Gospel for Asia Takes Courage When the Ground Shakes

Last updated on: April 23, 2022 at 11:49 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 Disaster Relief, the chaos and disaster the 7.8 magnitude Earthquake brought in Nepal in 2015, and the unflinching practical love through relief work and education through Bridge of Hope.

“A

ll the believers began to scream and weep. I told them not to be afraid and also not to run outside,” said Pastor Pahil.

The Gospel for Asia (GFA) pastor thought their village, surrounded by hills, was experiencing a landslide. But when the shaking continued, he began to understand the reality of the situation.

Pastor Pahil and his congregation of believers were worshiping together when the first earthquake struck the country of Nepal on April 25, 2015. The frightened believers huddled together inside their simple church building, which was made of tin sheets and wood. Even nonbelievers ran inside the doors of the church, hoping to find safety. Pastor Pahil encouraged the people to pray as they waited for the chaos to end. Eventually it did—but not without overwhelming loss.

Rumors and Anxiety

The earthquake registered as a 7.8 in magnitude and was the worst earthquake to hit Nepal in decades, resulting in devastation for much of the central regions of the nation. It took its toll on nearly all of the homes in Pastor Pahil’s village, causing cracks in the walls and shifts in the foundations. Four homes belonging to believers and two school buildings were destroyed. Six people died and 17 more were injured.

Many in Pastor Pahil’s village lived in fear after the first earthquake subsided. Rumors spread among them that the world was coming to an end and that another earthquake would finish the job. Pahil encouraged the people with Scripture verses, such as ones in Matthew 24, to calm their anxieties.

“[The earthquake] is just the sign of the last days. It is not the last day,” Pahil told them.

He assured them of God’s goodness and that He is the protector of His people.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: When people in Pastor Pahil's village started to fear the possibility of another earthquake, Pahil encouraged them with the Word of God. — When people in Pastor Pahil’s village started to fear the possibility of another earthquake, Pahil encouraged them with the Word of God.

As multiple smaller tremors continued to trouble the nation almost daily for the next few weeks, Pastor Pahil and many of the villagers moved temporarily to the grounds of a nearby hospital. There, in safety, the people became accustomed to the frequent, ground-shaking tremors. When another large earthquake hit the nation on May 12, they were unalarmed. The constant unrest and instability had become the most consistent part of the villagers’ lives.

Gospel for Asia Disaster Relief Work Begins

Eventually the aftershocks died down. As people moved back to their villages and tried to pick up the pieces of their lives, Pastor Pahil and the congregation reached out to their neighbors through prayer and encouragement.

Compassion Services teams were able to provide Gospel for Asia (GFA) disaster relief, administering food, shelter and other items to the earthquake victims. Pastor Pahil and the believers also did what they could to help the many in need.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Gospel for Asia Disaster Relief - As the villagers began to make a new start, Pastor Pahil and the other believers ministered to those in need by providing food and shelter. — As the villagers began to make a new start, Pastor Pahil and the other believers ministered to those in need by providing food and shelter.

“We got more opportunities to meet, encourage and share [Christ’s love] with them,” Pahil said. People from the surrounding areas traveled to Pastor Pahil’s village in search of safety as well. Many of them had been forced out of their own communities by landslides triggered by the quakes. The believers shared their clothing, food and shelter with those around them. As time passed, people slowly began to rebuild their lives, yet the definite need for schooling still remained.

Bridge of Hope Provides a Future

With both school buildings destroyed and classes out of session, children were left with no way to continue their education. When Pastor Pahil recognized the need, he helped establish a Bridge of Hope center in the village. The center provided many children with tutoring, school supplies, uniforms and nutritious meals.

Two young boys, Sejun and Badal, joined the center. After the earthquake, Sejun and Badal had traveled with their families to Pastor Pahil’s village with nothing but the clothes on their backs. All of their belongings had been destroyed in a landslide. Everyone in their village was forced to relocate.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Sejun and Badal's families lost nearly everything in the earthquake that struck Nepal in 2015, but Bridge of Hope helped give them a fresh start. — Sejun and Badal’s families lost nearly everything in the earthquake that struck Nepal in 2015, but Bridge of Hope helped give them a fresh start.

As the boys attended the center, the kindness and compassion of the Bridge of Hope staff greatly impacted the families’ lives. Soon Sejun’s and Badal’s families began to realize Christ’s compassion toward them. They are grateful for the help they received from the Body of Christ, especially after having lost much of their livelihoods in the earthquake.

Practical Love Offers Hope in Trial

Though the earthquake’s destruction was catastrophic, Pastor Pahil has an optimistic outlook on the situation. He’s seen the people in his village respond to God’s love and faithfulness in the midst of trial and tragedy. Through the believers’ tangible example of Christ’s love in their relief work, six villagers have decided to follow the Lord.

“The villagers’ attitude toward Christians . . . has been totally changed since the earthquake,” Pastor Pahil says. “Now they take us positively.”

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Much of the damage caused by the earthquake in Nepal is long-lasting, but Gospel for Asia workers are continuing to help as the nation recovers. — Much of the damage caused by the earthquake in Nepal is long-lasting, but our workers are continuing to help as the nation recovers.

God has shown His goodness in the aftermath of this tragedy, and He will continue to bring people to Himself as the nation recovers. Though the first earthquake to strike Nepal in 2015 occurred years ago, our workers are still on the ground helping communities and individuals rebuild.

Learn more about Gospel for Asia Disaster Relief Work, where our national workers serve victims of natural disasters, such as earthquakes, cyclones and floods, and how to help GFA Compassion Services teams provide things like food, blankets, medicine and other emergency supplies to disaster-affected people and villages across Asia.

Learn more about the 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.

*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, Courage When the Ground Shakes

Learn more about the GFA 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

How Gospel for Asia Goats Fixed a Leaky Roof

Last updated on: April 26, 2022 at 12:25 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 Kripal and his family, the deep poverty, illness, grief and despair, and the help and hope brought by Gospel for Asia (GFA) pastor and the gift of goats through Gospel for Asia’s Gift Catalog.

