WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World) founded by K.P. Yohannan, which inspired numerous charities like Gospel for Asia Canada, to assist the poor and deprived worldwide, shares a retrospective piece on the recently concluded GFA World Set Apart Retreat 2022, a satisfying week for hungry souls.
How many times have you longed to spend time with God — real, quality time — but then life happens?
Exams, work, chores — even our phones — so easily come between us and the intimate, one-to-one relationship that God yearns to have daily with me and with you.
Have you ever wondered if you’d ever find that place of quiet rest where you could truly meet with God, feed on His Word, and hear His still, gentle voice?
Many did find that place in the heart of Texas!
My Perspective on the Set Apart Retreat
A group of young people — passionate about meeting with God — made their way to a small town 50 miles from Dallas to spend a week at GFA World’s campus for Set Apart Retreat 2022. This retreat was a satisfying week for hungry souls.
Twice a day, we experienced a focused time of worship and quietness called “Kyrie Eleison” (translated Lord, have mercy). These were times of meditation in song and silent reflection; a purposeful positioning of ourselves in the Lord’s Presence with the ability to rest in the flicker of candlelight.
The Holy Spirit was my companion in the silence as I reflected on the words we’d sung or the Scriptures we’d read. I started to look forward with great anticipation to this intentional stop in my day and quiet refocusing on the Lord.
Throughout the week, I soaked up the godly wisdom of three of the Lord’s humble and faithful servants: Francis Chan, George Verwer, and K.P. Yohannan. It was amazing to see how these mission-driven leaders were generational mentors to one another — George Verwer, founder of Operation Mobilization (OM), mentored KP Yohannan, founder of Gospel for Asia (GFA World), who in turn was a mentor to Bible teacher Francis Chan. What a legacy!
Francis Chan
George Verwer
K.P. Yohannan
Set Apart Retreat: Tapping the Depths
These three generations of godly teachers tapped the depths of the Holy Scriptures, challenging me to love God completely and walk into the life for which He’s called me. Their absolute love for the Lord, and anticipation and hunger for more of Him, was contagious.
As we all gathered together for meals, it was amazing to sit and talk with everyone, hear why they’d come to Set Apart, and share what we’d been learning. I loved seeing the fire in people’s eyes as we talked.
Coming out of Set Apart, I was excited to know that as everyone headed back to their homes and communities, they were taking that fire for the Lord with them.
Their hunger, like mine, was satiated.
But an even deeper hunger has been awakened for others to know this deep love of God.
As Joshua told the people before the miracle of the Jordan River crossing: “Sanctify (set apart) yourselves: for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you” (Joshua 3:5, KJV).
Last updated on: August 29, 2022 at 11:53 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, to serve the deprived and downcast worldwide, discussing Sasa, the long distances she has to travel to go to school, her family in poverty, and the life-changing gift of a bicycle through Gospel for Asia (GFA World) Christmas gift distribution program.
For Sasa, going to school was a chore. Each day she walked nearly 4.5 miles to school and 4.5 miles home. Her only mode of transportation was her legs, and after repeatedly walking the long route to school, even that mode of transportation was starting to give out as she began to experience pain in her legs.
An All-day Affair
Thanks to the gift of a bicycle and a faster commute, Sasa (not pictured) now enjoys school and a happier life.
Attending school became drudgery, an all-consuming task. Sasa often arrived late because of her lengthy commute. Furthermore, as a seventh-grader—a challenging time for any adolescent—Sasa faced the added embarrassment of arriving at school drenched in sweat. The beads of perspiration on her face seemed magnified by the stares of her classmates.
Once the school day ended, Sasa retraced her steps home. By the time she arrived, she was exhausted and had little patience to answer her family’s questions. Irritation bubbled inside of Sasa when she was recruited to assist with household chores. All her energy had been spent walking the nine miles.
Sasa often went to bed early, without even taking time to complete her homework. When she woke up the next day, the saga would repeat itself.
Request Not Granted
A bicycle would help, Sasa thought. Even though her family was not rich, perhaps her parents could buy her a bicycle so she could make it to school on time and not spend every day exhausted. She decided to ask her father.
Unfortunately, his response was not the answer Sasa hoped to hear. Her father made it clear the family of five could not afford to buy her a bicycle with the meager income he and his wife earned as farmers. As he described the family’s financial situation, Sasa felt sorry for her father and resolved to never ask him to buy her such a luxury again.
