WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) – Discussing the effects of poverty, neglect or abuse on children who find their futures, identity and purpose lost, and the hope, love and acceptance programs like the Bridge of Hope center brings.
“Who am I? What is my purpose?” There are times I find myself asking these questions. However, unlike many in my generation, I can answer both.
Who am I? A son of God.
What is my purpose? To serve Him.
Identity and purpose are two subjects heavily discussed and debated among members of my generation. I am Gen Z, or Generation Z, the youngest and most technologically saturated of the current generations. For many of my peers, their lives and identity are defined by what social media dictates. Others exhibit extreme malleability in their identity, morphing into whatever whims suit them. My generation is fixated with establishing—or simply finding—their identity amongst the ruckus and clamor of this world.
Identity can lead to purpose and purpose to direction in life. For many, however, their future is clouded and uncertain, their identity in crisis.
Fountains of Joy
It’s easy for my generation here in the West to pursue whatever identity and purpose they want. But for many children in Asia, their futures were dictated to them before they were born. Caught amidst poverty, neglect or abuse, many Asian children find their futures—and identity—lost because there is no way of escape. They’re destined to follow in the footsteps of the generations before them who had their own futures wiped away because of poverty—or discrimination.
But there is hope. Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported workers work tirelessly to help these children. Through GFA’s Bridge of Hope Program, these workers pour love and encouragement into children’s lives. These children are given the opportunity of a future—and identity—of their own. They are given something many have never experienced before: Hope.
Sariah is one example of this.
Sariah’s Story
Sariah was born with malformed legs. Growing up, the young girl didn’t attend school because she feared being made fun of. Sariah’s insecurity only increased with her self-imposed isolation. So, she adopted a mask to conceal the loneliness within.
Her family members all followed the local traditions, but Sariah especially so. She would rebuke her siblings if they slipped up in some way. Sariah’s self-righteousness only served to deepen her self-derision, instead of alleviating it.
One day, staff members from the local Bridge of Hope center happened to meet Sariah and her family. Curious as to why Sariah was at home, they inquired.
“There is no one who loves and cares [for me],” Sariah replied, “so I do not want to go to school to study.”
However, the staff didn’t’ accept Sariah’s explanation. They told her that the Bridge of Hope center was a place of love and acceptance, not prejudice or judgement. As Sariah listened to the workers, her heart began to soften. Was this the answer to the loneliness holding her captive?
Soon, Sariah’s parents enrolled her at the center. There, instead of the mocking laughter and judgmental stares that Sariah expected, she found was love—love from the workers and love from her peers. They accepted her, despite her disability. The piousness that Sariah had adopted to protect her began to crumble, and her true heart shone forth.
An Identity Found
The love Sariah received at a Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported Bridge of Hope center transformed the sheltered, bitter young girl into a life-loving, joyful young woman. Sariah had once asked why she was born into this world, and who she is. Now, she does.
She is a beloved child of God, and her purpose is to love and to be loved.
WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) – Discussing the Sisters of Compassion, women missionaries who choose to identify with the marginalized, and reflect God’s love to bring the hope of Jesus to their lives.
Prisha stepped out of the rickshaw only to be greeted by a crowd of dirty, half-naked children running around. One woman stood nearby barely clothed—much to Prisha’s embarrassment. Animal carcasses and burning waste littered the village, creating a stench so bad passersby would speed recklessly through the village to escape it.
Prisha had heard about this village before. Punya Basti’s residents lived in squalor with no electricity, running water or toilets. Most of the villagers left for months at a time to find low-paying work and beg in other areas, but they still couldn’t afford to feed their children three meals a day—much less provide for them to go to school. Alcohol and drug abuse ran rampant, even among children, and fights commonly broke out. On top of all this, outsiders despised the villagers for their low caste and lack of hygiene and education.
Going Where Others Wouldn’t
Prisha had come to Punya Basti to serve as a Sister of Compassion, a woman missionary committed to sharing Christ’s love in practical ways, specifically among poor and marginalized people groups.
Gospel for Asia (GFA) pastor Hoob Kumar, who served in the village, was having difficulty ministering to the women.
“The ladies didn’t know how to wear clothes properly,” Pastor Hoob recalls, “and the mothers weren’t bothered that the vessels they cooked with and ate food from were not clean.”
Moreover, the women couldn’t open up to Pastor Hoob because he was a man. He knew they needed someone to come alongside them, educate them and listen to their struggles, so he asked his leaders to send Sisters of Compassion to Punya Basti.
Knowing she was called to go where others wouldn’t, Prisha agreed to go. Out of consideration for her safety, her leader said she could commute there each day from a nearby village that would have safer, more comfortable accommodations, but Prisha wanted to live with the villagers.
“I don’t want to stay in a different place,” she told him. “I want to stay in the midst of them, in the village, so I can understand their feelings . . . and they can understand the love that we want to show them.”
Immediate Challenges Require Unswerving Faith
But living among the villagers wasn’t easy. They rarely bathed or washed their clothes. Drunken fights broke out frequently, with men and women shouting vulgar words.
When the landlord of the house Prisha stayed in offered her and her fellow Sister of Compassion water, Prisha looked at the glass in shock.
