650 Million Child Brides Worldwide Says Gospel for Asia

November 13, 2020 By GFA Staff Writer

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World) founded by KP Yohannan, whose heart to love and help the poor has inspired numerous charities like Gospel for Asia Canada reveals a shocking new special report that followed the International Day of the Girl on October 11, that girls face greater exploitation than ever, with 650 million child brides in the world today.

As women’s rights take center stage in the U.S. and many parts of the world, the reality for millions of girls worldwide is sexual exploitation and forced marriage before the age of 13.

The reality for millions of girls worldwide is sexual exploitation and forced marriage, becoming child brides before the age of 13. — **650 MILLION CHILD BRIDES:** Girls face greater exploitation than ever, with more than 650 million “child brides” in the world today, a startling new report reveals. Rewriting the Tragedies of Girlhood — a special report by Gospel for Asia (GFA World) — coincides with the U.N. International Day of the Girl, Oct. 11.

The horrific treatment of girls — including sex trafficking, sex-selective abortions, and denial of education — is exposed in a special report titled Rewriting the Tragedies of Girlhood, released by Gospel for Asia (GFA World) to coincide with the U.N. International Day of the Girl, Oct. 11.

In 2014, the kidnapping of 200 schoolgirls in Nigeria by Boko Haram terrorists grabbed the headlines, but rampant abuse of girls across Africa and Asia continues largely under the radar:

In Bangladesh, a survey of 375 sex workers revealed nearly half of them were child brides, married as young as 11, and trafficked into prostitution
In China, sex-selective abortions resulted in a national shortage of women, fueling demand for child brides and sex workers
North Korean girls who escape across the border to China are forced to stay “invisible” and often end up in brothels and the cybersex trade
Girls in Asia as young as nine are forced to perform sex acts in front of webcams, live-streamed to a pay-to-view global audience

“Globally, millions of girls — nearly double the entire U.S. population, in fact — are trapped in a web of exploitation,” said Gospel for Asia (GFA World) founder Dr. K.P. Yohannan. “Girls living in areas of political instability, conflict, or oppression are especially vulnerable to forced marriage and sex slavery.”

In China, girls are trafficked from neighboring countries, lured by the promise of jobs. Victims are forced to cohabit with men who don’t speak their language, keep them locked in tiny rooms, and rape them at will. Often, girls are beaten and drugged.

UNICEF — the U.N. children’s agency that stages the annual International Day of the Girl every October to raise awareness — estimates there are 650 million child brides globally, including women who married in childhood. Girls are often forced to marry early because their parents don’t want them, placing a far higher value on boys.

‘You Should Have Been A Boy’

One of four sisters, Ruth was treated cruelly by her father who flew into a rage when she was born. “You should have been a boy,” he later told her. When Ruth decided to go to Bible college, she knelt at her father’s feet to get his blessing. Instead, he kicked her in the face.

“While Ruth was at college, her father’s heart softened and he came to know the love of Jesus,” said Yohannan. “When she traveled home and stepped off the bus, her father ran to hug her. Change happens when people see every single girl is precious because she’s created by God in his image.”

Giving girls the opportunity to pursue education is key in the battle against exploitation and child marriage — with GFA World’s Bridge of Hope program providing schooling and safety for tens of thousands of at-risk girls in Asia.

When 13-year-old Krupa realized she was being roped into a childhood marriage, she alerted workers at the Bridge of Hope center she attended. Within minutes, “they arrived at our house like angels” and intervened to stop the ceremony, she said. Today, Krupa has achieved her goal of becoming a teacher — and married of her own choice when she was 20.

GFA World’s full special report is at https://gfa.org/special-report/child-marriage-child-trafficking-girl-problems/.

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:

An Imaginative Exercise in Empathetic Fear — Think About Living in a Community with Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women
Ending Violence Against Women — Using Programs and Education to Prevent Discrimination

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Source: Gospel for Asia: Digital Media Room

Child Bride Grows Up Next to a Gospel for Asia Jesus Well

August 30, 2020 By GFA Staff Writer

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World and affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada) founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan – Discussing Suhana, a victim of child marriage, the desperate need for clean water, extreme poverty, illiteracy, and the Gospel for Asia provided Jesus Well that brought stability and hope for a future.

Nine-year-old Suhana stood in her bridal dress, her childish face masked under heavy kohl eye liner, and the red powder on her forehead signaling her entrance into the adult rite of marriage. Her young husband, closer to adulthood than herself, placed a floral garland around her neck. After the ceremony, Suhana moved to her husband’s village, where another newcomer had arrived just a couple years before her—a Jesus Well.

Harmful Customs Sustained by Need to Survive

Suhana’s people lived in rural forests, mountains and valleys where they practiced the same traditional way of life for thousands of years. Predominantly farmers, they cultivated their land to produce rice, vegetables and cotton, which were their main economic resources.

The goal for these farmers was simple and straightforward: survive. But there were many obstacles to overcome. Ponds, which irrigated the fields and provided water for households, dried up during the summer and were reduced to mud holes. Sometimes the area experienced droughts so severe entire villages had to relocate, leaving behind anything they could not carry and becoming poorer in the process.

The need for clean water is not unique to Suhana’s people; it is an urgent issue for 783 million people worldwide.

The lack of fundamental needs, such as water, traps many communities into a life dedicated to obtaining basic necessities. Initiating community development projects, like drilling wells or educating children, are unattainable luxuries for many families. The effects of poverty are especially strong on young girls, who are not seen as able to contribute to the family’s survival—and are subsequently married off at a very young age, making them the in-law’s responsibility to support.

783 million people worldwide don’t have clean water

Open sources of water quickly become polluted when hundreds of families use them for everything from washing clothes and watering animals to cooking and bathing.

