WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) – Discussing the struggles national missionaries face in the mission field. This is a story of the impact of a bicycle as a channel of God’s blessing to reach God’s flock and the lost who wouldn’t otherwise have been reached.
Pastor Jahansuz (pictured) with his wife and two sons.
Pastor Jahansuz was the pastor of six fellowships in six different villages. The Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported pastor tried to visit every believer, but the villages were in some of the most remote regions. As such, there was no form of modern transportation. Pastor Jahansuz had to walk almost everywhere. The pastor felt burdened when believers asked him to visit their home for prayer and encouragement but couldn’t make the journey.
Although Pastor Jahansuz tried to encourage every believer, it was impossible at times. One particular village was located five and a half miles away from his home. The pastor began to pray for the Lord’s provision, and he even asked the believers to pray with him.
The Great Provider
The Lord listened, and He provided after six years of persevering prayer. Pastor Jahansuz was given a heavy-duty bicycle through the generosity of people like you! Finally, the pastor was able to do what he wanted: minister to his flocks.
“Since the pastor did not own a bicycle, he struggled a lot,” Abarja, one of the believers said.
“We live in far places, and due to that, he could not visit us. But now, by God’s grace, the pastor is able to visit us and is encouraging us to grow in the Lord.”
Pastor Jahansuz’s bicycle brought immediate blessing, both to his ministry and life. Before, the pastor was only able to visit those within a six-mile radius, but now that range has almost doubled!
Not only does he provide transportation for any in need, but Pastor Jahansuz has also been able to visit and minister in five additional villages with the bicycle’s help. Now, many more people are hearing of God’s love.
Pastor Jahansuz is able to use his bicycle to travel much further than before. He is now able to share about the love of Christ with more people and give out gospel literature (as seen in this picture).
Through this bicycle, Pastor Jahansuz can more easily minister to the believers in his area and bring the love of God to so many more. Supporters like you made this story and countless others like it possible. Thank you!
*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.
Last updated on: September 17, 2022 at 6:03 am By GFA Staff Writer
WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) – Discussing the stories of families and people who struggle against poverty, the destitution that they experience, and the life-altering impact tangible gifts of generosity can bring to the marginalized.
I certainly wasn’t rich growing up, but I never knew poverty, either. I always had three meals a day, a roof over my head and A/C and heating (rarely needing heat because Texas winters are mostly mild). Poverty was never something I personally experienced, but having seen its effects on families and communities, I am familiar enough with it.
Absolute Poverty
Growing up at Gospel for Asia (GFA), I heard countless stories of the struggle against poverty. But I also heard how Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported workers—both with the truth of God’s love and with income-generating gifts such as farm animals and tools—have brought hope to numerous impoverished families.
Compared to them, I have had nearly everything handed to me on a silver platter. My daily prayer is that I don’t take for granted the blessings around me. There are children starving, literally eating dirt to satiate their hunger. Dr. K.P. Yohannan, president and founder of Gospel for Asia (GFA), shared this story in his book No Longer a Slumdog:
“One of my most painful memories has to do with a little girl named Meena. Meena was a beautiful 5-year-old living in a slum. She had the biggest brown eyes. When social workers first saw her, she was standing in six inches of sewer water. … Later, I learned that she began eating the sewage-infested dirt off of the streets. Soon she went into a coma and died.”
Breaking the Cycle
Poverty encompasses millions within its grasp; whether abandoned street children, struggling farmers or mistreated widows, millions are trapped in destitution.
Yet in the face of such despair, countless Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported workers and pastors toil joyfully among the struggling and hurting. It is their goal to see the impoverished and lowly lifted up—through gifts provided by our supporters and partners, they are doing just that.
But, you may ask, what gifts exist that help those in poverty? Income-generating gifts include farm animals such as cows, goats or chickens; tools such as sewing machines and pull carts; and vocational training and literacy classes. Each gift brings help in some form to families in desperate need. Goats, for instance, provide nutritious milk to sell or consume, and their offspring can be sold for additional income. Kirpal and Bani are one couple helped through a pair of goats.
Provision Amongst Struggle
One day, a believer in Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported pastor Taranga’s church informed him of a struggling family in the village. The believer asked if Pastor Taranga could go to the family and offer prayer and encouragement, because they were truly struggling, both financially and emotionally. Together with other members of the church, Pastor Taranga set out to see what help they could bring this struggling family.
The pastor met Kirpal and Bani who, together with their four children, had fallen on hard times. Bani had been struggling with an unidentifiable illness for quite some time. Her condition made it hard to eat. She became weakened to the point of being unable to walk.
All of Kirpal and Bani’s money had gone to finding a cure, but nothing had worked. Their money practically gone, the family had barely enough to survive. On top of it all, the roof of their house was flimsy, making worrying sounds in the night and leaking during rainy season.
