2022-10-09T02:33:35+00:00

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA)Discussing the life and experiences of a man named Ojas, who, despite severe persecution, losing his eyesight, his heart burns evermore in great joy to serve the Lord and love his fellow sufferers in this world.

As the bus drove away, Ojas saw his mother running behind, crying. He was leaving home. His new faith had brought them both enough abuse from his father.

Ojas was not simply running away from problems; he was heading straight into a life of more searing pain—and greater joys—because of Christ’s love.

New Life, New Suffering

Ojas had faced hardships since he was just a few years old, when he became blind. One day during his teenage years, he listened to a voice on the radio speaking about a God named Jesus. Hearing how Christ healed the sick, made the lame walk and gave sight to the blind, Ojas believed, and Jesus healed his eyes. Although Ojas’ eyesight wasn’t completely restored, he could see, and he put his trust in Christ.

Ojas’ father, however, was furious. As a priest of their traditional religion, he had dreamed his sons would one day follow in his footsteps. He derided Ojas for his new faith. But his piercing words paled in comparison to the torture he inflicted by beating Ojas’ mother for her son’s choice.

As abuse raged, Ojas heard a voice inside him telling him to leave. He sold some of his clothes for cash, got on a bus and left home. He headed to a place where he could learn more about the God he now trusted: Bible college.

Gospel for Asia (GFA) – Discussing the life and experiences of a man named Ojas, who, despite severe persecution, losing his eyesight, his heart burns evermore in great joy to serve the Lord and love his fellow sufferers in this world.

Trials, Vision and Perseverance

Far from escaping problems, Ojas faced continued challenges. With no financial support and limited vision, completing his studies was a battle. Worst of all, he worried about his mother, still at home facing his father’s rage.

As graduation approached, Ojas saw a vision telling him to serve Jesus in a place where nobody knew Him. He embraced this challenging call and moved to a region where people were often hostile to Christianity, though it would cost him dearly.

Ojas, though small in stature, had big dreams for suffering people to see Christ’s love. He found ways to serve people as Jesus would. He tutored children for free and encouraged young people to avoid the snares of substance addiction. Sometimes, if they couldn’t afford the expenses of further education, he would give students money to help pay for books and school fees. When people in the community fell sick, he visited them, prayed for them and took care of them. Through his prayers, Jesus healed many.

Ojas’ compassion and humility touched hearts. People became interested in Christ, and a number began following Him. Not everyone was excited, however.

One day, a rich, tall man who was feared in the community asked the young pastor to visit. When Ojas went to his home, the man chased him around the house and beat him.

Another time, a gang of young men accosted Ojas by a river and beat him mercilessly. They were carrying him toward the riverbank to bury him alive when a local official came by. They fled, leaving Ojas severely wounded.

These violent incidents didn’t frighten Ojas. He continued loving people, even praying fervently for God’s mercy on his persecutors. But the heavy blows he received near his eyes left lasting damage. He began to lose the eyesight that God had previously restored. According to doctors, the head trauma he experienced gradually destroyed his eyesight. After several years, he became almost completely blind.

Joy Through Pain

Pastor Ojas’ vision loss limited his ability to travel, but he learned new ways to continue ministry, like praying for people over the phone. The Lord also raised up a helper for Pastor Ojas: his daughter, Sahasra. Sahasra would lead him by the hand and help him get on and off buses or rickshaws. She also helped him by singing, reading Scripture and collecting the offering during prayer meetings and worship services.

People noticed Pastor Ojas’ commitment even in suffering.

A local church member said,

“Pastor Ojas has been a source of encouragement not only for me but for everyone here in this place. He is … committed to work for unity and love. … Instead of lamenting his fate and getting pessimistic, he is continuing these things, going out for people’s love, unity and care.”

Over the years, Pastor Ojas’ lifestyle has impacted his community—and his family. His mother came to know Jesus, and his father’s heart softened over the years. After studying the Bible for himself, Pastor Ojas’ father believed in the Lord.

Now faith is burning from one generation to the next. Although Pastor Ojas didn’t follow his father’s dream for him, his father followed his example. And as Sahasra helps Pastor Ojas, she is gaining a passion to serve Christ herself.

“Whenever I see my father doing ministry, there is a burden in my heart,” she says, “and in the coming days, I will also be like my father and do ministry in many places.”

Although he’s experienced pain for loving Jesus and loving others, Pastor Ojas continues to pour out his life.

“Though I lost my eyesight, I am rejoicing in the Lord. It is a great joy for me to serve the Lord,” he says.

“The same passion and the same burden is burning in my heart. And when people call me for prayer, though I have lost my eyesight … I feel that my spiritual eyes are open.”

Sponsor a national missionary like Pastor Ojas


Source: Gospel for Asia Reports, Loving with Eyes Wide Open

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.

