WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) – Discussing the life of Paden who, like many in the world, experience hardship and hopelessness, desperately needing the love of God in their lives.
When Paden turned 12, his life drastically changed. His father passed away, leaving Paden, his mother and his two younger siblings all alone. The responsibility of caring for the family fell to Paden. His childhood was over.
The Man of the House
Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported pastors minister to all who are in need, like Paden (not pictured).
After the passing of his father, Paden shouldered the burden of providing for his family. Leaving school, Paden got a job selling clothing. After a few years of diligent labor and the help of a friend, Paden had saved enough money to find work internationally. He hoped to better provide for his family—but Paden’s new income wasn’t enough. He returned home after four years abroad, got married and resumed work in his clothing business.
Paden and his family were staunch traditionalists, following rites and rituals customary to their beliefs. Their convictions were put to the test when multiple family members developed health issues. Paden spent so much money on medication and treatments that his business went bankrupt. On top of it all, Paden’s younger brother fell dreadfully ill, and doctors were unable to diagnose him.
Near the End
Paden’s life seemed to be collapsing around him, and he was on the edge of losing hope. When he was wondering how he could turn his life around, Paden met Marut, a fellow businessman—and a believer. Upon listening to Paden’s struggles, Marut offered the young man a booklet about the love of God. He also told Paden the story of how Christ had freed him from both physical and spiritual afflictions.
Marut’s testimony astonished Paden—here was an answer to all his problems. Thanking Marut, the young man returned home, contemplating all he had heard. Curiosity and desperation won, and Paden made his way to the local church.
The Power of the Love of God
At the church, Paden met Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported pastor Paul and shared with him his story, his struggles and his failures. Pastor Paul prayed for Paden, offering the young man encouragement and comfort. He also offered Paden a Bible, inviting him to take it home and read it.
As Paden read, his heart began to soar. God was the answer he needed! He began attending Pastor Paul’s church, and soon, Paden and his entire family came to understand the love of God for them. In addition, God blessed the young man and his family financially, restoring Paden’s business within one month!
Like Marut, Paden now has a testimony of his own—one of the transformative loves of God and blessing.
*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 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:
WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported national missionaries need us to stand beside them for enablement and empowerment, whether they serve in a slum, a remote mountain community or a village for outcasts.
Let’s think for a minute what enablement and empowerment mean and put them into perspective as they relate to Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported national missionaries.
Enablement
The root word in enablement is “able.” Enablement intrinsically refers to providing means or opportunity to make something possible or practicable. When people support or give to Gospel for Asia (GFA), they help GFA’s field partners provide the training, literature, equipment and living expenses to make their ministries possible and practicable.
Empowerment
We believe that empowerment is, by far, more important than enablement. Without empowerment, national missionaries would be ineffective representing Jesus to the thousands of people in Asia. Their ability to establish fellowships and transform communities would be severely hindered.
The root word in empowerment is “power.”
All the funding in the world cannot empower the work of national missionaries because their power must come from the Lord. But we can have a role in empowering them by praying for them, for the general needs of all of them as well as the particular needs of individual missionaries.
Many people perceive prayer only as talking to God. It is much more than that. Prayer is not our tool to tell the Lord what the national missionaries need. He already knows (see Matthew 6:32). Prayer is when we converse with (including listening to) the Almighty God. He has the authority and power over all His creation.
He is the one who makes all things possible by the power of His might. May we suggest that when we pray, we explicitly call upon Him to divinely empower these missionaries? Jesus modeled this when He taught His disciples to pray for His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Consider also that the Bible teaches us that the Lord has already blessed us with every spiritual blessing (see Ephesians 1:3).
Gospel for Asia (GFA) establishes a continuing communication link between supporters. Those communications are intended to provide that one-on-one empowering relationship attainable only through the power of prayer.
Gospel for Asia (GFA) also shares the common needs of national missionaries online as part of our monthly prayer focus. By keeping abreast of those needs, we can pray for empowerment for their various common needs. Currently, Gospel for Asia (GFA) is requesting prayer for
Personal devotion time for every national missionary
Boldness in the face of difficulty, opposition and persecution
Protection as they travel and work in challenging locations
Resolve, health and dedication of their families as they minister under difficult conditions
Fruit of their labors to become evident in the communities where they serve
Gospel for Asia (GFA) was established on the power of prayer. In Texas and in Asia, prayer is fundamental to all we do.
Wills Point, Texas – Gospel for Asia (GFA) – Discussing the importance of women national workers in Asia cannot be overemphasized. Millions of Asian women face unimaginable pain, misery and degradation.
In Acts chapter 16, the Apostle Paul tells of visiting the city of Philippi for a number of days. On a Saturday, he and those with him retired to a river bank where believers customarily gathered for Sabbath prayers.
It was there that he met Lydia, an entrepreneur (centuries before entrepreneur was even a word) from the city of Thyatira. Both Paul and Lydia were a long way from their respective homes. They were in Philippi, a city in Macedonia named for its former king Philip, the father of Alexander the Great. When Paul met Lydia, the city was under Roman rule and was, in fact, planned to be converted into a miniature version of Rome.
Thyatira, Lydia’s hometown and base of operations, was located in Asia Minor, nearly 600 miles away by land.
Lydia, like the Ethiopian eunuch, was a follower of the one true God, but she apparently was not yet aware that He had come in the flesh to redeem us. She and her husband opened their hearts to the Lord after listening to Paul. Not much else is said of her in the Bible except that Paul and Silas stayed at her house after their release from prison (Acts 16:40).
