How Gospel for Asia’s Gift of a Bicycle Changed a Man’s Life

April 23, 2021 By GFA Staff Writer

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World) founded by K.P. Yohannan, which inspired numerous charities like Gospel for Asia Canada, to assist the poor and deprived worldwide – Discussing GFA Pastor Lanzo, a national worker traveling on foot visiting many villages to share the love of Jesus, and the Gospel for Asia gift of a bicycle that became a channel of transformation and change.

Discussing a national missionary travelling on foot who visits many villages to share Jesus, and the Gospel for Asia gift of a bicycle that brought change. — The gift of a bicycle, like this one, helped Pastor Lanzo traverse rugged terrain and share the message of hope with Teetonka. Man on bicycle that was a gift from GFA gift distribution.

Gospel for Asia (GFA) pastor Lanzo mounted his bicycle, prepared for the hour-long journey before him. He pedaled through jungle and thick woods, only stopping to get off his bicycle and carry it over the shallow, washed-out roads. Though his trip was difficult, Pastor Lanzo was motivated by his love for the villagers he was traveling to see; that love propelled his bicycle through the most difficult segments of his journey. The people needed his help—and the hope found in Jesus.

Gift of a Bicycle Meets A Village in Need

Pastor Lanzo ministered in a small village and prayed that one day he would be able to visit many other villages to share Jesus’ love with others. His primary form of transportation, however, was walking, which often made visiting other villages quite difficult. Pastor Lanzo longed for a bicycle, which would make traveling much easier and more villages accessible.

When Pastor Lanzo received a bicycle through a Gospel for Asia (GFA) Christmas gift distribution, it was an answer to prayer. He immediately began visiting and sharing God’s love with nearby villages that had been too far to travel to on foot. One village he visited contained only 15 houses and had no proper roads. But Pastor Lanzo knew that, despite the few houses, the people of this village still needed love, care and encouragement. So with the help of his new bicycle, he traversed the treacherous roads to bring Jesus’ message of hope to the people who needed it.

Critic’s Heart Opened Through Dreams

One day, Pastor Lanzo met a 65-year-old man named Teetonka in this remote village.

Teetonka had a wife, three sons and one daughter. He and his family worked in the fields doing jhum cultivation for their livelihood, a type of agriculture comprising a “slash-and-burn” technique and frequent moves to different locations for harvesting.

All Teetonka’s life he had faithfully participated in the traditional religion. He had never heard about Jesus—nor did he want to.

Pastor Lanzo was not welcome in Teetonka’s village—at least not around the older man— and Teetonka made sure he knew that. Whenever he’d see the pastor, Teetonka would criticize him and God.

Pastor Lanzo remained steadfast throughout the opposition, continuing to show God’s love to Teetonka and the other villagers through word and deed. And then something unexpected happened.

“I believe you have God-given power,” Teetonka told the pastor one day.

This wasn’t Teetonka’s usual tirade.

“Whenever I speak words against you and Christianity,” the older man continued, “I used to see a bad dream. Is this magic?”

Pastor Lanzo immediately understood the Holy Spirit had been working in Teetonka’s heart and explained God’s mysterious ways to the mystified man.

Teetonka listened intently to the pastor share about life in Christ. He even allowed Pastor Lanzo to pray for him and visit his house.

Teetonka’s understanding of Jesus and life in Him deepened. Before long, Teetonka put his trust in Jesus and experienced God’s love for himself.

Hope for His Family

Teetonka could not make the six-mile journey to attend Pastor Lanzo’s church, but because of his bicycle, Pastor Lanzo was able to continue visiting and praying with Teetonka regularly. Encouraged in his spirit by learning about God’s love, Teetonka shared Jesus with his family members, too, encouraging them with the message of hope found through Jesus. And though his family remained firm in their faith and his fellow villagers opposed what he had to say, Teetonka remained hopeful that God would open their hearts, just as God had done in his own heart.

“I have hope,” Teetonka said, “that my family members and villagers will come to Jesus Christ one day.”

Read how a bicycle built Shakurah’s faith.

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

Source: Gospel for Asia Field Reports & Updates, How the Gift of a Bicycle Changed a Man’s Life

Learn more how to demonstrate God’s love through the gift of a Bicycle — to Missionaries, school children, farmers and daily laborers. Through these gifts, people experience Christ’s love.

Learn more about the GFA World national workers 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.

