COVID-19 ‘Feeds Growing Evil’ of Human Trafficking, Says Gospel for Asia

December 21, 2020 By GFA Staff Writer

WILLS POINT, TX — Gospel for Asia (GFA World) founded by K.P. Yohannan, which inspired numerous charities like Gospel for Asia Canada – Discussing new report stating how COVID 19 pandemic has “cemented human trafficking as the 3rd biggest illicit trade on the planet.”

COVID-19 is feeding the “growing evil” of human trafficking, pulling more of the world’s children into slavery and sexual exploitation, a new report reveals. The pandemic has “cemented human trafficking as the third biggest illicit trade on the planet, behind illegal arms sales and drugs,” says the report by Texas-based humanitarian agency Gospel for Asia (GFA World).

“The global pandemic has only heightened the desperation of those at risk and deepened the cunning of the traffickers,” says the report, (https://www.gfa.org/press/human-trafficking/), citing worsening poverty and hunger as key drivers of the $150 billion a year global slave trade.

“The horrific exploitation of children and young adults for sex and forced labor is the most vile crime,” said GFA World founder K.P. Yohannan. “We must act now to cut off this growing evil.”

Travel and border restrictions — intended to slow the spread of the virus — have driven traffickers underground and made victims more difficult to identify, the report says. Of the estimated 20-30 million slaves in the world today, four out of every five are women or girls.

The COVID 19 pandemic has "cemented human trafficking as the 3rd biggest illicit trade on the planet," says Gospel for Asia (GFA World) — **COVID-19 ‘FEEDS GROWING EVIL’ OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING:** COVID-19 is feeding the “growing evil” of human trafficking, pulling more of the world’s children into slavery and sexual exploitation, a new report by humanitarian agency Gospel for Asia (GFA World) reveals.

A Wider Net

The surge in online activity due to lockdowns is giving traffickers a wider net to entrap potential victims, including children. Police in Canada warn that “chatter in dark web forums” shows predators view the pandemic as an opportunity to lure children into the sex industry.

In some parts of Asia, traffickers enlist or coerce parents and other relatives to sell their children to “placement agencies” — fronts for domestic slavery.

Predators are even “masquerading as helpers” to find new victims. “Forced prostitution and chosen sex work are going to acquire a new momentum in the post-COVID-19 world,” the report says.

Interpol, the international police agency, says the pandemic “has not blunted the determination of organized crime groups to prey on the vulnerable.”

Traffickers are taking even greater risks, too often resulting in the tragic deaths of their victims. In March, 64 African migrants suffocated in a shipping container; in May, 39 Vietnamese migrants were found dead in a refrigerated truck in England; and in June, a former official in Arkansas pleaded guilty to smuggling women into the U.S. to put their babies up for adoption.

In Europe’s lucrative soccer industry, it’s estimated there are 15,000 trafficking victims every year.

Emergency Interceptors

Faith-based humanitarian groups like GFA World and International Justice Mission are on the frontlines in the fight against slavery — with GFA World’s indigenous workers acting as “emergency interceptors” in city slums and remote villages where millions are easy prey for predators.

“Through vocational training for women, protecting girls by providing safe water access, and our Bridge of Hope children’s program, we’re saving tens of thousands from falling victim to traffickers,” said Yohannan, author of Never Give Up. “This is how we confront the evil of human trafficking head-on, and show people the love of God.”

Read another story on how the Lord is using Gospel for Asia to bring relief to those in need during COVID 19.

Those interested in supporting GFA World’s COVID 19 relief efforts in Asia, should go to: http://www.gfa.org/press/covid-19.

Media interested in interviews with Gospel For Asia should contact Gregg Wooding at InChrist Communications @ 972-567-7660 or gwooding@inchristcommuications.com

About Gospel for Asia

Gospel for Asia (GFA World) is a leading faith-based mission agency, helping national workers bring vital assistance and spiritual hope to millions across Asia, especially to those who have yet to hear about the love of God. In GFA’s latest yearly report, this included more than 70,000 sponsored children, free medical camps conducted in more than 1,200 villages and remote communities, over 4,800 clean water wells drilled, over 12,000 water filters installed, income-generating Christmas gifts for more than 260,000 needy families, and spiritual teaching available in 110 languages in 14 nations through radio ministry. For all the latest news, visit our Press Room at https://press.gfa.org/news.

Learn more by reading these Special Reports:

Child Labor: Not Gone, but Forgotten — Millions of Children Trapped between Extreme Poverty and the Profits of Others
Seeking Justice and Defending Human Rights — Wherever Poverty and Oppression Exist

KP Yohannan has issued two statements about the COVID-19 situation found here and here.

GFA’s Statement About Coronavirus

Click here, to read more blogs on Patheos from Gospel for Asia.

Notable News about Gospel for Asia: FoxNews, ChristianPost, NYPost, MissionsBox

Source: GFA World Press Room, COVID-19 ‘Feeds Slave Trade, Sexual Exploitation’ Says Gospel for Asia (GFA World)

Gospel for Asia: Scandal of 21st Century Slavery & Human Trafficking (Part 3)

November 6, 2018 By GFA Staff Writer

Wills Point, Texas – GFA Special Report (Gospel for Asia) – Discussing the global problem of modern slavery – despite being difficult to eradicate, there is still hope.

Champions of Change

Clearly, governments have a major role to play in ending slavery, and leaders are taking steps in places like India, where tougher anti-trafficking laws have been pursued.

The 100 Million campaign works to end child labor - KP Yohannan - Gospel for Asia — The 100 Million campaign works to end child labor (Photo Credit 100million.org)

In 2016, child rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Kailash Satyarthi launched the global “100 million for 100 million” campaign, which challenges the world’s children living in better circumstances to speak up on behalf of disadvantaged children. Then-President Pranab Mukherjee’s support of the campaign has been acknowledged as part of a “historic move towards ending child slavery in India.”

Of 161 countries profiled in the Global Slavery Index, 150 governments provide some kind of services for victims, 124 have criminalized human trafficking, and 96 have national action plans to do something about it.

Perhaps fittingly, the strongest government lead has been taken in England, where William Wilberforce and other campaigners led the fight to end the slave trade of the 19th century.

William Wilberforce, the British anti-slavery activist - KP Yohannan - Gospel for Asia — William Wilberforce, the British anti-slavery activist (Public Domain)

Naming modern slavery the “greatest human rights issue of our time,” the U.K. government appointed a slavery commissioner to lead its efforts and became the first to develop a modern slavery initiative in 2014. The following year it passed the Modern Slavery Act, requiring business action. It means that U.K.-based companies with total annual global incomes of more than $50 million have to publish transparency statements that detail what they are doing to ensure that the supply chains they are part of do not use slave labor.