As best she could, Sasa continued her daily trek. But sometimes, when no one was looking, Sasa allowed mingled tears of exhaustion, frustration and shame to fall as she made her way to and from school.
Life-changing Gift
On Sundays when Sasa didn’t spend the day walking to and from school, she and her family attended the local church led by Gospel for Asia (GFA) pastor Akio. One day, they were met with a big surprise: The church provided all the school-aged girls with a bicycle, made possible through GFA World’s Christmas gift distribution program. Sasa was overjoyed. She was now the proud owner of a bicycle!
Sasa and her father rejoiced in the generous gift. Her father had felt hurt when he was unable to buy a bicycle for Sasa as she requested. When Sasa received the bicycle, he was relieved his daughter now owned the transportation he knew she needed. Both father and daughter were grateful for God’s provision through their church.
Life changed dramatically for Sasa.
“Each day I am excited to go to school now,” she said. “Before getting a bicycle, I felt that going to school was very boring. When I walked to school and returned from school, sometimes on the way I cried without anybody’s notice as I was tired and discouraged. But now, I am very happy and am ready to go to school on time.”
With her new bicycle and faster commute, Sasa spends less of her day walking and is exhausted. She can now enjoy learning at school and has more time to complete her homework. She is also able to spend more quality time at home with her family.
Sasa’s future is brighter because a bicycle provides the opportunity for academic growth and a richer community, both of which are important as she grows into adulthood. Most importantly, Sasa’s gifted bicycle is a reminder of God’s faithful provision in her life.
*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.
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 Gaetane, her longing to read and write, and her dream fulfilled through a literacy class for women led by GFA World Sisters of Compassion workers.
Gaetane, 45, looked wistfully at her children, wishing so desperately she could help them with their homework. She constantly felt ashamed of her inability to read and write and dreamed of one day being able to read God’s Word to her children. But Gaetane felt her desire was just that—a dream.
Longing to Read and Write
Through the ministry of Gospel for Asia (GFA) workers, women like Gaetane (not pictured) are learning how to read and write about God’s love for them.
One day, Gaetane met Raisie, Abarne, Pakuna and Abbatha, four Sisters of Compassion who were taking a community survey to see if there was interest and a need for a literacy class for women in the area. The Sisters explained to women in the community the importance of being able to read and write.
By the end of the class, Gaetane was able to read and write the alphabet and her name! She was also given a small book that she began reading every day to practice her new reading skills.
Gaetane was thrilled to finally be able to read and write. She began actively serving in her church and reading the Holy Scriptures in the Women’s Fellowship meetings she attended. Her shame over not being able to read and write was gone—replaced by joy and confidence in her newfound abilities. But the most rewarding aspect of Gaetane’s new abilities was her ability to help her children. Her ultimate dream had been fulfilled at last!
Through the ministry of Gospel for Asia (GFA) workers, Gaetane and countless other women are learning to read and write, learning about God’s love for them, and building confidence and hope for their futures.
*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.
Learn more about the Sisters of Compassion – those who are specially trained woman missionary with a deep burden for showing Christ’s love by physically serving the needy, underprivileged and poor.
WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World) founded by K.P. Yohannan, which inspired numerous charities like Gospel for Asia Canada, to assist the poor and deprived worldwide, discussing Sayers, his severe sickness in the aftermath of a life lived frivolously, and the hope and healing from God through the prayers of Gospel for Asia (GFA World) youth fellowship.
Sayers didn’t have much time to live. The 24-year-old’s chest was wracked by tuberculosis, fluid pooling in both of his lungs. Doctors did what they could, but it was too late for anything at this stage.
“There is no hope for his survival,” they told his family. All that was left for Sayers was to lie in bed, counting the days until his death.
The World’s Lures
Like these young men pictured, Sayers and those he met from the youth fellowship worship together in the knowledge of God’s love and power.
Looking back, Sayers couldn’t pinpoint the exact decision that led him to his deathbed—but he remembered many. The son of an ice factory worker and fishmonger, Sayers enjoyed a relatively happy childhood. He and his family lived comfortably, wanting for nothing.
As the youngest, Sayers’ parents tended to spoil him, which Sayers would later take advantage of. After graduating high school, Sayers ignored his parents’ and elder brother’s advice to find work, and instead took his parents’ money, spending it frivolously on illicit and intoxicating vices while he whittled his time away partying with friends. But his wild habits eventually caught up with him.
