The question came up over coffee with one of our long-time partners. “How long is a piece of string?” They asked — not to puzzle us, but to remind us that some journeys can’t be measured. They are stretched, shaped, and strengthened through time, people, and purpose.
As we celebrate 30 years of Life In Abundance, that question lingers in our hearts. How do you measure three decades of lives restored, of churches mobilized, of communities transformed? How do you count the threads, the tears, the laughter, the prayers, and the partnerships that have been woven into this story? Our “string” has never been straight. It has looped through countries, crossed cultures, stretched through seasons of uncertainty, and been held together by the steady hands of God’s faithfulness.
From the beginning, LIA’s call has been to pursue wholistic mission, to see physical and spiritual restoration meet in the lives of the poor and the vulnerable. But we quickly learned that this kind of transformation cannot happen in isolation. It takes the Church. It takes communities. It takes partners who see what we see that true change is not given, but grown, when people are empowered to thrive in their own context.
Over these 30 years, we have witnessed the miracle of partnership. Together, we have envisioned and equipped 3,075 churches to serve their communities. Through their work, more than 2.4 million individuals have been wholistically impacted, their stories woven into the wider fabric of hope. Among them, 75,074 have come to faith in Christ, and 487,204 have been discipled and trained as community leaders and trainers. 332,117 orphans and vulnerable children have been given hope and sustainable solutions for their future. More than 1 million individuals have received primary healthcare, 156,534 children have been supported through early childhood and primary education, and 123,184 individuals have been economically empowered to provide for their families and build their communities.
These numbers are not just statistics; they are lives, families, and communities transformed through the shared work of churches, donors, and partners around the world. Every step forward has been shared. We could not have done this alone, and we refuse to go alone. This has always been a story of us.
And yet, as we look back, we also look ahead. Our piece of string continues to stretch. There are more communities waiting to be reached, more churches to be equipped, more leaders to be raised, and more stories of hope waiting to unfold. The call of wholistic mission is far from finished.
Thirty years may mark a milestone, but it does not mark the end of the journey. It reminds us that what began as a small strand of faith has become a tapestry, held together by love, trust, and the unwavering belief that God is still at work in and through His people.
How long is a piece of string? Perhaps as long as we keep walking together.