Global trade is so complex these days that “it is near certain that slavery can be found in a supply chain of every single company, and it is near impossible to guarantee a slavery-free product,” Anti-Slavery International acknowledges.

Indeed, the U.K. slavery commissioner estimates that 16 million of the world’s enslaved people are somehow working for companies.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Labor has a list of almost 150 goods from 75 countries believed to be produced by child or forced labor. It includes matches and footwear from Bangladesh, bananas from Belize, fireworks from China and soccer balls from India.

Many migrant workers are lured from their home country by promises of a new life—only to find a darker reality.

Mahesh Muralidhar Bhagwat was named a hero for fighting human trafficking - KP Yohannan - Gospel for Asia — Mahesh Muralidhar Bhagwat was named a hero for fighting human trafficking in India (Photo credit Facebook)

The complexity doesn’t give businesses a pass, however.

“Our homes and our businesses carry the imprint of modern slavery,” says Forrest, the billionaire founder of Walk Free Foundation. “As business leaders, it is our responsibility not to turn a blind eye, or to pretend that we are unaware, or believe that the issue is too complex to deal with.”

An example of effective action is IKEA’s IWAY code, in which the furniture giant sets out standards for its suppliers, including the right to make unannounced site visits to direct partners and contractors. In the U.K., there has been a move among hotel operators to start a network to tackle human trafficking in the industry.

GFA’s Work Among Victims of Modern Slavery

Among the many unnamed helpers are scores of Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported workers. They care for women and girls ensnared in the red-light districts of some of Asia’s major cities, and they run Bridge of Hope (BOH) centers that provide schooling and medical care, aiming to help children escape forced labor and provide them with a better future.

One who was helped is Nadish. He was held as a slave for two years from age 9. During his years in slavery, he was locked overnight in a room near the animals whose waste he had to clean up and was given very little food. Though he eventually managed to escape and find his way back home, he continued to struggle with the effects of his imprisonment and ill-treatment. Throughout his recovery, Nadish had his Bridge of Hope teachers to comfort, pray for and love him.

“A,” who was mentioned in the first part of this report, was eventually rescued from her enforced laborer by authorities. She has been healing from her ordeal at a home for abandoned and at-risk children where Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported workers serve. No longer made to work, “A” can be a child again. Playing with children her age and learning songs and dances with other girls, she enjoys being able to attend the home.

“I like this place so much; I like all these didis (older sisters),” “A” says. “They work hard for me and for all of us. I like this place and I don’t [want] to leave this place and go to any other place or orphanage because of the love and care that we get here.”

"A", who is no longer trapped in bonded child labor - KP Yohannan - Gospel for Asia — “A”, who is no longer trapped in bonded child labor

Through GFA’s ministry, children and their families don’t only receive practical help; they also hear about God’s love for them.

“It’s amazing how the love of Christ brings hope to the poorest of society and fills the hearts of these children with joy,” says Dr. K.P. Yohannan, founder and director of Gospel for Asia (GFA).

Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported work with children like Nadish and “A” is a critical part of the anti-slavery effort. Prevention is a major part of the battle. Giving children and families hope for a better future through education offers them something to turn to other than child marriage or bonded labor, and children who have people carefully watching out for them—like Bridge of Hope teachers—and who will be missed if they vanish are less vulnerable to trafficking. The daily meal, medical care and school supplies provided for students ease parents’ financial burden, enabling them to focus their hard-earned income on other crucial family needs.

While slavery is a global problem that’s difficult to eradicate, there is still hope. As Forrest said, “This is the choice of man, so the choice of man can stop it.”

21st Century Slavery & Human Trafficking: Part 1 | Part 2

This article originally appeared on gfa.org

To read more on Patheos on the desperate issue of ongoing modern slavery, go here.

Click here, to read more blogs on Patheos from Gospel for Asia.

Go here to know more about Gospel for Asia: GFA.net | Wiki | Flickr | GFA | GFA.org

Gospel for Asia: Scandal of 21st Century Slavery & Human Trafficking (Part 2)

November 4, 2018 By GFA Staff Writer

Wills Point, Texas – GFA Special Report (Gospel for Asia) – Discussing the horrors of modern day human trafficking, slavery and forced labor throughout the world.

Human Trafficking: Cashing In on Chaos

Like a virus, human trafficking continues to mutate. Women have long been considered to be the main victims, and that is certainly true in the sex trade, where they comprise 99 percent of those used and abused.

However, GRETA (Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings) found that, in some countries, labor trafficking has emerged as “the predominant form.” And while there are “considerable variations in the number and proportion of labour trafficking victims amongst evaluated countries, all countries indicated an upward trend of labour exploitation over the years.”

As the numbers of those trafficked for forced labor have increased over the last decade, so has the number of trafficked men, who can be subject to particularly brutal treatment. Survivors of forced labor in the Thai fishing industry have told of being made to take amphetamines to enable them to work long hours and of being dragged through the water with a rope around their neck for complaining.

Those who tried to escape were executed and their bodies thrown overboard.

Some men working on fishing boats in Thailand are subject to forced labor - KP Yohannan - Gospel for Asia — Some men working on fishing boats in Thailand are subject to forced labor and brutal working conditions, according to recent Human Rights Watch research. (Photo credit Environment Justice Foundation)

Human trafficking has also grown and morphed in the wake of the refugee crises in Europe and parts of Africa and Asia.

“Refugees and unaccompanied children are some of the most vulnerable targets of labor and sex traffickers,” warns the UN.

Mass movements of people in times of great upheaval leave many vulnerable to being taken advantage of and provide opportunities for traffickers to move even more freely.

“In the chaos of conflict and violence, a perfect storm of lawlessness, slavery, and environmental destruction can occur—driving the vulnerable into slave-based work that feeds into global supply chains and the things we buy and use in our daily lives,” say the GSI publishers.

“Modern forms of slavery prosper in these environments of conflict, corruption, displacement, discrimination and inequality,” they add. “Given this, it is critical that national and international responses to humanitarian emergencies and mass migration take account of the very real risks of modern slavery on highly vulnerable migrant and refugee populations.”

“In 1850, an average slave in the American South cost the equivalent of $40,000 in today’s money. Today a slave costs about $90 on average worldwide.”

If selling trafficked bodies is grievous, then selling trafficked body parts is gruesome, but it happens. As many as 7,000 kidneys are illegally obtained by traffickers every year as demand outstrips the supply of organs legally available for transplant, says Fight Slavery Now. This organization references a refugee camp given the nickname Kidneyvakkam, or Kidneyville, because so many women there had sold their kidneys.

“A black market thrives as well in the trade of bones, blood and other body tissues,” says the organization.

A particularly disturbing aspect of human trafficking is how often perpetrators take advantage of people’s hopes and desires to prosper. Many migrant workers are lured from their home country by promises of a new life—only to find a darker reality.

