Condemnation, Shame, Rejection Common for 57 Million Widows in Asia Reports Gospel for Asia

July 7, 2018 By GFA Staff Writer

Wills Point, Texas – GFA (Gospel for Asia) – Discussing where violence against women occurs worldwide, including violence against widows.

Widows in Meru, Kenya, Africa who have lost their husbands - KP Yohannan - Gospel for Asia — Widows in Meru, Kenya, Africa who have lost their husbands and have only themselves as a group to look after each other.

If a woman happens to escape the abuse so common in marriage, what happens to her once she is no longer married and becomes a widow? Does the violence against widows end?

Violence Against Widows

“Gulika’s life drastically changed the day her husband died. … Bearing the title ‘widow’ was a heavy weight to carry. 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.”

Condemnation. Shame. Rejection.

a widow has lost all “color” from her life once her husband has died - KP Yohannan - Gospel for Asia — Wearing a white sari symbolizes that a widow has lost all “color” from her life once her husband has died.

Gulika, like so many other widows in South Asia, incurred the blame for her husband’s death—even though he had died crossing railroad tracks as an oncoming train headed his way. But that didn’t matter. The cause of a husband’s death, no matter how arbitrary or natural, is blamed on the wife.

People believe the husband’s death came about because the wife is a curse, a bad omen. They may strip her of her jewelry, shave off her hair, and force her to wear a white-colored sari, signifying she no longer has any “color” and must spend the rest of her days on earth in mourning. Often, she’s cast out of the home, left with no property and no way to fend for herself. She no longer has any family unless she has dependent children. In order to survive, she may need to beg or turn her body over to prostitution.

There are more than 57 million widows in Asia—and it transcends ages and social statuses. A person can become a widow as young as 7 years old (depending on if they were forced into a child marriage) or can come from a wealthy, high-class family. But once a girl or a woman bears the name “widow,” who they were before no longer matters. They’re obligated to live out the rest of their lives forgotten, shamed and without any hope.

The cause of a husband’s death, no matter how arbitrary or natural, is blamed on the wife.

In an article published by National Geographic, journalist Cynthia Gorney was able to get an insider’s view on the plight of widows. In one interview, she noted the “fury” a social worker named Laxmi Gautam had when talking about the condition of widows:

“We asked whether Gautam had ever imagined what she would change if she were given the power to protect women from these kinds of indignities. As it turned out, she had. ‘I would remove the word ‘widow’ from the dictionary,’ she said. ‘As soon as a woman’s husband is gone, she gets this name. This word. And when it attaches, her life’s troubles start.’”

There are more than 57 million widows in Asia - KP Yohannan - Gospel for Asia — There are more than 57 million widows in Asia

When Will the Violence Against Widows End?

From one stage of life to the next, it would seem the women of Asia hardly get any reprieve from abuse and discrimination. Violence against women is “from the womb to the tomb,” as the old saying goes.

But in the midst of such gloom, Gospel for Asia—and other governmental and non-governmental organizations working on behalf of women’s rights in Asia—is seeing a new dawn rising for hundreds of thousands of women.

As women experience the love of fellow human beings who are willing to serve and minister to them, their understanding of their worth and value in society is elevated. Gospel for Asia-supported workers, including men, treat each girl and woman they meet with respect. They speak words of life into the hearts of women who’ve silently suffered violence, letting them know they matter, they are important, they are valuable, they are loved—even if the rest of society doesn’t believe so.

Remember Aamaal, the woman who tied a noose and was planning on hanging herself to escape her husband’s abuse? She didn’t jump. She didn’t kill herself. Instead, a relative offered her hope in the name of Jesus and led her to a compassionate GFA-supported pastor. Because of that, her life changed—and her husband experienced renewal too! He no longer drinks. He no longer beats his wife, and Aamaal is no longer living the life of an abused woman.

Geeta and her two young children rebuilt their lives - KP Yohannan - Gospel for Asia — Geeta and her two young children rebuilt their lives after their abusive father left, through the support of their local church.

When Geeta’s abusive husband left her, she went from fear to despair—not relief. She faced pressure to sell her body as a prostitute, and she eventually started working as one. But one of her friends, a believer, knew there was a better way to live. She shared loving counsel with Geeta, something she had been searching for.

The hunger and poverty Geeta and her children faced remained a problem, however, until Geeta’s children were enrolled in a Gospel for Asia-supported Bridge of Hope center. The local church has also came alongside the family, helping them find a safer place to live and provided help and encouragement.

As GFA-supported workers lead their congregations to truly value women, whole portions of society are showing women respect they’ve never experienced before. Believers can be heard thanking God for their newborn baby girls. They educate their daughters to give them a future of their own. They refuse to receive dowry as a testimony to the love of Christ. And when their sisters in Christ become widows, they embrace and support them rather than reject them.

Gospel for Asia-supported Initiatives Helping to End Violence Against Widows, Women

Through various GFA-supported initiatives, girls and women have opportunities to reach heights they were once barred from reaching because of their gender.

Literacy Training

provides adult women with the opportunity to learn how to read and write—skills they never had the chance to learn, most likely because in the minds of many parents, a girl’s education is not worth investing in.

Health Care Seminars

teach women how to properly take care of their pregnancies, their babies, their homes and families, which empowers them inside the home.

Gospel for Asia’s Bridge of Hope Program

is a child sponsorship program that helps keep young girls off the streets and provides them with an education—while teaching every student how boys and girls are created equal in God’s sight.

Income-generating Gifts

give impoverished women the ability to take care of themselves and their families if their husbands are struggling to provide, unemployed, or incapacitated due to alcohol or other addictions. Vocational training makes it possible for women to learn skills that will help them find good jobs—or even start their own business!

At the heart of many of these initiatives are GFA-supported women missionaries and Sisters of Compassion, specialized women missionaries. They stand beside and advocate for the rights of abused and neglected women. They show others how to love and care for the people around them, regardless of their gender. Through them—and the guidance and teaching of male pastors and missionaries who see each woman as precious, valuable and made in the image of Almighty God—violence against women is ending. Women are enjoying new life safe from hands that once sought to abuse them.

Sisters of Compassion - KP Yohannan - Gospel for Asia — Sisters of Compassion help widows in need of support, encouragement or medical attention.

As for Geeta, she has a solid group of people who have stood with her through her hardships. We, too, can come alongside women like Geeta. Through our prayers and support of national workers, we take part in helping end the violence against women in Asia.

When we come alongside GFA-supported workers, we empower them to empower others. We have seen the fruit of these efforts over and over again, and by God’s grace, we will see more and more women set free—physically, emotionally and mentally—from the abuse and neglect they’ve known their entire lives.