“The glass that she gave [us] really smelled very bad. We were not able to drink from that,” Prisha remembers. “Seeing this glass, we were really broken, and we didn’t have anything in our hand to give them. All we could do for them was just pray to God Almighty.”
Prisha and her co-worker knew adjusting to this culture would require more than one prayer, though. They dedicated their first week to fasting and praying; then they began finding ways to help the villagers. They started by sweeping out the village’s filthy drains.
An Uncomfortable Yet Fruitful Lifestyle
At first, Punya Basti’s dirtiness made Prisha wonder if she would ever feel comfortable eating in the villagers’ homes. But she, and the seven Sisters of Compassion who eventually joined her, made a decision to embrace the villagers and share in their lives.
“Slowly we understood that if we don’t get to know them closely, we won’t be able to have relationships with them,” Prisha explains.
The Sisters of Compassion helped the local women with their chores, took care of their babies and ate the food they cooked—food most outsiders would have refused because it consisted of game like tortoise and mongoose.
By identifying with the villagers, the Sisters of Compassion eventually earned their trust, and the villagers began listening to their advice. People stopped drinking and fighting. Women started dressing modestly and cooking in a healthier, cleaner way. Children started going to school, and the Sisters of Compassion taught them how to bathe, brush their teeth, comb their hair and dress neatly. The villagers even began seeing the missionaries as their own family.
“These eight sisters are like our daughters,” explains one villager. “We love them because they love us. They brought lots of changes in our family, in our home, in our society and in our children.”
Once Scorned, Village Shines
As the Sisters of Compassion reflected God’s love, many people decided to follow Him. Now Christ is transforming Punya Basti from the inside out.
Even when half of the village is away traveling for work, many people gather to worship Jesus each week, ready to learn more about the God who cared enough to send His daughters to live among them.
You can help another community in Asia experience Christ’s love by sponsoring women missionaries like Prisha!
Watch the video to learn more about Sisters of Compassion’s training, dress code and ministry.
Sisters of Compassion choose to wear a uniform that has a special and easily recognized meaning in South Asia: servanthood. It’s a humble sari worn by the poorest women and the street sweepers of Asia.
*Names of people and places may have been changed for privacy and security reasons. Images are Gospel for Asia stock photos used for representation purposes and are not the actual person/location, unless otherwise noted.
WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) – Discussing the desperate reality that families and their children trapped in poverty experience, and the hope that God provides through His means like Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported Bridge of Hope centers.
Sibirah posed next to Rajdev as the camera captured the special moment. In Rajdev’s hands were two plaques recognizing his talent in public speaking. Sibirah touched the side of the framed plaque. This was her firstborn son—her little boy who had been abandoned by his dad.This was her son who once had no hope for a future education because of their poverty. Now, there he stood, holding up his achievements.
Alcoholic Dad Abandons Family for First Time
Rajdev’s father, Jairus, left home before he even saw his newborn son’s face. Alcohol appeared to be more important to him than his family. Jairus’s addiction to the bottle left him hard and immovable, even after much pleading from his pregnant wife and his sister. Tensions eventually exploded in one final argument.
Sibirah was now a single mother, left with nothing to support her family. She had a son to raise and hospital bills to pay from her delivery. But these weren’t the only troubles she faced.
Near Death Experience
One day, little Rajdev gasped for air. He was suffering from a severe asthma attack, and the doctors held no hope for his survival.
Her Son was dying.
Sibirah watched helplessly as her son was slipping away from her with no support given by her husband and no hope for her little one’s future. She had nothing but love to offer her son, much like many poverty-stricken single mothers in Asia. What would his little life hold? What trials and troubles lie ahead for this abandoned son?
At the last moment, Rajdev’s aunt, a woman of faith in Jesus, prayed over her nephew, and the Lord healed him completely! It was a miracle. God spared Rajdev’s life. Now Sibirah needed to find a way to support and educate her only son.
New Hopes Dashed When Father Leaves Again
As years passed, Sibirah somehow managed to keep herself and her son alive, though it was difficult to raise a son on her own. One day, Rajdev’s father returned home to them, hoping for a new and more peaceful life together with his wife and son—a life without alcohol. Jairus promised Sibirah that he wouldn’t drink anymore, but his addiction slowly made a way back into his life. Once the bottle entered the scene again, peace left their household and fighting commenced.
When Sibirah was about to give birth to their second child, Jairus left home again. Life turned from lacking peace to being miserable for Sibirah. Abandoned by her husband once more, Sibirah was now left with two mouths to feed.
Sibirah longed to end her own life. It seemed like the only way out of the grief she lived day in and day out. But whenever she thought of her children and their futures, she resolved to live and give them decent lives. She wanted to give them good educations. She knew that education was one of the only means for her children to escape the kind of life she lived. She dreamed of them becoming something greater than she or their father had become.
But how?
Restoring Hope Through Free Education
Sibirah’s devastation in life met with a faint glimmer of hope when she heard about an opportunity for Rajdev to be enrolled in a tutoring program. The same sister whose prayer saved Rajdev’s life now introduced them to a Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported Bridge of Hope center. Soon, little Rajdev was enrolled.