Learn more about Gospel for Asia: Facebook | YouTube | Instagram | Sourcewatch | Integrity | Lawsuit Update | 5 Distinctives | 6 Remarkable Facts | Media Room | Poverty Solutions | Endorsements | 40th Anniversary | Child Labor | Lawsuit Response | 10 Medical Camp Facts |

2022-10-15T13:24:22+00:00

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA)Discussing the tragedies in the life of a child named Sam, and the hope that he encounters through national missionaries opening up the path to a brighter future.

Tears rushed down Sam’s cheeks. His mother had succumbed to cancer, leaving the 6-year-old alone in the world. Soon, Sam’s father sent a message from prison—would someone please help his son?

Family Ravaged by Self-indulgence and Illness

Sam (pictured) was only 6 years old when his whole world turned upside down.
Sam (pictured) was only 6 years old when his whole world turned upside down.

Sam’s father, Afiba, left Nigeria to find work in Asia several years ago. He married, found a stable job and soon welcomed Sam into the world. Over time, however, indulgent habits took over Afiba’s life. He beat his wife and even forced his young son to drink with him. It was not long before Afiba landed in prison for smuggling drugs.

Suddenly, lacking a provider for the family, Sam’s mother, Marala, could not pay the rent for their home. A kind lady generously allowed them to stay in her house for several months without charging rent, but when preparations began for her son’s marriage, she had to ask Marala and Sam to find another place to live.

In the midst of their troubles, Marala also battled breast cancer. Struggling to care for her child and fight her disease, she turned to everyone she knew for help. Some Christian neighbors prayed for Marala and introduced her to missionaries serving in their area. The missionaries admitted Marala to a hospital, but her condition worsened, and she passed away.

A New Home for an Orphan Boy

Upon hearing of his wife’s death, Afiba asked the missionaries to help his son because he was unable to care for Sam himself. The missionaries and the Child Welfare Committee brought Sam to a home for boys where Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported workers served. The staff members at the home demonstrated the Heavenly Father’s love by providing food, education, guidance and a loving environment for abandoned children and orphans, helping them to thrive despite their childhood sorrows.

Sam arrived at the boys’ home dejected and grieving the loss of his mother. After enduring so much pain in his short life, Sam seemed lost in his own little world. The staff patiently cared for him and helped him through the difficult adjustment of living among new people, without his mother.

Their love bore fruit, and joy found its way back into the little boy’s heart. Although his parents were not present to love him, he treasured the love of the staff and embraced his new home. The care, hope and education Sam received made his future bright—in fact, he expressed a desire to become a doctor when he grows up.

Sam, like the boys in this picture, gets to experience a loving home and a new hope for a brighter future.
Sam, like the boys in this picture, gets to experience a loving home and a new hope for a brighter future.

Instead of joining the millions of children living on their own in Asia’s streets and villages, Sam was surrounded by a loving “family” who cared for him in Christ’s name.

Help Abandoned Children

2022-11-30T18:11:38+00:00

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA)Discussing the stigma of leprosy and the experiences of Balan and his family in the span of generations – loneliness, isolation, desperation, and by God’s grace – hope.

Balan was only around 7 years old but already thinking about suicide. He spent his days sitting alone in a corner of his parents’ home, a shawl wrapped around him to cover his body. After being diagnosed with leprosy, his mother, father, siblings and the rest of his community excommunicated him.

“I was all alone,” Balan says. “I was not allowed to take a bath in a common water pond. I was not allowed to attend any festivals or any event or any celebration, so life was all lonely. I was very sad, and I used to feel rejected.”

He’d entertain thoughts of standing in front of an oncoming train to end his life. The pain of rejection and the loneliness, the stigma of leprosy, was too much for the young boy to handle on his own . . . until his brother-in-law heard about Balan’s situation.

“You don’t have to think like that,” he consoled. “You will be alright. … You will see the world once again.”

Those words gave Balan hope. Eventually, Balan’s brother-in-law took him to a mission hospital that specialized in leprosy. He spent six years there being treated; then he made his home in a village with other leprosy patients. Balan grew up, married, had children and enjoyed life—as much as was possible—with others who had experienced the same rejection and loneliness he had when he was a young boy.

Then, when one of Balan’s children contracted leprosy, he was there for them. He didn’t reject or excommunicate them; instead, he loved them and watched them grow older, marry and have children of their own. Thoughts of suicide no longer clouded Balan’s mind.

A Center Free from the Stigma of Leprosy

Balan’s granddaughter Nalika had a very different childhood than the one he experienced. Instead of being shut away and rejected by society because of her family, Nalika experienced a loving environment among other children from similar circumstances.

A Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported Bridge of Hope center opened near Nalika’s village with the explicit purpose of protecting children from facing the same future their family members who suffered from leprosy faced. Out of the 125 students enrolled, Nalika was one of 33 children who came from a family affected by leprosy.

The staff at the center loved and encouraged each child equally, never pointing out the differences in family backgrounds. They made sure the children mingled with one another and learned to care for each other.

Vivash, the current project coordinator at the Bridge of Hope center, served as one of its social workers when the center opened in 2008.

“[Our leaders] thought to establish this project center so we can serve this kind of underprivileged children, so their lives will be better, and through them, their parents also will be developed,” Vivash says.