Sayers developed a persistent cough; his parents took him to the local hospital, where they received the horrible news that he had tuberculosis. His case was far too advanced for treatment. Sayers’s family couldn’t help but feel regret and sadness for Sayers—regret for his wasted youth that led to this crisis and sadness for his life cut short.
Would things be different if Sayers had listened to his parents? If he had avoided those vices, would things be better? Sayers didn’t know.
Hope for the Hopeless
As Sayers lay in the hospital bed, several youths, members of a Gospel for Asia (GFA World) youth fellowship, came to the hospital to visit with the patients and pray for them. When they came to Sayers, the young man shared his story and his hopelessness.
The youths encouraged him, sharing how Jesus performed miracles of healing; He could certainly heal Sayers—but Sayers had to pray and ask.
When the believers returned a few days later, they found a much-improved Sayers. Miraculously, after praying, Sayers had begun to feel better. Encouraged by this sign, the members of the youth fellowship and Sayers continued to pray in earnest for his complete healing. One month later, the Lord answered. Sayers was healed, contrary to the doctors’ diagnosis and all other expectations.
Sayers was ecstatic; he had thought he would surely die. But Jesus had healed him! Emboldened by this second chance, Sayers began attending the local church the youth fellowship called home, rejoicing with his fellow believers in Christ’s love.
“In the beginning, I did not have any hope to live longer,” Sayers shared. “I thought that my life would come to an end soon, but when I believed in Jesus Christ, I got a new life and new hope. I want to live for Jesus Christ till the end of my life and become a living testimony for His glory all through my life.”
Now, instead of counting down his days, Sayers counts every day as a gift from the Lord, celebrating his rescue from death and his newfound life in Christ.
*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.
Learn more about the GFA World Youth Ministry and the young men and women that are ready for change, passionate about the Lord and eager to see more hearts surrender to His love.
Last updated on: July 13, 2022 at 9:22 am By KP Yohannan
WILLS POINT, TX – KP Yohannan, founder of Gospel for Asia (GFA World), which inspired numerous charities like Gospel for Asia Canada, and Metropolitan of Believers Eastern Church, to assist the poor and deprived worldwide — reflects on the missionary zeal and sacrifice of Doubting Thomas and how God interweaved his story to South Asia and Gospel for Asia (GFA World).
Doubt.
As believers, it’s not something we want to dwell on.
But we’ve all been there. Myself included.
July 3 is St. Thomas’s Day, commemorating Thomas the Apostle, the disciple who famously doubted that Jesus had risen from the dead.
For centuries, he’s been known as “Doubting Thomas.” But Thomas was actually the first disciple to declare to the risen Christ: “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28, NIV).
Here’s where the story of St. Thomas gives me goosebumps. In AD 52, about 20 years after Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection, Thomas journeyed 3,000 miles to India, where he planted seven churches in the South.
One of those churches was in the village of Niranam — one of the 600,000 villages throughout India today. Those first churches were among the earliest expressions of pure, untainted Christianity anywhere in the world. In Niranam, there’s a stone with an ancient Ethiopian script memorializing the spot where St. Thomas established the first church in India.
Why does that give me goosebumps?
Niranam is the village where I was born, 72 years ago.
Of all the villages in India, St. Thomas came to mine! If St. Thomas had not come, had not brought the gospel, and had not established a church in my home village — 3,000 miles from Jerusalem — would I have come to faith in Christ? Would God have planted in my heart the seed that gave birth to Gospel for Asia (GFA World), now one of the largest mission organizations on earth? And would untold millions have had the opportunity to experience the love of Christ as a result?
St. Thomas’s Day — July 3 — also happens to be the anniversary date of the founding of Gospel for Asia (GFA World). Because St. Thomas was obedient to travel all the way to India, the gospel came to the subcontinent, and — nearly 2,000 years later — Gospel for Asia (GFA World) was launched on St. Thomas’s Day in 1979.
Coincidence? I highly doubt it!
I don’t know for sure if God arranged that on purpose. But I believe He did!
We owe much to the courage and faith of St. Thomas, who — according to tradition — was martyred in India after bringing the gospel to my home village. I’m amazed the Holy Trinity — looking down through the centuries — allowed the missionary story of Doubting Thomas to intersect with my own.