Life would never be the same again.
Young Rajdev began going to school, as the Bridge of Hope center provided him with enough paper, pencils and school supplies so that he could attend school and receive tutoring at the center to help him in his studies. In many regions in Asia, education is offered to all children through government schools, but each child needs to have a school uniform and school supplies to be able to fully participate.
Joy replaced worry in Sibirah’s heart as she watched her son blossom in the Bridge of Hope center. A daily meal, school supplies and opportunities for her son to compete in statewide competitions were all part of her son’s growth, as it was for his classmates and the more than 70,000 children who participate in Bridge of Hope across Asia.
Rajdev’s talents began to unfold as he won two state-level speech competitions. With this newfound talent, and all the help and encouragement Rajdev received from his teachers at the center, his aspirations grew as he dreamed of becoming a doctor—a dream he would most likely never have been able to see fulfilled if it weren’t for Bridge of Hope.
Help Meet the Immediate Need for Children Trapped in Poverty
Today, Sibirah doesn’t know where her husband is, but because of the help and encouragement her family is receiving through Bridge of Hope, she can face the future with a new sense of optimism. Her children have a chance for a better future, and she hopes Jairus will return to them one day to be part of their lives and see for himself the potential in their son’s life.
Imagine what would have happened to Rajdev and Sibirah if Bridge of Hope hadn’t entered their lives. Maybe Sibirah would have ended her life, or perhaps Rajdev would have joined the 168 million children trapped in child labor. By God’s grace, this was not their story. Bridge of Hope made a way out for them. You can be part of helping families in need like Sibirah and Rajdev’s.
WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) – Discussing the two different lives of Murali and Pranay, and the songs that carry the message of hope in the midst of despair found at Sunday School.
Two worlds collided when Murali and Pranay played together. Although neighbors, the 12-year-old boys lived completely different lives. As their friendship grew, Pranay learned of the struggles Murali’s family faced—struggles Pranay had never known. Pranay had known love and care from his father, a Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported pastor, from the earliest age. Hope and purpose permeated Pranay’s family life and he enjoyed close community at Sunday School.
Nearby, and yet a world away, lived Murali. Murali’s father was an alcoholic, drinking away the small income that should have been provided for his family. He did not care that his wife and son went days without food. He did not care about them at all.
Grit Curtailed by Illness
Fed up with her husband’s neglect, Murali’s mother, Misha, decided to look for a job to support her son.
Ironically, as soon as Misha determined to provide for her family herself, she fell ill. Severe headaches plagued her daily, preventing her from working. She went to the doctor, but the medication he prescribed did nothing to abate her excruciating pain. Also finding no relief in her religious practices, Misha’s frustration grew. Her husband showed no concern. Only her son, Murali, seemed to care about her.
Pranay’s Happy Place – at Sunday School
Knowing his friend’s hardships, Pranay invited Murali to attend with him at Sunday School. Maybe he would experience some of the happiness of Pranay’s life.
The next Sunday, Murali walked through the doors of the Sunday School room arm-in-arm with his friend. He was amazed to see so many children happily singing and dancing. Joy filled the room. Murali thought some of it might come to him.
Hearing about Jesus during the Bible lesson fascinated Murali. He wanted to know more about this Man who loved everyone so much.
Coming back to Sunday School every week, Murali learned how to pray and read the Bible. He learned how to share about God’s love with others. His friendship with Pranay took on new dimensions as their interests and passions began to overlap.
Singing the Message of Hope in a Home of Despair
One day, while at home, Murali was so filled with joy that he began to sing one of the songs he learned at Sunday School.
“Jesus, grant me your peace and joy,” Murali sang.
Misha heard the words of the song through her pounding headache. The lyrics pierced her heart. For many days, she pondered the words in her mind. Peace. Joy.
Seeing the transformation in her son, with no apparent cause other than his new attendance at Sunday School, she was intrigued about going to church with him. She wanted to hear about this Jesus for herself.
Misha attended Pastor Aloke’s church with her son. Pastor Aloke, excited to see his neighbor at the service for the first time, approached her. He asked how he could help her.
Hearing about the troubles of Misha’s family and constant headaches, Pastor Aloke went before God asking for healing and peace for the troubled woman.
After a few days, Misha was shocked when her headaches completely went away!
After this transformation in her health, Misha attended services regularly with Murali. Both mother and son have found peace and joy in the Lord, which radiates in their faces. Pain and frustration have turned to laughing and hope.
“This [transformation] wouldn’t be possible without the love, care and wisdom from the Sunday School teacher and local pastor,” says Misha. “I am so thankful to the pastor and Sunday School teacher for teaching my son and [sharing the love of] Christ.”
New Life Grows and Spreads
The neighbors, once living in different worlds, now share a hope and a future. The transformation in Misha and Murali has not gone unnoticed by Murali’s father. He has gradually stopped drinking as much and attends worships services occasionally with his family. Family unity, which once seemed like an impossibility, is now within sight as mother and son walk with Jesus. Hope has dawned for this once broken family.
