Gospel for Asia Launches First-Ever Mission into Africa

Last updated on: June 24, 2025 at 12:18 am By GFA Staff Writer

WILLS POINT, TX – GFA World founded by K.P. Yohannan, whose heart to love and help the poor has inspired numerous charities like GFA World Canada, to serve the deprived and downcast worldwide, one of the largest mission agencies in the world, is launching compassion projects in Africa (http://www.gfa.org/press/intoAfrica) for the first time — a huge boost for humanitarian efforts in the world’s poorest continent.

GFA World, formerly known as Gospel for Asia, expects to begin work in multiple African nations this year.

GFA World is launching compassion projects in Africa for the 1st time, a huge boost for humanitarian efforts in the world's poorest continent — **GOSPEL FOR ASIA LAUNCHES IN AFRICA:** GFA World, formerly known as Gospel for Asia, is launching compassion projects in Africa (http://www.gfa.org/press/intoAfrica) for the first time — a huge boost for humanitarian efforts in the world’s poorest continent. (Jeremy Bishop/Unsplash)

“Africa is where the tears never dry,” said Gospel for Asia (GFA World) founder K.P. Yohannan, announcing the launch of compassion projects in Rwanda, a mountainous nation in east-central Africa still recovering from the war and genocide that left 800,000 dead and ripped the country apart in the 1990s.

“Everything we do focuses on bringing real hope and the love of God to those who’ve lost all hope,” said Yohannan, author of the best-selling book Revolution in World Missions, with more than four million copies in print.

To begin with, GFA World’s efforts — supported by the Rwandan Government, church leaders and their congregations — will help children living in slum neighborhoods in the nation’s capital, Kigali, where most people survive on less than two dollars a day.

“We appreciate the open door we’ve been given to start saving lives and serving the poor in Rwanda,” said Yohannan.

Africa ‘Compassion Surge’

The organization plans a surge of compassion and healthcare projects across Africa, including deploying Sisters of Compassion workers — trained women missionaries who serve widows, orphans and those living in leprosy colonies.

“We’re looking at the whole continent, and one of our goals is to help tens of thousands of children (in Africa),” said Yohannan, whose organization already provides educational opportunities for thousands of children through its child sponsorship programs across Asia.

“About half of Africa’s population is under the age of 15, and the average life expectancy is 50,” he said. “This fact makes the desperate urgency to preach the gospel to millions while we have time still to do it. They are waiting — they are dying.”

As Gospel for Asia (GFA World) expands in Africa, the mission agency also plans to introduce its trademark “Jesus Wells” — bringing clean water to villages and undeveloped communities where children and families drink contaminated water straight from filthy ponds.

Caring For Millions In Need

Started by missions pioneer Yohannan in 1979, Gospel for Asia (GFA World) quickly grew into one of the biggest faith-based humanitarian organizations in the world, helping millions of the world’s extreme poor by equipping local churches to care for those in desperate need.

In Africa, Gospel for Asia (GFA World) plans to train indigenous workers in Rwanda and other countries to serve their own people, following its highly effective Asia model.

With their grasp of the local culture and languages, the organization’s national workers have helped transform life for those in more than 12,000 parishes and communities across Asia in nations, such as Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and India.

While slums are often associated with Asia’s megacities — featured in movies such as Slumdog Millionaire — it’s African countries that have the highest percentage of slum dwellers. More than nine out of every 10 people in South Sudan, Central African Republic and Sudan live in slums.

“We aim to be servants to everyone, showing them Christ through our lifestyle,” said Yohannan. “Jesus told his disciples to change the world — and as we expand into Africa, that’s our calling too. We want to bring hope and healing as His hands and feet to the whole world.”

“After all is said and done, the only real answer to the chaos in this world is Jesus Christ. Our focus remains even sharper today — to preach the gospel by all means and establish the church, which is the agent of change for time and eternity.”

About GFA World

GFA World (formerly known as Gospel for Asia) is a leading faith-based global mission agency, helping national workers bring vital assistance and spiritual hope to millions across the world, especially in Asia and Africa, and sharing the love of God. In GFA World’s latest yearly report, this included thousands of community development projects that benefit downtrodden families and their children, free medical camps conducted in more than 1,200 villages and remote communities, over 4,800 clean water wells drilled, over 12,000 water filters installed, income-generating Christmas gifts for more than 260,000 needy families, and teaching providing hope and encouragement available in 110 languages in 14 nations through radio ministry. In the years ahead, GFA World expects to launch programs in numerous African nations, starting with compassion projects in Rwanda. For all the latest news, visit our Press Room at https://press.gfa.org/news.

Media interested in interviews with GFA World should contact Gregg Wooding at InChrist Communications @ 972-567-7660 or [email protected]

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

Source: GFA World Press Room, Gospel for Asia — Now GFA World — Launches its First-Ever Mission in Africa

April 7 – World Health Day: Gospel for Asia’s Sisters of Compassion Provide Health Care to Those in Need

Last updated on: October 5, 2021 at 3:09 am By GFA Staff Writer

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World) founded by K.P. Yohannan, has been the model for numerous charities like Gospel for Asia Canada, to help the poor and deprived worldwide – Discussing the plight of those in extreme poverty who have little to no access to clean water, sanitation, and medical care, and the Gospel for Asia Sisters of Compassion that provide health care to the needy.

Parts of Asia are home to some of the world’s poorest individuals, as well as some of the world’s most challenging living conditions, making Gospel for Asia (GFA) Sisters of Compassion’s work invaluable to those who need it most.

The Sisters of Compassion are specifically trained to serve the most impoverished people groups in their regions. Some of the individuals they work with have little to no access to medical care, while facing various health challenges.