For more on Patheos about violence against widows, their plight and need, go here.

This article originally appeared on gfa.org.

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Widowhood is a State of Social Death Asserts Gospel for Asia

June 22, 2018 By GFA Staff Writer

Widowhood.

No one can imagine the pain that follows the death of a spouse until they have experienced it. Suffice it to say that the only way to describe that pain is that it is, indeed, unimaginable. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you live, the indescribable pain of the loss lingers long after you expect it to.

Two Scripture verses have been a comfort to me as I have experienced the pain of which we speak. One is from the Old Testament; the other from the New.

“A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, Is God in His holy habitation.”
(Psalm 68:5)

“Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.”
(James 1:27)

A Biblical perspective on widowhood is essential for Christians everywhere. As followers of Jesus, we have a sacred responsibility to care for and comfort widows. This is especially true in some Asian nations where widows are treated as outcasts.

In some of the poorest regions of these countries, widows are a burden. In times past, they would be burnt alive while their husbands’ bodies were cremated. Today, many widows are made to leave their families and forced to beg in the streets. Some are sent away by their husbands’ families who want to prevent them from inheriting money or property. Despite legislation aimed at protecting widows, regressive customs are difficult to overcome.

The treatment of women in general and widows, in particular, is nothing new. Even during his earthly ministry, Jesus condemned the Jewish scribes and Pharisees for devouring widow’s houses (see Mark 12:38-40). Mistreatment of widows is common, especially in developing countries and in places where Christian compassion is nonexistent.

One source observed that widows in India have a “pronoun problem.” The estimated 40 million women widows in the country go from being called “she” to “it” when they lose their husbands.

Mohini Giri, a former Nobel Peace Prize nominee, says that “Widowhood is a state of social death,” and women are forced to live with “many restrictions which affect them both physically and psychologically.” In many cases, they are forbidden from working or associating with mainstream society.

Widows are trapped in an emotional prison because of the bad luck they are thought to bring. According to Hopegivers, a faith-based non-profit organization, widows are “easily set aside, much like you would toss out an old chair. But that is not God’s way. All lives have value, regardless of age, gender, or circumstances. He has a plan and purpose for every person – and that plan and purpose exist until death.”

These are some of the reasons why one of the major ministries of GFA-supported Sisters of Compassion is caring for widows throughout widowhood.

With hearts that ache for hurting widows, Sisters of Compassion honor them by sharing the love of Jesus, providing clothing and other basic essentials, teaching them income-generating skills, and providing them with the tools necessary to use those skills.

Sisters of Compassion are specially trained women missionaries with a deep burden of showing Christ’s love by physically serving the needy, underprivileged and poor. After completing Bible college—and sometimes several years of ministry—they go through an advanced six-month course of study, learning about leprosy care, family counseling, hygiene education and other practical ministries.

Before these women missionaries re-enter the field, they don a uniform of humility. Made of handspun fabric, the traditional saris they wear mirror the clothing once worn by the lowliest servants in Asia, immediately showing everyone that the women missionaries have come without any agenda but to love others. Although it looks foreign to Western eyes, their uniform has a special and easily recognized meaning in Asia. Over the years, women from many Christian denominations have taken on this uniform to demonstrate a desire to serve the needy without thought of personal gain.

In places where traditional women missionaries face persecution, Sisters of Compassion are welcomed as trustworthy counselors and friends of the community. With this acceptance, they freely share Christ’s love where they otherwise couldn’t even set foot.

Sisters of Compassion are eagerly welcomed as caregivers, counselors, teachers and friends. Without the uniform, they would be greeted with speculation.

The Sisters of Compassion are a select group of women missionaries who have chosen to participate in extra training and to spend three years working among the widows, orphans, lepers and others living in abject poverty and in need of the love and care that others are withholding from them simply by ignoring them.

Demonstrating compassion is, in and of itself, the calling of every believer. However, it is the miracles the Lord does through our compassion that best demonstrate His care.

Perhaps the best way to understand the plight of widows in Asia and the impact of Sisters of Compassion is to watch this short excerpt from the acclaimed movie, “Veil of Tears.” Our prayer is that it will touch and break your heart and stir you to pray for this special ministry supported by GFA. Please take just five minutes to let the Lord open your eyes to the need and to the sacrificial and caring work of the Sisters of Compassion among the widows.

For more on the plight of widows and widowhood, go here.

For more on Sisters of Compassion go here.

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Meeting Pressing Physical Needs Opens the Door for Deeper Healing as Well

February 27, 2018 By GFA Staff Writer

Gospel for Asia (GFA) Report, Wills Point, Texas

You know that awkward moment when you’re stopped at a red light, and you can feel the presence right outside your window. You study the road in front of you, trying, unconvincingly, to look casual and nonchalant. Before, when you slowed down for this stop light, you saw the panhandler standing at the corner. You knew you were going to end up idling right next to him. You quickly think to yourself, What do I do? Do you smile and look away? Do you give him money? What are the chances it won’t go straight to the liquor store till? His sign says he has a family. Does he really? Will they see a cent of any money you give him? What about if you give him a gospel tract? Isn’t that really his greatest need: Jesus?

I have often wrestled through these questions and settled on one of the actions above, but never with complete satisfaction that it was the best way to help or exactly what Jesus would have done.

Usually, when Jesus was approached by the needy, disabled or downcast, He met their immediate physical needs, often through healing. But He also fed people, just because they were hungry. In fact, He told us that when we meet the immediate physical needs of people in front of us, we are ministering to Him directly.

“Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me. Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’” —Matthew 25:34–40

Our field partners in Asia see the same kind of desperate needs that we read about in the gospels. People affected by leprosy. People without access or means for medical treatment. Families too poor to send their kids to school or even feed them. There are so many natural disasters in rural Asian countries that don’t have the infrastructure to respond.

Compassion Services workers - KP Yohannan - Gospel for Asia — Relief packets, distributed by Gospel for Asia-supported Compassion Services workers, being helicoptered into remote locations in Nepal following the catastrophic earthquakes in 2015.

Gospel for Asia-supported Compassion Services teams are there to meet people’s real-time, immediate needs. Things like medical checkups and flood relief. These are vehicles for people to experience the real love and compassion of Jesus. Jesus sees their need. He sees their plight. He is not deaf to their cries, they reach His throne in heaven.

Compassion Services is where heaven touches earth. Washing a leprosy patient’s wounds gives physical representation to the spiritual reality of God’s cleansing forgiveness. Rebuilding the home of a family who lost everything in an earthquake speaks of an eternal home that cannot be destroyed.