*Names of people and places may have been changed for privacy and security reasons. Images are Gospel for Asia stock photos used for representation purposes and are not the actual person/location, unless otherwise noted.
WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) issues a Special Report regarding child labor today: Millions of Children Trapped between Extreme Poverty and the Profits of Others
In a report written by Lee Tucker, a consultant to Human Rights Watch, about the problem of bonded labor in Asia, a young girl shared,
“My sister is 10 years old. Every morning at 7:00 she goes to the bonded-labor man, and every night at 9:00 she comes home. He treats her badly. He hits her if he thinks she is working slowly, or if she talks to the other children, he yells at her. He comes looking for her if she is sick and cannot go to work. I feel this is very difficult for her.
“I don’t care about school or playing. I don’t care about any of that. All I want is to bring my sister home from the bonded-labor man. For 600 rupees I can bring her home. That is our only chance to get her back.
“We don’t have 600 rupees … we will never have 600 rupees [the equivalent of U.S. $17 at the time of writing].”
Global Overview of Child Labor Today
These girls’ story is heart-breaking.
It is unthinkable that a child would be subject to such mistreatment.
It is deplorable that stories like this are all too common among the most poverty-stricken portions of the world.
The International Labor Organization (ILO) maintains a limited list of National Child labor Survey Reports, Baseline Survey Reports, Rapid Assessment Reports and Micro-Data Sets for a variety of countries taken over the past 20 years—some as recent as 2018.
Although some participation in child labor can be quantified—such as in Nigeria where more than 15 million children are estimated to be child laborers—one of the overriding problems with looking at the issue from a global or even a national level is that it is generally agreed “that census data is likely to underestimate the scale of child labor.”
In areas where national regulations mandate education for children within certain age ranges, the threat of legal consequences likely deters complete reporting of child labor. Census data typically only includes children living within a family household. Children who are orphaned, or living on the streets may go undetected, even when it is those children who may be in greatest danger of child labor. It is, therefore, expected that the occurrence of child labor is higher than reports reveal.
What Is a Good Definition of Child Labor?
It is important to recognize the prevalence of child labor in order to gain a realistic perspective on how pervasive it is. We need to understand the generally accepted definitions of child labor. Only then can we comprehend the often-irreparable physical and emotional damage inflicted on children, both presently and in their future.
Some child labor is innocuous and, in fact, may generally be regarded as positive. The International Labor Organization recognizes that activities such as doing chores around the home, “assisting in a family business or earning pocket money outside school hours and during school holidays” can “contribute to children’s development and… provide them with skills and experience… that prepare them to be productive members of society during their adult life.” Therefore, these activities are not officially considered to be child labor.
Child labor is “work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential and their dignity, and that is harmful to physical and mental development.”
“Labor performed by a child who is under the minimum age specified for that kind of work (as defined by national legislation, in accordance with accepted international standards), and that is thus likely to impede the child’s education and full development.
“Labor that jeopardizes the physical, mental or moral well-being of a child, either because of its nature or because of the conditions in which it is carried out, known as ‘hazardous work.’ ”
Notwithstanding a few reasonable exceptions, the ILO Convention Concerning Minimum Age for Admission to Employment (C138) adopted in 1973 states that:
“Each Member which ratifies this Convention shall specify…a minimum age for admission to employment or work within its territory [that] no one under that age shall be admitted to employment or work in any occupation. …The minimum age specified…shall not be less than the age of completion of compulsory schooling and, in any case, shall not be less than 15 years.”
Similarly, ILO Convention 182 adopted in 2000 defines the worst forms of child labor as:
“the use, procuring, or offering of a child for prostitution, for the production of pornography or for pornographic performances;
“the use, procuring or offering of a child for illicit activities, in particular, for the production and trafficking of drugs …;
“work which, by its nature or the circumstances in which it is carried out, is likely to harm the health, safety or morals of children.”
Finally, forced labor is defined by ILO Convention 29 adopted in 1930 as “all work or service exacted from any person under the menace of any penalty and for which the said person has not offered himself voluntarily.”
Child laborers are highly susceptible to become involved in dangerous situations that may result in their illness, injury or even death.
If these were the victims of a war, we would be talking a lot about it.
In an article by Voice of America concerning child labor, ILO Director-General, Guy Ryder, said, “Honestly, the annual toll is appalling—2.78 million work-related deaths, 374 million injuries and illnesses. If these were the victims of a war, we would be talking a lot about it. Children and young workers are at greater risk and suffer disproportionately and with longer lasting consequences.”
A World Bank report estimated that 10 percent of all work-related injuries child laborers experience are crushing accidents, amputations and fractures.
An article in Fortune magazine told how 15-year-old Lukasa rises at 5 a.m. to begin his 12-hour workday. He leaves his family’s mud-brick home in a tiny village in the southern region of the DRC, and he walks two hours to a government-owned mining site. He spends the next eight hours hacking away at rock in a cobalt mine.
He typically hoists a sack of as much as 22 pounds of cobalt up and out of the pit, then carries it on his back for an hour to a trading depot where he sells it to one of the Chinese trading companies who dominate the market in the area.
On a good day, the teenager can earn as much as $9 before making the long walk home.
