Getting to Know the ‘Crazy’ Woman – Gospel for Asia Church Becomes Family

August 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 the difficult life of Mysie, a widow, despised, rejected and alone, and the Gospel for Asia church that offered food, encouragement, acceptance, hope.

Pastor Surin noticed a woman sitting among the congregation as he led the Sunday worship service—the same woman who had been wandering around the village for some time. She was crazy, people said.

Now, for the second week in a row, she had come to Pastor Surin’s church. He decided he needed to meet her.

Unraveling a Painful Story

Discussing the difficult life of Mysie, a widow, rejected & alone, & the Gospel for Asia Church that offered encouragement, acceptance, hope — After suffering many hardships, Mysie (pictured) now knows peace in Christ. This all was made possible after a visit to the Gospel for Asia church nearby.

As Pastor Surin carefully listened, he learned this woman, Mysie, wasn’t crazy; she just lived a difficult life. Mysie explained she was a widow and had no friends or family nearby. Filled with compassion, Pastor Surin encouraged her with the promise that God cares for the poor and brokenhearted. She had come to the right place, he told her. But Pastor Surin still didn’t know the extent of Mysie’s hardships.

Over the next few weeks, Pastor Surin continued to see Mysie wandering the village. When he asked Mysie where she lived, she unraveled more of her painful story: Her husband’s family had despised her, and after he died, they chased her out of the house. She had a daughter, but Mysie lost contact with her after the young woman ran away to elope.

Mysie had no place to live; she slept wherever she could. She earned a little money by finding daily labor work, and when she couldn’t find work, she begged for food.

The tragedies Mysie had experienced stunned Pastor Surin. He began to pray for the woman to know and understand her Creator’s love for her. He also prayed for a way to help her.

Widow Finds Friendship, Transformation

Pastor Surin often offered Mysie food, and he encouraged her with the words of Scripture. Soon, when members of his congregation learned about Mysie’s situation, they also looked for ways to help her.

Mysie’s story of being disowned by her family burdened the heart of Pastor Surin’s brother, Mahruy, and drove him to action. He built a two-room mud house for Mysie on his land. Now, after months of wandering, this widow had a place to rest, a place to call home! The love and compassion shown by Pastor Surin, Mahruy and the other believers overwhelmed Mysie. Although her own family had rejected her, she was now treated as a family member by the believers.

She wanted to know more about the God who displayed such kindness and acceptance through His children; she spent time with the women of the church and joined them for prayer and Bible study.

Through all of this, the love of Christ transformed Mysie’s heart. Now she knows His perfect peace and love, and she rejoices in Him as an active member of the church. Because Christ showed her compassion through His Body, this widow’s story is now a story of hope. Mysie has decided to worship Jesus, the God who redeemed her life, for the rest of her days.

Read how God saved another widow from death through a believer’s prayer.

Learn more about the 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.

*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 Report, Getting to Know the ‘Crazy’ Woman

Learn more about how you can help alleviate the many struggles widows face through Gospel for Asia’s Widows Ministry, providing them with basic essentials, sources of income and opportunities to find peace in Christ.

The Gospel for Asia church Mysie visited had a huge impact on her life. Learn how you can become a part of building another church for a community in need.

Learn more by reading the GFA special report titled “An Imaginative Exercise in Empathetic Fear: Think About Living in a Community with Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women”

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

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Gospel for Asia Shares the Story of a 6-Year-Old Who Flees Hatred & Finds Love

August 4, 2020 By GFA Staff Writer

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WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World and affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada) founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan – Discussing Vairat, an abandoned and runaway child, the loneliness and hardship, and Christ’s love discovered through Gospel for Asia street children’s home.

At 6 years old, Vairat has already faced intense hatred. He knows hunger, loneliness, pain, abuse and hardship. He knows what it means to fend for himself. He knows what life is like for an abandoned and runaway child.

Vairat was 4 years old when his father died of tuberculosis. His mother remarried almost immediately, and his stepfather made life horrible for the little boy. Many times he put Vairat in a room, closed the door and beat him without provocation.

“My mother made me leave the house for no reason,” Vairat recalls. “Many times I went out and wandered, and when I returned back, they beat me with the stick.”

Unable to cope with his stepfather’s brutality and his mother’s rejection, Vairat ran away from home and started wandering the streets of a big city. His parents never contacted the authorities or filed a missing-child report.

Taken In and Cared For

After Vairat had been wandering the city streets with other abandoned and runaway children, he was found by the police. They helped enroll him in a Gospel for Asia street children’s home, House of Hope.

In the presence of the caring staff, surrounded by dozens of other boys with their own troubled histories, 6-year-old Vairat now knows what it’s like to be loved by Christ. The staff at the children’s home feed him, clothe him, pray for him and encourage him daily. They even enrolled Vairat in school—something he had never once dreamed of. And he loves it.

The staff at the home describe Vairat as a smart and observant child who is very sweet in his conduct and respectful of others. He happily sings songs about God, recites Scripture verses and prays to Jesus—the One who showed him love through the hands and hearts of the House of Hope staff.

Thank you for standing with Gospel for Asia to see ministries like House of Hope go forward. Through your prayers and support, children who have known hatred, abuse and sorrow are now experiencing Christ’s love.

