Wholistic Development Center2023-11-23T08:41:27-05:00

WHOLISTIC DEVELOPMENT CENTER

“…they go back to their villages with a new outlook, a new hope. They go back proud of the opportunity they’ve had to study.”
– WDC co-director

The Issue

In many parts of Asia, young people from poor rural areas come to the “big city” in the hope of a better life. That better life too often turns out to be fifteen hours a day in a sweatshop or entrapment in the sex-trade industry. Most are vulnerable because they believe lies like, “Poverty is my destiny,” “I am unimportant,” or “If I just have enough money my problems will be solved.” In the midst of this reality, God is using the Wholistic Development Center (WDC) to help young people discover His truth and His best for their lives.

WDC provides youth with opportunities for both physical and spiritual development. Through vocational training and discipleship, young people become effective Christian leaders and are a godly influence to their families, communities and churches. Most of the students are from minority groups in the country; about half come from non-Christian homes. Some come from areas where there are no Christians. This presents a unique opportunity to reach isolated areas and people groups. Other students are the children of pastors and church leaders. They hope to learn more about the Bible so that they are able to take on leadership roles when they return home.

THE PROGRAM

DISCIPLESHIP

WDC serves up to 28 students at a time in its two-year program, allowing for intensive discipleship and mentoring. Christian staff live at the boarding school, teaching students, modeling how to apply biblical truth as they deal with life’s challenges. Bible study classes are taught on weekday mornings and evenings, starting at a foundational level and guiding students to grow deeper. As they graduate, students have had the opportunity to grow closer to God and know they are loved both by Him and the staff.

VOCATIONAL SKILLS

Vocational training is provided in two tracks—construction-related skills for men, and health, nutrition, housekeeping and small business skills for women. Additional classes are offered in areas such as agriculture and sewing. A small business on campus allows students to practice customer services, basic financial management, and stock management. All students also learn basic life skills, such as work ethic, personal finance, time management and business etiquette. Students are able to use these skills either to get jobs in the city or to develop businesses in their home villages.

Discipleship
DISCIPLESHIP

WDC serves up to 28 students at a time in its two-year program, allowing for intensive discipleship and mentoring. Christian staff live at the boarding school, teaching students, modeling how to apply biblical truth as they deal with life’s challenges. Bible study classes are taught on weekday mornings and evenings, starting at a foundational level and guiding students to grow deeper. As they graduate, students have had the opportunity to grow closer to God and know they are loved both by Him and the staff.

Vocational Skills
VOCATIONAL SKILLS

Vocational training is provided in two tracks—construction-related skills for men, and health, nutrition, housekeeping and small business skills for women. Additional classes are offered in areas such as agriculture and sewing. A small business on campus allows students to practice customer services, basic financial management, and stock management. All students also learn basic life skills, such as work ethic, personal finance, time management and business etiquette. Students are able to use these skills either to get jobs in the city or to develop businesses in their home villages.

Please Pray

  • The directors are both struggling with health problems. Please pray for healing and for wisdom about how to get the care they need. The medical system in their area is not great.

  • Please pray for the current group of students. That they would know the love of God and carry that with them always. 

  • Please pray for wisdom for the leadership of WDC as they make plans for the future of the center.

More Prayer Resources

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STORIES AND UPDATES

Below are two recent articles related to the Wholistic Development Center. You can read more related stories and updates on our blog.

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Faith in the Midst of Adversity: Stories from the Wholistic Development Center2014-01-22T11:30:11-05:00


I’ve lived in Asia almost 20 years. Most of that time I have worked with people who suffer for their faith. The people I meet are often amazing. They endure what I can’t imagine for their faith and wrestle with decisions that I’m glad I don’t have to make. Their stories inspire me and they never get old.

Recently I visited our Wholistic Development Center. This amazing center provides intensive training in both vocational skills and biblical truth. Many of the past and present students there have incredible stories. I was there when the students were on semester break, but I did meet one student, ‘John.’ John wasn’t able to go home this semester break—it’s quite the story.

When John was young his father died. His mother remarried and decided that she only wanted her daughter, so she gave her two sons to her brother, John’s uncle, to raise. John’s uncle decided that only one of the two boys had potential and was worthy of education, the other became his slave. Unfortunately for John he was the second of the two—so with only two years of education he started to work all day for his uncle. As the boys grew older they built their own shack on the uncle’s property. Last year a local missionary came to John’s village and shared about the Wholistic Development Center. John was excited for any change and applied to attend. John was selected, his uncle agreed and in September last year John started school. Needless to say it’s been really difficult. With only grade two education, he struggles to understand basic lessons. Staff are giving him extra help to catch up. But John would tell you the frustration and extra work are worth it for one reason—he met God. For the first time he has learnt about a God that loves him. For the first time that he can remember he’s been loved. Unfortunately John’s uncle is not amused. When he heard that John had become a Christian, he threatened to burn down the shack that John had been living in with his brother. The only way to prevent this was for John not to go home on the semester break. So I got to meet John.

Another remarkable story is of two brothers who recently graduated from the center. (The graduated students visit regularly and continue to be discipled by the staff of the center). These young men were sons of a pastor who had been martyred for Christ. They had left their area to come to the center while their mother had taken over the church, despite continued death threats. The two brothers now have good jobs, earning a good income. However, one of them is praying about returning to their village to lead the church. It’s a tough decision. As church leaders their income would dwindle to only $30 a month—not enough to survive on, certainly not enough to raise a family on. They would put their and their families’ lives in danger. And yet they also feel the need to go and support their mother as she leads the church. It’s a heavy decision for a twenty-year-old.

Many of the students are faced with tough decisions at an early age. Two of this years students were going to be married if they hadn’t attended. Their fathers were already starting to arrange their marriages—they are 16. While under the age that we usually allow, it was decided to make space for them. Both of these teenage girls have given their lives to Christ, a decision that alienates them from their witch doctor fathers.

Please do keep the program and students in your prayers. Especially pray for those who are new in their faith, that they would continue to grow deeper. Pray also that God would give perseverance and comprehension to those who find the classes difficult.

One Comment

  1. […] in particular has been a real inspiration to them. In January, Anna wrote about this young man, John. He didn’t get to go home at Christmas time for fear that his uncle would burn his house to the […]

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