How Gospel for Asia Flushes Out Disease and Builds Dignity

Last updated on: May 3, 2022 at 2:16 am By GFA Staff Writer

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World and affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada) founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan – Discussing Anesh and his family, the critical but common problem of not having a decent toilet, and the practical Gospel for Asia (GFA) gift of a toilet, which will give many the priceless gift of restored dignity.

Anesh and his family rubbed the sleepiness from their eyes as they assembled to make their morning trek into a thick, green forest. Tall trees surrounded them with hopeful privacy, but still, there was no telling what they would encounter that morning. Wild animals and lurking men made the daily morning journey a dreaded one, especially for women. But they had to relieve themselves, and the outdoors was their only option.

Toiling Without a Toilet

Anesh gathered his family around him. The family, who had just that morning made the embarrassing trek, joined together to do something about it: pray. They petitioned the Lord for a much-needed but impossible item—a toilet.

Anesh worked hard to bring in daily resources for his family. He had the responsibility of providing for six family members, and though he toiled, he could never make enough to build a toilet.

Anesh and his family loved Jesus, and they served faithfully in the church, growing strong in the love of the Lord. Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported pastor Chamanlal shepherded them and also saw their needs. He encouraged Anesh and his family to pray in faith, believing God would answer their call for help.

Without access to their own toilet, the only option is to find a place outside.

Approximately 2.3 billion people around the world do not have a decent toilet. That’s one out of every three people.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Pastor Chamanlal and his family — This is Pastor Chamanlal and his family. With the love of the Lord in his heart, he is committed to serving God by helping meet the needs of people around him. He understood the plight of Anesh and his family and their desperate need for a proper toilet.

A Critical but Common Problem

The need for proper toilets around the world and in Asia alone is staggering. According to WaterAid, approximately 2.3 million people around the world do not have a decent toilet. That’s one out of every three people. A startling statistic—one that Anesh and his family were a part of.

“During rainy season,” Anesh’s wife, Panita, said, “it was difficult to go to an open area for nature’s call. Being a woman, it is humiliating to do business in a public area. Sometimes, when people pass through, I would stand and felt so sad.”

A Need Not Unseen

But God was not distant from this family’s prayers. He knew their need well and worked through Pastor Chamanlal—and believers around the world—to answer those prayers.

As Pastor Chamanlal brought this family’s need to his leaders, he got permission and resources to build a toilet for the family through a Christmas gift distribution program.

Soon, instead of trees, solid cement walls would surround people; instead of bare ground, a toilet was installed. After the finishing touches of blue paint were complete, the newly constructed facility was handed over to Anesh and his family, right in his backyard!

This was a joyous day. Not only were they encouraged to witness God answering their prayers but after many long years, they also finally had a sanitation facility on their own property. They were very thankful to God, as well as to the church, for providing them this facility. Now, Anesh and his loved ones do not have to get up early in the morning, and they don’t have to fear wild animals.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Anesh and his family were so happy and blessed to receive the answer to their prayers: a toilet on their own premises. — Anesh and his family were so happy and blessed to receive the answer to their prayers: a toilet on their own premises.

A Toilet Changes a Village

After the construction of Anesh’s toilet, the villagers asked Pastor Chamanlal to build one for them too. Anesh and his family excitedly told the villagers how the church has concern for the people. The community grew positive toward the social services of the church and appreciative of Pastor Chamanlal. Some villagers even started attending prayer meetings.

With much joy and thankfulness to God, Anesh said, “I am grateful to God and to the church for their concern toward us. I do daily work, and I could not build a sanitation [facility] for my family. But thank God for the help from the church.”

Anesh’s mother, Onella, was grateful too.

“The toilet is safe and secure for the females,” she said. “I have been using the open area for many years, and I wished a lot to have our own by seeing others. But due to the lack of money, we could not make it. But I thank God and the church for their concern and the help.”

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Outdoor toilet — Building a toilet for a community or a family can spare lives from disease, provide protection from the elements and wild animals, and give dignity to those who have never had it before.

It’s That Simple

A simple useful gift like a toilet can change the lifestyle of an entire family and even an entire village. Because someone gave, Anesh’s family was blessed with something they otherwise would probably never have been be able to obtain on their own.

This year, for World Toilet Day on November 19, you can make a difference in the lives of precious people in Asia with the practical gift of a toilet, which will give many the priceless gift of restored dignity.

Learn how to help protect people’s health, prevent diseases and help cure illnesses through donating towards Medical Camps, Mosquito Nets and constructing Outdoor Toilets.

*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 Featured Article, Flushing Out Disease, Building Dignity

Learn more about how generosity can change lives. Through Gospel for Asia (GFA World and it’s affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada) 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 the Gospel for Asia Special Report: Saving Lives at Risk from Open Defecation – Using Outdoor Toilets to Improve Sanitation

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

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

Gospel for Asia Finds Child Lost in a Sea of Faces

Last updated on: May 3, 2022 at 2:33 am By GFA Staff Writer

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World and affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada) founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan – Discussing Jishan, like many abandoned children turned to a life of begging in the streets, and the encounter that brought hope through Gospel for Asia-supported children’s home.

Three-year-old Jishan felt his grip on his father’s finger slip as the crowd jostled them in the marketplace. Suddenly, his father was gone. Strangers surrounded him.

Crying helplessly in the midst of the crowd, Jishan had no idea he would never see his father, mother or sister again.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Discussing Jishan, like many abandoned children turned to a life of begging, and the Gospel for Asia-supported children's home that brought hope. — Jishan is only one of many children who have been separated from their families at bustling marketplaces, such as this busy street. Parents can quickly disappear into a crowd, accidentally or intentionally, and never be seen again by their children.

In the years that followed, Jishan spent many days crying at street corners, hoping his family would find him. Instead, he found disappointment day after day.

Train Ride to a Life of Begging

When a kind man saw little Jishan crying in the market, he took Jishan home to care for him as his own son. Even at such a young age, Jishan’s religious beliefs were strong and contradicted those of his new family. The family treated him very well, but their different beliefs bothered Jishan deeply. Eventually, 9-year-old Jishan ran away and boarded a train bound for a major city.

Upon arriving, Jishan didn’t have a friend in the world. He had nothing to eat for the first two days in the city. To survive, he slept in the train station and partially appeased his gnawing hunger by begging.

“I used to miss my home,” Jishan remembers. “I used to think, What happened to my father? Where is he? I used to cry all alone at the station.”

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan and Gospel for Asia-supported children's home — Jishan grieved the loss of his parents, much like this young boy did. Jishan tried to survive street life on his own, but he was helpless against attacks from older boys.