Lydia was revered in both Philippi and Thyatira. Some scholars believe that she and her husband may have been instrumental in establishing the body of believers that became the church in Thyatira to which Christ directed a communique in Revelation chapter 2. Their assumptions are based on the fact that Paul never visited the city, at least not that history records.
The point is that not only did Lydia become a follower of Jesus, but it is almost certain that she also became a missionary for Him in her homeland.
The Case for National Workers
One of the advantages of national workers, i.e., those who, rather than going to a foreign country, remain in place and share the love of Christ with their own people, is that they are not strangers to be scrutinized, but they are one with the people.
If that is true from a cultural perspective, would it not also be true from a gender perspective?
If Tibetans understand Tibetans better than a stranger could, would it not also be true that Tibetan women understand other Tibetan women even better than Tibetan men do? The same question applies within any cultural context in any country.
The Case for Women National Workers
With all of the study and research conducted over the centuries, no one understands women as well as other women. Many jokes have been made about it, unfortunately, usually to the denigration of either the men or the women.
The fact is that women who commit their lives to Christ have, among their many blessings, the ability to better communicate with and understand other women—their hopes and dreams and problems and pains.
The importance of women national workers in Asia cannot be overemphasized. Millions of Asian women face unimaginable pain, misery and degradation. Suicide death rates among young women in Asia are among the highest in the world, according to a study released September 1, 2018.
In some Asian cultures, only women can minister to other women. If a woman wants to share something on their heart with someone else, they will seek out another woman whom they hope will listen and empathize. GFA-supported women national workers commit to coming alongside other women, willing to listen, to pray and to help share their burdens, demonstrating the love of Jesus. Many women willingly inquire about Jesus and choose to embrace His love simply because of the dedication and commitment of women national workers.
Please prayerfully watch this brief video (2:46) and allow the Lord to touch your heart for the women of Asia and the Asian believers who are committed to sharing the peace, joy, love, and hope for which so many are seeking.
Gospel for Asia (GFA World), Wills Point, Texas – Discussing the purpose, passion and impact of National Missionaries.
Dr. KP Yohannan’s seminal book, Revelation in World Missions, may have been inspired in part by a recognition that the nations of the world were themselves facing major changes in the post-World War II era. Many nations, previously parts of global empires, were experiencing the early stages of independence. Independence is the favorite traveling companion of national identity.
Whenever or wherever one nation is subject to another there is always some measure of lost identity that accompanies the loss of governmental and economic control. This has been true through all of recorded history. Ruling governments, including the Greek and Roman empires, gave great priority to determine the appropriate form of governance that would be most tolerable by the local culture whilst maintaining control over them.
History also shows that no government has ever found a successful way of repressing national cultural identity because that identity screams for the freedom to be who we are meant to be.
Nonetheless, Yohannan’s national missionary vision was not inspired by the metamorphosis of the political and economic landscape. The vision was planted in his heart by the Lord Jesus Christ who understood the need for ministering to people within their identity more than any of us ever will. He not only knew it. He experienced it.
The Beloved Disciple, John, recorded that Jesus “came to His own, and His own did not receive Him” (John 1:11).
The Purpose of National Missionaries
The work of national missionaries reflects the purpose of Christ. He came to His own, the special people group He loved, chose to represent Him, and to whom He promised a Savior. The Old Testament is replete with descriptions of God’s love for His chosen people and of His covenant plans to bless them with abundant life.
His purpose was to reach out to the people He called His own and the apple of His eye. He was committed to fulfilling the promises He had made because they were His people.
It doesn’t matter who you are or where you are from, there is a unique bond between you and the people who are like you. This is especially true when we meet people of our same heritage, culture and national identity. We feel a special affinity. We share a cultural comfort zone. We can witness the effect of a microculture like sports. People wearing the regalia of their favorite athletic team are readily received by those who are adorned in a similar fashion. After all, they “are on the same team.”
Not to mention that they may be skeptical of anyone emblazoned with an opponent’s gear. “Whose side are you on, and what are you doing here?” flashes like a neon sign across their minds.
I believe that Revolution in World Missions was a result of our prayer-answering God directing a praying Indian man, showing him the best way to share His love with the people of South Asia over the ensuing decades would be through national missionaries. Missionaries who would go to their own just as Christ came to His own.
The Passion of National Missionaries
The downside of the story is that “His own did not receive Him.” But notice that did not delay or deter Him—because He loved them. He still does.
We want to be with those whom we love. We want to help them. We want to seek the best for them. We are willing to sacrifice for our own because we love them in a special way.
If the purpose is the engine that drives us, passion (love) is the oil that keeps that purpose running effectively—even when we are ignored, rejected or spurned.
Then there is the love of Jesus in us and flowing through us. His love is a relentless spring, flowing like a river, bringing eternal life to all who believe. We cannot contain it. We must share His love.
And with whom are we most likely to share it? With our own people. Those who are the closest to us and the most like us.
It is not economics or politics that make the national missionary concept so powerful. It is the passion that God built into us to reach out to our own people so that they, too, may possess and experience the eternal life with which we are blessed.
The Power of Prayer
If many of Jesus’ own rejected Him, it is reasonable to expect that not everyone will receive the love of Christ now. But it is also reasonable to expect that some will, and it is just as reasonable to expect that more people of those cultural backgrounds are likely to open their doors, their hearts and their minds to someone just like them.
Based on first impressions of other people usually being visual, a national missionary has a far better chance than a stranger from a different culture will have to engage in conversation. National missionaries often have an open door where strangers experience only a wall.
With such a fortuitous start, the major thing national missionaries need is prayer. This is probably where you thought I was going to say “funding” or “support.” Yes, those are important, but they are not even in the realm of the power of prayer.