When we reach out to the immediate physical needs of those around us in the name of Jesus, He ministers to them through us. We become the very hands and feet of Jesus on earth.

old woman who received a blanket - KP Yohannan - Gospel for Asia — This is Rayna, a 125-year-old woman who received a blanket.

In a tiny farming village in Asia, two Sisters of Compassion met 125-year-old, Rayna, a poor widow who has lived her whole life in this village. The sisters made weekly visits to Rayna to hear her stories culled from 125 years of love and heartache and to pray for her. They noticed the torn and smelly blanket she used for warmth and realized she and her family couldn’t even afford a new blanket, because they used all their income on daily survival. There was no money left for improving their lives. The sisters were able to provide a new, warm blanket for Rayna through a gift distribution.

“During night time, I feel cold because there were no warm clothes in my house, and I struggled a lot,” Rayna said. “I could not afford to buy a blanket to protect me. But thank you very much for giving this blanket.”

Gospel for Asia partners work right in the middle of some of the most difficult plights of human need. Our partners work in 44 leprosy colonies in Asia, where leprosy still has a life-long stigma. As people affected with leprosy are often cast out of society, they gather in groups or “colonies” for safety. Our partners are busy ministering to these outcasts by cleansing their wounds, getting them medical attention, and providing livelihoods, such as goats, through GFA’s Christmas Gift Catalog so they have a sustainable means of living. We even have an onsite cobbler at one of the colonies to provide custom shoes for those with feet too disfigured to wear normal shoes.

Our field partners also work in slums spread across Asia, providing toilets and blankets to those who do not have access to these items of basic human need. We host medical camps in slums, leper colonies and poor rural areas that have no access to any sort of health care. Often in these areas, people’s only resource for medical care are traditional practices that spread more disease than cure.

After the decimating series of earthquakes in Nepal in 2015, coordinated relief efforts came from many Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported partners in Indian states. Supplies of clothing, food and medicine were assembled to meet immediate needs. Building supplies were collected to help with reconstruction. Even school supplies were provided for thousands of children that lost everything. In times of crisis, when warning is impossible, Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported Compassion Services are poised to respond immediately and remain for the long haul.

Jesus made time for the needy around Him. Even when He was busy, on His way somewhere, a desperate woman who reached out to Him was not turned away, but healed (Mark 5:21-34). Men would cry out to Him from the side of the road, and Jesus paused to listen and minister to their physical needs (Matthew 20:29-34). Often this led to spiritual transformation as well.

By touching people’s lives by meeting immediate physical needs, the door is open for deeper healing as well.

Bottled water and a gospel tract - KP Yohannan - Gospel for Asia — Bottled water and a gospel tract for those standing in 100-degree weather.

You remember the panhandler at the intersection? This is my someone-asking-for-help-while-I’m-busy-on-my-way-somewhere moment. How will I respond? Once I had kids and knew that these four little people were watching my life, I determined to come up with a way to reach out to panhandlers. I was done looking the other way and feeling embarrassed, not knowing what to do. So I put together a plastic bin that sits in my van, right between the two front seats filled with bottles of water. Each water bottle has a gospel tract rubber-banded around the outside. Tucked into the gospel tract is $1. My kids and I pray over the gospel tracts and write a warm note of encouragement before we wrap them around the water bottles. Now that we live in Texas, bottled water is perfect. When we lived in Washington State, it was cans of soup.

There are so many ways that Jesus continues to minister to the needs of people around the world. And He does it through the small and big acts we carry out every day. When we, as the Body of Christ, show up in a recently flooded village where all the crudely constructed homes have been washed away, Jesus is there. When we give a bottled water to someone standing on a street corner in 100-degree weather, Jesus is there. We are the literal hands and feet of Jesus reaching out in our local communities and across the globe, meeting people’s immediate physical and spiritual needs. Being the conduit for heaven to touch earth.

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How Love Responds to Leprosy

February 15, 2018 By GFA Staff Writer

“While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, ‘Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.’

“Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. ‘I am willing,’ He said. ‘Be clean!’ And immediately the leprosy left him. ” —Luke 5:12–13 (NIV)

Some things about love and leprosy seem to be diametrically opposed. For several millennia, people with leprosy have been regarded as “unclean,” even in the Levitical law of the Old Testament (see Leviticus 13).

Our natural response to anything characterized as unclean is to avoid it. Even more so, we naturally avoid that which is unsightly to our own eyes, whether it has been labeled “unclean” or not.

If we are willing to be excruciatingly honest with ourselves, we must confess that association with disease, especially if it is disfiguring, is something that we naturally want to avoid and that we may go out of our way to avoid.

This is undoubtedly the case with Jesus’ encounter with the leper described by Dr. Luke.

Why do you suppose that Luke included this account in his record of the Jesus’ ministry?

Because Luke was a doctor? That doesn’t seem likely. Because Matthew and Mark recorded the event (see Matthews 8 and Mark 1)?

Because it was a miracle? When we consider that Jesus healed many people of many diseases and that John said that Jesus did so many more wonders (in just three years!) that it would have been impossible to record them, this, too, seems unlikely. There must be something more.

The leper’s healing demonstrates the power of God revealed in His Son. But Jesus did two other things that even the leper didn’t expect.

He reached out, and He touched him. Jesus could have—actually, He did—healed the leper by willing it to be so. But even before he revealed His power, Jesus showed His love by doing what no one else would even think to do by reaching out and touching him.

The Apostle Paul explained that love “does not dishonor others” (I Corinthians 13:5 NIV). Matthew, Mark and Luke included this critical act because Jesus demonstrated His love as love should be demonstrated. He did not ignore the leper or his disease. He expressed compassion flowing from the same love that would take Him to the Cross for all of us.

There is no record of how old the man was or of how long he had had leprosy. All that we can know for sure is that he had become an outcast because of his disease. People avoided him, but Jesus reached out and touched Him.

Gospel for Asia supports ministry in a part of the world where leprosy remains a curse and people with leprosy are treated as outcasts. Our mission is to share the love of God to all people. If we are to share it, we must first demonstrate it. Just like Jesus did.

Dr. KP Yohannan visits a leper colony and extends Christ's love - Gospel for Asia — Dr. KP Yohannan Metropolitan visits a leper colony and extends Christ’s love to those who have been rejected by their loved ones.

In a recent post, Gospel for Asia (GFA) Founder K.P. Yohannan shared how GFA-supported workers have been caring for people stricken with leprosy across Asia by providing medical and personal care in 44 leper colonies. The story of one of his recent trips to a leper colony includes a photo of brother K.P. reaching out and touching two men in that colony—just as his Lord, Jesus, would have.

