WILLS POINT, TX – GFA World (Gospel for Asia) founded by K.P. Yohannan, which inspired numerous charities like GFA World Canada, to assist the poor and deprived worldwide – Discussing GFA World celebrating 42 years of showing the love of Christ by meeting practical needs of impoverished communities across Asia.
The Lord has been using GFA World to share Good News, to send indigenous workers to provide help to needy communities, and to grow Bible-believing churches over the past 42 years. We’ve enjoyed global recognition as a major faith-based humanitarian organization. However, our primary mission remains to represent Jesus Christ and His love through word and deed across Asia.
The humanitarian aid aspects of our ministry includes:
Disaster relief during earthquakes, cyclones, floods, and pandemics
And yet, there is so much more.
Many may not realize the marvelous ways the Lord has used Gospel for Asia (GFA World) to minister to the millions of people in Asia. Reaching out to those who have never experienced God’s love is just the beginning of the process it takes to establish local churches that not only serve their immediate communities but endeavor to provide help and hope to outlying villages.
Sharing
The humanitarian ministries listed above highlight the different ways we share help and hope with the hopeless, and transforming communities in despair through practical ways that help them escape persistent poverty.
These specific Gospel for Asia (GFA) ministries address practical, everyday needs that communities have, like the need for clean water, sanitation, food, basic health care, education and vocational support. They are provided with a generous dose of local loving-kindness to express the heart of Christ and his love for all people.
Sending
Gospel for Asia (GFA World) also supports national workers who share the love of Christ with their neighbors. As these relationships deepen, more and more people experience God’s love, and a new fellowship is born as new believers gather together for fellowship and discipleship.
The national worker often takes on the role of pastoring this congregation and will also continue ministering to surrounding villages where the name of Jesus is still unknown.
Growing
Generous and faithful donors provide a portion of the funding for the construction of places of worship. However, we believe that a healthy church is a self-supporting church. In fact, there are many churches that are now self-supporting, meaning they are a full-fledged church with land, a building, and believers who are giving enough via their tithes and offerings to sustain their church and its various ministries to help their community.
Local believers are taught how to do their part – and they are quite willing to do so. For example, in one year, the believers in one country financed 70 percent of the construction of 48 new church buildings. More than 400 self-supporting churches have been established with the support of Gospel for Asia (GFA World) in this nation. The believers there are poor, yet they have personally sent and supported 75 national workers in their own nation and have constructed about 280 churches.
Sharing God’s love and message of new life remains at the heart of all of GFA World’s ministry. It is wonderful to see so many churches established that are self-governing, self-financed, and self-propagating after 42 years of prayer and faithful service.
Gospel for Asia (GFA World) is committed to continuing its faithful support of indigenous believers who are sharing Christ’s love, providing hope and help to impoverished communities in practical ways, and fostering new congregations.
WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World) founded by K.P. Yohannan, which inspired numerous charities like Gospel for Asia Canada, to assist the poor and deprived worldwide – Discussing Salihah, the grief being a widow brings, the dire financial situation, and the Good News of Jesus’ love introduced through GFA church pastor, and the blessing of a sewing machine.
Salihah’s sewing machine helped her meet her family’s needs and bless others.
Salihah was only 24 years old when she became a widow and single mother. Her husband, Padraic, had been killed in a motorcycle accident due to drunk driving. Padraic was the sole breadwinner in the family, and his death not only left a void in the hearts of his loved ones, but also left them without the income they needed to survive.
After Padraic’s death, Salihah took over his job as a janitor in the local government office, a job for which Salihah was grateful. Still, deep sorrow hung over the family.
Salihah feared for her two young children, worried she would not be able to provide for all their needs. With the few resources she had, Salihah did her best to make their small, one-room apartment suitable for her and her children, but water from the leaking roof dripped on their heads—and their hopes. The family’s difficult financial situation, combined with lingering grief over Padraic’s death, weighed heavily on Salihah. She was losing hope, and she didn’t know where to turn.