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

Pull Cart Received at Gospel for Asia Gift Distribution Provides Father with Way to Feed His Family

April 20, 2021 By GFA Staff Writer

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WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World) founded by K.P. Yohannan, has been the model for numerous charities like Gospel for Asia Canada, to help the poor and deprived worldwide – Discussing Santon, the struggles of his family in the midst of generational poverty, and the pull cart received from Gospel for Asia Gift Distribution that provides a way to feed his family.

Yet another customer had cheated him his pay, and there was nothing Santon could do but continue working, selling his wares. This was not the first time Santon had not received money for the fruit and vegetables he sold, nor would it be the last. All the man wanted was to provide for his wife and four children. Being frauded out of his earnings made it almost impossible—and frustrating.

A Life Without Peace

Discussing Santon, the struggles of poverty, and the pull cart received from Gospel for Asia Gift Distribution that provides a way to feed his family. — Santon and his wife and son, pictured here, stand with the pull cart Santon received at a Gospel for Asia gift distribution. The cart helped Santon earn enough money to ensure his family is taken care of.

Santon was familiar with hardship; he had known it for most of his life. Born into a poor family, Santon was forced to drop out of school in fifth grade because his parents could no longer afford to send him to school. Santon joined his father working daily labor jobs.

When he was old enough, Santon left home with one desire: to provide for his parents. For the next 14 years, Santon applied for job after job. Each application was rejected because of his lack of education. The only option left to him was returning to daily labor.

Eventually, Santon married and, with the birth of his children, had more mouths to feed. To better provide for his growing family, Santon decided to sell fruits and vegetables door to door. Hopefully, it would be better than daily labor. Hopefully, he could send some money to his parents.

But Santon quickly discovered it wasn’t that simple. Customers cheated him daily, not paying him the proper amount for his wares. Also, Santon had nowhere to safely and properly store his fruits and vegetables. The money Santon had invested into this venture was not returning. On top of that, their baby daughter had been diagnosed with polio. Everything was going wrong, and Santon didn’t know what to do but quit.

Relief for a Father’s Burdens

Santon was on the verge of giving up his dreams. Maybe he should just return to daily labor. It wasn’t much, but at least it was a living. And he didn’t have to deal with cheating customers.

Then Santon heard of a place that might be able to help him and got in touch with Gospel for Asia (GFA) workers at the local Bridge of Hope.

After the Gospel for Asia (GFA) workers listened to Santon share the burdens weighing on him, they knew what to do. They invited him to a gift distribution, where they provided him with a cart for selling a variety of cosmetic items. Through the cart, Santon made money to provide for his family, and even earned enough to send back to his parents—a dream at long last realized. Santon thanked the staff, grateful he finally had a decent source of income and could provide for his family.

The Bridge of Hope staff also asked if Santon would like to enroll one of his sons at the center, where he could obtain what Santon himself had never completed: an education.

Santon heartily agreed, thankful that his family’s survival had been ensured through the cart, and its future had been cemented in Santon’s son attending the center. The schooling Santon’s son received would enable him to get jobs Santon was turned away from, ending the hold poverty had over their family.

Read a story of how piglets chased poverty away from a family.

Source: Gospel for Asia Field Reports & Updates, Pull Cart Provides Father with Way to Feed His Family

Learn more about how generosity can change lives. Through Gospel for Asia (GFA World) and its Christmas Gift Catalog, gifts like pigs, bicycles and sewing machines break the cycle of poverty and show Christ’s love to impoverished families in Asia. One gift can have a far-reaching impact, touching families and rippling out to transform entire communities.

Learn more by reading these Special Reports from Gospel for Asia:

Fighting Global Poverty with Ideas – Uprooting poverty requires education that transmits values
Poverty: Public Enemy #1 – Eliminating Extreme Poverty Worldwide is Possible, But Not Inevitable

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

Gospel for Asia (GFA World) Launches First-Ever Mission into Africa

April 16, 2021 By GFA Staff Writer

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WILLS POINT, TX – GFA World founded by K.P. Yohannan, whose heart to love and help the poor has inspired numerous charities like GFA World Canada, to serve the deprived and downcast worldwide, one of the largest mission agencies in the world, is launching compassion projects in Africa (http://www.gfa.org/press/intoAfrica) for the first time — a huge boost for humanitarian efforts in the world’s poorest continent.

