Gospel for Asia’s Gift of Mosquito Net Provides Family Avenue of Hope

July 9, 2021 By GFA Staff Writer

WILLS POINT, TX – GFA World (Gospel for Asia) founded by K.P. Yohannan, whose heart to love and help the poor has inspired numerous charities like GFA World Canada, to serve the deprived and downcast worldwide – Discussing Seafra, the sickness and suffering brought by poverty and mosquito borne sickness, and the mosquito net gift distributions through GFA World church that brought blessing in the midst of tragedy.

Discussing suffering brought by poverty and mosquito borne sickness, & the mosquito net gift distributions through GFA World church that brought hope — Gift distributions for mosquito nets, like the one pictured and the one Seafra attended, are organized to bless and uplift families at risk from malaria and other vector-borne diseases.

The mosquitoes that buzzed outdoors brought no comfort to Seafra’s family. For the 50-year-old father of four who farmed for a living, he knew that he had two options: He could use what little earnings he made to feed his family, or he could risk temporary starvation to purchase a mosquito net they desperately needed. If he didn’t purchase a net, sickness would continue to ravage his family. The weights on the scale of importance never seemed to balance.

The Burden of Disease

Seafra and many other of his fellow villagers faced the same problem: mosquitoes. The tiny insects carried numerous harmful, and sometimes fatal, diseases. Malaria, and tyhpoid took turns infecting the villagers. The WHO estimates that 409,000 people worldwide died from malaria in 2019, with more than 229 million cases across the globe.^[1]

Seafra and his family members had already fallen ill to many of the mosquito-borne maladies. And if one or more of his family were to become infected again, he knew their funds would not be enough to pay for the subsequent medical bills.

But then Seafra and his family were invited to a local church led by Gospel for Asia (GFA) pastor Kedrik. At the church, the family received insecticide-treated nets to ward off mosquitoes. These special nets have proven to be one of the most effective ways to prevent transmission of malaria over the past 20 years.^[2] Together with other prevention programs, these nets have prevented an estimated 7.6 million malaria deaths.^[3]

After receiving the net, the family confided in Pastor Kedrik the struggles they faced. While the nets would provide ample protection against further disease transmission, the trauma of past illnesses caught from mosquitoes still lingered. Pastor Kedrik continued to visit the family once a month, praying for them and encouraging them.

GFA Pastor Brings Gift of a Mosquito Net Amidst Tragedy

Four years later, the threat of becoming ill from a vector-borne disease had vanished. Seafra and his family spent their nights in peace under the mosquito net’s protection. But then a crippling medical crisis struck the family when Seafra began experiencing severe knee pain. Unable to properly tend to his farm, Seafra was taken to various doctors, and the family performed various traditional rituals.

After exhausting nearly every avenue and selling most of their farm to pay for them, Seafra’s family asked Pastor Kedrik to pray for Seafra’s healing. They knew Pastor Kedrik cared for them; he had shown it through the surprise gift of a mosquito net and through his friendship throughout the years.

Then, after a period of continuous prayer, the pain in Seafra’s knees vanished. He could walk properly again; he could provide for his family again. So touched by his healing, Seafra and his entire family began attending Pastor Kedrik’s church, desiring to continue experiencing the tangible love of God.

^[1] “World Malaria Report 2020: 20 Years of Global Progress and Challenges.” Geneva: World health Organization. 2020. 3 March 2021. https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/malaria/world-malaria-reports/9789240015791-eng.pdf?sfvrsn=d7a8ec53_3&download=true

^[2] “Core vector control methods.” World Health Organization. 19 January 2020. https://www.who.int/malaria/areas/vector_control/core_methods/en/

^[3] “World Malaria Report 2020: 20 Years of Global Progress and Challenges.” Geneva: World health Organization. 2020. 3 March 2021. https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/malaria/world-malaria-reports/9789240015791-eng.pdf?sfvrsn=d7a8ec53_3&download=true

See how you can help GFA workers continue to protect at-risk families from disease and simultaneously show God’s love through mosquito nets.

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

Source: Gospel for Asia Field Reports & Updates, Gift of Mosquito Net Provides Family Avenue of Hope

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

Learn more how to save families from the sickening agony or death from malaria through the gift of Mosquito Nets that offer protection from the sting of an infected mosquito and help to give their owner a restful nights sleep.