Water dripped through the roof made of tiles and grass and landed in puddles around four children and the frail body of Kripal’s wife, Bani. A strange sickness held her life in its grip and kept her from eating, slowly stealing her strength until she couldn’t even walk properly. Doctors and those who practiced traditional healing ceremonies failed to cure Bani, but that didn’t stop them from demanding payment.

In addition to Bani’s health problems, the family was distressed by another faceless trouble: During the night, they heard strange noises on their roof. It worried them and interrupted their sleep.

Gradually, Kripal’s family slipped into poverty, grief and despair.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Unable to find a cure for her strange illness, Bani (pictured) grew very weak, plunging her family into poverty as they struggled to find a cure. — Unable to find a cure for her strange illness, Bani (pictured) grew very weak, plunging her family into poverty as they struggled to find a cure.

Hope Comes by Word of Mouth

Kripal’s grief and problems were evident, and a family of believers in his village watched his struggles. They sympathized with his poverty and sorrowful plight, and they shared his story with their pastor, Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported pastor Taranga, and asked him to visit Kripal.

Without delay, Pastor Taranga and a group of believers visited Kripal and Bani. They prayed earnestly for Bani’s healing and asked the Lord to deliver the family from the distress that burdened their hearts. They also prayed for a way for Kripal to climb out of the deep poverty his family had fallen into because of Bani’s health issues.

As Pastor Taranga and the believers continued visiting Kripal’s family and praying for them, the Lord worked His miracles in Kripal’s and Bani’s lives. Bani gradually gained back her strength and found freedom from her mysterious illness, and the unusual noises her family heard around their home vanished, so they finally enjoyed peaceful sleep again.

Touched by the mercy and love they experienced, they desired to know Jesus and be known by Him.

Kripal and Bani realized that, while all their own efforts to find healing and peace brought no relief, Jesus graciously answered the simple prayers of His children on their behalf. Touched by the mercy and love they experienced, they desired to know Jesus and be known by Him.

A Helping Hand for Struggling Family

Kripal’s family faithfully gathered with Pastor Taranga’s congregation for times of worship and fellowship, and they grew together in their knowledge of God. With good health and new peace in their hearts, their lives were much improved. However, their financial situation continued to trouble them.

The effects of Bani’s sickness and their search for treatment had left them very poor, and though she was healthy now, they still couldn’t make ends meet. Their roof leaked, their children needed clothing and school supplies, and providing food for a family of six was no small task.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Gospel for Asia’s Gift Catalog enables pastors in Asia to bless families with income-generating gifts. Kripal received two goats at a gift distribution, which changed his life significantly. — Gospel for Asia’s *Gift Catalog* enables pastors in Asia to bless families with income-generating gifts. Kripal received two goats at a gift distribution, which changed his life significantly.

But God was with Kripal and Bani, and He saw their struggles. Faithful to care for His children, God prompted believers to help Kripal’s pastor give families income-generating gifts, the kinds found in Gospel for Asia’s Gift Catalog.

Soon, Kripal and 200 other people eagerly gathered to receive gifts that carried the potential to completely change their lives. Dozens of families walked up to receive cows or sewing machines—their new sources of income and hope—and when Kripal’s name was called, a pair of goats stood ready to meet their new owner.

Goats Multiply, Blessing Increases

Kripal quickly embraced his new livelihood as a goatherd and faithfully cared for his precious gift. His area was well suited for raising goats, and the gift that started out as two quickly multiplied. Within one year, Kripal had 12 bouncy goats under his care!

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Kripal’s family (pictured) carefully raised their goats, enabling Kripal to provide food, clothing and education for his children, as well as a tin roof for their home. — Kripal’s family (pictured) carefully raised their goats, enabling Kripal to provide food, clothing and education for his children, as well as a tin roof for their home.

Today, Kripal’s goats have enabled him to pay his children’s school fees, and whenever his family needs rice, potatoes or vegetables, Bani has enough money to go to the market. Kripal even sold six goats to purchase tin sheets for his roof, so now their house keeps them dry and warm, even during the rainy season.

Kripal and Bani are full of joy and gratitude to the One who is near to them each day. They praise God for not only extending His healing hand toward them, but for also offering them a helping hand and enabling them to care for their family.

Tell People of God’s Love

Only a few years ago, Kripal’s home was filled with anxiousness, sickness, poverty and despair, but Christ led his family into a new life filled with hope and peace through a personal relationship with their Healer.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: God is using these goats to bring Kripal and Bani out of poverty and remind them of His continual presence. — God is using these goats to bring Kripal and Bani out of poverty and remind them of His continual presence.

You can be Jesus’ hands and feet to families like Kripal’s. By giving gifts that meet practical needs and carry the story of the hope God gave to the world, you can help moms, dads, grandparents and children discover Emmanuel, God With Us.

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.

Source: Gospel for Asia Featured Article, How Goats Fixed a Leaky Roof

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.

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

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

Reviving Health and Blooming Faith: Gospel for Asia Pastor Brings Jesus Well to Village

Last updated on: April 26, 2022 at 12:28 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 acute dangers of not having access to clean and safe water, and the Gospel for Asia Jesus Wells that brought health and the hope of Jesus.

In the midst of Asian farmland, villagers toiled under the sweltering heat of the sun. After a long, tiring day in the fields cultivating potatoes and green chilies, the diligent farmers refreshed themselves with a glass of murky water. Their drinking water often led to sickness, but there was no other choice.

Meeting the Obvious Need

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: This is Pastor Turag with his wife and children. God has used Pastor Turag to change people’s lives and rescue them from waterborne illness. — This is Pastor Turag with his wife and children. God has used Pastor Turag to change people’s lives and rescue them from waterborne illness.

Gospel for Asia (GFA) pastor Turag was like the daily laborers in many ways. He too, grew up working alongside his parents in the fields. He lived knowing about Christ but having no relationship with God. It wasn’t until a missionary shared Revelation 3:20 with him years earlier that he began living for Christ. Now, as he stepped foot in the new village the Lord had called him to serve, he had no idea the ways God was going to use his life.

When Pastor Turag considered the struggling state of the villagers and the polluted water they drank and used for cooking and bathing, God’s love and burden grew inside him. Bad water was their consistent trial. Seeing the tremendous need, Turag quickly made a request to his leaders for a Jesus Well to be drilled.