As a social worker, he’d visit the students’ homes, talk with parents and provide godly counsel. These visits became a source of joy for the families, especially for those who never before received visits because of their disease. It was a time to foster relationships and let them know that—no matter what they suffered from—Bridge of Hope was there for their children and for them.

When a child at the center seemed to have signs of leprosy, Vivash would inform the parents and encourage them to get their child treated at a nearby leprosy mission hospital. The child was never shut away or rejected at the center but was taken care of and watched over.

“We don’t want to make a partition among them,” Vivash says, “because if we [do that], they will feel very lonely … We don’t want them to feel like that, so that is the reason we don’t want to make them separate. We teach them together; we give them food together; we do programs together.”

New World Through Bridge of Hope

More than 10 years have passed since Nalika started at the Bridge of Hope center. Having grown up with a parent and grandparents afflicted with leprosy, she was very familiar with the effects and stigma of the disease. When she was at the Bridge of Hope center, though, a new world opened up for her.

She learned how to sing, dance and draw. Her teachers taught her the importance of cleanliness and hygiene. They invested in her education and personal development and taught her how to excel. She also discovered an ambition to become a teacher.

“Having been going to Bridge of Hope for quite some time,” Nalika says, “I have learned so many good things that have impacted my life. It has helped me in my character.”

Throughout Nalika’s time with Bridge of Hope, she and her family have experienced a new life. She doesn’t live with the stigma of leprosy; suicide has never entered her mind; and Balan can rejoice knowing his future generations will live well and free of the stigma that dominated his.

Sponsor a child like Nalika

2022-10-15T13:27:40+00:00

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA)Discussing the laborers in tea gardens like Saham, who endure the challenges of sickness and poverty throughout their lives.

In an industry worth $49.46 billion, workers like Saham only make around $1.50 a day. Saham and many like him endure poverty and hardship, but for them, this work is all they have.

Tea Gardens Workers’ Plight

Saham worked on a tea estate that helped supply the global tea market. In 2019, Asia accounted for 60 percent of all global tea exported, with hundreds of tea estates dotting the fertile and humid belts of Asia. These estates, also known as tea gardens, employ hundreds, sometimes thousands, of workers.

Gospel for Asia (GFA) – Discussing the laborers in tea gardens like Saham, who endure the challenges of sickness and poverty throughout their lives.
Like these workers, Saham labored among the tea shrubs.

As is common, the laborers typically lived on the estates. Entire families make their homes within sight of the tea shrubs. Day in and day out, these workers labor amid the tea bushes, barely making ends meet.

Hardship on Top of Hardship

One day, without warning, Saham’s tea garden closed for one year. Now he and the other workers had to fend for themselves; what little income they depended on was gone.

The tea gardens had been the only major institution of any sort in the surrounding area. There were no local hospitals, proper sanitation facilities or water facilities. Any sicknesses, ailments or injuries would have to be endured.

Saham suffered from multiple wounds on his legs. What he had earned went to finding healing, but nothing worked. And so, like the other workers around him, Saham bore his hurt, hoping for healing.

Medical Care for All

Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported pastor Ekanpreet, a leader in this particular region, heard of this community’s plight. Having grown up on a tea garden, the pastor knew the struggle these people faced. Together with some local health officials and the local Women’s Fellowship, Pastor Ekanpreet arranged a medical camp in this area. By providing free health care and medicine, this camp would bring help to the locals.

Saham was treated for free, just like this man. He gratefully owed nothing for the treatment and care he received at a Gospel for Asia-supported medical camp.
Saham was treated for free, just like this man. He gratefully owed nothing for the treatment and care he received at a Gospel for Asia-supported medical camp.

Saham, hearing of the camp, decided to attend in hopes of treating the ever-worsening wounds on his leg. At the camp, the doctor provided Saham with some medicine. One of the ministers at the camp, Pastor Rutesh, met with Saham and shared his belief that God would heal Saham’s legs.

“I am very happy to come here and get treated free of cost,” Saham said. “Along with medicine, you people also prayed for my complete healing. … I believe that I will be healed very soon.”

At the end of the day, 280 people with various ailments and illnesses were treated. Saham and all the others who were seen at the medical camp were blessed and returned home with renewed hope amidst their trials. The tea gardens remained empty for many more months, until finally reopening. Saham and his fellow workers were able to return to their work and provide for themselves and their families.

Learn how a boy raised in the tea gardens found hope in his future.


*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, Providing Health and Hope in the Tea Gardens

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

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

Learn more about Gospel for Asia: Facebook | YouTube | Instagram | SourceWatch | Integrity | Lawsuit Update | 5 Distinctives | 6 Remarkable Facts | Media Room | Poverty Solutions | Endorsements | 40th Anniversary | LinkedIn

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2022-10-15T13:30:08+00:00

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) – Discussing the life of a young girl named Naija who was filled with anger and bitterness throughout her youth, but after attending a Sunday School program (Vacation Bible School) she embraced God’s message of love and forgiveness.

