Gospel for Asia Unlocking the Door of Literacy

Last updated on: June 2, 2022 at 6:19 am By GFA Staff Writer

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) – Discussing the life of a widow, and many like her, robbed by illiteracy, and the gift and blessing the door of literacy unlocks even to learn about the Great Physician who heals and gives new life.

Jeni studied the curling lines and shapes on her grandson’s homework paper. With a sigh, she handed it back, knowing a great treasure lay within those squiggles and loops, but she lacked the key to unlock it.

Robbed by Illiteracy

This woman, like Jeni, also never learned to read. She hungered for God's Word but could only stare at the pages of her Bible, unable to read them. — This woman, like Jeni, also never learned to read. She hungered for God’s Word but could only stare at the pages of her Bible, unable to read them.

Years earlier, poverty had hindered Jeni from attending school, leaving her illiterate in a world filled with written information. While many children took education for granted, Jeni longed for the opportunity to attend school.

Jeni’s lack of education impacted her childhood and adult life in a multitude of ways. Illiteracy deprived her of the joy of reading stories—both to herself and, later, to her five children. Unable to read newspapers, the current events of her nation had to reach her by word of mouth. Street signs were useless when finding her way around a new area. No reminder notes or shopping lists could be written. What’s more, Jeni could have looked straight at the written name of Jesus and never have known it.

Although Jeni was blessed with good health, her husband succumbed to an illness when Jeni was only in her 20s. As the sole provider for her children, she worked hard to learn tailoring and managed to earn an income through her stitching work. But without literacy and basic math skills, Jeni and other women like her were often cheated by dishonest shopkeepers, making already tight budgets even tighter.

As years passed, Jeni’s children married, and she became a grandmother. Even then, her illiteracy troubled her.

“Sometimes my grandson and granddaughter asked me to help with their school homework, but I did not know what to do.” — Jeni

Jeni felt ashamed of her inability to read or to sign her own name, and she had no idea the gift of literacy—and eternal hope—was just around the corner at a local church.

Answered Prayer Points Widow to Jesus

In addition to her problems caused by illiteracy, Jeni suffered from pain in her shoulders. Even after several doctor visits and treatments, she found no remedy for the pain—until she met a believer from a local church. Jeni accepted the believer’s invitation to attend a worship service and soon sat amidst a congregation of believers led by Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported pastor Ajay.

Just as Jeni received prayer, both believers and unbelievers can receive prayer at local churches in Asia.

When Jeni shared about her painful shoulders, Pastor Ajay and the believers joined together to lift her up in prayer to the Great Physician. Faithful and mighty, God touched Jeni and set her free from the pain she was enduring. Jeni grew to love the Lord with all her heart and began faithfully worshiping Him alongside her new family in Christ, rejoicing in God’s demonstration of mercy and compassion.

Church Provides Literacy Classes

Now a fledgling believer in Christ, Jeni was again hindered by illiteracy. She had no way to read her Savior’s words or read the stories of God’s faithfulness toward His children in the Bible.

When three Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported women missionaries serving the congregation learned of Jeni’s difficulty, they encouraged her to join the literacy classes they taught for women in the community. Naturally a shy person, Jeni attended the first lesson timidly

“Don’t lose heart,” one of the sisters encouraged her. “Believe in God and do your best.”

The joy of literacy - Gospel for Asia-supported women missionaries gently guided Jeni (right) as they taught her to read and write. — Passing on the gift of literacy, the Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported women missionaries gently guided Jeni (right) as they taught her to read and write.

After the first lesson, however, Jeni’s excitement overcame her shyness, and she eagerly joined the other women learning to read. The skill she had longed to learn for so long was finally within reach!

“I am so thankful to God and our women missionaries for their help,” Jeni shared. “Though I had the desire [to learn], I never went to school.”

Jeni persevered in her lessons and diligently learned from the women missionaries. They guided her hand as she learned her letters, and soon the strange loops and lines she had seen on her grandson’s paper began to hold meaning.

Community Blessed Through Literacy

Other women in Jeni’s community observed her progress in her studies, and Jeni encouraged them to join the classes as well. Soon, a few more ladies joined the classes to decipher the same letters that had baffled Jeni for so many years.

No longer held back by illiteracy, Jeni (pictured) now reads her Bible for herself and can grow in her knowledge of God's Word. — No longer held back by illiteracy, Jeni (pictured) now reads her Bible for herself and can grow in her knowledge of God’s Word.

As these women worked through a Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported literacy curriculum used to educate thousands of other women across Asia, they soon found reason to rejoice. Utilizing Scripture as a foundation for teaching, the curriculum not only helps women enter the world of literacy, but it also helps them discover the love of Christ.

Within six months, Jeni could both read and write. Jeni’s children happily watched their mother’s progress and celebrated her ability to do simple things that had troubled her before.