The majority of these regions’ citizens face underprivileged housing conditions, unclean drinking water, poor sanitation, pollution from heavy biomass fuel use and exposure to harsh environmental conditions—all of which increase the need for medical care.^[1]

To make these individuals’ situation even more difficult, statistics from the Central Bureau of Health Intelligence state that over 75 percent of South Asian individuals do not have health insurance,^[2] while the National Institutes of Health (NIH) reports that 95 percent of individuals classified as “poor” will avoid medical treatment due to cost, regardless of the medical treatment needed.^[3]

For these individuals, medical care is difficult to come by and even more difficult to afford. Their dire need for medical attention often goes unnoticed, and their glaring need for care made invisible. But because of people like GFA Sisters of Compassion, these “invisible” ones are seen, cared for and helped.

Providing Medical Care for the ‘Least of These’

For World Health Day one year, Sisters Jadzia, Baara and Valeska and other Gospel for Asia (GFA) workers organized a free medical camp for those unable to afford proper medical care. The particular area where the camp was held had once been named one of the most undeveloped districts in the region, heightening the need for free medical care.

Following a word of prayer from Gospel for Asia (GFA) pastor Salus, medical examinations and treatments provided by four highly recognized doctors in the area began. More than 150 people gathered for the medical camp, many traveling a great distance to receive much-needed medical care, free of charge. The doctors performed thorough examinations, checking vital signs and offering recommendations for further treatment if needed. Many of the attendees received free medication for their illnesses.

Grateful Hearts, Tended Bodies

Though some participants may have come to the camp without much hope for their conditions, they left with great joy.

“I am thankful to the church from the bottom of my heart for their love and concern for others,” said Sabella, an attendee. “I have seen various programs conducted by [the church] for the wellbeing of needy people. And today the church has arranged medical camp too.”

Kaethe, another participant, also expressed her appreciation.

“I am thankful to the church for giving me free medicines,” Kaethe said. “These days no one thinks for others, but I am deeply touched by the social service of [the church].”

Sahkyo was another woman touched by the care provided at the medical camp.

“These doctors are not approachable due to their busy schedule, and we are unable to afford their consultancy fee,” Sahkyo said. “But the church has invited them for us. I am thankful to the church for their great support and concern.”

Through the Sisters of Compassion and local Gospel for Asia (GFA) churches, individuals who would never be able to receive proper medical care and treatment gained access to it. For many of these people, something so simple as receiving health care made an extraordinary impact on their health and their heart.

Read about the impact on Saham’s life when he finally received medical care

^[1] Frontiers in Public Health. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2015.00245/full

^[2] http://cbhidghs.gov.in

^[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1490134/

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

Source: Gospel for Asia Field Reports & Updates, GFA Sisters of Compassion Provide Health Care to Those in Need on World Health Day

Learn more about the Sisters of Compassion, the specially trained women missionaries with a deep burden for showing Christ’s love by physically serving the needy, underprivileged and poor.

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Gospel for Asia’s Sisters of Compassion Bring Healing and Hope to Leprosy Patients

Last updated on: November 10, 2021 at 6:39 pm By GFA Staff Writer

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World) founded by K.P. Yohannan, has been the model for numerous charities like Gospel for Asia Canada, to help the poor and deprived worldwide – Discussing the pain of leprosy patients, the suffering and isolation, and the healing and hope brought through Gospel for Asia Sisters of Compassion.

As Chablis awoke for the day, pain bloomed in her legs. Weighed down by both the pain and exhaustion, the 75-year-old woman slowly rose from her bed. Should she go to the train station today? Or maybe one of the bus stands? But each step Chablis took reminded her how much her wounds hurt. She wasn’t going to make any money today.

The Pain of a Leprosy Patient

Discussing the pain leprosy patients, the suffering and isolation, and the healing and hope brought through Gospel for Asia Sisters of Compassion. — Sisters Prima and Serana, like the Sister pictured, cleaned the leprosy patients’ wounds and offered words of encouragement and love to the struggling men and women.

Chablis suffered from leprosy, a chronic infectious disease that primarily targets the skin and nerves in limbs. Unable to see a doctor, Chablis bore constant agony from her festering wounds. If she would have seen one, she might have been able to stave off the disease—leprosy is easily curable if treated early enough.^[1]

The older woman lived with 40 other leprosy patients in a small colony, separate from the rest of society and shunned for their disease. The only option for survival was to beg for alms.

Train stations, bus stops and other public places were the typical areas Chablis and her fellow leprosy patients roamed, hoping passersby would take pity on them. But Chablis was often unable to walk because of the pain in her legs and couldn’t go out to beg. At times, she couldn’t leave her bed. She had nobody to help her, nobody to look after her.

Bringing Healing, Hope to Leprosy Patients

The leprosy colony rarely received visitors, but one day, a pair of women clad in simple white robes came walking in. Then the women did something even more strange: They helped the residents by cleaning their homes, preparing food and—most surprisingly—cleaning their wounds.

That was the day Chablis met two Gospel for Asia (GFA World) Sisters of Compassion. Sisters Prima and Serana worked in the colony for the next year, spreading God’s love among the leprosy patients. Prima and Serana prayed for each resident, hoping to bring emotional and physical relief in whatever ways they could.

The Lord Listens

Chablis, touched that these women cared about her, shared about her health and the pain she was experiencing. Prima and Serana listened and offered to pray for her. Every time the Sisters visited the colony over the next few months, they prayed for Chablis, asking God to intercede and relieve Chablis of her pain.

After four months of unceasing prayer, the Lord answered, and the pain Chablis had lived with for so long was completely gone. It was a miracle! She could walk. She could work in her home. She could take care of herself now.

Chablis’ healing introduced her to the love of God and the knowledge that He truly cares for people like her. Her heart desiring to know more, Chablis began attending the prayer meetings the Sisters held in the colony. Some of the other residents, having heard of Chablis’ healing, invited the Sisters to their homes for prayer in hopes that they, too, could find healing.

You can help change lives like Chablis’. Click here to see how you can actively touch the lives of leprosy patients through GFA World’s leprosy ministry.

