WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World) founded by K.P. Yohannan, has been the model for numerous charities like Gospel for Asia Canada, to help the poor and deprived worldwide – Discussing the GFA Church and Gospel For Asia Sisters of Compassion that launched slum ministry to bring help and compassion to those in need.
Slum life is very difficult. But because of the Sisters of Compassion, individuals who would normally go without, like the children pictured, have access to health and hygiene supplies, vitamin supplements, and proper nutrition.
People living in slums often struggle to find food and maintain good health. Most of the men are daily laborers, making just enough money to survive, and many wrestle with alcohol and drug addictions. Children often endure illiteracy and malnourishment.
The millions of people residing in slums are at greater risk for starvation and disease.[1] Many of these individuals do not receive proper care, nutrition or attention. But through ministries like Gospel for Asia (GFA), such people are treated as what they are: beloved children of God.
Nourishment for the Needy
One day, a local Gospel for Asia (GFA) church and Sisters of Compassion organized a special program to distribute food packets and vitamin supplements to 500 slum residents in the area. This event was the start of GFA’s slum ministry in this area, enabling both current and future residents to have access to essential health and hygiene supplies and loving, supportive friends. Special guests such as Pabla, a local official, and Dr. Abelard, an orthopedic surgeon and medical school professor, provided advice, prayer and encouragement before the distribution.
Seeing the compassion and care emanating from those leading the event, Pabla said, “The heartbeat of the church is similar to our government for the welfare of the state.”
Dr. Abelard provided health and hygiene tips, which brought much joy and excitement to the attendees.
In addition to receiving food packets and vitamin-A supplements, attendees also received the invaluable gifts of compassion and kindness. Quanah, a lame man who attended the event, expressed his heartfelt gratitude for the Sisters of Compassion and the care they showed him and the other people living in the slum.
“This is the first time I have experienced the love of people in my life,” Quanah said. “Now I understand that there are people who love the poor and needy.”
Many others voiced their thankfulness and asked for prayer.
Through events like these, as well as everyday love and care, the Sisters of Compassion are helping some of the most downtrodden people. And for individuals living in the slums, a caring word and compassionate friend are just as nourishing and needed as food packets and vitamin supplements.
*Names of people and places may have been changed for privacy and security reasons. Images are Gospel for Asia World stock photos used for representation purposes and are not the actual person/location, unless otherwise noted.
Learn more about the Sisters of Compassion – those who are specially trained woman missionary with a deep burden for showing Christ’s love by physically serving the needy, underprivileged and poor.
Learn more about the need for slum ministry, uplifting the lives of slum dwellers. Gospel for Asia began supporting ministry in the slums in 1999. Through this work, many people have found hope and strength in God.
WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World) founded by K.P. Yohannan, has been the model for numerous charities like Gospel for Asia Canada – Discussing leprosy, the struggle and stigma, and World Leprosy Day, and the Gospel for Asia medical center organized to spread healing and hope.
A patient visits a doctor during a medical treatment camp held to commemorate World Leprosy Day.
World Leprosy Day is commemorated each year on the last Sunday of January. The aim of the observance day is to raise awareness about leprosy (also known as Hansen’s disease) and its cure. For many Gospel for Asia workers and pastors, the day is also an opportunity to show God’s love and care to people who are often marginalized by society.
Leprosy Colonies Honored with Medical Care
In one region, a Gospel for Asia (GFA) medical center organized a medical treatment camp in honor of World Leprosy Day. Two doctors provided free check-ups, medicine and other medical attention to men, women and children living with leprosy and battling other illnesses. Throughout the day, the medical center provided treatment to 140 people, all at no cost to the patients.
In addition, several Gospel for Asia (GFA) pastors and their local fellowships of believers observed World Leprosy Day by providing clothing items for six different groups of people living with leprosy. In total, they provided leprosy colony residents with 600 warm blankets, 100 night dresses and 600 lungis (a traditional garment worn primarily by men resembling a tubular-shaped skirt).
This simple act of kindness made a significant impact on people struggling with leprosy. One woman explained how she never imagined God would rescue her from her misery, but He did.
Families living in a leprosy colony rejoice after receiving blankets and clothing items in honor of World Leprosy Day.
“When there was no bed… hospital authorities released me from the hospital. I was not able to take care of my body because I lost all my fingers,” she described.
“One day, when I was counting my days on the earth, God opened the way [for me to stay alive] through a Gospel for Asia (GFA) leprosy worker who used to come and clean my wounds and gave me the love of God and care. Now, I am completely cured by the grace of God and the unique help of [the church].”
Families living in a leprosy colony rejoice after receiving blankets and clothing items in honor of World Leprosy Day.
Shared Meal Touches Hearts
In a different region, Gospel for Asia (GFA) pastor Ladan and a group of believers prepared for World Leprosy Day a year in advance. During a prayer meeting, Pastor Ladan developed a great passion for sharing the love of God with the poor in his community. He shared this desire with the group.
They began to save money throughout the year in order to bless the poor with clothes and shoes. Once they collected a sizable sum, they shared their idea with local store owners, who then sold clothes and shoes to the believers at a discounted price. The team was ready to bless the poor in their community just in time for their World Leprosy Day program.