GFA World (www.gfa.org), formerly known as Gospel for Asia, expects to begin work in multiple African nations this year.

GFA World is launching compassion projects in Africa for the 1st time, a huge boost for humanitarian efforts in the world's poorest continent — **GOSPEL FOR ASIA LAUNCHES IN AFRICA:** GFA World (www.gfa.org), formerly known as Gospel for Asia, is launching compassion projects in Africa (http://www.gfa.org/press/intoAfrica) for the first time — a huge boost for humanitarian efforts in the world’s poorest continent. (Jeremy Bishop/Unsplash)

“Africa is where the tears never dry,” said GFA World founder K.P. Yohannan, announcing the launch of compassion projects in Rwanda, a mountainous nation in east-central Africa still recovering from the war and genocide that left 800,000 dead and ripped the country apart in the 1990s.

“Everything we do focuses on bringing real hope and the love of God to those who’ve lost all hope,” said Yohannan, author of the best-selling book Revolution in World Missions, with more than four million copies in print.

To begin with, GFA World’s efforts — supported by the Rwandan Government, church leaders and their congregations — will help children living in slum neighborhoods in the nation’s capital, Kigali, where most people survive on less than two dollars a day.

“We appreciate the open door we’ve been given to start saving lives and serving the poor in Rwanda,” said Yohannan.

Africa ‘Compassion Surge’

The organization plans a surge of compassion and healthcare projects across Africa, including deploying Sisters of Compassion workers — trained women missionaries who serve widows, orphans and those living in leprosy colonies.

“We’re looking at the whole continent, and one of our goals is to help tens of thousands of children (in Africa),” said Yohannan, whose organization already provides educational opportunities for thousands of children through its child sponsorship programs across Asia.

“About half of Africa’s population is under the age of 15, and the average life expectancy is 50,” he said. “This fact makes the desperate urgency to preach the gospel to millions while we have time still to do it. They are waiting — they are dying.”

As GFA World expands in Africa, the mission agency also plans to introduce its trademark “Jesus Wells” — bringing clean water to villages and undeveloped communities where children and families drink contaminated water straight from filthy ponds.

Caring For Millions In Need

Started by missions pioneer Yohannan in 1979, GFA World quickly grew into one of the biggest faith-based humanitarian organizations in the world, helping millions of the world’s extreme poor by equipping local churches to care for those in desperate need.

In Africa, GFA World plans to train indigenous workers in Rwanda and other countries to serve their own people, following its highly effective Asia model.

With their grasp of the local culture and languages, the organization’s national workers have helped transform life for those in more than 12,000 parishes and communities across Asia in nations, such as Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and India.

While slums are often associated with Asia’s megacities — featured in movies such as Slumdog Millionaire — it’s African countries that have the highest percentage of slum dwellers. More than nine out of every 10 people in South Sudan, Central African Republic and Sudan live in slums.

“We aim to be servants to everyone, showing them Christ through our lifestyle,” said Yohannan. “Jesus told his disciples to change the world — and as we expand into Africa, that’s our calling too. We want to bring hope and healing as His hands and feet to the whole world.”

“After all is said and done, the only real answer to the chaos in this world is Jesus Christ. Our focus remains even sharper today — to preach the gospel by all means and establish the church, which is the agent of change for time and eternity.”

About GFA World

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

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

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Source: GFA World Press Room, Gospel for Asia — Now GFA World — Launches its First-Ever Mission in Africa

Family Finds Hope and Healing Through Gospel for Asia’s Helping Hands

April 12, 2021 By GFA Staff Writer

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WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World) founded by K.P. Yohannan, has been the model for numerous charities like Gospel for Asia Canada, to help the poor and deprived worldwide – Discussing Sezia and her family, desperate for helping hands – physically, financially and emotionally – and the life transforming hope and healing used by God through Gospel for Asia Bridge of Hope Center.

Discussing a family desperate for helping hands - physically, financially & emotionally - & hope & healing from God through Gospel for Asia bridge of hope — Sezia (pictured) is grateful for the Bridge of Hope center’s impact on her life.

Sezia and her sister returned to their small tea-estate house tired, hungry and soaking wet. After their father had walked out on the family, they were left with only their mother’s meager income from working in the tea fields. Unable to afford bus fare, the girls walked two-and-a-half miles to their school, often fighting rain and cold winds.

