Last updated on: October 20, 2020 at 6:50 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 Women Missionaries who care deeply for the sick and suffering around them, ministering to them through prayer and encouragement.
One evening as Gospel for Asia women missionaries Pakhi, Heerkani and Sabeena stood on the terrace of their house overlooking their city neighborhood, they saw an old man lying down on a cot outside his home. The man looked very sick as his family members hovered around him, taking care of his needs.
The three women missionaries went to their room and began to pray for the man. There they asked the Lord for His help to minister to their neighbors.
A Doctor’s Plight
The man’s name was Bilva—and he couldn’t move. A doctor by trade, he was usually the one to look into the faces of the ill as they rested on their sickbeds. But now he rested on his. Paralysis had taken him by surprise months before, leaving him completely helpless.
The medicines he took did nothing to improve his condition, and Bilva lived the same routine over and over again, until a visit from three unfamiliar women changed things.
A Change of Mind through Gospel for Asia Women Missionaries
When Pakhi, Heerkani and Sabeena introduced themselves to Bilva and his family, they learned about his paralysis. Pakhi shared hope from God’s Word and told them about the One who heals. At first, Bilva’s family didn’t respond very positively—they didn’t know anyone named Jesus. But as the women patiently explained the healing power of the Son of God and offered to pray for Bilva, the family changed their minds.
The sisters prayed for and visited the family regularly. As time passed, Bilva’s body began to improve, and he started to move his hands and legs. The family rejoiced at his improved health, and Bilva’s daughter chose to love Jesus. Now she prays with the missionaries and spends time reading God’s Word.
Thanks for being a part of stories like this through your prayers.
*Names of people and places may have been changed for privacy and security reasons. Images are Gospel for Asia stock photos used for representation purposes and are not the actual person/location, unless otherwise noted.
WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World and affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada) founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan – Discussing Prisha and the Gospel for Asia Sisters of Compassion, women missionaries who dedicate their lives to bringing hope and God’s love to the most needy and disenfranchised.
The place was filthy. The people who lived there struggled daily to subsist. Their situation was desperate. They needed help, but it would have to come from someone willing to sacrifice their own comfort to come alongside and provide the relief the disenfranchised needed.
What would motivate someone to do that? Only love and compassion. Love can compel you to go. Compassion will compel you to dwell among them.
That’s what happened after Prisha committed her life to serve Jesus with the Gospel for Asia Sisters of Compassion and volunteer to go to the people in the remote village of Punya Basti.
The people of Punya Basti lived in squalor and the stink of rotting animal carcasses, burning garbage and waste that littered the entire village. Outsiders would do their best to avoid the village because the stench was so onerous. The village had no electricity, no running water and no toilets. Prisha knew this, yet she chose to go there.
When she arrived, the reality exceeded her grimmest expectations. She found naked, hungry children, people covered in filth, mothers preparing meager meals in dirty pots and vessels, and drug and alcohol addiction rampant even among the children. The first drink of water offered to her in Punya Basti was in a glass so dirty that it broke her heart to realize what life was really like in the village.
Yet, when her Sisters of Compassion mentor suggested that she commute from another village where she would be safer, Prisha responded, “I don’t want to live in a different place. I want to stay in the midst of them, in the village, so I can understand their feelings … and they can understand the love we want to show them.”
Prisha’s story is more than one of compassion. It is one of redemption. Compassion is a feeling of empathy. Prisha knew that compassion motivated by love opens a way to redemption. She knew that the people needed to know that someone loved them and that those who loved them cared enough about them to help them learn how to live healthier and more productive lives. Living among them was the first step in demonstrating her love and compassion.
It was not a difficult decision for her to make, but there were times she wondered if it would be one that was difficult to keep. She and the Gospel for Asia Sisters of Compassion who joined her spent their first week in the village fasting and praying for the Lord’s guidance to show them how to build loving relationships with the villagers. They knew that they had to draw close to them in order to build relationships of trust.
As they cleaned the village streets—one of the lowliest of tasks for the lowliest of people in their country—and as they helped women with their daily chores, and as they helped take care of their babies, those relationships began to develop. Eating meals the locals cooked helped as well. Especially the mouthwatering tortoise and mongoose.
The relationships engendered the kind of trust that caused the people to listen to their advice. Prisha and the other Sisters of Compassion taught them how to bathe, brush their teeth, comb their hair and dress neatly and modestly.
Learning these valuable lessons led to the people accepting them as part of the family. As one of the villagers said, “We love them because they love us.”
Today, more than 1,000 Punya Basti villagers have been transformed by the love of Christ as it has been taught and demonstrated in the lives of the Sisters of Compassion. The village has been redeemed from the filth and squalor in which it was once lost. The transformation from darkness to light began with the love of Christ shining through one life committed to compassion. Now that love continues to transform individual villagers from the inside out as they, too, have come to accept His love and follow Him.