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

Gospel For Asia Gift Distribution Provides Man a New Sense of Freedom

July 5, 2021 By GFA Staff Writer

WILLS POINT, TX – GFA World (Gospel for Asia) founded by K.P. Yohannan, which inspired numerous charities like GFA World Canada, to assist the poor and deprived worldwide – Discussing Hajime, his struggle with disability and poverty, and the Gospel for Asia gift distribution that provides freedom through the gift of a wheelchair.

Discussing Hajime, his struggle with disability and poverty, and the Gospel for Asia gift distribution that provides freedom through a wheelchair gift. — A wheelchair, like this one, met Hajime’s need and inspired his faith.

Hajime longed for a wheelchair. His independence had been stripped away from him after becoming paralyzed from the waist down. He needed people to carry him whenever he needed or wanted to go somewhere. He was bound to whatever place he sat. And now he watched as his wife took on the role he once had as provider.

A wheelchair would give him back some sense of freedom. It would help him to be able to care for himself and to function on his own without worrying about becoming a burden to his family. But Hajime knew that his dream of having a wheelchair was just that—a dream—and that his wife’s meager income could never produce enough money to purchase one.

A Man in Need

Before Hajime’s paralysis, he and his wife, Aafje, struggled to meet their daily needs. Despite the small, government-provided room they lived in, their finances were strained, and the couple often went without necessary things.

After Hajime’s paralysis, their financial situation worsened, and Aafje was forced to work to keep the family afloat. The couple’s three sons worked but kept their earnings to themselves, unwilling to help their parents in their time of need.

Gifting Hope

Hajime had been attending a small church near their home led by Gospel for Asia (GFA) pastor Mariano. Hajime and Aafje enjoyed learning about Jesus and getting to know Pastor Mariano and the other church members. As Hajime and Aafje continued attending the church, Pastor Mariano’s heart ached for Hajime and his struggle, and he desired to help his new friend obtain a wheelchair.

Later that year, Pastor Mariano’s church held a couple of gift distributions, providing 215 families in the area with essential items, and Hajime was one of the recipients. With the help of Pastor Mariano, Hajime was brought to the church to pick up his new wheelchair. Hajime’s face radiated joy and his hands trembled with emotion as he received his most-longed-for gift.

“I am grateful to you for providing me a wheelchair,” Hajime expressed from the seat of his new wheelchair. “I have not been able to walk for a long time due to the disability of my physical body, but after receiving the wheelchair at least I can go around and do my work. I thank you for providing me this wheelchair.”

Hajime was so grateful to the church for meeting his need and helping to give him back the independence he had longed for. Now he can get from place to place without having to ask for help, and he can visit his relatives. He continues to attend Pastor Mariano’s church and grow in his knowledge of Jesus. Hajime tells everyone he meets of how the church provided him with his wheelchair and gifted him with newfound hope.

Read how a toilet blessed Laal and his family.

Source: Gospel for Asia Field Reports & Updates, Gift Distribution Provides Man a New Sense of Freedom

Learn more by reading these Special Reports from GFA World:

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

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

GFA World Reports Growing Tragedy of COVID-19 ‘Widow-Maker’

July 2, 2021 By GFA Staff Writer

WILLS POINT, TX — COVID-19 is making a heart-wrenching situation even worse for abused and outcast widows around the world, says a new report for International Widows Day, June 23, an annual awareness event. The COVID pandemic is a widow-maker for thousands of the world’s most vulnerable women, causing them an “unbearable level” of sorrow and suffering, says the report — Coronavirus Intensifies Hardships for Widows — by Texas-based humanitarian agency GFA World.

‘Our Hearts Go Out’

Tragedy of COVID 'widow-maker' on International Widows Day — **TRAGEDY OF COVID ‘WIDOW-MAKER’ ON INTERNATIONAL WIDOWS DAY:** COVID-19 is making a heart wrenching situation even worse for abused and outcast widows around the world, says a new report for International Widows Day, June 23. The COVID pandemic is a widow-maker for thousands of the world’s most vulnerable women, causing them an “unbearable level” of sorrow and suffering, says the report — Coronavirus Intensifies Hardships for Widows — by GFA World.