At one point during the two or three weeks he spent on the streets, a group of boys beat Jishan in the middle of the night and stole the few coins he had earned through begging. Wary of everyone after the attack, Jishan isolated himself from others. But he did not go unnoticed—a loving eye spotted him among the multitudes packed into the city.

Gospel for Asia-supported Children’s Home: A House of Hope

One day, a lady approached Jishan. When she asked what his name was or if he was hungry, he barely answered her. The lady told Jishan about a place he could call home, and after listening to her for a little while, Jishan decided to trust her and accept her help.

The lady brought Jishan to a Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported home for street boys. When Jishan arrived, he met the men, women and other rescued boys who would become his family. The staff gave Jishan a bath, tasty food and his very own cot in a room shared with other at-risk boys.

The environment was new for Jishan, but he embraced it. The rooms were kept neat and clean, and there was structure to the days’ events. Jishan had fallen behind in his schooling since running away, and he earnestly wanted to catch up, so the staff arranged for him to receive extra tutoring.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Boys and girls at Gospel for Asia-supported children’s home receive education, food and genuine love — Boys and girls at Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported children’s homes receive education, food and genuine love from the staff, as well as help to heal from emotional and physical trauma from turbulent childhood experiences.

One Big Family

The men and women serving at the boys’ home truly love the children they minister to. As new children enter the home, the staff recognize each child’s individual needs.

“[The children] are already depressed, they are downtrodden,” explained Manik, the project coordinator for the Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported boys’ home.

“They are not happy, and people despise them in the world outside. If we are not kind to them, if we do not show love to them, they will lose hope…and I don’t want that to happen to these children.”

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: boys sheltered at the children’s home see each other as brothers and view the staff as aunts and uncles — Jishan (center) and the other boys sheltered at the children’s home see each other as brothers and view the staff as aunts and uncles, in place of the voids left by their own family members.

The atmosphere in the boys’ home is that of a big family, with many “uncles,” “aunts” and “brothers” to learn from, play with and cherish. Children who are sullen or dejected when they arrive at the boys’ home soon learn to laugh again through the love shown to them day after day. Jishan quickly recognized this genuine love.

“Everybody here is my family member,” Jishan shared. “I don’t feel that this is an orphanage; I feel this is my own house.”

Once, when Jishan experienced trouble with his legs and became weak and tired due to illness, the staff ladies cared for him and served him in many ways. They provided medicine for him and even massaged his weak legs.

“I will never forget the way they have cared and loved me,” Jishan said. “They have served me more than a mother would do to her children.”

Positive Role Models for Life

Jishan, now 16 years old, is a testimony of the love and encouragement the Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported staff pour out for the children at this children’s home. Their lives demonstrate gentle yet strong character, and Jishan values their direction and counsel.

“Had that sister not come to the railway station and not met me that day,” Jishan shared, “my life would have totally changed. I would have become very bad and rogue. If I had not met that sister, I would have been into criminal activities, drinking, consuming drugs, maybe stealing, even murdering. Who knows?

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Gentle guidance and counsel from the staff helped Jishan cultivate positive character qualities — Gentle guidance and counsel from the staff helped Jishan (pictured) cultivate positive character qualities that will benefit him and those around him for his entire life.

“One of the reasons I like the staff here at [the boys’ home],” Jishan continued, “is because even if I do [make a] mistake, they correct me . . . and I don’t feel bad when they scold me because I know that they are trying to correct me. They are trying to teach me what’s right and what’s not right. . . . I know they do it out of love and concern to make my future and my life [better]. I am very grateful and thankful to them.”

Jishan might be miles apart from his biological family, yet he has joy in his heart because of the love showered upon him in Jesus’ name.

Helping Abandoned Children Flourish

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: The smiles of these two boys tell of the hope and love they discovered through the boys’ street children’s home — The smiles of these two boys tell of the hope and love they discovered through the boys’ street children’s home supported by Gospel for Asia (GFA). Through this boys’ home, hundreds of children have been cared for, and many have even been reunited with their families.

Through the kindness and care Jishan received at the Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported children’s home, his ambition changed from simply finding some food to fill his stomach to becoming a cricket player and completing his education. What’s more, God’s love has been demonstrated in ways Jishan will remember the rest of his life.

Give other children the same opportunity to receive care and love by donating to the Abandoned Children Fund.

Learn more about the Gospel for Asia Bridge of Hope program and how you can make an incredible difference in the lives of children, bringing hope to their lives and their families, transforming communities.

Source: Gospel for Asia Featured Article, Child Lost in a Sea of Faces

Learn more by reading the Gospel for Asia Special Report on Child Labor: Not Gone, but Forgotten – Millions of Children Trapped between Extreme Poverty and the Profits of Others

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

Experience Glimpses of Asia & GFA’s Ministry on YouTube

Last updated on: May 3, 2022 at 2:38 am By GFA Staff Writer

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World and affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada) founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan – Discussing GFA’s ministry as seen through several videos.

Forty-one years ago, the Lord began answering the prayers of a young man from India, his wife and a few Christian friends who shared a burden for the millions of people in Asia who had never heard of Jesus. Little did they realize the magnitude of the ministry the Lord would initiate and prosper through their sacrificial service—or how technology would enable the Body of Christ to glimpse God’s handiwork on other side of the globe.

GFA’s Ministry Sees Multitudes Transformed

After the publication of Dr. K.P. Yohannan’s impactful book Revolution in World Missions, the ministry thrived beyond imagination. Thousands of readers have felt God prompting them to partner with Gospel for Asia (GFA), and as a result, millions in Asia have heard about the life-changing peace and joy that only Jesus can give.

Yet very few of us will ever get to travel across the world to a rural village or crowded slum in Asia to personally see the difference God is making through Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported workers.

Thanks to the now commonly-used technology unavailable at the beginning of the 21st century, however, the entire world can see with their own eyes the needs of Asia’s people and how the Lord is working through Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported workers to minister as Jesus’ hands and feet.

Gospel for Asia invites readers to watch the videos and playlists on its YouTube channel. See and hear stories that will both break and bless your heart. Check out a few of these brief GFA YouTube videos to gain a glimpse of Asia and of the lives God is touching for His glory.

“Forgotten Islands No Longer Forgotten” People on this group of islands in Asia survive through backbreaking work and have few opportunities for improvement. Forgotten by most of society, they’re highly susceptible to waterborne illness, tiger attacks and many other threats. But a team of Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported national workers is bringing hope to these islanders.

“How a Jesus Well Transformed Lives in India” The need for clean water amid the global water crisis, especially in parts of Asia and India, cannot be overstated. GFA’s ministry, through the provision of clean water wells and water filters, is saving the lives of children, mothers and fathers across Asia. And we’re saving these families’ time so children can attend school more often, mothers can do more with their time and fathers are healthy more often to keep working.