Maya was 22 when she fled the fighting in her native Syria, destined for Lebanon where she had been promised a job working in a factory. But upon her arrival, she found herself forced into prostitution with many others, enduring “severe physical and psychological violence,” before finally being rescued.

It’s all too common for migrants trying to get into a new country without the proper papers to be tricked by those claiming to help them, but they are not the only ones to find they have been duped.

Hundreds of welders and pipe-fitters who were recruited to help fix oil rigs damaged by Hurricane Katrina arrived in the United States legally—some having paid as much as $25,000 in recruiting fees for the opportunity.

But upon arrival, things were very different. They found themselves in an isolated, barb-wired compound with armed guards, where they were forced to live in crowded shipping containers—as many as 24 men in one unit—and for which they were charged $1,000 monthly rent. Underfed, they had to work round the clock for virtually nothing by the time a slew of deductions was made from their wages.

After 2005's Hurricane Katrina, Signal International allegedly recruited hundreds of workers to fix oil rigs - KP Yohannan - Gospel for Asia — After 2005’s Hurricane Katrina, Signal International allegedly recruited hundreds of workers to fix oil rigs like this one—but unfortunately many of the workers were forced into terrible working conditions with little pay.

Traffickers lure their victims with false promises and then keep them imprisoned, sometimes literally and sometimes by threats of violence. When victims have been taken to a different country, they can be reluctant to go to the authorities for help for fear of being deported. As a result, traffickers may not keep their victims in locked rooms but “hide them in plain sight,” knowing they will not try to escape.

That “plain sight” may include the local hand car wash. In the U.K. there is concern that “endemic exploitation” occurs at the 20,000 such operations in the country.

“The truth is that ordinary people everywhere in the world … unwittingly come into contact with victims of modern slavery every day,” says Forrest. “We might walk past a little girl trapped in a forced marriage, a hotel cleaner that has had her passport confiscated, or touch this crime through the clothes and products made through illegal forced labor that we use every day.”

Traffickers will also play on victims’ vulnerabilities. When Gowri, who was tricked into bonded labor, tried to leave the brick kiln where she was being held, the owner attacked her children and then her.

Nigerians recruited for supposed good jobs in the U.K. have been made to take part in spiritistic practices, locked in coffins and making a blood oath not to try to escape or speak to the authorities.

Children at Risk

The widespread exploitation of children isn’t limited to working in fields and factories. Cruelly, they also may be enslaved in a place that is supposed to be a haven.

Many children are at risk of being exploited in orphanages, home to some 8 million children worldwide—and four out of five of whom are not actually without a parent or parents.

They may have ended up in care because their desperately poor parents thought they would be better cared for by others.

But that does not always turn out to be the case. Some orphanage operators have deliberately withheld food and proper living environments to keep the youngsters looking malnourished “to attract more sympathy and therefore more money via donations.”

So-called “paper orphans” are said to be used as moneymakers in countries like Nepal, Cambodia, Ghana, Uganda, Guatemala and Haiti, tapping into the growing “voluntourism” market of the West, combining travel with a dash of doing good.

And there is “a strong but largely unrecognized connection between institutionalization and trafficking.”

It is bad enough that many of those who volunteer at orphanages don’t have any credentials and that the high turnover of visiting caregivers is believed to lead to attachment disorders among the children. Yet even more alarming is that orphanages can be a rich target for pedophiles.

“Modern forms of slavery prosper in these environments of conflict, corruption, displacement, discrimination and inequality.”

For being such a large criminal operation, human trafficking sees limited disciplinary action. According to the U.S. State Department’s 2017 Trafficking in Persons report, there were only 14,897 prosecutions and 9,071 convictions for human trafficking globally the previous year. In South and Central Asia, the number of prosecutions rose between 2010 and 2016—but only from 1,500 (with 1,000 convictions) to 6,250 (2,200 convictions).

Partly this is because of limited manpower and other resources. International Justice Mission (IJM) notes that many police departments in Asia “often lack the most basic office supplies—paper, folders, functional phones, copiers and computers—let alone forensics evidence kits, DNA testing equipment, and cameras necessary to do their job.”

Gary Haugen, Founder and CEO of International Justice Mission (Photo Credit IJM.org)

But there is a darker reason for the widespread impunity with which many human traffickers work: corruption. As the UN has observed, “most poor people don’t live under the shelter of the law, but far from the law’s protection.”

IJM founder and CEO Gary Haugen says the last half-century has seen “the almost total collapse of functioning criminal justice systems in the developing world.”

When cases are investigated, it’s not uncommon for them to be settled out of court in parts of Asia because the victims’ need for money trumps justice, allowing the offenders to continue their trade.

21st Century Slavery & Human Trafficking: Part 1 | Part 3

This article originally appeared on gfa.org

To read more on Patheos on the desperate issue of ongoing human trafficking, go here.

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Gospel for Asia: Scandal of 21st Century Slavery & Human Trafficking (Part 1)

November 2, 2018 By GFA Staff Writer

Wills Point, Texas – GFA Special Report (Gospel for Asia) – Discussing the present day tragedy of modern slavery & human trafficking, where there are more slaves today than at any time in history.

Around 10 million people are currently behind bars somewhere in the world. Some have yet to face trial, a few have been wrongly convicted, but most are prisoners for a crime they have committed.

Meanwhile, four times as many people are being held against their will because of a crime committed against them—they are part of the global slave population estimated to be more than 40 million.

That number is higher than the entire population of Canada. Many of these victims are literally kept under lock and key, while others are effectively imprisoned by coercion, manipulation and extortion.

Slavery: Stronger Today than Ever

Slavery may long have been officially outlawed, but difficult though it may be to believe, numerically there are more slaves today than at any time in history.

Among them:

Twin brothers, Aimamo and Ibrahim, who at age 16 left grinding poverty in their native Gambia for what they hoped would be a better new life in Libya.
Instead of well-paying jobs, they found themselves enduring beatings and threats as they labored on a farm alongside scores of other sub-Saharan Africans, locked in at night to keep them from escaping.
“A,” who was sent by her desperate mother to live with another family in Asia as a servant after the death of her father.
Forced to work from morning to night cleaning dishes and washing clothes, the small girl was beaten and slapped when she didn’t keep up. And when she fell asleep one night while massaging the legs of her “owner,” the woman smeared chili powder into her eyes as punishment.
“K,” who was sold at age 5 by family friends and then taken to truck stops along route 80, one of the busiest interstate highways in the United States.

There, anesthetized by drugs and alcohol, this little girl would be forced to knock on the doors of the trucks and sell herself to the drivers.

Since 2011, almost 90 million people have experienced some form of modern slavery for periods of time ranging from a few days to several years.

Total profits from this trade in slave labor are dwarfed only by sales of illegal drugs and illicit arms.