It is prayer that started this endeavor of raising up and training national missionaries, and it is prayer that will continue to enable and empower them. Without prayer, funding and support are just money. The Lord doesn’t need money. He needs people with the purpose of ministering to others in His name, a passion for doing so, and prayer warriors who under-gird their work.
The idea of national missionaries is not a work of genius. It is a work of God. The God who has a purpose and a passion for all the people of His creation. GFA’s national missionaries are completing that purpose with a passion planted in their hearts by Jesus Christ Himself.
Please pray for the work of national missionaries. They have the privilege of sharing Jesus’ love in places where the doors are closed to others like us. Count it the honor that it is to pray together for them.
To learn more about the National Missionaries, visit this page on the GFA website.
To read more posts on Patheos on National Missionaries, go here.
Thousands of communities are tucked away in remote regions of Asia. In such places, chances to hear the story of Christ’s birth, death and resurrection can be very rare.
Beatings. Taunting words. Long days on the road. Late nights of traveling to pray for the sick. False accusations. Even imprisonment. If national missionaries know ministering to their people may cost them all this, how do they go on day after day? Why do they do it?
One reason missionaries continue to pour themselves out in service to God is because of people like Naitik. He was 80 years old before he ever heard the name of Jesus. National missionaries long for him to understand the love of God, whom they themselves love so much. Naitik is not alone—his story was like millions of others’ who live in remote places in Asia, where, so far, there’s been no mention of Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God.
Thousands of communities are tucked away in remote regions of Asia. In such places, chances to hear the story of Christ’s birth, death and resurrection can be very rare.
Naitik lived in an area where the people worshiped local deities and believed in witchcraft. Then one day Naitik’s relative introduced him to Gospel for Asia-supported pastor Udyan. During their conversation, Naitik heard for the very first time about Jesus and His sacrifice to save humanity. He became very interested to learn more about this love. Before Pastor Udyan left, he prayed for Naitik’s ailments, which included leg pain and poor eyesight, and encouraged the elderly man to trust Jesus to heal him.
The next morning, Naitik contacted Pastor Udyan and invited him to come to his home again for prayer. When the pastor arrived, the old man welcomed him and said: “I don’t know what is happening to me. I could not sleep properly last night. I felt like someone was talking to me. I want to know more about the Lord Jesus. Also, there is less pain in my leg after you prayed for me.”
As Naitik and his wife spoke with Pastor Udyan, they learned more about the love of God and decided they would go to church for Sunday worship. When they attended the service, they were further encouraged by Pastor Udyan as he taught from God’s Word.
Later, Naitik happily received a Bible from the pastor. In spite of his limited education and his poor eyesight, Naitik faithfully read the Bible, and to his surprise, the Lord restored his vision!
God’s Word has the power to transform lives, just like it did for Naitik.
Seeing God’s work in his life, Naitik asked Pastor Udyan to conduct prayer meetings at his house. During the first meeting, the couple learned the importance of prayer in a believer’s life when the Lord miraculously healed Naitik’s wife from a breathing problem! Experiencing the Lord’s kindness and grace led this dear old couple to put their trust in the Savior.
Naitik and his wife are very happy to know Jesus. They are even inviting their neighbors and friends to be part of the new fellowship that is gathering at their home. Naitik is reading his Bible faithfully, spending time in prayer and growing in his faith. He said, “Although I had spent my whole life in darkness, now I have found light in Jesus. He is really God. I want to live for Him for the rest of my life.”
How precious these words are of an old man who was able to meet one of God’s servants, hear about Jesus and be giventhe chance to respond to Christ’s love and sacrifice near the end of his life. Tragically, there are many people of Naitik’s generation who are going into eternity without ever meeting anyone who could point them to the Light of the World.
For many of them, time is running out fast. Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported workers minister in many countries where the average life expectance is only 66–75 years, according to the World Bank.
Through personal interaction with pastors and their wives, many people in Asia can hear about God’s mercy and compassion.
But the Lord has raised up Asian men and women who are ready—and eager—to go to their own people and be Christ’s hands and feet. Their limitations for ministry are minor compared to foreign missionaries. They know the intricacies of the culture or can adapt very quickly and well. As their neighbors watch their daily life, many discover for themselves that Jesus isn’t a foreign God, but is their own Creator and knows their every need.
As Christians, it is our privilege and instruction from the Lord to share the life-giving hope of Christ to the nations. National missionaries like Pastor Udyan and millions of other Christ followers know this, and they live with the daily reality of the cost of carrying out that directive. In writing about the persecuted church, Dr. KP Yohannan quotes Jeremy Weber of Christianity Today as saying “For the third year in a row, the modern persecution of Christians worldwide has hit another record high.”
Our brothers and sisters are paying a high price to obey Jesus’ words spoken on the shores of Galilee.
But they also experience the joy of seeing a spark gleam in a new believer’s eye when he understands for the first time that the God of the universe listens to their every prayer. They see the transformation that follows as addictions crumble and love enters families’ home life. They see how generosity and compassion changes a community.
Jesus Himself endured beatings, mockery, abuse and death to carry out God’s plan of redemption for the world. And His example strengthens each one of us who ministers for the sake of His name.
“. . . let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.” —Hebrews 12:1b–3
See the passion of National Missionaries:
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For more content on Patheos by Gospel for Asia (GFA), go here.
Do you remember what happened in your life on May 2, 2000? It was a Tuesday. It might not have been a significant day to you, but for Manja, a father of two in Nepal, that day changed his life and his family forever.
That was the day Manja landed in jail under false accusations of murder.
