegoestochina.com/agape-asia/faith-in-actionPicture
“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.” – Hebrews 11:1-3
 
The book of Hebrews is often referred to as The Hall of Fame of God’s Faithful Followers.  In the eleventh chapter you will find stories that start with, “By faith Abel, by faith Enoch, by faith Noah, by faith Abraham, and by faith even Sarah, by faith Isaac … and ten more people that were called by name, not to mention the multitude of others that were called out by groups. So many faithful followers of God that the writer didn’t have time to name them all and tell of their stories.
Hebrews 12:1 calls them a “great cloud of witnesses.”  Oh, what joy it would have been to be there and meet these people that were so committed to carrying out the will of God in their lives!
 
Just a few short weeks ago, on July the 24th through the 28th I had a similar opportunity to meet a different “great cloud of witnesses.” I attended a workshop designed to bring together the various ministry leaders from seven countries that are at work under the direction of Agape Asia.  We met in Seremban, Malaysia for a time of rest, respite, training, and fellowship.  These great witnesses are the kingdom workers that we partner with to care for abandoned children, make new disciples, and grow local ministries.
 
I have known of Agape Asia since 2010, taking a seat on the board of directors in 2018, and becoming the president of the board in January of 2021.
 
I have emailed, conferenced called, and ZOOMED with many of our ministry partners over the past few years, but until now had not met any of them in person. I knew they were scattered all over Asia and the thought of ever getting around to visit with them all was just wishful thinking on my part.
 
Earlier this year, one of our Advisory Board Members living in Singapore suggested pulling them all together, along with a couple of other ministry efforts to all look at each other in the eye, hold hands in prayer and petition and ask God almighty to bless our work.  To say that was inspiring would be a monumental understatement!  It was such a breath-taking experience to walk alongside, discuss kingdom work and simply be in their presence.

By faith Betty…
By faith Bikash and Jasmita…
By faith Solongo and Amin…
By faith Nathan, Samuel, and Timothy…
and so many more that I am unable to mention due to security concerns in the countries where they minister.
 
Each of these kingdom workers had amazing stories of faithful work, taking in abandoned children, fighting the forces of evil, and winning the conflict.  I could tell you so many “by faith” stories that I heard that week. What looked and sounded like an uphill battle to me was just another day at the office for these ministers.  When asked about danger, government interference, or lack of support, they smiled and said, “But God will provide and protect me!”
 
I now pray differently for their work. I no longer fear the devil and his schemes against them. I know now, more than ever, they will receive their rewards.  They are all such “a great cloud of witnesses!”
 
Finally, I was so enamored with a Chinese family attending the workshop (that was not a part of Agape Asia’s team) because of the way that Christ exuded from their very existence.  They had three children.  The children’s Chinese names translated to English as “Knowing God’s Grace, Knowing God’s Truth, and Knowing God’s Righteousness.” This made me want to go home and rename my own children!
]]><![CDATA[Hope and grace]]>Sat, 07 Jun 2025 22:00:55 GMThttps://www.yeyegoestochina.com/agape-asia/hope-and-graceThe past few months have brought about two parallel monumental occasions for the Agape Asia childcare and welfare program.  Agape Asia has built its ministry model on taking care of abandoned and vulnerable children in Asia since 1997.  2022 has seen the culmination and success of two of our longest sponsored children, Hope and Grace.

In many ways these two young women are similar in story, but in just as many ways they have very different stories.  Hope has been sponsored initially by one family, Kevin and Christy and later Jeff and Phyllis, that developed into about 10 additional sponsors to get her across a timeline to independence, while Grace has primarily been sponsored by a single family, David and Suzanne.
 
Hope was admitted to our sponsorship program in what we now call our Foster Care Program near Xi’an, in 2006.  Grace lived for many years in our Refuge of Grace Care Center in Wuxi.  Both had been abandoned or vulnerable in some way, but both found love and acceptance in different ways from Agape Asia and their sponsors.  They actually met for the first time in Searcy, Arkansas, when they both arrived to attend Harding University in the fall of 2018.  At the time Grace was 18 years old and Hope was 21. 
 