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, 6-Year-Old Flees Hatred, Finds Love

Learn more about the Discarded, Abandoned and Abused Children, and how, through partnership with Gospel for Asia you can help them and be a part of changing 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

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 Takes Courage When the Ground Shakes

June 8, 2020 By GFA Staff Writer

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WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World and affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada) founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan – Discussing Gospel for Asia Disaster Relief, the chaos and disaster the 7.8 magnitude Earthquake brought in Nepal in 2015, and the unflinching practical love through relief work and education through Bridge of Hope.

“A

ll the believers began to scream and weep. I told them not to be afraid and also not to run outside,” said Pastor Pahil.

The Gospel for Asia pastor thought their village, surrounded by hills, was experiencing a landslide. But when the shaking continued, he began to understand the reality of the situation.

Pastor Pahil and his congregation of believers were worshiping together when the first earthquake struck the country of Nepal on April 25, 2015. The frightened believers huddled together inside their simple church building, which was made of tin sheets and wood. Even nonbelievers ran inside the doors of the church, hoping to find safety. Pastor Pahil encouraged the people to pray as they waited for the chaos to end. Eventually it did—but not without overwhelming loss.

Rumors and Anxiety

The earthquake registered as a 7.8 in magnitude and was the worst earthquake to hit Nepal in decades, resulting in devastation for much of the central regions of the nation. It took its toll on nearly all of the homes in Pastor Pahil’s village, causing cracks in the walls and shifts in the foundations. Four homes belonging to believers and two school buildings were destroyed. Six people died and 17 more were injured.

Many in Pastor Pahil’s village lived in fear after the first earthquake subsided. Rumors spread among them that the world was coming to an end and that another earthquake would finish the job. Pahil encouraged the people with Scripture verses, such as ones in Matthew 24, to calm their anxieties.

“[The earthquake] is just the sign of the last days. It is not the last day,” Pahil told them.

He assured them of God’s goodness and that He is the protector of His people.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: When people in Pastor Pahil's village started to fear the possibility of another earthquake, Pahil encouraged them with the Word of God. — When people in Pastor Pahil’s village started to fear the possibility of another earthquake, Pahil encouraged them with the Word of God.

As multiple smaller tremors continued to trouble the nation almost daily for the next few weeks, Pastor Pahil and many of the villagers moved temporarily to the grounds of a nearby hospital. There, in safety, the people became accustomed to the frequent, ground-shaking tremors. When another large earthquake hit the nation on May 12, they were unalarmed. The constant unrest and instability had become the most consistent part of the villagers’ lives.

Gospel for Asia Disaster Relief Work Begins

Eventually the aftershocks died down. As people moved back to their villages and tried to pick up the pieces of their lives, Pastor Pahil and the congregation reached out to their neighbors through prayer and encouragement.

Compassion Services teams were able to provide Gospel for Asia disaster relief, administering food, shelter and other items to the earthquake victims. Pastor Pahil and the believers also did what they could to help the many in need.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Gospel for Asia Disaster Relief - As the villagers began to make a new start, Pastor Pahil and the other believers ministered to those in need by providing food and shelter. — As the villagers began to make a new start, Pastor Pahil and the other believers ministered to those in need by providing food and shelter.

“We got more opportunities to meet, encourage and share [Christ’s love] with them,” Pahil said. People from the surrounding areas traveled to Pastor Pahil’s village in search of safety as well. Many of them had been forced out of their own communities by landslides triggered by the quakes. The believers shared their clothing, food and shelter with those around them. As time passed, people slowly began to rebuild their lives, yet the definite need for schooling still remained.

Bridge of Hope Provides a Future

With both school buildings destroyed and classes out of session, children were left with no way to continue their education. When Pastor Pahil recognized the need, he helped establish a Bridge of Hope center in the village. The center provided many children with tutoring, school supplies, uniforms and nutritious meals.

Two young boys, Sejun and Badal, joined the center. After the earthquake, Sejun and Badal had traveled with their families to Pastor Pahil’s village with nothing but the clothes on their backs. All of their belongings had been destroyed in a landslide. Everyone in their village was forced to relocate.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Sejun and Badal's families lost nearly everything in the earthquake that struck Nepal in 2015, but Bridge of Hope helped give them a fresh start. — Sejun and Badal’s families lost nearly everything in the earthquake that struck Nepal in 2015, but Bridge of Hope helped give them a fresh start.

As the boys attended the center, the kindness and compassion of the Bridge of Hope staff greatly impacted the families’ lives. Soon Sejun’s and Badal’s families began to realize Christ’s compassion toward them. They are grateful for the help they received from the Body of Christ, especially after having lost much of their livelihoods in the earthquake.

Practical Love Offers Hope in Trial

Though the earthquake’s destruction was catastrophic, Pastor Pahil has an optimistic outlook on the situation. He’s seen the people in his village respond to God’s love and faithfulness in the midst of trial and tragedy. Through the believers’ tangible example of Christ’s love in their relief work, six villagers have decided to follow the Lord.

“The villagers’ attitude toward Christians . . . has been totally changed since the earthquake,” Pastor Pahil says. “Now they take us positively.”