Naija’s family lived in a small remote village that was Christian in name only. She did not know Jesus personally, nor did her family attend church. “Christian” was just a word without meaning to Naija. Sunday School, VBS and Bible stories—so familiar to most Christian kids—were completely foreign to Naija.

Naija experienced the forgiveness of Jesus at VBS—a forgiveness she now extends to others.
Naija experienced the forgiveness of Jesus at VBS—a forgiveness she now extends to others.

Naija grumbled as she worked in the field. All her friends were hanging out and having fun during their school holiday, but, as the oldest of eight children, she had to work to help support the family. Her grumbling fueled the growing anger in her heart. Life was so unfair.

Once home for the day, Naija released her anger toward her parents, complaining about the hardness of her life. She knew how her parents would respond—scolding or possibly even a beating—but she couldn’t hold her frustrations in.

Being the eldest in her family was a burden Naija resented. All throughout her childhood, she missed out on fun with friends, while she watched her siblings or worked in the fields. By the time she was 13 years old, Naija hated her life and felt unloved and uncared for.

Standing at the Crossroads of Love and Hate

School was Naija’s escape from family responsibilities. She started lying to her parents, saying she had to stay at school longer to work on projects, while she was really having fun with friends. She never thought of the moral implications of her actions. In fact, being unchurched, she never thought about spiritual things at all.

Then, one day, one of her classmates invited her to a Vacation Bible School organized by a congregation supported by Gospel for Asia (GFA). Naija was hesitant, but her friend pleaded until Naija finally gave in.

For three days, Naija sang songs that praised God and heard Bible stories about Jesus. It was a turning point in her life. Her encounters with the Word of God challenged her. Hearing teaching on the Bible for the first time, she was gripped by the message of love and forgiveness. She was excited by what she heard. Happiness bloomed in her heart.

After VBS ended, Naija continued to think about what she learned. She would hum the songs she learned as she went about her daily tasks. Her sadness about life gradually faded away. She began attending Sunday School at the church, stoking the flames started at VBS.

Forgiveness Replaces Bitterness After VBS / Sunday School

At Sunday School, Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported pastor Karmjit, who had also overseen the VBS Naija attended, saw the need to teach the teenagers more specifically. He started meeting with the teenagers of his congregation, helping them know the saving love of Jesus more clearly. During these meetings, Naija opened up about her struggles to the pastor, sharing how meaningless her life felt and how angry she was toward her parents. She felt they were ruining her life.

Through the insight of the Holy Spirit, Pastor Karmjit encouraged Naija to forgive her parents for the hurts she felt and to trust Jesus with her life. Naija recognized the damage unforgiveness had brought to her heart. Convicted within of her sin, she confessed to the Lord with a broken heart. Naija determined to forgive her parents just as God had forgiven her.

This caused a great change in Naija’s life. Joy flooded the deep places in her heart and overflowed to those around her.

Publicly demonstrating her faith in the Lord, Naija is now an active member of the local body of believers. She hopes the Lord will use her life to bring faith to her parents and siblings. Her dream is to one day worship together, side-by-side with those whom she once blamed—those whom she now lives with Christ’s love.

Read how a mute boy found his voice singing praise songs in Sunday School.


*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.

2022-10-15T13:36:25+00:00

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) – Discussing the cases of discrimination that many experience due to the difference in social standing, color or faith, and the God-inspired change through institutions like the Bridge of Hope Center, contributing a better future for many children and their families.

Through Bridge of Hope, walls of discrimination are being torn down for good, and Nihal’s future will be better than the generations before him.

It was 6 a.m. and the start of a new day for 6-year-old Nihal. He woke up knowing the first thing he had to do was feed the family pigs. It was a menial chore, and it would be his responsibility for the next six years. He headed out the door, grabbed a bucket and filled it with the thrown-away food he had collected from the nearest hostel. In about an hour, he’d walk a little over half a mile to a nearby pond with his father to let the pigs feast on roots before heading to school. Nihal enjoyed this work because he was proud to be like his father. But as he grew older, the realities of discrimination stole his joy.

He arrived at school after feeding the pigs, looking disheveled and smelling a little like the animals he helped care for. When he tried to make friends with the young boys in his class, they pushed him away.

“You are a person who feeds pigs,” the kids at school mocked.

“It’s better you don’t come to us. … You are a very untouchable person and not clean people. So don’t come with us and don’t join [us in our games].”

Their words stung Nihal’s heart. He went home and lamented, “Father, why am I born into this family?”

Clash of Classes. Discrimination.

Nihal’s father, Santavir, had inherited the trade. Santavir’s father and grandfather both reared pigs for a living. It was all they knew how to do.

“I can’t say whether I like raising pigs or not,” Santavir says.

“It has been passed down the generations. Now I am doing it as part of my profession and identity. I don’t know any other work.”

But in this particular region where they lived, rearing pigs was the lowest of the low on the social ladder.