“From Trials to Triumph: Tapan’s Testimony” Pastor Tapan’s story brings Jesus’ words in John 16:33 to life. From the moment he committed to following Christ, to his time of looking death in the face through severe illness, Pastor Tapan testifies that God truly transforms trials and torment to victory and triumph.

“Visit a Bridge of Hope Center with KP Yohannan” We invite you to join Gospel for Asia’s founder, Dr. K.P. Yohannan, in his behind-the-scenes tour of a GFA-supported Bridge of Hope center in Mumbai. See the difference these centers are making in the lives of many children in Asia.

“Mula: A Widow’s Story” After Mula’s husband died, Mula and her four children were struggling to survive. The Lord showed His provision to them through GFA’s Bridge of Hope program and free tailoring classes. Eventually, His peace transformed their hearts.

“The Stick Gatherer – No Longer A Slumdog” Watch this gripping story as Dr. K.P. Yohannan shares the story of a young boy who ended up in a GFA-supported Bridge of Hope center. Jesus said, “Whatever you do for the least of these, you do unto me.”

“My Visit to a Leprosy Colony” Ashley shares about her visit to a leprosy colony where she got to see Gospel for Asia’s leprosy ministry in action. While she visited with the patients, Ashley watched Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported national missionaries serve the patients by cleaning their wounds. Residents of the colony were despised by society, but national missionaries showed God’s love to them by treating them with dignity and concern.

“Pastor Marty – Growing Up in the Slums” Do you remember your childhood? Pastor Marty does. He grew up in the slums of Mumbai in extreme poverty. Through many hardships, Marty lost all hope—until he encountered the love of Jesus in a genuine and practical way: the healing of his son. After graduating from a Bible college, he returned to the slum he grew up in and began passionately sharing Jesus’ love with those who are struggling.

Watch and Pray

As you watch these videos, may you be encouraged by the Lord’s beautiful work in Asia. Thank you for praying for the people of Asia and for GFA’s ministry among them.

Source: Worldometers, South Asia Population

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

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

Diagnosis: Four Days to Live; Gospel For Asia Prescribes Prayer

Last updated on: April 16, 2020 at 8:05 pm By GFA Staff Writer

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World and affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada) founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan – Discussing a Gospel For Asia supported church that started out as a house gathering, and the simple church building through which many found hope & life in Jesus.

Vaijayi was supposed to be dead. His doctor had given him only four days to live. That was on Tuesday, and today was Sunday—five days later. As Vaijayi walked through the doors of the church, there was hope that he might live.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Discussing a Gospel For Asia supported church that started out as a house gathering, and the simple church building through which many found hope & life in Jesus. — This house of worship has blessed the congregation that sings praises inside, much like a similar place blessed Pastor Tapan’s fellowship.

Worshiping in a Small House

When Gospel for Asia-supported pastor Tapan and his family moved into Vaijayi’s village several years earlier, most people were unresponsive to Tapan’s message about Christ’s love. Some mocked the pastor’s small congregation when they saw people gathering in Tapan’s tiny, one-room house for worship.

“These people go to church, but where is their church?” skeptics sneered. “This is not good, to live in the same house and pray in it.”

Many fellowships in Asia worship together in small homes, huts or even the outdoors, simply because they don’t have the ability to construct a church building. Those who are unable to fit inside are exposed to the hot sun or pouring rain. Many are ridiculed by their neighbors, who see it as a disgrace to worship in such a manner.

Gospel for Asia (GFA World and affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada) founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan — This congregation is crowded together in a pastor’s home for worship.

Others in Vaijayi’s village directly opposed the believers by trying to put a stop to the worship services, even beating Pastor Tapan and people within the fellowship. But with the Lord’s help, the congregation stood firm in their faith and were able to overcome their struggles.

Still, Pastor Tapan knew his tiny home wasn’t sufficient. He and the believers asked the Lord to provide a place of worship that could accommodate the people—a prayer they would continue in for nearly five years.

Five Years of Prayer

Finding a plot of land proved to be difficult, however. Yet Pastor Tapan’s congregation kept praying, setting aside special times to fast and seek the Lord. The believers were eventually able to buy land and begin construction after nearly five years of consistent prayer.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan — While Pastor Tapan’s congregation was able to meet in his home until a place of worship was established in his village, other congregations meet outside for worship, like the one shown here did, because none of the village homes are large enough to house the believers.

Almost a year later, the construction was finally completed. Now, instead of ridiculing the believers, curious villagers came to look at the new structure, which gave Pastor Tapan the opportunity to share the love of Christ with them. Many are intrigued to learn about the God believers worship when services are held in a structure made for worship instead of a tiny home.

The people noticed the love of God in Pastor Tapan’s life, and many of them returned a second time to talk with him and ask for prayer. Tapan happily agreed to pray for the people’s needs, and when the Lord answered his prayers, many started to attend services held at the church. One of these people was Vaijayi.

Four Days to Live

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Like Vaijayi, this sick man was blessed and comforted by a Gospel for Asia-supported pastor. — Like Vaijayi, this sick man was blessed and comforted by a Gospel for Asia-supported pastor.

Vaijayi had throat cancer. He tried offering sacrifices to the goddess he worshiped to find healing, but he received no answer from her. Then Vaijayi tried to buy relief, at great expense to himself, from an old man who practiced black magic. Instead, his condition worsened, and soon he was unable to eat. Finally, he had someone take him to a hospital.

“He will not live for more than four days,” the doctor stated. “You can take him back home.”

Vaijayi fell into deep depression. The doctor’s words tumbled over and over again in his mind; he thought of nothing else. His whole family, too, suffered in agony.

Two days had come and gone when a believer from Pastor Tapan’s church came to Vaijayi with good news. She told him about the new house of worship, saying, “In my church, I have seen many people receive healing through prayer. If you are willing, you can also come for prayer.”

“I have only two more days left until my death anyway,” Vaijayi told her in desperation. “Take me to your church for prayer.”

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: These men are part of a congregation that meets together regularly for prayer and worship. — These men are part of a congregation that meets together regularly for prayer and worship.

Prayers Result in Successful Operation

The next day, Vaijayi and his family set out for the new place of worship. Once there, Pastor Tapan told them about Christ’s healing power and prayed for the sick man. The family went home, and soon Vaijayi noticed the swelling in his throat diminish. They knew it was Jesus who brought him relief.

The day Vaijayi was supposed to die came, but Vaijayi lived instead! The following day, the family returned to the church to attend Sunday morning worship. Once again, Pastor Tapan and the believers prayed for Vaijayi’s healing.

Later, during a second visit to the hospital, a doctor suggested an operation to get rid of the cancer completely. Though Vaijayi had no money to cover such an expense, God provided for a successful operation at no cost to Vaijayi, who gives the glory to God.