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Much of the damage caused by the earthquake in Nepal is long-lasting, but Gospel for Asia workers are continuing to help as the nation recovers. — Much of the damage caused by the earthquake in Nepal is long-lasting, but our workers are continuing to help as the nation recovers.

God has shown His goodness in the aftermath of this tragedy, and He will continue to bring people to Himself as the nation recovers. Though the first earthquake to strike Nepal in 2015 occurred years ago, our workers are still on the ground helping communities and individuals rebuild.

Learn more about Gospel for Asia Disaster Relief Work, where our national workers serve victims of natural disasters, such as earthquakes, cyclones and floods, and how to help GFA Compassion Services teams provide things like food, blankets, medicine and other emergency supplies to disaster-affected people and villages across Asia.

Learn more about the 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, Courage When the Ground Shakes

Learn more about the GFA 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.

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

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Family Healing Begins When the Alcoholic’s Son Prayed

May 15, 2020 By GFA Staff Writer

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WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World and affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada) founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan – Discussing a Geet and his family bereft of peace and harmony, the alcoholism of his father, God’s Word shared through Gospel for Asia-supported pastor, the power of prayer and the abounding grace of Jesus.

Geet didn’t know what to do. He watched helplessly as his mother cowered before his abusive, intoxicated father, day after day.

“I would visit temples and pray to gods and goddesses,” Geet said, “but nothing changed in my life.”

Who could help his family when even his gods remained silent?

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Discussing a Geet and his family bereft of peace and harmony, the alcoholism of his father, and God's Word shared through Gospel for Asia-supported pastor — Many people in Asia turn to alcohol to try to smother their hurts and sorrows, not knowing Jesus provides true healing and hope.

Teenager Troubled by Alcoholic Father

Both Geet’s parents held steady jobs, and the family faithfully worshiped their deities, yet they never found the happiness or prosperity they hoped for. Geet’s father, Kumal, slowly turned to alcohol as his source of comfort. Geet’s mother worked hard to support her four children, assuming more and more family responsibility as Kumal spiraled deeper into his alcohol addiction.

Over time, Kumal’s frequent arguments with his family intensified, and he even caused trouble for his neighbors. As a teenager, Geet felt helpless against his father’s alcoholism, so he isolated himself, aching with loneliness and longing for peace.

Friend Introduces Teen to Prince of Peace

In the midst of these heartaches, Geet met Bidur, another teenager in his village, and the two youths gradually built a strong friendship. Eventually, Geet confided in Bidur and told him all about his family’s problems.

Bidur responded by sharing how his own family experienced tremendous peace, but it was only because of Jesus Christ and the joy He brings. Bidur invited Geet to attend church with him so he could hear for himself about the peace Jesus gives so freely to those who call on Him.

The very next Sunday, Geet accompanied Bidur to a worship service led by Gospel for Asia-supported pastor Sadhan. Geet had never experienced a worship service like it before, but he listened closely to the words of the pastor.

After the service, Pastor Sadhan shared more about God’s Word with Geet. As Geet listened, many questions about Jesus formed in his mind, but flickers of peace also began rising within him.

Geet went home and told his mother all about the amazing things he learned at the service that day, but she wasn’t interested. Undeterred, Geet turned to the precious gift Pastor Sadhan had given him: a New Testament.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: through Gospel for Asia-supported pastor many youths gather for corporate worship and are growing in their knowledge of God — Like Geet and Bidur, these youths gather for corporate worship with a Gospel for Asia-supported pastor and are growing in their knowledge of God.

Hungry Heart Feeds on God’s Word

Geet pored over his New Testament, and as he read about Jesus’ life and the miracles He performed, he realized transformation is only possible through Jesus. A longing arose in his heart for his family to experience a miraculous change.

“How can I experience His miracle in my life?” Geet asked Pastor Sadhan one day. “How can I follow this Jesus?”

Pastor Sadhan explained how God desires to have a personal relationship with His children, and he helped Geet understand the many things he had read. Touched by God’s great mercy, Geet bowed his head in prayer. He told Jesus about the wrongs he had committed throughout his life and asked Him to work healing and transformation into his heart.

Opening his eyes, Geet entered a new life—a life filled with inner joy and peace from the Lord, despite his home environment. He began spending time in prayer for his family, both privately and also with other believers at worship services. But not everyone was happy with his decision.

Steadfast in the Face of Opposition

Geet earnestly desired to worship Jesus and fellowship with his new family in Christ, but Kumal was furious when he discovered Geet’s new life. He pressured Geet to abandon Jesus and kept his son from attending worship services.

His father’s displeasure intimidated and grieved Geet. He wanted to honor his father’s authority, but after two painful weeks of reading and praying, Geet determined that he must obey the Lord above all, no matter the cost.

Geet began gathering again with the other believers and prayed faithfully for his father, asking the Lord to work transformation in his heart.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Geet recognized the grace of Jesus, just as this young believer also did, and Geet dedicated hours to reading God's Word and praying for his family. — Geet recognized the grace of Jesus, just as this young believer also did, and Geet dedicated hours to reading God’s Word and praying for his family.

The Power of Prayer

“Every day, at 5 in the morning, I get up, read the Bible and pray,” Geet shared.