It started when Manja, a Gospel for Asia-supported missionary, joined a group of friends for an afternoon of fishing. Along the river, they discovered a body. They informed the police and filed a report. Everything seemed to be finished—until one month later when Manja was accused of committing the crime.
This is Manja. His Bible was his most treasured possession while in prison.
A Prisoner Missionary
Months of accusations, falsified evidence, betrayal, abuse and drawn out legal proceedings followed. Then the bars closed behind Manja with a sentence of 20 years imprisonment.
“When my husband was arrested and imprisoned for 20 years,” Rati, Manja’s wife shares, “it was as if my whole world had crumbled down.”
Manja and Rati were devastated by the verdict. But in the months and years to follow, they had a choice to make: Would they cling to God’s promises and believe in His goodness, or would they allow anger, bitterness and self-pity to control their hearts?
Both chose to put their faith in God.
Rati strengthened herself in the Lord and stepped up to shoulder the responsibilities of her imprisoned husband, raising their two children and continuing Manja’s ministry—even though she had never been to school in her life and was illiterate.
“I always underestimated myself,” Rati said, “but God encouraged me through many of the leaders, and they said that God could use me to accomplish His purposes.”
Gospel for Asia’s field partners came alongside Rati, helping her and encouraging her in any way they could as she braced herself for 20 years without her husband. She learned to read and even attended Bible college, while her husband, Manja, lived an exemplary life in his prison cell, honoring his Savior through his heart of forgiveness toward those who imprisoned him.
What Happened Inside the Walls
Manja gained strength whenever he knelt and prayed by the toilet, the only place he could be alone. He found opportunities to share God’s love with many inmates. As the new resident of the toughest “neighborhood” in his country, Manja brought something to the prison that no one expected: love.
Even while he faced emotional and physical hardships, Manja relied on his faith, something the other prisoners did not have.
“The inmates questioned me, ‘How could your God let this happen to you while you served Him?’ ” Manja remembers. “I told them that though injustice was served to me here, God knows me and my situation. He definitely has a better tomorrow.”
Prisoners started gravitating toward his unswerving faith.
“Even though we are imprisoned as criminals,” Manja told them, “God hears our prayers.” And God did hear. One of Manja’s fellow inmates asked for prayer for his wife, who was ill. From within their cell, they prayed, and they soon heard that she had been healed.
Slowly, Manja’s time with the Lord became small gatherings of five, then 10, then 15 believers. And as his trustworthy reputation grew, officials gave him responsibilities—and with them, the chance to minister to more of the inmates. His good behavior also shortened his sentence by one month every year.
“I was assigned to count the prisoners in their cells every evening,” he says. “I was in charge of 150 prisoners. With different temperaments and attitudes, there were many prisoners who fought. But I mediated with love, and they never raised a finger against me.”
Manja remained faithful and ministered to the inmates within his prison. He is pictured here at his release with a young man who found Christ through his prison ministry.
He even had opportunities to work in the prison school and hospital. There, he met hundreds of men who were paying the price for their crimes. The news of Jesus’ love and forgiveness meant that in prison, these men found a pardon that set them freer than if they had been released.
“Even though I was in jail, God worked in me and through me!” Manja rejoices.
He was also well-known as someone who would listen and help with many problems, and this even helped protect his life.
“In 2006, there was a revolt within the prison,” Manja remembers.
While the world read of Nepal’s dethroned king and the new democracy, prisoners decided that their jail terms should be forgiven.
“Revolting prisoners fought each other; they would come at night and smash the heads of other prisoners sleeping next to me,” he recalls.
But God protected His servant, and Manja was never injured.
Prayers from Around the World
Throughout Brother Manja’s journey of arrest and imprisonment, Gospel for Asia staff around the world, supporters and prayer partners faithfully prayed for him and his family.
One staff member from Gospel for Asia U.S. office recalls, “One thing I’ll never forget about those years is the incredible number of faithful believers, from all corners of the nation, that would ask me how [Manja] was doing. Even during periods where his situation wasn’t prominent in our news, so many individuals continued to consistently pray and even fast for him and his family.”
Manja and Rati later testified of the effect of those global prayers.
“While I was in prison,” Manja shared, “guests used to visit me once in a while. Our Metropolitan, Dr. KP Yohannan, Auntie Gisela [K.P.’s wife] . . . they came to visit me and hug me and tell me that I am not alone, there are believers in several places, several countries that are praying for me. … Because of their prayers, my family and me, we were safe in God’s hands. … Because of their prayer, I was able to live a life of sincerity and faithfulness in the prison.”
Rati said, “It was only because of prayers of Christians around the world that I was able to do ministry and helped my children grow in a godly manner.”
Overwhelming joy and thankfulness to God was exhibited by Manja’s family upon his release. His son was only 5 years old and his daughter was 2 years old when he was arrested.
Freedom
At last, hopeful news came. A number of prisoners’ sentences were being reduced by half, and Manja would soon be free. After nine years behind bars, Manja walked out of the prison a free man.
Almost in disbelief, Rati laid traditional flower garlands around her husband’s neck to honor him and welcome him home. Manja embraced his son, who had grown taller than him. At home, everyone celebrated, catching up on more than nine years apart. His daughter, 2 years old when he was jailed, made tea for her daddy.
After all that happened, Manja looked forward to continuing his ministry on both sides of the prison door. He wanted to make sure the believers still in confinement weren’t left alone.
“Had I lost hope, my life would have been ruined,” he explained. “I did not allow anything to quench the fire of hope.”
Nearly a decade has passed since Manja was released, and he continues to share the hope he has in Christ that sustained him through years of injustice. During Nepal’s devastating earthquakes in 2015, he and other Gospel for Asia-supported workers actively provided relief supplies and prayed for survivors. His story is not finished yet.