The program included a special delivery of the recently purchased goods to a nearby leprosy colony where 120 families lived. Pastor Ladan and the believers distributed two clothing items and a pair of shoes to each person. They also sang songs and shared that Jesus not only loves the sick, but He also can heal them. The believers took time to talk and pray with those battling leprosy.
Afterward, the team cooked a meal and ate with the families living in the colony. The patients were especially touched when the group of believers shared a meal with them.
A supervisor in the leprosy colony explained that groups would come and offer gifts to the patients, but when this group of believers came, it was “the first time people came and ate with us.”
One of the patients in the colony described the impact of the visit.
“When I was infected by leprosy, I was even rejected by my own family, and they began to hate me,” he said. “You are a stranger to me; however, you came and showed your kindness to us.”
Although leprosy often carries a stigma that keeps those carrying the disease isolated from family and community, World Leprosy Day gives an opportunity to spread healing and hope. Leprosy—and loneliness—can be cured. Gospel for Asia (GFA) medical camps, pastors and other national workers offer an answer for both.
*Names of people and places may have been changed for privacy and security reasons. Images are Gospel for Asia stock photos used for representation purposes and are not the actual person/location, unless otherwise noted.
WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World and affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada, founded by KP Yohannan), one of the world’s biggest poverty-alleviating organizations spotlights the huge “uphill battle” facing many of the world’s 258 million widows in a just-released report.
Treatment of widows is often startlingly unfair and cruel, catapulting them into a crisis of survival, says the new global report by Texas-based Gospel for Asia (GFA World).
‘SHUNNED AND SHAMED’: Treatment of widows is often startlingly unfair and cruel, catapulting them into a crisis of survival, says a new global report by Texas-based mission agency Gospel for Asia (GFA World). Titled Widows Often Face Uphill Battle, the report examines the different struggles faced by widows in the U.S., Africa, and Asia.
Those struggles include battles over widows’ benefits in America, being stripped of homes and possessions in Africa, and the practice of shunning and shaming in Asia.
“In some Asian cultures, when a woman’s husband dies, she’s often stripped of her dignity, her worth, and her human rights,” said Dr. K.P. Yohannan, founder of Gospel for Asia (GFA World). “Many widows are deprived of their home, their property, and their possessions, leaving them destitute.”
In parts of Asia, many young widows face sexual harassment and abuse, often turning to begging or prostitution to survive.
Widows in some cultures are viewed with suspicion and disgust — sometimes even branded as witches or blamed for their husband’s death and shut out of community life.
‘Excluded and Invisible’
“Cultural shame and prejudice often render widows excluded and invisible,” said KP Yohannan, whose faith-based organization supports 40 local Sisters of Compassion teams helping widows across Asia. GFA World’s support includes vocational training for widows and giving them opportunity to take part in income-generating activities, such as sewing.
These GFA World teams of visiting women provide emotional and spiritual support, praying with widows in their homes and showing them they’re not alone.
Asia, the world’s biggest continent, has an estimated 57 million widows — roughly equivalent to the populations of California and Florida combined. “On the surface, this seems like an overwhelming uphill battle,” said KP Yohannan, “but every time a widow receives help and encouragement, we rejoice.”
Supporting the grassroots efforts of local churches in cities and rural villages, GFA World aims to “show the love of God” to outcast widows who’ve known only rejection.
“The Apostle James told us in his epistle that true religion is to care for orphans and widows in their distress,” KP Yohannan said. “The challenge facing the church around the world today is to not just read the Bible, but to do what is written in it.”
Gospel for Asia (GFA World) is a leading faith-based mission agency, helping national workers bring vital assistance and spiritual hope to millions across Asia, especially to those who have yet to hear about the love of God. In GFA’s latest yearly report, this included more than 70,000 sponsored children, free medical camps conducted in more than 1,200 villages and remote communities, over 4,800 clean water wells drilled, over 12,000 water filters installed, income-generating Christmas gifts for more than 260,000 needy families, and spiritual teaching available in 110 languages in 14 nations through radio ministry. For all the latest news, visit our Press Room at https://press.gfa.org/news.
WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World and affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada) founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan – Discussing Sundar, blind at birth, obscure and impoverished, the sufferings his family experienced, and the calling and life of a Gospel for Asia Missionary in the grace and love of God.
O
ne chilly Tuesday, a blind baby boy was born into an impoverished, illiterate family in a remote village tucked into the foothills of the Himalayas. The parents loved their little boy and named him Sundar.
The small family had love, but little else. Debalal, Sundar’s father, had partial paralysis but was still able to work as a day laborer collecting wood to sell. To help make ends meet, Sundar’s mother also worked. Much of their income went to medical treatments for Sundar, but the little boy’s world remained shrouded in darkness.
Sundar grew up in this small mud-wall hut with no expectations but to live and die in obscurity.
Neighbors looked on Sundar’s family with dismay, counting the family’s poverty, the father’s lameness and the son’s blindness as hardships too difficult to endure.
“Sundar will never receive sight. He is a burden for you,” they said. “Take him and throw him into the river instead of facing so many problems in life.”
“Take him and throw him into the river instead of facing so many problems in life.”
Debalal and his wife ignored the ill advice and continued to care for their son. But young Sundar began to believe what he had heard his neighbors say about him, especially when he saw his parents’ sorrow.