Cobalt is key to the DRC’s economy—it produces an estimated 65 percent of the world’s cobalt supply—but child labor is rampant in its mining industry. The same Fortune story said, “While it is impossible to know how many underage miners there are, Congolese activists working to end child labor say… there are about 10,000 of them.
A National Bureau of Economic Research on child labor found that “most child labor occurs in countries with extremely low per capita GDP and that per capita GDP (and its square) explains 80 percent of the worldwide cross-country variation in child labor.” The GDP per capita for the DRC was $439 in 2017, in contrast to the GDP per capita for the USA in 2017, which was $59,531.
Enslaved in Fishing
“Workers at sea are among the world’s most vulnerable,” according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Various factors, such as working in international waters, produce gaps in applicable laws leaving workers without adequate labor protections in countries like Honduras, Philippines, Bangladesh, Ghana, Haiti, Cambodia, Indonesia and Thailand.
“I started my working life early. My parents had 12 children, none of whom were educated. By the time I was six years old, I was the only person my father could control. All the others were older and most of them had already been given away to work. As the youngest, I was the only one still available. My father saw the opportunity and gave me away for fishing work. The way it works is that the person who takes charge of you now has control over you.
I was first trafficked with five other children. Out of the six of us, three lived, and three did not. I saw many children die from either abuse or the rigorous work they were obliged to do.
There, I was forced to work excruciating hours catching fish on Lake Volta. On a daily basis, my day started at 3 a.m. and ended at 8 p.m. It was full of physically demanding work. I was usually fed once a day and would regularly contract painful diseases which were never treated as I was denied access to medical care. If I asked for even the smallest concession from my boss, I was beaten. Despite all my hard work, I was often not allowed to sleep because I had to take care of all the other tasks, such as mending nets and cleaning fish.”
It took James seven years to escape his slavery.
Surrounded by Tobacco
Investigations by Human Rights Watch found consistent, significant risks to children’s health and safety who are working on tobacco farms in Zimbabwe, the United States and Indonesia. The children are exposed to nicotine and toxic pesticides. Every child interviewed described having illnesses with specific symptoms associated with acute nicotine poisoning and pesticide exposure, including nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, headaches, dizziness, irritation and difficulty breathing.
Ironically, it is still legal in the United States for children as young as 12 to work on tobacco farms, as long as they have parental permission. There are no age limitations for children who work on small, family-owned farms.
A 2018 special series on NPR’s “Here & Now” reported finding children as young as 7 working during the picking season in North Carolina where tobacco farming is regarded as a legacy.
Hemmed In by Cotton, Clothing and Chocolate
Cotton is the best-selling fiber in the world, making the cotton market very appealing.
Sewing blue jeans may not seem like a burdensome task, but it becomes one when her production quota is 60 pockets per hour, every hour, every day she works. That’s 480 pockets over an eight-hour shift. For this, she earns the equivalent of about $1.00 a day.
The Food Empowerment Project investigated the cocoa industry, where the supply chain for major chocolate manufacturers begins. Their findings read:
A special report by Gospel for Asia (GFA) shared the results of an investigation into slave labor by the International Justice Mission (IJM). After IJM workers helped 260 people—including children forced into labor—escape from one brick factory, a father shared how he and his family were tricked into working there.
The report also explains the physical implication of “manual handling of heavy weights … long working hours with awkward posture [and] monotonous and repetitive work.” Child laborers in brick kilns have a high risk of developing health problems like as musculo-skeletal issues, poor bone development and early-onset arthritis.
The ILO further observed that “the cost of child bonded labor is paid over a lifetime through the loss of health, education, and opportunities.”
These are only a few of the industries in which child labor continues to exist.
Child Labor: Not Gone, but Forgotten: Part 2 | Part 3
WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) – Discussing the life of a young girl named Naija who was filled with anger and bitterness throughout her youth, but after attending a Sunday School program (Vacation Bible School) she embraced God’s message of love and forgiveness.
Naija’s family lived in a small remote village that was Christian in name only. She did not know Jesus personally, nor did her family attend church. “Christian” was just a word without meaning to Naija. Sunday School, VBS and Bible stories—so familiar to most Christian kids—were completely foreign to Naija.
Naija grumbled as she worked in the field. All her friends were hanging out and having fun during their school holiday, but, as the oldest of eight children, she had to work to help support the family. Her grumbling fueled the growing anger in her heart. Life was so unfair.
Once home for the day, Naija released her anger toward her parents, complaining about the hardness of her life. She knew how her parents would respond—scolding or possibly even a beating—but she couldn’t hold her frustrations in.
Being the eldest in her family was a burden Naija resented. All throughout her childhood, she missed out on fun with friends, while she watched her siblings or worked in the fields. By the time she was 13 years old, Naija hated her life and felt unloved and uncared for.
Standing at the Crossroads of Love and Hate
School was Naija’s escape from family responsibilities. She started lying to her parents, saying she had to stay at school longer to work on projects, while she was really having fun with friends. She never thought of the moral implications of her actions. In fact, being unchurched, she never thought about spiritual things at all.