Village Welcomes Two New Residents

After her wedding, Suhana set about the household tasks she had been trained to do by her mother. For many of her tasks, Suhana utilized the Jesus Well that had been drilled just outside her home a couple years before she became a bride; it was one of the first Jesus Wells ever drilled by Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported workers. Suhana did not understand it then, but this Jesus Well would slowly transform her new village in ways no one could foresee.

Suhana established herself in her new community and joined the other wives in daily visits to the well. She balanced water jugs on her head as she carried back clean water for cooking the family meals.

Before Gospel for Asia (GFA) workers installed a Jesus Well, this village faced the same hardships as the one Suhana came from—ponds as a sole source of water for bathing, irrigation, cooking and drinking, and summer droughts that evaporated the dirty pond water. There had been a well in the village, which was a huge relief to the community, but it went from providing clean, clear water to brown polluted water after only a couple months. It had become no better than the ponds. With no one around to maintain the well, it was abandoned and sat as a reminder of the one resource they needed most but had too little of.

When the Jesus Well came, everyone rejoiced in the immediate benefits, but the long-term benefits had not yet been imagined.

Gospel for Asia (GFA World and affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada) founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Jesus Well — Suhana visits with a neighbor while she gives her cow a drink of water at the Jesus Well. This well, located a stone’s throw from Suhana’s home, was constructed shortly before she arrived in the village as a young wife.

Consistent Water a Stabilizing Influence

Within a year of becoming a wife, Suhana became a mother, and then quickly had two more children in the next few years. She worked hard on her daily household chores and earned extra income doing manual labor at construction sites working with bricks, sand and cement. Her husband worked as a painter, and they both cultivated their land to feed their growing family.

The Jesus Well assisted Suhana in almost every task, from watering her crops and animals to washing dishes and cooking food. Since the Jesus Well was nearby, Suhana did not have to spend extra time hauling water back and forth from a distant water source.

With their basic needs taken care of, Suhana could send her children to school rather than to the fields or to earn money as daily laborers.

The Jesus Well blessed more than just Suhana’s family. People from all over the village came to the Jesus Well every day. During summer droughts, the Jesus Well faithfully poured out clean, pure water, attracting people from other villages whose water supplies had dried up. Even with the additional burden of more people drawing water, the Jesus Well flowed continually, giving life to Suhana’s community and many others.

Suhana uses water from the Jesus Well for almost all of her household tasks, like preparing a meal for her family. The Jesus Well has eliminated the water crisis in Suhana’s village and brought stability to the residents’ daily life.

“This Jesus Well water is more than sufficient for the entire village and also for some neighboring villages,” shares Suhana. “It never dries up during summer, whereas many other water sources dry up. The more we draw water out of this well, the cleaner and purer the water comes out. Everybody comes here and takes water every day, and good water keeps coming out of this well. Everybody is satisfied with the water.”

Village Steadily Transforms

As years went by, Suhana’s children grew and so did the community’s dependence on the Jesus Well. With a reliable source of pure water, children weren’t as sick and missed fewer school days. People could grow their crops and did not have to leave their homes looking for water, and children didn’t need to help their parents earn money.

Eventually, a girls’ school was built nearby, and the daughters of the village attended school instead of preparing for marriage at a young age. Each day on their breaks, students would come to the Jesus Well for drinks and to play and laugh in the cool water.

Suhana and the Jesus Well have lived in this village for almost 20 years now. They have both become part of the fabric of the community.

A local Gospel for Asia (GFA) pastor, whose church building is located next to the Jesus Well, shared the impact this gift has made in the community.

“I feel very happy to know that this is one of the first Jesus Wells…” — the local pastor

“I feel very happy to know that this is one of the first Jesus Wells,” the pastor said. “It’s not easy to have a well maintained for this many years; because anybody can install a well, but maintaining it for almost [20] years, where it still gives clean and good drinking water, it is not easy. That makes me very proud and happy, and I am so glad that this well is [by] our church.”

The Jesus Well has brought stability and health to this village and surrounding villages, serving hundreds of families, including Suhana’s, whose children now have the option of continuing their education and no longer have to give up their dreams in exchange for the daily struggle to survive.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Over its 20-year life, this Jesus Well has served hundreds of people thousands of gallons of pure clean water. — Over its 20-year life, this Jesus Well has served hundreds of people thousands of gallons of pure clean water.

Each person that comes to well is presented with the Scripture declaring Christ as the Living Water: “Jesus answered and said to her: ‘Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”—John 4:13–14

You can help bring relief to an entire community through a gift towards a Jesus Well, establishing a legacy of God’s love and goodness for hundreds of people.

Donate to Jesus Wells

$1400 USD provides a well that produces clean water for an entire community, saving people from waterborne diseases for years. $140 can help 30 people, $700 can help 150 people, and $1400 can help an average of 300 people.

Jesus Wells are a wise investment and we keep the costs low too. For only $45, you can provide clean water for up to nine people for around 20 years. See more ways to provide clean water »

Learn more about how to provide pure, clean water to families and villages through Gospel for Asia Jesus Wells and BioSand Water Filters.

*Names of people and places may have been changed for privacy and security reasons. Images are Gospel for Asia stock photos used for representation purposes and are not the actual person/location, unless otherwise noted.

Source: Gospel for Asia Featured Article, Child Bride Grows Up Next to a Jesus Well

Learn more about the GFA national missionaries who carry a burning desire for people to know the love of God. Through their prayers, dedication and sacrificial love, thousands of men and women have found new life in Christ.

Learn more by reading these Special Reports:

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

Children Become More Than Scavengers at a Bridge of Hope Center

July 8, 2020 By GFA Staff Writer

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World and affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada) founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan – Discussing Adya and her siblings who, like many students, were rescued from difficult situations when they are enrolled in Gospel for Asia (GFA) Bridge of Hope.