After hearing the couple’s woes, the pastor was filled with compassion. He and the believers prayed for Kirpal and Bani, and before leaving, also promised to continue visiting. For the next several months, Pastor Taranga continued to visit Kirpal and Bani, always praying for the harried and hurting family. Through constant prayer, the illness afflicting Bani completely disappeared.
With one burden lifted off the family, Pastor Taranga began thinking of other ways to bless Kirpal and Bani. Then it came to him. Some months later, a Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported gift distribution was organized—Kirpal and Bani were invited. There, they received a pair of goats.
One year found those two goats turning 12. Kirpal was able to sell six, taking the money to buy thin sheets of cement to finally fix their leaky roof. It was also enough to pay school fees for their four children and buy enough food.
Alleviating Poverty, One Family at a Time
All it can take is one gift to truly save a family from utter destitution. Through income-generating gifts, countless lives in Asia have been changed, and will continue to be changed.
Last updated on: September 17, 2022 at 6:15 am By GFA Staff Writer
WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) – Discussing how God can change an anger filled heart to one that burns for Him, desiring nothing more than to let the world hear of God’s Word and know God’s love.
Personal testimonies can include stories of lives transformed from the depths of sin, tragedy or persecution. My own personal testimony is nothing dramatic. I was born and raised in a Christian family and I received Christ when I was 7 or 8 years old (I really don’t remember the exact day or year). But the stories I have heard of God working in people’s lives instills within me awe of God’s love that never fails and how each person’s testimony is unique.
Pastor Myo’s Story
One testimony of such complete transformation is Pastor Myo Zaw’s. Before he was a Christian, Pastor Myo was known as the local drunkard in his village. Quick to anger, Myo often fought with his fellow villagers. Nobody was safe from the volatile man.
But then, something changed. One day the villagers noticed something odd about Myo. He wasn’t hurling obscenities or throwing out challenges, but instead yelling something about someone called Jesus.
Miraculously, Myo had come to know Christ. The anger that dwelt in him had been replaced with a burning love for God. The villagers were astounded by this sudden transformation and wondered if Myo had gone insane.
Contrary to the villagers’ misconceptions, Myo’s mind was clearer than ever. Even his family almost didn’t know what to think. They were simultaneously shocked and ecstatic at the change of heart Myo had undergone.
Least Kept Secret: God’s Love
“I just wanted to pour [God’s love] out and share it out,” Myo said. “I was not able to stop sharing the Word of God.”
However, Myo couldn’t keep his newfound faith to himself.
“I could not keep silent,” Myo remembered. “I used to shout and share the Word of God throughout my village. … So my village said, because he drank too much, he became mad.”
Myo began preaching to anyone and everyone he could. Whether it was on the street or in the market, Myo would talk to them about God.
“I just wanted to pour [the love of God] out and share it out,” Myo said. “I was not able to stop sharing the Word of God.”
Myo began sharing not only with those in his village but with other local villages as well. He simply could not keep the love of God to himself. He continued his one-man ministry for a few years.
One day, Myo heard about a nearby area where the love of God had never been experienced. Hearing this, Myo wanted to go. But he needed help. So, he approached a local Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported leader and asked if he could be sent to this area. The Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported worker agreed, and so, Myo and his family left the village and never looked back.
Enduring Faithfulness
Nearly three decades after Myo’s change of heart, Myo is a Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported pastor. He has seen thousands of people introduced to the same God who changed him. The pastor and his wife have remained steadfast throughout challenges that threatened to hinder their ministry. They endured sickness and violence, yet let the love of God guide them always.
“Let the people hurt me, let the people stone me. No problem,” says Myo. “I will still show my love. What I have found in my life is that love is the most powerful weapon we have from God.”
Last updated on: September 17, 2022 at 6:18 am By GFA Staff Writer
WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) – Discussing the poverty that hinders millions of women to have an education, and the missionaries who reach these women through literacy classes to be able to tackle life’s hurdles.
“Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime.”
Habiba poses for a picture as a student of the Sisters of Compassion literacy class.
While Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported Sisters of Compassion don’t teach villagers how to fish, they do teach them something quite necessary to thrive in life: how to read and write.
For one mother, this old proverb stands true as the sisters’ lessons are satisfying her lifelong dream to learn to read and write.
Unfulfilled Dreams of an Education, Literacy
Habiba, 40, lives in a slum village with her husband, 10-year-old daughter and 7-year-old son. Growing up, Habiba had the desire to attend school and learn to read and write, but she never had the opportunity because of her family’s poverty. Still, it was a dream she clung to even after getting married.
When Habiba’s children were born, she desperately wanted them to receive an education. Unfortunately, her husband was also uneducated and, therefore, unable to teach the children, and school fees were too expensive for them to afford. Habiba grieved that her children would grow up illiterate like she did, but it seemed her dreams for their education were equally out of reach.