Then, one day, one of her classmates invited her to a Vacation Bible School organized by a congregation supported by Gospel for Asia (GFA). Naija was hesitant, but her friend pleaded until Naija finally gave in.
For three days, Naija sang songs that praised God and heard Bible stories about Jesus. It was a turning point in her life. Her encounters with the Word of God challenged her. Hearing teaching on the Bible for the first time, she was gripped by the message of love and forgiveness. She was excited by what she heard. Happiness bloomed in her heart.
After VBS ended, Naija continued to think about what she learned. She would hum the songs she learned as she went about her daily tasks. Her sadness about life gradually faded away. She began attending Sunday School at the church, stoking the flames started at VBS.
Forgiveness Replaces Bitterness After VBS / Sunday School
At Sunday School, Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported pastor Karmjit, who had also overseen the VBS Naija attended, saw the need to teach the teenagers more specifically. He started meeting with the teenagers of his congregation, helping them know the saving love of Jesus more clearly. During these meetings, Naija opened up about her struggles to the pastor, sharing how meaningless her life felt and how angry she was toward her parents. She felt they were ruining her life.
Through the insight of the Holy Spirit, Pastor Karmjit encouraged Naija to forgive her parents for the hurts she felt and to trust Jesus with her life. Naija recognized the damage unforgiveness had brought to her heart. Convicted within of her sin, she confessed to the Lord with a broken heart. Naija determined to forgive her parents just as God had forgiven her.
This caused a great change in Naija’s life. Joy flooded the deep places in her heart and overflowed to those around her.
Publicly demonstrating her faith in the Lord, Naija is now an active member of the local body of believers. She hopes the Lord will use her life to bring faith to her parents and siblings. Her dream is to one day worship together, side-by-side with those whom she once blamed—those whom she now lives with Christ’s love.
*Names of people and places may have been changed for privacy and security reasons. Images are Gospel for Asia stock photos used for representation purposes and are not the actual person/location, unless otherwise noted.
WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) – Discussing the millions of people who don’t have the ability to obtain health services, the need for medical camps around the world, and much more the need for the Great Healer.
Ahmed clutched his abdomen as the constant discomfort intensified. He wished for a doctor, but he knew the impossibility of such a costly appointment. He pushed through the pain again—as he had done many times during the past five months—and tried to keep going with life.
Not far away, Raizel leaned against the doorway to regain her balance and focus her eyes. It was hard work being a domestic servant all day, but she knew something internal must be causing her dizziness and eyesight problems. She couldn’t afford to quit working; her husband was gone, and there was no one else to provide for her three daughters. But she couldn’t afford to see a doctor either. All she could do was go back to work and hope the symptoms would go away on their own.
Treatment Unattainable for Millions
Ahmed and Raizel are just two among millions—even billions—who cannot access medical care when they need help. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Bank reports that “at least half of the world’s population cannot obtain essential health services.”
The cost of medication and professional care is far beyond the incomes of many farmers, daily laborers and tradesmen. Remote villages rarely have a medical facility in the area, which means families must also bear the expenses of traveling to the nearest hospital. Treatment is even further out of reach for the millions of people who live hand-to-mouth and survive by begging.
But sometimes a medical emergency arises. An accident on the road, a severe cut or a life-threatening illness may force families to go to a hospital. Once there, families rack up a large bill and must find a way to pay it or take out a loan from a moneylender.
WHO and the World Bank also state that,
“for almost 100 million people, these expenses are high enough to push them into extreme poverty, forcing them to survive on just $1.90 or less a day.”
Children must drop out of school and start working to help pay back that loan, or parents have to sell what little they have—even their homes or source of livelihood—leaving them in an even more desperate financial situation.
Staff at four Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported Bridge of Hope centers and local pastors in Ahmed and Raizel’s region saw families battling cases of typhoid, dengue and other viral fevers. This community desperately needed help—and through donations from GFA friends around the world, GFA-supported workers were empowered to help their community.
Free Medical Care Provided for Sickly Children, Parents
The Bridge of Hope staff and national missionaries involved in medical ministry began coordinating free medical camps for the children in their areas. Medical personnel from local hospitals were invited to give their expertise at the camps, and soon all the preparations were in order.
One day, 400 Bridge of Hope children in this area went home from their centers with precious news: All the students could come and get free checkups—and their parents could too!
Ahmed came to the camp with hundreds of others from his community and walked away carrying free medication for his stomach troubles.
“I am deeply thankful,” he said. “I was suffering with constant stomachache for the past five months. I did not have money to go to the hospital for checkups.”
Raizel, too, attended the medical camp and found help with her problems. Even though she was a widow—a population of society that is often rejected and believed to carry a curse that caused their husbands’ death—she found love and free care through Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported medical ministry.
“Due to my tight work [schedule] and insufficient money, I could not go for medical checkups in a hospital,” she shared. “But my daughters told me about the free medical camp and asked me to come for a checkup. Thus, I could get [an eye exam] and got an eyedrop for my eyes and vitamin tablets for my weakness in the body. Thank you very much for helping me to get this aid.”