Keep Praying
I chose to share Brother Manja’s story with you today because it is a major testimony of answered prayer in Gospel for Asia history. His story shows the determination of those who are following Christ and serving in Asia. It shows the power of love and united prayer.
On the day Manja was arrested, I would have been at a Gospel for Asia Tuesday night prayer meeting with other Gospel for Asia staff and their families. It was probably a good day for me—it was even my birthday—but that day was a day of grief for his family. Yet God was with both of us. He can rejoice with those who rejoice while also comforting those who mourn.
I remember praying for Manja later and other imprisoned missionaries. I remember the shock of hearing, after already praying so much for his release, that Manja’s trial had finally taken place and he had a 20-year sentence. We kept praying. It seemed he would be released, and then our hopes were dashed. Again and again. For years. Then suddenly we heard he was free! All those years of prayer were answered. It honestly felt strange to no longer need to pray for his release, it had been part of my life for so long.
With our headlines screaming about one disaster after another—fires in the California hills, hurricanes, flooding, drought and warming seas rising—and with the increasing incidents of gun violence here in the States and of terrorism activating itself in the Middle East, the near East and in Europe, it is easy to forget there is good news happening beyond this barrage of warnings, distress signals and red flags flying.
One of the great news notices a majority of people have missed is that the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced in March 2016 that in the last 30 years, extreme poverty around the world has been reduced by half. This information was based on a United Nations assessment following its goal-setting at the dawn of the new millennium: to eradicate poverty by 2030.
This initiative was included in what was titled The Millennium Development Goals, which included eight international goals for the year 2015 that had been established following the Millennium Summit of the United Nations 2000. Among the goals were:
To eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
To achieve universal primary education
To promote gender equality and empower women
To reduce child mortality, etc.
Some critics have complained of a lack of thorough scientific analysis behind the millennial sustainable goals and its recently announced outcomes. Questions have risen about the justification for some of the analysis behind chosen objectives. Even deciding what comprises a poverty level baseline is difficult (right now it is those who earn less than the equivalent of $1.90 U.S. per day).
All experts on the topic know that whatever true success has been achieved (the World Bank, according to its studies, feels that the statistical results are even better than those announced by the United Nations), the situation of the marginally poor, those rising out of extreme poverty, is still fragile. War lords can tip one country, such as South Sudan, into starvation. Climate change, for instance, is thought to be able to plunge those with marginal economic achievements back into dire need.
The point of this good news, however, despite these considerations, is that the war on world poverty has succeeded beyond any one of the expert’s dreams. The big question for those of faith is: How do faith-based organizations (FBOs) fit into helping decrease the levels of poverty around the world? The presence of mission organizations and Christian relief and development NGOs literally span the world and can be found on every continent and in the majority of developing countries. Or perhaps, the question should be: Do they even count in this grand scheme of eradicating world poverty?
While attending the Global Missions Health Conference that convenes yearly in Nashville, Tennessee, I bumped into a gentleman, a medical doctor, who has vast experience in world health efforts. We talked about the Millennial Goals and I asked him my question: How do faith-based organizations contribute to the amazing statistics that are developing out of these worldwide initiatives? Do they? And if they do, what measurements show their contributions?
He smiled, took out a business card and wrote some notes on the back, directing me to a section of the World Health Organization’s website. “When you get time, look at this,” he told me. “Several years back, WHO did a study of faith-based organizations during the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa. Their conclusions were amazing.”
On arriving home, I went web-searching and found a 33-page report based on extensive research observation, followed by another three pages of resources (some 113 in all), which gave strong evidence that faith-based organizations in relationship to health endeavors were invaluable and should be included in the overall joint partnership efforts that were outlined in the Millennial Goals. Included are just a few quotable assessments out of the broad study:
FBOs are significant health care providers in the developing world.
FBO health projects are often independently funded and do not, in general, receive an adequate proportion of public funds distribution.
Compassion is the primary value underlying major religious systems.
Many religious traditions are characterized by a focus on healing: “A primary focus of religious expectations in the 21st century is the multidimensional longing for healing of body and mind, of soul and spirit, of personal and social relations, of political and ecological dimensions in this broken world.”
The extensive evaluation offers suggestions for improvement—mostly in outcomes reporting, data collection, and the opening of dialogues between the public sector and faith-supported initiatives. One concluding section, however, begins with the statement, “Evidence suggests that FBOs already offer tangible value by:
Delivering services that supplement government offerings
Bringing external resources from a range of donors
Arising within religious and cultural loyalties of the local communities they serve
Being numerous and, on the whole, more integrated with the communities they serve
Connecting into associated services that are considered valuable within primary health care strategies.”
The end result of this extensive study was the recommendation by the World Health Organization that religious entities already on the ground and substantively rooted in their communities are ideally placed, perhaps even more so than many in the international aid systems, to bring a holistic (or some would call it an integral) approach to humans who suffer from the effects of dire and marginal poverty. After all, how many aid organizations are truly equipped to serve the whole person—body and mind, soul and spirit? Which of them show a multi-dimensional longing for the healing of personal and social relations, of political and ecological dimensions in this broken world?
This blog is dedicated to the exceptional work being done by one of those faith-based organizations, Gospel for Asia, which specializes in bringing the awareness of God’s love through an emphasis that is community grounded, understands the religious and cultural loyalties of the places and people they serve, and literally employs tens of thousands of financially underwritten or volunteer workers to help eradicate poverty, but in a way that ministers to the whole person, body and mind and soul and spirit.
Here are a couple ways GFA-supported workers are helping eradicate poverty:
Romila’s Story
This is Romila with her husband and child.