A little brother soon joined Sundar. The family of four eked out what life they could, faithfully worshiping their traditional deities.
Struggling through life, the family could not foresee the joy waiting just ahead.
7-year-old Sundar Experiences a Miracle, Family Transforms
One day, after Debalal spoke to Gospel for Asia (GFA) pastor Tuhinsurra, 7-year-old Sundar listened intently as his father told him about a Man who could make his eyes better. Excitement, fear and incredulity wrestled in the boy’s heart.
Desperate to provide his son with healing, Debalal brought his family to church. After each service, warm, gentle hands crowned Sundar’s head as Pastor Tuhinsurra asked a Man named Jesus to bring light to Sundar’s eyes.
Soon, God answered their prayers, and Sundar saw the face of his loving parents for the first time.
When the pastor of this church shared Jesus with Debalal, Sundar’s father, it brought an unknown happiness and healing to the entire family.
After this miracle, the entire family began worshiping Jesus at the local church. Sundar’s father shared the testimony of his son to their neighbors, who began asking him to pray for their needs. Four years later, God also healed Debalal from his lameness. He became a church deacon, and the poor, illiterate man once considered cursed became a pillar of godliness in the community.
Sundar’s family reveled in unfettered happiness. God had done so much for them. A newfound hope kindled in Debalal’s heart—a hope that his sons would surpass him in every way.
Father Martyred When Praying for Sick Man
Sundar’s father, Debalal
Since Pastor Tuhinsurra lived in another village and oversaw multiple congregations in surrounding towns, Debalal did a lot of the day-to-day work of answering calls for prayer and visiting believers for encouragement. Everyone knew they could call Debalal to help them and he would, often with his wife and sons accompanying him.
A local man, who was in immense pain due to disfiguring burns on his face, frequently called Sundar’s father to pray for him; it was the only time the man experienced relief.
One night, this man begged Debalal to come to his house to pray for him, even though he had already prayed for him twice that day. Reluctantly, Debalal climbed out of bed.
In the man’s little hut, shrouded by deep night, Sundar’s father knelt to pray. As Debalal closed his eyes, the disfigured man took out a knife and brought it down on the back of Debalal’s exposed neck.
News of Debalal’s death spread throughout the village, and old, familiar taunts swirled around Sundar’s mother and her sons: This family was cursed. Fear began to consume Sundar.
After Sundar’s father was killed while praying for a neighbor, their pastor sat with the family in their grief, offering comfort, counsel and practical help.
Pastor Tuhinsurra, who had worked closely with his father, sat with the family in their grief. The comfort he offered from God’s Word was the comfort he needed too.
As the community reeled in the wake of such violence, neighbors talked of sending Sundar away to work to support his family. How else would the family survive now?
But Pastor Tuhinsurra helped the family pick up the pieces of their lives, and he sensed the Lord had a different plan for Sundar.
“After I knew my father had gone to be with the Lord, there was uncertainty in front of me and I feared,” Sundar recalls. “Now who will take care of us? Who will I call father?”
Crossroads Leads to Spiritual Transformation
His father’s death was a turning point in Sundar’s life. Under the patient loving guidance of Gospel for Asia missionary Pastor Kanish, Sundar found peace in Christ.
Sundar’s pastor encouraged the young man to stay with his ministry leader, Gospel for Asia (GFA) missionary pastor Kanish, while Sundar wrestled with his future.
Pastor Kanish and his wife welcomed Sundar into their home and showed him to his room, their eyes shimmering with compassion and concern. Their home was a refuge to help Sundar figure out what to do next and process the death of his father, free from community pressure and taunts.
Sundar’s days took on the structure of the household: mornings filled with family prayers, followed by breakfast and study; afternoons and evenings busy with ministry activities. Kanish guided Sundar, teaching him to trust the Lord.
Despite the miraculous healings in his family and years of listening to his father share God’s Word, Sundar had not yet decided for himself what he would do about the message of God’s love.
His father’s death jarred Sundar out of his indecision, setting a crossroads before him. He knew he must either walk away or put his faith in Jesus. It was time to decide.
“During that time, I did not understand anything, and I was so discouraged,” Sundar remembers.
In hindsight, he recognizes this as a turning point in his life: “Through this incident, my life was changed. There and then I believed in Jesus Christ as my personal Savior and Lord.”
Pastor Kanish, who teaches at the nearby Bible college, welcomed Sundar into his home as a son, caring for the fatherless young man. Kanish taught Sundar how to read and write and how to pray and seek the Lord. It was under Kanish’s roof that Sundar committed his life to the Lord.
The three months Sundar stayed with Kanish’s family were vital to his personal and spiritual foundation. Seeing Sundar’s lack of education, Pastor Kanish taught him how to read and write using the Bible. Sundar wrote out the first five books of the Bible and read aloud the book of Proverbs each day. As Sundar grew in his literacy skills, he also absorbed spiritual lessons. He was grateful to have a mentor to help him through the dark valley of his father’s death.
“Pastor Kanish really encouraged me from the Word of God and helped me pray,” Sundar says. “Because of his motivation and encouragement, I have been strong in the Lord and I am growing in the Lord.”
Now empowered by the Holy Spirit, Sundar was like a sponge, soaking up the everything he was taught. Pastor Kanish gave him more and more responsibilities as he saw Sundar rising to every challenge.