Describing the people in the leper colonies as “vulnerable and forgotten,” Dr. Yohannan explained how 500 Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported Sisters of Compassion minister to leprosy patients by cleaning their wounds, holding their hand, praying for them, and helping to provide food, blankets and other daily needs, including hygiene awareness and education for both adults and children.

January 28, 2018, was World Leprosy Awareness Day. But those who are afflicted with leprosy still have to endure the stigma of the disease on January 29, January 30 and every day that follows.

And every day that follows, they desperately need the love that natural and cultural aversion to their disease can deprive them.

We can’t all go to where these precious people are, but we can pray for those ministering to them, such as the Sisters of Compassion and the Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported pastors who selflessly share the love of Christ with a group of people who have come to believe that they are unloved and unlovable.

Read about K.P. Yohannan’s recent visit to a leper colony.

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God’s Word in Tract Transformed Bharat & Birthed a Church in Slum

February 8, 2018 By GFA Staff Writer

I brought my rubber garden clogs for this very reason.

I remember very well the warm, sweaty, sunny day I found myself on the other side of the world—in a slum in Asia.

The sights and smells of the slum we visited assaulted me at every step. As I walked through the mud, avoiding piles of trash and keeping a sharp eye out for mice, I was glad to be wearing my trusty rubber clogs. Our guide, Sanjeep, a Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported missionary, lead us through a maze of leaning patchwork dwellings. We crossed active train tracks as trains screamed past us at a very uncomfortable proximity. We navigated around garbage heaps bigger than any city garbage dump I’ve seen.

train speeds through the middle of the slum - KP Yohannan - Gospel for Asia — This train speeds through the middle of the slum several times a day.

As we neared our destination, I watched Sanjeep disappear through the doorway of a corrugated metal structure slightly bigger than a shed. It was raised three feet above the ground on a foundation of mud and sand bags to avoid flooding in the monsoon season. I climbed up the mud steps to the opening and found myself in a cramped family dwelling. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I could see the inside was divided into two rooms by a half wall. One large bed took up most of the space in the front room.

Our host, Bharat, husband and father of the family who lived here, urged us all to sit. My husband, our guide Sanjeep, and Bharat’s wife and son all piled on the bed. I shared a plastic chair with Naya, a Sister of Compassion who had accompanied us. She and two other sisters lived and worked in this slum alongside Sanjeep.

Our host, Bharat, greeted us with a thousand-kilowatt smile. He did not speak English, but he communicated eager hospitality and excitement very clearly. As Sanjeep translated for him, Bharat asked if he could share how he came to know of Jesus. His face beamed with eagerness as he began.

Bharat and his family - KP Yohannan - Gospel for Asia — With Bharat and his family

Bharat had been living in this slum for many years. He remembers when Sanjeep first came to this slum several years ago. Sanjeep had been sharing God’s love for several weeks and offered to pray for people’s needs. There was no interest, however, and many of the men in the slum threatened Sanjeep. He decided to visit another area in the city instead and left the slum.

But there was one man who had been impacted by Sanjeep’s offering of God’s love. At one point, he read a tract about Jesus and was overwhelmed with the love of God displayed through Him. Bharat was immediately transformed. He eagerly shared with his family, who also embraced the Lord’s love.

Bharat was so excited about the new life he had, he couldn’t help but tell others in the slum about Jesus’ great love. Many more people in the slum decided to follow the Lord, and more than 25 people began gathering together for prayer in Bharat’s home.

Sisters of Compassion serving in the slum - KP Yohannan - Gospel for Asia — Gospel for Asia-supported Sisters of Compassion serving in the slum.

About a year later, Sanjeep came back to the slum he had been chased from. When he came, he was astonished to find Bharat was already gathering people into his home for prayer. That was the beginning of the church in this slum.

I sat spell bound by the amazing testimony of this brother. Through the power of God’s Word found in a tract, Bharat was transformed by Christ’s love, and a church was born from the passion of his heart.

As we picked our way back home, slipping through the mud, all I could see was the beaming faces of this family who had so little but were so rich. They were rich in gratitude, rich in hope and rich in faith. I took that gratitude, hope and faith home with me and continue to be inspired by it to this day.

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Her Ignorance About HIV/AIDS Led Her to Reject Her Desperately Needy Nephew

December 1, 2017 By GFA Staff Writer

Gospel for Asia (GFA) News, Wills Point, Texas

Mani entered the world infected with HIV. Soon after birth, he lost his parents to the deadly disease. His uncle, Dhiraj took him in and cared for him. He made sure Mani had the medicine he needed to stay healthy, but his wife was not so welcoming. Fear and suspicion filled her heart when she thought of Mani. Her ignorance about HIV/AIDS led her to reject her desperately needy nephew. She continually pressured her husband to send Mani away, but Dhiraj would not abandon the boy. Instead, he found help from three GFA-supported Sisters of Compassion that served in the area.

On Dec. 1, World AIDS Day will be observed around the globe, bringing needed awareness to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. All across the globe, organizations work together to promote the prevention of AIDS, to emphasize the compassionate care needed for those living with the disease and to remember those who have died from it, like Mani’s parents.

World AIDS Day Rally - KP Yohannan - Gospel for Asia — Students from GFA-supported Bridge of Hope centers across Asia participated in World AIDS Day rallies last year.

Many GFA-supported pastors, Bridge of Hope centers and bible college students and staff took to the streets in honor of World AIDS Day. Last year, 31 Bridge of Hope centers located in Kolkata, West Bengal, came together and held rallies in the red light district. In one rally, participants shouted slogans, such as “Lets aid each other to combat AIDS” and “Know AIDS, no AIDS.” They also carried banners sharing God’s love for victims of the deadly disease. More than 50,000 people were impacted by the rallies.

In the Delhi area, GFA-supported bible college students and staff worked with the local Red Cross AIDS Team to distribute pamphlets in slum areas where the disease is known to spread quickly.

A representative from the Red Cross said, “The church is doing a great job… We are with you for any help in regards [bringing] awareness of this disease. We will work jointly.”

According to UNAIDS, “36.7 million people globally were living with HIV in 2016.” They estimate 35 million people have died from the disease since the time HIV/AIDS was recognized as a global epidemic. India is estimated to have the third largest population with HIV/AIDS-infected individuals. With concentrated effort, India has been able to reduce the new HIV infections by 46 percent and AIDS-related deaths by 22 percent since 2010, UNAIDS reports. And when community organizations, such as GFA-supported Bridge of Hope centers and local churches, work in partnership with government authorities to educate high-risk populations on prevention, treatment and care for those living with HIV and AIDS, we can continue to see the percentages decrease.

