I write this editorial for “Go” from Nepal, where I’ve had the privilege to see a new biogas plant at a hospital we support. Food waste and sewerage are used to produce cheap, renewable gas that fuels cooking stoves in the maternity guesthouse. Women from remote areas stay there to receive loving care in preparation for the birth of their babies. What a beautiful microcosm of wholistic mission.

An important part of Interserve’s commitment to wholistic mission is care for creation. Scripture is clear that all of creation belongs to God and matters to Him. Our commitment is aligned with Lausanne’s Jamaica Call to Action (2012), which says “Many of the world’s poorest people, ecosystems, and species of flora and  fauna are being devastated… Love for God, our neighbours, and the wider creation, as well as our passion for justice, compel us to urgent and prophetic ecological responsibility”.

Interserve workers throughout Asia and the Arab world are creatively engaging with the natural world as an integral part of making God’s love known. Their ventures include beekeeping, sustainable coffee production, organic food businesses, snakebite research, and even conversations in the backyard veggie patch.

As they address important environmental issues and seek the wellbeing of local communities, they encounter significant challenges and are encouraged by glimpses of God’s kingdom.

Some of these challenges currently include the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are giving our workers every support we can. Thank you for your ongoing prayers and support.