GFA-supported Medical Camps Change Lives
Medical camps like the one organized for Ahmed and Raizel’s community treat many illnesses, such as diarrhea, eye diseases, anemia, yellow fever and stomach problems. To help combat malnutrition among children and pregnant women, vitamin tablets are often distributed as well. Educational classes or pamphlets are also provided to instruct families on basic—but often unknown—hygiene practices that will protect the families’ health for years to come.
Abbi, a 37-year-old mother of three daughters, attended a medical camp and received treatment for an illness she had fought for a long time. She also received helpful instructions for rehabilitating one of her daughter’s weak hands.
Through attending the camp, Abbi formed a friendship with a woman named Kanaka. Kanaka, who attended a local church, visited Abbi the following day to pray with her and encourage her from God’s Word. She knew in her heart that Jesus had heard and answered their prayers, and her faith in Christ budded.
Abbi began attending a prayer meeting at Kanaka’s home and found peace from her troubles.
“I could not have a peaceful sleep at night for the last 17 years,” she testified. “But after meeting Jesus, I am getting sound sleep because there is peace in my heart. I praise Jesus for this.”
Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported medical camps help individuals gain the health they need to positively affect their communities. Each camp may provide 200 to 1,000 people with free checkups and medicines—something many of them would never have been able to afford. And along with those free medical services comes another powerful gift: prayer.
Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported workers happily pray for any who requests prayer at a medical camp, and they speak words of kindness and truth into the lives of struggling families. Long after a bottle of medicine is gone, families can continue finding strength and hope from the Great Healer they heard about at the camp.
Through Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported medical camps, thousands of people have found solutions for their problems, both of body and spirit.
Madin finally had to leave. Being from the lowest class, he had suffered exploitation and mistreatment at the hands of his upper-class neighbors all his life. He couldn’t handle the abuse anymore. Seeking peace for his family, he knew they could no longer live in their village. In the face of such hardships, Madin moved his family to a big city, hoping for more opportunities in a place where class was not the sole identity of an individual. Having no connections, the harassed family moved to a large slum within an overcrowded city. All over the world, millions of disenfranchised people have ended up in similar slum dwellings. In 2017, about 900 million people lived in slums across the globe.
Hope Dawns in the Slum with Message of Acceptance
Madin worried about his children. He had escaped ridicule, but poverty had followed him. He seemed doomed to live as an outcast with his children inheriting his fate.
Then, one day, Madin heard about a God who loved him. Amaan, a first-year Bible college student, went to Madin’s slum to share about God’s great love and forgiveness of sins. As Amaan walked through the muddy, narrow lanes of the slums, his heart broke for the people living in these conditions. He wanted to help them any way he could to improve their lives. But what could he, a poor, Bible college student, do?
When Amaan met Madin, he shared God’s Word with this discouraged father. Madin listened attentively to the Bible college student share about the God who accepted them, even though they had always felt so worthless and disposable.
In Need of a Miracle
Amaan faithfully taught weekly literacy classes in the slum. One week, as he made his way to the slum, he passed by a mountain of garbage and found a small boy rolling in the refuse, covered in dirt.
Shocked, Amaan approached the boy and recognized Madin’s son, Savith. Amaan quickly found the boy’s parents to ask what happened. Madin shared how, a week before, Savith began acting strangely and kept wanting to go to the garbage pile. They realized he was being afflicted by an evil spirit, so Madin and Ramana took him to a religious leader to perform a sacrifice on behalf of their son. But Savith continued to get worse throughout the week.
His distraught parents didn’t know what to do. They couldn’t afford to take him to get medical attention. They hoped he would somehow heal on his own. Feeling helpless, Madin and Ramana left their son to roll in the garbage heaps.
Miracle Leads to Worshiping Community
Amaan moved closer to the flailing boy. He reached out his hands and offered a simple prayer to Jesus. Savith immediately sat up and looked at Amaan. Encouraged, Amaan talked to the boy, but Savith did not respond. Amaan prayed again, and the tormenting spirit left. Savith stood up, perfectly healthy.
“We prayed and went to the temple … but nothing happened to him,” the parents explained. “However, you have prayed, and this boy is healed now.” Seeing their beloved son restored filled Madin and Ramana with joy. They encouraged Amaan to visit them frequently.
Astonishment washed over Madin and Ramana. They did not know the power of God before that moment.
“We prayed and went to the temple … but nothing happened to him,” the parents explained. “However, you have prayed, and this boy is healed now.”
Seeing their beloved son restored filled Madin and Ramana with joy. They encouraged Amaan to visit them frequently.
“Our door is open for you all the time,” they told Amaan.
News of the little boy’s healing astounded many neighbors in the slum. Intrigued, many came to Madin’s house to hear Amaan share from God’s Word, and they learned more about this God who had shown Himself so powerful.
No longer rejected, Madin now knows acceptance from his Heavenly Father and the love of fellow worshipers—his new eternal family.
In 2018, residents in more than 900 slums heard about the love of Christ through Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported workers. Slum ministry is unique and requires creativity on the part of national workers. They meet people in desperate and sometimes life-threatening situations. These compassionate men and women seek to minister to people’s physical needs while also ministering to their spiritual needs.