Soon, God answered Geet’s prayers—Kumal’s heart made a drastic turn. After seeing his son’s devotion to Jesus and fervent prayer life, Kumal stopped opposing Geet. He even allowed Geet to share with the family the new things Geet learned from Scripture, and soon, the entire family agreed to visit a worship service.

Geet’s relationship with Jesus grew strong, and peace and trust in God replaced the anxiousness and loneliness that once filled his heart.

“Now I am not worried about any problem, because in Jesus, I find the solution to all my trouble.” —Geet

Although his family has not yet fully understood the transforming love of Jesus, Geet’s fervent prayer is that one day, they too will personally know the Prince of Peace who now carries all his burdens.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: These believers cherish their Bibles and read Scripture to strengthen themselves in the Lord, yet many other people in Asia do not have access to God's Word or know what promises it contains. — These believers cherish their Bibles and read Scripture to strengthen themselves in the Lord, yet many other people in Asia do not have access to God’s Word or know what promises it contains.

Send Peace to Searching Hearts

Hearing the Word of God helped Geet first understand Jesus’ power and grace, and by reading his New Testament, he later found courage and strength to endure opposition.

Through Gospel for Asia, you can provide copies of God’s Word for people who are longing for a source of peace, like Geet. Donate today to help people in Asia build a relationship with the Prince of Peace.

Learn more how you can share the Word of God with the millions of people in Asia — either as complete Bibles or New Testaments — which will enable many to grow and learn more about Jesus.

Source: Gospel for Asia Featured Article, When the Alcoholic’s Son Prayed

Learn more about the GFA-supported 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.

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

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

‘I Will Be Their Daughter’ Gospel for Asia-Supported Missionary Becomes Like Family to People Suffering from Leprosy

May 13, 2020 By GFA Staff Writer

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WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World and affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada) founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan – Discussing Sakshi, the pain and suffering she went through from contracting leprosy as a teenager, and the calling she now lives in sharing healing and compassion for leprosy patients as a Gospel for Asia-supported Missionary.

“Don’t open my bandage!” the leprosy patient cried out. For years the patient believed it was because of their sin that the destructive disease controlled their body. Now, they thought they must suffer and settle with bearing it alone.

With love and deep understanding, Sakshi, a Gospel for Asia-supported missionary, revealed her own hands and feet to the patient, deformity clearly marking what leprosy’s nerve killing illness left behind.

“No, no, this is not some sin,” Sakshi said. “I myself have gone through this.”

The unique compassion for leprosy patients came from Sakshi’s own storehouse of experience. She too had wrestled with the same hurts, rejection and suffering from this disease. It came the hard way, but God used leprosy for Sakshi’s good and for the healing of many broken and lonely people.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: When Sakshi was only a young girl, she found out she had leprosy. After others heard about it, they kept their distance, and she endured rejection — When Sakshi was only a young girl, she found out she had leprosy. After others heard about it, they kept their distance, and she endured rejection—even among her own family members.

Contracting the Feared Disease

As a teenager, Sakshi found out she had leprosy. Being the oldest child, it was a sudden shock when her brothers and sisters, who usually looked up to her, abruptly pulled away and wanted nothing to do with her. It was a harsh transition she had no control over.

Many thoughts of what life would be like from now on flooded Sakshi’s mind. Now she wouldn’t be able to visit neighboring homes, and no one would want to be her friend anymore. The sorrow of rejection enveloped her and put her in a place of deep depression. She began to wonder why she should live any more. Who would love her and care for her now?

In her hopelessness, Sakshi tried to hang herself. Thankfully, her father saved her and spoke words of life into her weary soul. He told Sakshi she was a precious child and urged her to strengthen her heart through the pain and hardship.

“So my papa was becoming so much a comforter to me and he comforted me and even my brother and sister, they used to hate me, and they don’t want to talk with me, they were not in home at that time when I was doing all these things,” Sakshi shared. “So my father, he saw me and he pulled me from there, and he made me understand everything, and after that I became ok.”

After the conversation with her father, Sakshi gave up trying to end her own life, but she still felt alone and worried. Others said it was her fault she contracted the disease, and Sakshi began to believe it.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: When Sakshi experienced complete healing from leprosy, she dedicated her life to serving the Lord and helping others. She attended Bible college and served in leprosy ministry after graduation. — When Sakshi experienced complete healing from leprosy, she dedicated her life to serving the Lord and helping others. She attended Bible college and served in leprosy ministry after graduation.

Finding Healing and Ministry

As days, months and years went by, the leprosy in her body grew worse. One of Sakshi’s fingers bent in an awkward position, and she had terrible pain in her leg. Doctors encouraged her to go through with amputating her leg, but that frightened Sakshi. It was this time in her life when she met a few Gospel for Asia-supported missionaries who encouraged her and prayed for her. They shared about the love of the Healer, and Sakshi began to pray in faith and ask Jesus to heal her own body. By God’s power and grace, a miracle happened and Sakshi was healed from leprosy!

Immediately after she was healed, Sakshi decided to serve the Lord full time. She attended a Gospel for Asia-supported Bible college, and after graduation, her heart’s desire was to serve in the leprosy ministry.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: With Christ’s compassion and love, and with true understanding received from her own experience with leprosy, Sakshi served the patients as though they were her own relatives. She touched those whom others would dismiss away in fear. — With Christ’s compassion and love, and with true understanding received from her own experience with leprosy, Sakshi served the patients as though they were her own relatives. She touched those whom others would dismiss away in fear.