I can’t help but think about how Prisha and the seven other Sisters of Compassion so clearly demonstrated the love of Christ just as He loved us. He set aside His comforts to live among us in our world of filth and shame. He did it so that He would be able to completely understand our desperate situation and build a relationship with us based upon His sacrificial love. It was by doing so that His compassion opened the way for our redemption by having a personal relationship with Him.
Heavenly Father, help us to see the others as you see them. Give us a love for them like your love, a love that breaks our hearts with compassion. Give us a compassion that is willing to act sacrificially so that others will see you in and through us so that they, too, will come to know you and be blessed by your great love. Give us a love that compels us to go and tell others who will receive that love and who will, in turn, go and tell others. Thank you, Lord, for what you are going to do through us.
*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.
Pastor Gobi knelt on the ground while the sound of his prayers filled the air. Soon he would begin his ministry distributing literature and praying for the sick and needy. On his knees he would find victory. Gobi didn’t know it then, but a long journey of faith and endurance awaited him.
Village Opposes the Good News
Early in the morning, Pastor Gobi felt the Lord’s prompting to share His love in one particular village, so he made his way there. But when he arrived, the pastor faced utter rejection. The villagers were worshiping their traditional deities, trying to find joy and peace in their hearts. They offered sacrifices to them, hoping to receive blessings, and they had no room for Pastor Gobi’s message of hope in Christ.
Some villagers snatched the literature Gobi offered them and tore the booklets. With threatening words, they told him to leave and not return.
The villagers snatched the literature Gobi offered them and tore the booklets. With threatening words they told him to leave and not return.
A Heart Committed to Prayer
Even though it was difficult, Pastor Gobi prayed and sought God’s face, asking Him to prepare the soil of the villagers’ hearts and minds to know the Lord’s grace. Because this matter burdened his heart, he began to fast and pray every Friday for the village—something he would do for three years.
As time went by, Pastor Gobi felt full of the Lord’s courage, so he once again visited the village that had harshly rejected the Good News. Gobi passed out literature and shared God’s love with the villagers. At the end of the day, he met a man named Tosa.
Tosa was known as the poorest man in his village. He struggled finically. Though Tosa and his wife both worked as much as they could, they were barely scraping by. If they couldn’t work, they didn’t eat that day.
Meeting a Troubled Man
As Pastor Gobi conversed with Tosa, he heard the man’s story in detail.
Tosa was known as the poorest man in his village. He struggled financially. Though Tosa and his wife both worked as much as they could, they were barely scraping by. If they couldn’t work, they didn’t eat that day.
Tosa knew that if he could get to the city, he would find better work and be able to feed his family. But there was a problem: His family owned only one bicycle, and his children needed it to get to school each day. There was no other means of transportation he could afford. So he stayed in his village—sometimes walking by foot to nearby villages—looking for work so his family could live.
Doors Begin to Open
Tosa was presented with a bicycle by Pastor Gobi. With this useful gift, Tosa travels to the city and earns a better living.
Whenever Pastor Gobi visited the village, he made it a point to check in with Tosa and his family. As they saw the genuine love and care Gobi shared with them, they decided to learn about Jesus by attending church.
When it came time for Pastor Gobi to organize a Christmas gift distribution, he requested that Tosa be added to the list of recipients. Two months later, Tosa was presented with a bicycle. With this useful gift, Tosa traveled to the city and began to earn a better living. Soon his family could enjoy three meals a day, and he was even able to purchase more clothing for his family, including school uniforms for his children.
As Tosa and his family’s lives began to transform, the villagers watched them closely. Slowly their hearts began to soften. Their ideas about Pastor Gobi and God began to change. The villagers began to take the literature Pastor Gobi offered, and they read it with curiosity. They have begun to ask Pastor Gobi for prayer when they are sick or in need of peace.
As Pastor Gobi faithfully prayed, the Lord listened and answered the cries of his heart. Now Christ’s love is freely shared in a village that once rejected it. The bicycle was just one tool the Lord used to prepare the soil of hardened hearts!
As Tosa and his family’s lives began to transform, the villagers watched them closely. Slowly their hearts began to soften. They wanted to take the literature Pastor Gobi offered.
The gift of a Gospel for Asia (GFA) bicycle can help break the bondage of poverty for a family just like Tosa’s, and a bicycle can also be given to a missionary to help him or her share the love of Christ farther and faster. Help many others to hear about the love of Christ by giving the gift of a bicycle.
*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 29, 2022 at 10:50 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 Sundar, blind at birth, obscure and impoverished, the sufferings his family experienced, and the calling and life of a Gospel for Asia Missionary in the grace and love of God.
O
ne chilly Tuesday, a blind baby boy was born into an impoverished, illiterate family in a remote village tucked into the foothills of the Himalayas. The parents loved their little boy and named him Sundar.