“The pandemic is crushing widows around the globe, and our hearts go out to each and every one of them, wherever they live,” said K.P. Yohannan, founder of Gospel for Asia (GFA World), an organization that helps thousands of widows in desperate circumstances — providing food, sewing machines to help them generate income, vocational training, and other aid.

“Our goal is to bring them comfort, encouragement, and God’s love,” said Bishop Danny Punnose, Gospel for Asia (GFA World) vice president. “We want them to know that God is always with them and loves them.”

The report — which also highlights the heartache and grieving of young “COVID widows” in America — describes the tragic ordeal widows are facing in different parts of the world where they’re viewed as objects of shame and treated with contempt. The pandemic, the report says, is “multiplying” their pain.

Shocking examples include:

In Nigeria, widows were locked in a room with their husbands’ corpses and forced to shave their own heads — a ritual of shame.
In Afghanistan, outcast widows established their own “colony” on a hillside above a cemetery just outside the capital, Kabul, where they live in mud homes they’ve built themselves, disowned by their families and excluded from mainstream life.
In Kenya, during COVID quarantine, there were reports of widows being driven out of their homes by their in-laws who considered them to be “excess burden.”

Globally, the United Nations warns, the pandemic “is likely leaving tens of thousands of women newly widowed” and exposed to rejection and mistreatment by their families and neighbors. Rampant hunger fueled by lockdowns and soaring unemployment makes life even harder for widows totally dependent on menial work or begging to survive.

In some countries in Asia and Africa, new widows have barely buried or cremated their husband before someone tries to take their home, land or possessions, citing loss of property rights after the husband dies.

For the latest information on GFA World’s COVID-19 relief efforts, visit: www.gfa.org/press/COVID-spike

About GFA World

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

Read more blogs on GFA World, Widow, World Missions and the COVID 19 Pandemic on Patheos from Gospel for Asia.

GFA’s Statement About Coronavirus

Learn more by reading this Special Report from Gospel for Asia: Widows Face Uphill Battle After Losing Spouses — The plight of widows, whether in affluent or developing nations, can be a desperate struggle

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

Read what 25 Christian Leaders are affirming about GFA World.

A Family’s Mustard Seed of Faith for a Mosquito Net

June 7, 2021 By GFA Staff Writer

WILLS POINT, TX – GFA World (Gospel for Asia) founded by K.P. Yohannan, whose heart to love and help the poor has inspired numerous charities like GFA World Canada, to serve the deprived and downcast worldwide – Discussing the family of Sesen and Hachirou, their struggle with poverty, and their dire need for a mosquito net met by GFA World Gift Distribution.

Discussing the family of Sesen and Hachirou, their struggle with poverty, and their dire need for a mosquito net met by GFA World Gift Distribution. — Mosquito nets like this one are essential items for families in South Asia. Such a net wasthe answer to Sesen and her family’s prayers.

Sesen lived with her husband, Hachirou, and their three children in a small village. To survive, the family relied on the meager income generated from Hachirou’s job as a plumber and Sesen’s job as a maid, but many of their needs were unmet—like the dire need for a mosquito net to protect themselves from the mosquitoes that swarmed their area.

A Family’s Fighting Faith

The family’s difficult financial situation was hard on them all, but they knew the Lord would provide for their needs. After coming to know Jesus a few years earlier, they had grown in their faith by attending Gospel for Asia (GFA) prayer meetings and church services. Though they faced many challenges and struggled to support themselves, they clung to a mustard seed of hope and kept the faith, always believing God to provide for all of their needs—including their need for a mosquito net.

The Need for a Net, the Grace in a Gift

The family’s small brick house was a single room in which all five of them slept, cooked meals and ate. The cramped quarters were hot and uncomfortable. They tried sleeping on the porch, but the swarms of mosquitoes resulted in restless nights and rampant illness.

With each member of the family getting sick one after another, they were desperate and needed help soon.

One February, in the midst of continued struggle and suffering, the family’s prayers were answered. Pastor Vaclav’s church organized a gift distribution for the local community, in which more than 30 families were given mosquito nets, including Sesen’s. The family was overjoyed!

Sesen brought two nets home and started using them immediately, enabling her and her family to sleep through the night and stay free of illness. Through this act of kindness and the grace of God, Sesen and her family were strengthened in their faith. They witnessed firsthand what a mustard seed of faith—even faith for a mosquito net—can do.