A Helping Hand
One day, Pastor Talon from a Gospel for Asia (GFA) church talked to Salihah. Pastor Talon listened attentively as Salihah shared the struggles she was facing. He encouraged Salihah and told her about Jesus’ love for her.
Salihah had never heard the Good News of Jesus’ love for her before, and she was greatly encouraged.
After praying with Salihah and her children, Pastor Talon returned to his nearby village. Seeing their living conditions and aware of their need, Pastor Talon requested a sewing machine for Salihah, knowing it would be a huge help for her and her children.
Widow Mending Garments, ‘Sewing’ Hope
Salihah was thrilled to receive her new sewing machine. She was so grateful to God and to the church for the gift. Salihah started repairing her and her children’s clothes herself, saving money on tailor fees.
She also started mending the clothes of her friends, even making them new dresses, thereby passing along the love and care she received to others in need of the same. Salihah’s new sewing machine helped to not only provide for her and her family’s financial needs, but also provide for the needs of her friends as she mended garments and “sewed” hope.
*Names of people and places may have been changed for privacy and security reasons. Images are Gospel for Asia World stock photos used for representation purposes and are not the actual person/location, unless otherwise noted.
WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World and affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada) founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan – Discussing the Gospel for Asia Women’s Fellowship group who used pieces of literature help answer questions that people like Niriksh often have about Jesus.
Niriksh was impressed by what he saw. The elderly man sat at a distance, watching a group of 50 women who had gathered in an open space below. At the front of the crowd stood the women from a local Women’s Fellowship group who had organized the meeting. It was September 8, World Literacy Day.
They shared about the significance and importance of education, and several women from the village came forward at the end, eager to participate in a Gospel for Asia – supported literacy class. The Women’s Fellowship sisters had seen Niriksh, and after the event, they went over to speak with him.
What the Old Man Said
“You are doing a very good work,” Niriksh said to the women shortly after they approached.
As the conversation continued, one of the women offered Niriksh a piece of literature.
“I am illiterate,” Niriksh said in reply. “Please tell me what is written in it.”
The women explained the piece of literature, and the conversation turned to the church and Jesus. Seeking more information, Niriksh learned about Jesus’ miraculous birth, death and resurrection.
As Niriksh heard the story, excitement stirred within him. He joyfully took hold of Jesus’ offer of eternal life and begged the Gospel for Asia Women’s Fellowship team to visit his wife and tell her the same thing they had told him.
At his request, the sisters visited Niriksh’s wife later that day and told her the message of great joy as well. She, too, chose to take hold of the Savior’s hand.
Within a couple years after that day, Niriksh and his wife both passed away. Today, they’re enjoying fellowship with Christ, face to face.
Just like Niriksh’s, our lives on earth will come to a close someday. Thank you for investing yourself into seeing more people like Niriksh understand the grace of our Savior.
*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.
Most of 12-year-old Mareechi’s neighbors were poor and uneducated, like him. Many adults worked as laborers, street cleaners or garbage pickers, and some of the children did too. Although some kids could go to school, the majority spent their time roaming the narrow, refuse-filled alleyways, often picking pockets, swiping food and even sneaking into other people’s homes to take from their meager possessions.
Life in the slum was never easy, never safe and never clean.
Entering the Slum
Many people find themselves in slums when they move to cities in hopes of better wages. Others, like Mareechi, are born into them.
But Sabita, Kala and Kuntal, three Gospel for Asia Sisters of Compassion, traveled to Mareechi’s slum for another reason: They wanted to display the love of their Creator.
They gave people practical advice about health and hygiene. They visited the sick and downtrodden. They held literacy classes to help women who never had a chance to be educated. And they started “Sunday school” classes on Wednesdays and Saturdays to help children like Mareechi discover a better way to spend their idle time. Above all, they prayed for God to touch hearts.