“I am very happy that my mother is able to read and write now by the help of women missionaries,” Jeni’s daughter shared. “These days, she is able to negotiate with the shopkeepers and writes her signature.”

Jeni’s excitement over her new skill soars, and she thanks God for ending the struggle that troubled her for decades.

“Today,” Jeni declares, “I am proud to say I am not illiterate.”

Share the Gift of Literacy

Jeni’s new skills enable her to perform daily life activities that were impossible before attending the literacy classes, and she is now equipped to learn more about the Great Physician who healed her and gave her new life.

You can help other women discover hope and freedom of literacy by donating toward Gospel for Asia-supported Women’s Literacy today.

*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 Reports, Unlocking the Door of Literacy

Learn more about the Women’s Literacy Program, and how you can help over 250 million women in Asia who are illiterate.

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

Fervent Prayers of Gospel for Asia Community Bring Girl Home

Last updated on: July 20, 2022 at 2:37 pm By GFA Staff Writer

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) – Discussing Sabitha and the journey of her faith – from encountering Jesus, the trials that await those who call on His name, and the promised hope and answered fervent prayers for those who trust Him.

Sabitha, 16, burned with curiosity to hear more about Jesus. The truth that God loved her was almost impossible for the teenager to believe. A seed of faith sprouted in her heart.

Discussing Sabitha and the journey of her faith - from encountering Jesus, the trials that await those who call on His name, and the promised hope and answered fervent prayers for those who trust Him. — Sixteen-year-old Sabitha (pictured) lost her home and family when she followed Jesus. Then, through fervent prayers, God restored to Sabitha what she had lost.

Sabitha knew that Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported pastor Ajoy, who first told her about Jesus, held a prayer meeting every day at her friend’s house. She could go there to hear more about the God who became a man.

Once she began attending prayer meetings, Sabitha realized Jesus was the only path for her. She decided to follow Him wherever He might lead.

While attending worship services, Sabitha grew in her faith, and she learned to trust Jesus. Grateful to have a friend at the church, Sabitha watched her friend’s example of how to follow Jesus.

Parents Throw Sabitha Out

Then the bubble burst.

Sabitha’s parents found out she had begun worshiping Jesus. They became incensed at their daughter’s betrayal of their traditional gods. They heaped shame and abuse on her. In a fit of rage, they chased her out of the house.

Heartbroken, Sabitha fled to her friend Anisa’s house. Sabitha knew Anisa could help her through the difficult road that was before her. Sabitha’s friend encouraged her to pray for her parents every day, but Sabitha didn’t even know where to begin. They were so mad at her. How could she pray for them? She had been betrayed and abandoned, and now she was supposed to ask for God’s blessing for them?

As Sabitha struggled to know what to say, she listened to Anisa pray. Every day Anisa and Sabitha prayed for Sabitha’s parents. Praying together, Sabitha learned from her friend how to forgive. Starting to believe that God can work miracles, Sabitha’s prayers became bold.

“God, please do a miracle in the hearts of my parents,” prayed Sabitha, “so that they will allow me to stay in my home with them.”

God Restores What Was Lost Through Fervent Prayers

One day Sabitha’s phone rang. As it buzzed, panic gripped her chest. It was her father calling. Stomach twisting and turning, Sabitha answered.

Her voice squeaked out a trembling “hello.”

The familiar voice of her father filled the speaker. He told her she could come home. Hope sprang to life in Sabitha’s heart.

“But,” her father said, “do not try to pray in my home.”

Amazed that God heard her simple prayer, Sabitha moved back home. Undeterred by her father’s warning, she silently prayed even more often than before. She prayed for her parents to be open to the love of the Lord. Seeing now God had worked a miracle when her father invited her back home, she knew there was nothing God couldn’t do!

She prayed every day,

“Lord, please change my parents’ hearts so that they will not rebuke me or say bad words to me. Let them love me.”

Sabitha noticed her parents’ harsh comments begin to trail off. They rebuked her less. Then, one day, they told her, “You can pray at home; there is no problem.” Hearing these words, her heart almost exploded with joy! She thanked the Lord over and over for what He had done in the lives of her parents.

Sabitha goes to worship Jesus freely now and can live openly for Him. She rejoices that God has restored her to her family, and she continues to pray for her parents to know God’s love as she does. Through her painful trial, Sabitha learned she can trust Jesus, no matter where He leads her. As she is faithful to Him, He will be faithful to her.

“I will not leave Jesus,” Sabitha says, “whatever problems come in my life.”

Read what happened when troublemakers tried to halt the showing of a film about Jesus.

Source: Gospel for Asia Reports, Fervent Prayers Bring Girl Home

Learn more about the National Missionaries and their passion to help the people in their nations understand Christ’s love through various ways.

