WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World) founded by K.P. Yohannan, has been the model for numerous charities like Gospel for Asia Canada, to help the poor and deprived worldwide – Discussing Santon, the struggles of his family in the midst of generational poverty, and the pull cart received from Gospel for Asia Gift Distribution that provides a way to feed his family.
Yet another customer had cheated him his pay, and there was nothing Santon could do but continue working, selling his wares. This was not the first time Santon had not received money for the fruit and vegetables he sold, nor would it be the last. All the man wanted was to provide for his wife and four children. Being frauded out of his earnings made it almost impossible—and frustrating.
A Life Without Peace
Santon was familiar with hardship; he had known it for most of his life. Born into a poor family, Santon was forced to drop out of school in fifth grade because his parents could no longer afford to send him to school. Santon joined his father working daily labor jobs.
When he was old enough, Santon left home with one desire: to provide for his parents. For the next 14 years, Santon applied for job after job. Each application was rejected because of his lack of education. The only option left to him was returning to daily labor.
Eventually, Santon married and, with the birth of his children, had more mouths to feed. To better provide for his growing family, Santon decided to sell fruits and vegetables door to door. Hopefully, it would be better than daily labor. Hopefully, he could send some money to his parents.
But Santon quickly discovered it wasn’t that simple. Customers cheated him daily, not paying him the proper amount for his wares. Also, Santon had nowhere to safely and properly store his fruits and vegetables. The money Santon had invested into this venture was not returning. On top of that, their baby daughter had been diagnosed with polio. Everything was going wrong, and Santon didn’t know what to do but quit.
Relief for a Father’s Burdens
Santon was on the verge of giving up his dreams. Maybe he should just return to daily labor. It wasn’t much, but at least it was a living. And he didn’t have to deal with cheating customers.
Then Santon heard of a place that might be able to help him and got in touch with Gospel for Asia (GFA) workers at the local Bridge of Hope.
After the Gospel for Asia (GFA) workers listened to Santon share the burdens weighing on him, they knew what to do. They invited him to a gift distribution, where they provided him with a cart for selling a variety of cosmetic items. Through the cart, Santon made money to provide for his family, and even earned enough to send back to his parents—a dream at long last realized. Santon thanked the staff, grateful he finally had a decent source of income and could provide for his family.
The Bridge of Hope staff also asked if Santon would like to enroll one of his sons at the center, where he could obtain what Santon himself had never completed: an education.
Santon heartily agreed, thankful that his family’s survival had been ensured through the cart, and its future had been cemented in Santon’s son attending the center. The schooling Santon’s son received would enable him to get jobs Santon was turned away from, ending the hold poverty had over their family.
Read a story of how piglets chased poverty away from a family.
*Names of people and places may have been changed for privacy and security reasons. Images are Gospel for Asia World stock photos used for representation purposes and are not the actual person/location, unless otherwise noted.
Source: Gospel for Asia Field Reports & Updates, Pull Cart Provides Father with Way to Feed His Family
Learn more about how generosity can change lives. Through Gospel for Asia (GFA World) and its Christmas Gift Catalog, gifts like pigs, bicycles and sewing machines break the cycle of poverty and show Christ’s love to impoverished families in Asia. One gift can have a far-reaching impact, touching families and rippling out to transform entire communities.
Learn more by reading these Special Reports from Gospel for Asia:
- Fighting Global Poverty with Ideas – Uprooting poverty requires education that transmits values
- Poverty: Public Enemy #1 – Eliminating Extreme Poverty Worldwide is Possible, But Not Inevitable
Read more on Christmas Gift Catalog and National Missions on Patheos from Gospel for Asia.
Learn more about Gospel for Asia: Facebook | YouTube | Instagram | LinkedIn | SourceWatch | Integrity | Lawsuit Update | 5 Distinctives | 6 Remarkable Facts | 10 Milestones | Media Room | Water Stress | Endorsements | 40th Anniversary | Lawsuit Response | International Offices | Missionary and Child Sponsorship | Transforming Communities through God’s Love
Notable News about Gospel for Asia: FoxNews, ChristianPost, NYPost, MissionsBox