While he waited for the Jesus Well to be approved and installed, Pastor Turag encouraged the people of the village and built relationships and prayed with them.

By the grace of God, a Jesus Well was installed with John 4:13–14 inscribed on the plaque. The doors to Christ’s love opened in a new way. The practical gift helped the villagers lives and they would never be the same. They were so grateful.

663 Million People Without Access to Clean Water

One day, after the Jesus Well was drilled, Pastor Turag met a villager named Darpan. As they were talking, Darpan asked a question he had been mulling around in his mind: Why did Pastor Turag help them get a Jesus Well? Who would do such a generous action for the villagers?

Pastor Turag shared how the Lord had provided the well through supporters across the globe.

“This Jesus Well is very helpful for us,” Darpan said, “because we used to draw impure water, which was very harmful. Because of that impure water, often villagers would get sick.”

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Pastor Turag was able to tell the villagers that, although the Jesus Well will help prevent illness, Jesus is the One who can heal every sickness and in Him is Living Water! — Pastor Turag was able to tell the villagers that, although the Jesus Well will help prevent illness, Jesus is the One who can heal every sickness and in Him is Living Water!

Darpan and his fellow villagers made up just a few of the 663 million people worldwide who don’t have access to safe water. Contaminated water can cause headaches, confusion, stomach pains, vomiting and diarrhea. Long-term exposure to impurities, like arsenic, can lead to skin diseases, cancer or—if not treated—coma and death. But the Jesus Well helped save many from that fate.

By seeing the fruit of God’s love through the simple but desperately needed gift of clean water, Darpan wondered who Jesus really was. Who was this God Pastor Turag knew? Darpan was a Christian by name, but he didn’t fully understand the love of God and His grace and mercy revealed on the cross. He asked Pastor Turag to share more about Jesus.

“Jesus answered and said to her: ‘Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”
—John 14:13-14

Pastor Turag explained that the Jesus Well could help people be free from waterborne illnesses, but Jesus Christ can heal every sickness if you believe in Him. As he shared from God’s Word, the Spirit touched Darpan’s heart forever.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Jesus Wells impact many villages and individuals, just like this well changed the lives of the people pictured. — Gospel for Asia (GFA) Jesus Wells impact many villages and individuals, just like this well changed the lives of the people pictured.

Jesus Well Impacts Entire Village

Soon a friendship developed between Pastor Turag and Darpan. Darpan found hope in his heart, and he wanted Jesus to change his life. Darpan and his family were the first fruits of Pastor Turag’s faithful prayers and service to the Lord. This was the beginning of Pastor Turag’s fellowship.

Darpan’s new faith and trust in the Lord opened the doorway for others to experience Christ’s love, and eventually other villagers began to respond to Jesus’s love, too. Soon the congregation grew to be more than 30 faithful believers!

It was a very small beginning when Pastor Turag came to this village, but God used His faithful servant and the simplicity of clean water to help people see they can be washed clean by the love of Christ!

“I never thought that God will work in this way,” Pastor Turag said.

Today, Pastor Turag is continuing to serve the Lord with passion and a burden for the people around him. The Lord answered his prayers for the Jesus Well and has established the work of his hands.

Give Them Water and an Opportunity to Live

The Lord used the Jesus Well in Darpan’s village to transform his life—and that of many others. Jesus Wells help rescue families from illness and serve the community in a practical way!

Learn more about how to provide pure, clean water to families and villages through Gospel for Asia Jesus Wells and BioSand Water Filters.

Source: Gospel for Asia Featured Article, Reviving Health and Blooming Faith

Read the Solving the World Water Crisis for Good special report — Lasting Solutions Can Defeat an Age-old Problem.

Learn more by reading The Global Clean Water Crisis special report — Finding Solutions to Humanity’s Need for Pure, Safe Water.

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

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

Too Poor for Suicide: Gospel for Asia Pastor Introduces Widowed Mother to New Life

Last updated on: November 25, 2021 at 2:06 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 widowed mother Chamudi, the sickness and hunger, sheer hopelessness unto thoughts of suicide, and the encounter with one of our pastors that God use to bring life.

Suicide. The thought pulsed in Chamudi’s mind as relentlessly as the hunger that gnawed in her stomach. Completely broken at the thought of her children’s suffering, Chamudi decided today was the day to end it all—for herself and for her children.

A Hole in the Broken Heart of a Widowed Mother

Twice in 10 years, illnesses turned Chamudi’s world upside down. First, her husband died from a brain tumor, thrusting her into the life of a single mother in a culture that often looked down upon widows. Second, Chamudi received terrible news: She had a hole in her heart.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Discussing widowed mother Chamudi, the hunger & thoughts of suicide, and the encounter with a Gospel for Asia supported pastor that God use to bring life. — Chamudi, like this widow, could not provide food for her children. Her heart broke over the suffering of her children.

The doctors told her she should not do hard labor or get tired, and unless she received an operation, she would soon die. Desperate for a way to provide for her children, but severely limited in what she could do, Chamudi searched for any light work she could find. She washed dishes and served as a maid, but hunger crept into her home and became a consistent part of life. If she was unable to regularly put food on the table for her precious children, then there was no way she could buy medication to help her condition.

Chamudi was in turmoil. She was going to die, and misery would taint however many more days she had left. Her stomach ached unbearably. She thought of her young children—if enduring hunger caused such agony for her, a grown woman, how much more difficult it must be for her young, confused children? And once she was gone, her children would suffer even more. They would be alone, vulnerable against any who would seek to exploit them.

As bleak as the present was, the future looked even worse to Chamudi.

Buying Death

One morning, Chamudi again found no food for her children’s breakfast and could bear it no longer. She knew of only one way to end all their pain—suicide. If she couldn’t help her children live with peace, she could give them peace through death.

They would drink poison and be free from pain together. Yes, that was the solution. She found no help from her gods, and she had no one to turn to. Better to end it all now, she thought.

Rather than face slow starvation, Chamudi decided suicide would be a better end for herself and her children.

Through her cloud of hopelessness, she realized she didn’t even have money to buy poison. Chamudi slumped onto the only bench she had in her house and thought about how she could earn enough to bring about her family’s death.