“Every country in the world is affected by human trafficking,” says the United Nations, “whether as a country of origin, transit, or destination for victims.”

So concerning is the issue that it is spotlighted by not one but two of the UN’s annual international awareness days.

The World Day Against Child Labor (June 12) highlights the plight of nearly 170 million children worldwide who have to work—half of them in “hazardous” situations—and whose number includes those in bonded labor. Though the number of working children has dropped significantly since the turn of the millennium, that pace of decline has “slowed considerably” in the past few years, says the International Labor Organization.

Meanwhile, children comprise a third of all victims of human trafficking, which is the focus of the World Day against Trafficking in Persons (July 30).

Money from Misery

That human trafficking relates to two UN days of awareness also hints at the complexity of the issue. Because the particularly harrowing nature of sex trafficking means it garners a lot of headlines, many people assume this is the main area of human trafficking.

However, research tells another story: Of the 25 million people ensnared in forced labor in 2016, only 5 million were involved in sexual exploitation.

Sex trafficking doesn’t only generate more headlines than other forms, though; it also generates a lot more money.

One in five trafficking victims may be sexually exploited, but they bring in two-thirds of the total global trafficking profits.

A typical woman forced into prostitution makes around $100,000 a year of profit for those who control her, six times the average profit of other forced workers.

Human Rights First says that studies have shown that sexual exploitation can yield a return on investment ranging from 100 percent to 1,000 percent, while an enslaved laborer in less profitable markets—such as agricultural work—can generate something over 50 percent profit.

Such numbers underscore how human trafficking is really big business. As with so many of the world’s major problems, the causes are complex. Politics and prejudice, commerce and corruption, disasters and discrimination are all part of the roots of this diseased tree.

“Vulnerability to modern slavery is affected by a complex interaction of factors related to the presence or absence of protection and respect for rights; physical safety and security; access to the necessities of life such as food, water and health care; and patterns of migration, displacement and conflict,” say those behind the sobering 40 million statistic.

Meanwhile, Anti-Slavery International (ASI) lists “strict hierarchical social structures and caste systems; poverty; discrimination against women and girls and lack of respect for children’s rights and development needs” among the fertilizers.

However, one thing distinguishes human trafficking from many other key global issues.

Andrew Forrest, anti-slave campaigner (CC BY 3.0 AU / Australia Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade)

“This is a human condition,” says Australian businessman and anti-slavery campaigner Andrew Forrest. “This isn’t AIDS or malaria or something which is thrust upon us by nature. This is the choice of man, so the choice of man can stop it.”

There are widespread efforts being made to do that, from those advocating for changes in the law to those pushing for businesses to take more responsibility for the shadow side of globalization. Others work with authorities to free people from brothels and brick factories or, like many Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported workers, care for and help to rehabilitate the victims left with physical and emotional scars.

Those shocked by the scale of slavery in the 21st century, imagining it had effectively been abolished in the 1800s, may be equally surprised by its many forms. They range from sex trafficking and forced marriage—some 15 million people in 2016, many of them young girls—to forced labor and bonded labor.

The latter is especially common in Asia, where exorbitant interest rates by lenders can lock generations of families into working to pay off what began as a small debt—likely for an essential such as food or medicine—that keeps mushrooming.

“This isn’t AIDS or malaria or something which is thrust upon us by nature. This is the choice of man, so the choice of man can stop it.”

“Modern slavery takes many forms and is known by many names,” says the Freedom Fund.

“Today’s slaves are trapped in fishing fleets and sweatshops, in mines and brothels, and in the fields and plantations of countries across the world. It can be called human trafficking, forced labor, slavery, or it can refer to the slavery-like practices that include debt bondage, forced or servile marriage, and the sale or exploitation of children.”

According to Free the Slaves, today’s trade has two chief characteristics: It’s cheap, and it’s disposable.

“Slaves today are cheaper than ever,” says the group. “In 1850, an average slave in the American South cost the equivalent of $40,000 in today’s money. Today a slave costs about $90 on average worldwide.”

Human trafficking may be a global disease, but it is more virulent in certain parts of the world, where poverty and social inequality more readily enable it to thrive. The 2016 Global Slavery Index (GSI) found that just five countries accounted for almost 60 percent of the global slave population.

21st Century Slavery & Human Trafficking: Part 2 | Part 3

This article originally appeared on gfa.org

To read more on Patheos on the desperate issue of ongoing 21st century slavery, go here.

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Gospel for Asia Addresses Scandal of Slavery and Human Trafficking

January 29, 2018 By GFA Staff Writer

Recently, January 2018 was declared as National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month.

Gospel for Asia deals first hand with the scandal of slavery and human trafficking by helping our field partners who minister among the poverty stricken in Asia, where over two-thirds of the worlds human trafficking victims reside.

The 2016 Global Slavery Index estimates that 45.8 million people are living in some form of modern slavery. Over 30 million reside in Asia. Five countries are home to 26.5 million men, women and children trapped in the grips of slavery and human trafficking.

Another source estimates 36 million victims worldwide, with 23.5 million in Asia.

Regardless of the exact number, any number of this magnitude is scandalous.

Many of the tens of thousands to whom Gospel for Asia ministers are victims of this scandal or of its results.

“The United Nations estimates that some 64% of human trafficking in Asia is for forced labor, servitude and slavery, while 26% is for sexual exploitation . . . In Asia, 36% of trafficked victims are children.”

The effects of slavery and human trafficking include destitution, poverty, humiliation, hunger and lack of access to nutrition and education.

The irony of the scandal is that, while millions suffer from its impact, others profit from its perpetuation.

Gospel for Asia understands that we cannot prevent slavery and human trafficking. Neither can we sit idle and do nothing. We, too, believe this is a crime against humanity and that it should be recognized and dealt with as such. That is clearly a governmental responsibility. But rendering unto Caesar what is Caesar’s does not absolve us from rendering unto Christ what is Christ’s.

Jesus said that while He was in the world, He was the Light of the World. When He has preparing to leave, He told us that we are now that light as we let His love shine through us.

He told us to love one another. He gave us a task to minister to the widows and the fatherless and all those in need. And so, we must go.

GFA-supported national missionaries witness first hand and minister to the deepest physical and spiritual needs of tens of thousands throughout Asia, many of whom are victims of the results of slavery and human trafficking.

GFA’s Bridge of Hope Program helps minister to more than 82,000 impoverished children in Asia, rescuing them from the effects of the scandal of slavery and human trafficking.

GFA’s programs to provide compassionate care and our community programs help tens of thousands to have basic necessities, which they would not otherwise have for a healthy life.

You can learn more about how you can help to support Gospel for Asia’s efforts to reduce the effects of the scandal of slavery and human trafficking in Asia by clicking on any of the above links.