The small family had love, but little else. Debalal, Sundar’s father, had partial paralysis but was still able to work as a day laborer collecting wood to sell. To help make ends meet, Sundar’s mother also worked. Much of their income went to medical treatments for Sundar, but the little boy’s world remained shrouded in darkness.
Sundar grew up in this small mud-wall hut with no expectations but to live and die in obscurity.
Neighbors looked on Sundar’s family with dismay, counting the family’s poverty, the father’s lameness and the son’s blindness as hardships too difficult to endure.
“Sundar will never receive sight. He is a burden for you,” they said. “Take him and throw him into the river instead of facing so many problems in life.”
“Take him and throw him into the river instead of facing so many problems in life.”
Debalal and his wife ignored the ill advice and continued to care for their son. But young Sundar began to believe what he had heard his neighbors say about him, especially when he saw his parents’ sorrow.
A little brother soon joined Sundar. The family of four eked out what life they could, faithfully worshiping their traditional deities.
Struggling through life, the family could not foresee the joy waiting just ahead.
7-year-old Sundar Experiences a Miracle, Family Transforms
One day, after Debalal spoke to Gospel for Asia (GFA) pastor Tuhinsurra, 7-year-old Sundar listened intently as his father told him about a Man who could make his eyes better. Excitement, fear and incredulity wrestled in the boy’s heart.
Desperate to provide his son with healing, Debalal brought his family to church. After each service, warm, gentle hands crowned Sundar’s head as Pastor Tuhinsurra asked a Man named Jesus to bring light to Sundar’s eyes.
Soon, God answered their prayers, and Sundar saw the face of his loving parents for the first time.
When the pastor of this church shared Jesus with Debalal, Sundar’s father, it brought an unknown happiness and healing to the entire family.
After this miracle, the entire family began worshiping Jesus at the local church. Sundar’s father shared the testimony of his son to their neighbors, who began asking him to pray for their needs. Four years later, God also healed Debalal from his lameness. He became a church deacon, and the poor, illiterate man once considered cursed became a pillar of godliness in the community.
Sundar’s family reveled in unfettered happiness. God had done so much for them. A newfound hope kindled in Debalal’s heart—a hope that his sons would surpass him in every way.
Father Martyred When Praying for Sick Man
Sundar’s father, Debalal
Since Pastor Tuhinsurra lived in another village and oversaw multiple congregations in surrounding towns, Debalal did a lot of the day-to-day work of answering calls for prayer and visiting believers for encouragement. Everyone knew they could call Debalal to help them and he would, often with his wife and sons accompanying him.
A local man, who was in immense pain due to disfiguring burns on his face, frequently called Sundar’s father to pray for him; it was the only time the man experienced relief.
One night, this man begged Debalal to come to his house to pray for him, even though he had already prayed for him twice that day. Reluctantly, Debalal climbed out of bed.
In the man’s little hut, shrouded by deep night, Sundar’s father knelt to pray. As Debalal closed his eyes, the disfigured man took out a knife and brought it down on the back of Debalal’s exposed neck.
News of Debalal’s death spread throughout the village, and old, familiar taunts swirled around Sundar’s mother and her sons: This family was cursed. Fear began to consume Sundar.
After Sundar’s father was killed while praying for a neighbor, their pastor sat with the family in their grief, offering comfort, counsel and practical help.
Pastor Tuhinsurra, who had worked closely with his father, sat with the family in their grief. The comfort he offered from God’s Word was the comfort he needed too.
As the community reeled in the wake of such violence, neighbors talked of sending Sundar away to work to support his family. How else would the family survive now?
But Pastor Tuhinsurra helped the family pick up the pieces of their lives, and he sensed the Lord had a different plan for Sundar.
“After I knew my father had gone to be with the Lord, there was uncertainty in front of me and I feared,” Sundar recalls. “Now who will take care of us? Who will I call father?”
Crossroads Leads to Spiritual Transformation
His father’s death was a turning point in Sundar’s life. Under the patient loving guidance of Gospel for Asia missionary Pastor Kanish, Sundar found peace in Christ.
Sundar’s pastor encouraged the young man to stay with his ministry leader, Gospel for Asia (GFA) missionary pastor Kanish, while Sundar wrestled with his future.
Pastor Kanish and his wife welcomed Sundar into their home and showed him to his room, their eyes shimmering with compassion and concern. Their home was a refuge to help Sundar figure out what to do next and process the death of his father, free from community pressure and taunts.
Sundar’s days took on the structure of the household: mornings filled with family prayers, followed by breakfast and study; afternoons and evenings busy with ministry activities. Kanish guided Sundar, teaching him to trust the Lord.
Despite the miraculous healings in his family and years of listening to his father share God’s Word, Sundar had not yet decided for himself what he would do about the message of God’s love.
His father’s death jarred Sundar out of his indecision, setting a crossroads before him. He knew he must either walk away or put his faith in Jesus. It was time to decide.
“During that time, I did not understand anything, and I was so discouraged,” Sundar remembers.