^[1] “Leprosy (Hansen’s disease).” World Health Organization. 29 December 2020. https://www.who.int/health-topics/leprosy#tab=tab_1

Source: Gospel for Asia Field Reports & Updates, Praying Away the Pain

Learn more about the Sisters of Compassion, the specially trained women missionaries with a deep burden for showing Christ’s love by physically serving the needy, underprivileged and poor.

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

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Modern Day Slavery Speeds up Under Cover of COVID-19 — Part 2

Last updated on: November 4, 2022 at 3:39 am By GFA Staff Writer

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World) founded by KP Yohannan, has been the model for numerous charities like Gospel for Asia Canada, to help the poor and deprived worldwide, issued this 2nd part of a Special Report update on the state of Modern Day Slavery amid the COVID 19 pandemic.

Trafficking Takes New Forms

Like all the worst viruses, human trafficking continues to mutate. In Asia, traffickers are known to have masqueraded as relief-aid helpers in order to find new victims, for example during the 2015 Nepal earthquake recovery.

Chief Superintendent Linda Jones, divisional police commander, welcomes three new officers who will begin policing the streets of Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland very soon.
Photo by Dumfries Galloway Police Division, Facebook

A recent Google search for “crime in the time of a virus human trafficking” found multiple results. One report from Asia documents that seasoned traffickers are busy distributing COVID relief materials and essential food items, and using this activity to identify vulnerable families and possible victims. A report by the UN indicates that the COVID crisis is putting human trafficking victims at risk of further exploitation.

In Scotland, police have warned that with many urban businesses closed, traffickers could be turning their sights on more rural areas.

“We often associate human trafficking and modern slavery with cities and urban areas where it’s easier to hide victims of trafficking in plain sight,” says Chief Superintendent Linda Jones, divisional police commander for Dumfries and Galloway. “However, trafficking happens across all communities, both urban and rural.”

INTERPOL, the international police agency, says the pandemic “has not blunted the determination of organized crime groups to prey on the vulnerable and make a profit from these crimes, which all too often cost the victims their lives.”

Rather, organized crime groups have increased the prices they charge those they are promising to get across borders illegally to find work and heightened the risks involved by trying to find unguarded entry points.

A case in point: In March, 64 male migrants were found dead in a shipping container loaded on the back of a truck trying to cross from Malawi into Mozambique. They are believed to have suffocated. Fourteen others survived.

Such large-scale operations—and tragedies—are not limited to less developed nations. At least nine people died, and more were hospitalized, in San Antonio, Texas, in 2017 after around 100 people were crammed into a tractor-trailer smuggling them into the country from South America.

In England, 39 Vietnamese migrants were found dead in a refrigerated truck linked to a European smuggling network in May.

And sometimes those in positions of influence are found to be perpetrators. Mohammad Shahid Islam, a member of Parliament in Bangladesh, was arrested in Kuwait in June as part of a human trafficking network. He allegedly charged Bangladeshis almost US$10,000 for a job in the Middle Eastern country.

Paul Petersen, a former county official in Arkansas, pleaded guilty in June to human smuggling and fraud charges related to paying women from the Marshall Islands to come to the United States to put their babies up for adoption.

In some parts of the world, it’s not only individual leaders but large government entities that actively participate in human trafficking. In this year’s TIP report, the State Department named 10 countries it said have engaged in “government-sponsored forced labor.” Among the claims was an Afghan government “policy or pattern” of recruiting child soldiers and sexually enslaving boys in government compounds, a practice known as “bacha bazi.”

Trafficking in Persons Report, 2020 — The U.S. Trafficking in Persons Report affirms that traffickers are denying nearly 25 million people their fundamental right to freedom, by preying on the most vulnerable people, and forcing them to live enslaved lives and toil for their exploiter’s profit. The implications of the COVID-19 pandemic have magnified this problem. Photo by U.S. Department of State

Awareness Training Vitally Needed

While much human trafficking goes on underground, it also often hides in plain sight, such as in domestic workers serving wealthy families, fruit pickers, car wash cleaners and even athletes. For example, in the world of aspiring young athletes, the promise of riches and unscrupulous agents has driven exploitation. According to the U.S. State Department report, “Within Europe’s soccer industry alone, it is estimated there are 15,000 human trafficking victims each year.”

Learning to spot the tell-tale signs of someone who might be enslaved is critical in helping end human trafficking.

It was how a routine traffic stop in Florida led to the arrest of six men who “orchestrated an extensive human trafficking ring.” Following a vehicle reported stolen in Ohio, deputies arrested the driver and his female passenger, whose behavior made them suspect she was under coercion. Eventually, she trusted the officers enough to reveal what she was caught up in.

“The bottom line is that traffickers have not shut down … traffickers are continuing to exploit people. And as vulnerable people become more vulnerable due to COVID, it’s making it easier and easier for traffickers to operate.”

Such alertness isn’t just needed from first responders like police and EMS providers who, according to the U.S. Fire Administration, are “well-suited to help counter human trafficking” because of how they come into contact with people. People working in hotels, bars or sporting events should also be trained to discern the signs of human trafficking because of the high level of interaction with others. The Illinois Hotel and Lodging Association, for example, has arranged for awareness training for all its members.

Photo of first responders — According to the U.S. Fire Administration, first responders like police, EMS providers, or this Italian Red Cross worker in Macerata, Italy, are “well-suited to help counter human trafficking” because of how they come into contact with people. Likewise, workers in hotels, bars or sporting events should also be trained to discern the signs of human trafficking because of their high level of interaction with others.

The Power of Faith-based Action

Charting the progress that has been made in fighting human trafficking over the past 20 years by governments and other agencies, the latest TIP report notes the important part played by faith-based groups like Gospel for Asia (GFA World). They are “powerful and necessary forces,” it says.

Glimpse of the red-light district where Pastor Dhinanath ministers — This photo is a small glimpse of the red-light district where Pastor Dhinanath ministers. This row of houses has multiple rooms, which are usually rented by pimps for ongoing prostitution. For safety concerns, we cannot identify anyone working this row of rooms, or share its location in South Asia.