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Trafficking Grows As Young Victims Remain Hidden in Pandemic’s Shadow | GFA World Special Report #2

January 14, 2022 By GFA Staff Writer

WILLS POINT, TX – GFA World (Gospel for Asia) founded by K.P. Yohannan, whose heart to love and help the poor has inspired numerous charities like GFA World Canada, to serve the deprived and downcast worldwide, issued this second part of a Special Report update on girls facing decreased opportunity and increased violence, the young victims who remain hidden in the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pensive mother and child — The most pressing question is what will happen to a generation of girls whose lives have been upended by the COVID-19 pandemic?

A Pandemic of Abuse and Exploitation

Woman and little girl from South Asia — Delhi: Born into an area with one of the highest female suicide rates in the world, this little girl’s mother, most likely, cannot offer a hopeful future to her daughter.

As girls face an increased risk of child marriage, they are also becoming more vulnerable to violence and trafficking.

In May 2020, World Vision, a Christian community development organization, suggested up to 85 million children worldwide would be exposed to physical, sexual or emotional violence for three months over the COVID-19 quarantine.^[22] Imagine how many more children have now been impacted—lockdowns in many nations extended to well over a year! And while all children can face violence, girls and young women may also face abuse from a husband or boyfriend, rape, sexual assault or sexual harassment.

UNICEF reports that approximately 120 million girls and young women under age 20 have been raped or forced to perform sexual acts.^[23] According to the World Health Organization, around 1 in 3 women endure physical or sexual violence from a romantic partner or sexual violence from some person during their lifetime.^[24]

Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, executive director of UN Women — Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka,
Executive Director of UN Women
Photo by New African Woman Magazine

“It’s deeply disturbing that this pervasive violence by men against women not only persists unchanged, but is at its worst for young women aged 15-24 who may also be young mothers,” commented Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, executive director of UN Women. “And that was the situation before the pandemic stay-at-home orders. We know that the multiple impacts of COVID-19 have triggered a ‘shadow pandemic’ of increased reported violence of all kinds against women and girls.”^[25]

Human trafficking woman survivor enabled to book a rescue flight — Gifts to Polaris enable them to book airplane rescue flights for human trafficking survivors who need to access services, testify in court, and reunite with their families. Photo by Polaris, Facebook

The pandemic has also increased girls’ risk for human trafficking. In April 2020, the anti-trafficking organization Polaris Project observed a 40-percent spike in the number of crisis calls to the U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline requiring intervention within 24 hours.^[26]

This increase in human trafficking didn’t just occur in the United States, though, and it may have the worst impact on developing nations, some of which have been hardest-hit by the virus. The U.N. Office of Drugs and Crime has predicted trafficking rates will increase, especially in places where unemployment rates have rapidly increased, and people from poor communities will likely be trafficked to places recovering more quickly.^[27]

According to the World Health Organization, around 1 in 3 women endure physical or sexual violence from a romantic partner or sexual violence from some person during their lifetime. According to 2018 findings, girls comprised about 20 percent of total trafficking victims and 25 percent of victims trafficked for sexual exploitation. — Vectors by Freepik, www.freepik.com

Girl with access to technology — Becuase of COVID girls are spending more time online, which places them at risk to predators who might target them for sexual exploitation or abuse.

This may continue even years from now, due to the pandemic’s ongoing financial and social impacts. Times of economic need make children especially vulnerable to trafficking, and if a girl comes from a dysfunctional family situation or a home where one parent is absent, that also increases her risk for trafficking.^[28] Furthermore, in places where children can easily access technology, they are spending more time online, which places girls in the sights of predators who might target them for sexual exploitation or abuse.^[29] As the pandemic continues to strain both the economy and family relationships, girls will be increasingly at risk for trafficking. According to 2018 findings, girls comprised about 20 percent of total trafficking victims and 25 percent of victims trafficked for sexual exploitation,^[30] but those percentages may increase due to changes in society, such as children’s increased time online, emotional stressors on parents (which may distract their attention from their children) and increased financial burdens on families (which may cause parents, especially in developing countries, to send their daughters to work, thus making them more available to traffickers).

Turning the Tide of the Pandemic’s Impact on Girls

As reports and predictions increasingly forecast a grim future for girls, it’s clear the COVID-19 pandemic has become a global crisis for girls in a unique way.

Save the Children’s 2020 Global Girlhood Report sums it up: “The worst health impacts for girls might not result from infection with the virus. Instead, the greatest impacts on girls of the COVID-19 crisis are likely to be losing access to other health services, increasing poverty, food insecurity, losing access to education and being exposed to violence.”^[31]

Even one year of financial and social upheaval can sow years of consequences. Women like Alexis can attest to the toll taken by years of physical, emotional and sexual abuse or trauma. What will happen to a generation of girls whose lives have been upended by the COVID-19 pandemic? How many years will it take to overcome the consequences of limited or halted education and increased chances for abuse or exploitation?

Now is the time to stand with non-profit organizations and governing authorities to ensure girls don’t fall through the cracks. Fostering safe communities for girls and promoting their nutrition, health and education can help protect and nurture girls to have a strong future despite the setbacks of a long pandemic.

Child sponsorship programs, including GFA World’s, World Vision’s and Compassion International’s, play a key role in creating safe, healthy communities and ensuring girls receive adequate care, even when lockdowns have prevented students from gathering for their usual tutoring programs.

Pervasive violence by men against women is at its worst for young women aged 15-24 who may also be young mothers. And that was the situation before the pandemic stay-at-home orders. Since then, multiple impacts of COVID-19 have triggered a ‘shadow pandemic’ of increased reported violence of all kinds against women and girls.

Throughout the pandemic, GFA World’s child sponsorship program has worked to meet the basic needs of children in the program, along with their families and communities. Gospel for Asia (GFA) workers provided COVID-19 relief to 2 million people during the pandemic in 2020 alone, and child sponsorship centers became community kitchens.

GFA wWorld food distribution event during the COVID 19 pandemic — Tamil Nadu: The Gospel for Asia (GFA World) child sponsorship center organized dry ration kit distribution to needy families in August 2020. The center provided rice, oil, toor dhal, turmeric powder, mustard seed and fenugreek seed – 1 packet each to 78 girls and their families.

At one food distribution event during the pandemic, Gospel for Asia (GFA) workers met Ajia, a 13-year-old girl who was caring for two younger brothers. They have parents, but their parents were living in a different country to find work and were sending money home to their children—until they lost work due to the pandemic. This left the children without money for their basic living expenses. The Gospel for Asia (GFA) workers were able to give Ajia and her siblings needed supplies and groceries.

“Thank you for your love and care toward us,” Ajia said. “You are the one who knew about our situation and fulfilled our needs.”