Touching the Untouchable and Despised

“Nobody is there to comfort [the leprosy patients] and to give any kind of encouragement,” Sakshi explained. “Nobody wants to love them, hug them or to come near to them to dress them.

“…They have so many inner pains in their heart, because they also are human beings. They also need love, care and encouragement from other people.”

With Christ’s compassion and love and with true understanding from her own experiences, Sakshi served the patients as though they were her own relatives.

“By seeing them, I am thinking that I will fill the gap,” Sakshi said. “I will give that love, which they are not getting from their grandchildren and daughters… I will become their daughter, I will become their grandchildren, and I will help them and encourage them and I will love them.”

The Lord healed the wound of rejection that had cut into Sakshi’s heart as a teenager. She suffered pain and hardship, but she could later tell her story to those who are walking in shoes she once walked in.

By helping them with housework, giving hugs, washing clothes and combing hair, Sakshi helped these precious patients see they are not forgotten by God and are created in His image. These simple acts of kindness mean the world to these who are often forgotten or thought of as being void of emotions and feelings. Sakshi understood this, and God has used her testimony to display the hope and true unchanging love of Jesus to the unloved.

“I know that God will love them,” Sakshi said. “As God loved me and He healed me, in the same way I want to love them.”

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Jesus’s compassion for those with leprosy is found clearly in Scripture. Together we can be the hands and feet of Jesus and show the unloved they are indeed loved by the Healer! — Jesus’s compassion for those with leprosy is found clearly in Scripture. Together we can be the hands and feet of Jesus and show the unloved they are indeed loved by the Healer!

Display the Compassion of Christ

In Mark 1:41, Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand to a man with leprosy and healed him. You too can be part of ministering to these precious people who will hear, some of them for the first time, that Jesus loves them and is not afraid to touch and hold them. Show Christ’s compassion through Gospel for Asia’s leprosy ministry!

Learn more about the GFA-supported leprosy ministry, or the Reaching Friends Ministry, helping remind people affected by leprosy that, despite the stigma of leprosy, they have dignity and are valued by God.

Source: Gospel for Asia Featured Article, I Will Be Their Daughter

Read the GFA special report update on the leprosy problem where global leprosy-elimination leaders are making exciting advances both medically and socially that are worth noting: Progress in the Fight Against Leprosy: Leprosy Prevention is Key to Elimination

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Gospel for Asia-Supported Churches in Coronavirus Janata Curfew Lockdown

April 27, 2020 By GFA Staff Writer

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WILLS POINT, TX – Prime Minister Narendra Modi has placed the nation of India under a 21-day Janata (all people) curfew to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic among the country’s 1.3 billion residents. He announced the nationwide lockdown on Tuesday, March 24, 2020.

Although the number of reported cases and deaths due to the Coronavirus remain relatively low in India, the population density is a matter of significant concern. The higher the population density, the easier it may be for the virus to spread. India is home to an average of more than 450 people per square kilometer. The major metropolitan areas of Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and Mumbai each have more than 20,000 people per square kilometer.

Social distancing and isolating in place have already proven to be effective in staving the spread of the virus. A Janata curfew, ordering everyone to stay home, appears to be the best means the Prime Minister has at this time to protect his people.

Nonetheless, a complete cessation of activity could undermine a nation’s economy, even if it has been the fastest growing in the world.

So, what should churches do during a lockdown? Should they shut their doors, or should they continue to meet?

Dr. K.P. Yohannan, founder of Gospel for Asia (GFA World), has set an example for all church leaders by issuing a statement regarding is instructions to GFA-supported churches impacted by the curfew.

“The Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, called on the nation to show ‘resolve’ and ‘restraint’ as we together face the menace of the Coronavirus (COVID-19). In light of the speech, I would like to reiterate the fact that we stand together with the Prime Minister and the citizens of the country and are determined to do all we can to keep ourselves and our country safe. Heeding to the call of the ‘Janata curfew’ on Sunday the 22nd, I have instructed … that all our Sunday services … stand canceled all across the country. We must also avoid house visiting and prayer meetings unless it is an absolute emergency.”

What makes Yohannan’s message so significant is that is an example for all Christians, regardless of where we live. Yohannan’s commitment to Scripture is without question. Read Romans 13:1–2.

“Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.

Complying with a government shutdown, whether in India or in the United States, is not a matter of politics or personal preferences. It is a matter of obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ and His written Word. Failing to comply with a government order is not courageous. It is disobedience. Following the Prime Minister’s directive is the biblical thing to do. The right thing to do.

Pray for the examples of the all the believers in India and around the world to demonstrate obedience. Obedience is another hallmark of our faith. Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will keep my commandments.” May we all be found doing so. The world is watching.

KP Yohannan has issued two statements about the Coronavirus situation found here and here.