After drying herself and checking on her sickly younger sister Kachina, who was born with a hole in her heart, 10-year-old Sezia went to the kitchen to reheat the small amount of food their mother left for them on the clay stove and to boil some water for tea, as there was no money to buy powdered milk. Sezia wiped her tired eyes as she sat down to her dinner, knowing the meager fare would not stop the hunger pangs from following her to school the next morning.

Her young heart was heavy with the burdens of her family: from her father’s reckless, cruel, adulterous behavior to her sister’s worrisome health condition. Sezia and her family were desperate for help and support—physically, financially and emotionally.

Gospel for Asia Helping Hands, a Listening Ear

One Saturday, GFA worker Adahy visited Sezia, her sisters, and her mother, who was home sick that day. Adahy shared words of hope and encouragement with the family and told them about the love of Jesus. He listened intently to the family’s sad story as Sezia’s mother, Riko, poured out her heart’s pain. Touched by Riko’s obvious agony, Adahy prayed for God’s blessing and protection for the family, and that God would heal Kachina of her heart problem.

Before leaving, Brother Adahy told Riko about the Bridge of Hope center near their home, which would provide free tuition for school and would help tremendously to ease the financial burdens of the family.

Hopeful New Beginnings

The next day, Sezia eagerly went with her mother to the Bridge of Hope center, where staff welcomed them and enrolled Sezia immediately. Sezia began her studies the next day, with all her materials provided free of charge by the center. Though at first she struggled, Sezia picked up on her lessons quickly and improved in her studies, thanks to the excellent care provided by the Bridge of Hope teachers.

Sezia also joined Brother Adaya in praying for her young sister’s complete healing. Two months later, Kachina began eating more and showing signs of improved health; her breathing difficulty had ceased, and she was growing! Sezia was overjoyed to see this improvement in her younger sister and was encouraged to know God had heard her innocent prayers.

Sezia is filled with gratitude for Bridge of Hope, and to God, for providing for her family’s needs.

“I was sad before going to the Bridge of Hope center that I could not study well, and that my mother could not afford to pay for our education,” Sezia said. “I am now studying in grade 6 and have gotten good results for my grade 5 exam, which is because of God’s help and the guidance of the Bridge of Hope center teachers. … I thank Jesus and the Bridge of Hope center teachers for loving me and giving me a good education.”

Read how Bridge of Hope helped Bhagya in both school and life.

Source: Gospel for Asia Field Reports & Updates, Family Finds Hope, Healing Through Helping Hands

Learn more about the Sisters of Compassion – those who are specially trained woman missionary with a deep burden for showing Christ’s love by physically serving the needy, underprivileged and poor.

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Gospel For Asia Jesus Well Provides Villagers Relief from Sickness of Body and Spirit

April 2, 2021 By GFA Staff Writer

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WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World) founded by K.P. Yohannan, whose heart to love and help the poor has inspired numerous charities like Gospel for Asia Canada, to serve the deprived and downcast worldwide – Discussing the sickness brought by the lack of clean water, and the Gospel for Asia Jesus Well provides relief for both body and spirit.

The people needed water desperately. The old water pump provided by the village officials years ago was wearing out, resulting in an inadequate water supply in the hottest months and unsanitary water in the rainy seasons. Many villagers were contracting illnesses because of drinking the unclean water, while still more were struggling to get any water at all.

But these villagers needed more than just clean water—they needed living water. Severe sickness and daily disagreements among residents caused unrest to dominate the village as its inhabitants bickered with each other over various matters.

Between the lack of water and the lack of peace, the village people needed help and wholeness more than ever.

Discussing the sickness brought by the lack of clean water, and the Gospel for Asia Pastor and Jesus Well that provided relief for both body and spirit. — The prayers of Abay, Kahua and Pastor Mabon (not pictured) were answered through the installation of a Jesus Well in their village.

A Family Finds Freedom

GFA pastor Mabon lived in a small village nearby, where he led a thriving congregation. One day, Kahua, a member of Pastor Mabon’s church, listened to his neighbor Abay share about his many struggles. Frustrated, Abay explained that he did not agree with some of the activities other villagers were partaking in, and he was doing his best to separate his family from these villagers.

Seeing Abay’s discouragement, Kahua shared Jesus’s love with him and prayed for him to experience the peace and joy of Christ. Kahua and Pastor Mabon continued visiting Abay, providing encouragement and care to him and his family.

