Last updated on: January 14, 2022 at 10:23 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 Rajalmati, the difficulties that poverty bring, and Gospel for Asia Bridge of Hope that brought an unexpected blessing amid an accident that put her life and education in jeopardy.
Cars, rickshaws, and bicycles whizzed by Rajalmati as she made her way home from school. The 16-year-old girl didn’t mind walking through the maze of traffic to and from school every day, even when she saw her friends riding on bicycles or in cars.
Rajalmati’s parents tried their best to provide for her education, but they couldn’t afford to give her a bike. Rajalmati was grateful to be able to walk. Then, one afternoon, even that was temporarily taken away from her. In a moment’s flash, a car flew by, and white-hot pain seared through Rajalmati’s legs.
Not Letting Her Troubles Overwhelm Her
Like these young women, Rajalmati uses her new bicycle to easily get to and from school to further her education.
Rajalmati had been hit by a car. With her legs injured, she couldn’t walk, and there was no way her parents could afford the medical procedure to quickly mend the damage to her legs. For a time, the young teenager feared for her future—would her legs heal? Would she be able to continue going to school? But Rajalmati didn’t give into discouragement; instead she decided she would face her current challenges.
Two years earlier, a friend had given Rajalmati a notebook she had gotten at a Gospel for Asia (GFA) Bridge of Hope center. An advertisement on the back explained how Bridge of Hope and other ministries served people in need. She found the phone number for GFA’s Bridge of Hope Program and picked up the phone. Taking a deep breath, Rajalmati hoped whoever answered could offer help.
Given a Bicycle, Given a Chance – Blessing from GFA Bridge of Hope
A few weeks later, with Rajalmati’s legs slowly healing, she sat at a Gospel for Asia (GFA) gift distribution with 35 other girls her age, waiting to hear their names called. One by one, each young woman walked up to receive a bicycle. Rajalmati’s phone call had helped make this event possible. After she told Gospel for Asia workers about her situation, they began an inquiry into the transportation needs of young women attending school or college in Rajalmati’s area.
“I never imagined that Gospel for Asia (GFA) workers would provide a bicycle for me,” Rajalmati said. “I am happier to know that because of my one call other needy sisters also got bicycles.”
Rajalmati’s parents were also very thankful for the bicycle.
“We did not have enough money to buy a cycle for her,” Rajalmati’s mother told Gospel for Asia (GFA) workers. “But thank you … for your concern for the needy in the society.”
When Rajalmati’s legs healed, she was able to travel much more easily with her new bicycle to school. Now, Rajalmati wasn’t just grateful to walk, she was grateful she can ride.
*Names of people and places may have been changed for privacy and security reasons. Images are Gospel for Asia stock photos used for representation purposes and are not the actual person/location, unless otherwise noted.
Last updated on: April 8, 2021 at 3:34 am By KP Yohannan
WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World and affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada, founded by KP Yohannan), one of the world’s biggest poverty-alleviating organizations spotlights the huge “uphill battle” facing many of the world’s 258 million widows in a just-released report.
Treatment of widows is often startlingly unfair and cruel, catapulting them into a crisis of survival, says the new global report by Texas-based Gospel for Asia (GFA World).
‘SHUNNED AND SHAMED’: Treatment of widows is often startlingly unfair and cruel, catapulting them into a crisis of survival, says a new global report by Texas-based mission agency Gospel for Asia (GFA World). Titled Widows Often Face Uphill Battle, the report examines the different struggles faced by widows in the U.S., Africa, and Asia.
Those struggles include battles over widows’ benefits in America, being stripped of homes and possessions in Africa, and the practice of shunning and shaming in Asia.
“In some Asian cultures, when a woman’s husband dies, she’s often stripped of her dignity, her worth, and her human rights,” said Dr. K.P. Yohannan, founder of Gospel for Asia (GFA World). “Many widows are deprived of their home, their property, and their possessions, leaving them destitute.”
In parts of Asia, many young widows face sexual harassment and abuse, often turning to begging or prostitution to survive.
Widows in some cultures are viewed with suspicion and disgust — sometimes even branded as witches or blamed for their husband’s death and shut out of community life.
‘Excluded and Invisible’
“Cultural shame and prejudice often render widows excluded and invisible,” said KP Yohannan, whose faith-based organization supports 40 local Sisters of Compassion teams helping widows across Asia. GFA World’s support includes vocational training for widows and giving them opportunity to take part in income-generating activities, such as sewing.
These GFA World teams of visiting women provide emotional and spiritual support, praying with widows in their homes and showing them they’re not alone.