“This boy was very keen and very mature in understanding,” Pastor Kanish remembers. “We have our cottage meetings four days a week, so I used to take him … and encouraged him to lead the worship service. … He was very faithful.”
Sundar devoured the Bible during this time, letting the comforting words of God wash over his hurting heart. He found solace, love and purpose in the rich, living words.
Sundar began to focus his prayers on the future.
Called by God to Forgive His Father’s Murderer
God’s forgiveness continued to work in Sundar’s heart. As he thought about the call to extend to others the same forgiveness he had experienced, there was one face that rose from the mist of memory, a face that was scarred and contorted in pain, the face of the man who had delivered his father’s death blow. Sundar knew he had to forgive his father’s murderer.
Relinquishing his desire for vengeance, Sundar prayed for this man and felt a supernatural love dislodge his hate. In this one act of trading self-focused retaliation for others-focused transformation, Sundar took a huge leap in his spiritual journey.
“Please pray for the person, Kumar, who murdered my father,” Sundar urges while sharing his prayer requests with other believers. “Even though he is in jail, I pray that his heart will be changed. Please join with me in prayer that he may receive the Lord.”
As Sundar’s love for Kumar grew, it opened the door of his heart to love anyone. Kumar needed Jesus, just as Sundar had. So did thousands of others in villages scattered across his beloved country. God was calling Sundar to be a missionary, answering the cherished wish of his father’s heart.
Sundar enrolled in Bible college, putting his new literacy skills to work. He also developed a heart to share the Good News with people who did not yet know about Jesus.
Sundar spent the next three years in Bible college. He thought about his father often during this time, about his father’s sacrifice. His father had given everything to Jesus, including his very life.
“During [that time] I read Matthew 5:10: ‘Blessed is the man who is persecuted,’” Sundar recalls. “That greatly encouraged me.”
A passion to see lives transformed by Jesus grew in Sundar as he realized how many men, women, boys and girls had yet to hear about the Savior’s love. Visions of villages tucked into the ripples and folds of the Himalayan foothills, each a replica of his own hometown, deepened Sundar’s determination to serve the Lord as a missionary.
The idea that he, who was born blind, impoverished and obscure, could make a difference in people’s lives seemed incredible. But he would dedicate his life to that very end.
“There are so many people in the world, people are perishing … without Jesus,” Sundar says. “So, my vision is … to preach the [Good News] to those people who have never heard.”
Gospel for Asia Missionary Ministry Grows in Answer to Prayer
Sundar is able to travel to many different villages in the area he serves thanks to the bicycle he has been equipped with.
The area God called Sundar to work in has many villages dotting the hilly terrain, where rivers of melted snow cut gouges into the landscape before winding their way to the plains, where rural inhabitants cultivate the land. Millions of people live in these villages scattered across hundreds of miles.
After graduation, Sundar moved to one of these little villages, more than 100 miles west of his hometown, but in landscape, climate and culture, it could have been the town next door. He met people who looked and talked just like him. They ate the same food as him, and he understood the struggles of their lives.
There was no church in the village; his ministry started from scratch. The years at his father’s side, under Pastor Kanish’s mentorship and in Bible college had all prepared Sundar for this time. The Lord had called him; now it was time to get to work.
This area was ready to receive God’s Word, like a fertile field, tilled and waiting for seed to be planted.
In his first year, Sundar saw the Lord work in amazing ways. Fifteen people came to know the love of Christ because of Sundar’s faithful testimony and prayers, and a prayer fellowship started. Seeing this fruit, Sundar was confident the Lord would grow them into a thriving church.
Many other villages nearby also needed to hear the message of God’s love. Sundar prayed God would provide him a bicycle so he could visit more communities and expand his ministry. Within a year, God answered his prayers and the radius of Sundar’s influence stretched many more miles.
“I was really lacking a bicycle for my ministry and other works,” Sundar shares. “I was praying to God for a new bicycle, and God answered my prayers.”
Through the efforts of Sundar and the many other Gospel for Asia missionaries serving in the region, 42 new villages heard the Good News, thousands of tracts were distributed, and hundreds of people experienced Christ’s forgiveness in 2019.
Sundar continues to serve the Lord in the remote foothills of the Himalayas. He pedals to surrounding villages, making sure everyone knows about the Savior who died for them, and he is no longer alone in his work. Sundar is married and has a daughter; the family serves the Lord together. The memories of his father and his mentor inspire and encourage Sundar, spurring him on in ministry.
As Sundar is only a recent graduate, most of his ministry is still before him. But God promises that those who lose their lives for Him shall find life. The boy born blind, obscure and impoverished has found his calling and life in the grace and love of God.
God Calls Workers and Supporters
God is raising up men and women in nations where the greatest concentration of people who have not yet heard the Good News live, and He is calling them to display His love to their own people. These Gospel for Asia national missionary are able to minster in ways that many other cannot. They’ve struggled and lived through common hardships of people in their communities, such as poverty, discrimination and lack of opportunities. Yet they’ve seen God intervene in these struggles, often in miraculous ways, and have discovered alternative paths of joy and freedom. Like Sundar, they’re eager to share the hope they found in Christ with their neighbors.