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

Gospel for Asia’s School of Discipleship Program

Last updated on: July 20, 2022 at 2:40 pm By GFA Staff Writer

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) – Discussing the men and women whose lives are transformed through a life-changing encounter with God in GFA’s School of Discipleship Program.

Since 2004, Gospel for Asia (GFA) has been teaching young men and women to deny themselves, pick up their cross and follow Christ through its School of Discipleship program.

It started as an internship called Road to Reality, aimed to challenge and encourage young adults between the ages of 18–27 in their character and their relationship with God, while giving them practical life lessons in missions work.

Students lived, worked and fellowshipped with each other and Gospel for Asia (GFA) staff members in an environment where they could safely grow and live out Christ’s commands. They learned to practice their faith, serve with other individuals in a professional work environment and were given ample opportunities to refine and sharpen their character in a community with others who were journeying with God.

Matthew was among some of the first students to enroll in the program. He remembers how the Lord used that year to show him the greatness and beauty of embracing God’s will rather than his own.

“I was more self-centered going into the program,” Matthew says. “But during that season, I became Christ-centered.”

After graduating from the internship, Matthew joined Gospel for Asia (GFA) and eventually became the director of program. During his time as director, the internship grew and evolved, undergoing a name change but keeping the core tenets. Matthew saw it go from a work-focused program to a life-focused one.

“The material the students are going through, and the things they are part of in the community aspect is all geared toward a sacramental life of prayer and practice, not just information,” says Bishop Danny, vice president of Gospel for Asia (GFA). “We see this passion and heart for God, which is deeper than before they came.”

For many who attend School of Discipleship the desire is to simply know more about God—like Anna Beth, SD graduate of 2015.

“I had looked at a Christian college, but I felt like the Lord said, ‘That’s still too much education—I need you to focus on Me’,” Anna Beth recalls. “I just knew, that [School of Discipleship] was something the Lord wanted me to do.”

As she spent a year with the Gospel for Asia (GFA) community, living in an environment of grace, love and prayer and seeing the practices of faith being lived out around her, Anna Beth began to grow in ways she didn’t imagine.

“Praying so much in that one year affected me in ways that I still don’t fully understand,” says Anna Beth. “I know the Lord used that to start building my heart for the [people in need of Jesus] even more.”

As of today, 216 young men and women have graduated from the program. Some alums, like Matthew, have gone on to study in seminary in hopes of revitalizing the church. Others, like Anna Beth, have entered into missions. They, like many of their fellow alumni, continue to practice and live out the things they learned during their year with Gospel for Asia (GFA).

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

Source: Gospel for Asia Reports, GFA’s School of Discipleship Program

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

Gospel for Asia’s Bridge of Hope Relieves Grandmother and Orphaned Girls

Last updated on: December 8, 2022 at 2:46 pm By GFA Staff Writer

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) – Discussing the tragic realities those who are widowed or orphaned face, crippled by loss, grief and fear, and the impact of the love and care Bridge of Hope centers bring.

Gnana clearly remembers the day her granddaughters moved in. The burden of caring for them became a heavy weight on her elderly frame. At age 70, how was she possibly going to provide for and look after a 3-year-old and a newborn?

Discussing the tragic realities in the lives of the widowed and orphaned, crippled by loss, grief compounded by fear, and the impact of the love and care Bridge of Hope centers bring. — Masara (left) and Serena (right) lost their father, mother, home and future security at very young ages. Bridge of Hope has enabled their grandmother to care for them physically, mentally and emotionally by providing a loving environment, school supplies, a daily meal and much more.

Less than two months earlier, the little girl’s father had finally succumbed to cancer. His death was a severe blow to their mother, who was still pregnant with her youngest. With no husband or father to provide for the poor family, fear compounded their grief.

Three-year-old Masara watched her mother mourn the death of her father. Masara’s mother prayed day and night to give birth to a son who could one day become the man of the house. Only a son would bring a glimmer of happiness to the family, she believed. But 15 days after her father’s death, Serena was born, a beautiful girl who shattered the little hope of happiness the family still had.

The family did not know how things could get any worse.

However, after giving birth to a second daughter, Masara and Serena’s mother developed jaundice. Because of the family’s poverty, they could not afford the treatment at the hospital needed to save her life. She died when her baby was just 20 days old. In 35 days, Masara and Serena lost everything.

Death of Parents Cinches Girls’ Poverty

After the death of their parents, Masara and Serena, now orphaned, went to live with Gnana, their grandmother. Gnana owned a small nut shop and worked hard to provide for her granddaughters; she even borrowed money from neighbors when she just didn’t have enough. At a time of life when she should have been cared for by her adult children, tragedy turned everything upside down.

When the girls reached school age, Gnana could not afford the textbooks, uniforms and other supplies required for the girls to attend school. Without a man in the house to provide for the girls in the future, she knew how important it was for the girls to get an education so they could later work to meet their own needs.