In hindsight, he recognizes this as a turning point in his life: “Through this incident, my life was changed. There and then I believed in Jesus Christ as my personal Savior and Lord.”
Pastor Kanish, who teaches at the nearby Bible college, welcomed Sundar into his home as a son, caring for the fatherless young man. Kanish taught Sundar how to read and write and how to pray and seek the Lord. It was under Kanish’s roof that Sundar committed his life to the Lord.
The three months Sundar stayed with Kanish’s family were vital to his personal and spiritual foundation. Seeing Sundar’s lack of education, Pastor Kanish taught him how to read and write using the Bible. Sundar wrote out the first five books of the Bible and read aloud the book of Proverbs each day. As Sundar grew in his literacy skills, he also absorbed spiritual lessons. He was grateful to have a mentor to help him through the dark valley of his father’s death.
“Pastor Kanish really encouraged me from the Word of God and helped me pray,” Sundar says. “Because of his motivation and encouragement, I have been strong in the Lord and I am growing in the Lord.”
Now empowered by the Holy Spirit, Sundar was like a sponge, soaking up the everything he was taught. Pastor Kanish gave him more and more responsibilities as he saw Sundar rising to every challenge.
“This boy was very keen and very mature in understanding,” Pastor Kanish remembers. “We have our cottage meetings four days a week, so I used to take him … and encouraged him to lead the worship service. … He was very faithful.”
Sundar devoured the Bible during this time, letting the comforting words of God wash over his hurting heart. He found solace, love and purpose in the rich, living words.
Sundar began to focus his prayers on the future.
Called by God to Forgive His Father’s Murderer
God’s forgiveness continued to work in Sundar’s heart. As he thought about the call to extend to others the same forgiveness he had experienced, there was one face that rose from the mist of memory, a face that was scarred and contorted in pain, the face of the man who had delivered his father’s death blow. Sundar knew he had to forgive his father’s murderer.
Relinquishing his desire for vengeance, Sundar prayed for this man and felt a supernatural love dislodge his hate. In this one act of trading self-focused retaliation for others-focused transformation, Sundar took a huge leap in his spiritual journey.
“Please pray for the person, Kumar, who murdered my father,” Sundar urges while sharing his prayer requests with other believers. “Even though he is in jail, I pray that his heart will be changed. Please join with me in prayer that he may receive the Lord.”
As Sundar’s love for Kumar grew, it opened the door of his heart to love anyone. Kumar needed Jesus, just as Sundar had. So did thousands of others in villages scattered across his beloved country. God was calling Sundar to be a missionary, answering the cherished wish of his father’s heart.
Sundar enrolled in Bible college, putting his new literacy skills to work. He also developed a heart to share the Good News with people who did not yet know about Jesus.
Sundar spent the next three years in Bible college. He thought about his father often during this time, about his father’s sacrifice. His father had given everything to Jesus, including his very life.
“During [that time] I read Matthew 5:10: ‘Blessed is the man who is persecuted,’” Sundar recalls. “That greatly encouraged me.”
A passion to see lives transformed by Jesus grew in Sundar as he realized how many men, women, boys and girls had yet to hear about the Savior’s love. Visions of villages tucked into the ripples and folds of the Himalayan foothills, each a replica of his own hometown, deepened Sundar’s determination to serve the Lord as a missionary.
The idea that he, who was born blind, impoverished and obscure, could make a difference in people’s lives seemed incredible. But he would dedicate his life to that very end.
“There are so many people in the world, people are perishing … without Jesus,” Sundar says. “So, my vision is … to preach the [Good News] to those people who have never heard.”
Gospel for Asia Missionary Ministry Grows in Answer to Prayer
Sundar is able to travel to many different villages in the area he serves thanks to the bicycle he has been equipped with.
The area God called Sundar to work in has many villages dotting the hilly terrain, where rivers of melted snow cut gouges into the landscape before winding their way to the plains, where rural inhabitants cultivate the land. Millions of people live in these villages scattered across hundreds of miles.
After graduation, Sundar moved to one of these little villages, more than 100 miles west of his hometown, but in landscape, climate and culture, it could have been the town next door. He met people who looked and talked just like him. They ate the same food as him, and he understood the struggles of their lives.
There was no church in the village; his ministry started from scratch. The years at his father’s side, under Pastor Kanish’s mentorship and in Bible college had all prepared Sundar for this time. The Lord had called him; now it was time to get to work.
This area was ready to receive God’s Word, like a fertile field, tilled and waiting for seed to be planted.
In his first year, Sundar saw the Lord work in amazing ways. Fifteen people came to know the love of Christ because of Sundar’s faithful testimony and prayers, and a prayer fellowship started. Seeing this fruit, Sundar was confident the Lord would grow them into a thriving church.