You can provide a family, like Sesen’s, with a long-desired mosquito net that will ease their suffering.

Source: Gospel for Asia Field Reports & Updates, A Family’s Mustard Seed of Faith for a Mosquito Net

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

Medical Needs Taken Care of Through Prayer, Goats Received From Gospel for Asia Distribution

May 28, 2021 By GFA Staff Writer

WILLS POINT, TX – GFA World (Gospel for Asia) founded by K.P. Yohannan, has been the model for numerous charities like GFA World Canada, to help the poor and deprived worldwide – Discussing Nadajay, a 45 year old widow, her family’s struggle with poverty and sickness, and the Gospel for Asia distribution of a goat that took care of their medical needs.

One dollar and thirty-eight cents—that was all Nadajay made per day working in the mines. The 45-year-old widow needed to provide for her two sons, but her daily income barely covered living and school expenses, leaving hardly any extra.

But when Nadajay’s 10-year-old son, Adeon, fell ill with a kidney stone, she spared no expense. She wouldn’t lose another son; she couldn’t lose another son.

A Tragic Past, a Region in Need

Discussing a widow & her family's struggle with poverty & sickness, and the Gospel for Asia distribution of a goat that took care of their medical needs. — Goats, like those pictured above, provide much-needed income as families in need can sell their offspring.

Nadajay had already lost her husband and five sons to sickness in the past. Their poverty meant they could not seek proper medical attention—an all-too-common occurrence in Nadajay’s region. People suffered with malaria, jaundice and typhoid, and many could not afford proper treatment.

When Adeon fell ill, Nadajay’s fear and heartache from the past surged to the present. Any spare money she had saved up went to finding relief for her son’s pain. Doctor visits and traditional rituals brought no healing. What if she would lose him, too?

When Gospel for Asia (GFA) pastor Macalay first arrived in Nadajay’s region, he saw families stricken by poverty and devastated by sickness. He saw the mental and emotional strain on the locals’ faces. He saw the hopelessness and the pain. Pastor Macalay knew these men and women needed love, so he sought to be a beacon of hope for those trapped in destitution and despair.

When Pastor Macalay met Nadajay, she shared with the pastor her grief and troubles. She told him of the tragic passing of her husband and children. Now another son—her youngest, Adeon—lay ill, and nothing she’d done had worked. Please, she asked, pray for my son.

Pastor Macalay did. For the next two weeks, he visited Nadajay’s home, praying for her sick son. And after two weeks of constant prayer, Adeon’s pain vanished. He had been healed.

Blessings for a Widow from Gospel for Asia Distribution

Enormous relief settled in Nadajay’s heart. For nearly a year, worry for Adeon, combined with the pain of the past, had ruled Nadajay’s thoughts. Her attempts had not healed her son, but Pastor Macalay’s prayers did. Why? What was different about the pastor’s prayers that enabled her son to be healed?

She realized it was Christ and His love that had brought healing for Adeon’s body—and to Nadajay’s heart.

She began attending worship services held by Pastor Macalay with other villagers. Together, as one congregation, they grew in the knowledge of Christ’s love and the power of prayer.

A year later, Nadajay received a pair of goats through a Christmas gift distribution. They provided the widow with much-needed income, especially as the number of goats steadily increased from two to 24. Through selling the offspring, she could take care of any medical needs that arose—and get her sons through school and repair a leaky roof.

Nadajay no longer feared for her sons’ survival. Thanks to the faithful prayers of Pastor Macalay, Nadajay now rejoices in the comforting embrace of God’s provision and love.

Read how a booklet helped rescue a widow from her wrecked home.

Source: Gospel for Asia Field Reports & Updates, Medical Needs Taken Care of Through Prayer, Goats

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

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

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

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

April 20, 2021 By GFA Staff Writer

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

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

A Life Without Peace

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

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

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

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

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

Relief for a Father’s Burdens

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

March 29, 2021 By GFA Staff Writer

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World) founded by K.P. Yohannan, which inspired numerous charities like Gospel for Asia Canada, to assist the poor and deprived worldwide – Discussing the hardships of poverty and widowhood, and the hope of rescue availed through God’s message revealed from a Gospel for Asia booklet.