Hope Born
One day, Sister Tamanna and a few other Sisters of Compassion supported by Gospel for Asia (GFA) visited Habiba’s home and shared the Good News of Jesus’ love. They also explained to Habiba and her family they were starting a literacy class for the women and children of the village.
Not surprisingly, Habiba rejoiced to learn about the class and that the lessons would be offered for free. It renewed hope that her dreams of an education for herself and for her children could finally become a reality.
“I want to become an educated lady,” Habiba excitedly explained to Sister Tamanna, “and my desire will surely come true through this class.”
Starting School
Habiba practices writing with Tamanna during literacy class.
When the literacy class began in her village, Habiba and her children were among its students. One year after Habiba started her lessons, her hard work paid off. She learned to write and speak her local language’s alphabet and numbers. She was also able to write her name and the names of her husband and children.
Meanwhile, Habiba’s children found success in their literacy classes as well.
In addition to learning their A-B-Cs, some of their lessons include learning God’s Word and how to pray.
Though Habiba may not have realized it yet, this literacy class was just one demonstration of God’s love for her and her family. Through the Sisters of Compassion and their literacy ministry, God is the One making Habiba’s dreams come true.
Habiba isn’t the only mother for whom literacy is an important dream. Read Parmila’s story, and learn how attending Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported literacy classes became an answer to her prayers.
*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.
Learn more about the Women’s Literacy Program. There are over 250 million women in Asia who are illiterate. Even if they want to read, there is no way to learn . . . until now. With your help, women in Asia can learn to read and will be equipped to tackle life’s hurdles.
Click here, to read more blogs on Patheos from Gospel for Asia.
Last updated on: September 23, 2022 at 2:52 pm By GFA Staff Writer
WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) – Discussing the impact Gospel ministry through radio in Asia continuously brings to more than one million listeners each year, bringing them hope in the love of Jesus.
I can’t remember the last time I owned a stand-alone radio. I remember evenings as a child, sitting on my grandfather’s lap and listening to the stories, the news and the music emanating from the speakers in that mysterious piece of furniture.
I remember hearing the choir singing “Jesus Saves” as Dr. Charles E. Fuller and the Old-Fashioned Revival Hour came onto the air. Rudy Atwood was at the piano and the Old-Fashioned Revival Hour Quartet was always ready with an inspirational song. The entire congregation singing “Heavenly Sunshine” was a treat every week.
I was once in New York listening to the uplifting music and Bible lessons aired across the entire continent from Pasadena, California.
But today, technology has lured most of us away from anything as “old-fashioned” as radio. There are just too many other things to occupy our times and our minds. Who needs radio?
People in Asia Need Radio
Radio is one of the least mentioned but most enduring ministries supported by Gospel for Asia. Gospel for Asia (GFA) has been producing and airing radio programs in Asia since 1986, speaking hope and truth into areas with extreme need.
Religious, social, and political barriers often make ministry challenging in various regions. Rough terrain can also hinder national workers from bringing aid and comfort to the residents of rural villages. Even illiteracy, which is high in many regions of Asia, can make it hard for people to learn about Christ. But a family doesn’t need to know how to read to listen to their radio, and radio broadcasts can cross treacherous terrain to share with people who are hungering for a love greater than the world can offer. Walls cannot keep this faithful messenger away, so hope-filled programs can be heard within prisons, hospitals and even brothels.
Even in the most remote areas, radio waves can bless whoever tunes in. And in Asia, it is still one of the most cost-effective tools for sharing the message of Christ’s redemptive hope. For so many people, a radio program may be their first and only exposure to the love of Jesus.
Gospel for Asia’s radio ministry supports broadcasts in more than 100 different Asian languages. Each year, more than one million listeners contact Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported radio teams to ask questions about Jesus Christ or about how to live for Him.
While many of us may consider radio a thing of the past, to those in Asia whose lives are being transformed by the hope it brings, radio is helping shape their future—even their eternal future.
Now is a good time to reflect on the global impact of radio when used by followers of Christ. It’s not time to tune out. It’s time to tune in and pray.
Last updated on: September 29, 2022 at 6:21 pm By GFA Staff Writer
Dr. Leroy Pennell recently celebrated 40 years of pastoring Heritage Baptist Church in Barrie, Ontario, Canada. Someone asked him, “How can a man pastor the same church for 40 years?”
He replied with only three words: “Never, never quit.”
What did it take to get started? A calling and vision from the Lord to share the love of Jesus with millions of people halfway around the globe with.
What did it take for Gospel for Asia (GFA) to arrive at its 40th anniversary? It took 14,600 days of commitment to the call, 14,600 days of never quitting—all through the grace of God.
In 1952, John W. Peterson, the most prolific composer of Christian music at the time, wrote “It’s Not an Easy Road,” a song that describes 40 years of ministry.”
It’s not an easy road we are traveling to heaven,
For many are the thorns on the way.
