Dear Friend,

Last week a special friend died. Everyone in our family is taking it hard because we all knew him for more than 10 years.

Our whole family has been traveling internationally for more than 20 years to program sites around the world, including many places experiencing deep poverty, like all the countries where Five Talents works.

The young man who just died was not in a country where Five Talents works, but it could have been since tremendous poverty has ravaged his country. And that poverty comes not from any lack of character or hard work on the part of people like our friend (who, despite his seizures and brain condition, worked hard every day in the laundry). Poverty is often a product of unstable and unjust governments that have caused so much damage.

Many people like our friend have not had adequate access to medical care, and if our friend had had access to good care, he probably would still be alive.

Most of us can’t affect the governments who fail their citizens in many parts of the world. But at least Five Talents, and support from stable, local churches, can work at the local level to help those living in poverty to help themselves. May it not be too late for millions of others who are still alive today.