Many other villages nearby also needed to hear the message of God’s love. Sundar prayed God would provide him a bicycle so he could visit more communities and expand his ministry. Within a year, God answered his prayers and the radius of Sundar’s influence stretched many more miles.
“I was really lacking a bicycle for my ministry and other works,” Sundar shares. “I was praying to God for a new bicycle, and God answered my prayers.”
Through the efforts of Sundar and the many other Gospel for Asia missionaries serving in the region, 42 new villages heard the Good News, thousands of tracts were distributed, and hundreds of people experienced Christ’s forgiveness in 2019.
Sundar continues to serve the Lord in the remote foothills of the Himalayas. He pedals to surrounding villages, making sure everyone knows about the Savior who died for them, and he is no longer alone in his work. Sundar is married and has a daughter; the family serves the Lord together. The memories of his father and his mentor inspire and encourage Sundar, spurring him on in ministry.
As Sundar is only a recent graduate, most of his ministry is still before him. But God promises that those who lose their lives for Him shall find life. The boy born blind, obscure and impoverished has found his calling and life in the grace and love of God.
God Calls Workers and Supporters
God is raising up men and women in nations where the greatest concentration of people who have not yet heard the Good News live, and He is calling them to display His love to their own people. These Gospel for Asia national missionary are able to minster in ways that many other cannot. They’ve struggled and lived through common hardships of people in their communities, such as poverty, discrimination and lack of opportunities. Yet they’ve seen God intervene in these struggles, often in miraculous ways, and have discovered alternative paths of joy and freedom. Like Sundar, they’re eager to share the hope they found in Christ with their neighbors.
We can empower their ministries through our prayers, through our giving and through our faith, becoming true partners in the work. No one can serve God alone. Every Gospel for Asia national missionary need brothers and sisters who will pray with them, rejoice with them and provide for them.
Sundar’s supporters will share in the fruit of his ministry.
There are many national missionaries in need of support. Become a partner in their ministries today, and see the fruit in eternity.
*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.
WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World and affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada) founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan – Discussing Syon, his family, his struggle with alcohol addiction, the heart transformation by God and lifting from poverty through Gospel for Asia pastor.
Syon’s family knew he needed help. His drinking had become unbearable; he couldn’t go a single day without alcohol in his system. Syon’s wife, Badriya, feared for her family. She was tired of the fighting, frustration and abuse Syon inflicted on them. At his worst, Syon had tried to kill her, and she worried that, unless something changed, he would try again.
Transformation and Trust
Gospel for Asia pastor Jyomon began his ministry in Syon’s village in 2003. After he met Syon and Badriya, he soon discovered the struggles within their family. Pastor Jyomon prayed for Syon every day and visited them weekly. Before long, the Holy Spirit moved in Syon’s life and helped him give up his drinking habit. Seeing the radical transformation, Syon and his family trusted in Jesus for everything in their lives and became involved in the church’s activities.
A few years later, Gospel for Asia pastor Sadiq took over Pastor Jyomon’s ministry. Syon and Badriya developed a good relationship with their new pastor and encouraged him. Syon would even go with Pastor Sadiq to pray for sick people in his area.
Syon’s family was very poor. Syon worked in construction, and he made very little money. However, despite their limited income, the family never skipped giving to the church. When Pastor Sadiq saw the needs of Syon’s family and their faithfulness to the church, he gifted them with a cow. Over time, Syon’s gift multiplied as the cow gave birth to calves. He used the dung to fertilize his new paddy field and was able to earn a good income from the harvest. In just a few years, Syon accumulated enough in savings to replace the leaky roof of his house, which was a tremendous blessing to his family.
With the Lord’s continued blessings in his life, Syon and his family grew in their knowledge and love of the Lord. They shared their testimony with other villagers and told of how God had so wonderfully cared for their every need. Through their testimony, five people in their village came to know Christ’s redemption.
*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: February 1, 2022 at 10:17 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 Lajita, the difficulties in her family life and relationships, the deep depression, mental health illness, and how a Gospel for Asia pastor prays and allows God to use him and his family to bring love and healing.
When people looked at Lajita, they saw a teenage girl who refused to speak and who acted like a child. However, when God looked at Lajita, He knew the deep struggles she had been through, and He saw a beautiful girl whom He loved.
Traumatic Events
Lajita (pictured) continues to heal as she experiences God’s love through Hardik and Meher’s family as the Gospel for Asia (GFA) pastor prays.
By age 17, Lajita had lived through many difficulties. She lost her father at a young age, which forced her and her mother to move to an aunt’s house in search of financial stability and an education for Lajita. With some effort, her mother was able to borrow money from her sister, secure a job at a garment factory and send Lajita to school.
While preparing for an important school exam, Lajita experienced a series of circumstances that triggered a downward spiral in her mental health.
Lajita befriended a boy from another school; but when her mother learned of her daughter’s new acquaintance, she strongly opposed the friendship. Lajita’s mother ordered her to stop seeing the boy and to focus on her studies. She even talked with the boy’s parents, demanding their son break off the relationship.