It’s not an easy road, but the Savior is with us,
His presence gives us joy every day.
It’s not an easy road; there are trials and troubles,
And many are the dangers we meet.
But Jesus guards and keeps so that nothing can harm us.
And smooths the rugged path for our feet.
No, no, it’s not an easy road. But Jesus walks beside me and brightens the journey, And lightens every heavy load.
Dr. Yohannan was attempting to fulfill the Lord’s expectations when he and fellow believers mobilized Gospel for Asia (GFA) on July 3, 1979. Jesus was quite clear when He told potential disciples that “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”
We cannot begin to imagine what the Lord has planned for the next 40 years as we continue to share the love of Christ in word and deed with people in Asia.
There would be no looking back. During the past 40 years, there have been days filled with difficulties, seasons of stress, and periods of predicaments. But, trusting the Lord who called us, we chose not to quit.
Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported missionaries have served the Lord in places where no one had ever heard of Jesus, often because there was no one willing to go to the misery of the slums or leprosy colonies or the widows’ islands. No one was willing to trek to remote tribal villages where people lived, often in unreachable locations and in extreme poverty.
As Gospel for Asia (GFA) staff and the Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported workers in Asia have refused to quit, tens of thousands have come to faith in Jesus Christ through national missionaries and pastors, compassion services, Bridge of Hope centers for school-age children, women’s ministries, Jesus Wells, and literacy classes, which transforms villages, and empowers men, women, and children to lead productive lives.
We could never have imagined what Gospel for Asia (GFA) would grow to be and how the Lord would use it as a tool to transform so many lives. The thousands of individuals God has brought together with the same passion and purpose of declaring His loving kindness, especially to those who have not yet heard, is a beautiful partnership. Each one is doing their part to serve the Lord – from donors and sponsors in the U.S. and other Western countries to the Mission Support Team serving behind the scenes to the thousands of workers on the field.
We look back only for a moment, out of thanksgiving for all the Lord has done. We commit to keeping our hand on the plow. We cannot begin to imagine what the Lord has planned for the next 40 years as we continue to share the love of Christ in word and deed with people in Asia.
To God be the glory; great things He has done! We look forward to the road ahead.
Click here, to read more blogs on Patheos from Gospel for Asia.
Last updated on: November 26, 2022 at 6:52 pm By GFA Staff Writer
WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) Special Report on forced child labor today: Millions of Children Trapped between Extreme Poverty and the Profits of Others
New Developments to End Forced Child Labor
Supply Chain Enforcement
If this special report accomplishes nothing else, even though it is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg, it should make readers aware that every effort to eradicate child labor has failed. That is substantially the reason for the title being “Child Labor: Not Gone but Forgotten.”
Despite consistent failures, new proposals continue to be set forth. The two most recent propose supply chain management solutions.
The answer to that question will depend upon who answers it. Well-meaning individuals from the philosophical to the practical will take positions on both sides of the argument of whether or not the practice of child labor can be eradicated. Even the philosophical and the practical will be divided in their opinions.
One thing we do know is that nothing has succeeded thus far. That does not bode well for future success.
But this report does not propose the eradication of child labor. Rather, it is intended to draw readers’ attention to its continuing existence. The issue of child labor is a Gordian Knot, the size of which cannot be cut even with the sword of Alexander the Great.
“…Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me..” —Matthew 25:40
Three billion people in the world live on less than the equivalent of $2.50 USD per day. More than 84 percent of those living in Sub-Saharan Africa live on less than $5.50 per day.
3 billion
people live on less than $2.50 USD per day
While various and sundry organizations and institutions attempt to solve the child labor problem, the church’s task remains what it has always been: Be the hands and feet of Jesus to “the least of these” (see Matthew 25:40).
The Lord never called us to eradicate either child labor or poverty. He will do that someday when He returns to earth to rule and reign. In the meantime, we are called to serve.
Ours is not a race to eradicate child labor. It is a journey to provide and care for those who are relegated to the lowest positions in life. Relentlessly ministering to the needs of “the least of these” is visible evidence of the love and grace of God in action.
These GFA-supported Bridge of Hope students are getting ready to begin class after breaking for lunch. As children’s lives are transformed in Bridge of Hope, they bring new aspirations and knowledge home with them, and their families benefit as a result. Even beyond this, GFA’s Bridge of Hope program does much to uplift the communities it serves.
God’s Grace in Action at Gospel for Asia
For 40 years, the singular focus of Gospel for Asia (GFA) has been “to take the love of Christ to people who have never heard His name before.”
We must understand that Jesus looked upon people with such compassion that He made the lame to walk again and caused the blind to see. He didn’t just tell them that He loved them; He demonstrated His love in ways that changed their lives.
Representing Christ on earth requires that we demonstrate the same love and compassion that He did while He was here.