Grandmother Finds Hope to Raise Orphaned Granddaughters

Then, when it was least expected, a ray of hope and relief came into Gnana’s life. Spots in the local Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported Bridge of Hope program were offered to Masara and Serena. Both girls and their grandmother were elated! Gnana enrolled the girls right away. From that time on, Bridge of Hope provided all the necessary items for the girls to attend school.

The burden Gnana had carried since opening her home to her orphaned granddaughters began to dissolve. She never borrowed money from neighbors again. Hope for the future is beginning to grow in her heart. Her precious girls are thriving under the love and care of the Bridge of Hope staff, and happiness has entered their life once more.

Read how a desperate father experienced a spark of hope for his sick son while watching a film about Jesus.

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

Source: Gospel for Asia Reports, Bridge of Hope Relieves Grandmother, Orphans

Learn more about how to sponsor and help the children from families stuck in generational abject poverty who need a Bridge of Hope.

Read the 100 Million Missing Women Special Report — The Aftermath of Acute Gender Imbalance.

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

The Power of Christ: Gospel for Asia and a Peaceful Sleep

Last updated on: July 22, 2022 at 1:58 pm By GFA Staff Writer

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) – Discussing Gomin and his life of alcohol and abuse, and the transforming power of God’s grace through national missionaries sharing the hope and love of Christ.

Gomin didn’t know what to do. He had tried caring for his sons as best he could, but they wanted their mother. Shame washed over him at the thought of trying to bring her back. The whole community knew it was he who had run her off and proved once and for all that he was no better than his father.

The Power of Christ: Gospel for Asia and a Peaceful Sleep - KP Yohannan — Discussing Gomin and his life of alcohol and abuse, and the transforming power of God’s grace through national missionaries sharing the hope and love of Christ.

Mother’s Suicide Leads to Alcohol Addiction

Gomin had grown up with parents who closely followed their traditional Asian religion. Their house was filled with images of their god, and every month they traveled to their place of worship to receive blessings.

Gomin’s parents encouraged him to participate in their rituals to receive blessings and peace, but Gomin didn’t see any peace or blessings in his parents’ lives. His father was addicted to alcohol, and his mother tried in vain to break his habit.

Gomin, 27, had no use for his parents’ religion, and neither did his brother, who had abandoned the religion to follow Jesus Christ. This pain, added to their father’s addiction, caused anguish so great that his mother threatened to commit suicide. When nothing changed, she followed through.

Gomin was devastated by his mother’s death and lost all interest in life and hope for his future. His father dealt with the death by drinking even more. Slowly Gomin began to turn to alcohol as well.

Man Gets Married to Fix Problems

Gomin’s relatives suggested he get married to help make him happy. He took their advice and married Ronelle. Gomin and Ronelle were soon blessed with two beautiful sons, which brought Gomin happiness, but he did not stop drinking.

His wife tried to counsel him saying, “It is not good for your health, and it’s a bad habit. Please stop drinking.”

Gomin faithfully promised, “OK, from tomorrow onwards, I will not drink.” But the next day nothing changed.

Gomin’s problem with alcohol increased, and he began to beat Ronelle. The violent turn drove her to return to her parents and leave the boys with Gomin, as was culturally expected.

The boys were distraught at their mother’s departure, but Gomin could do nothing for them.

Meanwhile, strange things began to happen at night, and though he couldn’t get his wife back, it became clear Gomin had a new resident in his house who had no intention of leaving.

Tormented at Night

It started one night while Gomin and the boys were in bed. Gomin felt like someone had entered the room. He got up to see who was there but found no one. This continued every night. Once it felt as if someone was tickling his entire body.

These nightly torments left Gomin unable to sleep at home, so he began to sleep at his brother’s house. He sought help from witch-doctors and offered sacrifices in hopes of deliverance, but he continued to face the same problems. Finally, he was so discouraged he lost all hope and decided to leave his house forever.

Desperate Man Talks with Pastor

In the midst of Gomin’s trials, a Gospel for Asia (GFA) pastor named Atish came to Gomin’s brother’s house. Gomin had met the pastor before, but at that time, he hadn’t been interested in what he had to say. Now, with his wife gone and his nights filled with terror, he was ready to talk with the pastor.

Pastor Atish listened to Gomin as he shared all his problems. Then he shared the love of God with him and encouraged him from the Bible. Gomin asked Pastor Atish to pray for him.

“Everything is possible with Jesus, but you have to believe in Him,” Pastor Atish said, “then He will deliver you from this demonic affliction.”

“Yes, I believe in Jesus. I want to welcome Him into my life,” Gomin replied.

Pastor Atish prayed for Gomin’s family and also gave him some literature about Jesus, including a New Testament.