GFA’s Statement About Coronavirus

Sources:

Forbes, India Is The Asian Blindspot In The Coronavirus Pandemic
Worldometers, Coronavirus Cases
BBC News, Indian coronavirus: Why lock down 1.3bn people?
BBC News, India coronavirus: Gambling on lockdown to save millions
Believers Eastern Church, Instructions to Dioceses and Parishes in India regarding Covid-19/Coronavirus
The Economic Times, Janata curfew is the only way to halt the pandemic in its tracks
Our World in Data, Which countries are most densely populated?

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

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Enjoying the Gospel for Asia Gift They Didn’t Want

April 6, 2020 By GFA Staff Writer

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WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World and affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada) founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan – Discussing Gospel for Asia-supported pastor Nandin, the opposition he faced, and the hearts softened by God through the completion of the gift of a Jesus Well.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Drilling the gift of a Jesus Well — As Pastor Nandin tried to make sure the drilling of a Jesus Well went smoothly, angry villagers surrounded him.

In the area where Gospel for Asia-supported pastor Nandin ministers, people depended on water from rivers, canals and ponds. During the rainy season, the filthy water from these water sources often infected people with serious illnesses such as typhoid, dysentery and malaria. In other parts of this region, people have even died from these diseases because there are no nearby hospitals for treatment.

Wanting to improve people’s lives, Pastor Nandin requested a Jesus Well in a village where he was serving. The request was quickly approved, and within a few weeks, Pastor Nandin’s regional leader, Pastor Hammad, came to the village to inaugurate the drilling of the Jesus Well.

But instead of being welcomed with open arms, Pastor Nandin’s attempt to help the villagers turned suddenly awry. Soon, he found himself confronted by a crowd of angry villagers.

Community Lacks Interest in Good News

Even though the villagers direly needed this gift—something necessary to their health and wellbeing—they rejected Pastor Nandin’s attempt to help give them clean water.

They had rejected every gift he had tried to offer them—especially the most precious gift found in Jesus’ hope, peace and eternal life. When Pastor Nandin or other believers would offer literature sharing the Good News of Jesus, most people wouldn’t take it.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Women filling buckets with water from ponds. — People in the area where Pastor Nandin serves suffered from serious illnesses, such as typhoid and malaria, because they got their water from ponds. At the same time, they weren’t interested in the message of hope Pastor Nandin could share.

Opposition Nearly Halts Drilling of Well

Despite the people’s lack of interest in hearing about Christ’s love, Nandin’s heart still ached with genuine concern for them and their health.

Soon after workers began drilling the Jesus Well that Pastor Nandin had requested, trouble boiled over. It began with one person tossing away the workers’ buckets. Then another person damaged the casing pipes. When Pastor Nandin asked them to stop, he and the believers suddenly found themselves confronted by a mob of 20 people.

In the span of about three hours, angry villagers hit Pastor Nandin and two believers, and when other people, including Pastor Hammad and a community leader, tried to calm the situation, members of the mob struck them too.

The next day, Pastor Nandin, Pastor Hammad and the local believers joined together to ask the Lord for His protection. They continued praying daily, and after 15 days, they saw God answer by showing them favor, from the village chief.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Group of people praying — After workers began drilling the Jesus Well, a group of hostile villagers tried to stop the well and assaulted Pastor Nandin and a few other people trying to keep the peace. The believers prayed for 15 days, and the Lord showed them favor, allowing them to finish drilling the Jesus Well.

“I will help you to complete the remaining work of this Jesus Well,” he told the believers, “and if someone will oppose you in this work, I will put him in jail without delay.”

Within a few days, the workers were able to finish drilling the Jesus Well with no more hindrances.

Once-Hostile Villagers Enjoy Clean Water, Learn About Christ

Now, as the villagers draw pure water from the well for their families’ needs, many are recovering from waterborne illnesses! Even those who opposed the Jesus Well and harassed Pastor Nandin and the believers in order to stop it from being drilled are now using the well.

As people see the good that’s come from the Jesus Well they had tried to oppose, they are now more curious about what Pastor Nandin has to say. Fourteen people from a neighboring village have also decided to start attending Pastor Nandin’s church for Sunday worship services, prayer meetings and other activities.

Christ’s love and hope have even transformed the life of Shami, the brother of one of the men who tried to stop the Jesus Well.

For three years, Shami had struggled to get a good night’s sleep. He and his wife asked Pastor Hammad to pray for him, and the pastor began visiting Shami and his wife regularly to pray and encourage them with words from Scripture.

In His mercy, God healed Shami, enabling him to sleep well at night. Shami and his wife entrusted their lives to Christ. Now they and their teenage daughter are attending Sunday services.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: People drawing water from a Jesus Well. — Now the people in Pastor Nandin’s village—even those who once opposed the Jesus Well—are daily drawing clean water from the Jesus Well. Many are recovering from waterborne illnesses, and they are becoming more interested in the Lord.

Through the compassion of a pastor and the provision of a Jesus Well, God is showing people in this community how much He loves them. Now they are grateful for the gift and the message they once scorned.

You can share the hope of Christ with more lives by helping to provide clean water in communities that desperately need it.

Source: Gospel for Asia Featured Article, Enjoying the Gift They Didn’t Want

Learn more about how to provide pure, clean water to families and entire villages through a Jesus Well or a BioSand Water Filter.