“Unlike governments, faith-based organizations are not limited by jurisdiction, election cycles, or political will.”

“They reach across international borders,” the report says, “spanning continents with a powerful network of followers with tremendous reach—from remote villages to capital cities and the seats of power.”

Gospel for Asia (GFA World) workers seek to help those caught in the human trafficking chain by reaching out to sex workers in red light districts—like the testimony of Pastor Dhinanath and his wife Lydia who helped Athalia escape sexual slavery.

They also aim to break the cycle by providing vocational training and tools that can provide an income and keep people from getting trapped in perpetual debt.

Another way they help is by caring for children whose parents are forced to work all day.

“While these parents are engaged in their daily work, their children are left unattended,” says Kien, who works at one of Gospel for Asia’s Bridge of Hope community centers that opened its doors to the youngsters. “They have no parental guidance or supervision whatsoever. … They are let loose, and they become very unruly. They do not obey or listen to others. This is a big need here to teach their children.”

Bridge of Hope Sri Lanka — The staff at this Bridge of Hope Project Center in Sri Lanka individually help the children out in their after school learning, provide a safe environment to study, supply a hot meal every day, and give them encouragement, love and hope for a brighter future.

At the center, children get a hot meal and schooling and experience genuine love and care from staff.

“I feel very happy and joyful because of the work that we are doing among them,” says Kien. “These children will get a new life; they will become new persons as we teach them. I feel very glad and happy to think where these children will be in the future because of the investment we have made in their lives while here at the center.”

While bright spots like Gospel for Asia (GFA World) exist, a recent report by PBS says that COVID is making it harder for many worthy NGOs to survive, suggesting that only 24 percent of anti-trafficking organizations would be able to remain fully operational without extra funding in the next 12 months.

Your gift today can make an enormous difference in helping the fight against slavery and human trafficking. And your ongoing prayers are welcome too, as this fight—like the battle to beat COVID-19—is not looking to be an easy one to win.

Give Towards Strategic Field Ministries

Your donation enables GFA World national workers to reach out to multitudes of needy people and provide for their most crucial physical and spiritual needs.

About Gospel for Asia

Gospel for Asia (GFA World) is a leading faith-based mission agency, helping national workers bring vital assistance and spiritual hope to millions across Asia, especially to those who have yet to hear about the love of God. In GFA’s latest yearly report, this included more than 70,000 sponsored children, free medical camps conducted in more than 1,200 villages and remote communities, over 4,800 clean water wells drilled, over 12,000 water filters installed, income-generating Christmas gifts for more than 260,000 needy families, and spiritual teaching available in 110 languages in 14 nations through radio ministry. For all the latest news, visit our Press Room at https://press.gfa.org/news.

Read the rest of Gospel for Asia’s Special Report: Modern Day Slavery Speeds up Under Cover of COVID-19 – Growing during pandemic: People vulnerable to exploitation — Part 1

Read more about Gospel for Asia, Modern Slavery, and the COVID 19 Pandemic on Patheos from Gospel for Asia.

Learn more by reading these Special Reports from Gospel for Asia:

Child Labor: Not Gone, but Forgotten — Millions of Children Trapped between Extreme Poverty and the Profits of Others
Seeking Justice and Defending Human Rights — Wherever Poverty and Oppression Exist

KP Yohannan has issued two statements about the COVID-19 situation found here and here.

GFA’s Statement About Coronavirus

This Special Report originally appeared on gfa.org.

Read what Christian Leaders have to say about Gospel for Asia.

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

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

Gospel for Asia Worker Helps a Widow Find Life After 65 Years

Last updated on: December 15, 2021 at 10:20 pm By GFA Staff Writer

WILLS POINT, TX – WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World) founded by K.P. Yohannan, has been the model for numerous charities like Gospel for Asia Canada – Discussing Fumnaya, an elderly widow, living her days in sickness and boredom, and the female GFA workers who shared the hope of Christ.

“At this old age, why do you worship [this other] God?” Fumnaya’s son scolded her. His anger stiffened the air. Despite his harsh words, Fumnaya would not give up this love and hope she had found. In her old age, she could see more clearly now than ever.

Discussing Fumnaya, an elderly widow, living her days in sickness and boredom, and the female GFA workers who shared the hope of Christ. — Fumnaya (not pictured) embraced the love of Christ and holds prayer meetings in her son’s home. She desires above all things that her son would come to know Jesus personally.

Widow Faithful to Tradition

Fumnaya had dutifully served her gods. She, much like her son, had believed people should be faithful to their traditional deities. Night and day, she devoted her life to the gods and goddesses her family had worshiped for decades. When she became sick and weak, she kept an image of her god by her bedside and cried out to it, hoping it would ease her suffering.

Friendship Blossoms Between Widow and Female GFA Workers

Meanwhile female Gospel for Asia (GFA) workers, Talia and Nanini faithfully served in Fumnaya’s village, sharing the unveiled beauty of Christ. When they heard about the elderly widow, they sought to comfort her.

As soon as they began sharing about Christ, however, Fumnaya disregarded their words. She had her god, and she would continue to worship him.

Even though Fumnaya didn’t care for what they had to say, she desperately wanted the women’s company. Being a lonely widow living in her married son’s house, Fumnaya lived her days in pain and boredom. Her sickness had left her with a swollen left leg so she was unable to walk properly, and she was frequently too weak to do much else but remain indoors.

Whenever Talia and Nanini visited her house, it greatly eased the boredom Fumnaya felt. Eventually, she found true friends and companions in the two women. They prayed for her often and continued to visit and encourage her with God’s Word. As time went by, their relationship blossomed.

Widow Finds Faithfulness in Christ

Over time Fumnaya realized the faithfulness of God in her life. The words the national workers shared began to sink deep into her heart. She soon embraced the offer of new life in Christ.