We are, from a heavenly perspective, blessed to be able to feed the hungry, tend to the sick and give a cup of cold water to the thirsty in Jesus’ name. These are people who know they have great needs. The Lord has granted us the high honor to love them and to serve them as His representatives. As He came to us as the “express image” of God the Father, so should we reach out to others in the express image of Jesus Christ (see Hebrews 1:3).
Gospel for Asia’s field partners host literacy classes and vocational training classes for adults and youth, equipping them with skills that can break them out of the cycle of poverty. Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported workers guide class members through an understanding of basic entrepreneurial skills to empower them to create a better future for themselves. In addition, gifts such as sewing machines, fishing nets and rickshaws are just a few of the income-generating resources distributed among families who are in dire need of an income.
Farm Animals
Gospel for Asia (GFA) sponsors around the world give generously to provide farm animals for families in rural Asian villages. Chickens, goats, and cattle produce products like eggs, milk and meat, which can be sold for a good price or used to feed the family. Breeding the animals also allows the owners to expand their businesses, continually increasing their incomes to better serve their families.
Jesus Wells
Clean water is taken for granted by Westerners. However, in Africa and South Asia, women and children spend hours fetching water —not from a faucet, but from a ground source several hours away. In some cases, they must make the journey multiple times each day in order to meet their family’s needs.
By installing and maintaining Jesus Wells within poverty-stricken villages and communities, Gospel for Asia (GFA) provides a source of free clean water that can supply as many as 300 people with clean water for up to 20 years.
Not only do these people now have clean water, but it is also readily accessible. The women who fetched the water gain up to six hours a day that can now be used to obtain literacy and vocational training or to tend to their homes and children.
Enrollment in Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported Bridge of Hope centers is offered freely to children whose parents commit to keeping their children in school. The Bridge of Hope Program is a continuation of the school day, in which the children received enhanced and advanced training.
None of Gospel for Asia’s efforts to free families from poverty and their children from child labor would be possible without people like you. The prayers and financial support of Gospel for Asia (GFA) friends drill wells; open Bridge of Hope centers; pay for literacy classes, vocational training and farm animals; and equip all of the ministries of national missionaries who are sharing Christ’s love through practical ways that change lives both now and for eternity.
We may never end child labor, but we must never forget it or those working to combat it—and we must remain relentless in being the only Jesus some will ever see.
Child Labor: Not Gone, but Forgotten: Part 1 | Part 2
Last updated on: August 12, 2022 at 10:26 pm By GFA Staff Writer
WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) Part#3 Special Report on the aftermath of acute gender imbalance: Discussing the horrendous reality of 100 million missing women worldwide.
A Little Girl’s Future Transformed
A beautiful story from Gospel for Asia’s archives tells about the day a cook at a Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported Bridge of Hope center noticed an elderly woman begging on the street. The cook was distressed because the older woman had a little girl, filthy and dressed in rags, in tow.
Knowing that adult beggars will often use children as bait to receive monies, then pocket the funds and do nothing for the child, the cook challenged the older woman, “Why are you exploiting this child?”
To the cook’s surprise, the older woman broke into tears and wept.
Daya, pictured at age 8 and age 15. Once among beggars in the street, she is now a thriving teen finding her place in this world and walking in her faith.
She wasn’t a professional beggar at all, but the grandmother of the little girl, Daya, who had been abandoned by both her mother and father. Without income and desperate, the grandmother had begun begging at bus stops, train stations and on the streets. With a change of heart, the cook invited the grandmother to enroll Daya in the Bridge of Hope center, which was in a building wedged between a railway station and a slum, conveniently available to children without a future.
The little girl was enrolled in the center but was so filthy that other parents complained. The Bridge of Hope staff conducted an intensive scrub session to relieve the child of dirt and germs and to replace the same filthy clothes she wore each day with clean clothes. They introduced her to soap and taught her to use it when she washed.
As the report states, “Daya’s future hung in the balance. If rejected from the Bridge of Hope center, she would return to the streets as one of the hundreds of thousands of child beggars in Asia. At some point, she would likely join the 20 to 30 million other boys and girls who are exploited as child laborers.”
The staff was determined to see that Daya thrived in Bridge of Hope, and she grew up to be an educated young woman. However, millions of other children never get that chance.
In a fact sheet on girls’ education, UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) explains:
Some 31 million girls of primary-school age are not in school. Seventeen million of these are expected to never enter school.
Some 34 million female adolescents are missing from secondary schools, which often offer vocational skills that are essential for procuring future jobs.
Two-thirds of the 774 million illiterate people in the world are female.
Thousands of these children can’t go to school because they are caught in bonded labor.
“It is doubtful they’ve ever held a toothbrush or a bar of soap; they’ve probably never eaten an ice-cream cone or cradled a doll,” Gospel for Asia (GFA) states. “The child laborers of Asia toil in fireworks, carpet and match factories; quarries and coal mines; rice fields, tea plantations and pastures; and even brothels. Because they are exposed to dust, toxic fumes, pesticides and disease, their health is compromised, and their bodies can be crippled from carrying heavy weights.”