Gospel for Asia Sisters of Compassion: Love and Prayers Heal Mother, Son
Mareechi and his mother (right)
During Sunday school, Mareechi didn’t interact with the other students. When Sabita, Kala and Kuntal asked him why, he told them about his health problems. An inexplicable dizziness and nausea often caused him to lose his balance and collapse. The same condition affected his mother, Pehr. Though the family often prayed to their gods and goddesses, and Mareechi’s hard-working father spent far more than the family could afford on doctors’ visits and treatments, neither mother nor son found healing, and their lives remained miserable.
When the Sisters of Compassion found out about Mareechi’s condition, they responded with love and prayer.
After a few months, Mareechi’s mother suddenly realized her son was better. She asked him about it, and he responded, “The sisters prayed to Jesus, and He healed me.”
Overjoyed, Pehr found the three women at church that Sunday and told them what God had done. She came back week after week and started learning more about Jesus. It didn’t take long for Pehr to experience His grace, joy, peace and healing in her life, and she received the gift of becoming a child of the Living God. Her husband, witnessing God’s power in his family’s life, made the same choice.
All this is made possible because God hears the prayers of His children—whether those prayers come from three Sisters of Compassion serving in an Asian slum or from your very own home. Thank you for your prayers for the people of Asia.
*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.
WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World and affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada) founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan – Discussing the GFA Sisters of Compassion team who, despite facing resistance, labored for literacy for women and children, transforming their lives, bettering society.
Kuvira, Sabeena, Aamaal and Binita walked along the dirt road flanked by lush landscape that seemed to embrace them, inviting the four ladies to continue down to the village nestled near the river that flowed just beyond. As the women stepped into the village, however, the welcome feeling vanished.
An Unwelcome Entrance
Bodhi, like the other women in her village, did not understand the value of education until four GFA Sisters of Compassion came to her village and started a literacy class. Through that class, Bodhi experienced the blessings of literacy in everyday life.
The Gospel for Asia (GFA) Sisters of Compassion team, clad in their long white saris, entered the village and made their way through the streets, but no pairs of eyes looked their way. Stillness filled the air as the residents feigned ignorance of the presence of four strange women walking through their village. Doors swung closed, hiding suspicious residents inside. Others continued their outdoor chores but turned their backs on the sisters as they passed by.
The cold reception didn’t dampen the sisters’ excitement to minister within this village. They knew they could do something great for the people who hid in their homes and turned their backs. Kuvira, Sabeena, Aamaal and Binita prayed for the villagers as they headed home and asked the Lord to give them a ministry in this place. They encouraged each other along the way, reminding themselves of God’s great power to change lives.
Pens, Pencils and Notebooks
The four sisters continued to visit the village. At first, the only residents who acknowledged them were children. From very young to school aged, kids would approach the women in white with curiosity, asking questions and relishing the adult attention. Kuvira, Sabeena, Aamaal and Binita started teaching the village kids, most of whom worked in fields or roamed the streets instead of attending school. The sisters gave the children pens, pencils and notebooks so they could study on their own when the women were not there. After some time, the kids enjoyed learning and wanted to go to school, something they had always avoided before the sisters came. The parents in the village, amazed at the transformation, began to acknowledge the women who had helped their children so much.
Next Step: Literacy for Women
Motivated by the impact they had teaching the children to value education, the four Sisters of Compassion looked for a way to help the women in the village—most of whom were illiterate. The sisters decided to start a literacy class.
At first the villagers laughed at the sisters’ idea.
“What would we do by learning how to read and write?” the village women scoffed. “Our life is spent working in the fields and river, so if we join the class, it is not going to be beneficial for us, and we would be simply wasting our time.”
Undeterred, the Sisters of Compassion urged the women to join their class and explained the many ways literacy could impact their lives. The women in the village decided to talk it over. They had watched the sisters teaching their children and knew the team wanted to help them in society. They were grateful their kids started attending school and began to think that maybe they should learn too. They finally decided they would enroll in the literacy classes with the sisters.