Adya lost her father when she was a small child. Her mother, a Christian in name only, remarried and had two more children, only to be abandoned by her new husband shortly thereafter. Though Adya’s mother labored from early morning to late night every day, she never earned quite enough to provide for the family. Adya and her siblings often went hungry.

Adya’s mother managed to send her to school from time to time, but Adya’s younger sister, Lalana, and brother, Gayan, spent most of their lives roaming the slums, collecting trash to recycle. That is, until they began attending a Bridge of Hope center near their home.

Guiding Their Now-Clean Hands

Tarli, a social worker at Adya’s Bridge of Hope center, remembers when young Adya first joined seven years before. The girl, then 8 years old, was scrawny and unclean. She and her siblings didn’t know how to bathe or comb their hair; they didn’t have enough clothing to cover their bodies; they hardly knew how to carry on a conversation.

The tutors and social workers patiently worked with Adya, Lalana and Gayan. The children didn’t know how to read or write, so the Bridge of Hope tutors helped each one individually, guiding their hands to help the children form the letters. The center provided a daily meal, hygiene lessons, clothing and abundant doses of love. Under this care, it didn’t take long for the children to blossom.

“The life of Adya entirely transformed after she joined the Bridge of Hope center,” Tarli reflects. “She looks beautiful now and has become an energetic student in our center.”

No Longer Searching

Rather than scavenging for trash, Lalana and Gayan enjoy studying, and 15-year-old Adya has become one of the best students in her school. Her teachers and tutors are proud of her accomplishments, and her mother, after witnessing the transformation in her children’s lives, has come to understand that the Christ she once knew in name only is a Living Savior who still changes lives today.

Thank you so much for standing with us to make stories like this possible. May the Lord bless you.

Learn more about the Gospel for Asia Bridge of Hope program and how you can make an incredible difference in the lives of children, bringing hope to their lives and their families, transforming communities.

Source: Gospel for Asia Featured Article, Children Become More Than Scavengers

Learn more about the Discarded, Abandoned and Abused Children, and how, through your partnership, the ministry through Gospel for Asia can give them a home, protection and strive to reunite them with their families and help change their lives forever.

Learn more by reading the Gospel for Asia Special Report on Child Labor: Not Gone, but Forgotten – Millions of Children Trapped between Extreme Poverty and the Profits of Others

Learn more by reading the Gospel for Asia Special Report: Poverty: Public Enemy #1 – Eliminating Extreme Poverty Worldwide is Possible, But Not Inevitable

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

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A Helpful Thief: How Gospel for Asia Children’s Programs Transformed a Teen’s Life

May 29, 2020 By GFA Staff Writer

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World and affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada) founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan – Discussing Bhoj, the struggles of his family with poverty, and his struggles with bitterness and covetousness in his heart, and the Gospel for Asia Children’s Programs that transformed his life.

It’s difficult to know how Pastor Patakin had the idea to put a thief in charge of caring for the Sunday School and the students. Fourteen-year-old Bhoj already had a terrible reputation among his classmates, and even he wasn’t thrilled with the idea. Bhoj knew it would force him to mend his ways, and he wasn’t excited for the change.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Discussing Bhoj, the poverty, bitterness and covetousness in his heart, and the Gospel for Asia Children's Programs that transformed his life. — Bhoj’s grandfather, Idhant, fled money lenders and took Bhoj (pictured) with him to a new town for a fresh start. But the boy was a “wild child” when Idhant first brought him to Pastor Patakin’s Sunday School.

Family Flees Money Lenders

Bhoj used to live in the same town as his parents and baby sister until the money lenders started knocking at their door. Bhoj’s grandfather, Idhant, had been borrowing money and squandering it on alcohol. When the money lenders wanted to collect, Idhant didn’t have a single penny to give them. Instead, he grabbed his wife and his grandson and fled to a neighboring village.

Bhoj was able to continue his education and visit his parents and sister, Misri, over the summers. Idhant eventually found a job as a security guard in an apartment, but the three of them didn’t have peace in their lives.

About a year after they moved, Idhant met on of our pastors named Patakin and shared all his troubles. Patakin prayed for Idhant and his family and encouraged them that all was not hopeless. Idhant started spending some Sunday mornings with Pastor Patakin and other Christians in the area, worshiping the Lord, and he brought his grandson along as well.

That’s how Bhoj started attending Sunday School, and that’s how even more troubles began.

Wild Child in Sunday School

Bhoj was a terrible student. He fought with his classmates, disobeyed his teachers and wouldn’t listen to the lessons. They tried to stop him, but Bhoj was unstoppable. One by one, little by little, the students’ pens, pencils, notebooks and money began to disappear. What’s worse, he even stole some of the children’s shoes—a precious commodity for families who can’t easily afford to replace them. Over the summer, when Bhoj saw Misri, many of these missing items would reappear as “gifts” to his little sister.

As parents complained to Pastor Patakin and the Sunday School teacher about Bhoj’s activities, they knew something needed to be done.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Unlike the children pictured, Bhoj continually disobeyed his Sunday School teachers and would even steal from his classmates when no one was looking. — Unlike the children pictured, Bhoj continually disobeyed his Sunday School teachers and would even steal from his classmates when no one was looking.

GFA founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Wanting to help Bhoj (not pictured) change his wild ways, Pastor Patakin gave him responsibilities in the Sunday School class and often encouraged him to help prepare for meetings and events, as the young man pictured is doing. Bhoj found his new activities left little room for thieving and wild behavior, and he turned his attention to serving others instead. — Wanting to help Bhoj (not pictured) change his wild ways, Pastor Patakin gave him responsibilities in the Sunday School class and often encouraged him to help prepare for meetings and events, as the young man pictured is doing. Bhoj found his new activities left little room for thieving and wild behavior, and he turned his attention to serving others instead.