“The doctors said that I would not live for more than four days, and I thought my life on this earth would end within a few days,” Vaijayi declares. “But it is the Lord who healed me and provided money for the operation, and He turned my operation into a success.”

Gospel For Asia Supported Church Blesses Village

What started out as a house gathering has turned into a blessing for many. A simple church building did more than make a way for Vaijayi to receive encouragement from Pastor Tapan. Inside, Vaijayi met Jesus—and the promise of future life with Him.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: God blessed these believers with a new place of worship just like He blessed Pastor Tapan’s congregation with one through their prayers. — God blessed these believers with a new place of worship just like He blessed Pastor Tapan’s congregation with one through their prayers.

Church buildings like the one which Vaijayi now worships in bring people together, provide shelter from the weather and serve as a permanent gathering place for growing congregations. Those who are more skeptical of believers often find the joy of Christ when, out of curiosity, they attend an indoor worship service.

You can help a growing congregation like Vaijayi’s.

Learn how to help communities seek Christ, by providing permanent church buildings for worship – an investment in the lives of many, for eternity.

Source: Gospel for Asia Featured Article, Four Days to Live

Learn more about the GFA-supported 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.

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

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

Gospel for Asia Sees a Slum Child’s Return

Last updated on: May 4, 2022 at 4:57 pm By GFA Staff Writer

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World and affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada) founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan – Discussing Marty, a Gospel for Asia-supported Pastor serving in slum ministry in the vicious South Asian slums he was born and raised in.

The faintest hints of the sun’s rays begin to streak across the sky and bounce off the plastic-tarp rooftops as one man makes his way along the narrow alleyways of the slum. Some people recognize him and smile; others take little notice. Many have known him since childhood. The man steps around dirty puddles and piles of garbage; he ducks under low-hanging wash lines, strung between houses and laden with wet clothes. Every morning, Pastor Martin walks this route with purpose and prayer.

Eating from the Garbage Bin

Martin, also known as Marty, lives and ministers in the same South Asian slum he was born and raised in. As a young boy in a poor family, he often dug for food in the bottom of dirty garbage bins to fill his empty stomach. He and his mother were left alone when his father died of alcoholism, and in sixth grade, Marty suddenly found himself shouldering the responsibilities as the new head of the family. The daily struggles and addictions each day holds for a child living in the slum had been his own.

“Most of these children’s parents are my friends. We went to school together,” Pastor Marty explains. “But most of them dropped out; they could not continue the studies by seventh or eighth [grade] … They started indulging [in] wrong things, and they started to drink. Some of them are even dead. So I started thinking about their children: Why [don’t] we do something for their children?”

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: "He does what Jesus would have done. Helping the poor and needy and also loving people … He is always willing to help people." — “He does what Jesus would have done. Helping the poor and needy and also loving people … He is always willing to help people.”

Living Today with No Hope for Tomorrow

Life in the slums is a vicious, generational cycle. Alcoholic husbands provide families with little money and even less leadership. Wives, many uneducated, take up daily labor jobs to try to stay afloat. Children drop out of school as early as second grade to help earn money. Some kids never step foot inside a school at all—their families are unable to pay for water or electricity, let alone their kids’ education.

Garbage litters the streets. Dirty drinking water and the absence of simple hygienic practices like hand-washing cause disease rates to soar. Prostitution, sex trafficking and other crimes hold countless people in bondage with no escape.

“I went through what these children are going through,” Marty says. “That gave me a burden . . . and pain in my heart.”

Pastor Returns to Where He Started

In 2006, the Lord led Pastor Marty to start what would become the first ministry in the slum where he grew up: a Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported Bridge of Hope center. Now nine years later, there is a second Bridge of Hope center and three Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported churches. God has blessed Marty’s efforts amidst the hopelessness of the slum.

“[He] is a great example for us as he represents Jesus,” one believer says of Pastor Marty. “He does what Jesus would have done. Helping the poor and needy and also loving people … He is always willing to help people.”

After going on his neighborhood prayer walk every morning, Marty comes home and spends time reading and meditating on the Word and prays for each individual in his church by name. He and his wife, Prina, know dependence on the Lord is essential to their ministry.

“That is one of the reasons I am growing in the Lord [and am] able to do ministry,” Marty insists. “That’s what I have also taught my family.”

Prina knew nothing about city life when she married Marty in 1999. The slums frightened her at first, but when her husband graduated from a two-year Bible college and became a pastor, she encouraged him to minister to the people he grew up with. Now they serve in the slum together as husband and wife, telling people about the powerful love of Jesus.

“If we are afraid,” Prina says, “we cannot do ministry. So we need both God’s guidance and strength.”

Pain for a Purpose

Because Pastor Marty has lived in the slums his whole life, locals relate well to him. They feel at ease and are willing to open up and share their lives with him.

“He knows the situation, experienced the situation, and [grew up] in the same situation,” one believer explains about Marty. “He understands [the slum life] better than anyone else.”

Marty is reminded of his difficult past on a continual basis. Yet he knows every hurt, every trial and every tear has an eternal purpose.

“Ever since my childhood, the pain and difficult situations and poverty—all those things,” Pastor Marty says, “when I look back, [they] were tools in the Lord’s hands to make me strong and to trust and [have] faith in Him, so I would, in the future, do ministry.”

Watch a video about Pastor Marty’s slum ministry

Learn more about the need for slum ministry, uplifting the lives of slum dwellers. Gospel for Asia began supporting ministry in the slums in 1999. Through this work, many people have found hope and strength in God.

Source: Gospel for Asia Featured Article, A Slum Child’s Return

Learn more about Dr. KP Yohannan’s book, No Longer a Slumdog, where real children living in slum conditions in Asia share their real stories of need and how our loving God intervened to redeem them with His love. You will be astonished as you read how God is powerfully moving in hearts right now.

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

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A Husband and Wife Become GFA-supported Missionaries

Last updated on: November 11, 2025 at 11:00 pm By GFA Staff Writer

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World and affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada) founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan – Discussing Gospel for Asia-supported missionaries like Ekagrah and his wife Geetika, brought by God from death to life and enabled to share this hope of new life with others.

Ekagrah’s keen eyes surveyed the landscape as he entered the small mountain village. The new Gospel for Asia (GFA) pastor looked to the hills, places he had never seen, filled with people he had never met. He came with his wife and young daughter, ready to step into the new life God had for them, ready to share this new life with others.

But for most of his 32 years, Ekagrah had known nothing of the hope he now came to share.

Teenager Loses Mother and Seven Siblings

Death and sickness followed Ekagrah like a plague. When he was a teenager, his mother and seven of his siblings died within a short period of time. His older brothers, rather than encouraging him to continue his studies, told him to quit school, get a job and help them.