Pastor Atish continued to pray for Gomin, and after a week of praying, Gomin was completely freed of the demonic attacks at night.

Family Reunited

Over the next six months, Pastor Atish continued to visit and pray with Gomin and his sons. Gomin became a completely different man—even the community took notice. He no longer drank any alcohol, and there was peace in his house.

Gomin even got the courage to go with Pastor Atish to his in-laws’ home to ask Ronelle for forgiveness. Seeing his new life, Ronelle forgave him and went back home.

“I want to follow the Lord Jesus Christ who has changed my husband’s life and has made him a new person,” Ronelle soon told Pastor Atish.

Now Gomin’s entire family has come to know the love of Christ, and they regularly attend Pastor Atish’s church. They all desire to live for the Lord as long as life endures.

You can help make it possible for more families like Gomin’s to be restored by the grace of Jesus Christ. Sponsor a national missionary.

Source: Gospel for Asia Reports, No Better Than His Father

Learn more about National Missionaries – the men and women the Lord God is raising up living in Asia to be His ambassadors.

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

Gospel for Asia Builds a Way to the Other Side of the Showers

Last updated on: July 22, 2022 at 2:01 pm By GFA Staff Writer

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) – Discussing Saju and Aasia’s story, one far too common to those in the grips of extreme poverty, and the tangible examples of God’s love: tin sheets, protection from rain.

Drip-drop. A rain shower patters the roof.

Drip-drop. Raindrops leak through holes in the tattered roof, falling on the inhabitants: a middle-aged couple, their children and grandchildren.

Drip-drop. Raindrops soak the family’s clothes, bedding and dry rations.

Drip-drop. The family flees to sleep under a leak-free roof.

Drip. Shame. Drop. Discouragement.

Rain keeps falling through the roof—the roof the family can never afford to adequately repair. And the waters rise.

Gospel for Asia Builds a Way to the Other Side of the Showers - KP Yohannan — Rain and a tin roof: Discussing Saju and Aasia’s story, one far too common to those in the grips of extreme poverty, and the tangible examples of God’s love: tin sheets, protection from rain.

Drowning in Hopeless Poverty

This is Saju and Aasia’s story—at least part of it. Like many others in their community, they struggled to feed their family by working on the land. In a rural area with no industry, people work in agriculture, but roughly half don’t own land. They labor eight hours a day in other people’s fields to earn approximately $1.50 USD.

Exhausted and hopeless, many men numb themselves with alcohol and gambling, wasting their meager earnings and leaving their wives and children malnourished. Illiterate themselves, they never imagine sending their children for higher education.

The cycle of poverty continues.

Saju and Aasia were among those blessed to own land, but financial hardship pushed them to mortgage their land to moneylenders. They began working as daily wage laborers in others’ fields, sometimes camping out in a nearby state to find better wages.

Meanwhile, their tattered roof loomed over their heads. Made of thatch and plastic tarps, it quickly got holes, and for five years they endured the disrepair. During the rainy season, when rain leaked into their home, Saju and the children often got sick with coughs or fevers.

Because they had already mortgaged their land, they couldn’t take out more loans to fix the roof. Saju grew discouraged.

“I used to feel sorry for myself, and I used to feel bad that I was not able to at least give good protection to my family and to my children,” Saju says. “Because of lack of resources and money, I was not able to have my house repaired.”

Forecasting Showers of Blessing

Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported pastor Ganesh met Saju and Aasia one day in 2014 as he was visiting homes in their village. Pastor Ganesh knew about the struggles Saju and the other villagers faced. He himself had grown up in the same region, and he wanted people to experience God’s compassion.

As the pastor shared about Jesus’ love, Saju and Aasia couldn’t grasp what that meant, but they were interested to hear more. They continued welcoming the pastor into their home, and he eventually began coming weekly.

During Pastor Ganesh’s visits, he noticed the tattered, ineffective roof, and he learned that the family earned tiny wages in the sugarcane fields and depended on loans several months of the year.

One day months later, the pastor had good news for the family. He told them they would be receiving a gift through the Christmas gift distribution program he was organizing to bless families in the region!

“I was very encouraged that at least there are some in the church … who think about us, who are worried about our condition,” Aasia says.

New Roof, New Lives

When Saju and Aasia received five tin sheets at the Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported Christmas gift distribution event, joy filled their hearts. As they placed the shiny tin sheets on their home, they knew their children and grandchildren would finally have good shelter. No longer would heavy rain force them out of their home, spoil their food or make them sick.

Saju and Aasia saw God’s love in the tin sheets. Although they had already started believing in Jesus, the life-protecting gift tangibly showed them how much He cared for them. They wanted a deeper relationship with Him.

“When I received this tin sheet as a Christmas gift, it helped me see God’s love in my life, because God loved me so much that He provided this gift for us,” Saju says. “I know that He not only loves us and … gives eternal life, but also meets all our personal needs.”