But her son became enraged. How could his 65-year-old mother leave her faith now to follow after this unfamiliar God? Fumnaya’s son scolded her.

“If this God heals you completely, then we will also worship Him,” he challenged.

He forbade Talia and Nanini to openly talk about Jesus when they visited, thinking they had misled his mother. But Fumnaya encouraged them to have prayer meetings in her home, unafraid of what her son might say.

“I know that the Lord loves me,” Fumnaya said, “and He is faithful to me. He has saved my life, and I know I will go to heaven after I die.”

Fumnaya longs to see her son come to the Lord. Even though he acted in anger toward her, she desires more than anything that he will grasp the peace of Christ.

She continues to be encouraged by the friendship and earnest prayers of the women missionaries. Through Talia and Nanini’s love and care, Fumnaya has found the hope of Christ and takes comfort and rest in His complete love.

Female Gospel for Asia (GFA) workers like Talia and Nanini share Christ’s redemption to many women—young and old. Imagine being part of sharing hope with these precious souls and telling them about Christ for the first time. Some like Fumnaya have waited many years. You can sponsor a woman today and become part of God’s work in Asia!

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

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

Source: Gospel for Asia Featured Article, Finding Life After 65 Years

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

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

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Gospel for Asia Christmas Program Helps Woman Find Peace

Last updated on: December 15, 2021 at 10:26 pm By GFA Staff Writer

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World) founded by K.P. Yohannan, whose heart to love and help the poor has inspired numerous charities like Gospel for Asia Canada – Discussing Anja, the devastating discord in her family, and the peace and hope that started through a Christmas program invitation at a church led by GFA pastor.

A play on words has become a popular quote: “No God, no peace. Know God, know peace.” For Anja, this is more than a saying; it is a statement of truth. During a Christmas program at a church led by a Gospel for Asia (GFA) pastor, Anja learned about the One who brings the peace her family so desperately needed.

Discussing Anja, the devastating discord in her family, and the peace and hope that started through a Gospel for Asia Christmas program invitation. — Through a Christmas program led by a Gospel for Asia (GFA) pastor, Anja found the peace she was looking for.

Anja lived with her husband and their two adult sons, Hetu and Dash. Her husband and Dash struggled with an addiction to alcohol. As a result, the family often lived in turmoil. Anja’s husband did not work. Dash fought with his older brother, Hetu, and they did not speak to one another for months.

A Plea for Change

Devastated by the discord in her family, Anja visited local temples and asked her gods to change her husband and younger son. Unfortunately, she saw no difference in their behavior, and peace continued to allude the family.

One day, Anja’s neighbor invited her to a Christmas program at the local place of worship. When the program ended, Gospel for Asia (GFA) pastor Madhu prayed for the people in attendance. Anja, along with several other people visiting for the first time, welcomed Pastor Madhu’s prayer.

An Unexpected Answer

Two days after Pastor Madhu prayed to conclude the Christmas program, Anja began seeing God’s provision in her life. She received a job in a cloth factory, which surprised her because she had been job searching for a long time to no avail.

Following the example Pastor Madhu set the day of the Christmas program, Anja began to pray for her sons. Soon, she was rewarded with seeing Hetu and Dash resolve their conflict, and Hetu began attending church with her.

As they attended the local worship place, Anja and Hetu learned more about God and the hope and peace He provides. Like his mother, Hetu began to pray to God, asking for a wife. It wasn’t long before he met a woman, and they were soon married.

A Hope for the Future

Together, Anja, Hetu and his new wife continued to grow in their faith and knowledge of God. Occasionally, Pastor Madhu visited them at home, encouraging them from God’s Word. Eventually, they each decided to put their trust in His Son, Jesus. Anja even began to see changes in the behavior of her husband and younger son, Dash.

What began with a neighbor’s invitation to a Christmas program became the answer to Anja’s desperate prayers for her family. Peace was no longer a distant hope. It was a reality in her heart.

Read the story of a young woman who discovered a love she had never experienced at a Gospel for Asia Christmas program.

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

Source: Gospel for Asia Field Report, Christmas Program Helps Woman Find Peace

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

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

Gospel for Asia Fulfills a Last Wish

Last updated on: January 1, 2022 at 5:18 pm By GFA Staff Writer

WILLS POINT, TX – WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World) founded by K.P. Yohannan, which inspired numerous charities like Gospel for Asia Canada – Discussing a widow, mother & a female GFA worker — Malati, the difficulty, pain & opposition, her husband’s last commission & the promises in God’s Word.

“After my death, there will be many people—even my relatives from our own house—they will reject you. They will say [unkind] words to you; they will oppose you, but never forget the love of Jesus,” Jyan’s words pierced through Malati’s heart.

Malati and her husband had endured much together, and now he commissioned her to stand—without him. Even as he lay weak from heart disease, the four years he spent committed to the Lord gave him strength to endure through the end.

Bearing the Name Widow

After Jyan died, Malati witnessed his dying words come true. Villagers and relatives asked why she was continuing to follow Jesus and live as she was when she should return to her old traditions. Malati’s pastor, Gospel for Asia (GFA) pastor Jaton, encouraged her, much like he had been doing the past four years. Now his encouragement was even more appreciated than before as she struggled with bearing the title “widow,” taking care of her two young children and desiring to pursue the Lord more.

“I will stand beside you, and I will pray on behalf of you,” Pastor Jaton said.

Journey of a Female GFA Worker

Malati wanted to serve the Lord and commit her life to ministry. But could she? Should a woman with two young children who was now living the life of a widow dare go this route? The vision, the passion…they were all there, and for Pastor Jaton and the leaders of the church, that was enough.

For one year Malati studied at a Bible college. With a burden searing her heart for others to know her Comforter, Malati spent a second year on the field doing a practical internship with a young woman who also attended Bible college. Pastor Jaton, during this time, took care of Malati’s two sons.