Abay became more and more interested in learning about Jesus and began attending Pastor Mabon’s church with his family. Over time, the Lord worked in Abay’s heart, transforming his discouragement into hope, and he experienced the love, joy and peace of Jesus for himself. As he grew in his relationship with Jesus, Abay prayed more and more for not only the needs of himself and his family, but also the needs of his village: the need for clean water.

Jesus Wells Provides Quenching of Village’s Thirst

The Lord heard the prayers of Abay and other believers and prompted regional church leaders to install a Jesus Well in the village. The villagers, who had been plagued by sickness and lack of water, now had an abundance of fresh, clean water for drinking, bathing and washing kitchen utensils. Some of the villagers had been causing hardship for Abay, but now they were grateful for the Jesus Well and their improved health. Increasingly, villagers approached Pastor Mabon for prayer, eager to hear about Jesus.

This village, once inundated by disease in both body and spirit, now thrived from the clean water provided by the Jesus Well and the love shown by those who helped install it. Touched by the compassion and care they received, the villagers began showing each other that same compassion and care.

Read how a Jesus Well helped restore Sabar’s health.

Source: Gospel for Asia Field Reports & Updates, Fighting the Water Crisis: Jesus Well Provides Villagers Relief

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

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:

Solving the World Water Crisis for Good — Nations worldwide, both rich and poor, are struggling for safe drinking water.
The Global Clean Water Crisis — Finding Solutions to Humanity’s Need for Pure, Safe Water.

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How a Booklet Distributed by Gospel for Asia Came to Marial’s Rescue

March 29, 2021 By GFA Staff Writer

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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 the hardships of poverty and widowhood, and the hope of rescue availed through God’s message revealed from a Gospel for Asia booklet.

After heavy winds collapsed her roof, Marial had no means to purchase the tin sheets needed to repair it. As a result, her home was a poor source of shelter from the winds and rains. When stormy weather returned, Marial was left exposed to the harsh elements.

Discussing the hardships of poverty and widowhood, and the hope of rescue availed through God's message revealed from a Gospel for Asia booklet. — Even though Marial could not read the booklet she was given, it started a conversation that also led to her being able to receive some much needed tin roofs through a GFA Christmas distribution.

Despair wound its way into Marial’s heart as she surveyed her situation. The meager pay she earned as a daily wage laborer was not enough to cover her costs for survival. As a widow living alone, Marial depended on the mercy of neighbors to supply her with whatever food they could spare. She certainly didn’t have money for a new roof.

Sitting in her dilapidated house, Marial wondered if there was a reason to keep living if she was only to be met with hardship and despair. In the midst of her struggles, it seemed there was no one who could rescue her.

Until one day, GFA pastor Dierick came by and offered Marial a booklet.

Gospel for Asia Booklet & A Curious Offer

Marial didn’t accept the booklet because she couldn’t read or write, but she was curious. Speaking with the young pastor, Marial questioned how words in a booklet could possibly have any benefit to someone with her needs for food and shelter.

“This is the Word of God,” GFA Pastor Dierick responded. “In it you will find God’s blessing in your personal life, and you will find true peace in Jesus.”

Questions formed as she considered the pastor’s words. What could this God do to change her situation? The deities to whom she’d prayed faithfully for relief from her destitute situation left her with no response. Was this God any different?

Pastor Dierick patiently answered all Marial’s questions and, before the conversation ended, invited Marial to attend his church.

A Better Gift

“That day, after I listened to the [Good News], I felt peace in my heart,” Marial shared. “I started to think about the words that I heard from the pastor. I started thinking about the love of Jesus and how He came down to earth and shed His precious blood on the cross of Calvary for the redemption of mankind.”

Marial began attending church and learning more about Jesus.

“The Lord indeed spoke to my heart and helped me to understand His divine love,” she said. “I started to spend time in God’s presence, and I prayed to the Lord to meet all my basic needs.”

As she attended church, Marial also learned about GFA’s Christmas gift distribution program. The program provided gifts that helped meet the financial and material needs of families in the community. Knowing her need for a new roof, Pastor Dierick secured a gift of five tin sheets to cover her roofless home.

“I could not believe my ears when I heard that news from the pastor,” Marial said. “With overwhelming joy, I thanked God for answering my prayers.”

Marial came to understand how deeply loved she is through the gift of a booklet, and through the gift of a roof over her head, she experienced God’s provision and was filled with hope for the future.