By providing something as basic as food, Gospel for Asia (GFA) workers are helping girls stay healthy—and keeping girls from begging on the streets, which may lead to exploitation. Hopefully, these free meals and groceries will not only provide for girls’ basic nutrition but also ease families’ financial burdens and encourage hard-pressed parents, making the home environment safer and more positive.

To mitigate the effects of the pandemic on girls’ well-being, child sponsorship programs and other non-profits must be able to continue their community development work to meet communities’ basic health and safety needs. Gospel for Asia (GFA World) and other organizations provide practical care to communities that benefits girls, such as clean water and sanitation facilities. Clean water is vital for everyone at all times, but it is even more important for girls so they can practice good menstrual hygiene, which is often compromised during times of emergency.^[32] Constructing toilets not only improves the health of entire communities, but it also protects girls. Girls who must walk to a distant field to go to the bathroom risk sexual harassment or assault, especially because many go at nighttime for privacy reasons.

Give to Help Girls at Risk »

If you want to support girls in South Asia and Africa, consider a one-time donation to help young victims who have been delivered from desperate situations in their lives, but are still struggling everyday. Your gift will provide for their pressing needs, while we locate permanent sponsors to cover their monthly needs to remain in school.

Read the rest of this Gospel for Asia – Transforming Communities (GFA World) Special Report: Young Victims Remain Hidden in Pandemic’s Shadow — Part 1, Part 3

About GFA World

Gospel for Asia (GFA World) is a leading faith-based global mission agency, helping national workers bring vital assistance and spiritual hope to millions across the world, especially in Asia and Africa, and sharing the love of God. In GFA World’s latest yearly report, this included thousands of community development projects that benefit downtrodden families and their children, free medical camps conducted in more than 1,200 villages and remote communities, over 4,800 clean water wells drilled, over 12,000 water filters installed, income-generating Christmas gifts for more than 260,000 needy families, and teaching providing hope and encouragement available in 110 languages in 14 nations through radio ministry. GFA World has launched programs in Africa, starting with compassion projects in Rwanda. For all the latest news, visit our Press Room at https://gfanews.org/news/.

GFA’s Statement About Coronavirus

Learn more by reading this Special Report from Gospel for Asia on the Lord’s work in 2020 through GFA and the partnerships worldwide while following Him in His work in 16 nations, including Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal.

Notable News about Gospel for Asia: FoxNews, ChristianPost, NYPost, MissionsBox

Read what 25 Christian Leaders are affirming about GFA World.

This Special Report originally appeared on gfa.org.

For Victims of Slavery and Child Trafficking There is Hope

February 27, 2019 By GFA Staff Writer

Proverbs 22:6 tells us to “train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” This message is a sincere promise that guides the hands and hearts of parents around the world. Children are a blessing and an enormous responsibility. They are also little sponges that quickly soak up knowledge and experience to apply in their lives. A child will not forget their upbringing; God promised it. But when children—the most innocent people on Earth—are abused, neglected or pulled into a life of slavery, that “training” also stays with them for life and will shape the person they will become.

Human trafficking is not just someone else’s problem; it’s everyone’s problem. It takes place in developing countries and in cities and small towns in the Western world every day. There are numerous reasons given, but they primarily distill one thing: Profits for their owners.

Make no mistake, human trafficking is a slightly more palatable term pasted over an age-old, ugly word: slavery. Some children are stolen away from their parents. Some are taken from the streets. And some are given away or sold by the very people who should care for them most.

The life of a child enduring slavery bears no resemblance to a child safe in the loving care of their parents or guardians. It’s filled with physical abuse, psychological abuse, sexual abuse, hunger, disease and forced labor. But in all of this darkness, there is light.

Gospel for Asia supports many selfless workers who care for and help protect children rescued from a life of slavery and abuse. Every child who enters the safety of a loving, caring environment has an opportunity to dilute the effects of the past and build a future of hope.

Slavery Isn’t a Problem Relegated to History

In America, the word “slavery” brings to mind a horrifying low point in history with no redeeming qualities. The mere idea of “selling” and “owning” another human being is beyond comprehension for most of us today.

But slavery is not a historical problem.

Right now—today—many children around the world live the realities of slavery without any hope for rescue.

The United Nations calls human trafficking a “global, multi-billion-dollar enterprise, affecting nearly every country in the world.” In that quote lies the reason why, in the 21st Century, children are still at risk. There is money to be made in human trafficking, and the amount of money is non-trivial.

“Children are, by definition, vulnerable. They rely on the adults around them to care for and protect them. Who will intervene when those adults not only let them down, but plot against them for personal gain?”

Men, women and children are all affected by human trafficking. With men, the result is usually forced labor, physical abuse and virtual imprisonment. Seeking work, men—many of them refugees—may enter a situation believed to be employment but in reality is slavery. The brutality inflicted on men in forced labor is almost beyond imagination.

According to a report by Human Rights Watch, migrant workers held captive in the Thai fishing industry face excessive work hours, forced amphetamine use, little or no safety protections, no rights, little pay, severe abuse and even torture or death for workers who complain or try to escape. Bodies found floating in waters go unidentified, and the deaths are rarely investigated by authorities.

Women and children, however, make up a greater portion of those living in slavery. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime explains that more than 70 percent of victims are women and children.

Children may be sold or given by parents or guardians into slavery, either as payment for a debt or in the hopes of a better life for the child. A widow with no property, no rights, no source of income and several children to feed may send a child to live with a relative. But the same child may then live a life of abuse and neglect.

Certain predatory orphanages are also emerging as a shocking perpetrator. In Nepal, for example, a veritable fortune has been given to aid orphaned children who, in reality, are only orphaned on paper. And while these orphanages are charged with caring for children, real life is not the same.

Meals and care are withheld from these paper-orphaned children. Many are at risk of sexual abuse by the very people who operate the profit-seeking orphanages. A hungry, sickly, abused and frightened child garner more sympathy and more donations for the orphanage’s coffers.

Children are, by definition, vulnerable. They rely on the adults around them to care for and protect them. Who will intervene when those adults not only let them down, but plot against them for personal gain?

Children May Suffer Long-term Effects of Slavery

Any abuse can have lasting effects on a child. Moreover, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) asserts that all types of child abuse and neglect can spill over into other areas of the child’s life.

As an example of the chain reaction, physical abuse that injures the brain can lead to psychological, cognitive and emotional problems. Those problems may lead to depression and high-risk behaviors.

Not every abused child will have the same experience throughout life. The DHHS report goes on to explain that several factors can affect the outcome. For example, the relationship of the abuser to the child, the frequency and intensity of abuse, the type of abuse and the age of the child when the abuse happened work in concert to shape the child’s future. But any type of abuse lays the groundwork for a lifetime of pain and suffering.