So he did. When Ekagrah grew older, he traveled to the capital city to earn some money for his family. For five years he labored, carrying belongings for foreigners who wanted to walk the mountain paths, before he returned home to see his family.

While in his childhood village, Ekagrah married a woman named Geetika. They soon moved back to the capital city, and Geetika gave birth to a beautiful little girl. Then “the plague” struck again.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Discussing Gospel for Asia-supported missionaries like Ekagrah and his wife Geetika, brought by God from death to life and enabled to share this hope of new life with others. — As a young man, Ekagrah traveled far from his home in hopes of helping his family after the tragic deaths of his mother and seven siblings. Eventually, he married a woman named Geetika, but difficulties continued to follow him: Geetika and their young daughter both contracted a mysterious illness that nothing seemed able to cure.

Young Husband Watches Wife and Daughter Fall Sick

After the baby was born, Geetika felt a strange burning sensation creep over her body, a sensation that would not go away. At the same time, their daughter succumbed to frequent bouts of vomiting, fever and diarrhea.

With no family around to help, Ekagrah faced these challenges alone. Following his late mother’s example, Ekagrah earnestly sought his gods for his wife’s and his daughter’s healing.

He offered sacrifices and took his family to see witch doctors and medical doctors, but nothing helped. Eventually he grew angry with his gods for not answering him in his need and decided to stop worshiping them.

Disappointed Husband Finds Peace at Church

One day, after five years of suffering and disappointment, Ekagrah met up with his nephew and nieces, who told him about Jesus. Curious to know more, he asked one niece about her church and about her God. She invited him to attend their church, so that weekend Ekagrah slipped away to church without telling his wife.

As he walked through the doors, a flood of peace washed over him. As the service started and the Christians sang and clapped their hands, Ekagrah stared at everyone in awe and surprise. During the service, the pastor’s words touched his heart, and he decided he wanted to go back the next week.

Ekagrah had decided not to tell his wife about Jesus or the church until he learned more about Him, but Geetika had other plans. While her husband attended church, Geetika had noticed her pain subsiding, leaving her feeling refreshed. She wanted to know why, so the next week, when Ekagrah started leaving without her, she stopped him.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Gospel for Asia-supported missionaries — After watching his family suffer for five years, Ekagrah lost hope in his gods. He talked with one of his nieces, a Christian, who invited him to church. While Ekagrah attended church, his wife noticed her pain subsiding, and this gave her faith to trust Jesus for complete healing. The whole family soon embraced the love Jesus freely offers.

Family Transformed From Tears to Joy

“Where are you going?” she asked.

When Ekagrah told her about Jesus and the church, faith filled Geetika’s heart.

“I am ready to follow Jesus right now,” she declared. “I believe He will heal me and my daughter completely, and there is no doubt about His power.”

“Before long,” Ekagrah shares, “we began to experience the peace of God prevailing in our lives. An affection to God developed in our hearts.”

After a few weeks of attending church, they decided to embrace the freedom and grace Jesus offers. At the same time, God completely freed Geetika and their daughter from their mysterious illnesses.

“Our joy knew no bounds,” Ekagrah says. “We began to follow the Lord with a wholehearted devotion. Our home [became] a home of prayer.”

Husband and Wife Become Gospel for Asia-supported Missionaries

Although many friends and neighbors told them to renounce their faith in Jesus, their love for Him only grew through the years.

“We were burdened to share the love of Christ with the lost humanity,” Ekagrah shares. “Before long, my wife and I decided to serve the Lord as missionaries.”

The two enrolled in a Bible training program, where they learned more about Jesus, the Word of God and how to share their faith with others.

After following God for several years as missionaries, they learned about Gospel for Asia (GFA). After joining Gospel for Asia (GFA), they moved to a remote village in Central Nepal.

When Ekagrah and Geetika first came to the village, people didn’t want to hear what they had to say. Some people even threatened them and told them to leave. But the couple faithfully prayed and fasted, and within a few months, God touched the hearts of three men and women. They, like Ekagrah and Geetika, embraced the peace and healing found only in Christ.

Gospel for Asia (GFA World) founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Gospel for Asia-supported missionaries — After coming to know Jesus’ love, God gave Ekagrah and Geetika a heart to share this divine love with others. They went through a Bible training program and started serving the Lord as missionaries. After a few years, they joined with Gospel for Asia.

Husband and Wife Help Many Understand Christ’s Love

Throughout the last 10 years, Ekagrah and Geetika have gotten to know the men and women of their small mountain town. Through their example and their words, several others have come to know the God they love. Here, under the tender gaze of Ekagrah, the Lord’s shepherd, a church has grown. Every week, dozens of men and women gather to learn more about the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ.

In the distance, four villages sit, places Ekagrah has visited many times. In each of these four villages, men and women regularly gather to pray with him and hear him share more from the Word of God.

Gospel for Asia (GFA World and affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada) founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Sharing the hope of Christ through National Missionaries — God sent Ekagrah and Geetika to a remote village in Central Nepal. Though they faced several threats and people seemed uninterested, Ekagrah prayed and fasted for God to touch hearts. Today, 10 years since he and Geetika first arrived, dozens of people gather in their village and the surrounding towns to worship the God who freed Ekagrah and Geetika from a life of death.

Today, as Ekagrah steps outside the doors of his small mountain home, he can lift his eyes to the mountains around him and thank the Lord who not only brought him from death to life but also enables him to share this hope of new life with others.

You can stand with men and women like Ekagrah and Geetika, enabling them to share the Good News with those who have never heard.

Source: Gospel for Asia Featured Article, Freed from Death to Walk in Life

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An Unexpected Chain of Films: How the Power of a Gospel for Asia Film Transformed Villages

Last updated on: May 4, 2022 at 5:22 pm By GFA Staff Writer

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World and affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada) founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan – Discussing the impact a Gospel for Asia-supported Film team makes, touching countless men and women who did not know His love, whether in a village of hundreds or a village of eight.

The Man on the screen touched those with leprosy, and they were healed. He fed thousands with only a few loaves of bread. He prayed for the sick and the blind, and they recovered. The villagers saw Jesus’ love on display, and they had never seen anything like it.

Eight people sat with rapt attention, tears streaming from every eye as the Roman soldiers crucified Jesus on the cross of Calvary. One might think it was a small crowd, but the entire village of Snikithati had come out to watch the film that night. It was a film that had come to them after a unique chain of events—and a faithful team of brothers willing to follow God wherever He would lead them.