Wife and Mother Perseveres in Learning
The first literacy class included six women from the village. Bodhi, a 45-year-old mother with four children, joined the first class. Bodhi had never gone to school herself and took up the challenge to learn to read and write. It was very difficult for Bodhi at first, and she wanted to quit many times, but the sisters kept encouraging her. Bodhi went to class every Saturday, leaving behind her work, and slowly grew in her abilities. Sometimes her husband would tease her when she studied and practiced at home, asking if she was going to become the village accountant. Bodhi retorted that she simply wanted to learn how to read and write.
As Bodhi progressed with the instruction and encouragement of the sisters, she began helping the other ladies. They would get together to study and spur on those who struggled. A community pride formed among the group of six in the literacy class.
Now when Bodhi goes to the market, she no longer relies on the color of the money to tell her how much change she received back from her purchase. Instead, she reads the price tag, counts out the proper money and checks that her change is correct. When her kids are working on homework, Bodhi helps them when they are stuck and corrects their pronunciation when they read. Even her husband is proud of her.
“I feel so happy and proud of my wife,” Bodhi’s husband says. “If a person decides to accomplish something, [she] can achieve it someday. The sisters are working for the development of the society, and we should take advantage of what is provided by the sisters of the church.”
Kuvira, Sabeena, Aamaal and Binita visit the village frequently and are now welcomed into the homes of grateful families and honored as guests. Having ministered to the practical needs of the villagers, such as Bodhi, the Gospel for Asia (GFA) Sisters of Compassion have become trusted confidants for the village’s mothers and children who seek the sisters out for prayer for life’s concerns. The four young women are now indispensable to this village and are shining lights of God’s love.
While the women in this village had to be convinced of the value of literacy, other women, like Habiba, dream of obtaining literacy. Read how Habiba’s dreams came true.
*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.
WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) – Discussing the stories of families and people who struggle against poverty, the destitution that they experience, and the life-altering impact tangible gifts of generosity can bring to the marginalized.
I certainly wasn’t rich growing up, but I never knew poverty, either. I always had three meals a day, a roof over my head and A/C and heating (rarely needing heat because Texas winters are mostly mild). Poverty was never something I personally experienced, but having seen its effects on families and communities, I am familiar enough with it.
Absolute Poverty
Growing up at Gospel for Asia (GFA), I heard countless stories of the struggle against poverty. But I also heard how Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported workers—both with the truth of God’s love and with income-generating gifts such as farm animals and tools—have brought hope to numerous impoverished families.
Compared to them, I have had nearly everything handed to me on a silver platter. My daily prayer is that I don’t take for granted the blessings around me. There are children starving, literally eating dirt to satiate their hunger. Dr. K.P. Yohannan, president and founder of Gospel for Asia (GFA), shared this story in his book No Longer a Slumdog:
“One of my most painful memories has to do with a little girl named Meena. Meena was a beautiful 5-year-old living in a slum. She had the biggest brown eyes. When social workers first saw her, she was standing in six inches of sewer water. … Later, I learned that she began eating the sewage-infested dirt off of the streets. Soon she went into a coma and died.”
Breaking the Cycle
Poverty encompasses millions within its grasp; whether abandoned street children, struggling farmers or mistreated widows, millions are trapped in destitution.
Yet in the face of such despair, countless Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported workers and pastors toil joyfully among the struggling and hurting. It is their goal to see the impoverished and lowly lifted up—through gifts provided by our supporters and partners, they are doing just that.
But, you may ask, what gifts exist that help those in poverty? Income-generating gifts include farm animals such as cows, goats or chickens; tools such as sewing machines and pull carts; and vocational training and literacy classes. Each gift brings help in some form to families in desperate need. Goats, for instance, provide nutritious milk to sell or consume, and their offspring can be sold for additional income. Kirpal and Bani are one couple helped through a pair of goats.
Provision Amongst Struggle
One day, a believer in Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported pastor Taranga’s church informed him of a struggling family in the village. The believer asked if Pastor Taranga could go to the family and offer prayer and encouragement, because they were truly struggling, both financially and emotionally. Together with other members of the church, Pastor Taranga set out to see what help they could bring this struggling family.