A senior medical officer who attended a GFA-supported World AIDS Day event encouraged such cooperation saying, “The humanitarian work of the church will really generate mass awareness in the general public.”

World AIDS Day awareness - KP Yohannan - Gospel for Asia — GFA-supported workers and Bible college students went into the slums on World AIDS Day last year to bring awareness to the disease that has claimed millions of lives.

Gospel for Asia supports those affected by HIV/AIDS in many ways. In addition to awareness rallies on World AIDS Day, GFA-supported medical workers provide free HIV/AIDS testing during medical camps throughout the year. Bridge of Hope centers help children orphaned by the disease. And Sisters of Compassion support affected families, like Mani and his uncle and aunt. Through this multifaceted approach, in partnership with other organizations, we can impact thousands of lives ravaged by this disease and see thousands more prevented from becoming victims.

Just as Jesus cared for the sick and ostracized in His community, GFA reaches out in love and compassion to those affected by HIV/AIDS. We are grateful for opportunities like World AIDS Day to communicate God’s love and redemption.

“For … I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me. Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord … when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’” —Matthew 25”36–40

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Veil of Tears Movie Features Plight of Women & Widows in Asia Reports Gospel for Asia

November 25, 2017 By GFA Staff Writer

Gospel for Asia (GFA) News, Wills Point, Texas

Imagine. You’re a woman in Asia with no rights.

You’ve just been married to a man who wants to use you to get rich. You really don’t have the money he’s looking for, yet you’re family’s required to provide a “wedding gift” — a dowry. Your father takes out a loan to pay the groom and his family, yet it’s still not enough. The husband’s family demands even more while your family is left impoverished with nothing more to give. Now your fate is to be burned in a blazing fire because what your family had to offer him didn’t make the cut.

Sound unbelievable? Bride burnings and dowry deaths still occur in Asia, even today.

Imagine. You wake up one day to find your husband went to work one morning then suddenly went missing. Days pass and you find out he was mauled by a fierce tiger, or lost his life in a work-related accident. You’re a widow now. But instead of getting support from your family during your grief, everybody who loved you before now abandons you and no longer cares for you, because they believe you have bad Kharma, which makes you responsible for your husband’s death. Is there any hope for you now?

Sound incredible? Millions of widows in India suffer alone and abandoned due to this social stigma.

Is there any hope for the women of Asia who find themselves living out these scenarios?

Veil of Tears Movie Features Plight of Women & Widows - KP Yohannan - Gospel for Asia — After the movie was finished, people wanted to know how they could help the suffering women in Asia.

Movie Night at Local Church Raises Awareness

On Nov. 10, a few Gospel for Asia (GFA) staff and members of a local church came together to watch GFA’s documentary film, “Veil of Tears.” One couple who came to view the film was so shocked at the treatment of women in Asia that they covered their mouths throughout the movie as they considered what could be done to help these precious women that God loves so much.

Mary, a member of the local church, was overwhelmed by the reality that many women in Asia face.

“It’s overwhelming. You wonder how you can help,” Mary explained. “I’m just one person.”

Pastor David Cartwright, senior pastor of the local church, was gripped by compassion seeing the way some women are treated.

“My heart breaks when I see how deep evil and sin go in our world,” Pastor Cartwright said. “It’s hard to believe groups of people are so unloved and despised and treated like they are. It is beyond anything we see in our culture.”

Gospel for Asia-supported Workers Bring Hope to Suffering Women

Near the end of “Veil of Tears,” the mood of the movie turns from the abuse and violence against women in Asia to hope as Gospel for Asia-supported women missionaries and Sisters of Compassion—women who are specifically trained to minister to the least of the least—enter the scene.

These national workers are changing the lives of hundreds of thousands of women in Asia simply by ministering to and loving them. They also offer programs that help improve a woman’s quality of life. One of those programs is literacy classes, which will keep a woman from signing bad contracts or being cheated at the marketplace.

“I’m really impressed with the literacy of the children and the women, because I think that changes lives,” Mary explained. “I think that’s one thing that no matter what country you’re in or who you are, literacy changes lives.”

The film also shows the ministry Sisters of Compassion have on an island that is home to millions of widows who have been overlooked and abandoned by their family and friends.

“When I stand before my God,” one Sister of Compassion explained, “He’ll say to me, ‘You’ve done a good job, and because of you, these widow mothers are in heaven also.’”

One Person Can Make a Difference for Women in Asia

After the film ended, a Gospel for Asia staff member stood before those who were in attendance and pointed out that we may not be able to do everything, but all of us can do something.

“If God cares about our personal struggles,” she said, “certainly He cares much more about the bigger things.”

Then everyone gathered in groups to pray for women missionaries and those women who are suffering. Mary was impacted by the call to prayer.

“It’s going to make me think and pray differently, and hope I don’t get callous,” Mary said.

The question I’m going to leave with you is a question I asked before: Is there hope? Through people’s prayers and support of the women missionaries and Sisters of Compassion, many women who have no hope will finally find it.

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Child Sponsorship — Does it Lift the Young Out of Poverty? | Part 3

January 12, 2023 By GFA Staff Writer

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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, issued this third part of a Special Report on Child Sponsorship — Does it Lift the Young Out of Poverty?

Child and his sponsor — Sponsors play a huge role in the lives of the kids they partner with, they are not only providing financial help to receive an education, but they can be their child’s encourager, champion, intercessor, and light. Many different organizations like Compassion even provide the opportunity for sponsors to travel and meet their child in person. Photo by Compassion, What We Do: Child Sponsorship

Long-Term Success

Success stories can be recent, like Neale’s in South Asia, or long-term, like Peace Ruharuza’s in Uganda, although the latter tends to illustrate the lasting impact of child sponsorship. Another example of ongoing success comes from Uganda where Phanuel Mwami is a father, social worker and leader of a community development organization in his hometown. But before a ChildFund (formerly Christian Children’s Fund) sponsor helped change the direction of his life, it was full of hopelessness.⁴¹

Phanuel Mwami, 48, sits in the classroom at the school he attended as a child — The 48-year-old Phanuel Mwami is seated in a classroom at the school that ChildFund (formerly Christian Children’s Fund) established and funded when he was a child. He claims, “ChildFund made me who I am.” Photo by ChildFund, Child sponsorship changes the story for Phanuel

The sixth of nine children, Phanuel was the son of subsistence farmers who grew cotton and other crops on a small plot of land. Education in rural Uganda was not free or compulsory then (the country launched a free primary school program in 1997). With his parents unable to afford any kinds of supplies, by the age of eight, Phanuel had lost all hope of attending school.⁴²

The family had other priorities, such as food, clothing and basic shelter.