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

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

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

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

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

Gospel for Asia Booklet & A Curious Offer

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

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

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

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

A Better Gift

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

Marial began attending church and learning more about Jesus.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Learn more about the GFA World workers who carry a burning desire for people to know the love of God. Through their prayers, dedication and sacrificial love, thousands of men and women have found new life in Christ.

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

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

A Jacket Can Change a Life Through the Gifts of Gospel for Asia Friends

March 12, 2021 By GFA Staff Writer

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 Parmeet who once struggled to provide for his family because he couldn’t work in the extremely harsh weather – but now, because of his new jacket from donations of Gospel for Asia (GFA World) friends, he can work even when it is very cold!

“Ihave many times cried because of the bitter cold,” shared 70-year-old Parmeet during an interview with a Gospel for Asia (GFA World) field correspondent last year.

“When it is extremely cold, we are not able to do anything; we are not able to go out and work in the field,” he explained. “And if we don’t work, we don’t get food.”

Life Below Zero

Where Parmeet lives, it drops below zero degrees Fahrenheit in the winter. Throughout the winter months, people can’t even take a bath because it is so cold—they only wash their faces, and that only after heating the water.

“If we touch the cold water, it hurts our hands so badly,” Parmeet explained.

People’s hands become dry and cracked. Frostbite is a regular threat for Parmeet and his large family, who layer all the ragged clothes they own in an effort to stay warm. To survive the frigid nights, the entire family crowds together near the kitchen stove and sleeps on sacks filled with husks and sawdust.

Firewood is essential for survival. In fact, Parmeet, a daily-wage laborer, often spends hours gathering firewood for his neighbors in order to earn a meager income. But due to the cold, he couldn’t get an early start or work for very long, meaning he struggled to provide food for his family. But that changed the day he received a jacket through the donations of Gospel for Asia (GFA World) friends—through people like you. “This is a very good jacket,” Parmeet shared. “It is of very good quality. … It has kept my body very warm. … Now I am able to go and do whatever work I am assigned.”

Sustained by the warmth of the jacket, this father, who already knew the love of the Savior, can work longer hours and make more money to feed his family.

“This jacket has not only protected me from cold and sickness, but this has encouraged me,” he said. “I feel my spirit is very high; I am very happy now.”

Thank You!

Although a large percentage of winter clothing packets go to help pastors and other GFA workers, some are also given to help and encourage men like Parmeet.

“I am so happy and so grateful to you for giving me this jacket,” Parmeet said, addressing his unknown benefactors around the world. “I pray the Lord would bless you. … Thank you very much for loving me and caring for me.”

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

Source: Gospel for Asia Rejoice! Newsletter, A Jacket Can Change a Life

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

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

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

Click here to read more blogs and on Christmas Gift Catalog on Patheos from Gospel for Asia.

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

Gospel for Asia Pastor Brings Hope to a Grieving Widow

December 9, 2020 By GFA Staff Writer

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World) founded by K.P. Yohannan, which inspired numerous charities like Gospel for Asia Canada – Discussing Gulika, the shame, rejection and despair she lives through as a widow, and the life changing hope through a Gospel for Asia pastor.

Manan sprang onto the railway tracks, hurrying to get across. The next few steps he took changed the lives of his wife and three children forever. As he crossed the tracks, he wasn’t aware of the train coming his way. Suddenly his body lay crumpled on the railroad tracks. Now his children were without a daddy, and his wife would bear the name of the despised: widow.

Young Widow Suffers Grief, Harassment

Gulika’s life drastically changed the day her husband died. Although she and Manan were not well off, Manan worked faithfully as a tailor, and they managed to have just enough to live on. Now Gulika and her children were left helpless, and they took on the burden of deep, unforgettable sorrow.

Bearing the title “widow” was a heavy weight to carry too. The sharp, condemning words of the villagers stung Gulika’s already broken heart. Because of this, the pain of losing her husband increased all the more. It seemed that every time she stepped out of her home she wasn’t safe from their harsh criticism.

The villagers believed Gulika was cursed. They were even afraid that if she passed them on the street, she would bring them bad luck. This shame and rejection, on top of the reality of her husband’s death, grew unbearable. Soon Gulika fell into deep emotional despair.