Worse still, these children could be entrapped in prostitution.
These young women are prostitutes in the red-light district; some most likely entrapped since childhood.
Prostitution is not illegal in India so the chances of victimization are mind-blowing. In addition, many impoverished families sell their daughters to opportunists who promise a better life for their children.
ABC News reports, “Aid organizations estimate that 20 to 65 million Indians have already passed through the hands of human traffickers at one point in their lives. Ninety percent of them remain within India’s national borders, and the majority are female and under the age of 18.”
One social worker, Palavi, explained, “Human trafficking works because the victims are afraid and cannot communicate. … Many of them have children who live in constant danger of also being sold or sexually abused. They grow up under the beds where their mothers were robbed of their dignity.”
When census data is gathered, these women, mothers and little girls are not in their villages, local communities or urban settlements. They are hidden by sex slave traders (but made available to the men who seek them out).
Let me ask again the question Jesus asked Simon the Pharisee, “Do you see this woman (or child, or little girl or teenager)?”
I have a granddaughter named Eliana who is 10 years old. Four mornings a week, I pick up Eliana and her brother, Nehemiah (8), to drive them to school. Their younger sister, Anelise (5), is picked up by the preschool bus. My driving effort is to help out their mother, who was married to our son Jeremy Mains. Our son, her husband and the children’s father, died five years ago at age 42 of blastic mantle cell lymphoma.
Angela, my daughter-in-law, is raising the children by herself while holding a full-time job as the director of a local community-outreach organization. She has just completed her dissertation and received a doctorate in adult education. Nevertheless, even with remarkable mothers, studies show that children raised without fathers are vulnerable. So my husband and I live close, are on call when babysitters fall through and try to do a lot of one-on-ones with our grandchildren.
Though I watch these grandchildren grow with an attentive heart, I am certain my granddaughter Eliana will never worry about entering bonded labor or be forced to go begging on the streets. It is impossible for me, even for the sake of achieving a frightening empathy, to impose through my imagination the horror of the lives of some 20 to 65 million trafficked females on these precious little girls I love.
These Bridge of Hope students look happy during class time at GFA’s Bridge of Hope program. Education can protect a girl from exploitation—and redirect her future. This is a primary solution to begin changing the statistics of 100 million missing women.
Education as a Deterrent
Education can protect a girl from exploitation—and redirect her future. An educated girl can read. She can find work. She can get training to become a teacher, a doctor or a policewoman, for instance. She can tutor other children. A social system begins to change slowly, very slowly, one educated girl by one educated girl.
The latest statistics regarding GFA’s supported work with women in 2018 include:
290,753
women received free health care training
8,812
sewing machines distributed as a means to obtain work as a seamstress
61,880
illiterate women learned to read and write
11,000+
women desperate for jobs received vocational training
The World Bank stresses that girls’ education goes beyond getting into school. It is also about ensuring they learn and feel safe in school. One research study in Haiti indicated, “One in three Haitian women (ages 15 to 49) has experienced physical and/or sexual violence, and that of women who received money for sex before turning 18 years old, 27 percent reported schools to be the most common location for solicitation.”
What Can We Do? How Can We Conquer the Horrific 100 Million Missing Women Statistic?
What can we—those of us who have hearts that beat with concern about the unbelievable evils of this world—do about the 100 million missing women worldwide who face discrimination and violence? How can anyone make a dent in a problem with such magnified proportionality? How can that horrific statistic—100 million missing women—be conquered, overcome, defeated, reduced or even eliminated?
Well, there are some things we can do, small as they seem, but mighty nevertheless in their possibility:
We can sponsor girls (and boys) so they get educated through programs like GFA’s Bridge of Hope Program. And if $35 a month is too much for you (and it is for some compassionate people), invite your small group, Sunday School class, men’s softball league, neighborhood coffee-klatch or members of your extended family to pool funds.
Think about this question: Why do more people not see this inequality and neglect, not grieve for the 100 million missing women and girls who have experienced such hardships and take action to be part of the solution? Then read the book of Luke and think about the societal shift that begins with women’s encounters with Jesus.
Remind yourself of Christ’s question: “Do you see this woman?” Write it out on a card, and then use it as a bookmark in the books you read or paste it on your bathroom mirror. Write out a prayer, like the one I included in the beginning of this article, but adapt it to this horrific dilemma: Lord, what do You want me to do about the masses of women? And if you are not a praying person, send some discontented energy into the atmosphere any way you feel fit. Just don’t forget.
Let us conclude by going back to Jesus, except now He is not eating at the table of the VIPs. He is bloody, tortured, hanging from a cross and nearing death. The Gospel of John describes the inhumanity of the Roman soldiers and the crowds standing beneath the cross.
“Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, ‘Woman, behold your son!’ Then He said to the disciple, ‘Behold your mother!’ And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.”
Concern for the widow. Concern for the women.
“Look at this woman. Do you now see your mother?”
So, let us also be about this work in the world.
Oh, Lord, help us to care for every human with hearts that beat like Your heart beats for them. And help us, please help us, no matter our gender, to see the women.
Last updated on: October 29, 2022 at 5:22 am By GFA Staff Writer
Madin finally had to leave. Being from the lowest class, he had suffered exploitation and mistreatment at the hands of his upper-class neighbors all his life. He couldn’t handle the abuse anymore. Seeking peace for his family, he knew they could no longer live in their village. In the face of such hardships, Madin moved his family to a big city, hoping for more opportunities in a place where class was not the sole identity of an individual. Having no connections, the harassed family moved to a large slum within an overcrowded city. All over the world, millions of disenfranchised people have ended up in similar slum dwellings. In 2017, about 900 million people lived in slums across the globe.
Hope Dawns in the Slum with Message of Acceptance
Madin worried about his children. He had escaped ridicule, but poverty had followed him. He seemed doomed to live as an outcast with his children inheriting his fate.
Then, one day, Madin heard about a God who loved him. Amaan, a first-year Bible college student, went to Madin’s slum to share about God’s great love and forgiveness of sins. As Amaan walked through the muddy, narrow lanes of the slums, his heart broke for the people living in these conditions. He wanted to help them any way he could to improve their lives. But what could he, a poor, Bible college student, do?
When Amaan met Madin, he shared God’s Word with this discouraged father. Madin listened attentively to the Bible college student share about the God who accepted them, even though they had always felt so worthless and disposable.
In Need of a Miracle
Amaan faithfully taught weekly literacy classes in the slum. One week, as he made his way to the slum, he passed by a mountain of garbage and found a small boy rolling in the refuse, covered in dirt.
Shocked, Amaan approached the boy and recognized Madin’s son, Savith. Amaan quickly found the boy’s parents to ask what happened. Madin shared how, a week before, Savith began acting strangely and kept wanting to go to the garbage pile. They realized he was being afflicted by an evil spirit, so Madin and Ramana took him to a religious leader to perform a sacrifice on behalf of their son. But Savith continued to get worse throughout the week.
His distraught parents didn’t know what to do. They couldn’t afford to take him to get medical attention. They hoped he would somehow heal on his own. Feeling helpless, Madin and Ramana left their son to roll in the garbage heaps.
Miracle Leads to Worshiping Community
Amaan moved closer to the flailing boy. He reached out his hands and offered a simple prayer to Jesus. Savith immediately sat up and looked at Amaan. Encouraged, Amaan talked to the boy, but Savith did not respond. Amaan prayed again, and the tormenting spirit left. Savith stood up, perfectly healthy.
“We prayed and went to the temple … but nothing happened to him,” the parents explained. “However, you have prayed, and this boy is healed now.” Seeing their beloved son restored filled Madin and Ramana with joy. They encouraged Amaan to visit them frequently.
Astonishment washed over Madin and Ramana. They did not know the power of God before that moment.
“We prayed and went to the temple … but nothing happened to him,” the parents explained. “However, you have prayed, and this boy is healed now.”
Seeing their beloved son restored filled Madin and Ramana with joy. They encouraged Amaan to visit them frequently.
“Our door is open for you all the time,” they told Amaan.
News of the little boy’s healing astounded many neighbors in the slum. Intrigued, many came to Madin’s house to hear Amaan share from God’s Word, and they learned more about this God who had shown Himself so powerful.
No longer rejected, Madin now knows acceptance from his Heavenly Father and the love of fellow worshipers—his new eternal family.
In 2018, residents in more than 900 slums heard about the love of Christ through Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported workers. Slum ministry is unique and requires creativity on the part of national workers. They meet people in desperate and sometimes life-threatening situations. These compassionate men and women seek to minister to people’s physical needs while also ministering to their spiritual needs.
As governments grapple with how to provide housing and services for the exploding populations in their cities, Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported workers are bringing hope today into the litter-strewn paths of hundreds of shantytowns across Asia. Thousands of people have found hope in Jesus for today and security for eternity.
Last updated on: October 29, 2022 at 5:28 am By GFA Staff Writer
The first time Tanul tried alcohol, it must have burned his throat and boiled in his belly. Unpleasant as it was, it would not be the last time he put his lips around the bottle. In fact—like the poverty he was born into—it became his constant companion. By the time Tanul was a teenager, he drank regularly. Like most young men in his rural village, Tanul filled his body with alcohol to erase the shame of poverty from his heart and mind. This destructive habit would follow Tanul as he began to build a life for himself.
