Since our founding in 1994, one of MSI’s guiding values has been an inland focus. We concentrate our professional work and projects on inland China, addressing the holistic needs of the neglected frontiers.

These interior regions of China have for millennia lagged behind the development of China’s coastal cities. Indeed, of the three specific areas identified as suffering the most extreme poverty by the Chinese central government’s poverty alleviation campaign of 2011-2020, MSI has ongoing projects in two of them.

In this bulletin you will read about Jessica, a history teacher from Taiwan, and how her Nosu Yi students in Zhaojue county overcome poverty through education. Another article shares about how MSI partners Coffee Duo, a couple from Hong Kong, have started a coffee bean project to improve the economic livelihoods of a minority people group in Yunnan. Another MSI partner has expanded the work beyond our traditional field of China to Thailand. Vienna C, a teacher from Canada, has developed a ministry in partnership with a Christian school for Thai students, many of whom are minorities and migrants from broken families.

Of course, poverty is not only a lack of material goods and money, but also the heavy burden of emotional, social, and spiritual poverty. For us, inland is not only geographical, but also those who are marginalised socially, overlooked, hidden, forgotten and without hope. Hank, a local MSI staff worker in Kunming writes about working among people with chronic mental illness using art, music, and the teaching of practical job skills.

We are especially thankful for your prayers, financial support, and short-term service as you partner with our long-term volunteers, local staff, and partners as together we serve “inland”.