We can empower their ministries through our prayers, through our giving and through our faith, becoming true partners in the work. No one can serve God alone. Every Gospel for Asia national missionary need brothers and sisters who will pray with them, rejoice with them and provide for them.
Sundar’s supporters will share in the fruit of his ministry.
There are many national missionaries in need of support. Become a partner in their ministries today, and see the fruit in eternity.
*Names of people and places may have been changed for privacy and security reasons. Images are GFA stock photos used for representation purposes and are not the actual person/location, unless otherwise noted.
WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World and affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada) founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan – Discussing Shahryar and his family, the limitations of illiteracy, the debt and poverty, and the answered prayers through Gospel for Asia gift distribution of a goat.
What benefits do goats possess? Many, as a matter of fact. Just one goat can provide milk to sell or drink, and its offspring can be sold for extra money. One goat is all it can take to lift a family out of poverty; one goat is all it took to bless Shahryar and his family.
A Struggling Family
Shahryar and his wife, Aaida, are both illiterate. As a result, the scope of jobs they could take was limited. After working day-to-day odd jobs, Shahryar found work at a gas station while Aaida worked as a daily laborer. The money they earned was still not enough to pay for their two children’s school fees and their daily needs. Shahryar and Aaida borrowed money many times but found themselves unable to pay it back. They sunk deeper and deeper into debt, not knowing how or if they could escape.
Some years earlier, Shahryar and Aaida came to know of Christ’s unfailing love for them. The couple regularly participated in services at a church led by a GFA pastor. The believers continuously prayed for Shahryar and Aaida, lifting up their situation. By the grace of God, those prayers were answered.
A Gospel for Asia Gift on Four Legs: a Goat
Through an organized gift distribution, the church blessed Shahryar and Aaida with a goat! By providing a steady stream of income through its milk and offspring, this goat would bring help in their time of need. Shahryar and Aaida took the goat home and began taking care of it.
*Names of people and places may have been changed for privacy and security reasons. Images are GFA stock photos used for representation purposes and are not the actual person/location, unless otherwise noted.
Madchen wasn’t earning enough as a laborer. As hard as she tried, the mother of two couldn’t meet the needs of her family. Madchen struggled to provide for her sons and fix their home—all of which she did alone.
Like this family, Madchen was blessed with a sewing machine so she can earn more income.
Providing for Her Family
Madchen’s husband had passed away years ago, leaving her to provide for their two sons alone. Whatever work she could find, Madchen took, but her earnings were only enough for the bare essentials. Providing her family with any nutritious food or making sure they could get medical treatments when needed were out of the question.
By the grace of God, a Christian family hired Madchen after noticing her plight and offered to help the struggling widow. Now, Madchen was able to raise her sons and provide for their basic needs.
“Do not worry, just believe in God,” the family said, encouraging Madchen. “He will provide all your needs.”
Madchen saw the love of God through the family’s loving words and their provision. Their example of God’s love for the poor and weary touched the widow’s heart—God knows her troubles and sees her burdens. Madchen embraced that love, fully accepting it into her heart.
Given a Sewing Machine, a Future
As the years passed and Madchen’s sons grew older, their needs grew too. Madchen found her finances stretched thin as she raised her sons to adulthood, even with the extra help she received. The widow looked for additional ways to earn money, but no other avenue appeared.
By divine providence, Gospel for Asia (GFA)Sisters of Compassion happened to meet Madchen. After talking to her, the sisters discovered Madchen could sew clothes. They took this knowledge back to their leaders and continued to minister to Madchen.
Sometime later, Madchen received a sewing machine. Finally, after 26 years of struggling to earn a livable wage, this gift will allow Madchen to earn enough money as neighbors, friends or others in the community take their sewing needs to the widowed mother. Additionally, Madchen can teach her daughter-in-law to sew, which will offer additional income to the 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 World and affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada) founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan – Discussing Suhana, a victim of child marriage, the desperate need for clean water, extreme poverty, illiteracy, and the Gospel for Asia provided Jesus Well that brought stability and hope for a future.
Nine-year-old Suhana stood in her bridal dress, her childish face masked under heavy kohl eye liner, and the red powder on her forehead signaling her entrance into the adult rite of marriage. Her young husband, closer to adulthood than herself, placed a floral garland around her neck. After the ceremony, Suhana moved to her husband’s village, where another newcomer had arrived just a couple years before her—a Jesus Well.
Harmful Customs Sustained by Need to Survive
Suhana
Suhana’s people lived in rural forests, mountains and valleys where they practiced the same traditional way of life for thousands of years. Predominantly farmers, they cultivated their land to produce rice, vegetables and cotton, which were their main economic resources.
The goal for these farmers was simple and straightforward: survive. But there were many obstacles to overcome. Ponds, which irrigated the fields and provided water for households, dried up during the summer and were reduced to mud holes. Sometimes the area experienced droughts so severe entire villages had to relocate, leaving behind anything they could not carry and becoming poorer in the process.
The need for clean water is not unique to Suhana’s people; it is an urgent issue for 783 million people worldwide.
The lack of fundamental needs, such as water, traps many communities into a life dedicated to obtaining basic necessities. Initiating community development projects, like drilling wells or educating children, are unattainable luxuries for many families. The effects of poverty are especially strong on young girls, who are not seen as able to contribute to the family’s survival—and are subsequently married off at a very young age, making them the in-law’s responsibility to support.