Young Thief Learns to Work

When Pastor Patakin put Bhoj in charge of the Sunday School, Bhoj knew it meant he wouldn’t be able to steal from his classmates. This made him sad, but he did as his pastor said. Pastor Patakin took Bhoj under his wing, invited him to his home and introduced him as a “good boy.” Pastor Patakin also gave Bhoj more responsibilities, like helping to take care of the sound equipment and arranging the church before prayer meetings.

Seeing how much he was trusted and needed, Bhoj began to change, and he stopped stealing from the children.

But God wasn’t done with him yet. Bhoj’s actions had changed, but Jesus knew there was still covetousness in the boy’s heart.

VBS Shows Thieving Teen a New Way

The church hosted a special VBS program one day, which Bhoj decided to attend. The stories of Jacob, Esau and Samuel struck him, and Bhoj’s heart started to melt. He told Jesus he wanted no more covetousness in his life and desired true, internal change.

After the program, Bhoj stood up in front of his church to share about his experience. He asked the Sunday School children to forgive him for all the things he had stolen through the years.

God had touched Bhoj’s heart, and Bhoj wasn’t the same. He started reading the Bible every morning and sharing the stories with his grandparents. He also shows up early to help clean the church, and follows the pastor as he ministers to small groups of believers. Whenever there is a prayer meeting, Bhoj is sure to be there. The once rebellious and wild boy became obedient and helpful and has grown in favor with everyone around him.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: When Bhoj attended a VBS, like the one pictured, God did a mighty work in his heart. He finally gave up all his thieving ways and even apologized to all his classmates and his church for his former manner of life. Now he wants to teach Sunday School and minister to other troubled youths in need. — When Bhoj attended a VBS, like the one pictured, God did a mighty work in his heart. He finally gave up all his thieving ways and even apologized to all his classmates and his church for his former manner of life. Now he wants to teach Sunday School and minister to other troubled youths in need.

“I was really touched by the Word of God taught in the VBS,” Bhoj said. “From now on, I have decided to walk in His footsteps, and I will assist my pastor in the ministry like the boy Samuel, who assisted Eli in his old age, in the Bible.”

Today, Bhoj has a desire to be a Sunday School teacher someday, ministering to those who, like him, need a touch of love from someone who cares.

“Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give to him who has need.” —Ephesians 4:28

Help a ‘Wild Child’ Today!

As children attend Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported Sunday School, there’s no telling what God will do in their hearts. You can just imagine how the testimony of Bhoj’s transformation has impacted the other children in his class, as well as the adults in the congregation! God has truly touched his heart. Through your prayers and financial support, you can stand with mothers and fathers in Asia who desire their children to grow in godly ways.

Source: Gospel for Asia Featured Article, A Helpful Thief

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

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How Gospel for Asia Provides a Safe Place for Tea Estate Children

May 11, 2020 By GFA Staff Writer

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World and affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada) founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan – Discussing Mudit and his family’s poverty, the struggle to provide food and clothing as well as for his children’s education, and the Gospel for Asia Supported Bridge of Hope center that opened doors to a new way of life.

eady eyes surveyed the landscape without fear. A long, snakelike trunk searched the ground, looking for consumables. Two ivory tusks protruded from the mouth of this king of beasts. Four legs, like tree trunks, supported the mammoth body as it moved through the familiar domain.

Mudit’s heart sank at the sight. There was nothing he could do to stop the elephant from eating its way through his small plot of farmland.

As Mudit realized his time, effort and investment had been wasted yet again, despair etched itself deeper into the elderly father’s heart. How could he ever provide food for his children?

A Community Bereft

Mudit lived near a tea estate with thousands of other families. For years, their primary occupation had consisted of harvesting and processing tea leaves. The wages were never spectacular; sometimes they were barely enough for each family to survive. Then the estates started to close.

The communities quickly deteriorated as families struggled to make ends meet. Teenagers turned to thievery, cutting down public trees for lumber and stripping the area of metal to sell for scrap. Some families moved away, seeking to find a fresh start elsewhere. Many who remained took the daily risk of traveling in search of work, potentially wasting a day and travel expenses if work wasn’t available.

Mudit, despite being 65 and unable to do much physical labor, soon found himself among that group. If he found work, he could earn a small amount every day, but that only happened three or four days a week.

“I struggled to provide for my children’s education, for their clothing and food,” Mudit explains. “If anybody is sick at home, I have to borrow money from people.”

He endeavored to grow potatoes and other vegetables to feed his young children, but wild elephants would occasionally help themselves to the produce from his small plot of land.

“I am not able to buy enough food for the children,” Mudit says. “What we have, we try to manage with that.”

Helping as Much as They Can

The local government school fed several children a daily meal, but not every child could afford to enroll; the price of notebooks and other supplies might be a week’s worth of the family’s wages. Many children labored alongside their mothers and fathers instead. Mudit’s eldest son, Patag, only 13, was among them, while his two younger sons, Titir and Binod, found themselves on a happier path.

Seeing the desperate situations of many parents and children, a group of Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported workers started a Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported Bridge of Hope center in the area, hoping to alleviate the strain of several families. At the center, 120 children would receive a daily meal, school supplies, clothing and toiletries, along with compassionate care from the social workers and teachers.

“Now my two children Titir and Binod go to our Bridge of Hope project center, and that has been a great help for my family,” Mudit shares, “because they are given every basic thing that my children need, including food. … I would never be able to buy any of those things for my children and for their education. This has been a great help for me.”

Only the Beginning

The transformation in Mudit’s children is more than just full bellies and new clothes. Children in Bridge of Hope centers across Asia have found freedom to pursue dreams of becoming doctors, engineers, teachers and officials. Through the tutelage and attention they receive, children have the opportunity to excel and bless their communities in many ways.

“Bridge of Hope has taught them so many good things,” Mudit shares. “I can see the change and the development in their thinking. If Bridge of Hope had not been there, I think my children would have discontinued going to school [by] now. They would be roaming here and there . . . but now they are changed and happy. They always want to go to school.”

