The Stranger at the Bazaar: How an Abused Woman Finds Hope

Last updated on: April 22, 2022 at 6:00 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 Maliha, alone and abandoned, the unfolding of her history, and the Gospel for Asia (GFA) pastor who helps this abused woman find hope.

he clamor of bargaining could be heard above the bustling crowds. Stalls displayed beautiful fabrics of bright colors and patterns, while the aroma of food wafted in the air. In the midst of all this excitement, a mysterious woman strolled aimlessly down the street of the bazaar.

The woman was a stranger to the village. Her pitiful condition quickly became the dialogue of the bazaar. “Who is she, and where did she come from?” the villagers and venders alike whispered among themselves. No one knew. Some said she was mentally insane and did their best to avoid her. Others had compassion and tossed a few coins her way. She tried to tell them her story, but only a few listened, and no one tried to help her.

GFA founded by Dr. K. P. Yohannan: Discussing Maliha, alone and abandoned, the unfolding of her history, and the Gospel for Asia pastor's help this abused woman find hope. — Maliha (not pictured) wandered around the bazaar. She didn’t know where she was, and some people whispered about her. She was a stranger, lost, disheartened and alone.

She Needed a Hand to Hold

The woman established a spot near the roadside and under a tree. There, she silently wept and slept. She had with her all her belongings: a small bundle of clothes. During the day she begged, and when the night sky descended, she was alone. But the Lord knew her story and sent His servants to help rescue this precious woman He created.

Our pastor Chhiring and his wife, Gunita, had caught word about the stranger at the bazaar, and they wanted to see how they could help her. They found the woman with dirty clothing and a troubled face begging in front of a tea shop.

Pastor Chhiring gently talked to her and asked if she needed anything. She looked at him but said nothing. Then Gunita placed her hand in the woman’s, a small expression of love, and the woman allowed them to lead the way to their home.

Stranger Reveals Her Story

Pastor Chhiring told the woman she could stay with them as one of their own family members. He encouraged his wife and other believers not to pressure the woman to talk, but only help her feel comfortable. She would talk when she was ready. In the safety of Pastor Chhiring and Gunita’s home, trust grew in the woman’s heart. The next day she confided in Gunita and told her story.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Maliha eloped with a man she thought loved her and would give her a happy life. But one day all this changed, and he would beat her for no apparent reason. — Maliha (pictured) eloped with a man she thought loved her and would give her a happy life. But one day all this changed, and he would beat her for no apparent reason.

Her name was Maliha, and she came from a distant village. As she matured, many people in her village noticed her beauty and tried to tempt her to run away with them. For a year, she resisted, but a young man eventually lured Maliha after he declared his love for her and promised he would give her a happy life and never leave her. Maliha eloped with this man and moved away from her widowed mother.

After Maliha had two young children, she noticed her husband started to change. He became violent, physically and verbally abusing Maliha. Maliha’s mother, siblings and even her neighbors asked her to make a stand against her husband’s violence, but they never dared face him themselves.

Exposing Her Husband’s Secret

These sudden changes left Maliha with many questions. She didn’t know why her husband seemed to suddenly hate her when he had promised to love her before.

Then she discovered the secret he was hiding: Maliha’s husband had been unfaithful to her.

When Maliha gathered the courage to ask him about it, he beat her and yelled at her and the children. He announced his intention of bringing another woman into the house. Shocked and hurt, Maliha and the children cried loudly. The neighbors heard the awful commotion and ran to their house. They saw poor Maliha’s swollen face and blood streaming down her head from her husband’s beating. When her husband saw a crowd forming, he declared with a booming voice that his wife had gone mad.

A week later, Maliha’s husband said he would take her to the doctor, but instead he dumped her in a village she didn’t know, in a place where she could never find her way back. Deserted, lost and wounded in body and heart, Maliha found herself alone in the bazaar—until she met Gunita and Pastor Chhiring.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Maliha found love and rescue when Pastor Chhiring and his wife, Gunita, welcomed her into their home as one of the family. Now, Maliha has hope in Jesus, and He is healing her past. — Maliha found love and rescue when Pastor Chhiring and his wife, Gunita (pictured), welcomed her into their home as one of the family. Now, Maliha has hope in Jesus, and He is healing her past.

