While 2022 had its share of controversies, division, and tragedies, there were also a number of positive developments that have occurred. As we close out this year and usher in a new one, here are 10 stories to encourage you:
NAMB’s Annie Armstrong Offering hits all-time high
“Southern Baptists gave a record $68.9 million to the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering (AAEO) in 2022, breaking the giving record for a second year in a row. Giving to the offering has exceeded records in five of the last six years.”
Pastor in Michigan builds laundromat to help families experiencing “hygiene poverty”
“There’s no laundromat in a four-mile radius,” Robinson said, standing in the church’s basement and soon-to-be affordable laundromat, Good Laundry. “Over 75 percent of our people in this area depend on public transportation, so you can only imagine taking all of your clothes, getting on the MTA to go to the laundromat to sit for three or four hours to do your laundry, and then come back on that bus route. That’s taking up most of your day.”
New malaria vaccines prevent infection and transmission
“After nearly four decades of development, the world finally has a malaria vaccine. The first large-scale rollout of GlaxoSmithKline’s RTS,S, or Mosquirix, kicked off at the end of November.”
Testing has started on an HIV vaccine
Human clinical trials have started for an experimental HIV vaccine that uses the same kind of mRNA technology found in Moderna’s successful COVID-19 vaccine. An HIV vaccine would be globally beneficial in containing the spread of HIV, especially on the continent of Africa. Across the globe, an estimated 38.4 million have the virus and 1.5 million people acquire it each year. In 2021, an estimated 650,000 [510,000–860,000] people died from HIV-related causes
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline launches new 3-digit number: 988
“One of the goals of 988 is to ensure that people get the help that they need when they need it, where they need it. And so, when a person calls 988, they can expect to have a conversation with a trained, compassionate crisis counselor who will talk with them about what they’re experiencing. If it’s the case that they need further intervention, then likely the crisis counselor will connect with a local mobile crisis team,” Dr. Miriam Delphin-Rittmon, the administrator of SAMHSA, said earlier this month during a call with reporters.”
See also: 5 facts about suicide in America
Bioengineered cornea restores sight to the blind and visually impaired
“Researchers and entrepreneurs have developed an implant made of collagen protein from pig’s skin, which resembles the human cornea. In a pilot study, the implant restored vision to 20 people with diseased corneas, most of whom were blind prior to receiving the implant.”
NASA smashes a spacecraft into an asteroid to practice saving Earth
“At its core, DART represents an unprecedented success for planetary defense, but it is also a mission of unity with a real benefit for all humanity,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “As NASA studies the cosmos and our home planet, we’re also working to protect that home, and this international collaboration turned science fiction into science fact, demonstrating one way to protect Earth.”
“Maine’s attempt to sidestep the Constitution was halted in its tracks today, and rightly so,” said Brent Leatherwood, president of the ERLC. “The justices decision here accurately comports with the fundamental nature of religious liberty in our nation.”
Scientists are using fitness trackers and AI to detect depression with ‘80% accuracy’
“Scientists are harnessing the power of artificial intelligence (AI) for the early detection of mental health disorders such as depression and schizophrenia. Unlike, for example, kidney disease, which is relatively easy to diagnose, conditions like anxiety or depression have no specific biomarkers that can be picked up with a simple test. Patients with the same mental disorder can present many different symptoms, which can make it challenging for physicians to diagnose them early and accurately.”
ERLC’s Psalm 139 Project dedicates ultrasound machine to Pregnancy Center in Florida
In 2022, the Psalm 139 Project, a pro-life ministry of ERLC, has donated an ultrasound machines to pregnancy care centers in Alabama, Florida, Kansas, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas.