Although the Bridge of Hope center has already made a difference in the lives of Mudit’s family, many others still struggle. There are thousands of children living in or near the tea estates. Thousands of children who know the struggle for survival.

“There is no way possible to help each family or each individual,” shared a local Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported worker. “I would say 25–30 Bridge of Hope centers in [these] tea gardens is not going to be enough.”

Through all the challenges, the work is just beginning, and for now, at least 120 children in the tea gardens have a chance for a better future through Bridge of Hope.

We don’t yet know how Titir’s and Binod’s stories will end—their journeys with Bridge of Hope are just beginning. But they will have enough food, love, care and guidance to carry them through another day, no matter how many other dangers are prowling around.

At Gospel for Asia-supported Bridge of Hope centers, 70,000 children across Asia are receiving free education, food and medical care—and ultimately discovering a new way of life!

But many Bridge of Hope children do not currently have a sponsor.

Source: Gospel for Asia Featured Article, A Safe Place for Tea Estate Children

Learn more by reading the Gospel for Asia Special Report on how millions of children are trapped between extreme poverty and the profits of others: Child Labor: Not Gone, but Forgotten

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

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Gospel for Asia Finds Child Lost in a Sea of Faces

April 20, 2020 By GFA Staff Writer

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World and affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada) founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan – Discussing Jishan, like many abandoned children turned to a life of begging in the streets, and the encounter that brought hope through Gospel for Asia-supported children’s home.

Three-year-old Jishan felt his grip on his father’s finger slip as the crowd jostled them in the marketplace. Suddenly, his father was gone. Strangers surrounded him.

Crying helplessly in the midst of the crowd, Jishan had no idea he would never see his father, mother or sister again.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Discussing Jishan, like many abandoned children turned to a life of begging, and the Gospel for Asia-supported children's home that brought hope. — Jishan is only one of many children who have been separated from their families at bustling marketplaces, such as this busy street. Parents can quickly disappear into a crowd, accidentally or intentionally, and never be seen again by their children.

In the years that followed, Jishan spent many days crying at street corners, hoping his family would find him. Instead, he found disappointment day after day.

Train Ride to a Life of Begging

When a kind man saw little Jishan crying in the market, he took Jishan home to care for him as his own son. Even at such a young age, Jishan’s religious beliefs were strong and contradicted those of his new family. The family treated him very well, but their different beliefs bothered Jishan deeply. Eventually, 9-year-old Jishan ran away and boarded a train bound for a major city.

Upon arriving, Jishan didn’t have a friend in the world. He had nothing to eat for the first two days in the city. To survive, he slept in the train station and partially appeased his gnawing hunger by begging.

“I used to miss my home,” Jishan remembers. “I used to think, What happened to my father? Where is he? I used to cry all alone at the station.”

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan and Gospel for Asia-supported children's home — Jishan grieved the loss of his parents, much like this young boy did. Jishan tried to survive street life on his own, but he was helpless against attacks from older boys.

At one point during the two or three weeks he spent on the streets, a group of boys beat Jishan in the middle of the night and stole the few coins he had earned through begging. Wary of everyone after the attack, Jishan isolated himself from others. But he did not go unnoticed—a loving eye spotted him among the multitudes packed into the city.

Gospel for Asia-supported Children’s Home: A House of Hope

One day, a lady approached Jishan. When she asked what his name was or if he was hungry, he barely answered her. The lady told Jishan about a place he could call home, and after listening to her for a little while, Jishan decided to trust her and accept her help.

The lady brought Jishan to a Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported home for street boys. When Jishan arrived, he met the men, women and other rescued boys who would become his family. The staff gave Jishan a bath, tasty food and his very own cot in a room shared with other at-risk boys.

The environment was new for Jishan, but he embraced it. The rooms were kept neat and clean, and there was structure to the days’ events. Jishan had fallen behind in his schooling since running away, and he earnestly wanted to catch up, so the staff arranged for him to receive extra tutoring.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Boys and girls at Gospel for Asia-supported children’s home receive education, food and genuine love — Boys and girls at Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported children’s homes receive education, food and genuine love from the staff, as well as help to heal from emotional and physical trauma from turbulent childhood experiences.

One Big Family

The men and women serving at the boys’ home truly love the children they minister to. As new children enter the home, the staff recognize each child’s individual needs.

“[The children] are already depressed, they are downtrodden,” explained Manik, the project coordinator for the Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported boys’ home.

“They are not happy, and people despise them in the world outside. If we are not kind to them, if we do not show love to them, they will lose hope…and I don’t want that to happen to these children.”

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: boys sheltered at the children’s home see each other as brothers and view the staff as aunts and uncles — Jishan (center) and the other boys sheltered at the children’s home see each other as brothers and view the staff as aunts and uncles, in place of the voids left by their own family members.

The atmosphere in the boys’ home is that of a big family, with many “uncles,” “aunts” and “brothers” to learn from, play with and cherish. Children who are sullen or dejected when they arrive at the boys’ home soon learn to laugh again through the love shown to them day after day. Jishan quickly recognized this genuine love.

“Everybody here is my family member,” Jishan shared. “I don’t feel that this is an orphanage; I feel this is my own house.”

Once, when Jishan experienced trouble with his legs and became weak and tired due to illness, the staff ladies cared for him and served him in many ways. They provided medicine for him and even massaged his weak legs.

“I will never forget the way they have cared and loved me,” Jishan said. “They have served me more than a mother would do to her children.”

Positive Role Models for Life

Jishan, now 16 years old, is a testimony of the love and encouragement the Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported staff pour out for the children at this children’s home. Their lives demonstrate gentle yet strong character, and Jishan values their direction and counsel.