Unfortunately, the boy did not take these instructions well. He began to harass Lajita. It grew so serious she was forced to stay home in order to avoid him. She missed her classes and, eventually, her exam.
Fear and shame consumed Lajita, leading her into a deep depression. Her health declined, she stopped talking altogether and began to act like a young child. She spent her days watching the world around her without interacting with it or even moving.
Lajita’s mother worried over her daughter’s decline and sought medical attention. A local doctor diagnosed her with an illness that produced results akin to Down Syndrome, caused by the trauma she had endured.
Left Alone
This diagnosis required constant attention for Lajita. Her mother saw no other choice but to take her to live with another aunt who could provide more care. Even there, however, life was difficult for Lajita. Her uncle was an alcoholic, and the only person who paid attention to her was her aunt.
One day, Gospel for Asia (GFA)pastor Hardik and his wife, Meher, visited the home. When they heard of Lajita’s struggles, they took time to talk with her. Though Lajita did not respond, Meher gently told the young girl she was loved by Jesus. The couple prayed for Lajita’s complete healing and promised to visit her again.
Hardik and Meher continued to visit Lajita, talking to her and praying for her healing. During one of those visits, they found Lajita home alone and crying. Despite their entreaties, she refused to tell the couple what caused her tears. Hardik and Meher sat with Lajita and shared with her about God’s love while they waited for her aunt to arrive.
Hardik and Meher’s hearts broke seeing Lajita so alone and seemingly unwanted, and they decided to offer Lajita a place in their own home. They wanted the opportunity to embrace her into the love of their family.
A Family’s Embrace
Lajita’s aunt accepted Hardik and Meher’s offer, and Lajita soon moved into the couple’s home. Hardik and Meher had daughters around Lajita’s age and they welcomed her with open arms.
Together, the family incorporated Lajita into their activities. They prayed daily, continuing to ask God for Lajita’s total healing. They also sang songs, read God’s Word and loved one another. After just two weeks, Lajita’s condition began to improve. Slowly but surely, she went from silently observing the family happenings to beginning to mumble words slowly and joining in some of the singing.
After all the love and care she received from the family, Lajita made the decision to receive the love and care Jesus provides. She has begun praying and reading the Bible for herself, and she continues to heal and escape the depression that had entrapped her.
“I am happy because of Jesus’ love,” Lajita now says.
Please pray for Lajita’s complete healing and for Gospel for Asia (GFA) workers who continually exemplify God’s love to their neighbors as Hardik and Meher’s family did for Lajita.
Read Matali’s story and discover how her friendship with two Gospel for Asia Sisters of Compassion provided much needed comfort and support as she grieved loss and helped her learn how to hope again.
*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: February 3, 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 Rasa, her depression, shame and rejection from her own family, and the deliverance that walked into her life, a Gospel for Asia (GFA) missionary who shared Christ’s love.
Rasa stood in shame in front of her parents listening to the angry, disappointed words falling from their lips. How could she, their eldest daughter, engage in a secret romance with a village boy and bring disgrace to their family?
Rasa’s parents forbade her to ever leave the house alone again. She had lost their trust—and, it seemed, their love.
Locked Away
Rasa (pictured) lost her family’s approval when her secret relationship with a young man brought shame to them all. They began to hate and mistreat her, driving Rasa to seclusion and desperation.
Rasa’s home life had seemed good. Her family successfully farmed their land and lived a well-to-do lifestyle. She had completed 12 years of studies—something only one in three children accomplish in low- and middle-income countries —and enjoyed modern conveniences in her home, which many in her nation don’t have. But life became grim after her family discovered her undercover relationship. They continually scolded her, and her father even hit her.
Rasa’s parents took their daughter to a temple and performed a ceremony over her to try to break off her attraction to the young man. But Rasa’s young heart still longed for the boy. Hatred toward her built up within her family members, and Rasa withdrew into angry silence. Eventually, they locked her away in her room.
“I was left alone and did not get any love from anyone,” Rasa says.
Shame and rejection whirled within Rasa. One day, she attempted to end her life. Someone managed to save her, but Rasa did not want saving. She wanted relief. So later, she tried again—and was rescued again.
Rasa’s agony continued. Finally, she tried to commit suicide a third time, and again someone saved her. Her life was in shambles, and it seemed there would be no escape.
Hidden Daughter Meets a Friend
Then deliverance walked into Rasa’s house one day when Gospel for Asia (GFA) missionary Imani visited Rasa’s family. Sister Imani greeted Rasa’s mother, Kalani, and because Imani was a woman, Kalani welcomed her into the home despite her husband being absent.
Women missionaries like Imani and this woman are able to relate to the personal struggles of the ladies in their communities and develop close friendships. Through the ministry of these women, many ladies and girls like Rasa are discovering how much God loves and values them.