“When it would rain, one of our older sisters would tell us to hold the walls of the house so they would not fall on us,” he said. “I feared the abject poverty we were living in. I could have died because of a lack of essential services.”⁴³

That all changed in 1982 when a stranger named Bernard James decided to sponsor a child, which enabled Phanuel to enroll in a school that ChildFund had built using sponsorship funds. It was there Phanuel learned to read and write. The school also provided him with uniforms, books, supplies and nourishment. It also helped him survive when his father’s alcohol abuse drove his mother to move out in 1985 and take his other siblings with her.

He chose to stay, afraid following his mother would mean losing his place in the sponsorship program and a chance to get an education. It proved to be a wise decision: Phanuel excelled at school, found odd jobs, and saved enough money to pay his way through secondary school. A member of the school board who noticed his academic prowess took him into her home. Continuing gifts from his sponsor enabled him to buy a goat.

“I don’t want any child under my care to experience what I experienced. Sponsorship opened up my opportunities. It enabled me to live the life I always dreamed of, and now, I am dedicating my life to helping others.”

The now 48-year-old man went on to earn scholarships to attend university, where he studied sociology and social administration before he went on to pursue a career in social work. In 2010, Phanuel launched a nonprofit in the same community where he grew up. It supports more than 100 children in accessing an education.⁴⁴

“I don’t want any child under my care to experience what I experienced,” he said. “Sponsorship opened up my opportunities. It enabled me to live the life I always dreamed of, and now, I am dedicating my life to helping others.”⁴⁵

GFA World Child Sponsorship program staff visit a child's home — West Bengal: Home visits are a huge part of what GFA World’s child sponsorship staff do. Every day they visit different homes in their community encouraging the families of the children enrolled in sponsorship, but also assesing the situations of other families so they can help even more children in the future.

Recent Triumphs

With its sponsorship program launching in 2004, GFA World’s successes are more recent. Still, to date, the organization has helped a total of 142,000 children. During the pandemic-plagued year of 2021, more than 2,200 students in GFA World’s Child Sponsorship Program graduated from high school and began pursuing a path to a better future.

Kasni

Among stories of those receiving help is Kasni, who lives in a village in South Asia. The oldest of four children, she was left in charge when her mother, Dayita, went to work each day in the jungle. (Dayita was forced to do so because her husband’s alcohol addiction made him so sick he couldn’t work or even get out of bed.) Gathering firewood from the forest to sell in the market, Dayita made very little money, meaning her children often went to bed hungry.

When Gospel for Asia (GFA World) sponsorship workers visited the village and heard about Kasni’s plight, they were able to help her get enrolled in the program. She began attending tutoring classes in the afternoons after spending mornings caring for her siblings. The program reduced Dayita’s financial burden and provided her daughter with nutritious food and school supplies.⁴⁶

Divena

Another stirring story involves Divena, already facing an uncertain future at the age of five after her mother deserted the family. Her father would leave Divena and her brother alone for weeks at a time while he worked as a truck driver. One day, a Gospel for Asia (GFA World) social worker visited children in Divena’s area. When this worker passed by the little girl playing in the mud outside her tarp-covered home, the worker felt pity for her.

The woman helped get Divena and her brother into GFA’s sponsorship program.

That meant a daily meal along with adult supervision and guidance, school supplies, and free school tuition. Today, Divena dreams of a brighter future.

“I was totally discouraged when my mother left us alone,” the girl said. “It was very difficult for me and my brother to live without her. We starved many days, and our father also could not look after us. Whenever I saw the children going to school, I felt very sad. However, today [GFA’s sponsorship program] has become a blessing to me and my brother.”⁴⁷

GFA World child sponsorship program — Sponsorship help break the relentless cycle of poverty for countless children around the world. It effects not only the child, but their family and their community.

Bir

GFA World’s founder, K.P. Yohannan (Metropolitan Yohan), said sponsorship helps children overcome the stigma of poverty and the low self-esteem that often accompanies those from deprived circumstances. In his 2020 memoir, Never Give Up, he wrote about children like Bir, who scavenged plastic bags for his parents while believing he was as worthless as the trash he sorted⁴⁸.

Dr. K.P. Yohannan, GFA World Founder — Dr. K.P. Yohannan,
GFA World Founder

“When a Gospel for Asia (GFA World) Sponsorship Program center opened in his village, Bir and his friends discovered they were created for a higher purpose and that God loves them,” Yohannan said. “This knowledge sets kids free and completely transforms their lives. It’s critical that this generation does not give up and that it’s empowered to break free from the stranglehold of poverty.”⁴⁹

Sponsor a Child »

You can be part of the solution that is setting children free from a life of poverty. Simply visit the GFA World website: https://www.gfa.org/sponsorachild/. You can sponsor a child living in South Asia or Africa. You can also find a child who shares your birthday or pick a child to sponsor who has a specific age or gender. Your decision to sponsor can make a substantial difference in the life of an impoverished or underprivileged child.

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 a typical year, this includes thousands of community development projects that benefit downtrodden families and their children, free medical camps conducted in more than 880 villages and remote communities, over 4,800 clean water wells drilled, over 12,000 water filters installed, income-generating Christmas gifts for more than 163,000 needy families, and teaching to provide hope and encouragement in 110 languages in 14 nations through broadcast ministry. GFA World has launched programs in Africa, starting with compassion projects in Rwanda. For all the latest news, visit the Press Room at https://gfanews.org/news.

Read the rest of this GFA World Special Report: Child Sponsorship — Does it Lift the Young Out of Poverty? — Part 1, Part 2

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

Read what 30 Christian Leaders are affirming about Gospel for Asia.

This Special Report originally appeared on gfa.org.

Footnotes:

“Child Sponsorship Changes the Story for Phanuel.” ChildFund.org. https://www.childfund.org/Content/StoryDetail/17179871321/. January 20, 2022.
Ibid.
Ibid.
Ibid.
Ibid.
“An Education They Never Dreamed Of.” GFA World News. https://www.gfa.org/news/articles/an-education-they-never-dreamed-of/. May 2016.
“Neglected Girl Replaces Mud Canvas with Paper, Pencils.” GFA World News. https://www.gfa.org/news/articles/neglected-girl-replaces-mud-canvas-with-paper-pencils/. May 2020.
Yohannan, K.P., “Never Give Up” GFA Books. https://nevergiveupbook.org/. April 1, 2020.
Ibid.

Gospel for Asia Missionary Helps Alleviate the Despair of a Single Mother

November 20, 2022 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 despair of Kalyska, her husband’s betrayal, her brother’s thievery, and the hope and peace that God brought through a friend and a Gospel for Asia (GFA) missionary.