Over the years, God has trained me to depend on His often-unseen hand in my life. Like all of us, I’ve had my share of doubts and discouragement. Like Doubting Thomas, I’ve wanted to see “the proof” before I’ve taken the next step of faith. But, looking back on my life, God has always been patient with me — and, even in my own frailty of faith, He’s never let me down.
In my most despairing moments, the victory of the cross of Christ swept away the fear and discouragement as I focused on the One who gave up everything for me — me, K.P. Yohannan, a skinny boy from one of India’s obscure villages.
Feeling Unworthy?
When he arrived in my home village, I wonder if St. Thomas felt the same as me — unworthy, inadequate for the task God called him to? Perhaps you feel that way sometimes, too?
As I reflect this month on the missionary zeal and sacrifice of Doubting Thomas — and the incredible way God interwove his destiny with mine — I’m called back to the pure, untainted, mission-driven faith of those earliest churches the Apostle planted in India nearly two millennia ago.
Centuries later, GFA World’s workers share the same holy, apostolic ministry — sacrificing their personal comfort to share Christ’s love with the untold millions, the poor, the forgotten, the outcasts, the widows, and those disfigured by leprosy.
One of my biggest regrets is that I wish I’d risked more for Jesus in my life. If I could do it over again, I’d take more risks for the gospel. I’d give more. I’d sacrifice more. I’d strive to be more like St. Thomas.
Perhaps God is placing something radical on your heart that He wants you to do for him. Maybe it seems “too risky.” Perhaps there’s that niggling doubt in your mind: “What if I take the plunge — and fail?”
Could I humbly offer you some advice?
Follow the example of St. Thomas. Cast aside your doubt. Believe that God keeps his promises. Take a risk for the gospel. Live 100 percent for Jesus!
About KP Yohannan
KP Yohannan, founder and director GFA World (Gospel for Asia) and Metropolitan of Believers Eastern Church, has written more than 250 books, including Revolution in World Missions, an international bestseller with more than four million copies in print. He and his wife, Gisela, have two grown children, Daniel and Sarah, who both serve the Lord with their families.
Last updated on: September 21, 2022 at 5:10 am 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, to serve the deprived and downcast worldwide, discussing Nelia, a widow, her family in poverty, and the alleviation brought about by GFA World gift distribution of income generating gifts.
Nelia was stunned; Her husband had died without warning. He had been carried to the hospital, where Nelia and their children learned the dreadful news: He had blood cancer. Just a few days later, Nelia was a widow.
Widow Fears for Her Children’s Future
A small shop like this one enabled Nelia (not pictured) to provide for her family after her husband’s passing.
Nelia’s husband had been the only breadwinner for the family, going out every day to work. After his passing, Nelia shouldered the responsibility of providing for her children. Thankfully, relatives helped for a time, providing what supplies they could—but they could only do so much.
When her relatives were no longer able to help, Nelia’s eldest son began working in a motorbike shop. But the money he made barely fed them; their home fell into disrepair and Nelia’s daughter had to stop going to school—the fees were too expensive. Nelia wondered if her youngest son would be able to finish his education; it didn’t seem likely.
The looming threat of abject poverty grew larger and larger. What was to become of them? Would they even have a future? Nelia’s fears for her and her children’s future intensified—but they would not last.
To her joy, Nelia received provisions to start a small shop. She could now sell grocery items that otherwise would have been difficult for Nelia’s fellow villagers to purchase—a beneficial gift for all. On the first day of the shop’s opening, Nelia made enough money to buy more items she could sell—a sign that things were turning around.
A year later, Nelia’s business had grown to the point where she could earn a stable income that enabled her to fix her home, send her younger son through school and feed all her children. The shadow of poverty that had darkened her household had lifted, thanks to Pastor Vaclav’s timely intervention.
“We shall never forget the aid provided to us,” the family said. “We are grateful to the church.”
*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.
WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World) founded by K.P. Yohannan, which inspired numerous charities like Gospel for Asia Canada, to assist the poor and deprived worldwide, discussing how every year, VBS has a profound impact on countless children of all ages across the world. Children gather to play, learn and experience Jesus’ love and care in a safe, welcoming environment. Many of these children have never heard about God or His love before their VBS experience; others, like 12-year-old Samoset, experience God’s love in a new and profound way.
A Faithful Family
Samoset (pictured) is so grateful for Vacation Bible School and how it has helped him learn more about Jesus and His love for him.