“Had that sister not come to the railway station and not met me that day,” Jishan shared, “my life would have totally changed. I would have become very bad and rogue. If I had not met that sister, I would have been into criminal activities, drinking, consuming drugs, maybe stealing, even murdering. Who knows?

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Gentle guidance and counsel from the staff helped Jishan cultivate positive character qualities — Gentle guidance and counsel from the staff helped Jishan (pictured) cultivate positive character qualities that will benefit him and those around him for his entire life.

“One of the reasons I like the staff here at [the boys’ home],” Jishan continued, “is because even if I do [make a] mistake, they correct me . . . and I don’t feel bad when they scold me because I know that they are trying to correct me. They are trying to teach me what’s right and what’s not right. . . . I know they do it out of love and concern to make my future and my life [better]. I am very grateful and thankful to them.”

Jishan might be miles apart from his biological family, yet he has joy in his heart because of the love showered upon him in Jesus’ name.

Helping Abandoned Children Flourish

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: The smiles of these two boys tell of the hope and love they discovered through the boys’ street children’s home — The smiles of these two boys tell of the hope and love they discovered through the boys’ street children’s home supported by Gospel for Asia (GFA). Through this boys’ home, hundreds of children have been cared for, and many have even been reunited with their families.

Through the kindness and care Jishan received at the Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported children’s home, his ambition changed from simply finding some food to fill his stomach to becoming a cricket player and completing his education. What’s more, God’s love has been demonstrated in ways Jishan will remember the rest of his life.

Give other children the same opportunity to receive care and love by donating to the Abandoned Children Fund.

Source: Gospel for Asia Featured Article, Child Lost in a Sea of Faces

Learn more by reading the Gospel for Asia Special Report on Child Labor: Not Gone, but Forgotten – Millions of Children Trapped between Extreme Poverty and the Profits of Others

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

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

Gospel for Asia Sees a Slum Child’s Return

April 14, 2020 By GFA Staff Writer

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World and affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada) founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan – Discussing Marty, a Gospel for Asia-supported Pastor serving in slum ministry in the vicious South Asian slums he was born and raised in.

The faintest hints of the sun’s rays begin to streak across the sky and bounce off the plastic-tarp rooftops as one man makes his way along the narrow alleyways of the slum. Some people recognize him and smile; others take little notice. Many have known him since childhood. The man steps around dirty puddles and piles of garbage; he ducks under low-hanging wash lines, strung between houses and laden with wet clothes. Every morning, Pastor Martin walks this route with purpose and prayer.

Eating from the Garbage Bin

Martin, also known as Marty, lives and ministers in the same South Asian slum he was born and raised in. As a young boy in a poor family, he often dug for food in the bottom of dirty garbage bins to fill his empty stomach. He and his mother were left alone when his father died of alcoholism, and in sixth grade, Marty suddenly found himself shouldering the responsibilities as the new head of the family. The daily struggles and addictions each day holds for a child living in the slum had been his own.

“Most of these children’s parents are my friends. We went to school together,” Pastor Marty explains. “But most of them dropped out; they could not continue the studies by seventh or eighth [grade] … They started indulging [in] wrong things, and they started to drink. Some of them are even dead. So I started thinking about their children: Why [don’t] we do something for their children?”

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: "He does what Jesus would have done. Helping the poor and needy and also loving people … He is always willing to help people." — “He does what Jesus would have done. Helping the poor and needy and also loving people … He is always willing to help people.”

Living Today with No Hope for Tomorrow

Life in the slums is a vicious, generational cycle. Alcoholic husbands provide families with little money and even less leadership. Wives, many uneducated, take up daily labor jobs to try to stay afloat. Children drop out of school as early as second grade to help earn money. Some kids never step foot inside a school at all—their families are unable to pay for water or electricity, let alone their kids’ education.

Garbage litters the streets. Dirty drinking water and the absence of simple hygienic practices like hand-washing cause disease rates to soar. Prostitution, sex trafficking and other crimes hold countless people in bondage with no escape.

“I went through what these children are going through,” Marty says. “That gave me a burden . . . and pain in my heart.”

Pastor Returns to Where He Started

In 2006, the Lord led Pastor Marty to start what would become the first ministry in the slum where he grew up: a Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported Bridge of Hope center. Now nine years later, there is a second Bridge of Hope center and three Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported churches. God has blessed Marty’s efforts amidst the hopelessness of the slum.

“[He] is a great example for us as he represents Jesus,” one believer says of Pastor Marty. “He does what Jesus would have done. Helping the poor and needy and also loving people … He is always willing to help people.”

After going on his neighborhood prayer walk every morning, Marty comes home and spends time reading and meditating on the Word and prays for each individual in his church by name. He and his wife, Prina, know dependence on the Lord is essential to their ministry.

“That is one of the reasons I am growing in the Lord [and am] able to do ministry,” Marty insists. “That’s what I have also taught my family.”

Prina knew nothing about city life when she married Marty in 1999. The slums frightened her at first, but when her husband graduated from a two-year Bible college and became a pastor, she encouraged him to minister to the people he grew up with. Now they serve in the slum together as husband and wife, telling people about the powerful love of Jesus.

“If we are afraid,” Prina says, “we cannot do ministry. So we need both God’s guidance and strength.”

Pain for a Purpose

Because Pastor Marty has lived in the slums his whole life, locals relate well to him. They feel at ease and are willing to open up and share their lives with him.

“He knows the situation, experienced the situation, and [grew up] in the same situation,” one believer explains about Marty. “He understands [the slum life] better than anyone else.”

Marty is reminded of his difficult past on a continual basis. Yet he knows every hurt, every trial and every tear has an eternal purpose.

“Ever since my childhood, the pain and difficult situations and poverty—all those things,” Pastor Marty says, “when I look back, [they] were tools in the Lord’s hands to make me strong and to trust and [have] faith in Him, so I would, in the future, do ministry.”