Those who belonged to the lower social classes weren’t allowed to drink water from the same well as those of higher social classes. They weren’t allowed to join in any community activities or visit anyone who had a higher social standing. They were considered “untouchable” and allotted the most demeaning jobs in society—which only perpetuated the discrimination.

“When people look down on me or ill-treat me,” Santavir says,

“I say to myself, ‘If only my father or grandfather had chosen a better job.’ … I am not able to do anything in changing the minds of those people … [But] I can teach my children and I can help them change their career, their future.”

Pushing Against the Norm

Nihal was 8 when Santavir enrolled him in a Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported Bridge of Hope center, and the young boy carried over the wounds he had acquired from the hostility he faced at school for being “untouchable.” He found a corner to sit in and kept to himself, believing the rest of the children wanted nothing to do with him.

“I was so scared to go to the other students and sit along with them or eat with them,” Nihal says.

“I used to [think], If I go and sit along with them [during] eating time, they may say some words to me.”

At Nihal’s Bridge of Hope center, his teachers took measures to tear down the walls of discrimination. Aarit, the Bridge of Hope center’s coordinator at the time, remembers the challenges they faced.

“In the beginning, we faced issues … because some of the children who come from higher [class], they don’t want to mingle with the children who come from [the lower class] community,” Aarit says.

“But over a period of time, we created a new thinking in the minds of the children. We even talked to their parents … and we have tried to teach them that the children, irrespective of their [social standing], color and faith, are the same in our project center.”

Acceptance Brings Change

As Aarit and the Bridge of Hope teachers continually taught about the importance of treating people equally and with love and respect, they noticed that the children who once complained that they did not want to sit near Nihal were now developing friendships with him.

And they saw Nihal changing, too. He started coming to the center bathed and smelling clean. His fear and insecurities began to vanish, and he no longer sat alone in a corner. He came to know that at the center, he was truly accepted and loved.

“Here I feel so happy,” Nihal says. “Everybody treats me equally. … Now I have many friends to study with me, and I have many friends to play with.”

No longer stunted by discrimination, Nihal also found himself able to concentrate on his studies and began excelling in his classes—especially with the help and support from his Bridge of Hope teachers.

“I was so weak in my studies,” he says, “but because I am coming to Bridge of Hope, today I am able to study very well. And not only in my studies; I got so much moral support from Bridge of Hope staff.”

A Future of Hope

Now 12 years old, Nihal continues to help his father feed the pigs, but he’s not fearful of what people may say or think about him. Instead, he lives in the peace of knowing he’s loved and accepted. Through Bridge of Hope, walls of discrimination are being torn down for good, and Nihal’s future will be better than the generations before him.

“By changing a child, we are changing his or her family,” Aarit says. “By changing a family, we are changing our society and community. This impact will last a long time. In a way, we are trying to build our community, our nation through Bridge of Hope.”

Meet more Bridge of Hope children like Nihal


2022-10-15T13:38:19+00:00

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) – Discussing the life of Paden who, like many in the world, experience hardship and hopelessness, desperately needing the love of God in their lives.

When Paden turned 12, his life drastically changed. His father passed away, leaving Paden, his mother and his two younger siblings all alone. The responsibility of caring for the family fell to Paden. His childhood was over.

The Man of the House

Gospel for Asia (GFA) – Discussing the life of Paden who, like many in the world, experience hardship and hopelessness, desperately needing the love of God in their lives.
Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported pastors minister to all who are in need, like Paden (not pictured).

After the passing of his father, Paden shouldered the burden of providing for his family. Leaving school, Paden got a job selling clothing. After a few years of diligent labor and the help of a friend, Paden had saved enough money to find work internationally. He hoped to better provide for his family—but Paden’s new income wasn’t enough. He returned home after four years abroad, got married and resumed work in his clothing business.

Paden and his family were staunch traditionalists, following rites and rituals customary to their beliefs. Their convictions were put to the test when multiple family members developed health issues. Paden spent so much money on medication and treatments that his business went bankrupt. On top of it all, Paden’s younger brother fell dreadfully ill, and doctors were unable to diagnose him.

Near the End

Paden’s life seemed to be collapsing around him, and he was on the edge of losing hope. When he was wondering how he could turn his life around, Paden met Marut, a fellow businessman—and a believer. Upon listening to Paden’s struggles, Marut offered the young man a booklet about the love of God. He also told Paden the story of how Christ had freed him from both physical and spiritual afflictions.

Marut’s testimony astonished Paden—here was an answer to all his problems. Thanking Marut, the young man returned home, contemplating all he had heard. Curiosity and desperation won, and Paden made his way to the local church.

The Power of the Love of God

At the church, Paden met Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported pastor Paul and shared with him his story, his struggles and his failures. Pastor Paul prayed for Paden, offering the young man encouragement and comfort. He also offered Paden a Bible, inviting him to take it home and read it.

As Paden read, his heart began to soar. God was the answer he needed! He began attending Pastor Paul’s church, and soon, Paden and his entire family came to understand the love of God for them. In addition, God blessed the young man and his family financially, restoring Paden’s business within one month!

Like Marut, Paden now has a testimony of his own—one of the transformative loves of God and blessing.