A plumber by trade, Romila’s husband, Taraswin, worked faithfully to provide for his wife and little baby girl. However, no matter how hard he tried, he struggled to find work. Day by day they were sinking financially. A friend directed Taraswin to a job opportunity in another village. Believing this would help change things, they moved to start afresh.
But work was inconsistent, and this new job soon proved to be of no help to their financial state. As monthly rent drained their income, things did not look bright.
Then, one day, they were chatting with their neighbor, and he introduced Taraswin and Romila to his friend, a Gospel for Asia-supported pastor named Rochan. As Pastor Rochan struck up a conversation with the couple, they began to open up about their struggles. When Pastor Rochan walked away, he felt compelled to do everything he could to help this family.
Three weeks later, he invited Taraswin and Romila to a Christmas gift distribution program. Romila could hardly believe her eyes when she received her sewing machine.
“I was really longing for a machine,” Romila recalls. “I have no words to express my feelings and thanks to the church.”
Now Romila can help provide for her family by sewing clothes from her home. The hopelessness which hung over Romila and Taraswin lifted, as they now can easily pay for their rent with plenty left over for additional expenses.
Dhansukh’s Story
Daily life was a struggle for Dhansukh and his family. Because Dhansukh had difficulty walking, he couldn’t work as a daily wage laborer, which is a common job for many people in Asia. Instead, Dhansukh provided for his family by selling vegetables.
But after some time, Dhansukh’s business began running into the ground. Fewer people made purchases, and the vegetables that remained started to rot. Dhansukh tried all he could to save money and make up for the lack. He took his children out of the private school they were attending and sent them to a public school instead. He asked his brothers and his sister for hand-me-downs for his children.
But even as he cut down on expenses left and right, eventually the vegetable-seller could no longer afford to buy fresh vegetables to feed his family. The meals they would eat in one day became fewer and fewer.
In the middle of the family’s crisis, Gospel for Asia-supported pastor Vismay came to buy vegetables one day. Dhansukh told Pastor Vismay about his business troubles and asked him to pray for him.
Pastor Vismay kept Dhansukh’s prayer request in mind, and God eventually provided an opportunity for him to help Dhansukh’s family practically by giving him two female goats at a Christmas gift distribution.
These gifts impacted Dhansukh in a special way: As he witnessed firsthand the Lord’s power to answer prayers, he realized God loved him and Jesus’ followers cared about him. And now, with the income these goats will provide, Dhansukh will be able to take care of his family.
This is Dhansukh with his goat that was given to him by a Gospel for Asia-supported pastor. The goat ended up multiplying!
The help this faith-based organization provided went beyond just material provision, as you can see from Romila’s and Dhansukh’s testimonies. It ministered to their soul and spirit as they understood how much they were loved by God and His people.
Often secular skeptics involved in international development look askance at those who work in faith-based missions around the world. The evidence being gathered, however, by objective outside observers seems to be producing a body of proof that some of the front-line participants in the change that is occurring in the eradication of poverty is being carried out by the unsung, unrecognized, diligent, altruistic people who love God and whose lives are driven by that love manifested as it is in concern and care for the downtrodden and the forgotten, for the abused and the neglected of the earth. Of this, those of us in faith-based communities have nothing to be ashamed.
I personally stand in awe of many of my brothers and sisters worldwide, some close friends, many of whom put their lives on the line every day, who have little thought of personal success or notoriety, who have shunned financial security and through a dogged kind of compassion serve God. One day in time, we will know what all they have done toward this remarkable goal of eradicating extreme poverty worldwide.
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Click here, to read more blogs on Patheos from Gospel for Asia.
For those of us who love words—and for whom numbers are a kind of ugly stepbrother—the data, nevertheless, often speaks for itself. In some parts of India, for instance, the ratio of 1,000 men per 800 women is due to routine female murders through infanticide, gender-based abortion, the dowry system where some 10,000 women are murdered annually when they cannot provide the required capitol for marriage, or/and the lack of proper medical care. In 2013, mortality rates of Indian women in childbirth were 167 per 100,000 births, contrasted with only 25.5 deaths in the United States.
The statistics, those “pesky” numbers, go on and on. Without a doubt, they prove that in much of the developing world, women are still considered a sub-species. Yet, numbers can summate the other way; they can become numerical digits of hope, the mathematical consequences of surveys and thousands of interviews, and the scientific measurements of outcomes—indices that prove that dire poverty is being overcome in much of the world, and the status of women and girls worldwide is improving.
Indeed, one of the surprising statistics, welcomed by those who believe in the potential of girls and women, is that the countries that educate their female population see a consequent rise in their national economic well-being, the GDP. Educated women raise healthier children, find ways of increasing family incomes, then spend some 90 percent of that income on their family’s well-being.
According to the World Bank, the return on one year of secondary education for one girl correlates with as high as a 25 percent increase in wages later in life. A class of educated girls achieving a grade-school education will naturally reduce poverty, not only in their own families but in their whole communities. Send the girls to school! The numbers testify to the outcomes.
According to the United Nations, this day, October 15, has been set aside as the International Day of Rural Women. Women account for a substantial proportion of the agricultural labor force, comprising some 43 percent of it; yet, they still bear responsibility for most of the household and family burdens and are increasingly carrying extra burdens, as men travel to areas where job possibilities are more promising.
Yet in much of the world, even in those countries which have been upgraded from developing to developed status, rural women still suffer from multi-dimensional poverty. Due to discriminatory policies, women farmers have less access than men to land rights that secure ownership, to agricultural education and training, to loans and financing, to water and other sources of energy, to new and helpful technologies, to exposure that introduces agriculture that is climate resilient, and to creating communities that are prepared to respond to disasters such as drought or flooding.
