How One of the Poorest Countries in the World Taught Me the Richness of Love

Water shortages. Maggot-ridden flour. Poverty, power outages, political instability. Life in Guinea-Bissauis hard. But its people don’t show it. Instead, they are warm, hospitable, joyful, industrious, generous, vivacious. They some of the mostloving people on the planet. When I visited Guinea-Bissau for the first time in January, I expected to be inspired by the work […]

The 3 things NOT to do on your next missions’ trips to Africa

How your missions team can be a blessing and not a burden when visiting Africa, or anywhere in the world. With COVID-era travel restrictions all but gone, missions’ trips are back in full swing. This year, hundreds of thousands of church members will hop on planes to visit poor countries all around the world. And […]

Why education looks different for kids in West Africa

Three ways that the broken education system affects families in Guinea-Bissau (West Africa) 1. In Guinea-Bissau, families can’t afford basic school supplies. In the United States, the average family spends more than $800 to get their kids ready to go back to school. For many parents in Guinea-Bissau, that’s more than what they make in a […]

The odds were against Cirilo. He found a way to overcome them.

He grew up in one of the world’s poorest countries. As a child, he nearly died from malaria. But this dad found a way to work for a brighter future. Cirilo was born in Guinea-Bissau, a country where most people earn less than $2 a day. As a child, he suffered from severe malaria and […]

To finish university, Rukas first needs to become a welder

Rukas Welding Student in West Africa

I’ve had the privilege of getting to know many of our welding students since moving to Guinea-Bissau earlier this year. One thing I have discovered is that many of those students have already studied at other schools or universities in the past. But in a country with few salaried jobs available, their education hasn’t been enough […]

How computer skills can help people in West Africa

Iano and Alassana spend their morning in computer literacy classes at a WAVS vocational school in West Africa. After their class, they both walk down the street to a local high school. They travel there for different purposes: one to attend and the other to teach. But they both need to learn how to use […]

6 Bible verses about helping the poor – and what they mean for us

6 Bible passages that show God's heart for the poor

Jesus loves the poor – but what does that look like? Here are 6 Bible verses about helping the poor – and what they mean for us. 1. The Tithing Widow The Lord cares about someone’s heart – not their financial status Mark 12:41-44 41 And he (Jesus) sat down opposite the treasury and watched […]