To learn more about the impact a Christmas gift can have on a family in Asia, read Parbeen’s story.

Source: Gospel for Asia Field Reports & Updates, How a Booklet Came to Marial’s Rescue

Learn more about the GFA World workers 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 how you can change someone’s eternal destiny by giving toward Gospel literature and tracts. It doesn’t cost much: Less than a penny will give someone a chance to hear about Jesus through a Gospel tract.

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Gospel for Asia Pastor Ministers in Village Where He’s Never Set Foot

March 22, 2021 By GFA Staff Writer

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WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World) founded by K.P. Yohannan, whose heart to love and help the poor has inspired numerous charities like Gospel for Asia Canada, to serve the deprived and downcast worldwide – Discussing the growing community of people who have been touched by God’s love and healing power through the prayers of a Gospel for Asia worker who ministers and cares for them.

Gospel for Asia pastor Kontar recognized he was spending an increasing number of minutes each day with a phone attached to his ear. But he wasn’t catching up with old friends, chatting about the latest news. God was using these phone calls to bring healing to people who had never heard about Jesus.

Discussing the growing community of people who have been touched by God’s love and healing power through the prayers of Gospel for Asia ministers. — Like the man pictured, Pastor Kontar spent many phone calls praying for healing for his new friends in Kessie’s village.

It all began with a woman named Kessie, who grew up in a community where Pastor Kontar taught a group of believers each week. Though Kessie’s family practiced a traditional religion, she’d heard stories of how Pastor Kontar’s prayers brought healing to the sick in her village.

After she married, Kessie moved to her husband’s neighboring town. One day, Kessie learned that her neighbor, Efia, was afflicted with an unknown illness. For two months, Efia suffered, her body growing weaker and weaker with each passing day. She and her husband wondered where they could turn for treatment as worry heightened into fear and their hope began to dim.

An Important Phone Call

In Kessie’s new community, there was no pastor or fellowship of believers, but she remembered Pastor Kontar from her childhood home.

She gave Efia Pastor Kontar’s phone number, encouraging the ailing woman to call and ask for his help. Based on stories from back home, Kessie knew Pastor Kontar had a compassionate heart and a special way of bringing healing to those for whom he prayed.

Efia’s husband, Ashon, called Pastor Kontar immediately, desperate to try anything that might restore his wife’s health. Pastor Kontar listened carefully as Ashon described his wife’s condition, responding with the Good News about Jesus and His power to heal. Pastor Kontar ended the call with a prayer for Efia’s healing.

Efia’s health began to improve until she was completely free from her illness, the strength of her body fully restored.

Gospel for Asia Pastor Ministers to Those in Need

Efia wasn’t the only neighbor to whom Kessie gave Pastor Kontar’s phone number.

Renny called Pastor Kontar seeking prayer for his body that was racked with severe pains. Pastor Kontar patiently listened to Renny’s story and prayed for his complete healing. Soon the aches in Renny’s body eased and harmony was restored in his joints.

Still another young man, Panyin, suffered from the influence of evil spirits, leading him to abuse his father. The man’s mother decided to call Pastor Kontar, who prayed for Panyin’s freedom. Once again, God answered Pastor Kontar’s prayer, and Panyin was freed from his torment.

Soon, Pastor Kontar was praying with many people in a village where he’d never set foot. Over time, they invited Pastor Kontar to visit.

At long last, Pastor Kontar put faces with the many names over which he’d prayed. There were Renny, Panyin, Efia and Ashon. He greeted them with warmth. Even though he hadn’t known their faces, God certainly did, answering the many prayers Pastor Kontar had offered on their behalf.

The village, once without a fellowship of believers, now has a growing community of people who have been touched by God’s love and healing power and will never be the same.

Read how God healed Misha’s body and soul.

*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 Field Reports & Updates, Pastor Ministers in Village Where He’s Never Set Foot

Learn more about the need for Disaster Relief Work, Gospel for Asia’s “Compassion Services” with relief teams who love the Lord who are focused to help victims of natural disasters find a firm foundation.

Click here to read more blogs and on National Missions on Patheos from Gospel for Asia.

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Villagers Enjoy an Evening of Films with Gospel for Asia

December 24, 2019 By GFA Staff Writer

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WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) – Discussing the life-changing impact films brings in national missions, transforming audiences with the life and message of Jesus.