Life Comes Knocking

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: When our pastor Alak visited Chamudi's home, she revealed her decision to commit suicide that very day. — When our pastor Alak visited Chamudi’s home, she revealed her decision to commit suicide that very day. Pastor Alak (pictured here during his early days of ministry nearly 20 years ago) spoke to her broken heart and encouraged her to seek peace from Jesus.

From her position on her bench, Chamudi watched in surprise as a man dressed in black pants and a white shirt came walking toward her house. She didn’t recognize the middle-aged stranger. Rising from her seat, Chamudi curiously approached him.

He introduced himself as Alak, the Gospel for Asia (GFA) pastor of a local congregation. He offered the disheartened woman some literature, which sparked a conversation about Jesus and the new life Christ offers.

As they talked, Chamudi shared about her poverty and hopeless situation, and she eventually disclosed to him her intention of killing herself and her children that very day. Taking the timely opportunity God provided to minister to Chamudi, Pastor Alak prayed earnestly for her and encouraged her to trust in Jesus.

Chamudi’s religious convictions forbad her from going to a Christian worship service, but as she learned more about God’s redeeming love and listened to Pastor Alak’s prayer, peace entered her heart. She found a dose of hope that day, and she decided to learn more about the One who sent someone to her to keep her from death.

The Restoring Power of God

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Touched by God's mercy and kindness, Chamudi and her children underwent complete transformation at the hand of God. — Touched by God’s mercy and kindness, Chamudi and her children (pictured) underwent complete transformation at the hand of God.

Chamudi and her children started visiting Pastor Alak’s congregation, bringing their troubles and sorrows to the Lord. Soon, Chamudi found a small business she could run from her home! She received cloth from a factory and sewed children’s clothing. The work was gentle, and her new income enabled her to feed her children.

Hope filled Chamudi’s heart, as well as love for the God who provided for her family. She continued learning about the Lord through the local church, and her love for Jesus impelled her to ask Him to adopt her into His family and give her new life.

Finding work was just the beginning of the answers to prayer Chamudi received. When Chamudi went to the hospital to buy medication with her new earnings, the doctors said her condition had improved! And just as the Lord sent Pastor Alak to Chamudi’s house on the day she planned to die, He later sent another man to impact Chamudi’s life—except this one married her. Athula, who worked at the factory where Chamudi received her cloth, linked his life with Chamudi and her children, helping support them and walking alongside them as they journey closer to Jesus together as a family.

A Vessel for God’s Use

Chamudi experienced God’s restoring power in incredible ways, all because one national missionary made himself available to be used by God to touch lives.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: National missionaries minister to people in all walks of life, bringing news of hope and restoration to broken hearts. — National missionaries minister to people in all walks of life, bringing news of hope and restoration to broken hearts.

You can help send more missionaries who are ready to minister to hurting and disheartened families in Asia. Who knows, God may use them to hinder suicide plans, like He did through Pastor Alak.

Learn more about the Widows Ministry, how you can help widows not only hear that Christ cares for them, but that they may also experience His love firsthand and see how He gives them dignity, peace and eternal life.

Source: Gospel for Asia Featured Article, Too Poor for Suicide

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

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

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

A Helpful Thief: How Gospel for Asia Children’s Programs Transformed a Teen’s Life

Last updated on: April 27, 2022 at 5:39 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 Bhoj, the struggles of his family with poverty, and his struggles with bitterness and covetousness in his heart, and the Gospel for Asia Children’s Programs that transformed his life.

It’s difficult to know how Pastor Patakin had the idea to put a thief in charge of caring for the Sunday School and the students. Fourteen-year-old Bhoj already had a terrible reputation among his classmates, and even he wasn’t thrilled with the idea. Bhoj knew it would force him to mend his ways, and he wasn’t excited for the change.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Discussing Bhoj, the poverty, bitterness and covetousness in his heart, and the Gospel for Asia Children's Programs that transformed his life. — Bhoj’s grandfather, Idhant, fled money lenders and took Bhoj (pictured) with him to a new town for a fresh start. But the boy was a “wild child” when Idhant first brought him to Pastor Patakin’s Sunday School.

Family Flees Money Lenders

Bhoj used to live in the same town as his parents and baby sister until the money lenders started knocking at their door. Bhoj’s grandfather, Idhant, had been borrowing money and squandering it on alcohol. When the money lenders wanted to collect, Idhant didn’t have a single penny to give them. Instead, he grabbed his wife and his grandson and fled to a neighboring village.

Bhoj was able to continue his education and visit his parents and sister, Misri, over the summers. Idhant eventually found a job as a security guard in an apartment, but the three of them didn’t have peace in their lives.

About a year after they moved, Idhant met on of our pastors named Patakin and shared all his troubles. Patakin prayed for Idhant and his family and encouraged them that all was not hopeless. Idhant started spending some Sunday mornings with Pastor Patakin and other Christians in the area, worshiping the Lord, and he brought his grandson along as well.

That’s how Bhoj started attending Sunday School, and that’s how even more troubles began.

Wild Child in Sunday School

Bhoj was a terrible student. He fought with his classmates, disobeyed his teachers and wouldn’t listen to the lessons. They tried to stop him, but Bhoj was unstoppable. One by one, little by little, the students’ pens, pencils, notebooks and money began to disappear. What’s worse, he even stole some of the children’s shoes—a precious commodity for families who can’t easily afford to replace them. Over the summer, when Bhoj saw Misri, many of these missing items would reappear as “gifts” to his little sister.

As parents complained to Pastor Patakin and the Sunday School teacher about Bhoj’s activities, they knew something needed to be done.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Unlike the children pictured, Bhoj continually disobeyed his Sunday School teachers and would even steal from his classmates when no one was looking. — Unlike the children pictured, Bhoj continually disobeyed his Sunday School teachers and would even steal from his classmates when no one was looking.

GFA founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Wanting to help Bhoj (not pictured) change his wild ways, Pastor Patakin gave him responsibilities in the Sunday School class and often encouraged him to help prepare for meetings and events, as the young man pictured is doing. Bhoj found his new activities left little room for thieving and wild behavior, and he turned his attention to serving others instead. — Wanting to help Bhoj (not pictured) change his wild ways, Pastor Patakin gave him responsibilities in the Sunday School class and often encouraged him to help prepare for meetings and events, as the young man pictured is doing. Bhoj found his new activities left little room for thieving and wild behavior, and he turned his attention to serving others instead.