This love and generosity also impacted their neighbors, awakening in them a curiosity about Jesus. The weekly visits Saju and Aasia received from Pastor Ganesh soon became a prayer meeting in their home. Eventually, about 10 people in total gathered under the tin-sheet roof each Wednesday to seek the Lord.

Pastor Ganesh continues to help people like Saju and Aasia receive life-changing gifts so others can know the compassion of the God who sent His Son for them and knows all their needs. Now Saju and Aasia are pressing on to know the Lord, of whom Hosea said, “He will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth” (Hosea 6:3, ESV).

As Saju and Aasia experience His blessing, they want more people to know the hope they found shining through the rain showers.

“When we see people living in abject poverty and struggling in their daily life … such people find a great hope and relief financially when they receive such Christmas gifts,” Aasia says. “It also helps them see how the Christian God actually loves them and cares for them.”

Learn more about how generosity can change lives. 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.

Source: Gospel for Asia Reports, On the Other Side of the Showers

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

Boy Tormented by Evil Finds Christ on Film through Gospel for Asia

Last updated on: July 22, 2022 at 2:06 pm By GFA Staff Writer

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) – Discussing Jayant and his family, tormented by evil he and his family found the true life and deliverance through Jesus Christ even through means like film ministry.

Jayant lay on his bed in complete stillness, but his mother, Aesha, knew it would only last for a moment. He soon would be thrashing under the covers uncontrollably and shouting—tormented with fear and anxiety. Jayant’s sickness was destined to get only worse, but Aesha would try anything to find him relief.

Family Seeks New Life in the City

Boy Tormented by Evil Finds Christ on Film through Gospel for Asia - KP Yohannan — Discussing Jayant and his family, tormented by evil he and his family found the true new life and deliverance through Jesus Christ even through means like film ministry.

Jayant was 15 years old when he realized there was no peace in his parents’ religious ritual. Even though he had participated in the traditional religion since childhood, he knew there was emptiness in the words. One only had to look at his family’s condition to see.

Jayant worked hard as a mason with his father, Mahavir, and his siblings, earning daily wages so his family could survive. But their condition never changed.

The family decided to move to a new city, hoping to find relief from their struggles, and though they found only similar work, it paid more in the city. Their quality of life increased, and they experienced hope as they enjoyed their new location—until Jayant fell ill.

Son’s Illness Upsets New Life

Jayant’s parents took him to the hospital where the doctors were baffled by his condition. He struggled every day with deep fears and grew weak no matter how much he ate. He even became violent at times. Taking Jayant from one doctor to the next quickly wore out his family’s finances.

Still, Mahavir and Aesha continued to take Jayant to the hospital as his condition worsened, hoping to find the true source of his illness. The doctors began testing Jayant’s brain and determined he had a psychological disorder. His parents would just have to keep him home.

That answer was not good enough for Mahavir and Aesha. With no medical help, they decided to carry Jayant to a local witch doctor. For the first time, they were informed that their son was being attacked by an evil spirit.

Days Turned into Years

Mahavir and Aesha tried many things to get the evil spirit to leave Jayant, but their hope of deliverance fell into the bottomless pit of their god’s silence.

Jayant continued to grow skinnier, yet he had supernatural strength that came in outbursts of violence. For four years Jayant remained inside his home, unable to work. This completely discouraged Jayant’s parents, and they gave up faith in the gods they once relied on.

Mahavir and Aesha were in complete despair when a strange group of men came to their village. The men announced that they were going to show a film nearby, and out of curiosity, Mahavir and Aesha decided to go.

As the sun set, the couple was amazed as the life and healing power of Christ were pictured in front of them. Each moment the film showed Jesus healing the lepers and raising the dead, Mahavir and Aesha grew in faith that their son could be healed.

Son Finds Deliverance through Film Team’s Prayers

When the film ended, Mahavir and Aesha spoke with the Gospel for Asia (GFA) mobile team and shared the condition of their son. They asked the team to come to their home to pray for Jesus to heal Jayant just as He had healed people in the film.

When the film team arrived at their home, Jayant looked at them with a deathly silence that ended as soon as the film team began to pray. As they earnestly cried out in Jesus’ name, Jayant began screaming. Gradually, though, the evil spirit left Jayant, and he was calm and able to speak.

In the days that followed, Jayant experienced full healing and peace. He and his family reached out to a local Gospel for Asia (GFA) pastor who told them more about Jesus. At the end of the visit, the whole family accepted the freedom of Christ into their hearts, and they now worship with other believers.

Every day, families just like Jayant’s are transformed by seeing Christ’s life and power portrayed on film. You can send out even more teams equipped to show this film and spread the freedom of Christ.

Source: Gospel for Asia Reports, Boy Tormented by Evil

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.