Church Welcomes Abused Woman

Gunita’s heart welled with deep love and compassion for Maliha as she listened to the broken woman share her story. She relayed the story to her husband, and he prayed and shared with his congregation. The entire church listened when he asked them to welcome Maliha into their hearts as one of their own sisters. Together as a church, they all prayed fervently for her and received her with love. Maliha grew under the care of her church family as they displayed Christ’s kindness toward her.

Although she was unable to return to her family, Maliha now has learned to pour out her heart to Jesus. She knows He loves her and desires her to call upon Him. She has a new life in Christ and a heavenly Husband who cares deeply for her and heals her wounded past.

Whenever her heart aches for her children and husband, she is reminded by Pastor Chhiring that her life is secure in Jesus’ hands. The woman who was once beaten, abused and abandoned now has a family and has been found and held by Jesus!

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Women in Asia are often abused and forgotten. You can tell her she is loved and precious in the sight of Jesus! — Women in Asia are often abused and forgotten. You can tell her she is loved and precious in the sight of Jesus!

Be a Voice of Hope

Many women in Asia suffer from being abused, overlooked and forgotten by the men in their lives. Maliha opened up to Gunita and was able to share her heart. We at Gospel for Asia (GFA) desire to show these precious women that they are valued and loved by God. You can be part of this, too, by donating to a Gospel for Asia Women’s Ministry today.

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

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

Source: Gospel for Asia Featured Article, The Stranger at the Bazaar

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

Learn more about Gospel for Asia’s programs to combat the 100 million missing women reality by helping women through Vocational Training, Sewing Machines and Literacy Training.

Read Gospel for Asia’s Special Report on An Imaginative Exercise in Empathetic Fear — Think about Living in a Community with Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women

Read another Special Report from Gospel for Asia on 100 Million Missing Women.

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

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

From Attempted Suicide to Healing for Depression

Last updated on: April 23, 2022 at 11:36 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 Utsang, the unexplainable depression unto attempts of self-harm and suicide, and the help from Gospel for Asia (GFA) pastor, bringing deliverance and healing.

tsang sat atop the bus and ordered the driver to stop. The other passengers stared at Utsang while he shook uncontrollably. Then they jumped to his aid when he tried to kill himself. Something was terribly wrong.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Discussing Utsang, his depression unto attempts of self-harm & suicide, & the help from Gospel for Asia supported pastor, bringing deliverance and healing. — Utsang (pictured) was drowning in depression until Christ brought him into new life.

Unexplainable Depression

One year earlier, Utsang had said goodbye to his wife, Sreva, in their remote village and moved to a large city in search of better work. He found a position in the construction industry that paid much better than the hit-or-miss daily labor jobs his tiny village offered, and everything seemed to be going well.

Then a cloud of unexplainable anxiety moved over his mind. Utsang withdrew from others and lived in turmoil. He took medications for severe depression, but his internal darkness only grew. Work became impossible. Self-harm and suicide attempts came next, until finally, Sreva came to bring him home.

While riding the bus together back to their small village, Utsang started quivering and acting strange. He forced the bus to stop, then tried to commit suicide yet again. The only thing Sreva, and the other passengers knew to do was hold Utsang down to prevent him from harming himself.

A Step Toward Healing

Two women riding the bus realized what was happening to Utsang. They approached Sreva and said, “If you allow us, we want to pray for him. We are Christians, and we pray to God when someone is not feeling well.”

These women attended a nearby church led by one of our pastors Batsal, and their faith set off a chain of miracles in Utsang’s life.

Sreva gave her consent, and the women prayed over Utsang in Jesus’ name, seeking healing and deliverance from his affliction. After 30 minutes of prayer, Utsang calmed down and regained his composure.