When Tanul married, he did not lay aside his drinking. As the burden of caring for a family increased, so did his time with the bottle. Children came, and Tanul was unable to provide adequate food for his family or cover school fees—making a hopeful future for them impossible. Tanul was stuck in a vicious cycle, and the more he drank, the less hire-able he became.
In many rural villages plagued by poverty, men gather to gamble and drink in the absence of work.
Tanul’s journey is not an isolated incident. It’s a problem all over the world; alcoholism and poverty go hand-in-hand. Though it is not proven that one always leads to the other, there is an ugly, symbiotic relationship. As alcohol consumption increases, employability decreases. While employment dries up, many use drinking to ease the shame, which exacerbates the cycle. Often, the only work left for alcoholics in Asia is manual labor for which they are hired on a day-by-day basis. Because of the difficulty—and sometimes the impossibility—for the poor to rise above these employment options, many turns to alcohol to ease poverty’s sting. The stress of not knowing if you will find work each day inflates the problem.
Abuse Multiplied: Poverty, Alcohol, and…
As Tanul’s family fell apart, another near relation to the twin problems of alcoholism and poverty arrived: domestic violence. Coming home intoxicated and angry, Tanul began abusing his wife and children daily. The little money he earned went to supporting his addiction. This family, plagued by poverty, alcoholism and domestic violence, was living out the well-worn path blazed by many of the world’s extreme poor.
In the village pictured, 80 percent of the rice crop is used to brew homemade alcohol— resulting in a high consumption of alcohol. This leads to frequent occurrences of domestic violence.
Step One on the Road Out of Poverty
Pastor Teja, who has a church in a nearby village, met Tanul’s family one day when he was offering prayer for families in need. The Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported pastor saw the pitiful condition of this family, and his heart was heavy. The family invited him back to pray for them, and a friendship began. Tanul’s family began to attend Pastor Teja’s church. Then members of the church continually prayed for Tanul’s deliverance from alcohol—the thing that bound them to the poverty they lived in. Through their faithful prayers and Pastor Teja’s counseling, Tanul overcame his addiction to alcohol. The Lord completely transformed Tanul’s heart!
For the first time, Tanul’s family experienced freedom—freedom as a gift from God above that trickled down into their hearts and flowed toward each other in love. This freedom from bondage gave them hope for the future. But in the present, they are still stuck in the poverty trap.
This predicament of the extreme poor—not being able to find work that will support a family’s daily needs—is one of the basic issues addressed by world leaders and organizations dedicated to alleviating poverty around the globe. One expert working with the Borgen Project, a non-profit dedicated to fighting global poverty, is convinced the first step[1] in reducing extreme cyclic poverty is helping the poor create their own businesses. This is the very thing many Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported pastors and missionaries can do with income-producing gifts provided by donors all over the world.
Pastor Teja knew that Tanul needed a way to earn enough income to support his family. He arranged to hold a gift distribution and presented Tanul with a rickshaw—something he never could have afforded on his own. Tanul was overcome with gratitude at God’s provision.
Tanul’s whole family has been transformed since the Lord entered their lives.
A New Reputation
With his new gift, Tanul loaded vegetables onto his rickshaw and began selling throughout the village—even delivering produce to customers’ homes. God blessed Tanul’s diligence and hard work, enabling him to earn a good income selling vegetables. Setting his own prices and being able to keep all his earnings, Tanul had enough money to send Maahir to school to learn a skilled trade. Maahir completed his education and started working as a carpenter. The two men now adequately support their growing family, including Maahir’s wife and two children.
Income producing gifts, like these goats, help lift impoverished families in Asia out of the trap of poverty.
Join the Global Effort to End Extreme Poverty
The fight against extreme poverty is not finished—736 million people in 2015 were still living on less than $1.90 a day.[2] Almost half of these people reside[3] in the countries where Gospel for Asia (GFA) supports national workers. Gospel for Asia (GFA) believes that together, we can make a lasting difference in the lives of those caught in the extreme poverty trap.
We can sponsor girls (and boys) so they get educated through programs like GFA’s Bridge of Hope Program. And if $35 a month is too much for you (and it is for some compassionate people), invite your small group, Sunday School class, men’s softball league, neighborhood coffee-klatch or members of your extended family to pool funds.
Think about this question: Why do more people not see this inequality and neglect, not grieve for the 100 million missing women and girls who have experienced such hardships and take action to be part of the solution? Then read the book of Luke and think about the societal shift that begins with women’s encounters with Jesus.
Remind yourself of Christ’s question: “Do you see this woman?” Write it out on a card, and then use it as a bookmark in the books you read or paste it on your bathroom mirror. Write out a prayer, like the one I included in the beginning of this article, but adapt it to this horrific dilemma: Lord, what do You want me to do about the masses of women? And if you are not a praying person, send some discontented energy into the atmosphere any way you feel fit. Just don’t forget.
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