783 million people worldwide don’t have clean water
Open sources of water quickly become polluted when hundreds of families use them for everything from washing clothes and watering animals to cooking and bathing.
Suhana established herself in her new community and joined the other wives in daily visits to the well. She balanced water jugs on her head as she carried back clean water for cooking the family meals.
When the Jesus Well came, everyone rejoiced in the immediate benefits, but the long-term benefits had not yet been imagined.
Suhana visits with a neighbor while she gives her cow a drink of water at the Jesus Well. This well, located a stone’s throw from Suhana’s home, was constructed shortly before she arrived in the village as a young wife.
Consistent Water a Stabilizing Influence
Within a year of becoming a wife, Suhana became a mother, and then quickly had two more children in the next few years. She worked hard on her daily household chores and earned extra income doing manual labor at construction sites working with bricks, sand and cement. Her husband worked as a painter, and they both cultivated their land to feed their growing family.
The Jesus Well assisted Suhana in almost every task, from watering her crops and animals to washing dishes and cooking food. Since the Jesus Well was nearby, Suhana did not have to spend extra time hauling water back and forth from a distant water source.
With their basic needs taken care of, Suhana could send her children to school rather than to the fields or to earn money as daily laborers.
The Jesus Well blessed more than just Suhana’s family. People from all over the village came to the Jesus Well every day. During summer droughts, the Jesus Well faithfully poured out clean, pure water, attracting people from other villages whose water supplies had dried up. Even with the additional burden of more people drawing water, the Jesus Well flowed continually, giving life to Suhana’s community and many others.
Suhana uses water from the Jesus Well for almost all of her household tasks, like preparing a meal for her family. The Jesus Well has eliminated the water crisis in Suhana’s village and brought stability to the residents’ daily life.
“This Jesus Well water is more than sufficient for the entire village and also for some neighboring villages,” shares Suhana. “It never dries up during summer, whereas many other water sources dry up. The more we draw water out of this well, the cleaner and purer the water comes out. Everybody comes here and takes water every day, and good water keeps coming out of this well. Everybody is satisfied with the water.”
Village Steadily Transforms
As years went by, Suhana’s children grew and so did the community’s dependence on the Jesus Well. With a reliable source of pure water, children weren’t as sick and missed fewer school days. People could grow their crops and did not have to leave their homes looking for water, and children didn’t need to help their parents earn money.
Eventually, a girls’ school was built nearby, and the daughters of the village attended school instead of preparing for marriage at a young age. Each day on their breaks, students would come to the Jesus Well for drinks and to play and laugh in the cool water.
Suhana and the Jesus Well have lived in this village for almost 20 years now. They have both become part of the fabric of the community.
A local Gospel for Asia (GFA) pastor, whose church building is located next to the Jesus Well, shared the impact this gift has made in the community.
“I feel very happy to know that this is one of the first Jesus Wells…” — the local pastor
“I feel very happy to know that this is one of the first Jesus Wells,” the pastor said. “It’s not easy to have a well maintained for this many years; because anybody can install a well, but maintaining it for almost [20] years, where it still gives clean and good drinking water, it is not easy. That makes me very proud and happy, and I am so glad that this well is [by] our church.”
The Jesus Well has brought stability and health to this village and surrounding villages, serving hundreds of families, including Suhana’s, whose children now have the option of continuing their education and no longer have to give up their dreams in exchange for the daily struggle to survive.
Over its 20-year life, this Jesus Well has served hundreds of people thousands of gallons of pure clean water.
Each person that comes to well is presented with the Scripture declaring Christ as the Living Water: “Jesus answered and said to her: ‘Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”—John 4:13–14
You can help bring relief to an entire community through a gift towards a Jesus Well, establishing a legacy of God’s love and goodness for hundreds of people.
Jesus Wells are a wise investment and we keep the costs low too. For only $45, you can provide clean water for up to nine people for around 20 years. See more ways to provide clean water »
*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.
Murali and Tulika faced poverty every day. When they started attending a fellowship led by a Gospel for Asia (GFA) pastor, Tulika was able to sign up for a tailoring class at the church. Unfortunately, the only sewing machine she could find didn’t work properly. She prayed God would provide a better one, one she could actually use – a prayer God answered through friends of Gospel for Asia.
In the meantime, Murali’s father, Kaditula, became paralyzed. Kaditula couldn’t leave his bed so Murali, the family’s only breadwinner, became his full-time caretaker. At the time, Tulika had just begun sewing clothes for her family and neighbors. With her new sewing machine, she was able to make a moderate income to help sustain her family.
Over time, things improved for the family. Although Kaditula is still physically weak, he can now move his hands and sit by himself. Murali found work as a security guard in an office building.
“At present, [my wife] is not fully involved in tailoring work,” Murali said. “But by the grace of the Lord, she is helpful to the family. Now she can meet her needs.”
*Names of people and places may have been changed for privacy and security reasons. Images are Gospel for Asia stock photos used for representation purposes and are not the actual person/location, unless otherwise noted.
WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World and affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada) founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan – Discussing Matali, the many visits of miscarriages hindering motherhood, and the hope and answered prayers through Gospel for Asia Sisters of Compassion.