Like those in this photo, villagers sat enraptured watching the films Deepak shared about Jesus.

During a hot summer night, neighbors gathered as if at a drive-in movie, minus the cars. The audience sat captivated for the next 4 hours and 40 minutes. Some of the villagers would learn lessons of historical importance—and some of their lives would never be the same.

Villagers Welcomed

Earlier, Gospel for Asia-supported worker Deepak had lugged his equipment to this neighboring village in preparation for the film screening. Once the equipment was set up, Deepak waited, wondering how many people would come. Before the night’s end, the hopeful man was pleasantly surprised to see 260 faces in the crowd.

Deepak shared two films with the villagers: “Transformation” and “New Path.” The films offered visual depictions of who Jesus is and of His life on earth.

Lives Changed Through Two Films

The villagers responded warmly when the films concluded late that night. They told Deepak how they enjoyed watching them and invited him to come back. They commented, “Today we learned some lessons that we never learned before in our life.” Despite many of them practicing other religions, they recognized that “following Jesus is the path of righteousness.”

The films deeply touched one man, Chaman. At the conclusion of the movie night, he decided he wanted to know for himself the Jesus presented in the films.

Chaman admitted that before watching the films, he had made poor decisions and led a destructive lifestyle. But after learning about Jesus that night, Chaman’s life changed forever.

“Once I was a man who companied with bad friends and drank alcohol and did all kinds of naughty things,” he declared, “but today I could leave all those bad habits in my life. It could happen just because of watching the film of Jesus. … My life is totally transformed from the bad habits.”

The response of Chaman and his fellow villagers encouraged Deepak to keep sharing the impactful films. Since that evening, numerous villagers have been invited to movie screenings throughout the district.

Please pray that Deepak will continue to find audiences with whom he can share these films and ask God to use them in positive ways for the communities.

Check out this story to learn of one village’s reaction to a surprise film screening.

Source: Gospel for Asia Reports, Villagers Enjoy an Evening of Films

Learn more about Film Ministry in Asia, as films on the life of Jesus have proven to be one of the best ways to let people in Asia know about the sacrificial love of God.

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What Does Ministry Mean to You?

September 17, 2019 By GFA Staff Writer

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WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) – Discussing the definitions that encompass missions & ministry, the sacrifice and service, from those who are behind-the-scenes to the national missionaries who are in the field.

Let me ask you a quick question. When you hear the word “ministry,” what words come to mind? I posed this question to several GFA staff members and wrote their answers down.

“God” and “Jesus” were, obviously, chiefly among the answers, followed by “sacrifice” and “service.”

But why “sacrifice”? Why “service”?

Ministry; Defined

Do those words come to your mind when you hear the word, “ministry”? Or do other images come to mind? Do your thoughts wander to lands far off, of sprawling jungles or shifting sands? Do you think of the stories and testimonies of missionaries long gone?

Ministry can happen anywhere, whether it takes place through a local outreach program run by a church or through an international missions organization. According to Merriam-Webster, to “minister” is “to function as a minister of religion, or to give aid or service.” GFA as a missions organization fits both categories. Through the generous donations of our supporters, we are providing national workers in Asia with the tools and resources they need to minister to the hurting and needy.

As Christians, we are called to serve wherever the Lord sends us. But what does it truly mean to serve? For staff members of GFA, one aspect of serving the Lord means we are working behind-the-scenes, aiding the work in Asia from behind desks in our own country.

Jesus says in Mark 10:45, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

To give one’s life as ransom for many—what does that even mean? For many, like our brothers and sisters on the missions field, it is literally laying down their lives so others may hear of Jesus. That is sacrifice. Paul in writing to the Romans says,

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service” (Romans 12:1).

But what else might ministry include?

1 Peter 4:10 says, “As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.”

The gifts of God, whether it be things like love, prayer or encouragement, should be given freely in service to those around us, whether they are Christian or not. Showering God’s great love on others is a vital aspect of ministry, for as Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13, we can accomplish great things in God’s name, but if we have not love we “are as clanging cymbals.”

What Does Ministry Mean to You?

Having grown up in GFA, I can say with little doubt that I know what ministry requires. Firstly, a great deal of personal sacrifice, and secondly, a servant’s heart. They go hand-in-hand—rarely do you see one without the other, at least in my experience.

Ministry can occur wherever and whenever. Whether in your church, your community or in missions helping workers bring the love of God to the furthest corners of the world. So, take a minute to think: What does ministry mean to you?