As governments grapple with how to provide housing and services for the exploding populations in their cities, Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported workers are bringing hope today into the litter-strewn paths of hundreds of shantytowns across Asia. Thousands of people have found hope in Jesus for today and security for eternity.
WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) – Discussing what national workers do daily to spread God’s love across Asia. “They need to think about what is needed, not what is possible because possible can change. A major problem I see . . . is not having visionary leaders.” —R.D. Thulasiraj, Director of Operations, Aravind Eye Care System
Mr. Thulasirai’s sage observation, although having nothing directly to do with missions, might be worthy of our consideration of what it really means for indigenous, national workers to be supported by Gospel for Asia (GFA) and its generous donors.It is difficult for us to imagine the role of pastors and other national workers in Asia because we have not seen what they have seen, nor have we experienced what they have. One thing is for certain, these pastors and workers do not have the same routine that most Western pastors do.
Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported pastor Marty grew up in an Asian slum where, as a young boy, he often dug for food in the bottom of dirty garbage bins to avoid starvation. He describes life in the slums as a vicious, generation cycle.
Garbage litters the streets. Dirty drinking water and the absence of simple hygienic practices like hand-washing cause disease rates to soar. Prostitution, sex trafficking, and other crimes hold countless people in bondage with no escape.[1]
Now, Pastor Marty and his family minister to families in the slum where he was raised. One believer in his church said, “He is a great example for us as he represents Jesus. He does what Jesus would have done. Helping the poor and needy and loving people. He is always willing to help people.”
Another Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported pastor, Kanak, witnessed people in his village drinking from the same pond in which they bathed and washed their livestock and dirty dishes. He’s seen mothers unable to feed their children because they have no source of income. He ministers to children and adults who have no education. He works among people who barely have what they need to survive let alone prosper.
“When I see the condition of [these] people, their poverty, . . . it hurts me. It pains me to see them suffering. I wish I could bring changes in their lives.” —Pastor Kanak [2]
Like Pastor Marty, that’s exactly what he is doing. He spends time with the villagers and becomes acquainted with their struggles, assessing what would help them the most and show them Jesus’ love. These men, and multiple others like them, spend their days considering the needs of the people to whom they are called to serve.
They demonstrate spiritual leadership by “thinking about what is needed.” Because they understand the people’s needs, they are able to discern what they can do to help those individuals, families and villages according to what they need most.
If people need clean water, the pastors may arrange for the installation of Jesus Wells or distribution of BioSand water filters. If the people need education, national workers help establish Bridge of Hope centers for children and literacy classes for adults. If a rural household needs a source of income, they may arrange for the most appropriate farm animals for the individuals in need. In the slums, they may organize vocational classes to train women to generate income to provide for their families.
People with vision are those who see a need and then make every effort to meet that need. Vision in ministry is all about seeing the need, then doing something about it.
Once we see their needs and minister to them, they will already begin to see Christ in us.
To read more about these national workers, click on the their stories below:
October 11 has been set aside as the International Day of the Girl Child. According to the United Nations, 600 million adolescent girls will become adults over the next decade. More than 90 percent of those living in developing countries will end up working in the “informal sector,” where low or no pay, abuse and exploitation are common.
The International Day of the Girl Child was originated by PLAN International, then it was adopted by the UN in 2011 when the General Assembly approved Resolution 66/170. It documented that:
Half of all sexual assaults are committed against girls under 16
The International Day of the Girl Child focuses attention on the need to address the challenges girls face and to promote their right to a safe, educated and healthy life—not only during these critical formative years but also as they mature into women.
The generational poverty of their families has pinned many of them into a corner from which they have no means of escape. Others are barely surviving from day to day in areas decimated by armed conflict and widespread disease.
If their parents are not able to provide for their safety, security, and skill development, then who extricate them from that corner? The answer is clear. It must be up to the rest of us to do what we can.
Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported partners are committed to helping the millions of young girls across Asia, not only on International Day of the Girl Child but every day of the year.
Our field partners help underprivileged children reach their full potential by tutoring them. This complements their formal schooling and enables them to integrate with and flourish into mainstream schools. In addition, they provide the necessary school supplies their parents cannot afford.
From kindergarten through university, Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported partners help children excel in academics and grow in strength of character to fulfill their individual vocational callings and become successful global citizens. Their schools and institutes of higher education launch thousands of thriving students into the world’s workforce by combining a strong classroom education with positive, principle-based values. Many of our students are first-generation graduates.
Our partners give the children in the Bridge of Hope programs a daily meal, which is high in nutritional value that is essential to the child’s growth and health.
Our partners provide essential medical aid to treat these preventable illnesses and save their lives and teach them healthy habits that can last a lifetime.
The need is great, but it is not impossible. When people who love and care are willing to sacrifice for the sake of the children, changing their present circumstances and the potential for a better future is achievable.
Would you set aside some special time this October 11 to pray for those 600 million young girls and for Gospel for Asia (GFA) and other NGOs who are hard at work to minister to these young women and to transform their lives for the better?
Please continue reading here to learn how you can join us in providing a better hope and future for these precious children.
Click here, to read more posts on the impact of Bridge of Hope in the lives of children.
Click here, to read more blogs on Patheos from Gospel for Asia.