Film Show in Jigishati Village Interrupted—Twice

Several days before, a much larger crowd of people in the nearby village of Jigishati had gathered to watch the same film. The Gospel for Asia (GFA) film team put the finishing touches on the setup for the evening: speakers—check; projector—check; screen, DVD player, DVD—check. Everything was good to go. Gospel for Asia missionary Raahi and the rest of the film team prayed before starting the show.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Discussing the impact a Gospel for Asia-supported Film team makes, touching countless men and women who did not know His love, whether in a village of hundreds or a village of eight. — Raahi and the film team started showing a film about Jesus in Jigishati village, only to be opposed halfway through and asked to leave. Some villagers asked Raahi to come back, and he did—only to be asked to leave once more.

About halfway through the movie, a few villagers angrily approached and demanded Raahi leave Jigishati, even though he had gotten permission from the village leaders to show the film. The film team packed up their equipment and left, but they continued to pray for the people of Jigishati village. Soon, some villagers approached them. They asked Raahi if he could come back and show the film in its entirety.

Raahi saw this as an answer to prayer, but once again, halfway through the showing, a few angry villagers told them to leave. Once again, the team packed up to depart while a man named Harshal looked on.

Excited Village Prepares for Film Show

Harshal was visiting Jigishati village the day of the second film show. It grieved him to see how the people of Jigishati village treated Raahi and how they interrupted the film show. Harshal, who was sympathetic toward Christians, wanted to know more about Jesus. He decided to ask Raahi and the team to visit him in his village, Cholanoor, and show the film there. Raahi gladly agreed, and they set a date for the showing.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Film Teams and National Missionaries — Harshal happened to be in Jigishati when the film showed the second time. Grieved by how the team was asked to leave and curious to know more about Jesus, Harshal asked Raahi to visit his village of Cholanoor and show the film there.

When the team arrived in Cholanoor, they found that Harshal had already done most of the preparations for the showing. In his excitement, Harshal had invited the village to the film, set up posts to attach the screen and even strung out wires to provide electricity.

Family in Cholanoor Healed After Watching Film

Among those crowded around the screen that night was a couple named Dalpati and Daya. Their 12-year-old daughter had been suffering from a fever for 15 days with no cure in sight, though they had taken her to see many doctors.

As they watched Jesus heal the blind, touch the lepers and cast out demons, God gave Dalpati and Daya the faith to trust Him for their daughter’s restoration.

After the movie ended, the couple approached the film team for prayer. Raahi encouraged them from the Word of God and prayed for the girl’s healing. When God touched her and restored her to good health, Dalpati and Daya decided they wanted to know more about this Jesus who heals.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Film Teams led by National Missionaries — After the team showed the film in Cholanoor, Dalpati and Daya, parents of a feverish child, asked for prayer. Through the film, God had given them faith to trust Jesus for their daughter’s healing.

But that wasn’t the only thing God did that night.

Visitor Asks for Film Showing in Snikithati Village

A man named Krishanu, from the neighboring village of Snikithati, watched the film in Cholanoor that night. Jesus’ love and compassion inspired Him, and he thought of the men and women in his village. He wanted them to understand more about Jesus too, so when the film was over, he approached Raahi and asked him if it would be possible to show the film in his village as well.

When the time came, Krishanu and his seven neighbors—the entire village—gathered around the film team as they set up the screen, connected their equipment and prepared for the evening. They had never seen such devices in their tiny village, and they had never seen such a film.

Witnessing Jesus’ compassion and crucifixion brought tears to the eyes of every soul in Snikithati.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Film Teams — When Krishanu, who visited from nearby, saw the film in Cholanoor, he thought of the people in his village. He asked Raahi and the team to show the film in Snikithati. When Raahi did, the entire village gathered—all eight people—to watch the film.

Gospel for Asia-supported Film Team Continues to Serve God

Today, believers from Jigishati, Cholanoor and Snikithati are worshiping Jesus and telling others of His great love, while Raahi and the film team continue to minister and bring Christ’s Good News through film. The Lord is using film teams to touch countless men and women who did not know His love, whether in a village of hundreds or a village of eight.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: National Missionaries who are a part of Film Teams — Today, people gather in many of the villages Raahi and the film team have visited through the years. These brothers faithfully continue to serve God by sharing His love for all people, following Jesus to village after village, through all the unexpected chains of events.

You can equip more film teams like Raahi’s and enable them to reach people in the most remote villages with the love of the Savior.

Source: Gospel for Asia Featured Article, An Unexpected Chain of Films

Learn more about Film Ministry in Asia, as films on the life of Jesus have proven to be one of the best ways to let people in Asia know about the sacrificial love and deliverance of God.

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

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Gospel for Asia Founder KP Yohannan Releases ‘Brutally Honest’ Book: Never Give Up

Last updated on: May 5, 2022 at 4:00 am By GFA Staff Writer

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World) founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan – Gripping account of K.P. Yohannan’s spiritual journey set for release April 28 as nearly half of Americans cite COVID-19 as ‘last days’ warning

The leader of one of America’s largest faith-based organizations reveals how his own faith in God and spiritual journey carried him through a “forest fire of grief and pain” in a “brutally honest” new book set for release April 28, 2020.

Global missionary statesman Dr. K.P. Yohannan, founder and director of Texas-based missions organization Gospel for Asia (GFA, www.gfa.org), recalls how God led him through "the most difficult and loneliest time of my life" in a classic new book titled Never Give Up: The Story of a Broken Man Impacting a Generation. — **‘NEVER GIVE UP’:** Dr. K.P. Yohannan, founder and director of Texas-based missions organization Gospel for Asia (GFA World), says God led him through a “forest fire of grief and pain” in a classic new book titled *Never Give Up: The Story of a Broken Man Impacting a Generation*, published by GFA Books and set for release April 28. Pre-order at www.nevergiveupbook.org.

Global missionary statesman Dr. K.P. Yohannan, founder and director of Texas-based missions organization Gospel for Asia (GFA), recalls how God led him through “the most difficult and loneliest time of my life” in a classic new book titled Never Give Up: The Story of a Broken Man Impacting a Generation.

The book release happens to come at a time when nearly half of Americans say they believe COVID-19 is a “wake-up call” to turn back to God and that the biblical “last days” are coming, according to a new poll by The Joshua Fund.

“My heart for this book is to strengthen the people of God for these last days,” said Yohannan, whose ministry has served the extreme poor in Asia for 40 years. “The closer we get to our Lord’s return, the more uphill the journey will become.”

The veteran leader — considered one of the most influential missionary figures of the past half-century — said: “We must reevaluate our priorities and become the people who will have the strength to stand. I hope and believe this book will help people to do that with new-found resolve.”

Yohannan’s previous books include Revolution in World Missions — which launched a groundbreaking movement of supporting national workers and has more than four million copies in print.

In Never Give Up, 70-year-old Yohannan openly discusses a grueling four-year legal battle and how it drove him to the depths of despair. Yohannan describes how great trials produce perseverance — and how he emerged from his brokenness inspired to show God’s love to a new generation.