Matali’s hand unconsciously lingered over her flat belly, and tears that were eager to be her morning companion sprang up. Two white saris flitted by outside, catching Matali’s eye. She pushed back her dark thoughts and opened her door to follow the women she watched every day.
Miscarriage’s Many Visits to Matali
Matali met two of these Sisters of Compassion while they bought milk from her next-door neighbor, and their friendship grew during Matali’s darkest days.
Matali had arrived in this village two years previously as a new bride. She was determined to make a comfortable home for her husband, Ayush, who worked hard every day at a factory manufacturing medication.
What should have been two blissful years of newlywed joy for Matali and Ayush was marked instead by sorrow and grief. Matali became pregnant very quickly, but before she completed the first trimester, Matali lost her baby. Two more pregnancies and two more miscarriages dismayed the young bride who longed to be a mother. Matali wanted to bring joy into her husband’s life, but it seemed all they had was grief.
Ayush worried for his wife and sought medical treatment for her, trusting doctors to diagnose and treat the cause of Matali’s miscarriages. Both Ayush’s and Matali’s parents offered sacrifices and prayed to their gods for the blessing of a child, but neither medical help nor religious activities enabled Matali to carry a baby to full term.
During this time, two women bought milk every day from Matali’s neighbor. At first Matali didn’t think anything about the women passing her home, but their simple white dresses stood out, contrasting with the typical fashion of bold, colorful prints. Matali became intrigued by the two women who appeared young, serene and set apart somehow.
One day, Matali went out and talked with the women and learned they were Gospel for Asia (GFA) Sisters of Compassion who served Jesus.
The sisters began to visit with Matali when they came to buy milk, and the women became friends. Soon they learned about Matali’s heartache and encouraged her to trust in Jesus, the living God who rose from the dead. Surely, He could cause life to spring up in Matali’s womb.
Gospel for Asia Sisters of Compassion help Hope to Blossom in Matali’s Heart
Accepting the sisters’ invitation, Matali and Ayush visited the nearby church led by one of our pastors Sachitan. The couple shared with the pastor their intent in visiting his church: They wanted a baby and hoped Jesus would do something. Pastor Sachitan and the other believers gathered around Matali and Ayush and prayed for them, asking God to bless the young couple with a baby.
The next month, Matali knew she was pregnant again.
Fear and joy wrestled in her heart. As the first trimester progressed, Matali noticed a difference between this pregnancy and her others. Hope would rise in Matali’s heart, but then memories of what had happened in the past would send that hope scattering into the wind.
By the beginning of the second trimester, Matali and Ayush’s faith in Jesus grew with the baby in her belly. She did not have any of the complications of the previous pregnancies, and the couple knew Jesus had answered their prayers.
Ayush’s mother came to stay with Matali to take care of her, and she started going to the church with her son and daughter-in-law. Matali’s pregnancy continued normally, causing all three to praise Jesus for His miraculous gift of life.
Matali, Ayush and Ayush’s mother pray and fellowship with the Sisters of Compassion every Wednesday. There is hope and excitement in the group as Matali’s fourth pregnancy continues free of her previous troubles.
New Life for the Entire Family
Matali, Ayush and Ayush’s mother pray and fellowship with the Sisters of Compassion every Wednesday. There is hope and excitement in the group as Matali’s fourth pregnancy continues free of her previous troubles.
Matali’s life was so different than it used to be. She no longer worried about her baby—she knew Jesus was watching over the life developing within her. The Sisters of Compassion came to Matali’s home every Wednesday for prayer and fellowship. The sisters presented Matali and Ayush with a gift to celebrate their growing family: a Bible. Ayush read it every morning before going to work and each night before bed.
Now, Matali, Ayush and his mother faithfully worship Jesus every Sunday, and all three plan to testify to their new faith.
Matali praises God for her struggles, which led her family to know Jesus. When her baby is born, the child will grow up knowing Jesus his or her whole life. Matali’s pain and sorrow have given way to contentment and anticipation of good things in the future.
*Names of people and places may have been changed for privacy and security reasons. Images are Gospel for Asia stock photos used for representation purposes and are not the actual person/location, unless otherwise noted.
WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World and affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada) founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan – Discussing the difficulties to reach villages with the Gospel, whether because of location, tradition, illiteracy, and the transformative impact Gospel for Asia (GFA) film team ministry bring to the mission field.
Paritosh excitedly sat down with his wife and other members of his community. They were about to enjoy a special treat that evening: a movie.
As the film progressed, however, Paritosh’s mood changed from that of seeking entertainment to one of deep contemplation. This movie was not what he expected, but he was far from disappointed.
When Pastor Biswas (left) and Paritosh (right) first met, Paritosh had little interest in the God Pastor Biswas loved and served. Years later, however, that changed when Paritosh attended a film show.
Unwanted Hope
Paritosh had heard of Jesus before. Our pastor in his area, Biswas, had first come to Paritosh’s village more than 12 years earlier and brought news of Jesus to Paritosh’s community. Even so, Paritosh had no interest in Jesus and didn’t understand the significance of His life.