Now four plus years later, they both have graduated from Harding University.  They only went home to China once in four years, albeit Covid was the primary reason their travel was restricted as much as it was.  They both excelled at their studies, made lots of friends, was tested positive with Covid, and have been the epitome of hope and grace! Grace majored in Finance and Hope majored in Education.
 
Even though Hope and Grace have both aged out of our Agape Asia care, and because of the political and world health environments, they have each decided to continue their lives here for a little while longer. The option of staying longer to get “Occupational Practical Experience,” or OPT, enabled them to have their Educational Visa’s extended. Hope and Grace each have found jobs in their respective fields. Because they are now gainfully employed, they have each chosen to enroll in graduate school to continue their education on their own!
 
They both came into the program as young children abandoned and vulnerable, and have lived to tell others about how God has cared for them physically, socially, financially, and spiritually changing the trajectory of their lives!
 
The stories of these two now young adult women are just a glimpse of what Agape Asia and our wonderful ministry partners and sponsors can do when we rely on God to take of their own.
 
Praise God for his love and care for these daughters of Agape Asia.
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]]><![CDATA[Kiva water wells]]>Thu, 05 Jun 2025 23:46:50 GMThttps://www.yeyegoestochina.com/agape-asia/kiva-water-wellsSustainability.  It’s a word that has been thrown around so many time that somehow, it’s lost its meaning.  Or the word itself is defined in as many ways as there are people who use the word.
 
Biblically speaking, there are 21 references to the word sustain, sustains, or sustaining.  Every time the word sustain is used in any of the variants it has reference to God supplying a life-giving necessity, of his spirit, food and drink, or life itself.

When Jesus met the woman at the well, he asks her for a drink of water.  The woman is confused about who is asking, and why? 
 
Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” John 4:10 NIV.
 
Water, and especially living water, has always been a necessary element of our very existence.  There are so many people worldwide that have little or no access to clean, life sustaining water, much less the Living Water that Jesus offers.
 
The former India Discipleship Network (IDN) that is now a part of Agape Asia, has drilled and implemented over sixty water wells in India for many years, providing clean water to many impoverished communities.  Because of these water wells the local Christians have been telling the story of the Woman at the Well bringing many people and families the good news of Jesus.
 
Water wells significantly improve public health in underdeveloped areas. Contaminated water sources, such as rivers or open ponds, are common in rural India, leading to waterborne diseases like cholera, dysentery, and typhoid. According to the World Health Organization, unsafe water and poor sanitation cause over 800,000 deaths annually, with India bearing a substantial burden.
New water wells provide a reliable source of clean groundwater, reducing the incidence of these diseases. Healthier communities mean reduced medical costs and increased productivity, breaking the cycle of poverty.
 
Strategically placed water wells also drive economic empowerment. In many underdeveloped areas, women and children spend hours daily fetching water from distant sources, limiting time for education or income-generating activities. A well in a poor village can save families 3-4 hours daily. This time can be redirected toward schooling for children or small-scale enterprises, like farming or handicrafts, for adults.
 
Water wells promote equity, particularly for women and marginalized groups. Women, who often bear the burden of water collection, gain autonomy and safety when wells are nearby. By reducing disparities in water access, wells empower vulnerable groups and enhance community resilience.
 
Water wells can be sustainable if managed properly. Over-extraction of groundwater is often a concern, but modern drilling techniques, coupled with rainwater harvesting, can mitigate depletion. In many places of India combining wells with recharge structures has stabilized groundwater levels, ensuring long-term water security. 
 
In the interest of creating sustainability for our ministry partners, Agape Asia, partnering with local church leaders, along with the Hope and Equip Foundation plan to drill and open five more water wells in Kiva, India*. These wells will provide the children and families we serve with health and medical benefits and give the local leaders opportunity to do more disciple making and plant more churches.
 
It improves health, boosts economic opportunities, and addresses a basic need. Water wells lay the foundation for holistic development, transforming lives in India’s most vulnerable communities by offering a Living Water.
 
Jesus said, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:13 NIV

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* name changed for security reasons
 
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