Learn more about National Missionaries – the men and women the Lord God is raising up living in Asia to be His ambassadors.

Learn more about how for nearly 40 years, behind-the-scenes missionaries, the Missions Support Team have functioned as a crucial link between the mission field and the Western Church.

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I Knew They Were Just Human Beings, But They Still Felt Superhuman

April 5, 2018 By GFA Staff Writer

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Eight years ago, I experienced just a taste of the mission field. I walked through grimy slum alleyways to reach a cheerful Bridge of Hope center; I walked along dusty village paths to a place known as “the miracle church” because of the mighty acts of God witnessed there; I pumped the handle of a Jesus Well that was the answer to many prayers; I worshiped alongside believers whose language I didn’t know, but whose God I did know.

Each of those experiences is precious, but the one that stands out most vividly, even years later, is an interaction I had with a missionary whose name I do not know.

I call him the brother from the window.

While in Asia, I visited a place that was familiar to me—not because I had been there before, but because I had prayed for that exact place just months earlier. We had received a report that a group of Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported missionaries had been attacked and beaten. It was due to some huge misunderstanding with the community, but it resulted in a few brothers being injured. We prayed, and then just three months later, I was standing among some of those same brothers.

The brother from the window - KP Yohannan - Gospel for Asia — These are just a few of the Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported brothers whom God is working through to transform lives. “The brother from the window” is pictured far left, in purple.

I heard the testimonies of a few who endured the beating—and they spoke with smiles on their faces. That experience was not something that made them bitter or hardened against those who hurt them. Rather, they overflowed with joy and thanksgiving that they had personal relationships with Jesus and could suffer for His sake.

Although the language and cultural barrier was quite real, I connected more with this place and these brothers than anywhere else I visited. I didn’t want to leave.

But I had to. I did not belong there. It was clear how inefficient I would be ministering in that area. My distractingly pale skin and total dependency on a translator would hinder their ministry more than help it.

As we were driving away from this place that had captured my heart, I remember praying a simple prayer, “Lord, I really don’t want to leave yet. Can’t we stay a bit longer?”

Then our vehicles got stuck in the mud from the recent downpour. Really stuck. My prayer was answered!

I had heard about these national missionaries my entire life. I knew how dedicated they were, how they endured hardship for the sake of their Savior, and how God was working through them so powerfully. In my head, I knew they were just human beings, but they still felt superhuman.

Gospel for Asia’s National Missionary Program - KP Yohannan - Gospel for Asia — These humble servants of God are just a few of the national missionaries who are enabled to do ministry through Gospel for Asia’s National Missionary Program.

Now I saw these life-long heroes come running out of buildings, rolling up their pant legs and jumping between mud puddles to push our cars out. If you’re like me and have ever helped push a few cars out of the mud, you know how covered you can get as the stuck wheels spin. But I saw these brothers—these missionaries—joyfully laughing as they got muddy and wet from the rain, and I realized these are young men like we have in the States. They like getting muddy sometimes; they are strong; they revel in a challenge; they have a bond of comradery and love to aid those in distress, like this helpless American girl who was in a stuck car!

They got our vehicle free after a few attempts, and we drove a few yards to drier ground. Then I met the brother from the window.

While the other missionaries started heading back to the buildings (to clean up, I imagine), one brother ran up to my vehicle. He poked his head through the open window, looked me in the eyes and said:

“Pray for us. Don’t forget us! Pray for us.”

His words echoed in my mind as we drove away. Pray for us. Don’t forget us. The dots started connecting. I had been in America months earlier and had heard these specific brothers needed prayer, and I prayed. And now I saw the fruit of those prayers. I had been part of sponsoring missionaries through Gospel for Asia for years already, and I had been part of encouraging many other people to sponsor and pray too.

That’s what I was supposed to keep doing, that’s what my role was. Everything I had heard about national missions over the years was confirmed: My role—and many other people’s roles—was to support national missionaries as they did what I couldn’t do in Asia. And one day, probably in heaven, I’ll see the fruit of that too.

I left that precious place knowing that’s what God was telling me to do. Keep praying for these missionaries, and help others remember them too. Don’t forget them.

So I encourage you today: Pray for these men and women, and don’t forget them. And remember how human they are—humans doing extraordinary things for the Lord, by His strength.

What does God want to do through you?

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