Young Thief Learns to Work

When Pastor Patakin put Bhoj in charge of the Sunday School, Bhoj knew it meant he wouldn’t be able to steal from his classmates. This made him sad, but he did as his pastor said. Pastor Patakin took Bhoj under his wing, invited him to his home and introduced him as a “good boy.” Pastor Patakin also gave Bhoj more responsibilities, like helping to take care of the sound equipment and arranging the church before prayer meetings.

Seeing how much he was trusted and needed, Bhoj began to change, and he stopped stealing from the children.

But God wasn’t done with him yet. Bhoj’s actions had changed, but Jesus knew there was still covetousness in the boy’s heart.

VBS Shows Thieving Teen a New Way

The church hosted a special VBS program one day, which Bhoj decided to attend. The stories of Jacob, Esau and Samuel struck him, and Bhoj’s heart started to melt. He told Jesus he wanted no more covetousness in his life and desired true, internal change.

After the program, Bhoj stood up in front of his church to share about his experience. He asked the Sunday School children to forgive him for all the things he had stolen through the years.

God had touched Bhoj’s heart, and Bhoj wasn’t the same. He started reading the Bible every morning and sharing the stories with his grandparents. He also shows up early to help clean the church, and follows the pastor as he ministers to small groups of believers. Whenever there is a prayer meeting, Bhoj is sure to be there. The once rebellious and wild boy became obedient and helpful and has grown in favor with everyone around him.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: When Bhoj attended a VBS, like the one pictured, God did a mighty work in his heart. He finally gave up all his thieving ways and even apologized to all his classmates and his church for his former manner of life. Now he wants to teach Sunday School and minister to other troubled youths in need. — When Bhoj attended a VBS, like the one pictured, God did a mighty work in his heart. He finally gave up all his thieving ways and even apologized to all his classmates and his church for his former manner of life. Now he wants to teach Sunday School and minister to other troubled youths in need.

“I was really touched by the Word of God taught in the VBS,” Bhoj said. “From now on, I have decided to walk in His footsteps, and I will assist my pastor in the ministry like the boy Samuel, who assisted Eli in his old age, in the Bible.”

Today, Bhoj has a desire to be a Sunday School teacher someday, ministering to those who, like him, need a touch of love from someone who cares.

“Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give to him who has need.” —Ephesians 4:28

Help a ‘Wild Child’ Today!

As children attend Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported Sunday School, there’s no telling what God will do in their hearts. You can just imagine how the testimony of Bhoj’s transformation has impacted the other children in his class, as well as the adults in the congregation! God has truly touched his heart. Through your prayers and financial support, you can stand with mothers and fathers in Asia who desire their children to grow in godly ways.

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, A Helpful Thief

Learn more about the Discarded, Abandoned and Abused Children, and how, through your partnership, the ministry through Gospel for Asia can give them a home, protection and strive to reunite them with their families and help change their lives forever.

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

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

Giving Love and Relief to Leprosy Patients

Last updated on: April 27, 2022 at 5:41 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 the difficulties of people afflicted with leprosy, the rejection and isolation, and the GFA leprosy ministry and the GFA Compassion Services that helps leprosy patients understand how much God loves them and values their lives.

Serving others in Jesus’ Name takes on many different forms. For many of our workers, their ministry is focused on bringing God’s love to people afflicted with leprosy.

One national missionary, Sakshi, experienced firsthand the difficulties of leprosy. She contracted the disease as a teenager, and although she eventually was cured of leprosy, Sakshi didn’t forget the rejection she experienced from her community.

Later serving as among leprosy patients, Sakshi noticed, “Nobody is there to comfort the leprosy patients and to give any kind of encouragement. Nobody wants to love them, hug them, or to come near to them to dress them.”

“I will become their daughter,” Sakshi decided. “I will become their grandchildren, and I will help them and encourage them, and I will love them.”^[1]

Leprosy imposes an extremely heavy burden on its victims. News sources share story after story of the struggles people face after contracting leprosy.

Here are just a few stories of what some have had to go through as a result of their disease:

“Basha is 65 years old and told me he was thrown out of his family home when at 20 he started to develop small patches of numbness on his skin. This can be a symptom of leprosy and is what brought Basha to the colony, where he’s lived ever since, and although he told me he has several brothers and sisters, he said he’s never seen them again.”^[2]

“Anjana is 45 years old, but easily looks a decade older with deformed hands, feet, and eyes, due to late diagnosis and treatment. She was abandoned by her own family, and now counts the community as her family. ‘I need bandages for my hands and eyes, but the government clinic keeps running out of them, so I have to buy them. Where will I get money to buy them?’ she asks.”^[3] Adding insult to injury (which, in itself, is the story of what it is like to live with leprosy), Anjana has difficulty withdrawing her monthly pension ($4.21US) because her government requires a fingerprint verification—and her fingers are too marred to provide a fingerprint.

Ashok contracted leprosy when he was 10 years old. Cured of the disease but permanently deformed by it, Ashok, now 52, was forced into more than 40 years of begging to sustain himself.^[4]

“Nagama is in her 20s. She does not have leprosy, but her mother and grandmother do. Because they are blind and incapacitated, Nagama could not care for them in her own home without raising the rejection of family and friends. So, she moved to the leper colony to look after them.”^[5]

Nagama’s story is significant because she has demonstrated compassion toward her mother and grandmother—something too few leprosy patients receive.

Leprosy can be a devastating disease. Left untreated, it often renders patients physically disfigured and dependent upon help from others. The life-altering effects of leprosy cause others to fear catching the disease, even though it is not easily transmitted. That leads to the worst part of leprosy: the rejection leprosy patients typically receive from other people.

Because of the breadth and intensity of the ostracism they face, people with leprosy are often forced into isolated communities of leprosy patients, or they move to one voluntarily. The settlements are typically the only places where people with leprosy can obtain a feeling of peer acceptance.

Dr. K.P. Yohannan, the founder of Gospel for Asia (GFA), began our leprosy ministry over a decade ago. What he started as Reaching Friends Ministry is now a significant part of GFA’s Compassion Services initiative.