Read how another young man found hope through the love of God.


*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, The Weight of the World

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.

Learn more about Gospel for Asia: Facebook | YouTube | InstaGramSourcewatch | Integrity | Lawsuit Update5 Distinctives | 6 Remarkable Facts | Media RoomPoverty Solutions | Endorsements40th Anniversary

2022-10-21T19:06:10+00:00

Gospel for Asia Celebrates 40 Years of Service WILLS POINT, TX – When anyone starts an enterprise of any kind, it is unlikely that they can see 40 years into the future and all that those four decades will bring. When the Lord uses a man or woman to begin a ministry, the future is beyond imagination.

When anyone starts an enterprise of any kind, it is unlikely that they can see 40 years into the future and all that those four decades will bring. When the Lord uses a man or woman to begin a ministry, the future is beyond imagination.

On July 3, Gospel for Asia (GFA) gets to look back on the unimaginable things God has done since GFA’s inception 40 years ago. We now take a look at five of the ministries through which the Lord is blessing the millions of people in South Asia who had never heard of Jesus Christ and His love for us.

  1. Training and Equipping National Missionaries:
    This has been GFA’s vision from the beginning. To their own people, in their own culture, speaking their own language was the vision upon which the ministry of Gospel for Asia (GFA) was based. Today, thousands are ministering as the hands and feet of Jesus to millions who still need to hear.
  2. Raising Up Women Missionaries:
    In cultures where unwritten social rules often separate men from women, GFA-supported women missionaries can minister to Asia’s ladies more effectively than their male counterparts. These women missionaries are filled to overflowing with love for their Lord and eagerly pour out that love to other ladies around them.
  3. Clean Water Initiatives:
    Gospel for Asia (GFA) is one of the leading faith-based NGOs in terms of providing clean water to communities in need. Jesus Wells and BioSand water filters offer a healthy alternative to the potentially pathogen-riddled surface water that is, in many places, the only available source. Access to clean drinking water has restored health to individuals, families, and entire villages.
  4. Slum Ministries:
    Almost no one wants to go to the squalid slums. Most people who live there don’t want to be there, but they have nowhere else to go. The rest of the population avoids the slums and the people who live in them. But GFA-supported workers go courageously to these regions of abject poverty to minister to people’s physical needs and to show them the riches of Jesus’ love and the gift of everlasting life He offers.
  5. Education for Children:
    Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported Bridge of Hope centers prepare school-age children for fruitful lives beyond the boundaries of poverty. Training, health checkups, and nutritious meals are provided free of charge in a loving, affirming environment that awakens the children to their potential. Many are going on to excel in college or careers neither they nor their parents had realized would be possible.

How are these ministries changing their lives so effectively? Faithful Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported workers have committed themselves to these— and many other—areas of ministry, and the Lord has blessed their commitment to serving Him.

These are but a few of the ministries launched by Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported workers. We will highlight more in the weeks to come during this 40th anniversary year. Please pray for these areas of ministry, and look out for more articles about GFA’s ministries in the days ahead.


Source: Gospel for Asia, Pray for Specific Areas of Ministry

Learn more about Gospel for Asia’s 40th anniversary year, we can’t wait to reflect on all God has done in and through GFA. We also excitedly look forward to the future, believing the years ahead will be a time to move forward into a new era of passionately sharing the love of Christ.

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

Learn more about Gospel for Asia: Facebook | YouTube | InstaGramSourcewatch | Integrity | Lawsuit Update5 Distinctives | 6 Remarkable Facts | Media RoomPoverty Solutions | Endorsements40th Anniversary

2022-10-21T19:08:29+00:00

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) – Discussing how one man was able to sew his way out of extreme generational poverty by making clothing for customers on the side while still doing his daily labor in the tea fields.

Nalah pulled fabric away from his sewing machine to show his customer the finished product. He had just finished telling his client, one of his neighbors, the story of Jesus—the God who saved his life. When the customer left, Nalah started up his machine once more to fill another order. As the sewing needle bobbed up and down and the hum of the machine filled the air, Nalah was grateful for his new life in Christ.

But sewing wasn’t just something Nalah enjoyed. It wasn’t a hobby or a chance to express his creativity. For Nalah, sewing meant getting his family out of extreme poverty—a treacherous cycle they had been in for many generations.

Much like these men working in a tea garden in Asia, Nalah and his family lived and worked long hours trying to scrape up enough money to live on. Often the wages simply weren’t enough for his family.
Much like these men working in a tea garden in Asia, Nalah and his family lived and worked long hours trying to scrape up enough money to live on. Often the wages simply weren’t enough for his family.

Born in the Tea Gardens Made Life Hard

Nalah grew up watching his father labor in the tea fields, trying to maintain his family’s livelihood. He knew well the desperate poverty all the tea workers endured. Soon, their daily struggle became his own as he had to forsake his education to work alongside his father.

Life carried on as it did for every boy in the tea gardens. Inadequate living conditions, lack of clean water and proper sanitation, and malnourishment was the norm for Nalah and all the other tea worker families.