Samoset lived with his parents and younger brother in a small village in South Asia. Their family had faced many struggles throughout their lives but had begun experiencing God’s blessing since receiving His love. His father even served the Lord in their local church. Seeing the transformation in his family and in his own life, Samoset was eager to learn all he could about God and His love for him and his family.
Hearing God’s Call
Samoset attended Sunday school every week, read God’s Word for himself and prayed daily. One Sunday, Samoset learned his church would be hosting VBS, and he excitedly anticipated attending.
As he participated in the activities at VBS, Samoset felt the love of Jesus and experienced God’s peace in his heart in a more profound way than he ever had before. While Samoset was praying, he heard a voice calling to him, “Follow me!”
Samoset knew this was Jesus, and he knew what he needed to do. Determined to answer this call upon his life, Samoset focused his attention on Jesus, choosing to have faith and trust God’s goodness in his life.
A New Direction
Responding to the call of God, Samoset resolved to serve the Lord all the days of his life. He began to diligently read and memorize God’s Word. He became even more actively involved in his church and began working alongside his dad during ministry opportunities. He shared with others his age that God loves them and cares for their lives. Samoset also began sharing with his friends and classmates about what God was doing in his life and the hope he has because of Jesus’ love.
Samoset continues working hard in school and hopes to always serve the Lord.
Samoset is so grateful for VBS and the impact it has had on his life.
“I am happy that I was able to learn more about God through [VBS],” Samoset said.
Like Samoset’s biblical role model Daniel, who had faith in every situation regardless of the circumstances, Samoset has faith in God’s call upon his life, and is willing to answer that call, trusting God to provide in all things.
*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.
Learn more about how you can give toward GFA World VBS scholarships, where the gift of VBS materials for one of these precious children will guarantee that he or she will hear about Jesus’ love again and again through skits, Bible songs and teaching and will have colorful Gospel literature to take home.
Learn more about the GFA World Child Sponsorship and how you can make an incredible difference in the lives of children, bringing hope to their lives and their families, transforming communities.
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 how through GFA World gift distribution, a water filter was able to meet a family’s needs and ignite a father’s faith.
With a BioSand water filter like this one, Kadience (not pictured) and her family are able to have clean water and experience God’s love for them.
A wave of embarrassment crashed over Kadience as she handed Gospel for Asia (GFA) pastor Laszlo the murky glass of water. Kadience could barely see through it. Shocked by the quality of the water, Pastor Laszlo glanced up at Kadience.
“Is there not a bore well from where you can get good water?” he asked.
Kadience looked at her husband, who reflected her embarrassment.
“We have only one hand pump fixed in a public place, but the water is not clean,” they replied.
As difficult as it may be to imagine yourself in Kadience’s position, her situation is not uncommon. In South Asia, it is estimated that 68 to 84 percent of water sources are contaminated, resulting in more than 134 million people lacking access to clean water.[1] For these individuals and families like Kadience’s, the chance for clean water is life-changing.
A Hardworking Family
Kadience lived with her husband and son in a small village in the hills of South Asia where she grew up following the traditional religion of her culture. But after God miraculously healed her son of pneumonia, Kadience put her trust in Jesus. Since then, Kadience had regularly attended her local church led by Pastor Laszlo, who had prayed diligently for her son’s healing.
Kadience and her husband worked as daily laborers, constructing mud houses. Despite the income they generated from working, the family struggled to access clean water, putting them at high risk for a host of waterborne diseases.
Clean Water at Last
After seeing the family’s dire need for clean water, Pastor Laszlo shared his concerns with church leaders and was able to give Kadience and her family a BioSand water filter. The family was overjoyed to receive the water filter! They immediately began using it and enjoying their clean water with gratitude.
“I am grateful to God, who provided us with a good water filter,” Kadience said. “We do have a small hand pump in our village. We are collecting water from there and putting it into the BioSand water filter. Through this filter, now we are getting clean and pure water.”
*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.
Learn more about the GFA World national missionaries 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.
WILLS POINT, TX — Young people need to experience God in a way that’s worth “giving their life to” if they’re to stop leaving America’s churches in droves, a group of global mission leaders says.
Nearly two-thirds of 18–29-year-olds in the U.S. who grew up going to church have dropped out, saying they’re bored and God “seems missing,” according to faith-based research group Barna.