Read the Gospel for Asia Special Report: Solving the World Water Crisis … for Good — Lasting Solutions Can Defeat an Age-old Problem

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A Gospel for Asia Gift of Compassion Fills Bare Home with Joy

March 28, 2020 By GFA Staff Writer

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WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World) founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan – Discussing Kalapi, the sickness and poverty, and the healing and provision through the ministry of national missionaries and the distribution of a Gospel for Asia gift of compassion.

A mysterious illness caused Kalapi’s body to shake uncontrollably. For two years, she had difficulties walking, eating and drinking. Eventually, she struggled even to speak. Her family sought aid but found none—until they heard about a local Christian congregation. Kalapi went to the church, which is led by Gospel for Asia-supported pastor Boro Rai, and received prayer. It was there that she finally found deliverance, thanks to Jesus.

Gospel for Asia (GFA World) founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: When Pastor Boro visited Kalapi and Mudit, he noticed the bareness of their home and the thin, weak appearance of their children. — When Pastor Boro visited Kalapi and Mudit, he noticed the bareness of their home and the thin, weak appearance of their children.

Pastor Boro began visiting Kalapi and her husband, Mudit, to tell them more about the God who healed her and to encourage them with promises from Scripture. During his visits, Pastor Boro noticed the bareness of their home, which contained only a few household items. But even more haunting was the thin, weak appearance of Kalapi’s children. Kalapi and Mudit could afford to feed them flatbread made of cornmeal, but that was about it. The lack of nutrition left the children vulnerable to frequent illnesses, and Kalapi and Mudit didn’t have the money to buy medicine for them.

Pastor Boro couldn’t ignore the images he had seen of the near-empty home and the frail bodies of the children. Wanting to help, he spoke with his leaders and told them about the family’s need.

Family Receives Life-Changing Gift

Pastor Boro and his leaders decided to help meet the family’s basic needs by giving Kalapi and Mudit a gift. Pastor Boro told Kalapi the good news that the church was going to help her family, and he invited her to a Christmas gift distribution.

Kalapi arrived on the appointed day. At the event, 20 pairs of goats, 24 cows, 25 water buffalo and several other useful items waited for Kalapi and other struggling families. Each gift, from a pair of tin sheets to a water buffalo, represented a helping hand from the Lord, who wanted these families to thrive.

That day, Kalapi went home with a cow and a calf. With joy in her eyes, she thanked those who had made it possible for her to receive the gift.

Gospel for Asia (GFA World) founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Pastor Boro told his leaders about his concerns for Kalapi’s family. Then, during a Christmas gift distribution, Kalapi received a cow and a calf! — Pastor Boro told his leaders about his concerns for Kalapi’s family. Then, during a Christmas gift distribution, Kalapi received a cow and a calf!

Cow Strengthens Children’s Bodies, Fills Woman’s Heart with Faith

Now, because God put it on the church’s heart to give Kalapi a cow and calf, her family is enjoying a stability they desperately needed. The cow provides Kalapi’s children with milk, a source of protein that has helped their bodies grow stronger. In addition, Kalapi and Mudit have been able to use the cow’s dung to fertilize their crops, and when the calf grows up, they plan to use it to plow their fields.

These Christmas gifts not only helped the family’s financial condition, but they also showed Kalapi how much God and His children care for her family. Seeing God’s compassion on her family, Kalapi’s faith grew. She prays to Jesus to meet her family’s needs, trusting in Him to provide.

Gospel for Asia (GFA World) founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: God has used the gift of a cow to sustain Kalapi’s family. Kalapi’s children have grown stronger and healthier by drinking the cow’s milk. — God has used the gift of a cow to sustain Kalapi’s family. Kalapi’s children have grown stronger and healthier by drinking the cow’s milk.

“I thank God who has not only set me free from my sickness, but also blessed us with a cow that provides milk,” Kalapi said. “Now my children are able to eat chapatti [flatbread] with milk. I praise God . . . for helping such families as mine.”

You Can Bless More Families

By providing gifts from Gospel for Asia’s Christmas Gift Catalog, you can help bring stability and hope to families like Kalapi’s as you give them a source of income and sustenance. More importantly, you will be part of a tangible illustration of God’s great love for them.

Give life-sustaining gifts

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, Compassion Fills Bare Home with Joy

Learn more about how generosity can change lives. Through Gospel for Asia (GFA World and it’s affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada) 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.

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

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A Gospel for Asia-supported Worker Saves the Baby in the Dumpster

March 19, 2020 By GFA Staff Writer

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WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World) founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan – Discussing Pranaya, a Gospel for Asia-supported worker at the Bridge of Hope center who, when her sister gave birth to an abnormal baby girl thrown to a dumpster by her brother-in-law, saved and found the baby giving her a chance at life.

The man looked at the baby in his arms. Something wasn’t right. The newborn . . . she was too skinny. And her face . . . it just wasn’t pretty. The doctor said the baby was abnormal.

Shame fell over the new father. He couldn’t have a child that was abnormal. He didn’t want a child that was abnormal. Neither did his wife. Disgusted, the man threw the 2-day-old baby into the dumpster, and he and his wife left. They shed no tears, and they didn’t look back.

The baby lay wailing helplessly in the pile of garbage.

Then, two arms reached into the dumpster.