Asia, the world’s biggest continent, has an estimated 57 million widows — roughly equivalent to the populations of California and Florida combined. “On the surface, this seems like an overwhelming uphill battle,” said KP Yohannan, “but every time a widow receives help and encouragement, we rejoice.”
Supporting the grassroots efforts of local churches in cities and rural villages, GFA World aims to “show the love of God” to outcast widows who’ve known only rejection.
“The Apostle James told us in his epistle that true religion is to care for orphans and widows in their distress,” KP Yohannan said. “The challenge facing the church around the world today is to not just read the Bible, but to do what is written in it.”
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.
Last updated on: January 14, 2022 at 11:11 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 the Gospel for Asia radio program that brought Jesus to Kaneila’s life, bringing transformation amid her husband’s opposition to her new found faith.
It was a day like any other for Kaneila. She completed her household tasks, attended to her children’s needs and did what she could to prepare for her husband’s return home from working in the Philippines. As she settled in to listen to her radio, she was drawn by the message of Bishop Antonius Mor Eusebius on a Gospel for Asia (GFA) radio program. Seeking merely soothing sounds, Kaneila found soothing words for her soul and tuned in regularly, searching for that same voice.
Soon after listening to the radio program, Kaneila connected with her neighbor, a member of the Gospel for Asia church in her village, and expressed how she enjoyed the program. From then on, Kaneila and her neighbor developed a deeper friendship that helped the mother grow in her understanding of Jesus. Eventually, Kaneila joined her neighbor in worshiping Jesus at the local church.
Kaneila loved learning about Jesus
, but fearing her husband’s reaction to her newfound faith, she read her Bible in secret.
Tears, Testimonies and Transformations
When Kaneila’s husband found out she was attending church, he grew furious. He beat her and coerced her to not go. Fearful, Kaneila thought the only way to protect herself was to go back to her old ways, abandoning her faith in Jesus.
Hearing of her difficult situation, the pastor of the church she had been attending reached out to her; so did many of Kaneila’s neighbors. They visited her, read Scripture, and shared their own testimonies of how Jesus worked in their lives. Kaneila was encouraged by their words, and she continued praying for her own protection as well as her husband’s transformation.
After four months of diligent prayer and enduring faith, Kaneila received an answer. Kaneila’s faith in Jesus had changed her, and her husband had taken notice. Her attitude and behavior touched his heart deeply, and he allowed her to go to church again. He even asked her to pray for certain things in his own life.
Kaneila is now an active member of the local church. She attends all spiritual programs and helps however she can. Kaneila no longer lives in fear of her husband’s reactions but enjoys the freedom, healing and soothing of soul she has found through Jesus Christ—all thanks to a radio program.
*Names of people and places may have been changed for privacy and security reasons. Images are Gospel for Asia stock photos used for representation purposes and are not the actual person/location, unless otherwise noted.
Last updated on: 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.
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.
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.
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.
*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.
Last updated on: January 19, 2022 at 8:27 pm By GFA Staff Writer
WILLS POINT, TX – Former California megachurch pastor and bestselling author Francis Chan — who has moved to Asia to serve the poor — has revealed how his view of “true” faith was turned upside down by founder of Gospel for Asia (GFA World and affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada) and mission pioneer Dr. K.P. Yohannan.
FRANCIS CHAN’S REVELATION: In a recent video conversation with Dr. K.P. Yohannan, founder of Gospel for Asia (GFA World), author Francis Chan shares how learning from Yohannan’s life has led him into a “true walk with Jesus,” serving the poor. Yohannan’s new book Never Give Up: The Story of a Broken Man Impacting A Generation (www.nevergiveupbook.org) is now available.
Chan says his dramatic shift from well-known pastor in affluent Southern California to “anonymous” ministry in the slums of Hong Kong was inspired by Yohannan’s modest lifestyle and humble faith, described in Yohannan’s new book, Never Give Up: The Story of a Broken Man Impacting A Generation (www.nevergiveupbook.org).
“I’ve learned more about a true walk with Jesus and what leadership should look like from (Yohannan’s) life,” said 53-year-old Chan in a recent video conversation with the 70-year-old missionary statesman whom Chan referred to as his mentor. “My life has been totally shaped by (him).”
Chan — founder of Cornerstone Community Church in California’s Simi Valley and author of Crazy Love — said Yohannan’s “passion for getting the gospel to the ends of the earth” challenged him to live a life serving the poor and marginalized without fanfare. He’s currently living in one of Hong Kong’s poorest neighborhoods.
Chan said he was “very excited” about the release of Never Give Up – one of the latest books by Yohannan, president of Gospel for Asia (GFA World) and author of Revolution in World Missions with more than four million copies in print.