Despite his challenging childhood, Nalah grew up and started a family of his own. He became the father of three daughters and one son, all of whom needed to eat each day and get an education. The problem was Nalah couldn’t provide for them as he longed to. He sank into a depression and turned to temporary liquid pleasure to find relief.

While Nalah drank, he gambled his hard-earned money with his friends, trying to crowd out his sorrows like so many of the other men in the tea gardens have done for years. Nalah’s life was spent in misery, while his wife and children suffered all the more from the distance alcohol and gambling brought to their family.

Nalah Finds Something Worth Living For

But just as life was spiraling downward, Nalah met a servant of God who listened to his sad story. After Nalah had shared about his sorrows, he heard something that would change him forever: The Christian man shared with Nalah the testimony of Jesus’ life and ministry. Afterward, Nalah considered the sacrifice and love Christ offered to him and the whole world.

“If Jesus Christ is the only God, and the One who can change my life,” Nalah said, “then I am ready to give my life in His hand. I also don’t want to live a life that does not have any meaning. I want to live a good life for my family, as well as for my society.”

At that moment, Nalah gave his heart to Jesus, placing his insecure life securely in the hand of Christ.

Like GFA-supported pastor Ekanpreet (pictured), the Christian man who listened to Nalah’s life story and shared the story of Jesus’ life was like a breath of fresh air to Nalah’s depressed heart and soul.
Like Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported pastor Ekanpreet (pictured), the Christian man who listened to Nalah’s life story and shared the story of Jesus’ life was like a breath of fresh air to Nalah’s depressed heart and soul.

New Faith, New Growth

Nalah, with his new faith in Christ, needed direction. He didn’t know where any local churches could be found, and he never saw the Christian man again. This is when God brought Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported pastor Gunesh to help walk with Nalah as he followed Jesus. Nalah and his family began to get established in Pastor Gunesh’s church and worshiped Jesus alongside other believers.

It didn’t take long for Pastor Gunesh to notice Nalah’s impoverished condition. He saw how the people in the tea gardens suffered and knew it would be impossible for Nalah to be freed from poverty merely by his meager income as a daily laborer in the garden.

Pastor Gunesh sprang into action and talked with his leaders, requesting that Nalah receive a sewing machine. Thanks to the Lord’s faithfulness and supporters across the globe, Nalah was given a brand new sewing machine during a Christmas gift distribution held at his church.

9,702 sewing machines were given to needy families in Asia in 2016, enabling many to earn a steady income and overcome their families' poverty.
9,702 sewing machines were given to needy families in Asia in 2016, enabling many to earn a steady income and overcome their families’ poverty.

Sewing Machine Lets Nalah Sew His Way Out of Extreme Poverty

Equipped with the new machine, Nalah was able to sew his way out of poverty by making clothing for customers on the side while still doing his daily labor in the tea fields. Because of his extra income from sewing, Nalah could care for all his family’s needs, and what’s more, he was also able to minister to those who came to him for business. With a new life and beautiful future, Nalah and his family drew near to God and saw Him transforming them.

Sewing machines are effective tools that not only offer a way out of poverty but are also symbols of hope—hope for the future and dignity for the lives of many. Gospel for Asia (GFA) helps give men and women the opportunity to learn a trade through tailoring classes and by gifting thousands with machines of their own. In 2016 alone, 9,702 sewing machines were given to needy recipients.

“I did not [just] receive a sewing machine,” Nalah said, “but I have received a source of income. I am stitching my neighbor’s clothes, and happy in this service because I can interact and share the [love of Christ] with them.”

Nalah’s story is just one of many who have experienced life change through a sewing machine. Will you join us in being part of more stories like Nalah’s? Give a sewing machine today and offer hope for the future!


Source: Gospel for Asia Features, Breaking Generational Poverty with a Needle and Thread

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

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2022-10-21T19:12:53+00:00

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) – Discussing the millions of people who don’t have the ability to obtain health services, the need for medical camps around the world, and much more the need for the Great Healer.

Ahmed clutched his abdomen as the constant discomfort intensified. He wished for a doctor, but he knew the impossibility of such a costly appointment. He pushed through the pain again—as he had done many times during the past five months—and tried to keep going with life.

Not far away, Raizel leaned against the doorway to regain her balance and focus her eyes. It was hard work being a domestic servant all day, but she knew something internal must be causing her dizziness and eyesight problems. She couldn’t afford to quit working; her husband was gone, and there was no one else to provide for her three daughters. But she couldn’t afford to see a doctor either. All she could do was go back to work and hope the symptoms would go away on their own.

Treatment Unattainable for Millions

Ahmed (pictured) endured stomach pain for five months because he had no money to pay for a doctor examination. His plight is common among the global billions who live in poverty and need of medical camps.
Ahmed (pictured) endured stomach pain for five months because he had no money to pay for a doctor’s examination. His plight is common among the global billions who live in poverty.