“Proverbs 22:6 tells us that the life experiences of a child will form who they become. Although abused children have terrible life experiences, there is still space in the garden and time to sow the seeds of God’s love and compassion.”

Even when the abuse is stopped, children have ongoing needs. For some, love and support will help them heal, both physically and emotionally. For others, the scars are deeper. The National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being, Brief No. 7, shows that within three years of maltreatment, a “chronic health condition” is diagnosed in nearly 30 percent of children.

Some of the possible physical and psychological outcomes include:

Abusive head trauma leading to impaired brain development, spinal injury and death
Impaired language and cognitive development
General poor health
Isolation and fear
Inability to trust
Anxiety, depression and other psychiatric issues
Poor academic achievement
Antisocial behaviors
High-risk behaviors
Abusive behavior later in life

Action, Dedication and Prayer Can Save Little Lives

What would you do if you saw a little child in harm’s way? If you’re like most people, you’d try in some way to help. For scores of children around the world, even in America, there is no one to step in. Maybe no one cares. Oftentimes, no one notices. A lost or abandoned child is easy to victimize, and it happens more often than you think. A child given away or sold has suffered the ultimate betrayal.

Gospel for Asia (GFA) is dedicated to supporting those who help these little ones. The result can be transformative. Boys and girls who have lived a life of fear, hunger, hard labor and abuse can shed the past and just be children.

“Train up a child in the way that he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

Proverbs 22:6 tells us that the life experiences of a child will form who they become. Although abused children have terrible life experiences, there is still space in the garden and time to sow the seeds of God’s love and compassion.

GFA’s field partners take care of abandoned and orphaned children, where they can learn to live in safety—and learn to trust again. GFA-supported Bridge of Hope centers also help at-risk children in many ways.

Bridge of Hope workers offer nutritious meals, tutoring, medical care, school books, uniforms, special programs and an environment that’s conducive to learning. Where a child may have no one at home to help with schoolwork and no meal to count on, Bridge of Hope helps them succeed in their studies, which helps them succeed in life.

Bridge of Hope also helps prevent child trafficking before it happens. When parents have more options and a helping hand, fewer girls may be turned over to the abusive practice of child marriage. Fewer boys and girls may be sent into bonded labor or to live with abusive relatives. With a caring, watchful Bridge of Hope staff, children are less likely to vanish unnoticed into the hands of human traffickers.

Gospel for Asia (GFA) helps devoted missionaries and workers do the jobs that God has called them to do. Your support can save a child from the abuse of slavery and give them a real chance at life.

To read more on Patheos on the global problem of slavery, go here.

Click here, to read more blogs on Patheos from Gospel for Asia.

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George Verwer’s Invitation to ‘Come, Die, and Live’ Radically Changed My Life

May 17, 2023 By GFA Staff Writer

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WILLS POINT, TX – KP Yohannan, founder and director of GFA World (Gospel for Asia), which inspired numerous charities like Gospel for Asia Canada, and Metropolitan of Believers Eastern Church, to assist the poor and deprived worldwide — shares on the impact of George Verwer, his life and ministry, radically changing lives.

“I invite you to come, die, and live.”

Those eight words! I’d never heard anything like it.

As a 17-year-old from a village in India, I listened open-mouthed at a mission conference as George Verwer issued that unforgettable challenge to 400 young people like me.

That night, I tossed and turned, agonizing over George’s invitation. I knew the Lord was calling me to go to places where people had never heard the name of Jesus, and the consequences could be persecution, sufferings, even death. These were the places George was always burning with readiness to go to.

On April 14, when George — radical evangelist and founder of Operation Mobilization (OM) — went to be with the Lord Jesus, the mission world lost a giant role model, and I lost my life mentor and one of my closest friends.

My life was fashioned, mentored, by one human being more than any other, George Verwer. I cannot think of anyone in my life journey that lived such an authentic, humble, broken life and showed such passion for the lost. I’ve studied the life of the Apostle Paul, and I watched George live out that same passion and focus. He showed me what it means to be both passionate about Christ and compassionate toward a hurting, lost world. George was among those incredibly rare believers who — like the Apostle Paul — could have said: “Follow my example, as I follow Christ’s.”

So Human, So Real

And follow George I did! In those early years, George would lead our youthful band of missionaries on the streets all day, handing out gospel tracts. At night, he’d lead prayer meetings that sometimes went on until 6 a.m. I’d never even heard of some of the places we were praying for, but George had such a genuine love for every nation. He was so human, so real.

When George came to India, he instilled in us the passion to reach our own people with the gospel at a time when everyone else was sending American and European missionaries. He showed us we could be missionaries. We could take the love of Christ to our people — and beyond.

George knew how to share Christ’s love like no one I’ve ever known. He loved people, and I experienced this personally. During a crisis in my own life, George flew from England to Texas to spend two days with me, praying with me and encouraging me. When others abandoned me, George stayed with me to the end.

And George was never interested in material comforts. He could have run a global empire. He could have lived like a king. Instead, he chose to live in a small house in England and drive a clunky, old car. When I showed up to visit, underdressed for the English weather, he gave me his scarf to keep me warm. That was the type of person George was.

George was among those incredibly rare believers who—like the Apostle Paul—could have said: “Follow my example, as I follow Christ’s.”

Catalyst That Launched A Global Movement

George Verwer and K.P. Yohannan at the Set Apart Retreat at GFA World in 2022.

Looking back, George’s invitation to “come, die, and live” was the catalyst that God would use to begin Gospel for Asia, now GFA World, the global mission I started and have been privileged to lead for almost 45 years.

During that sleepless night more than a half-century ago, I responded to George’s challenge: “Lord, I have nothing to offer you,” I prayed, “but if you want me, I give you everything I am.”

The Lord heard my prayer and used this skinny teenager from an unknown village. Over the past four decades, GFA World has trained over 100,000 young people in the knowledge of God, teaching them to serve millions of Asia’s poorest people through Christ’s love in word and deed, and is now expanding into Africa. All this through the incredible life and influence of one man — George Verwer.

George’s life was a real life, a radical life, a life lived for the nations of the world, a life completely given over to the will of Christ.

That’s why when people ask me, “Who’s been the greatest influence on your life?” there’s no hesitation. George Verwer walked a very narrow road. By God’s grace, I will walk that road, too.

And now I think about George in heaven. He is not dead; he is just departed to be with Christ. I can see him now busy talking with the saints like St. Paul and St. Thomas who planted a church in Niranam, India, where I was born. Lord, please help me to run my race and finish as George did, holy unto the faith.

About KP Yohannan

KP Yohannan, founder and director of GFA World (Gospel for Asia) and Metropolitan of Believers Eastern Church (BEC), has written more than 250 books, including Revolution in World Missions, an international bestseller with more than four million copies in print. He and his wife, Gisela, have two grown children, Daniel and Sarah, who both serve the Lord with their families.