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Gospel for Asia Awareness Programs: Washing Hands Saves Lives

Last updated on: July 22, 2022 at 2:17 pm By GFA Staff Writer

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) – Discussing the life-threatening danger of not having proper hygiene, and one of the easiest ways to save lives, preventing the spread of disease: washing hands.

Discussing the life-threatening danger of not having proper hygiene, and one of the easiest ways to save lives, preventing the spread of disease: washing hands. — Residents of this leprosy colony received hand soap and hygiene instructions from Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported workers in celebration of Global Handwashing Day.

According to a 2010 report consolidated by the Centers for Disease Control with information from the World Health Organization, 2,195 children die every day from diarrhea—which is more than AIDS, malaria and measles combined. The same report also states diarrheal diseases account for the second-highest cause of death among children under age 5. However, strides have been made to combat and neutralize these diseases, with many organizations and governments working together. One initiative that has found success are hand-washing awareness programs.

Washing Hands: Defense Against Disease

Gospel for Asia (GFA) is one among many organizations spreading hygiene awareness in Asia, most notably hand-washing. Washing hands is one of the easiest ways to prevent the spread of disease. Programs organized by Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported workers help bring to light the impact clean hands have on a person’s health.

In celebration of Global Handwashing Day, a group of Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported Sisters of Compassion taught proper hand-washing to those they serve in a leprosy colony. Equipped with videos, poems, handouts and demonstrations, the workers showed the children and adults how to properly and thoroughly wash their hands.

Fifty families that call this colony home, received a bottle of hand soap and instructions on how to use it. For many, this was a very new experience.

“I recall my younger age when I never got the chance to be taught such lessons,” one of the residents, Mahdat, says. “The children here are lucky to learn such useful lessons through which they can save their lives…”

Echoing Mahdat’s sentiment, fellow leprosy patient and colony resident Bavishya says, “Through [the Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported workers’] service, today we could learn the importance of hand-washing, which is very necessary for the children here because, most of the time, they fall into illness due to dirty hands.”

One of the children present, Salome, remarked on the program: “I learned when to wash hands, how to wash hands, and why I need to wash my hands. … I will paste [the handout] on the door of my house and will follow the instructions. Thank you.”

Discover how others are helped through Gospel for Asia-supported awareness programs.

Source: Gospel for Asia Report, Washing Hands Saves Lives

Learn more about the need for Medical Ministry. GFA-supported medical ministry is helping thousands who are in need of medical care and attention, all while displaying the love of Christ.

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Gospel for Asia Women’s Ministry Brings Hope for the Hurting

Last updated on: July 22, 2022 at 2:28 pm By GFA Staff Writer

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) – Discussing Sister Mary, one of a special number of women missionaries who open their hearts and homes for the sick and destitute, introducing them to the God who hears and answers prayers.

Sister Mary grew up in a small, remote village in Asia. She never went to school and has remained illiterate for 42 years. Despite her limitations, Sister Mary has seen God do impossible things. This is her story.

In the year 2007, Sister Mary traveled with her husband, a Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported pastor, and other national workers to meet many suffering people in need. One woman was pregnant and sick. She was close to delivering her baby, and both were in danger.

Seeing the power of God displayed through prayers, Sister Mary decided prayer would be the bedrock of her ministry.

Faithful Prayers: The Fount from Which Healing Flows

Back in her own village, Sister Mary did not want to stop praying for people, and with it, the privilege of seeing God move in their lives. So, she started a prayer group. They gathered weekly to pray for the sick and needy. News of their group spread, and many people made their way to it to receive hope and healing through the prayers of Sister Mary and her companions.

“There were many people from far villages who were affected by fatal sicknesses like cancer,” Sister Mary recalls.

“Many came for prayer, and many got healed … There were some who were blind, some were paralyzed, and the Lord healed them. … We read the Bible to them and prayed for them, and the Lord healed them.”

For many, it was the first time they realized there was a God who cares for them personally and answers prayer.

Those who sought Sister Mary’s prayer group were not the only ones ministered to. Sister Mary noticed a change in her as well. Love for the sick and destitute grew in her heart. She wanted to be with them and serve them. She wanted to share with them the God of power and love.

Eventually, so many people came to the prayer group that they met in Sister Mary’s house that she knew they needed a separate facility. Often, people would drop off their family member or friend to be cared for until healed. Some stayed weeks or months. Sister Mary did what she always does—she prayed.

“Those who came for prayer needed rooms,” she says. “We lacked sufficient facilities. … I started to pray and fast for 20 days, and the Lord answered my prayers.”

The new building was christened “Bethsaida Prayer Center,” inspired by Jesus’ healing of a man who had been sick for 28 years by the pool of Bethsaida. Bethsaida Prayer Center would eventually grow to see 3,000 to 4,000 people pass through each year.