The other travelers observed all this and sat shocked by what had transpired. The women shared about the power of Christ and invited Utsang to come to church for more prayer.

Determination Produces Deliverance

Oddly enough, Utsang did not seek more help from Christ right away. First, Utsang visited local witch doctors, but the treatments he tried failed to lift his depression. His fellow villagers grew saddened at his condition and bleak future. Finally, some villagers convinced Utsang to try going to church for more prayer, even though they themselves did not follow Christ. Jesus had helped him on the bus; maybe He would do it again.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Pastor Batsal and his wife (pictured) generously allowed Utsang and Sreva to live in their home for an entire year while Utsang received God’s healing. — Pastor Batsal and his wife (pictured) generously allowed Utsang and Sreva to live in their home for an entire year while Utsang received God’s healing.

Utsang took their advice and started receiving prayer at Pastor Batsal’s church in a neighboring village. But when other villagers saw him attending church, they tried to stop him. They even forbade Utsang and Sreva from entering any home in the community.

Determined to find healing, Utsang and Sreva would not give in to the pressure from their neighbors. Instead, they left their home and moved to Pastor Batsal’s village. The pastor opened his own home to the rejected couple, and they stayed with him for an entire year.

Gradually, God did a great miracle in Utsang’s life. The peace of God vanquished Utsang’s depression and carried Utsang into a life of joy and hope. Utsang and Sreva both started personal relationships with Christ—and after seeing the change in their father, Utsang’s two grown daughters did as well.

Utsang and Sreva now live in their own home. They consistently worship their merciful Deliverer, who used two faithful women on a bus to point Utsang toward healing.

Read the testimony of a man who found God while riding a motorcycle.

Source: Gospel for Asia Field Report, Rescuers on a Bus

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

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

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

Gospel for Asia Provides Defense Against Malaria

Last updated on: April 22, 2021 at 7:29 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 71-year-old widow Bhranti, her struggle against the danger of malaria, and Christmas gift distribution of Gospel for Asia provides defense against malaria through mosquito nets.

n old, tattered net is all that separated 71-year-old Bhranti from the mosquitoes buzzing outside her home. Any one of those pesky insects potentially carried a historically feared disease: malaria.

Danger All Around

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Discussing 71-year-old widow Bhranti, the danger of malaria, and mosquito nets gift distribution of Gospel for Asia providing defense against malaria. — Bhranti, pictured here, no longer has to worry about mosquitoes biting her in the night thanks to the new net she received.

Malaria killed more than 400,000 people worldwide in 2018. The World Health Organization considers mosquito nets among the most important measures taken to combat malaria. Insecticide-treated mosquito nets have helped lower the number of deaths in recent years, and they are the only protection millions of people in Asia have against the harmful disease.

But Bhranti did not have a good net.

Bhranti’s husband passed away more than 10 years ago. All four of her daughters married, leaving the widow by herself. Every night, the ragged net Bhranti used as protection against mosquitoes went over her bed. The older widow desperately needed a new net, but she simply did not possess the money to purchase one.

Blessed with a New Net

Our Pastor Sutak happened to be out ministering one day when he met Bhranti. After conversing with the pastor for a few minutes, Bhranti shared her situation with him. Hearing the widow’s story and seeing her tattered net, Pastor Sutak knew something needed to be done. Before he left Pastor Sutak encouraged Bhranti from God’s Word, saying her needs would be provided for.

By the grace of God, the local church held a Christmas gift distribution in Bhranti’s village later that year. There, the widow was presented with a brand-new mosquito net.

“I am so grateful to the [Gospel for Asia workers] for their love and care and for providing a mosquito net,” Bhranti says. “Now I do not need to worry about buying a mosquito net as I have received a new one.”

Bhranti’s previous fear of contracting malaria is gone, thanks to her new net.

Hear other amazing stories of struggling families in Asia that were aided in their defense against mosquitoes.