When Imani inquired if everyone in the house was present to hear some important news about Jesus, Kalani replied that one daughter suffered a sickness and was alone in her room. Hearing this, Imani offered to pray for the girl’s healing. Kalani then revealed the sobering situation the family faced and explained why Rasa was confined to her room.
Imani spoke with Rasa’s mother and siblings for a long time and heard about all their problems. She realized the young daughter carried deep hurts and had many problems—she was desperate enough to attempt suicide three times—but Imani believed Jesus could work beautiful healing in Rasa’s life. Confident in Christ’s power, Imani extended a generous offer: If Rasa and her parents consented, Rasa could stay in Imani’s home for a time to receive counseling and guidance.
“Will you go with Sister Imani?” Kalani questioned her daughter, unknowingly speaking words that would forever change the course of Rasa’s life.
Rasa immediately agreed. She did not know what it might be like to live under the care of this new woman, but she wanted anything that would get her out of her current situation. Three days later, Imani returned, and after being granted full permission to counsel Rasa according to God’s wisdom, she brought her new charge home.
Relationship with GFA Missionary Produce Change of Heart
Ministering to the needs of girls and widows was nothing new to Imani. She had been serving in this village for 15 years as a Gospel for Asia (GFA) missionary, speaking words of life and teaching women vocational skills such as sewing clothes and making kitchen utensils out of coconut shells. Imani and the troubled girl developed an especially close bond, however. Although Imani had never married or had children, she showed Rasa the love and kindness of a mother.
This woman, like Rasa, considered suicide as the only way out of her grief and pain. But hearing about God’s unconditional love, these women both found new life and unspeakable joy.
Rasa’s relationship with Imani brought hope to the girl’s life, and she gradually walked away from her past problems and decided to pursue a better life. She accompanied Imani in her ministry, meeting many people and even learning to sew clothes. Rasa also participated in daily times of prayer and scripture reading, and through them, she learned about the God whose love is unconditional. Slowly, she started a relationship with Jesus, and she found inner peace and comfort in Him.
At the end of one month, Rasa asked Christ to live in her heart. Thoughts of suicide no longer gripped her—she was free and spotless in Jesus, and shame had lost its hold on her. She was a new creation. Instead of hiding her past, she began sharing her story to testify to others of Christ’s life-changing power.
“Now, I have a loving mother and also a church family to take care of me,” Rasa says of her new friend Imani. “I thank the Lord Jesus for saving me.”
Family Reunion
Two months after Rasa went to live with Imani, she returned home to visit her family. Her parents greeted her with amazement. Their daughter was smiling. They could see love and joy in her countenance. How could this be?
Sister Imani explained to them how Jesus’ unfailing love had transformed Rasa and how her life now serves as a testimony to everyone.
Rasa’s parents wept. Their daughter who needed someone to rescue her from death three times now wore a hopeful, joyous expression; their girl who earlier had brought shame to their family was now a good example to others. Jesus had done amazing things in their daughter’s life.
Rasa’s parents wept. Their daughter who needed someone to rescue her from death three times now wore a hopeful, joyous expression.
Then they remembered how they had mistreated Rasa, and they felt deep remorse over their actions. That day, love within their family was restored.
Although Rasa reconciled with her family, she decided to continue living with Imani instead of moving back home. She wanted to keep learning about the God who received her when her family had rejected her—and help Imani bring others the hope that rescued her.
Send News of Acceptance, Unfailing Love
Imani showed Rasa a path to life in Jesus, and she helped Rasa understand God loved her when it seemed no one else did. Now, Rasa is in true fellowship with God and with her family, and she is helping Imani carry God’s message to others.
The message of God’s forgiveness and unfailing love is desperately needed around the world. According to the World Health Organization, there are as many as 16 million suicide attempts each year. Millions more don’t attempt suicide but are burdened by discontentment and grief. Each person on the brink of choosing death over life has unique situations and sorrows, but in Jesus, they can find acceptance and abundant life.
A Gospel for Asia (GFA) missionary brings life-saving news to people in desperate need of God’s endless love. Your partnership today will enable many more people to encounter that message!
You can help send a GFA missionary like Imani to people in Asia who are on the brink of hopelessness. Your gift of any amount will help bring news of God’s unconditional love and healing to those who need it most. Donate today and help point people to a path that leads to life!
*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: February 3, 2022 at 10:47 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 – Each year, the Gospel for Asia radio ministry receives thousands of responses to broadcasts. Radio correspondents pray for listeners and personally respond to the letters, phone calls and emails they receive.
Every day, countless people in Asia tune in to Gospel for Asia (GFA)radio programs to find encouragement, learn how to live a morally upright life and hear about the love of Jesus Christ. By God’s grace, these broadcasts bring hope for many at just the right moment in their lives and are continually opening doors for further ministry.