Trusting God in Life and Death

Sister Mary stood in awe as God healed thousands of people in the Bethsaida Prayer Center through her simple prayers and those of her team. But not everyone rejoiced at the reports of miraculous healings.

One day, a man suffering from throat cancer, Kalpa, came to the prayer center. After a month, the Lord healed Kalpa. He and his whole family embraced the God of healing who came through for them in their moment of need. When the family returned to their village, news of their newfound belief stirred up trouble. When another family from the village wanted to join Kalpa in worshiping Jesus, the other villagers became enraged with Sister Mary and the prayer center staff.

“I told the villagers that the Lord did the healing [of Kalpa], and I told the family that the Lord loves them and offers eternal life,” Sister Mary shares.

“Hearing that made the village head furious, and he took a machete and tried to hack me. But the Lord protected my life miraculously. … I did not even realize [the machete] had touched my neck.”

A few months later, the very man who viciously attacked Sister Mary came to her for prayer when he was suffering from cancer. In His mercy, the Lord healed the man, which opened his heart to believe in the Lord Jesus.

Another time, Sister Mary was injected with a lethal poison by a violent man who opposed her ministry.

“I survived because my God is a living God, and He rescued me,” Sister Mary says.

“Yes, there are threats to my life in ministry, but I believe that God is always with me and protects my life … That incident did not douse my passion and desire to serve the Lord, rather it deepened my commitment to serve the Lord all the more.”

A Life Devoted to God

Prayer is the fuel for Sister Mary’s faith in the Lord. Her time with Him energizes her life, bringing the power to love and serving everyone she interacts with. Her trust in the Lord is the natural fruit of seeing Him perform so many miracles and answer so many prayers.

“I am so happy and glad that the Lord not only hears our prayers, but He also answers,” she says. “I know that the Lord is able to do what man is not able to do. … I always want to be surrounded by His presence.”

God, in His mercy, has seen fit to use the weak, despised and rejected—women like Sister Mary—to proclaim His glory around the world. Many women all throughout Asia serve as instruments of the Living God to bring the hope of Jesus into broken and suffering lives. Women have a unique opportunity to enter the secluded and often vulnerable lives of other women. The ministry and prayers of these mighty women are flooding communities in Asia with hope and joy in the name of Jesus.

Learn more about the Sisters of Compassion, Gospel for Asia’s specialized women missionaries, who have hearts that ache for hurting women and those deemed as poor and needy.

Source: Gospel for Asia Reports, ‘The Lord is with Me When I Pray’

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Bicycles Lift Burdens through Gospel for Asia

Last updated on: July 22, 2022 at 2:30 pm By GFA Staff Writer

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) – Discussing the ministry of national missionaries, the physical challenges they endure, and the impact a simple gift as bicycles can make in the transformation of villages, touched with the love of God.

Limited. That’s how Pastor Jachin felt. The members of his congregation live in several different villages that were some distance from his church. Whenever a believer was sick or in need of prayer, Pastor Jachin tried to be there. There was one problem, however: He had no personal form of transportation. Taking the public bus was costly, and it took a toll on his finances because he had to visit and encourage the believers nearly every day. The miles grew longer and larger as his finances became smaller.

Bicycles Lift Burdens through Gospel for Asia - KP Yohannan — Pastor Jachin (pictured fourth from the right) and 11 of the 12 other Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported workers pose with their new bicycles.

Blessed by a Bicycle

Pastor Jachin’s leaders saw his need and organized a bicycle distribution. In total, 13 Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported workers, including Pastor Jachin, received bicycles to aid them in their ministry. Like Pastor Jachin, they lacked a vehicle of their own and had to use public transportation whenever they needed to travel. Each worker expressed thankfulness for this blessing, recognizing their ministry would be less hampered by having the physical strain they previously endured be diminished.

Pastor Jachin was particularly excited that he was now able to more easily visit believers and further his ministry.

“I am so thankful for this bicycle, which is truly helpful in the ministry,” he says. “I can now immediately visit the believers for prayer when they call me.”

Their Burdens Eliminated

Like Pastor Jachin, thousands of other Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported workers have been blessed with a bicycle. They, too, were overwhelmed by the monetary or physical burden of travel and often felt their time and energy were consumed by the constant moving from place to place, leaving less for ministry.

Giving these workers bicycles alleviates their burden and also widens their scope of ministry, allowing them to touch more lives with the love of God. That is the impact of a gift so simple as a bicycle. Lives are transformed when one worker receives a bicycle, and now, many more will be touched with the love of God.

Learn more about bicycles, and how lives are blessed and changed through them.

Source: Gospel for Asia Reports, Bicycles Lift Burdens

Learn more how to demonstrate God’s love through the gift of Bicycles — to Missionaries, school children, farmers and daily laborers. Through these gifts, people experience Christ’s love.

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