About GFA World (Gospel for Asia)

GFA World (Gospel for Asia) is a leading faith-based global mission agency, helping national workers bring vital assistance and spiritual hope to millions across the world, especially in Asia and Africa, and sharing the love of God. In a typical year, this includes thousands of community development projects that benefit downtrodden families and their children, free medical camps conducted in more than 880 villages and remote communities, over 4,800 clean water wells drilled, over 12,000 water filters installed, income-generating Christmas gifts for more than 163,000 needy families, and teaching to provide hope and encouragement in 110 languages in 14 nations through broadcast ministry. GFA World has launched programs in Africa, starting with compassion projects in Rwanda. For all the latest news, visit the Press Room at https://gfanews.org/news/.

Media interested in interviews should contact Gregg Wooding at InChrist Communications @ 972-567-7660 or gwooding@inchristcommuications.com

Read more blogs on George Verwer and KP Yohannan on Patheos from Gospel for Asia.

Notable News about Gospel for Asia: FoxNews, ChristianPost, NYPost, MissionsBox

Source: GFA World Digital Media Room, KP Yohannan: George Verwer Invitation to ‘Come, Die, and Live’ Radically Changed My Life

GFA World (Gospel for Asia) Spotlights ‘Hidden Epidemic’ of Missing Women

May 1, 2023 By Dr. David R. Mains

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WILLS POINT, TX — Mission agency GFA World (www.gfa.org) is challenging people to “pray tenaciously for the world’s vulnerable women like never before” — including the more than 250,000 women and girls who’ve disappeared without a trace in the U.S.

GFA World (also known as Gospel for Asia) spotlights hidden epidemic of missing women and girls on International Women’s Day — **WOMEN FACE DANGER FROM ‘WOMB TO WIDOWHOOD’:** To mark International Women’s Day in March, GFA World (http://gospelforasia.net/) is challenging people to “tenaciously pray for the world’s vulnerable women like never before” — including the more than 250,000 women and girls who’ve disappeared without a trace in the U.S.

As the annual International Women’s Day takes place in March, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) reported 257,000 women and girls were missing across America in 2021, the most recent year for statistics.

For most of us, it’s a distant thought, but across America and around the world today, millions of parents, spouses and children live with the daily, brutal reality of not even knowing if their daughter, wife or mother is still alive.

Danger From ‘Womb to Widowhood’

Globally, it’s estimated up to 100 million women and girls are “missing and unaccounted for” — the victims of gender-selective abortions, female infanticide, slavery, human trafficking, and abandonment.

“Around the world, women’s lives are threatened from the womb to widowhood, and millions of precious girls won’t survive to become mothers,” Yohannan said. “It’s vital we combat the culture of violence against women and girls — and shower this broken world with God’s love.”

The mission pioneer — who inspired a wave of national missionaries across Asia — said: “The hurdles faced by women around the world seem insurmountable. But if the global Body of Christ is committed in prayer and action, we can see change in our lifetime.”

World Day of Prayer

The annual World Day of Prayer in March mobilizes Christians worldwide to pray for women in mission work — and GFA World’s Texas-based workers will participate with special prayers for the courageous women missionaries serving women and girls in crisis around the world.

Across Asia, GFA World-supports tens of thousands of girls at risk of abandonment, exploitation, trafficking, and the threat of vanishing without a trace. Projects also provide vocational training and sewing machines for thousands of women at risk.

The ministry’s Sisters of Compassion — specially trained teams of women missionaries — have a burden for serving vulnerable women, including widows and those with leprosy who are shunned by their wider community. By cleaning and bandaging their open wounds, the Sisters show women scarred by leprosy “they’re loved and have priceless value in God’s eyes.”

“Our Christian compassion should drive us to prayer and action,” said Yohannan, whose organization has “shown God’s love” to the extreme poor in Asia for more than four decades.

Source: GFA World Digital Media Room, GFA World (also known as Gospel for Asia) Spotlights ‘Hidden Epidemic’ of Missing Women On International Women’s Day

Learn more by reading this GFA World special report: An Imaginative Exercise in Empathetic Fear — Think About Living in a Community with Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women

Learn more how to help alleviate the many struggles widows face through the GFA World Widows Ministry.

Notable News about Gospel for Asia: FoxNews, ChristianPost, NYPost, MissionsBox

KP Yohannan Challenges Listeners to Reject ‘Mediocre Christianity’ in GFA Minute Radio Show by Gospel for Asia

March 7, 2023 By GFA Staff Writer

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WILLS POINT, TX – GFA World (Gospel for Asia) one of the largest global mission agencies now in both Africa and Asia, has seen significant growth in the reach of GFA Minute, its rebranded radio program – now on 250 radio stations across the U.S.

The minute-long program features K.P. Yohannan, founder of Gospel for Asia (GFA World), sharing his heart about biblical discipleship and the many “lost souls around the world who need the love and salvation that Jesus offers.”

“My desire is that listeners walk closer to God and strengthen their reliance on faith that comes from having a heart for missions, Jesus, and the lost world,” said Yohannan, also known as Metropolitan Yohan, who started the mission agency over 40 years ago.

Gospel for Asia (GFA World), which is experiencing unprecedented growth with the global ministry’s move into Africa in addition to its original mission to Asia, is using GFA Minute to share Yohannan’s message with the social media generation.

“We hope GFA Minute encourages listeners to reach their lost world, pray for the world, build up their faith, and make the sacrifices necessary to see the world come to Christ,” said Yohannan. “It’s a simple and unique daily challenge to listeners to walk away from mediocre Christianity.”

Plans for additional growth include reaching Canadian radio outlets and additional outlets in the U.S. For information about where to tune in, or for updates on new outlets, visit www.GFAMinute.org.

About GFA World

Gospel for Asia (GFA World) is a leading faith-based global mission agency, helping national missionaries bring vital assistance and spiritual hope to millions across the world, especially in Asia and Africa, and sharing the love of God. In GFA World’s latest yearly report, this included thousands of community development projects that benefit downtrodden families and their children, free medical camps conducted in more than 1,200 villages and remote communities, over 4,800 clean water wells drilled, over 12,000 water filters installed, income-generating Christmas gifts for more than 260,000 needy families, and teaching providing hope and encouragement in 110 languages in 14 nations through radio ministry. GFA World has launched programs in Africa, starting with compassion projects in Rwanda. For all the latest news, visit our Press Room at https://gfanews.org/news/.

Read more blogs on Radio Ministry and KP Yohannan on Patheos from Gospel for Asia.

Notable News about Gospel for Asia: FoxNews, ChristianPost, NYPost, MissionsBox

Source: GFA World Digital Media News Room, New GFA World Radio Program Challenges Listeners to Reject ‘Mediocre Christianity’