Water: A Daily Burden and Fear

Although Gulika suffered from despair, she had certain duties to uphold as a daughter-in-law: Gulika had to get water for the family. Unfortunately, the nearest source of water in the village was an old well that was a-third-of-a-mile walk from her home.

In Gulika’s village, collecting water was a grueling chore, one which involved much fear and danger for women and young girls. Even as a widow, it was dangerous to go out alone because men would take advantage of their vulnerability.

Pastor Comforts Family in Trouble

When Pastor Gobhil heard about Gulika and her family, he visited their home, hoping to bring them comfort and encourage them through God’s Word. He said there was hope for their helpless situation and shared about a faithful God who could heal Gulika’s suffering heart. Over the course of time Gulika, was completely restored! Through the power and love they experienced in Christ, Gulika and her in-laws found hope in the midst of their sorrows.

Pastor Gobhil encouraged Gulika (not pictured) to start sewing women’s clothing, and soon the church was able to supply her with a sewing machine.

Pastor Gobhil encouraged Gulika to start sewing women’s clothing, and soon the church was able to supply her with a sewing machine. Gulika began to earn a respectable living through this vocation, and despite the way the villagers treated her, she knew God did not condemn her but rather valued her life.

Bringing Safety Through Clean Water

But even with her new income and life in Christ, Gulika still faced harassment from her neighbors, especially when she went out to fetch water for the family. There were days when she didn’t come home with enough. Pastor Gobhil noticed Gulika’s and the villagers’ struggle for water. Eventually, Gospel for Asia (GFA) drilled a Jesus Well right in front of Gulika’s house. She now can get water easily without fear or disturbance. The other villagers were very grateful for the Jesus Well.

Now when people use the Jesus Well near Gulika’s house, she shares with the villagers about the sweet love of Jesus and how He has given her hope and security. She is thankful for the believers and Pastor Gobhil because of all the help and love they have poured into her life.

“In my time of trouble, when my husband died, [the pastor and believers] helped me to be strong and have confidence to work and earn an income,” Gulika says.

Discussing Gulika, the shame, rejection and despair she lives through as a widow, and the life changing hope through a Gospel for Asia Pastor. — The villagers are very grateful for the Jesus Well, and they respect the Christians after seeing their love and care for the widows and the needy.

Help Reach Those Society Despises

More than 40 million widows live in South Asia. For them, life is a desperate struggle for survival, as it was for Gulika. The heart of Christ is to look after these precious women in need. As He says in James 1:27; “Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit the orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.”

You can be part of reaching these women practically with items such as sewing machines, food, clothing and hope. Give toward the Widows Fund today and help tell a woman she is dearly loved!

Source: Gospel for Asia Featured Article, Through a Widow’s Tears

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

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

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

Failing Kidneys and Answered Prayer: How Gospel for Asia Ministered to a Family in Need

December 7, 2020 By GFA Staff Writer

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World) founded by K.P. Yohannan, whose heart to love and help the poor has inspired numerous charities like Gospel for Asia Canada – Discussing Rajasi, the sorrow and loss that invaded her life, the hope of Jesus that sustained her through widowhood, and God’s love and compassion shared as Gospel for Asia ministered to her family.

Rajasi’s relatives blamed her for the death of her husband. “All these [problems] happened in your life only because of your faith in Jesus,” they said. These wounding words stung Rajasi’s lonely, grieving heart. How different they were from the soothing words spoken by her neighbor about her Savior months earlier. But now who could she turn to? With her husband dead and her own relatives and community speaking against her—who would help her?

No Stranger to Sorrow

Even though Rajasi was only a young woman of 25, sorrow and difficulties were no strangers to her. Before she met Jesus, she and her husband, Mahasvin, were in anguish. Mahasvin worked faithfully as a laborer to provide for his two children and wife, until both his kidneys failed to function properly. At this devastating news, peace left the household, making room for fear to enter the young couple’s hearts.

Rajasi cried out in despair to all her gods, pleading with them to heal her husband. Mahasvin went to many hospitals and underwent treatments. But soon all their money was spent, and they had lost hope of him ever recovering. They heard no answers from their gods, and they were deeply discouraged. They had no one else to turn to.

They heard no answers from their gods, and they were deeply discouraged. They had no one else to turn too.