God does not reject people afflicted by leprosy. Instead, He loves them and offers them adoption as His sons and daughters. National workers demonstrate His love to leprosy patients and help them learn about the eternal life found in Christ.

Our workers, such as Sisters of Compassion, care for leprosy patients in many ways, such as by distributing food, providing medical aid, teaching health and hygiene programs, facilitating adult education, and tutoring children who live in the colonies. Each worker also provides encouragement, comfort and prayer, helping people afflicted with leprosy understand how much God loves them and values their lives.

When leprosy patients learn Jesus cares about them personally, many want to put their trust in Him and be defined by what Jesus says they are: treasured.

Ask the Lord to burden your heart for people living with leprosy. Pray for GFA’s Compassion Services and for the workers who minister within leprosy colonies, and ask God to bring relief and eternal hope to people affected by leprosy.

Learn more about the leprosy ministry, or the Reaching Friends Ministry, helping remind people affected by leprosy that, despite the stigma of leprosy, they have dignity and are valued by God.

[1] “I Will Be Their Daughter”. Gospel for Asia. https://www.gfa.org/news/articles/i-will-be-their-daughter January 2017.

[2] Gap Year, India’s Forgotten People: Visiting a Modern Day Leprosy Colony

[3] The Hindu, A dying disease, but leprosy colonies still face stigma, shortage of funds

[4] https://www.livemint.com/news/india/life-after-leprosy-india-s-untamed-disease-1553164760394.html

[5] Gap Year, India’s Forgotten People: Visiting a Modern Day Leprosy Colony

Sources:

Live Mint, Life after leprosy, India’s untamed disease
com.au, Islands of death: life in a leper colony
The Hindu, A dying disease, but leprosy colonies still face stigma, shortage of funds
Gap Year, India’s Forgotten People: Visiting a Modern Day Leprosy Colony
Gospel for Asia, I Will Be Their Daughter

Image Source: Gospel for Asia, Photo of the Day

Learn more about how to bring practical help in Jesus’ name to the suffering and needy, relieving the burdened, rescuing the endangered and revealing God’s compassion to the people of Asia through Gospel for Asia Compassion Services.

Read the GFA special report update on the leprosy problem where global leprosy-elimination leaders are making exciting advances both medically and socially that are worth noting: Progress in the Fight Against Leprosy: Leprosy Prevention is Key to Elimination

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

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Gospel for Asia-Supported Pastor Brings Water the Chickens and Cows Can’t Ruin

Last updated on: April 27, 2022 at 5:43 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 a village where ponds and open water wells are exposing them to dangerous illnesses, and the Gospel for Asia supported Pastor who brought a Jesus Well, meeting the dire needs of families.

A group of villagers huddled around a large hole, peering into the darkness. Feathers. Again. They let out a groan—not in grief over the dead chicken, although it was a loss for someone’s flock, but because it meant their well was contaminated. They gathered buckets and emptied the well late into the night. All that precious water wasted because of one little hen.

This well and a small pond had the job of providing water for this village, but they frequently failed their task. In summertime, the well and pond dried up and had to be dug deeper. When the heavy rains came, water filled the pond again, but it was accompanied by leaves, garbage and cow manure. The families in this community needed water, but using dirty water exposed them to bouts of typhoid, diarrhea and other dangerous waterborne illnesses. Something had to change—but none of them could fix their deadly problem.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Discussing a village exposed to waterborne illnesses, and the Gospel for Asia supported workers who brought a Jesus Well, meeting the dire needs of families — This Jesus Well provides ample clean water for anyone who comes to draw water, just as the Jesus Well in Aarnav’s village does.

Pastor Brings Water, Life to Village

The community’s water crisis began changing when Aarnav, one of the young men in the village, met a Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported pastor, Saadhik, serving in a nearby area. Aarnav built a strong relationship with Pastor Saadhik and joined his congregation regularly to worship the Lord. Pastor Saadhik visited Aarnav’s family frequently to encourage them in the Lord. During one of those visits, the pastor learned of the village’s extreme need for water.

Although countless other communities in Aarnav’s nation face water shortages every year, Pastor Saadhik felt a special burden for Aarnav’s village. His compassion grew into a commitment to pray for the community’s need—for several years.

After four years of faithful intercession, Pastor Saadhik’s prayers were answered.

Thanks to the generosity of people around the world, Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported workers arranged for Aarnav’s village to receive a Jesus Well at no cost to the community.

Sitting atop enclosed pipes that dive deep into the low water table, the bore well now gushes clean water all year long.

Aarnav’s community finally has the change they needed! Overjoyed, around 100 people fetch their water from the Jesus Well instead of the compromised pond or open well. It doesn’t matter how many chickens or cows gather around the Jesus Well; nothing can contaminate their water anymore.

This Jesus Well, which will likely last 20 years or longer, meets a dire need for dozens of desperate families. What’s more, every pump of its handle is a reminder of the living water Jesus spoke of in John 4, which He invites everyone to receive.

Read how God used another Jesus Well to solve a family’s marital problems.

Source: Gospel for Asia Field Reports, Water the Chickens and Cows Can’t Ruin

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

Learn more by reading the Gospel for Asia Special Report: “Dying of Thirst”: The Global Water Crisis — The Crucial Quest for Access to Pure, Clean Water.

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

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How Gospel for Asia Provides a Safe Place for Tea Estate Children

Last updated on: April 29, 2022 at 4:38 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 Mudit and his family’s poverty, the struggle to provide food and clothing as well as for his children’s education, and the Gospel for Asia Supported Bridge of Hope center that opened doors to a new way of life.

eady eyes surveyed the landscape without fear. A long, snakelike trunk searched the ground, looking for consumables. Two ivory tusks protruded from the mouth of this king of beasts. Four legs, like tree trunks, supported the mammoth body as it moved through the familiar domain.

Mudit’s heart sank at the sight. There was nothing he could do to stop the elephant from eating its way through his small plot of farmland.

As Mudit realized his time, effort and investment had been wasted yet again, despair etched itself deeper into the elderly father’s heart. How could he ever provide food for his children?