After graduation, Malati wanted to go back home and minister to her relatives, but the Lord had need for her elsewhere. There was a pastor who needed help reviving one of his churches. Willing to serve where the need was the greatest, Malati and her two sons moved.

Submission and Eternal Fruit

Today, Malati serves in three surrounding churches. She leads the children’s Sunday school and Women’s Fellowship. She also helps lead prayer meetings in believers’ homes and often travels with a few other women to nearby villages to share the love of Christ.

Malati’s journey as a female Gospel for Asia (GFA) worker, however, hasn’t been without pain. As a widow, she faces difficulties among those with whom she shares the love of Jesus. To bring down the barriers that hinder the message of hope she shares, Malati doesn’t always explain she is a widow.

“I know it is very difficult being a widow and being a woman,” she says. “Whenever I find that people are not genuine, . . . and they are going to treat me in a different way, . . . I did not disclose myself as a widow, knowing that they would reject me.”

It also causes her much heartache when she is scolded for not remarrying. People will tell her, “You are still young and you have children, . . . so now why do you continue your journey like this? It is better that you get married and have a husband.”

But as a faithful daughter of the King, Malati doesn’t let other people’s remarks or criticism keep her from serving Him. The love of Jesus propels her to continue. It is her one constant source of strength, and she keeps reaching out to the sick and stretching out her hand to the needy.

Whenever she faces discouragement, she kneels on the floor, tears streaming down her cheeks, asking God to help her bear the stinging remarks of others who don’t understand the Lord’s calling on her life. Being a widow, a mother and a female Gospel for Asia (GFA) worker doesn’t come without pain. But she clings to her husband’s last commission and the promises in God’s Word, and she is able to continue.

When she rises to her feet, she rises renewed and with a passion to reach more villages and proclaim with fervency the comforting love of the Savior. The road ahead may be long and hard, but Malati has decided to follow Jesus—there is no turning back.

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

Source: Gospel for Asia Featured Article, Fulfilling a Last Wish

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

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

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

Widow’s Heaven-sent Roommate through Gospel for Asia Workers

Last updated on: January 19, 2022 at 8:11 pm By GFA Staff Writer

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World and affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada) founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan – Discussing Sadhri, a widow, the social discrimination, the emptiness and grief, and the heaven sent renewed life through Gospel for Asia Workers.

The day 23-year-old Sadhri buried her husband, she was blindsided by the news that her father-in-law was also dead. In a culture where a woman’s social standing is contingent on the men of the family, Sadhri, unmoored from the security of a husband and his father, feared the future that lay before her and her baby girl.

Before the dual tragedy, Sadhri’s family—her husband, their baby and Sadhri’s father-in-law—lived and worked at a tea garden in an area renowned as the largest producer of tea globally.

The days were long as Sadhri waded waist-deep through a sea of green, nimble fingers gliding over plant tops, plucking young leaves and buds and dropping them into the basket slung from her head. The chatter of other women floated over Sadhri, who preferred to keep her thoughts to herself.

Death Haunts the Tea Garden

Before that fateful day, Sadhri’s father-in-law had become ill and visited a doctor. He retreated home with medication to recover.

While he was still ill, Sadhri’s husband developed a mild fever. Death came so quickly they didn’t even have time to see a doctor. Then her father-in-law succumbed to his illness a day after his son.

After losing her husband and father-in-law, Sadhri (not pictured) feared the abuse and hardships faced by many widows in her community. Her future and the future of her baby girl were now shrouded by a darkness that tormented the young widow.

Sadhri turned from her husband’s funeral pyre. Shocked and alone, she carried her little girl back to the empty house.

Neighbors visited Sadhri, concerned at the suddenness of her losses, and offered words of sympathy. A believer and his wife from a local Gospel for Asia (GFA) supported church offered comfort from God’s Word and invited her to church. The young widow, unmoved by the love and attention, seemed paralyzed by her loss.

Sitting in emptiness and grief, morbid thoughts swirled through Sadhri’s head. Would everyone blame her for her husband’s death? What about her father-in-law’s? How would she take care of her daughter by herself? What future was there now for this child being raised by a widow? The whirlpool of thoughts pulled her deeper and deeper into depression. She could not bring herself to share her burdens, so she bottled them up. The only thing tethering her to this life was caring for her baby girl.

“In many countries, a woman’s social status is inextricably linked to her husband’s, so that when her husband dies, a woman no longer has a place in society,”

The mental strain Sadhri bore is common in societies where cultural norms cast widows in the role of perpetrator, blaming them for their husband’s death, rather than the role of devastated survivor. Even though many countries have passed legislation to protect widows, centuries of tradition are notoriously difficult to uproot, crushing widows under their burden.

“In many countries, a woman’s social status is inextricably linked to her husband’s, so that when her husband dies, a woman no longer has a place in society,” explained the UN in their 2018 report on International Widows Day.

With the sudden death of the two men Sadhri depended upon, she spiraled into mental shock. Sadhri started to notice strange occurrences. Things in the house seemed to move on their own. Her 2-year-old daughter had nightmares of her father beckoning her to join him.

At times, Sadhri felt like her husband was in the room with them. Sometimes it would be her father-in-law. Were they coming back to haunt her? Did they blame her for their deaths?

The mental strain led to physical sickness. Sadhri could no longer stay in her home alone; she moved to her mother’s.

Companionship and income are two of the greatest needs of widows who are cast off by their families. Sadhri (not pictured) found both in Bela, a missionary who rented a room in Sadhri’s house on the tea plantation.

Two Needs, One Solution – a Widow and a Gospel for Asia Worker

Sadhri traveled to the tea gardens from her mother’s house for several months, shuddering each time she passed her empty home. It would be so much easier to live at the gardens, but she could not bring herself to live there alone.

Gospel for Asia (GFA) pastor Ekanpreet would sometimes see Sadhri at the tea gardens and share a word of encouragement. He prayed for Sadhri, seemingly weighed down by an invisible burden that absorbed all her energy just to carry.