“Frustrated” didn’t begin to describe how Kalyska felt. Her younger brother had effectively stolen the money she had lent him. Nearly all her savings were now gone. It was a heavy blow to the single mother of two. Kalyska already had difficulty providing for her son and daughter, but this was the final straw. How could she recover?

A Mother’s Struggles

GFA World discussing the despair of Kalyska, and the hope and peace that God brought through a friend and a Gospel for Asia missionary. — Kalyska, pictured here, is thankful for the love she was shown and the opportunity to provide for her children.

Things hadn’t always been like this. Kalyska had once had a happy home, if not a perfect one. Kalyska’s marriage had started out happy, but three years and two children later, she discovered her husband was seeing another woman. Her husband, confronted with his infidelity, hurled physical and verbal abuse on Kalyska. Then he left.

Kalyska was left alone to take care of their children. Fortunately, with some savings and the small income she now earned through tailoring, Kalyska was able to send her children to school once they were old enough.

But the reality of her situation shattered any semblance of peace. Many individuals, hearing of Kalyska’s plight, offered to help—but all they wanted was to use Kalyska for their own gain. Fear and despair took hold in Kalyska’s heart. She didn’t feel safe; she wasn’t safe.

Then Kalyska’s brother visited. Jobless, he needed a place to stay while he looked for opportunities. Kalyska graciously let him stay at her home. Eventually, he found a job, but it was an international posting, and he needed money to get there. So Kalyska loaned him most of her savings on his promise he would send the money back once he started his job. But no money came; the brother stopped all contact; Kalyska had virtually nothing left for her children.

An Opportunity for Hope, Peace

Not long after her brother absconded with her money, Kalyska was out at her local market. There, she happened to meet a lady named Peleria. A conversation ensued, during which the stressed mother shared all the horrible things she had recently endured. It was all too much—first her husband’s betrayal, then the predators’ threats and finally her brother’s thievery.

Peleria listened to Kalyska bare her heart with patience and compassion. As the talk progressed, Kalyska invited Peleria to her home the next day; they could continue talking then.

At Kalyska’s home, Peleria shared with Kalyska about her sister, Idalis, who happened to be a Gospel for Asia (GFA) missionary. Idalis ran a small program teaching women—specifically, single mothers and widows—how to sew, and Kalyska could help Idalis teach and earn a regular income. An opportunity to provide for her children? Kalyska took it.

When Kalyska began working at Idalis’ home, the sisters shared of God’s love. They shared of the comfort He brings to the helpless and the aid He brings to the needy. They also invited Kalyska to the weekly prayer meetings held at Idalis’ home.

When Kalyska sat with her children in the meeting, a feeling washed over her that she hadn’t felt in a long time—peace. And, oddly enough, joy. She wanted more.

The peace she felt at that first meeting is now a permanent staple in Kalyska’s home. After embracing God’s love, Kalyska began attending the local church and became a frequent visitor at Idalis’ home every week for prayer. Instead of living in constant fear and insecurity, Kalyska had found safety and love in the Lord through Peleria and Idalis. Kalyska didn’t need to bear her burdens alone anymore—she had help.

Learn how you can help other women facing similar situations of abandonment or bereavement.

*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, The Despair of a Single Mother

Learn more about the GFA World national missionary 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 more about GFA World programs to bring value, hope and love to women and their families, and break the cycle of poverty by helping through Vocational Training, Sewing Machines and Literacy Training.

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

GFA World Special Report #2 | Malaria – It’s Time to Buzz Off! New Vaccine Heralds a Game-Changing Development

May 16, 2022 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, issued this second part of a Special Report on Malaria – new vaccine heralds a game-changing development.

Tricking Mosquitoes With … ‘Toxic’ Beetroot Juice?

In the seemingly never-ending quest to wipe out malaria—responsible in 2019 for the deaths of more than 400,000 people worldwide, roughly equivalent to wiping out the entire population of Miami, Florida—scientists are experimenting continually with new ideas to combat “the enemy” … the pesky mosquito.^[17]

Perhaps one of the most unusual ideas involves “toxic” beetroot juice.

Researchers at Sweden’s Stockholm University have been preying on mosquitoes searching for their next tasty blood meal. They’ve shown that it’s possible to mimic a blood feast using beetroot juice laced with a “toxic” plant-based solution that kills mosquitoes but doesn’t harm other species, such as bees.^[18]

Until the malaria vaccine usage is widespread, there are still a number of simple but highly effective solutions to combat malaria. One is mosquito bed nets. Another in process, is toxic beetroot, which kills the female carriers.

According to an October 2021 report in ScienceDaily, the Swedish team tested four different ingredients in a beetroot juice cocktail. All the mosquitoes feeding on the “fake blood” died within a few hours.^[19]

“This mixture, [which] we call ‘pink juice,’ is a harmless … eco-friendly solution, but it is naturally toxic for female mosquitoes,” said Noushin Emami, a professor in the university’s Department of Molecular Biosciences.^[20] The Stockholm researchers hope to see their “feeding trap” tested in the field and eventually used alongside other effective mosquito control measures.

“There are a number of … approaches targeting mosquitoes … but I believe that there is a lot of potential in developing very simple but highly effective solutions,” Emami said. “We used beetroot in this study to demonstrate exactly this point.”^[21]

Molecular Attraction team. From left: Johan Paleovrachas, Noushin Emami, PhD, Aleksandra Gromnicka, Lech Ignatowicz, PhD. — Molecular Attraction team. From left: Johan Paleovrachas, Co-founder and Chairman, Noushin Emami, PhD, Co-founder and CSO, Aleksandra Gromnicka, Project Manager, Lech Ignatowicz, PhD, Co-founder and CEO. Photo by Molecular Attraction

Mosquito bite — People typically get malaria after being bitten by an infective female Anopheles mosquito.

Facing a Global Emergency

Despite recent breakthroughs and progress, malaria remains one of the biggest threats to children’s lives on the global stage. “Every two minutes, a child dies of malaria,” said UNICEF’s Stefan Swartling Peterson.^[22] According to the agency, nearly half of the world’s population is at risk. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) says the mosquito is the most deadly creature in the world—killing more people each year than sharks, wolves, lions, crocodiles and snakes combined.^[23]

Alarming facts include the following: 8 out of 10 malaria deaths occur in only 15 countries—14 of them in Africa, plus India. Third largest killer of children under age 5, after pneumonia and diarrhea. 9 out of 10 malaria deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa. Deaths of thousands of women and unborn children every year, are due to Malaria in pregancy. — Background Photo by Rod Waddington, Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Quest to Become Malaria-Free

USAID malaria initiative in Uganda — USAID’s indoor residual spraying activity has protected almost 7 million Ugandans from malaria, and contributed to reducing malaria infection rates in targeted districts by 55 percent.