A Community Bereft

Mudit lived near a tea estate with thousands of other families. For years, their primary occupation had consisted of harvesting and processing tea leaves. The wages were never spectacular; sometimes they were barely enough for each family to survive. Then the estates started to close.

The communities quickly deteriorated as families struggled to make ends meet. Teenagers turned to thievery, cutting down public trees for lumber and stripping the area of metal to sell for scrap. Some families moved away, seeking to find a fresh start elsewhere. Many who remained took the daily risk of traveling in search of work, potentially wasting a day and travel expenses if work wasn’t available.

Mudit, despite being 65 and unable to do much physical labor, soon found himself among that group. If he found work, he could earn a small amount every day, but that only happened three or four days a week.

“I struggled to provide for my children’s education, for their clothing and food,” Mudit explains. “If anybody is sick at home, I have to borrow money from people.”

He endeavored to grow potatoes and other vegetables to feed his young children, but wild elephants would occasionally help themselves to the produce from his small plot of land.

“I am not able to buy enough food for the children,” Mudit says. “What we have, we try to manage with that.”

Helping as Much as They Can

The local government school fed several children a daily meal, but not every child could afford to enroll; the price of notebooks and other supplies might be a week’s worth of the family’s wages. Many children labored alongside their mothers and fathers instead. Mudit’s eldest son, Patag, only 13, was among them, while his two younger sons, Titir and Binod, found themselves on a happier path.

Seeing the desperate situations of many parents and children, a group of Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported workers started a Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported Bridge of Hope center in the area, hoping to alleviate the strain of several families. At the center, 120 children would receive a daily meal, school supplies, clothing and toiletries, along with compassionate care from the social workers and teachers.

“Now my two children Titir and Binod go to our Bridge of Hope project center, and that has been a great help for my family,” Mudit shares, “because they are given every basic thing that my children need, including food. … I would never be able to buy any of those things for my children and for their education. This has been a great help for me.”

Only the Beginning

The transformation in Mudit’s children is more than just full bellies and new clothes. Children in Bridge of Hope centers across Asia have found freedom to pursue dreams of becoming doctors, engineers, teachers and officials. Through the tutelage and attention they receive, children have the opportunity to excel and bless their communities in many ways.

“Bridge of Hope has taught them so many good things,” Mudit shares. “I can see the change and the development in their thinking. If Bridge of Hope had not been there, I think my children would have discontinued going to school [by] now. They would be roaming here and there . . . but now they are changed and happy. They always want to go to school.”

Although the Bridge of Hope center has already made a difference in the lives of Mudit’s family, many others still struggle. There are thousands of children living in or near the tea estates. Thousands of children who know the struggle for survival.

“There is no way possible to help each family or each individual,” shared a local Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported worker. “I would say 25–30 Bridge of Hope centers in [these] tea gardens is not going to be enough.”

Through all the challenges, the work is just beginning, and for now, at least 120 children in the tea gardens have a chance for a better future through Bridge of Hope.

We don’t yet know how Titir’s and Binod’s stories will end—their journeys with Bridge of Hope are just beginning. But they will have enough food, love, care and guidance to carry them through another day, no matter how many other dangers are prowling around.

At Gospel for Asia-supported Bridge of Hope centers, 70,000 children across Asia are receiving free education, food and medical care—and ultimately discovering a new way of life!

But many Bridge of Hope children do not currently have a sponsor.

Source: Gospel for Asia Featured Article, A Safe Place for Tea Estate Children

Learn more by reading the Gospel for Asia Special Report on how millions of children are trapped between extreme poverty and the profits of others: Child Labor: Not Gone, but Forgotten

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

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Rebuilding a House, Building Trust: Gospel for Asia Provides New Home for Widow

Last updated on: April 29, 2022 at 4:42 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 a despised widow Bidya and her daughter, the disaster that rendered them utterly helpless, and the Gospel for Asia Compassion Services teams that displayed Christ’s love in action.

Wind and rain swooshed across the Asian landscape, as a fierce cyclone raged through the village. A small bamboo hut collapsed. Now the poor and despised elderly widow, Bidya, and her unmarried daughter had less than they ever had before. Just as their dignity left them years before, now their shelter disappeared, too.

After Cyclone Phailin hit Bidya’s home, it was completely demolished, much like this home was destroyed by the cyclone in 2013.

Living Through the Worst Storm

In 2013, Cyclone Phailin devastated the southeast region of India. Around 38 people lost their lives and it left another million people wondering about their future. Cyclone Phailin was the worst storm the people of this region had seen in 14 years, but its destruction left a pathway of God’s mercy behind as Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported Compassion Services teams ministered to the suffering.

Workers provided cyclone survivors with food rations, clothing and cleaning supplies. They stayed behind for many months to help rebuild thousands of homes that were lost or greatly damaged. Together, they strived to bring relief to the victims of the disaster—people like the widow Bidya.

Rejected Widow Receives Aid

The villagers despised Bidya after her husband died. Impoverished and alone, she had to earn her living by working as a daily wage laborer. Because of her situation in life, no one would marry her daughter. They both toiled hard every day, finding whatever jobs they could to simply keep themselves alive. When Cyclone Phailin roared through their village, their bamboo house couldn’t withstand the high-speed winds. After it was destroyed, Bidya and her daughter were helpless. They had no means to build a new house for themselves.

Surprisingly, when a Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported Compassion Services team surveyed their area, the entire community, even the leaders, requested that Bidya have her home rebuilt. The team went to work and built Bidya a more substantial home than she had in the beginning—a cement one.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: A new home for a widow — Bidya was given this home after Cyclone Phailin ruined her bamboo house. She and her daughter are very poor and were unable to rebuild a home for themselves. But Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported Compassion Services built her a brand new one, this time one made of cement!

Villagers are Blessed by Gospel for Asia Compassion Services

When the villagers saw what the believers had done to help the poor widow, their minds began to change. Before, they strongly opposed Christians and were very unhappy when a church was built in their area. But now, they thought maybe Christians weren’t so bad after all. Maybe the God they worshiped really cared for the world, and maybe the church building in their village wasn’t the curse they once thought it to be.

Maybe Christians weren’t so bad after all. Maybe the God they worshiped really cared for the world.