A Heart Full of Love for Children

Long before that day, a woman named Pranaya walked into a Gospel for Asia-supported Bridge of Hope center. She began working as a tutor to help the children with their academics.

Each day, before the children arrived, Pranaya joined the other staff in praying for the day. At the center, the young woman found out about Jesus. Her interest piqued, she sought out the local church and began reading the Bible.

Through the preaching at the church and her personal study of the Word, Pranaya began a relationship with Christ. He showed her that children are a gift, and as she continued to read Scripture, she learned more about the God who sacrificed everything for those who needed Him.

Given a Second Chance

While Pranaya was teaching at the center, her sister’s belly swelled with new life. This was going to be her first child, and anticipations for the little one were high. The time arrived for the baby to be born, but Pranaya’s sister and brother-in-law returned from the hospital with no child. What happened? When Pranaya discovered her relatives had tossed their newborn daughter into the dumpster, she went and found her.

She took the baby girl to her home and named her Jansi. Though Pranaya continued working as a tutor at the Bridge of Hope center, she and her parents, who worked as daily laborers, cared for Jansi and nursed her to health. To the child, Pranaya was “mother.”

Pranaya was there when Jansi started crawling and then toddling. Every day Pranaya showed the girl how much she was loved. When Pranaya got married, she stopped working, and she and her husband included the child into their new family. Even when they had a baby of their own, Jansi stayed.

“It is a great blessing for me to adopt my sister’s daughter into my family,” she said.

Blooming at Bridge of Hope

When Jansi became school-aged, Pranaya brought her to the Bridge of Hope center she had served at, and the staff enrolled her.

At the center, the shy girl began playing with other children. Schoolwork was difficult for Jansi, but the staff helped her, and she improved.

Jansi’s biological parents knew Pranaya had adopted the child they had forsaken. They didn’t live far. As they watched Jansi grow, their attitude toward her changed, and they wanted her back.

Pranaya saw how Jansi’s parents received the little girl she loved so dearly. When Pranaya and her husband needed to move away, they knew Jansi would be safe with her parents.

Who Saved Jansi?

Jansi now lives with her mother, father and two younger siblings. She continues to attend the Bridge of Hope center, where the staff teach her and help her—all because they know Jesus loves her. She plays games with the other students, and she is doing very well in her studies.

Her mother attends the monthly parents’ meetings at the Bridge of Hope center, and a couple of the staff members sometimes visit the family.

Pranaya gave Jansi another chance at life, but the arms that truly drew Jansi out of death are the same arms that were spread out on a cross for her and offer to carry her all her life.

Sponsor a Bridge of Hope child like Jansi

Source: Gospel for Asia Featured Article, Saving the Baby in the Dumpster

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Gospel for Asia on One Woman’s Faith Through the Fire

March 11, 2020 By GFA Staff Writer

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WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World) founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan – Discussing Shway and the isolation and persecution she experienced, even a house on fire, and God’s divine appointment through Gospel for Asia-supported pastor, Kyaw.

“Lord, help me!” 60-year-old Shway cried as she ran from her burning house.

The people in her village didn’t like Christians and threatened any who became one. “If you do not forsake Jesus, we will send you out of the village,” they warned her. But Shway was not shaken, so a group of drunken men set fire to her house.

The flames licked the walls and thirstily consumed the roof. Days later, Shway stood in the middle of her roofless home surrounded by charred bamboo walls.

“I never thought this would happen to me,” she said.

Familiar Territory

Shway’s situation wasn’t new for her Gospel for Asia-supported pastor, Kyaw. Since moving to the village four years earlier, Kyaw’s house had been set on fire three times and vandalized with rocks on multiple occasions.

Despite overwhelming opposition, the Lord is using him and his wife, Cho, to bring many into His Kingdom. There are 82 believers who regularly attend their Sunday services, and Shway is one of them.

A Divine Appointment with a Gospel for Asia-supported Pastor

Shway first met Pastor Kyaw in the midst of a moment of despair. She had been collecting firewood in the forest when the weight of her loneliness became too much to bear. She sat under a tree and cried. She thought about her husband, whose intoxicated body was found drifting in a river, and her two children, who died in a bus accident.

She was alone, left to care for herself, until Pastor Kyaw and his wife found her. They listened to the older woman pour out her sorrow and then offered her the reassuring love of the Savior.

“This is my first time hearing this kind of encouragement and sweet words,” Shway had told the pastor.

Pastor Kyaw began visiting her and comforted her with God’s Word, which helped Shway see she was not alone. She started attending prayer meetings and church services, and the Lord touched her heart. She began to trade her sorrow, anxiety and loneliness for joy as she put her trust in Him.

“Jesus always loves me in the time of my sorrow and difficulties … By praising God, I have joy even though I do not have anything,” Shway said.

Shway’s church family has been a great encouragement to her. They even replaced her roof after the fire and continue to visit her to pray and share Scripture with her.

The opposition has diminished, but even if it hadn’t, Shway now knows the joy of the Lord, and nothing can take it away from her.

View the article as part of GFA World Magazine

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

Source: Gospel for Asia Feature Article, Faith Through the Fire

Learn more about the National Missionaries and their passion to help the people in their nations understand Christ’s love through various ways.

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

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