Watch a video about Pastor Marty’s slum ministry

Learn more about the need for slum ministry, uplifting the lives of slum dwellers. Gospel for Asia began supporting ministry in the slums in 1999. Through this work, many people have found hope and strength in God.

Source: Gospel for Asia Featured Article, A Slum Child’s Return

Learn more about Dr. KP Yohannan’s book, No Longer a Slumdog, where real children living in slum conditions in Asia share their real stories of need and how our loving God intervened to redeem them with His love. You will be astonished as you read how God is powerfully moving in hearts right now.

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

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

What Is One Child Worth? Ponders Gospel for Asia

April 17, 2019 By GFA Staff Writer

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) – Discussing the state of a billion children in the world who live in extreme poverty who are worth every effort and measure to be given love, care, education – a Bridge of Hope.

The world has more than 7 billion people. More than 2 billion of them are children. Half of these little ones live in poverty the likes of which is difficult to understand. Extreme poverty affects every aspect of life, from physical and emotional health to education and the possibility of a better future.

So many people are in need of love, care and compassionate help. Solving their complex problems might seem like an insurmountable task. But not if we all work together. Every child who receives life-saving care and access to education is precious in God’s sight. Each one is worth the effort.

With tens of thousands of children in developing countries dying every day, often from preventable diseases, education might not seem like the most important problem to focus on. But the devoted workers at Bridge of Hope centers see it differently. They help care for the whole child, and that can affect broad and sweeping changes that ripple out for generations.

The Poorest Children Begin Life at a Disadvantage

So many children in the world are born into an environment with roadblocks between them and even the most basic needs and goals. Clean water isn’t at the tap. Vaccines to prevent disease aren’t readily available. No school bus arrives down the street each morning, and books for learning aren’t given to them freely.

“Bridge of Hope centers strive to share the love of Christ and remove roadblocks for the most innocent and needy of His children, one boy and girl at a time.”

These impoverished little ones, many of them living in Asia, can’t take anything in life for granted. The complicated barriers to success can dash all hopes of a life-changing, good education. This is a heartbreaking realization, as education can empower them in so many ways.

The poorest of them may have parents who don’t have an education. When a child of illiterate parents does attend school, no one at home can assist with homework, even if they did have the time after a day’s labor to sit with their child and help. Learning barriers can encourage children to quit school altogether. Many of the children that Bridge of Hope centers help have lived on that fragile edge.

Some of these little ones may have only one parent who labors to provide for their family. Education for girls is viewed as less important than for boys (for myriad reasons), which also means girls are more likely to quit school early. They may help with chores and earn what little money they can, or a lack of safe, sanitary facilities might be the root of the problem. Nearly 33 percent of girls living in parts of Asia quit school after they reach the age of 14. The majority of girls are expected to work, whether or not they attend school.

Bridge of Hope centers strive to share the love of Christ and remove roadblocks for the most innocent and needy of His children, one boy and girl at a time.

What is a Day in the Life of a Poverty-Stricken Child Really Like?

In the Western world, a typical Monday morning for children begins with breakfast, a hug from one or both parents or guardians and shuffling off to school. In class, boys and girls have equal access to education and educational tools.

At noontime, there may be a break for meals and physical exercise or extra study time. They may bring a meal for lunch from home or buy lunch at school. Less fortunate children may have access to a free or reduced cost meal. But usually, every child has access to something to eat.

“Poverty and a lack of education can bury all hopes of a better life. But with generous hearts, the workers at Bridge of Hope centers can make an incredible difference.”

At the end of the school day, these children return home. They may study. They may play games. They may have their evening meal with family, have a warm bath and sleep in a safe bed. The next day, the cycle begins again. But this is not the life of a child living in extreme poverty.

For the least fortunate children in the world, the day may begin with work. If there’s no clean water nearby, girls may be tasked with fetching it. The journey, usually on foot, can take hours or even all day. If so, it leaves no time for school. If there is clean water at home and girls can attend school, barriers still exist.

Upon waking, there may or may not be a nutritious meal for breakfast. There may be no clean clothes to wear. Mom and Dad may leave home early to labor and support the family. If so, elder children, especially girls, may have additional tasks, such as household chores and caring for younger siblings.

If these unfortunate children attend school, and not all of them do, help and support at home might not exist. Perhaps their parents come home late after working all day. And perhaps Mom and Dad lack the education necessary to help their children with their studies, which can easily lead to falling behind.

Who is there to help these at-risk children move forward in life with love and support? Anyone? Or will their future be the same as generations before? Poverty and a lack of education can bury all hopes of a better life. But with generous hearts, the workers at Bridge of Hope centers can make an incredible difference. They offer children nutritious meals, a quiet place to study, tutoring, and even basic medical care. Most of all, they offer much-needed encouragement.

Every Child is Precious and Worth the Effort

“It doesn’t matter if a child is born into the best or worst of circumstances, they all have worth and are all worthy as individuals. Every child has potential and is worth whatever it takes to help them succeed.”—Dr. KP Yohannan

Dr. KP Yohannan, founder of Gospel for Asia (GFA), says it doesn’t matter if a child is born into the best or worst of circumstances, they all have worth and are all worthy as individuals. Every child has potential and is worth whatever it takes to help them succeed.

He explains that while nutritious food and educational help are important parts of what Bridge of Hope centers offer, the heart of it is something both simpler and greater: kindness.

“The kindness of the staff, who in many cases are giving up better-paying jobs to be able to serve these children and help them develop their true potential; and of the administrative staff of Bridge of Hope, who work behind the scenes out of love for the children; and of the children’s sponsors, who give and pray for them and write to them, telling them of their value, is what is changing their lives.” —Dr. K.P. Yohannan

This short video gives a peek into the love, care and hard work that goes into every Bridge of Hope center.