Bidya and her daughter were so blessed by the new house. After her home was constructed, the villagers grew to respect Bidya, and her daughter has even received a marriage proposal. Bidya and her daughter also have grown curious about Jesus, and have attended special services at a local Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported pastor’s church. They are learning more about the compassionate God who provided them with shelter and a sense of worth.

Christ’s Compassion Put in Action

God is using Compassion Services to extend hope to those who have endured much destruction and heartache. Just like Bidya was helped and the villagers were impacted through the love of Christ, many others in desperate need have observed the gentle and practical love our brothers and sisters pour out in Christ’s name to help alleviate their suffering.

Recently, Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported Compassion Services teams provided food, pots and pans, cleaning supplies, tooth brushes and soap to flood survivors in Sri Lanka. You can be part of helping in times of crisis like this. By giving of your resources and by praying, you can be the hands and feet of Christ in troubled times.

Source: Gospel for Asia Featured Article, Rebuilding a House, Building Trust

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

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

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Gospel for Asia Supported Woman Missionary Brings Healing for a Broken Home

Last updated on: April 29, 2022 at 4:50 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 the Gospel for Asia supported woman missionary Sabita, who, through her friendship and ministry, God brought healing, strength, and peace to Hema and her once broken home.

Shouts disrupted the worship service. The neighbors were at it again. It seemed the married couple was always fighting. Peace looked like a complete stranger to the household, and joy a forgotten virtue. Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported woman missionary Sabita didn’t see this as an annoyance to the meetings she helped conduct, however. She saw it as an opportunity to share the peace of Jesus, the One who could restore and heal.

Gospel for Asia Supported Woman Missionary Visits Broken Home

Hoping to help, Sabita visited Hema and shared with her the compassion of God. Hema was a little suspicious of Sabita at first, but she didn’t turn her away. She even took some literature that Sabita offered. Sabita could tell Hema needed encouragement and hope because of this, and she felt compelled by God to invest in Hema’s forlorn and sorrowful life.

Gospel for Asia (GFA World) founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Discussing the Gospel for Asia supported woman missionary Sabita, who, through her, God brought healing and peace to Hema and her once broken home. — Hema’s (pictured) life was full of strife. Her husband, who was often intoxicated, beat her, and they quarreled often. During prayer meetings which were held nearby, people could hear their constant fighting.

Sabita continued to visit Hema, believing her time spent in sharing God’s precious promises would lighten Hema’s struggling, heavy heart. As they got to know each other, Hema’s suspicions of the missionary melted, and she opened up. She told Sabita about their constant quarreling, her husband, Talat’s, drunkenness and how he would often beat her if he felt angry. She was worried about their children, as they too were being led by this constant example.

Finding Strength in God’s Word

Through her visits, Sabita faithfully brought words of comfort to Hema’s love-longing heart, and when she was especially discouraged, Sabita prayed for her. Whenever Sabita prayed, Hema felt at ease and happy.

As Hema continued to see the love of God through Sabita, she was filled with faith to trust Jesus as the One who brings peace and hope, the One who could answer prayer, even for her drunken husband. But she was afraid to tell her husband about the hope she found, so she kept silent.

Gospel for Asia (GFA World) founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Women Missionaries sharing the hope of Christ with other women — Over time, a friendship between the two women bloomed. Sabita continued to visit Hema at her home to encourage her through God’s Word, like these women are doing.

Through Her Quiet Spirit

Continuing to be a constant and true friend to Hema as she shared her fears, Sabita had some advice to give her from God’s Word. Taking Sabita’s advice, Hema began to pray for Talat to stop his destructive habit of drinking. She cried out to the Lord and sometimes spent time fasting for her husband. Many times, Hema thought it would be impossible for Talat to ever be released from the grasp of his strong addiction, but Hema continued to pray in her weakness, asking the Lord to give her strength to believe and press on.

Meanwhile, there was a change in Hema’s life. When Talat did things she didn’t like, Hema didn’t flare back as she once had. The fighting ceased and peace started to make its home among the chaos that once held its ground. Instead of acting out in anger or returning evil for evil, Hema responded in love and kindness as God gave her strength to tolerate the harsh things done to her. God was changing her through His Word and working through her prayers. Although Hema wasn’t aware, God was moving in Talat’s heart through her gentle spirit.

Gospel for Asia (GFA World) founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Hema's life had changed, and her husband, (pictured), Talat saw the changing power of Jesus. Because of her example, he too found for himself the hope of God and stopped drinking. — Hema’s life had changed, and her husband, (pictured), Talat saw the changing power of Jesus. Because of her example, he too found for himself the hope of God and stopped drinking.

Drastic Change Not Unseen

One day, Talat asked Hema what had happened. She had become loving and kind towards him, and he wanted to know how and why. Since he was in a good mood, Hema jumped at the opportunity to speak words of truth and love to her husband.

She told him how his drinking had hurt their family and was a bad influence on their children. She shared how happy she would be to have a husband who took good care of her and the children. Her words, spoken with love and kindness, won Talat’s heart over. Little by little, through Hema’s prayers, love, encouragement and the power of God, Talat quit drinking.

During one of Sabita’s visits, Talat heard God’s Word and was moved. As time went on, he began to realize for himself that Jesus is the One who had changed his wife so drastically. He wanted this same transformation in his own life.

Today Hema and Talat no longer fight during worship services but attend them joyfully. Hema loves to tell her story, how nothing is impossible with God . . . not even a drunken husband.

Gospel for Asia (GFA World) founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Women missionaries are dedicated to sharing the hope of Jesus's love with women in need and want of love. — Women missionaries are dedicated to sharing the hope of Jesus’s love with women in need and want of love.

Send a Voice of Hope

A woman missionary can bring hope to hopeless women, like Sabita did. She can speak into a woman’s life and sympathize with her emotions and needs well. You can be part of touching lives of women in Asia, too! Prayerfully consider supporting the work of a Gospel for Asia-supported women missionaries today, and make an impact that lasts into eternity!

Source: Gospel for Asia Featured Article, Healing for a Broken Home

Learn more about the Women Missionaries and their heroic efforts, dedicating their lives to bringing hope and God’s love to the women of Asia.

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

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