Ahmed and Raizel are just two among millions—even billions—who cannot access medical care when they need help. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Bank reports that “at least half of the world’s population cannot obtain essential health services.” 

The cost of medication and professional care is far beyond the incomes of many farmers, daily laborers and tradesmen. Remote villages rarely have a medical facility in the area, which means families must also bear the expenses of traveling to the nearest hospital. Treatment is even further out of reach for the millions of people who live hand-to-mouth and survive by begging.

But sometimes a medical emergency arises. An accident on the road, a severe cut or a life-threatening illness may force families to go to a hospital. Once there, families rack up a large bill and must find a way to pay it or take out a loan from a moneylender.

WHO and the World Bank also state that,

“for almost 100 million people, these expenses are high enough to push them into extreme poverty, forcing them to survive on just $1.90 or less a day.”

Children must drop out of school and start working to help pay back that loan, or parents have to sell what little they have—even their homes or source of livelihood—leaving them in an even more desperate financial situation.

Staff at four Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported Bridge of Hope centers and local pastors in Ahmed and Raizel’s region saw families battling cases of typhoid, dengue and other viral fevers. This community desperately needed help—and through donations from GFA friends around the world, GFA-supported workers were empowered to help their community.

These Bridge of Hope children and others in their community suffered from many treatable illnesses. Those sicknesses hindered their education, which is their greatest opportunity of escape from poverty.
These Bridge of Hope children and others in their community suffered from many treatable illnesses. Those sicknesses hindered their education, which is their greatest opportunity of escape from poverty.

Free Medical Care Provided for Sickly Children, Parents

The Bridge of Hope staff and national missionaries involved in medical ministry began coordinating free medical camps for the children in their areas. Medical personnel from local hospitals were invited to give their expertise at the camps, and soon all the preparations were in order.

One day, 400 Bridge of Hope children in this area went home from their centers with precious news: All the students could come and get free checkups—and their parents could too!

Ahmed came to the camp with hundreds of others from his community and walked away carrying free medication for his stomach troubles.

“I am deeply thankful,” he said. “I was suffering with constant stomachache for the past five months. I did not have money to go to the hospital for checkups.”

Raizel—and hundreds of others in her area who attended free medical camps—received a checkup and medication she could not have afforded on her own.
Raizel—and hundreds of others in her area who attended free medical camps—received a checkup and medication she could not have afforded on her own.

Raizel, too, attended the medical camp and found help with her problems. Even though she was a widow—a population of society that is often rejected and believed to carry a curse that caused their husbands’ death—she found love and free care through Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported medical ministry.

“Due to my tight work [schedule] and insufficient money, I could not go for medical checkups in a hospital,” she shared. “But my daughters told me about the free medical camp and asked me to come for a checkup. Thus, I could get [an eye exam] and got an eyedrop for my eyes and vitamin tablets for my weakness in the body. Thank you very much for helping me to get this aid.”

GFA-supported Medical Camps Change Lives

Medical camps like the one organized for Ahmed and Raizel’s community treat many illnesses, such as diarrhea, eye diseases, anemia, yellow fever and stomach problems. To help combat malnutrition among children and pregnant women, vitamin tablets are often distributed as well. Educational classes or pamphlets are also provided to instruct families on basic—but often unknown—hygiene practices that will protect the families’ health for years to come.

GFA-supported medical camps help individuals gain the health they need to positively affect their communities. And along with those free medical services comes another powerful gift: prayer.

Abbi, a 37-year-old mother of three daughters, attended a medical camp and received treatment for an illness she had fought for a long time. She also received helpful instructions for rehabilitating one of her daughter’s weak hands.

Through attending the camp, Abbi formed a friendship with a woman named Kanaka. Kanaka, who attended a local church, visited Abbi the following day to pray with her and encourage her from God’s Word. She knew in her heart that Jesus had heard and answered their prayers, and her faith in Christ budded.

Abbi began attending a prayer meeting at Kanaka’s home and found peace from her troubles.

“I could not have a peaceful sleep at night for the last 17 years,” she testified. “But after meeting Jesus, I am getting sound sleep because there is peace in my heart. I praise Jesus for this.”
After attending a medical camp, Abbi (pictured) experienced healing in her family and discovered the joy only found in knowing Christ personally.
After attending a medical camp, Abbi (pictured) experienced healing in her family and discovered the joy only found in knowing Christ personally.

Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported medical camps help individuals gain the health they need to positively affect their communities. Each camp may provide 200 to 1,000 people with free checkups and medicines—something many of them would never have been able to afford. And along with those free medical services comes another powerful gift: prayer.

Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported workers happily pray for any who requests prayer at a medical camp, and they speak words of kindness and truth into the lives of struggling families. Long after a bottle of medicine is gone, families can continue finding strength and hope from the Great Healer they heard about at the camp.

Through Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported medical camps, thousands of people have found solutions for their problems, both of body and spirit.

You can help more people like Abbi, Ahmed and Raizel gain access to life-changing medical care by donating to medical camps today!


Source: Gospel for Asia Features, Life-changing Doctor Visits

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.

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

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