To help celebrate more than 40 years of Gospel for Asia’s radio ministry, we’ve included five short stories about the miracles God has performed in Asia through radio. Thank you for standing with us to help proclaim the name of Jesus.
Man Regains Lost Railway Job
When Rajani lost his railway job, he gave up all hope. He worried about meeting his family’s needs. Then one day while tuning his radio, Rajani heard a broadcast from a Gospel for Asia (GFA) radio program. “God cares for you; therefore there’s no need to fear,” the speaker said. “Believe in the Lord and take courage.”
Encouraged, Rajani began to ask the Lord for peace in his heart and the restoration of his job. Soon after, he reapplied for his job, and the Lord gave Rajani back his position with the railway! Today, Rajani continues to find encouragement through Gospel for Asia (GFA) radio broadcasts.
Healing through a Phone Call
A painful boil on Sharadendu’s back oozed pus and left him with a high fever. He tried using several different kinds of medicine, but nothing he tried could heal him or give him relief from his agony.
But on the radio Sharadendu had heard of a healing God. One day, he called a Gospel for Asia (GFA) radio station, and the people in the office prayed for his healing. Later, the radio station received a letter from Sharadendu.
“You prayed for my healing over the phone,” he said. “God did a miracle on that day itself. He delivered me from great pain. Thank you for your kind prayers. Praise God.”
Waiting for Marriage
Simrit worried about finding a husband. Many women in Asia are married in their early 20s, but Simrit was 31 years old. Even her relatives and neighbors mocked her because she wasn’t married.
When she found out about a Gospel for Asia (GFA) radio program, she sent a letter to the radio station to tell them of her sorrows. The staff at the station prayed for Simrit and wrote her a letter of encouragement.
Sometime later, Simrit wrote to the radio station again with joyful news: God had given her a husband! Today Simrit and her husband are walking side by side in awe of the God who brought them together.
They Prayed for Nine Months
James’ younger sister had been married for several years, but she and her husband had no children.
Out of compassion for his sister, James wrote to a Gospel for Asia (GFA) radio station, asking for prayer on his sister’s behalf.
Each time the staff at the radio station came together for prayer, they prayed for James’ sister. Nine months later, the staff received another letter from James.
“I am so thankful to you and for your prayers. God has granted a baby girl for my younger sister through your prayers,” the letter said. “Also, I never miss your radio program. Really, the message, which you are sharing, is very much a blessing for me and my family.”
In cities, villages and rural communities throughout Asia, listening to radio programs at home is a favorite pastime, which makes radio an effective tool for ministering to people.
In cities, villages and rural communities throughout Asia, listening to radio programs at home is a favorite pastime, which makes radio an effective tool for ministering to people.
A Timely Letter
No matter how many steps Kanvar took, his legs refused to co-operate. An accident had hindered his natural stride and left his body tense and sore. As a listener of a Gospel for Asia (GFA) radio broadcast, Kanvar wrote a letter to the radio station, and to his joy, he received one in return.
The letter lifted Kanvar’s spirits and gave him hope in the Lord, and his health began to improve!
*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.
This month’s food distribution will be the third monthly food giveaway at GFA World’s headquarters in Wills Point, benefiting families largely from Van Zandt and Kaufman counties.
GROCERY GIVEAWAY: Bishop Danny Yohannan of Wills Point-based ministry Gospel for Asia (GFA World), Wills Point Mayor Mark Turner and other local volunteers help distribute USDA “Farmers to Families” food boxes to support local families impacted by the COVID-19 downturn. GFA World will hold another food giveaway Sat. Sept. 19 from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. — or until USDA food boxes run out — at its campus at 1116 St. Thomas Way, Wills Point.
The international mission agency — known for its humanitarian work in Asia — is planning to stage local food distributions every month while supplies last.
To help the local community during the pandemic, Gospel for Asia (GFA World) is partnering with Body of Life (www.bodyoflife.org) — a Christian nonprofit spearheading efforts to feed hungry people across Texas.
Last month, hundreds of families received USDA “Farmers to Families” produce boxes, loaded into their vehicles by local volunteers, including Gospel for Asia (GFA World) vice president Bishop Danny Yohannan and Wills Point Mayor Mark Turner.
Next Event: Sept. 19
“If anyone is in need of food, we invite them to come to our next event on Sept. 19,” Yohannan said. The event will take place at GFA World’s campus at 1116 St. Thomas Way in Wills Point, from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. — or until USDA food boxes run out — on Sat. Sept. 19.
“While we’ve been able to distribute food here in Texas, thousands of our parishes in Asia are distributing food to tens of thousands of families each month during this Covid-19 crisis,” Yohannan said. “Even in the midst of this pandemic, God has given the church worldwide great opportunities to love others with his love in tangible ways.”
Anyone interested can follow GFA World on Facebook to stay in the loop about upcoming local food giveaways at the ministry’s headquarters, as well as the organization’s work overseas.
Headquartered in Wills Point, Texas, 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: 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.
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.
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