“A lot of people are wrestling right now… a lot of people have questions,” Chan said. “It always comes back to Christ being central… people are not enjoying Jesus as much as they could be.”
Left Broken, in ‘Spiritual Agony’
Yohannan penned Never Give Up after a soul-searching four-year battle that he says left him broken and in “spiritual agony.” God took him on a journey through pain and persecution to refine his character and draw him closer to Christ, Yohannan says in the video.
“(God) asked me: ‘Are you willing to die to your reputation?'” Yohannan said.
The mission leader issued a fresh challenge to the church to transform the world with the love of God. “(God) is looking for a mighty minority that knows Him to turn the world upside down,” he said.
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.
Click here, to read more blogs on Patheos from Gospel for Asia.
Last updated on: November 20, 2022 at 4:14 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) Special Report dicusses the staggering number of children living in crushing poverty globally — equal to the entire populations of the U.S. and Canada combined.
CHILDREN IN CRUSHING POVERTY: The staggering number of children living in poverty globally — equal to the entire populations of the U.S. and Canada combined — is revealed in a special report by mission agency Gospel for Asia (GFA World), as the U.N. marks the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, Oct. 17.
The staggering global number — equal to the entire populations of the U.S. and Canada combined — is revealed in a special report by leading mission agency Gospel for Asia (GFA World), as the U.N. marks its annual awareness day, aimed at stirring action to fight poverty.
The report — Fighting Global Poverty With Ideas — says education and ideas, along with teaching values such as compassion and integrity, can help catapult the next generation out of the jaws of poverty.
“The ability to eradicate extreme poverty is here,” said Texas-based GFA World founder Dr. K.P. Yohannan. “Ideas and values together can transform the world.”
A Global Scourge
Grinding poverty is most often associated with developing nations in Africa and Asia, but it’s a scourge in wealthy, developed countries, too.
According to PovertyUSA.org — a Catholic initiative — nearly one-in-six children in the U.S. lives in poverty. The federal poverty threshold for a family of four is around $25,700 a year.
And, the group says, one in every four Americans with a disability lives in poverty.
Globally, millions of widows — and millions more living with the disease leprosy — are shunned by their families and neighbors, plunged into extreme poverty and struggling to survive as outcasts in their own communities. They’re seen as cursed, and excluded from the mainstream of life and business.
‘Don’t Deserve Anything Better’
“In Asia — the world’s most populated continent — people are often kept in deep poverty by superstitions, prejudices, and the belief that their lives are not important and they don’t deserve anything better,” said Yohannan, author of Never Give Up: The Story of a Broken Man Impacting a Generation.
Children like six-year-old Bir, who scavenges plastic bags for his parents, are led to believe they’re as worthless as the trash they sort through.
“It’s critical that this generation does not give up, that it’s empowered to break free from the stranglehold of poverty,” Yohannan said. “Otherwise, countless millions of children will be doomed to a life of misery in the world’s gutters and slums. They deserve so much better than that.”
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.
Last updated on: January 20, 2022 at 6:48 pm By KP Yohannan
WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World and affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada, founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan) helps to distribute food kits to more than 200,000 utterly desperate families to defy COVID 19 starvation.
With the number of COVID-19 cases in India surging past eight million and deaths climbing rapidly, ongoing hunger relief efforts continue to stave off starvation across pandemic-ravaged Asia.
BATTLE AGAINST COVID STARVATION: As India surges to second place in the country-by-country COVID-19 count, ongoing hunger relief efforts continue to stave off starvation across pandemic-ravaged Asia. Texas-based Gospel for Asia (GFA World) is partnering with Believers Eastern Church to distribute food kits to more than 70,000 “utterly desperate” families.
In some areas, hunger is forcing people to take the most extreme measures. One man was captured on video apparently eating a dead dog off the road.
“The situation on-the-ground right now is utterly desperate,” said K.P. Yohannan, founder of mission agency Gospel for Asia (GFA World). “We’re doing all we can to bring relief and as difficult as it is, compassion will triumph in the end.”
Partnering with Believers Eastern Church in Asia and local officials, the Texas-based ministry — one of the biggest faith-based organizations alleviating poverty in Asia — is distributing food kits to more than 200,000 families on the edge of starvation.
With the recent COVID-19 surge catapulting India into second place behind the U.S. in confirmed cases, parents in the world’s second-most populous nation and across Asia face the near-impossible task of feeding their children, amid total loss of income.
“The situation in our village is terrible,” one parent told Gospel for Asia (GFA World) workers. “We don’t have any work and are unable to provide food.” In Asia, sudden loss of employment can be catastrophic because families typically don’t have savings, welfare, or stimulus aid to fall back on.