The pastor met Kirpal and Bani who, together with their four children, had fallen on hard times. Bani had been struggling with an unidentifiable illness for quite some time. Her condition made it hard to eat. She became weakened to the point of being unable to walk.
All of Kirpal and Bani’s money had gone to finding a cure, but nothing had worked. Their money practically gone, the family had barely enough to survive. On top of it all, the roof of their house was flimsy, making worrying sounds in the night and leaking during rainy season.
After hearing the couple’s woes, the pastor was filled with compassion. He and the believers prayed for Kirpal and Bani, and before leaving, also promised to continue visiting. For the next several months, Pastor Taranga continued to visit Kirpal and Bani, always praying for the harried and hurting family. Through constant prayer, the illness afflicting Bani completely disappeared.
With one burden lifted off the family, Pastor Taranga began thinking of other ways to bless Kirpal and Bani. Then it came to him. Some months later, a Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported gift distribution was organized—Kirpal and Bani were invited. There, they received a pair of goats.
One year found those two goats turning 12. Kirpal was able to sell six, taking the money to buy thin sheets of cement to finally fix their leaky roof. It was also enough to pay school fees for their four children and buy enough food.
Alleviating Poverty, One Family at a Time
All it can take is one gift to truly save a family from utter destitution. Through income-generating gifts, countless lives in Asia have been changed, and will continue to be changed.
WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) – Discussing the poverty that hinders millions of women to have an education, and the missionaries who reach these women through literacy classes to be able to tackle life’s hurdles.
“Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime.”
Habiba poses for a picture as a student of the Sisters of Compassion literacy class.
While Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported Sisters of Compassion don’t teach villagers how to fish, they do teach them something quite necessary to thrive in life: how to read and write.
For one mother, this old proverb stands true as the sisters’ lessons are satisfying her lifelong dream to learn to read and write.
Unfulfilled Dreams of an Education, Literacy
Habiba, 40, lives in a slum village with her husband, 10-year-old daughter and 7-year-old son. Growing up, Habiba had the desire to attend school and learn to read and write, but she never had the opportunity because of her family’s poverty. Still, it was a dream she clung to even after getting married.
When Habiba’s children were born, she desperately wanted them to receive an education. Unfortunately, her husband was also uneducated and, therefore, unable to teach the children, and school fees were too expensive for them to afford. Habiba grieved that her children would grow up illiterate like she did, but it seemed her dreams for their education were equally out of reach.
Hope Born
One day, Sister Tamanna and a few other Sisters of Compassion supported by Gospel for Asia (GFA) visited Habiba’s home and shared the Good News of Jesus’ love. They also explained to Habiba and her family they were starting a literacy class for the women and children of the village.
Not surprisingly, Habiba rejoiced to learn about the class and that the lessons would be offered for free. It renewed hope that her dreams of an education for herself and for her children could finally become a reality.
“I want to become an educated lady,” Habiba excitedly explained to Sister Tamanna, “and my desire will surely come true through this class.”
Starting School
Habiba practices writing with Tamanna during literacy class.
When the literacy class began in her village, Habiba and her children were among its students. One year after Habiba started her lessons, her hard work paid off. She learned to write and speak her local language’s alphabet and numbers. She was also able to write her name and the names of her husband and children.
Meanwhile, Habiba’s children found success in their literacy classes as well.
In addition to learning their A-B-Cs, some of their lessons include learning God’s Word and how to pray.
Though Habiba may not have realized it yet, this literacy class was just one demonstration of God’s love for her and her family. Through the Sisters of Compassion and their literacy ministry, God is the One making Habiba’s dreams come true.
Habiba isn’t the only mother for whom literacy is an important dream. Read Parmila’s story, and learn how attending Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported literacy classes became an answer to her prayers.
*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.