One day, someone contacted Pastor Ekanpreet about a Gospel for Asia (GFA) woman missionary worker serving nearby looking for a room to rent. Could this be the Lord’s provision for the grieving widow? Maybe she could move back home if she didn’t have to be alone. The extra income would also be a huge help for Sadhri.

A New Kind of Family

Sadhri and her daughter moved back home, making room for their new housemate, Bela.

The two women fell into a daily routine, Sadhri leaving for the tea gardens while Bela went out to minister. In the evenings, they shared a meal and Bela opened her Bible for devotions.

Sadhri listened politely at first, but as the words began to pierce her heart, she leaned in with great intensity. In bed, the words stayed with her, calming her thoughts and filling her dreams. The house no longer seemed haunted and Sadhri’s grief began to ease.

Friendship deepened between the women and brought solace to Sadhri’s lonely heart.

Sadhri continued working in the gardens, quietly picking tea leaves, but now her mind was filled with encouragement and hope. A smile played at her mouth as she dwelt on the goodness of God and His mercy.

Gospel for Asia (GFA) supported workers (missionaries, pastors, Women’s Fellowship leaders and Sisters of Compassion) specifically reach out to abandoned widows, offering encouragement and care for their practical needs. Many widows end up joining local churches, where they experience love and belonging.

The words shared by Bela returned to her again and again: God is our Father, Savior and best friend; nothing is impossible in Jesus Christ; the only thing is to believe in Him completely. The words washed over Sadhri and revived her hope in the future.

Life Renewed

Pastor Ekanpreet visited the women and rejoiced in their close bond. He prayed for the women and taught them from God’s Word. Sadhri started attending Pastor Ekanpreet’s church and found a community eager to embrace her with love.

Many a widow throughout Asia have found a new family in Gospel for Asia (GFA) supported churches – Pastors, national workers, women missionaries and Women’s Fellowships reach out to these vulnerable women, knowing the discrimination and poverty that threaten them. Gospel for Asia (GFA) supported workers have many tools to combat the struggles common to widows, tools such as vocational training to replace the income lost by their husband’s death, gifts of clothing and household essentials that may have been confiscated by relatives, and income producing gifts such as goats and pigs.

“Such caring action demonstrates one way to address widows’ situation: at the grassroots level,” Gospel for Asia (GFA) shared in a report on the plight of many a widow like Sadhri, “Widows Worldwide Face Tragedy, Discrimination.”

Pastors, missionaries and local believers also embrace widows who have been cast out of their families, offering love and connection to women who have lost more than just financial security.

“Much of this outreach is conducted by Sisters of Compassion (women who are specially trained to care for marginalized groups), leaders of Women’s Fellowship groups and pastors’ wives,” the Gospel for Asia special report said. “As women, they are more readily received into women’s homes in the segregated society.”

They are ambassadors of God’s love and bridges into His family.

Sadhri no longer feels alone in the world. She is strengthened to live a full life and has regained hope for her daughter’s future. The threat of poverty has been dismantled, and the curse of widowhood has retreated in the face of a loving community. Sadhri has picked up the pieces of her life and sees a way forward for her and her daughter.

Despite her being a widow, Sadhri could smile again after she found a new hope in Jesus through the help of Gospel for Asia workers. — Like the woman pictured here, Sadhri could smile again after she found a new hope in Jesus. Life no longer seemed uncertain and scary. She knows God will take care of her and her daughter.

You can give hope to many others like Sadhri, a widow, a woman who needed to hear of God’s love. Empower Gospel for Asia national workers to bring that hope and love to a woman today.

Learn more about the Gospel for Asia Women Missionaries workers and their heroic efforts, dedicating their lives to bringing hope and God’s love to the women of Asia – whether they be a widow, abandoned girl child, or the marginalized.

Source: Gospel for Asia Feature Article, Widow’s Heaven-sent Roommate

Learn more about how you can help alleviate the many struggles a widow faces through the Gospel for Asia supported Widows Ministry, providing them with basic essentials, sources of income and opportunities to find peace in Christ. Learn also about the Gospel for Asia supported missionary workers who carry a burning desire for people to know the love of God. Through their prayers, dedication and sacrificial love, thousands of men and women have found new life in Christ.

Learn more by reading these Special Reports from Gospel for Asia:

An Imaginative Exercise in Empathetic Fear — Think About Living in a Community with Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women
Widows Face Uphill Battle After Losing Spouses — The plight of widows, whether in affluent or developing nations, can be a desperate struggle

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

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

Love, Shame & Drunken Fury: The Story of a Gospel for Asia Pastor

Last updated on: February 7, 2022 at 11:10 pm By GFA Staff Writer

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World and affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada) founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan – Discussing the life of a Gospel for Asia pastor Nateshwar, the opposition, shame and fury he, and others like him, constantly face for the sake of his love for Christ and those that Christ loves.

Gospel for Asia (GFA) pastor Nateshwar knew what it meant to endure opposition for the sake of Christ. He remembered the hostility he faced when he first told his parents he wanted to be a Christian. He knew how his people despised those who “forsook their ancestral gods” to worship what they considered “the God of the lower class.” He had faced that hatred before, time and time again; it was years of slander, rejection and abuse from his people.

He saw the same disgust in the eyes of the four drunken men who now stood before him. He faced the hot press of their rage as one of the men raised his arm and rained blows on his body with a stick. It broke under the force of their fury.

The crowd around them struggled to stop the beating. The pastor’s voice rose above the fray, echoing the heart of Christians and martyrs through the generations: “Though you beat me, still then I love you,” he cried out.

He meant every word.

The Gift of the King

Pastor Nateshwar was born among a proud people—proud of who they are and of the gods they worship. Their sense of honor and identity is heavily tied to their religion and their social structure. But all the religious rituals his family practiced never brought Nateshwar any peace.