Aid Comes Just In Time
Frontline responders with Gospel for Asia (GFA World) continue to deliver food kits to families in dire straits — often, just in time. Packages include rice, cooking oil, salt, sugar, and spices.
“We’re helping the most marginalized and at-risk people in the whole of Asia, including thousands of daily laborers who have no work because of the pandemic,” said Yohannan, a renowned missionary statesman and author of Revolution in World Missions, with nearly four million copies in print.
Like millions of the poorest of the poor, Nikita’s parents scavenge for recyclable materials and survive, literally, on scraps. During the pandemic, their work has dried up — and the family might have starved if they hadn’t received a food package.
The father of a student at a GFA World Bridge of Hope children’s center said their package was a lifeline. “The lockdown totally affected our survival and we were broken,” he said. “(This food) keeps us surviving.”
Local churches across Asia — home to six out of every 10 people on the planet — have quickly mobilized to “seize the moment” and extend help to their poorest neighbors, said Yohannan.
“Our fervent prayer and hope is that people across Asia will see and experience the love of God in action during this pandemic,” he said.
Gospel for Asia (GFA World, www.gfa.org) 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.
WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World and affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada, founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan) releases new video featuring Francis Chan, Hank Hanegraaff, and K.P. Yohannan – three of America’s high-profile influential church leaders – urging Christians to shun divisiveness and work towards greater unity and humility in the church.Christians everywhere need to place less emphasis on “charismatic personalities” and “popularity contests” and focus more on humility and unity, agreed the three influential leaders, who’ve often challenged the status quo.The trio — author and pastor Francis Chan, Gospel for Asia founder Dr. K.P. Yohannan, and radio show host Hank Hanegraaff, known as the “Bible Answer Man” — are featured in a new roundtable video discussion, titled The Keys to Christian Unity Unlocked.
LEADERS CALL FOR CHURCH HUMILITY, UNITY: Three of America’s high-profile influential church leaders are urging Christians to shun divisiveness and work towards greater unity and humility in the church. The trio — author and pastor Francis Chan, Gospel for Asia founder Dr. K.P. Yohannan, and radio show host Hank Hanegraaff, known as the “Bible Answer Man” — are featured in a new roundtable video discussion, The Key to Christian Unity Unlocked.
Former California megachurch pastor and best-selling Crazy Love author Chan, who now lives and ministers in one of Hong Kong’s poorest neighborhoods, acknowledged “sound bites” from the nearly hour-long discussion would likely ignite controversy.
“(People will say) Francis is teaching some weird stuff, and K.P. is dressed really weird, and Hank… we all know (he) went off the deep end,” Chan said, referring to Hanegraaff’s embrace of Eastern Orthodox teachings.
Quest for ‘Deep Faith Beyond Personalities’
Describing the church in America as “splintered,” Chan said he’s being challenged to discover a deeper faith beyond 21st century American evangelicalism — which, he said, often focuses on personalities and theological squabbles.
Yohannan — who describes his own personal trials in his new book Never Give Up: The Story of A Broken Man Impacting A Generation — challenged believers of all theological stripes to practice humility and follow the example of the early church in the Book of Acts.
The mission pioneer — whose Texas-based organization Gospel for Asia (GFA World) transforms millions of lives across Asia with God’s love — said God was teaching him humility and “to die to my reputation.”
“(In America), we think we are the ch\urch, and we’re to sit on the top of the mountain and lead the whole world,” Yohannan said.
The church, Yohannan said, should not consist of fragmented groups following charismatic individuals. “The early church fathers taught not to (the) individual, but to the Body (of Christ).”
Hanegraaff, author of Truth Matters, Life Matters More, agreed the church today has much to learn from the early church’s teachings and practices. “Christ is building his (church) and the gates of hell will not prevail upon it,” he said. “We are new creations in Christ. Because the Holy Spirit has empowered me for service, I have the ability by God’s grace to be a transformational agent in the world.”
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.
Click here, to read more blogs on Patheos from Gospel for Asia.
Last updated on: January 25, 2022 at 6:31 am By GFA Staff Writer
WILLS POINT, TX – Texas-based Gospel for Asia (GFA World and affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada, founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan) and Body of Life are leading hunger relief efforts to help thousands of families in Texas struggling with COVID 19 hardships.Humanitarian agency Gospel for Asia (GFA World) — a faith-based organization headquartered in Wills Point, 50 miles east of Dallas –has rushed to help starving people on the other side of the world as the pandemic spreads.
But after the coronavirus hit hard in its own backyard, Gospel for Asia (GFA World) jumped into action to help its Texas neighbors, too.