Learn more about the Women’s Literacy Program. There are over 250 million women in Asia who are illiterate. Even if they want to read, there is no way to learn . . . until now. With your help, women in Asia can learn to read and will be equipped to tackle life’s hurdles.
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Dr. Leroy Pennell recently celebrated 40 years of pastoring Heritage Baptist Church in Barrie, Ontario, Canada. Someone asked him, “How can a man pastor the same church for 40 years?”
He replied with only three words: “Never, never quit.”
What did it take to get started? A calling and vision from the Lord to share the love of Jesus with millions of people halfway around the globe with.
What did it take for Gospel for Asia (GFA) to arrive at its 40th anniversary? It took 14,600 days of commitment to the call, 14,600 days of never quitting—all through the grace of God.
In 1952, John W. Peterson, the most prolific composer of Christian music at the time, wrote “It’s Not an Easy Road,” a song that describes 40 years of ministry.”
It’s not an easy road we are traveling to heaven,
For many are the thorns on the way.
It’s not an easy road, but the Savior is with us,
His presence gives us joy every day.
It’s not an easy road; there are trials and troubles,
And many are the dangers we meet.
But Jesus guards and keeps so that nothing can harm us.
And smooths the rugged path for our feet.
No, no, it’s not an easy road. But Jesus walks beside me and brightens the journey, And lightens every heavy load.
Dr. Yohannan was attempting to fulfill the Lord’s expectations when he and fellow believers mobilized Gospel for Asia (GFA) on July 3, 1979. Jesus was quite clear when He told potential disciples that “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”
We cannot begin to imagine what the Lord has planned for the next 40 years as we continue to share the love of Christ in word and deed with people in Asia.
There would be no looking back. During the past 40 years, there have been days filled with difficulties, seasons of stress, and periods of predicaments. But, trusting the Lord who called us, we chose not to quit.
Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported missionaries have served the Lord in places where no one had ever heard of Jesus, often because there was no one willing to go to the misery of the slums or leprosy colonies or the widows’ islands. No one was willing to trek to remote tribal villages where people lived, often in unreachable locations and in extreme poverty.
As Gospel for Asia (GFA) staff and the Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported workers in Asia have refused to quit, tens of thousands have come to faith in Jesus Christ through national missionaries and pastors, compassion services, Bridge of Hope centers for school-age children, women’s ministries, Jesus Wells, and literacy classes, which transforms villages, and empowers men, women, and children to lead productive lives.
We could never have imagined what Gospel for Asia (GFA) would grow to be and how the Lord would use it as a tool to transform so many lives. The thousands of individuals God has brought together with the same passion and purpose of declaring His loving kindness, especially to those who have not yet heard, is a beautiful partnership. Each one is doing their part to serve the Lord – from donors and sponsors in the U.S. and other Western countries to the Mission Support Team serving behind the scenes to the thousands of workers on the field.
We look back only for a moment, out of thanksgiving for all the Lord has done. We commit to keeping our hand on the plow. We cannot begin to imagine what the Lord has planned for the next 40 years as we continue to share the love of Christ in word and deed with people in Asia.
To God be the glory; great things He has done! We look forward to the road ahead.
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WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) Special Report on forced child labor today: Millions of Children Trapped between Extreme Poverty and the Profits of Others
New Developments to End Forced Child Labor
Supply Chain Enforcement
If this special report accomplishes nothing else, even though it is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg, it should make readers aware that every effort to eradicate child labor has failed. That is substantially the reason for the title being “Child Labor: Not Gone but Forgotten.”
Despite consistent failures, new proposals continue to be set forth. The two most recent propose supply chain management solutions.
The answer to that question will depend upon who answers it. Well-meaning individuals from the philosophical to the practical will take positions on both sides of the argument of whether or not the practice of child labor can be eradicated. Even the philosophical and the practical will be divided in their opinions.
One thing we do know is that nothing has succeeded thus far. That does not bode well for future success.