Bridge of Hope centers have an invaluable staff that includes cooks, social workers, project managers, tutors and more. They provide medical services, one-on-one help with studies, books, beautiful uniforms that children are proud to wear, and special programs.

Some children may become active in sports. They may have time for art and music. All of this combines to give children a well-rounded education with a full tummy, a healthy body and a mind that’s eager to learn.

But none of this can happen without help.

How often have you had the opportunity and power to transform the life of a child? When you sponsor a child, you join with others to share the love of God through healthy food, medical care, support and the educational tools to reach their full potential.

Learn more about how to sponsor and help children from families stuck in generational abject poverty who need a Bridge of Hope. Each of them are worth whatever it takes to give them hope and help them succeed.

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

For more information about this, click here.

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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Every Child Needs a Hero

December 6, 2018 By GFA Staff Writer

Wills Point, Texas – Gospel for Asia (GFA) – Discussing the need for heroes in the life of every child, to turn their story of tragedy into a story of redemption, through GFA-supported Bridge of Hope centers.

Do you remember the first time you heard little orphan Annie belt out, “The Sun will Come Out Tomorrow?” Or watched Aladdin dodge the street-food vendor he stole from in the Disney’s “Aladdin”? How about Oliver Twist demurely asking for more porridge? Our suspense, anticipation and excitement mushroomed as their stories raced along.

These tales capture our imagination and hearts because the protagonists are young, vulnerable kids who face unknown dangers on the streets. They are too young to take care of themselves and too naive to know who’s a friend.

Oliver Twist ends up being used in a ring of child thieves, while Aladdin needs the magic of a Genie to pull him out of the gutters. And Annie? It takes a wealthy, albeit curmudgeonly, benefactor to rescue her from the wicked Miss Hannigan.

Our culture is rife with stories, fables and legends about children in desperate situations. In the stories we grow up hearing, the characters’ lives seem romantic—like Annie cheerily singing, “It’s a hard knock life for me” with a smile on her face. And they always end happily.

These adventures come, in some small way, from the realities of our world. We know there are kids who live in similar situations—but more often than not with very different endings.

When Fairy Tales Get Crushed by Real Life Realities

As we take off the romantic, rose-colored glasses to look at the plight of real children—not storybook characters—what do we see?

We see orphaned children in impoverished countries with only disinterested relatives to care for them.

We see children whose parents would do more for them if they could, but they are trapped in generational systems of exploitation and oppression.

If we are brave and keep looking, we see children who live on the streets, running from those who would entrap them in slavery.

Who will help these children?

Who are the heroes in their stories?

Sachiv and Rukma (read their whole story here)^[1] are two such vulnerable children. Brother and sister lost both parents to HIV and were left in the care of a poor uncle and grandmother. GFA-supported Bridge of Hope became a lifeline, not only for the two orphaned children, but to their grandmother and uncle as well.

Each New Child Has An Age-Old Tale

Amar’s^[2] children are not orphans, but they have no hope of escaping the crippling poverty they were born into, just like their father. Being too poor to even guarantee food on the table, Amar only dreams of providing his children an education. He does not have the power to free his son and daughter from the life sentence of a daily wage laborer.

“It is my hope that my children can break out of this cycle,” says the frustrated father. “But only through education is that possible.”

“It is my hope that my children can break out of this cycle,” says the frustrated father. “But only through education is that possible.”

There is a major gap between the future options available to these precious kids and what their potential is. Bridge of Hope closes that gap—providing futures previously unattainable.

Kids like Ishayu,^[3] previously destined to become a poor fisherman just like his father, are growing up to become doctors. He enrolled in Bridge of Hope only a year after the program launched in 2004. Through hard work and support, the impoverished fisherman’s son became the top student in his class.

Bridge of Hope offers the education, daily meal and support so desperately needed for many young children in Asia. Each Bridge of Hope child is opening the door to dreams coming true and futures filled with possibilities.

More Than One Hero is Needed to Rescue a Vulnerable Child

Though Sachiv and Rukma were left orphans, they were never left alone. Ishayu’s childhood dream of becoming a doctor could not be realized with the limited resources of his poor family. Despite the harsh circumstances of their lives, Bridge of Hope cultivated their learning and gave them a chance at a full life. Amar’s children now have the same hope for their future.

“Be a hero in the life of a child. You might not be a genie, offering three wishes. But you just might be the hero to support the Bridge of Hope program, partnering with workers on the field, and bringing triumph in the life of a child.”

The Lord sent many helpers, or heroes, to Sachiv, Rukma and Ishayu in their helpless state— Sachiv and Rukma’s mother, Tanaya, secured their future through Bridge of Hope before she passed away. The Bridge of Hope staff poured out love and gave the gift of education and a new future to the children in their charge. And, not to be overlooked, a Bridge of Hope sponsor provided the funds, prayers and letters of encouragement so kids like Sachiv, Rukma and Ishayu could know they are loved and valued by many of God’s helpers.

It takes more than one hero to rescue a vulnerable child. It takes a group of people committed to love and action—each person playing a role in turning a story of tragedy into a story of redemption.

Be a hero in the life of a child. You might not be a genie, offering three wishes. You might not be a wealthy benefactor who can adopt “Little Orphan Annies” off the street.

But you just might be the hero to support the Bridge of Hope program, partnering with workers on the field, and bringing triumph in the life of a child.

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To watch some videos about Bridge of Hope, go here.

^[1] Gospel for Asia, Featured Story: A Promise to Keep

^[2] Gospel for Asia, Unsponsored Children’s Fund

^[3] GFA World Magazine, Ministry Focus: An Unusual Catch for a Fisherman’s Son

Pray for our Bridge of Hope centers, for God’s continued transformative work through each staff member in the life of every child.

Ask the Lord how you can help to support this “heroic” work.

To learn more about Bridge of Hope, go here.

To read more posts on Patheos on Bridge of Hope, go here.

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