The landscape of global missions is currently undergoing a radical and strategic shift, moving with increasing intentionality toward the Asian frontier. As Christians committed to the profound mandate of bringing the gospel of life to the world’s most vulnerable populations, we find ourselves focusing more and more on the complexities of India and the vast potential of Asia. The title of this inquiry—“Curry, spice, and kung fu”—serves as more than a colorful descriptor; it represents a commitment to cracking the code and overcoming the historical and cultural difficulties that have long hampered life-saving work in this region. To achieve this, it has been necessary to identify and support the specific leaders whom God has raised up to provide the necessary insight and strategy for this unique mission field.
Cracking the Code in India: The “Spice” of Transformation
India has recently emerged as the “new number one” focal point for our global efforts, as data indicates it has overtaken other nations to become the location where abortion and infanticide are most concentrated. This reality has necessitated a dramatic shift in our strategy and stewardship. While our historical spending in India was relatively modest, we have established a visionary goal to raise significantly more for the Indian mission in 2026. This financial commitment is a response to the staggering moral crisis of gendercide—the specific targeting of baby girls—and the prevalence of abortion as a tool for population management.
A major breakthrough in “cracking the code” within India occurred in 2025 with the opening of a facility known as the “Nest” (Neighborhood Empathy in Special Times) just outside of Kolkata. This project represents a milestone in the region, serving as a mother’s home for women in crisis and featuring the first dedicated pregnancy help counseling office in Eastern India. This “Nest” model is intended to be a prototype that can be multiplied across the nation, providing a tangible, life-affirming alternative to the violence of abortion. By establishing these “beachheads” of grace, we aim to offer practical support that empowers mothers to choose life, demonstrating that the gospel of life is not merely a theoretical concept but a pastoral reality.
The “Kung Fu” of China: Battling the Demographic Winter
While India represents the “curry and spice” of our current focus, the “kung fu” of our Asian strategy is most visible in the ongoing battle within China. China is currently facing a catastrophic demographic crisis, characterized by a Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of 1.02, which is less than half of the replacement level required to maintain a stable population. The United Nations has issued a startling forecast that China’s population could drop by over 50 percent within the next 75 years if current trends continue. This demographic collapse is the direct result of decades of restrictive birth policies that trained a generation to view children as obstacles to prosperity.
In response to this crisis, the Chinese government has executed a brilliant semantic shift, moving away from forced limitation toward “fertility protection” and “fertility enhancement.” Just as pro-abortion forces in the West rebranded abortion as “healthcare,” China is now using the language of fertility protection to discourage abortion, recognizing its detrimental impact on future birth rates and female health. This shift has created an unprecedented opening for our mission.
Our strategy in China involves a sophisticated model of intervention: establishing pregnancy help counseling offices inside public hospitals. By mobilizing China’s vast network of 39,000 hospitals, we can provide life-affirming support at the very point where women are most likely to seek an abortion. This model has already seen success at institutions like the Chingghai Kungla Hospital and is being shared nationwide. The goal is to assist the millions of pregnant women in China each year in finding alternatives to abortion, effectively turning the hospital infrastructure into a resource for saving the innocent.
The Theological Heart: The 97% Reality
Our focus on Asia is driven by the sobering reality that the United States accounts for only 3% of the abortions that occur annually worldwide. This means that 97% of the crisis is a world missions challenge that exists beyond our borders. If we are to be faithful to the biblical command to rescue those being led away to slaughter, we must go where the need is greatest and abortion is most concentrated.
This work is underpinned by what we call the “four questions training.” This curriculum provides the theological foundation for treating all human life with dignity and respect, from conception to natural death. By partnering with local churches and pastoral leaders in India and China, we teach them to view the sanctity of life through a biblical lens, helping them to address the shedding of innocent blood and the “crazed world leaders” who have historically sought to destroy children. We believe that when the local church is equipped with the gospel of life, it becomes the primary agent for transformation in its culture.
Leadership and the Global Ripple Effect
“Cracking the code” in Asia also involves a transition toward second and third generations of leadership. The individual whom God has raised up to help us overcome the difficulties in India and Asia is part of a growing movement of national leaders who are taking ownership of the mission. We are seeing a “disciple-making” model where leaders from one nation are crossing borders to train others; for instance, members of our Latin America team have traveled as far as Korea to share their expertise.
This sustainability is essential for the long-term success of the mission. It is no longer just Westerners traveling to the East; it is a global fellowship of believers sharing the “iron sharpening iron” of their experiences. Whether it is a former abortion business owner sharing her testimony of grace or a national pastor in China implementing a hospital-based counseling model, the movement is becoming increasingly decentralized and indigenous.
Conclusion: A Vision for 2026 and Beyond
As we move forward into 2026, the mission to Asia remains our most urgent priority. We are committed to fostering breakthroughs in the “hard soil” of Muslim-majority regions like Azerbaijan and Egypt, while simultaneously scaling the successful models we have established in India and China. We recognize that the work is not “picture-perfect” and is often marked by chronic burdens, grief, and the “thorn” of personal loss. Yet, it is in this weakness that God’s power is made perfect.
The call of “curry, spice, and kung fu” is a call to radical, intentional obedience. It is an invitation to join in a movement that rescues the innocent, brings hope to the guilty, and fulfills the Great Commission by ensuring that the gospel of life reaches every tribe, tongue, and nation. We invite our partners to pray for us as we continue to crack the code in Asia, trusting that even the most difficult barriers will fall before the power of the living God. By focusing our resources where the need is most severe, we participate in a redemptive story that brings glory to God and salvation to the most vulnerable children on earth.
This article is adapted from the episode transcript.