But this report does not propose the eradication of child labor. Rather, it is intended to draw readers’ attention to its continuing existence. The issue of child labor is a Gordian Knot, the size of which cannot be cut even with the sword of Alexander the Great.
“…Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me..” —Matthew 25:40
Three billion people in the world live on less than the equivalent of $2.50 USD per day. More than 84 percent of those living in Sub-Saharan Africa live on less than $5.50 per day.
3 billion
people live on less than $2.50 USD per day
While various and sundry organizations and institutions attempt to solve the child labor problem, the church’s task remains what it has always been: Be the hands and feet of Jesus to “the least of these” (see Matthew 25:40).
The Lord never called us to eradicate either child labor or poverty. He will do that someday when He returns to earth to rule and reign. In the meantime, we are called to serve.
Ours is not a race to eradicate child labor. It is a journey to provide and care for those who are relegated to the lowest positions in life. Relentlessly ministering to the needs of “the least of these” is visible evidence of the love and grace of God in action.
These GFA-supported Bridge of Hope students are getting ready to begin class after breaking for lunch. As children’s lives are transformed in Bridge of Hope, they bring new aspirations and knowledge home with them, and their families benefit as a result. Even beyond this, GFA’s Bridge of Hope program does much to uplift the communities it serves.
God’s Grace in Action at Gospel for Asia
For 40 years, the singular focus of Gospel for Asia (GFA) has been “to take the love of Christ to people who have never heard His name before.”
We must understand that Jesus looked upon people with such compassion that He made the lame to walk again and caused the blind to see. He didn’t just tell them that He loved them; He demonstrated His love in ways that changed their lives.
Representing Christ on earth requires that we demonstrate the same love and compassion that He did while He was here.
We are, from a heavenly perspective, blessed to be able to feed the hungry, tend to the sick and give a cup of cold water to the thirsty in Jesus’ name. These are people who know they have great needs. The Lord has granted us the high honor to love them and to serve them as His representatives. As He came to us as the “express image” of God the Father, so should we reach out to others in the express image of Jesus Christ (see Hebrews 1:3).
Gospel for Asia’s field partners host literacy classes and vocational training classes for adults and youth, equipping them with skills that can break them out of the cycle of poverty. Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported workers guide class members through an understanding of basic entrepreneurial skills to empower them to create a better future for themselves. In addition, gifts such as sewing machines, fishing nets and rickshaws are just a few of the income-generating resources distributed among families who are in dire need of an income.
Farm Animals
Gospel for Asia (GFA) sponsors around the world give generously to provide farm animals for families in rural Asian villages. Chickens, goats, and cattle produce products like eggs, milk and meat, which can be sold for a good price or used to feed the family. Breeding the animals also allows the owners to expand their businesses, continually increasing their incomes to better serve their families.
Jesus Wells
Clean water is taken for granted by Westerners. However, in Africa and South Asia, women and children spend hours fetching water —not from a faucet, but from a ground source several hours away. In some cases, they must make the journey multiple times each day in order to meet their family’s needs.
By installing and maintaining Jesus Wells within poverty-stricken villages and communities, Gospel for Asia (GFA) provides a source of free clean water that can supply as many as 300 people with clean water for up to 20 years.
Not only do these people now have clean water, but it is also readily accessible. The women who fetched the water gain up to six hours a day that can now be used to obtain literacy and vocational training or to tend to their homes and children.
Enrollment in Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported Bridge of Hope centers is offered freely to children whose parents commit to keeping their children in school. The Bridge of Hope Program is a continuation of the school day, in which the children received enhanced and advanced training.
None of Gospel for Asia’s efforts to free families from poverty and their children from child labor would be possible without people like you. The prayers and financial support of Gospel for Asia (GFA) friends drill wells; open Bridge of Hope centers; pay for literacy classes, vocational training and farm animals; and equip all of the ministries of national missionaries who are sharing Christ’s love through practical ways that change lives both now and for eternity.
We may never end child labor, but we must never forget it or those working to combat it—and we must remain relentless in being the only Jesus some will ever see.