Paritosh’s reaction to Pastor Biswas’s ministry was typical in his region. The majority of people in his mountainous area either ignored what workers like Pastor Biswas shared or responded with firm—sometimes forceful—rebukes. Pieces of literature about Christ frequently ended up as torn fragments on the ground, and bruises marked the bodies of many who tried to help villagers learn about Jesus. Traditions ran deep, and these communities wanted nothing that their ancestors didn’t have, especially regarding whom they worshiped. Some villages were so determined to keep themselves at status quo that any outsiders were required to obtain permission to even enter their area.
“The ministry here … is not easy,” Pastor Biswas says. “An ordinary person without a deep commitment to serve the Lord cannot come here and stay and do ministry.”
In addition to villagers’ resistance to Christ, he names other challenges to ministry: extreme winter cold, lack of electricity, high living costs, very few roads, forests filled with bears and tigers, low literacy rates and homes scattered across far distances.
In the midst of these obstacles, Pastor Biswas and other Gospel for Asia (GFA) workers cry out to God to enable them to serve and love the communities and people who, at the moment, do not especially want them around.
Understanding Grows Through Films
Since 1988, dedicated national workers have traveled as film teams to remote regions to share special movies with communities. These culturally relevant films help people in all walks of life grasp the greatness of God’s gift through Christ.
As an answer to those prayers, God sent small groups of men and women to this region—our film team that were ready to help communities understand, through movies, the truth of who Jesus is.
When one such team came to Pastor Biswas’s area, they worked together to organize a special movie night for Paritosh’s village.
“In most of the remote villages, there are no other means of entertainment like television and other things,” Pastor Biswas explains. “When there is a film show, people are interested, and they come.”
After obtaining permission from local authorities, Pastor Biswas and the film team members announced the details of the event to the community. They set up their projector screen and prepared for the sunset event.
Paritosh and the others watching the film saw Jesus in a new way that night. After years of disinterest in Christ, Paritosh finally understood what Jesus did for him.
“It really touched my heart,” Paritosh says. “Through this film show, I could understand that Jesus Christ came to this world to save me; He came and gave His life. … Our body will die one day, but our soul will be saved if I believe in Jesus Christ. Through His death I am saved. And it was for my sins that He died and rose again.”
People of all ages in villages like Paritosh’s have discovered those same things about Christ after watching a film about His life, ministry, death and resurrection. For some, the evening event is their first time to ever hear of Jesus. Others who grew up as cultural Christians realize through the film that they never started their own personal relationship with Christ. Still others journey from a place of spiritual criticism to faith during those few hours—or they start the journey.
Malini (right) carries some of her team’s gear in a basket as they make their way to the next village. Gospel for Asia (GFA) film teams members’ love for God strengthens them as they give their all each day to serve communities in need of hope.
Giving Their All for Communities, for Christ
Film ministry has proven one of the most effective ways of conveying God’s love to communities, especially those with high illiteracy rates. But serving in film ministry is not easy, as Malini knows firsthand.
Malini served on a team with three other women in Pastor Biswas’ region. At the start of her ministry, Malini knew she wanted to serve on a film team. Since then, she helped many people understand the truth about Christ. Her passion for using film to convey hope and God’s promise of new life undergirded her during times of intense difficulty.
“I know Christ selected me for this ministry, and Christ will help me,” Malini declares confidently.
As an all-women team, Malini’s group had special opportunities to minister to the women in the villages they visited. The culturally imposed behavioral boundaries in their area meant they did not receive the same level of opposition a team of men would experience—male missionaries commonly receive beatings, for example—and communities were often more willing to welcome unknown women than male strangers.
But the young women also had their own set of unique challenges. Some villagers misunderstood the traveling women’s intentions and passed shameful remarks. The mountainous region they ministered in had very little access to transportation, so they had to carry their equipment long miles up and down steep slopes. Local believers often assisted the women, but even so, the journeys between villages were grueling for all the film teams, especially for the women teams.
“Sometimes we are so tired physically,” Malini confides. “When we are discouraged … we pray our God will inspire us and give us more strength to do the ministry.”
But amid the challenges, Malini and all the other film team members, male or female, know their labor is not in vain. They meet people like Paritosh, whose lives are forever changed because others gave of themselves to bring hope to remote places.
“It is through the film ministry team that came to my village [that] I was able to watch the film and understand the love of God in my life,” Paritosh testifies.
He and his wife now both participate in their local fellowship and are growing in their walks with Christ.
Change Lives Through Film Ministry
Malini desired to spend her days helping others learn of God’s redemptive love, and through Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported film ministry, she and many others are doing just that. In addition, these teams empower communities to grow stronger by hosting double-feature shows. They play one film telling Christ’s story and a second film promoting awareness of societal issues, such as hygiene, smoking, alcohol and drugs. Scattered across diverse areas of Asia, film teams visit hundreds—even thousands—of communities each year, but more teams are needed to help all the people of Asia understand God’s gift of mercy.
Paritosh and his family (pictured) found Jesus through a film team, and their lives will never be the same. Countless more families still need to hear of Christ, and sending film teams is one of the most effective ways of helping them do so.
Today, you have the opportunity to be part of a film team ministry through your prayers and gift. God has chosen individuals to serve in this effective but challenging ministry, and He can work through you to equip those teams with all the tools they need. Send news of His love to more people like Paritosh by donating toward film ministry!
Learn more about Film Team Ministry in Asia, as films on the life of Jesus have proven to be one of the best ways to let people in Asia know about the sacrificial love and deliverance of God.
*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.
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