The good news is that conditions of extreme poverty are decreasing in much of the world, the bad news is that some 1 billion people who continue to live in unacceptable levels of poverty are heavily concentrated in rural areas. The estimates by the folk who study these kinds of indicators are that if women in dire-poverty areas found the gender gap closed regarding land tenure and access to other assets now available to men, the agricultural outputs in any given geography could increase by as much as 20 percent.
The really good news, however, is the Good News—a message that teaches that all are created equal in the sight of God, made in His image, and cherished by Him.
Gospel for Asia has established a remarkable emphasis on training and reaching women suffering from discrimination and gender stigmatization. This is being accomplished through its Women Reaching Women program.
Women missionaries—who already live in Asia, have mastered the language, understand the cultural barriers and taboos that keep women from progressing, and who themselves have been prepared by going through Bible college—are taking the love of Jesus to other women who are beginning to understand that in His eyes there is no such thing as second-class, under-class or any kind of human sub-species.
They’re also helping start initiatives that will bring rural women out of poverty.
More than 80,000 women in Asia are enrolled in a microfinance system administered by GFA field partners. Women learn to support themselves and their families through start-up gifts, such as micro-loans, brooding hens, farm animals or sewing machines.
I’ve shared a lot of numbers with you throughout this post even though I’m one of those persons who loves words. So now I’d like to switch gears and tell you a story.
Last year, Gospel for Asia (GFA) shared a story in their GFA World magazine about a woman named Aaheli who took on what some called a “risky venture.” With the help of a microfinance program supported by GFA field partners, Aaheli and group of women bought a plot a land and cultivated it to grow tapioca. Through this, they were given a chance to break free from the cycle of poverty. Here is a little more of their story:
Lives of Pathetic Conditions
Aaheli, just like her four companions, desperately wanted a new beginning for her family. She joined her husband in bringing income to the household in hopes that by doing so, her children would get a quality education. She dreamed of giving her children a good future.
Every day she visited nearby families, asking if there was any work that needed to be done. She’d clean their houses and wash their dishes if it meant getting a few more rupees in her hands at the end of the day.
It was the same for Suchi, except she just wanted to make sure she could feed her child. She’d see other parents able to afford good food for their children; then she’d look at her own life. There were times when the electricity was shut off to her home because the bills weren’t paid.
Then Aaheli and Suchi heard about a microfinance program in their area. The program, which operates under Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported Women’s Fellowship, has helped more than 80,000 women overcome poverty by providing loans that will help them start their own businesses.
Maybe this was the way to their dreams.
Aaheli (second from right) and three other ladies who joined her in her “risky venture.”
Becoming Part of the Program
Aaheli and Suchi applied. The microfinance program had strict qualifications: Each woman had to have a clean reputation, an entrepreneurial mind and a good history of borrowing money.
Women would form local “units” and attend weekly meetings that would help them learn more about owning their own businesses, time management and being good financial stewards. It would also be a time when they could discuss ideas and fellowship with one another.
Aaheli and Suchi ended up in the same unit.
Fighting Discouragement
As Aaheli, Suchi and the other unit members grew together, Aaheli suggested they buy a field. They could plant tapioca, yams, bananas, and then sell their produce. Suchi and three others joined Aaheli.
When they presented the idea to their husbands, however, they received scoffing.
“It will collapse,” their husbands would say. “Don’t get involved in such kind of activities.”
The constant discouragement dampened the women’s hopes. “We have other options. Shall we start a tailoring unit? It will be better,” some of the women suggested.
But Aaheli refused to be brought down.
“We can do this one,” she said.
Their unit leaders also encouraged them, but more importantly, their leaders prayed for them—and they felt God’s power in those prayers. Whenever the women gathered for their weekly meetings, they gained confidence and learned to trust Jesus in all things.
More Than Economical Help
With the women’s hearts encouraged, they moved forward. They bought their field, and an excitement at the new venture filled the women. Then they began working the land. That was difficult.
Handling the spades and other tools took effort. They came home with aching bodies and blistered hands, and they cried. But they didn’t give up. Every day, they’d walk to the field and ignore the remarks of men who thought them too feeble to work a field.
Fruition of Their Dreams
Aaheli looked at the field they had bought. It had taken some months, but trees had sprouted. She pressed her bare feet into the dirt and dug her wooden-handled spade into the ground.
Every stroke revealed months of labor and hope. She cleared more dirt away then lifted a cluster of tapioca plant from the earth.
Their labor was not in vain. What they had planted had brought forth life and with it the ability to take care of their families.
Aaheli’s story is representative of 80,000 women who are finding new ways to overcome poverty—now that’s a nice number to see. Even though numbers to my brain are often a puzzlement, I know that sometimes numbers are important. Numbers show what difference is being made worldwide. Numbers can identify the plight of women in impoverished communities. They can also be harbingers of good things that are happening—like for the 79,999 other Aahelis throughout Asia.
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Click here, to read more blogs on Patheos from Gospel for Asia.
Since 1979, Gospel for Asia (now GFA World) has been committed to serving the “least of these” in Asia, often in places where no one else is serving, so they can experience the love of God for the first time. GFA supports national workers serving as the hands and feet of Christ in four main ways. Sponsoring national missionaries to minister to people’s needs, sponsoring children, investing in community development, and helping families in need of care or during disasters.
Gospel for Asia is about changing communities—both for this life and for eternity. We serve the Lord in more than a dozen Asian nations including India, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Laos, and Thailand. We have also recently launched our first-ever Mission in Africa, particularly in Rwanda.