Child Labor: Not Gone, but Forgotten: Part 1 | Part 2
Madin finally had to leave. Being from the lowest class, he had suffered exploitation and mistreatment at the hands of his upper-class neighbors all his life. He couldn’t handle the abuse anymore. Seeking peace for his family, he knew they could no longer live in their village. In the face of such hardships, Madin moved his family to a big city, hoping for more opportunities in a place where class was not the sole identity of an individual. Having no connections, the harassed family moved to a large slum within an overcrowded city. All over the world, millions of disenfranchised people have ended up in similar slum dwellings. In 2017, about 900 million people lived in slums across the globe.
Hope Dawns in the Slum with Message of Acceptance
Madin worried about his children. He had escaped ridicule, but poverty had followed him. He seemed doomed to live as an outcast with his children inheriting his fate.
Then, one day, Madin heard about a God who loved him. Amaan, a first-year Bible college student, went to Madin’s slum to share about God’s great love and forgiveness of sins. As Amaan walked through the muddy, narrow lanes of the slums, his heart broke for the people living in these conditions. He wanted to help them any way he could to improve their lives. But what could he, a poor, Bible college student, do?
When Amaan met Madin, he shared God’s Word with this discouraged father. Madin listened attentively to the Bible college student share about the God who accepted them, even though they had always felt so worthless and disposable.
In Need of a Miracle
Amaan faithfully taught weekly literacy classes in the slum. One week, as he made his way to the slum, he passed by a mountain of garbage and found a small boy rolling in the refuse, covered in dirt.
Shocked, Amaan approached the boy and recognized Madin’s son, Savith. Amaan quickly found the boy’s parents to ask what happened. Madin shared how, a week before, Savith began acting strangely and kept wanting to go to the garbage pile. They realized he was being afflicted by an evil spirit, so Madin and Ramana took him to a religious leader to perform a sacrifice on behalf of their son. But Savith continued to get worse throughout the week.
His distraught parents didn’t know what to do. They couldn’t afford to take him to get medical attention. They hoped he would somehow heal on his own. Feeling helpless, Madin and Ramana left their son to roll in the garbage heaps.
Miracle Leads to Worshiping Community
Amaan moved closer to the flailing boy. He reached out his hands and offered a simple prayer to Jesus. Savith immediately sat up and looked at Amaan. Encouraged, Amaan talked to the boy, but Savith did not respond. Amaan prayed again, and the tormenting spirit left. Savith stood up, perfectly healthy.
“We prayed and went to the temple … but nothing happened to him,” the parents explained. “However, you have prayed, and this boy is healed now.” Seeing their beloved son restored filled Madin and Ramana with joy. They encouraged Amaan to visit them frequently.
Astonishment washed over Madin and Ramana. They did not know the power of God before that moment.
“We prayed and went to the temple … but nothing happened to him,” the parents explained. “However, you have prayed, and this boy is healed now.”
Seeing their beloved son restored filled Madin and Ramana with joy. They encouraged Amaan to visit them frequently.
“Our door is open for you all the time,” they told Amaan.
News of the little boy’s healing astounded many neighbors in the slum. Intrigued, many came to Madin’s house to hear Amaan share from God’s Word, and they learned more about this God who had shown Himself so powerful.
No longer rejected, Madin now knows acceptance from his Heavenly Father and the love of fellow worshipers—his new eternal family.
In 2018, residents in more than 900 slums heard about the love of Christ through Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported workers. Slum ministry is unique and requires creativity on the part of national workers. They meet people in desperate and sometimes life-threatening situations. These compassionate men and women seek to minister to people’s physical needs while also ministering to their spiritual needs.
As governments grapple with how to provide housing and services for the exploding populations in their cities, Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported workers are bringing hope today into the litter-strewn paths of hundreds of shantytowns across Asia. Thousands of people have found hope in Jesus for today and security for eternity.
The humanitarian aid aspects of our ministry includes:
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