The Choice: Not to Give Up

“The choice not to give up is mine — and it is also yours,” says Yohannan in Never Give Up. “I am certain you, too, have gone through, or are even now going through, your own Gethsemane,” Yohannan says, referring to the garden where Jesus agonized before his death. “Please believe me, the sun will rise. Hold on. Let us not forget God’s unchanging promise, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you'” (Hebrews 13:5, NKJV).

Calling Yohannan a leader with “a pure heart, great passion and vision,” George Verwer, founder of Operation Mobilization (OM) International, described Never Give Up as a “history-making” account that will inspire and help others during troubled times in their lives.

“Without question, Gospel for Asia (GFA) is one of the greatest works of God in our generation,” said Verwer.

‘Brutally Honest’

Calling Never Give Up “brutally honest and refreshingly candid,” Skip Heitzig, senior pastor of Calvary Albuquerque, said: “I’ve known K.P. Yohannan for three decades. I’ve seen him in great triumph, and I watched him endure in great pain. His passion for untold millions of people is undeniable, and his passion for honoring Christ is equally so.”

Like the lion Aslan, a “Christ figure” in C.S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia, God shows up to encourage people during their most desperate moments, Yohannan says in Never Give Up.

“When you walk through grief and pain, you will see the Invisible One, and he will see you through,” said India-born Yohannan, whose ambitious vision is to bring physical and spiritual hope to 500,000 of Asia’s poorest children.

“One of the most encouraging things the Lord has said to me is: ‘At the end of your journey, I am going to be there, and you are going to meet me,'” Yohannan said.

Published by GFA Books, Never Give Up can be pre-ordered at www.nevergiveupbook.org. Media interested in select interviews and review copies should contact Gregg Wooding, InChrist Communications @ 972-567-7660 / [email protected]

About Gospel for Asia

Gospel for Asia (GFA) is a leading faith-based mission agency, bringing vital assistance and spiritual hope to millions across Asia, especially to those who have yet to hear the “good news” of Jesus Christ. In GFA’s latest yearly report, this included more than 70,000 sponsored children, free medical camps conducted in more than 1,200 villages and remote communities, over 4,000 clean water wells drilled, over 11,000 water filters installed, income-generating Christmas gifts for more than 200,000 needy families, and spiritual teaching available in 110 languages in 14 nations through radio ministry. For all the latest news, visit our Press Room at https://press.gfa.org/news.

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

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

Source: Christian News Wire

The Expectation of Gospel for Asia School of Discipleship That Was Met

Last updated on: May 5, 2022 at 4:05 am By GFA Staff Writer

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World and affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada) founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan – Discussing Gospel for Asia School of Discipleship alumni, who experienced grace & love in the GFA community, coming to truly know & love Jesus a little bit more.

Chantelle, Steward, Marcela and Grady came to Gospel for Asia’s School of Discipleship (SD) at different times, from different parts of the world and with different ideas of what the program might look like, but they all came with a common expectation: to grow closer to Jesus.

Chantelle imagined SD would be full of rules, like a convent, and full of structured activities, like summer camp. But she knew the Lord was asking her to go.

“It’s going to be totally strict, but I’ll do it,” she thought.

‘Everything Was Going to Be OK’

When Chantelle arrived in August 2009, she had never lived with a group of girls before and didn’t know how it would work out. But as time progressed, the barrier of awkwardness broke down, and she found that although life at SD was busy and structured, it wasn’t a convent, and it could be fun. When she and her roommates spontaneously made a music video one night, she knew everything was going to be OK.

“Everything, down to living in the house with the girls . . . to working in the office—everything worked together to edify me, to sanctify me, to bring me closer to Jesus,” Chantelle says.

Steward stared at the SD ad that asked, “Can you die to yourself for one year?” The question moved him almost to tears. He felt like he couldn’t die to himself for 10 seconds successfully. Filled with a desire to be around other people who wanted to die to themselves, Steward decided to take SD up on their offer.

“I wanted to learn to die to myself,” he says. “I wanted to learn to live Christ’s life and not mine.”

Living Christ’s Life, Not His Own

Steward came to SD in August 2011 as a 25-year-old who had been living on his own for seven years. He anticipated there would be certain program expectations, like abiding by a curfew and participating in weekend activities, but he was willing to surrender his own will, knowing the Lord was using those things to do a work in his heart.

“With School of Discipleship, things like the emphasis on love and the emphasis on actually walking out things that Christ said to His followers . . . really made it clear to me the distinctions between living my own life and living Christ’s life, and made it easier for me to make the choice at times to live the life that Christ is living,” Steward says.

Marcela thought the program would be physically demanding, involving time in the mountains and climbing rocks. But she believed it would help teach her about God and what it meant to serve Him, so she braced herself for the challenges.

“Oh boy,” she thought, “I don’t have enough strength, but the Lord will have to give it to me.”

Preparing for a Lifelong Walk

When Marcela arrived at SD in 2011, she came as a new believer eager to discover what it meant to serve the Lord and “pick up her cross.”

She didn’t learn about this concept through physically demanding activities, as she had envisioned. Instead, she grew in understanding as the Lord challenged her in daily life—whether through praying with other students and the staff, learning to serve her roommates, or discussing topics like discipleship during class.

“As a new believer, you have all this zeal, and you’re like, ‘Yeah, I’m going to follow Jesus and serve Him,'” Marcela comments. “But I think if there’s not that very crucial time of discipleship, . . . we’re human, so we tend to just forget about it, you know? But the Lord was gracious and merciful, and He brought me here to the School of Discipleship to be discipled. And during that time, He taught me a lot about what it means to live reality in the light of eternity.”

Grady believed SD would offer something he needed and wanted: an opportunity to go deeper in his personal relationship with Christ.

“It really struck a chord with me because I knew I wasn’t living what a Christian should be,” Grady says.

Learning Through Grace

When Grady left Australia for SD in January 2014, he found it incredibly difficult to wave goodbye to his parents. But when he arrived in Texas, he found a refreshing sense of community and unity among the staff at Gospel for Asia (GFA) and among his roommates and resident assistants, who helped him grow in his walk with Jesus.

“Getting to live with them and seeing their walks with the Lord was a huge encouragement to me to pursue after Him,” Grady says. “The other students were fantastic. … Definitely my spiritual life was a result of having those people around me.”

A Common Goal Found in Gospel for Asia School of Discipleship

Marcela, Grady, Chantelle and Steward couldn’t fully imagine what SD would be like before they arrived, but they each agree that they graduated as changed people. As they spent time with the Lord in prayer and experienced grace and love in the community at Gospel for Asia (GFA), they came to know and love Jesus a little bit more.