Now mission leaders K.P. Yohannan (Metropolitan Yohan), George Verwer and Francis Chan are leading a joint effort at Set Apart 2022 this month to help Millennials and Gen Z – those in the 18-30 age group – discover that “following Jesus is the greatest adventure.”
Giving Their Lives – For What?
YOUNG GENERATION TO JOIN ‘GREATEST ADVENTURE’: Young people need to experience God in a way that’s worth “giving their life to” if they’re to stop leaving America’s churches in droves, a group of global mission leaders says. Set Apart 2022 – a weeklong retreat, June 20-26, in Wills Point, Texas – aims to help those ages 18-30 discover that “following Jesus is the greatest adventure.” Go to www.gfa.org/setapart/ for more.
“It’s just not enough to entertain them, and say ‘look, I’m living a pretty clean life, we don’t swear and our family’s happy’,” said Chan, author of Crazy Love and a speaker at the weeklong retreat in Wills Point, Texas, June 20-26. “No, they want to see the purpose, like ‘what did you give your life for?’ They really are searching.”
Young people are desperate to see lives that inspire them to do something big, Chan said. “This generation has heard a bunch of messages, but have they seen lives in this country that are actually worth following, where they (say), ‘well, that’s intriguing, that’s not boring, they gave their life to this?'”
God wants people to have a “oneness with Him and with each other, not just attending a service together,” Chan said. “A lot of young people realize ‘we were born during this time for a reason and God has a work for us to do.'”
Focusing On Purpose, ‘Things That Matter’
At Set Apart, young adults will learn to “enjoy God’s presence by engaging in the hours of prayer, time of solitude and silence, and other practical, impactful spiritual habits,” organizers say, with the goal of “helping them focus their lives on things that matter and be equipped to live purposely for Christ.”
“This is absolutely a God-ordained gathering where many young lives will be transformed,” said Yohannan, founder of global mission agency Gospel for Asia (GFA World) that’s hosting the event. “My deepest longing is that they will see Christ and say ‘I want to be like Him, and forsake all for His sake’.”
Verwer, founder of Operation Mobilization (OM), said God wants to help young people “release their potential” at the retreat.
“Many young people have never realized that following Jesus is the greatest adventure,” he said. “People who go to this event are going to come away with a global passion. A revolution of love is going to explode in (their) hearts.”
Gospel for Asia (GFA World) 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 a typical year, this includes 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 that provides hope and encouragement in 110 languages in 14 nations through radio ministry. GFA World has launched programs in Africa, starting with compassion projects in Rwanda. For all the latest news, visit the Press Room at https://gfanews.org/news.
WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World and affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada) founded by KP Yohannan, issued a Special Report on the ugly truths of world hunger: “Scandal of Starvation” — world hunger is a long-term social and global crisis, directly or indirectly causing around 9 million deaths each year – more than AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis combined.
If hunger is obvious across great swaths of Africa and Asia, it is not so evident in other parts of the world. But that does not mean it is not an issue. Hans Konrad Biesalski, a German physician and professor of chemistry and nutrition, has detailed the challenge of “hidden hunger” in a similarly titled book.
Prof. Dr. Biesalski launched the Hidden Hunger Congress, which draws attention to hidden malnutrition.Photo by University of Hohenheim / Jana Kay
He refers to micronutrient malnutrition, which affects a third of the world’s population. Even if someone’s stomach isn’t entirely empty, it may not be filled with the vitamins and minerals their body needs. Citing a four-fold increase in cases of rickets in England over a 15-year period, he warns that micronutrient inadequacies “are to be found in the developed world as well as in the developing world, and their current European rate of growth in the developed world gives cause for concern.”
According to the U.N., more than 2 billion people, the majority in low- and middle-income countries, do not have access to enough safe and nutritious food. It is not exclusively a problem of poorer nations: One in 12 of the population of North America does not get to eat enough regularly.
Many people go hungry in the United States, though typically more episodically than continually, as in other parts of the world. Just over one in ten American households—almost 40 million people, 11 million of them children—were “food insecure” at some stage during 2018. The good news is that figure is down from the Great Recession rates of a decade ago.
Rates of need varied widely from less than eight percent in New Hampshire to almost 17 percent in New Mexico. Overall, food insecurity was higher in cities than in rural communities, with the suburbs faring best.