Young Nateshwar left home in his early 20s, searching for work so he could help his parents—an honorable and respectable role for a young man in that community. But when Nateshwar found work, he also found that some of his coworkers were Christians. Nateshwar often saw them praying, and eventually he mustered up the courage to ask them about it. In return, the men gladly told him about the gift of Christ on Calvary.

For the first time in his life, Nateshwar became familiar with the greatest King ever to walk the face of the earth.

Riches to Rags

Nateshwar returned home after a few years and soon sought out a Bible and a pastor.

His parents were not pleased to discover he had become a Christian. To them, he had abandoned and despised everything they could have given him: the honor and traditions of his people. They made him suffer for his decision. So did his neighbors. They gossiped, slandered his name and looked on him with disgust.

This sort of treatment is common for people in Nateshwar’s situation. Many people from his people group are ostracized by their families, kicked out of their homes or chased out of their villages. In their eyes, people like Nateshwar have rejected the position they once held to embrace the life of an unclean thing.

But in the eternal realms, Nateshwar had left behind his rags and been adopted by the King of the Ages.

After reading a book on the lives of Christian missionaries and martyrs of the past, Nateshwar knew his call was to follow the footsteps of the men and women before him—to share the Good News of Jesus’ love and glory—no matter what may come.

Living Love

Nateshwar, a Gospel for Asia (GFA) pastor, has ministered to those around him for more than 15 years. The people in his immediate community know him as a man who is humble and loving.

There are others who don’t understand why he loves Jesus, but Nateshwar and his wife count it as a privilege to suffer for Jesus.

“I have opposition, which is true,” he says. “But even then, for the glory of God, even if we have to face problems—including my family—we are not bothered. We will face the problems, and we will face them for the glory of God.”

Through Nateshwar’s display of God’s love, dozens of people have come to understand Christ’s grace. Like Pastor Nateshwar, they have seen how the honor of Christ far surpasses any shame they may experience in this life.

An Eternal Perspective

The beating Pastor Nateshwar faced at the hands of the drunken men in a neighboring village left him bedridden for a week, but it did not dampen his spirit. If anything, Pastor Nateshwar has a greater desire to see these men understand the King’s love that can withstand all the hate the world can throw at it.

“I know Jesus loves them, so I love them,” Pastor Nateshwar says.

Sponsor a missionary like Nateshwar

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

Source: Gospel for Asia Featured Article, Love, Shame & Drunken Fury

Learn more about the GFA national workers who carry a burning desire for people to know the love of God. Through their prayers, dedication and sacrificial love, thousands of men and women have found new life in Christ.

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

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

Gospel for Asia-supplied Mosquito Net Helps Free Man from Addiction

Last updated on: April 9, 2021 at 7:44 am By GFA Staff Writer

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World and affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada) founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan – Discussing Baharupa, his alcohol addiction, the struggle with poverty in providing for his family, the sicknesses they are exposed to, and the Gospel for Asia supplied mosquito net used as an instrument of God’s love.

What began as a small indulgence slowly enveloped Baharupa’s life. The 55-year-old farmer and father of three felt pressured to drink the alcohol given to him at the many village-wide celebrations. But again and again, he ended up drunk. Even with his acquired addiction, Baharupa made sure to take care of his wife and sons, but there were some things he couldn’t provide them with.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Discussing Baharupa, his alcohol addiction, the poverty, the sicknesses , & the Gospel for Asia supplied mosquito net used to show God's love — Baharupa attended a distribution event for mosquito nets like this one, where he experienced the love of God firsthand.

A Village’s Struggle

In Baharupa’s village, Gospel for Asia pastor Satyam oversees a congregation of 72 believers. The pastor and believers had been seeking ways to bless their community. They saw the poverty that clung to Baharupa and many of their fellow villagers despite countless hours of hard work and labor. The believers also saw how vulnerable villagers were to diseases because they possessed no way to protect themselves. And they wanted to help.

God’s Love Exemplified

Of the many burdens weighing on impoverished families in Asia, health concerns rank high on the list. Our initiatives include health awareness programs that help individuals learn how to shield themselves against sicknesses. Gospel for Asia missionaries also distribute practical gifts, such as mosquito nets, to help people put what they learn at awareness programs into practice.

Mosquito nets provide ample protection against the disease-carrying pest—a boon for poor, rural villages like Baharupa’s. Pastor Satyam organized a gift distribution event to give out 4,000 mosquito nets.

As Baharupa sat with the other recipients, the farmer could not comprehend why Pastor Satyam and the believers had put together a gift distribution event. But when his name was called and a mosquito net was placed in his hands, Baharupa began to understand. This was love and compassion at work.

“Who can give us mosquito nets without money?” Baharupa wondered. “This shows [the believers’] love towards us. I have never seen such kind of love among our society people.”

Intrigued, Baharupa attended worship service the next Sunday, and he started coming every week. Pastor Satyam counseled the farmer, sharing more of God’s vast love and forgiveness. Baharupa realized he didn’t need the bottle; he now possessed something infinitely greater: the eternal love of God.

Baharupa and his entire family began to walk with Jesus. They became members of the congregation, rejoicing in the newfound love of Christ and in Baharupa’s freedom from addiction.

Read how another family was blessed thanks to a Gospel for Asia-supplied mosquito net.

One simple way to fight mosquito-borne diseases like malaria, is to consider giving a needy family a simple Mosquito Net. Most households need several nets to protect everyone in the family. Help save them from sickening agony or death from malaria.

Source: Gospel for Asia Field Report, Mosquito Net Helps Free Man from Addiction

Learn more about how generosity can change lives. Through Gospel for Asia (GFA World and it’s affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada) and its Christmas Gift Catalog, gifts like pigs, bicycles and sewing machines break the cycle of poverty and show Christ’s love to impoverished families in Asia. One gift can have a far-reaching impact, touching families and rippling out to transform entire communities.

Learn more by reading these Special Reports from Gospel for Asia:

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