The organization — partnering with Texas-based ministry Body of Life — is helping to feed hundreds of Texas families every month by distributing “Farmers to Families” fresh produce boxes.
Every month, more than a thousand Farmers to Families boxes — supplied by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) — are being handed out to Texans in need at GFA World’s Wills Point campus.
The organization’s Texas hunger response has caught the attention of local leaders.
Mayrani Velazquez, a member of Terrell City Council, described the COVID-19 food relief as a “blessing,” adding: “We’re all grateful for GFA World’s willingness to host these events.”
OUT OF THE JAWS OF HUNGER: Texas-based humanitarian agency Gospel for Asia (GFA World) is releasing hundreds of thousands of families from the jaws of hunger amid crippling COVID-19 hardships at home and overseas. Food relief efforts are under way in Texas and across Asia.
Help, Hope for the Hurting
“Our desire is to bring help for today and hope for tomorrow wherever we are,” said K.P. Yohannan, founder of Gospel for Asia (GFA World) that’s also feeding hundreds of thousands across Asia in the throes of the pandemic.
In Asia — the world’s most populated continent, home to six out of every 10 people on earth — many families face starvation as COVID-19 has shuttered factories and other businesses, leaving desperate parents with no income or safety net.
Thousands more would be in dire straits without grassroots food relief efforts, led by local churches. One aid recipient said: “I will never forget such an act of kindness in my life.”
Gospel for Asia Rescuing People Out of the Jaws of COVID 19 Hunger
The organization’s Bridge of Hope program and local church-run efforts in Asia continue to release thousands from the jaws of hunger — children like Samsundar, an orphan, and Sunita, whose mother hasn’t been able to work for months.
Aid packages — including rice, cooking oil, salt, and other essentials — have been a lifeline for nearly 200,000 people, including children.
In northeast India’s tea-growing region of Assam, Gospel for Asia (GFA World) workers are delivering aid in the midst of a “double disaster” — COVID-19 and devastating floods. They use homemade paddleboards to get around their rain-lashed communities, where some churches are under several feet of floodwater. In one area, church members also gave out face masks.
In India’s densely populated West Bengal region, people are calling the church-led relief effort a godsend. “It’s as if the Lord suddenly sent manna from above,” one parent said.
Texas-based 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.
WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World and affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada) founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan – Discussing Ruhae, the grief and hardships of an aging widow, the last living relative for her grandchildren, and the Gospel for Asia Pastor that brought God’s peace and comfort.
Her son was murdered. Her daughter-in-law and husband both succumbed to illnesses. Ruhae was the last living relative for her grandchildren but at 77-years-old, she knew she wouldn’t live much longer. Who would take care of her young grandchildren, only 12 and 8 years old, when she passed?
Ruhae (pictured) had become her grandchildren’s sole caregiver, and she often worried for their futures.
Hardened by the World
That question kept Ruhae up at night as she agonized over the fate of her precious grandchildren. Even at 77 years old, she worked in the fields to scrape together enough money to feed her grandchildren. It was hard, menial labor, but Ruhae did it. How else would she provide for them?
The grief and hardships the aging widow had faced over the years hardened Ruhae’s heart. There is no place and no one who can give me peace, she thought.
Reigniting a Spark of Hope
Gospel for Asia pastor Shirom led a small fellowship of believers in Ruhae’s village. The temporary building his congregation met in was close to Ruhae’s home. Occasionally, the pastor and a few believers visited Ruhae, offering prayer and encouragement.
On one particular visit, Gospel for Asia (GFA) Pastor Shirom encouraged the widow to give all her cares and burdens to the Lord because He could give her the peace she was searching for. He could remove the anxiety she felt when she thought of her grandchildren’s future. He could lighten her burdens. The thought intrigued the widow, who had almost given up hope of finding relief for her and her grandchildren. Desiring to know more, Ruhae began attending services at Gospel for Asia (GFA) Pastor Shirom’s church.
Widow Learns The Peace That Passes Understanding through Gospel for Asia Pastor
Little by little, Ruhae’s heart opened up. The widow realized that no matter what had happened in her life and no matter what the future held, God loved her and He provided.
“I get peace worshiping the Lord,” Ruhae remarked. “When I worry, I tell everything to God. … Before knowing the Lord, I worried, but when I heard about the Lord, I began to call upon Him. In spite of all problems, I feel peace of mind and pray more and trust in the Lord alone.”
Ruhae embraced God’s love into her heart fully. The calm Ruhae now feels knowing her grandchildren will be looked after dwarfs the worries she felt before.
“I am not scared of what the future holds,” Ruhae declares. “God is there to take care of my grandchildren.”
*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.
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