From its research, Feeding America finds children in the U.S. more likely to face hunger than the rest of the population, ranging from one in ten in North Dakota to one in four in New Mexico. The organization notes that the health, social, and behavioral problems hungry children are at risk from are exacerbated during school holidays, when feeding programs are suspended.
You can make an impact in the lives of needy kids! One of the greatest feelings in the world is knowing that we as individuals can make a difference in the life of a child who’s food insecure. A healthy, nutritious meal once each day is just one of the many benefits children receive while enrolled in GFA’s Bridge of Hope Program, which supports tens of thousands of kids throughout Asia.
Good News in Word and Deed
While GFA’s field partners join in the awareness-raising focus of World Hunger Day and World Food Day, they are more quietly involved in tackling hunger year-round. Food is an integral part of the 500-plus Bridge of Hope centers run in slums and villages across South Asia. The free education program, which is currently being offered to around 70,000 enrolled children, is a fundamental part of helping improve their futures, and lunch is as important as the lessons.
For students like brother and sister Panav and Kajiri, the nutritious curry and rice they served at Bridge of Hope is an important supplement to the basic food they get at home: bread and milk for breakfast, with fried vegetables, eggs, and chapatis for supper.
Some question faith-based organizations’ involvement in humanitarian efforts like feeding the hungry, despite Jesus’ clear example of caring for the poor in practical ways, because they suspect mixed motives among givers or receivers, or both. They talk of so-called “rice Christians,” who pay lip service to belief for the benefits they get.
For K.P. Yohannan, it’s a false dichotomy. “The huge battles we face against hunger, poverty and suffering in Asia and around the world are in part spiritual, not simply physical or social as secularists would have us believe,” he says. “We cannot separate the visible and the invisible in this battle.”
Many people go hungry in the United States, though typically more episodically than continually, as in other parts of the world. Just over one in ten American households—almost 40 million people, 11 million of them children—were “food insecure” at some stage during 2018.
Sometimes providing food for today is all that can be done, but GFA’s field partners look for ways to provide food for tomorrow and the day after. Their work follows the old adage about giving someone a fish, to feed them once, or teaching them to fish, so they can continue to feed themselves.
GFA’s field partners provide fishing nets and other income-generating supplies such as sewing machines, livestock and rickshaws through Christmas gift distribution programs. Palan stands among thousands of people who have received such gifts. Since Palan had no land of his own to work, his income depended on the fish he could catch, but he had only one poor quality net. The one he received through the Gospel for Asia (GFA) supported gift distribution means he can now meet his needs. In 2018, Gospel for Asia (GFA) workers presented income-generating and life-improving Christmas gifts to almost a quarter of a million people like Palan.
Since Palan had no land of his own to work, his family depended on the fish he could catch for food and income, but he had only one poor quality net. The new one he received as a gift from Gospel for Asia (GFA) partners means he can now meet his family’s everyday needs for good food and healthy nutrition.
It is easy to get overwhelmed by the scale of a problem, believing that one person’s efforts will not make much of a difference. But Jesus’s example of addressing hunger offers one of the greatest examples of how giving just a little can make a big impact.
After a long day listening to Him teach, the crowd of thousands was hungry. When Jesus told His disciples to feed them, they couldn’t see how. They only had the lunch a small boy offered: five barley loaves and two fish. Yet God multiplied that to meet everyone’s needs.
In the same way, we should not focus on what we think can’t be achieved. We should instead give and do what we can with the faith and expectation that God will take and use it in a way that exceeds what seems possible. What are practical ways to do that?
Be more intentional about reducing the amount of food that gets wasted in your home, to help make a dent in the squandering supply chain.
Support local organizations that redistribute surplus produce to those in need. You don’t even need to leave home to do that: the annual National Association of Letter Carriers’ Stamp Out Hunger National Food Drive sees mailmen and -women collecting donations of non-perishable foods on their rounds on the second Saturday in May.
Each time you dine out, buy someone else a meal by donating to Gospel for Asia (GFA) or some other organization feeding the hungry.
These small steps may not seem like much, but they certainly count in God’s sight. When Jesus told His followers they will be rewarded for having fed Him when He was hungry, He said that some would be perplexed.
“Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You?” they will ask. The King will respond, “Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me” (Matthew 25: 37, 40).
Read the rest of Gospel for Asia’s Special Report on The Scandal of Starvation in a World of Plenty:World Hunger’s Ugly Truths Revealed —Part 1, Part 2
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