With Jesus, Everything Changes

The Lord used Pastor Victor (not pictured) and other believers to help Rajasi and encourage her husband during their times of struggle and heartache.

It was at this moment God sent a faithful believer to their home one day. She saw their grave condition and encouraged them with the Word of the Lord. Her gentle words of truth were like a healing balm to their wounded hearts, and they asked her to pray for them. After she prayed, she assured them of her continued prayers. Concerned for the couple, she brought their need to the attention of her Gospel for Asia (GFA) pastor, Victor.

With compassion, Pastor Victor visited Mahasvin and Rajasi often, bringing words of encouragement to the couple. As time went by, Rajasi and her husband realized Jesus was the answer to all their problems. Together, they decided they wanted the everlasting love of Jesus to fill their lives.

But life did not grow easier when they made their decision to follow Christ. In anger, Mahasvin’s father turned against them and began to oppose them. But this never swayed their resolve to live in the hope and peace of Christ.

The Agony of Loss

After a few months, Mahasvin and Rajasi grew strong in their faith. But Mahasvin’s health continued to deteriorate due to his failing kidneys. Rajasi listened closely as her dying husband shared his last requests with her: Never forsake Jesus, but go to the worship place at any cost.

After Mahasvin’s death, Rajasi was heartbroken. She suffered through severe mental agony and pain, and to make matters worse, everyone placed the blame of her husband’s death on her shoulders.

Even though so many had forsaken her, Rajasi was not alone. Her church family stood with her during her bleak hours. They visited their sister in Christ and encouraged her to follow Jesus. Rajasi was strengthened by their words and upheld the plea of her husband to continue steadfast in the faith, even in the midst of opposition.

Gospel for Asia Ministered in Midst of Worry for Children’s Future

After Mahasvin’s passing, Rajasi was completely dependent on the income of her father-in-law, Farhat, to meet her and her young children’s needs—but so was the rest of the family. He worked in a small grocery shop, and many of her relatives became dependent on the income Farhat brought in.

Rajasi grew concerned about her children. She wanted them to have a good education, but her father-in-law would not give her extra money to send them to a good school. This troubled her deeply. Rajasi brought her worries before the Lord and the believers. Together, they all prayed for her need.

By God’s grace, Rajasi’s prayer was answered through a Gospel for Asia (GFA) gift distribution. On the happy distribution day Rajasi received a shiny, new sewing machine! The gift was such an incredible blessing in Rajasi’s life. She quickly began work by setting up a personal tailoring shop.

Gospel for Asia (GFA) ministered to Rajasi and she was so blessed to receive a sewing machine through a Christmas gift distribution. Through the help of believers around the world, women like Rajasi have the chance to earn a better income and experience the love of Jesus in a tangible way.

Within a few months, Rajasi was doing so well and received such a good income that she was able to buy a second machine to expand her business. Rajasi found a good school for her beloved children and is able to provide for their future.

Rajasi and her children weren’t the only ones blessed by the machine; her mother-in-law was also touched by the kindness of the believers. Although she was bedridden and unable to go to services, she longed to hear more about the God of love and compassion who provided for her daughter-in-law. God also worked in Farhat’s heart. While he still wants nothing to do with Jesus, he no longer opposes Rajasi for her faith.

Help ‘Sew’ into the Kingdom this Christmas!

God used a simple sewing machine and the love of His children to uplift Rajasi in her hour of need. Not only has it helped provide a way for her children to have a brighter future, but it also planted a seed of hope in her mother-in-law.

You can be part of answering a brother’s or sister’s prayer for God’s provision by choosing an income-generating gift in Gospel for Asia’s Christmas Gift Catalog! This year, make Christmas about ‘sewing’ into God’s kingdom, and spread the joy and hope of Christ!

Learn more about how Gospel for Asia has ministered through the national workers who carry a burning desire for people to know the love of God. Through their prayers, dedication and sacrificial love, thousands of men and women have found new life in Christ.

Source: Gospel for Asia Featured Article, Failing Kidneys, Opposition and Answered Prayer

Learn more by reading the Gospel for Asia Special Report: Widows Worldwide Face Tragedy, Discrimination – Some Find Hope to Overcome the Challenges of Widowhood

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

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