Source: Gospel for Asia Featured Article, The Expectation that Was Met

Learn more about the GFA School of Discipleship program — a life-changing year in study and growth in true discipleship.

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Enjoying the Gospel for Asia Gift They Didn’t Want

Last updated on: May 6, 2022 at 8:27 am By GFA Staff Writer

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World and affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada) founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan – Discussing Gospel for Asia-supported pastor Nandin, the opposition he faced, and the hearts softened by God through the completion of the gift of a Jesus Well.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Drilling the gift of a Jesus Well — As Pastor Nandin tried to make sure the drilling of a Jesus Well went smoothly, angry villagers surrounded him.

In the area where Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported pastor Nandin ministers, people depended on water from rivers, canals and ponds. During the rainy season, the filthy water from these water sources often infected people with serious illnesses such as typhoid, dysentery and malaria. In other parts of this region, people have even died from these diseases because there are no nearby hospitals for treatment.

Wanting to improve people’s lives, Pastor Nandin requested a Jesus Well in a village where he was serving. The request was quickly approved, and within a few weeks, Pastor Nandin’s regional leader, Pastor Hammad, came to the village to inaugurate the drilling of the Jesus Well.

But instead of being welcomed with open arms, Pastor Nandin’s attempt to help the villagers turned suddenly awry. Soon, he found himself confronted by a crowd of angry villagers.

Community Lacks Interest in Good News

Even though the villagers direly needed this gift—something necessary to their health and wellbeing—they rejected Pastor Nandin’s attempt to help give them clean water.

They had rejected every gift he had tried to offer them—especially the most precious gift found in Jesus’ hope, peace and eternal life. When Pastor Nandin or other believers would offer literature sharing the Good News of Jesus, most people wouldn’t take it.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Women filling buckets with water from ponds. — People in the area where Pastor Nandin serves suffered from serious illnesses, such as typhoid and malaria, because they got their water from ponds. At the same time, they weren’t interested in the message of hope Pastor Nandin could share.

Opposition Nearly Halts Drilling of Well

Despite the people’s lack of interest in hearing about Christ’s love, Nandin’s heart still ached with genuine concern for them and their health.

Soon after workers began drilling the Jesus Well that Pastor Nandin had requested, trouble boiled over. It began with one person tossing away the workers’ buckets. Then another person damaged the casing pipes. When Pastor Nandin asked them to stop, he and the believers suddenly found themselves confronted by a mob of 20 people.

In the span of about three hours, angry villagers hit Pastor Nandin and two believers, and when other people, including Pastor Hammad and a community leader, tried to calm the situation, members of the mob struck them too.

The next day, Pastor Nandin, Pastor Hammad and the local believers joined together to ask the Lord for His protection. They continued praying daily, and after 15 days, they saw God answer by showing them favor, from the village chief.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Group of people praying — After workers began drilling the Jesus Well, a group of hostile villagers tried to stop the well and assaulted Pastor Nandin and a few other people trying to keep the peace. The believers prayed for 15 days, and the Lord showed them favor, allowing them to finish drilling the Jesus Well.

“I will help you to complete the remaining work of this Jesus Well,” he told the believers, “and if someone will oppose you in this work, I will put him in jail without delay.”

Within a few days, the workers were able to finish drilling the Jesus Well with no more hindrances.

Once-Hostile Villagers Enjoy Clean Water, Learn About Christ

Now, as the villagers draw pure water from the well for their families’ needs, many are recovering from waterborne illnesses! Even those who opposed the Jesus Well and harassed Pastor Nandin and the believers in order to stop it from being drilled are now using the well.

As people see the good that’s come from the Jesus Well they had tried to oppose, they are now more curious about what Pastor Nandin has to say. Fourteen people from a neighboring village have also decided to start attending Pastor Nandin’s church for Sunday worship services, prayer meetings and other activities.

Christ’s love and hope have even transformed the life of Shami, the brother of one of the men who tried to stop the Jesus Well.

For three years, Shami had struggled to get a good night’s sleep. He and his wife asked Pastor Hammad to pray for him, and the pastor began visiting Shami and his wife regularly to pray and encourage them with words from Scripture.

In His mercy, God healed Shami, enabling him to sleep well at night. Shami and his wife entrusted their lives to Christ. Now they and their teenage daughter are attending Sunday services.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: People drawing water from a Jesus Well. — Now the people in Pastor Nandin’s village—even those who once opposed the Jesus Well—are daily drawing clean water from the Jesus Well. Many are recovering from waterborne illnesses, and they are becoming more interested in the Lord.

Through the compassion of a pastor and the provision of a Jesus Well, God is showing people in this community how much He loves them. Now they are grateful for the gift and the message they once scorned.

You can share the hope of Christ with more lives by helping to provide clean water in communities that desperately need it.

Source: Gospel for Asia Featured Article, Enjoying the Gift They Didn’t Want

Learn more about how to provide pure, clean water to families and entire villages through a Jesus Well or a BioSand Water Filter.

Read the Gospel for Asia Special Report: Solving the World Water Crisis … for Good — Lasting Solutions Can Defeat an Age-old Problem

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

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

Toiling Without a Toilet

A Critical but Common Problem

A Need Not Unseen

A Toilet Changes a Village

It’s That Simple

Train Ride to a Life of Begging

Gospel for Asia-supported Children’s Home: A House of Hope

One Big Family

Positive Role Models for Life

Helping Abandoned Children Flourish

GFA’s Ministry Sees Multitudes Transformed

Watch and Pray

Worshiping in a Small House

Five Years of Prayer

Four Days to Live

Prayers Result in Successful Operation

Gospel For Asia Supported Church Blesses Village

Eating from the Garbage Bin

Living Today with No Hope for Tomorrow

Pastor Returns to Where He Started

Pain for a Purpose

Teenager Loses Mother and Seven Siblings

Young Husband Watches Wife and Daughter Fall Sick

Disappointed Husband Finds Peace at Church

Family Transformed From Tears to Joy

Husband and Wife Become Gospel for Asia-supported Missionaries

Husband and Wife Help Many Understand Christ’s Love

Film Show in Jigishati Village Interrupted—Twice

Excited Village Prepares for Film Show

Family in Cholanoor Healed After Watching Film

Visitor Asks for Film Showing in Snikithati Village

Gospel for Asia-supported Film Team Continues to Serve God

The Choice: Not to Give Up

‘Brutally Honest’

About Gospel for Asia

‘Everything Was Going to Be OK’

Living Christ’s Life, Not His Own

Preparing for a Lifelong Walk

Learning Through Grace

A Common Goal Found in Gospel for Asia School of Discipleship

Community Lacks Interest in Good News

Opposition Nearly Halts Drilling of Well

Once-Hostile Villagers Enjoy Clean Water, Learn About Christ

What does "Malachi" mean in Hebrew?