Programs
National missionaries
GFA’s main focus is to train and equip national missionaries who come from different cultures and languages rather than nation-states. This selection provides GFA with people within a single nation-state who are specialized in the particular village that they are ministering to. Some of these missionaries actually belong to these villages which makes it easier for them to share the love of Christ. In 2018 GFA reported that they have over 16,000 missionaries and church planters in 18 Asian nations.
Church buildings, Bibles, and gospel literature
Part of GFA’s program for discipleship is the establishment of Christian worship centers in small villages. These centers also provide a visible meeting place for Christians. In major cities, GFA builds large cathedral-type buildings to cater to bigger congregations. Similarly, GFA distributes native-language bibles and evangelical Christian literature to the region.
Radio and television broadcasts
GFA provides biblical content through its radio program, Athmeeya Yathra (Spiritual Journey) and its YouTube channel, Athmeeyayathra Television.
Bible colleges
GFA has established 56 bible colleges in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Sri Lanka. These institutions train native missionaries within their own dialects and cultures so that they will be effective ministers. The program includes three years of instruction, including field instruction and experience.
Bridge of Hope
Bridge of Hope is a child sponsorship program for poor families in underserved communities, especially lower-caste families and Dalits. The program offers education, physical and spiritual care, including healthcare training and vocational training for women.
Wells
This is a Jesus Well in a remote village in Asia.
In response to water shortage problems in communities, GFA digs wells for long-term use near churches, bible colleges, or Bridge of Hope centers. These wells are turned over to the local church and are maintained by a local pastor.
Leprosy Ministry
This ministry is also called “Reaching Friends Ministry” to help people suffering from the disease through social and relief work, medical aid, and health and hygiene awareness.
Expansion to Africa
In 2020, GFA started World Child Sponsorship in the slums of Kigali, the capital of Rwanda. It also include training national missionaries, clean water projects, medical ministry, education for the underprivileged, women’s empowerment, and community development projects.
Affiliate Offices
GFA has or had 14 known affiliated LLCs registered in Willis Point, TX as well as national offices in various countries in which they operate mission efforts.
Believers Eastern Church
Believers Eastern Church is administratively based in the state of Kerala in southwestern India. It was reorganizd in 2015 into 33 dioceses. Its membership includes over 3.5 million people in 10 countries speaking a hundred languages. The Church currently has 30 Bishops, and the current Metropolitan Bishop is Athanasius Yohan I.
GFA Canada
The GFA Canada office is registered with the Canadian government. It was established in 1986 and is located in Ontario. As a charity office, it provides disaster relief among other humanitarian efforts to communities.
History
Dr. K.P. Yohannan founded Gospel for Asia as a Christian NGO in 1978. In the US, the organization is located in Wills Point, TX. In 1981, a branch was established in Kerala, India. Another headquarters was set up in Tiruvalla in 1983. GFA has also established bible colleges, compassion and community development projects, and disaster relief operations. GFA is supported by donations and has been considered to be “one of the most financially powerful mission undertakings in India in the 1980s.”
Controversies
In 2014, a group of over 10 former Gospel for Asia staff members called the GFA Diaspora wrote two letters. While their concerns were mostly regarding GFA leadership,[44] they were also concerned for GFA’s donors. More info about this is provided here.
What Others Are Saying About Gospel for Asia
George Verwer shares why he stands with Gospel for Asia
“Gospel for Asia is not a movement but a phenomenon. GFA has become one of the most significant mission organizations of this century.
“I praise God for the great love and commitment of K.P. and Gisela Yohannan for the people of Asia. Millions have received the Word of God because of them and the ministry of Gospel for Asia.”
—George Verwer, founder of Operation Mobilization and world missions advocate
Ajith Fernando, teaching director of Sri Lanka’s Youth for Christ
“I am grateful for the training that Gospel for Asia has given to many evangelists who are effectively reaping the ripe harvest fields of Sri Lanka.”
—Ajith Fernando, teaching director of Youth for Christ in Sri Lanka
Paul Louis Cole, president of Christian Men’s Network
“Dr. K.P. Yohannan is a missionary statesman, a pastor to pastors, a mission leader to mission leaders, and a father to the fatherless. At Christian Men’s Network, we look for deserving men around the world to highlight as role models for our Global Fatherhood Initiative. My introduction to Dr. Yohannan was reading Against the Wind, Finishing Well in a World of Compromise, which stirred me deeply. In a unanimous decision, the CMN board presented Dr. Yohannan with the first annual Reggie White Fatherhood Award, to honor his demonstration for over 40 years of what it means to be a father by providing leadership to compassionate workers of faith and hope to the defeated.”
—Rev. Paul Louis Cole, D.Th., president of Christian Men’s Network
Francis Chan, pastor and author
“K.P. has been a mentor to me for years. The way that he speaks to God and about Him is different from anyone else I know. His words and actions have led to me loving Jesus more consistently and deeply. He continues to be an example to me. For this, I am eternally grateful.”
Gospel for Asia is also a community inspiring others in the West to be committed to Christ
GFA’s first Core Value is knowing the Lord Jesus more fully and intimately. This value is lived out daily by GFA staff and since its inception; GFA has provided ways for people to live out their commitment to Christ.
GFA School of Discipleship in Texas
GFA created an immersive, authentic discipleship program for youth ages 18 – 27. Daily students are challenged to “die to yourself” while living in a community of believers who love Christ and serve others.
The foundation of GFA’s ministry is prayer. We know nothing is accomplished without prayer, and therefore, we give it a place of priority. GFA-supported missionaries and GFA staff around the world pray consistently and with great fervor for those who have yet to comprehend the depth of God’s love and grace.
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