In a June 30, 2021 news release from the World Health Organization, it was stated that “Globally, 40 countries and territories have been granted a malaria-free certification from WHO—including, most recently, El Salvador (2021), Algeria (2019), Argentina (2019), Paraguay (2018), and Uzbekistan (2018).”^[25]

In June 2021—following a 70-year battle against malaria—China joined the coveted list of malaria-free countries. WHO described it as a “notable feat” for the world’s most populous nation.^[26]

In the 1940s, China reported 30 million cases of malaria each year.^[27] According to a CNN report, during the Vietnam War, more Chinese soldiers died from malaria than bullets in the mosquito-ridden jungles.^[28] China is the first country in more than 30 years in the Western Pacific region to rid itself of the disease.^[29]

Many nonprofits are on the frontlines, operating health clinics, providing medicine, and distributing lifesaving bed nets in even the most isolated places.

WHO credits China’s success in eradicating malaria to aggressive government action to wipe out mosquito breeding grounds, develop better antimalarial drugs and pioneer preventive measures. In the 1980s, China was one of the first countries to test insecticide-treated bed nets on a large scale—showing that widespread use of bed nets at night could significantly reduce mosquito bites and malaria cases.^[30]

China received a malaria free certification by WHO in 2021 — China has a long history of malaria, but it has now maintained zero indigenous malaria cases for four years running, down from an estimated 30 million cases and 300,000 deaths per year in the 1940s. This malaria free certification by WHO in 2021 is a significant life-saving achievement for China, showing the potential for real progress in the fight against malaria. Photo by WHO/C.McNab

The Battle On the Frontlines: Mosquito Nets

Science and facts tell part of the story. But the real-life impact of malaria is unfolding right now in the rural villages of sub-Saharan Africa, the teeming cities of Asia and the Amazon rainforests of South America.

Many global nonprofit organizations—including World Vision, Save the Children and GFA World—are on the frontlines, operating health clinics, providing medicine, and distributing lifesaving bed nets in even the most isolated places.

Dr. K.P. Yohannan, GFA Founder — Dr. K.P. Yohannan, Gospel for Asia (GFA) Founder

“Some of their communities are in such deep trouble fighting this disease, our workers were dealing with thousands of cases,” said Gospel for Asia (GFA World) founder K.P. Yohannan. In one malaria-prone area of Asia, workers climbed a mountain on foot to reach a remote, mountaintop community caught in a malaria death cycle, Yohannan said. “The people of this community, extremely isolated … didn’t know how to prevent or treat malaria.”

GFA World national missionaries traversing mountainous terrains to deliver supplies and provisions to villages in need. — Sikkim: Because of mountainous terrain in many parts of India, Gospel for Asia (GFA World) teams often hand carry critical provisions, like mosquito nets, on their backs while climbing mountains to reach the villages in need of supplies.

Gospel for Asia (GFA World) missionaries—driven by the belief that every human life is precious to God—distributed some 200 mosquito bed nets they’d carried up the mountain, as well as malaria medicine, and showed the local people how to protect themselves and halt the deadly wave.

“From the day they brought the medicine and nets, not a single person in that community died of malaria,” Yohannan said. “What does this tell us? In remote, malaria-ridden places across Asia, a mosquito net can change an entire community.”

Motherless daughters received a mosquito net from GFA World gift distribution — West Bengal 1-4-22: These four motherless sisters were very happy to receive a bed net for their family to keep them safe from mosquito bites and other insects. The oldest daughter works to make ends meet, but earns less than 100 rupees a day.

One Less Thing to Fear

Living in an area with high rates of malaria, Bahman and his wife, Salli, were terrified they’d lose their two young daughters to the disease. They knew a mosquito net—costing about $10—would be a potential lifesaver. But they were too poor to afford one.

Increasing their fear, one of their daughters had been paralyzed for three years. If she contracted malaria, would she survive?

That’s when a local Gospel for Asia (GFA) missionary realized the dilemma facing the couple and their neighbors. He took action—and 100 families, including Bahman’s, were given bed nets. “You helped us by providing a piece of mosquito net in our lives, though you never knew us before,” Bahman said. “We are touched with your love.”

GFA WOrld mosquito net distribution — West Bengal 8-17-16: Gospel for Asia (GFA World) national missionary, and helpers, and the local village head, distributed some eight hundred mosquito nets to local villagers from economically poor and underprivileged backgrounds.

Making It Personal Makes a Difference

Father from India received a life-saving mosquit net — For $10, about the cost of morning coffee, you can gift a life-saving mosquito net to an Asian parent, like this father in West Bengal, India, who earns just $3/day, and cannot afford to buy one himself. He can then safeguard his loved ones from harmful mosquito bites that carry vector-borne diseases like malaria. His family will be forever grateful to you.

For many of us born and raised in a malaria-free country, malaria is not something we worry about. It’s a “tropical disease” that’s a long way from affecting our lives. Mosquito bites are an itchy annoyance—that’s all.

This was certainly true for me—until the day I watched malaria’s deadly fever grip my African friends in Uganda. That’s when it became personal for me. They were suffering on the edge of death because they couldn’t afford a basic bed net or antimalarial tablets that cost just a few dollars—things that were readily available, and that I took for granted.

For $10, you can place a life-saving bed net into the hands of a family at risk, a family—like Bahman’s—who will be forever grateful. So far, GFA World’s national missionaries have given out more than 1.3 million mosquito nets. They’d love to hand out millions more.

China has shown us it’s possible to obliterate malaria from the world’s most populated country. And now—with an effective vaccine—the end is finally in sight around the globe. If we all work together, we can see malaria eradicated everywhere.

One shot … one bed net … one child at a time.

What can we do about mosquito-driven scourges? »

One simple way to fight mosquito-borne diseases like malaria, is to consider giving a needy family a simple Mosquito Net. For only $10, Gospel for Asia’s field partners can distribute one of these effective nets to an at-risk family in Asia and provide them with safety from insects during the day and at night.

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 a typical year, this includes 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 to provide hope and encouragement 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 the Press Room at https://gfanews.org/news.

Read the rest of this GFA World Special Report: Malaria – It’s Time to Buzz Off! New Vaccine Heralds a Game-Changing Development — Part 1

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

Read what 27 Christian Leaders are affirming about Gospel for Asia.

This Special Report originally appeared on gfa.org.