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

Source: Gospel for Asia Field Report, A Defense Against Malaria

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

Read another Special Report from Gospel for Asia on Fighting Malaria – A Chilling Disease: Mosquito Netting and Malaria Prevention Combat a Parasitic Genius.

Learn more by reading this special report from Gospel for Asia: It Takes Only One Mosquito – to lead to remarkable truths about faith-based organizations and world health.

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

Gospel for Asia Takes Courage When the Ground Shakes

Last updated on: April 23, 2022 at 11:49 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 Gospel for Asia Disaster Relief, the chaos and disaster the 7.8 magnitude Earthquake brought in Nepal in 2015, and the unflinching practical love through relief work and education through Bridge of Hope.

“A

ll the believers began to scream and weep. I told them not to be afraid and also not to run outside,” said Pastor Pahil.

The Gospel for Asia (GFA) pastor thought their village, surrounded by hills, was experiencing a landslide. But when the shaking continued, he began to understand the reality of the situation.

Pastor Pahil and his congregation of believers were worshiping together when the first earthquake struck the country of Nepal on April 25, 2015. The frightened believers huddled together inside their simple church building, which was made of tin sheets and wood. Even nonbelievers ran inside the doors of the church, hoping to find safety. Pastor Pahil encouraged the people to pray as they waited for the chaos to end. Eventually it did—but not without overwhelming loss.

Rumors and Anxiety

The earthquake registered as a 7.8 in magnitude and was the worst earthquake to hit Nepal in decades, resulting in devastation for much of the central regions of the nation. It took its toll on nearly all of the homes in Pastor Pahil’s village, causing cracks in the walls and shifts in the foundations. Four homes belonging to believers and two school buildings were destroyed. Six people died and 17 more were injured.

Many in Pastor Pahil’s village lived in fear after the first earthquake subsided. Rumors spread among them that the world was coming to an end and that another earthquake would finish the job. Pahil encouraged the people with Scripture verses, such as ones in Matthew 24, to calm their anxieties.

“[The earthquake] is just the sign of the last days. It is not the last day,” Pahil told them.

He assured them of God’s goodness and that He is the protector of His people.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: When people in Pastor Pahil's village started to fear the possibility of another earthquake, Pahil encouraged them with the Word of God. — When people in Pastor Pahil’s village started to fear the possibility of another earthquake, Pahil encouraged them with the Word of God.

As multiple smaller tremors continued to trouble the nation almost daily for the next few weeks, Pastor Pahil and many of the villagers moved temporarily to the grounds of a nearby hospital. There, in safety, the people became accustomed to the frequent, ground-shaking tremors. When another large earthquake hit the nation on May 12, they were unalarmed. The constant unrest and instability had become the most consistent part of the villagers’ lives.

Gospel for Asia Disaster Relief Work Begins

Eventually the aftershocks died down. As people moved back to their villages and tried to pick up the pieces of their lives, Pastor Pahil and the congregation reached out to their neighbors through prayer and encouragement.

Compassion Services teams were able to provide Gospel for Asia (GFA) disaster relief, administering food, shelter and other items to the earthquake victims. Pastor Pahil and the believers also did what they could to help the many in need.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Gospel for Asia Disaster Relief - As the villagers began to make a new start, Pastor Pahil and the other believers ministered to those in need by providing food and shelter. — As the villagers began to make a new start, Pastor Pahil and the other believers ministered to those in need by providing food and shelter.

“We got more opportunities to meet, encourage and share [Christ’s love] with them,” Pahil said. People from the surrounding areas traveled to Pastor Pahil’s village in search of safety as well. Many of them had been forced out of their own communities by landslides triggered by the quakes. The believers shared their clothing, food and shelter with those around them. As time passed, people slowly began to rebuild their lives, yet the definite need for schooling still remained.

Bridge of Hope Provides a Future

With both school buildings destroyed and classes out of session, children were left with no way to continue their education. When Pastor Pahil recognized the need, he helped establish a Bridge of Hope center in the village. The center provided many children with tutoring, school supplies, uniforms and nutritious meals.

Two young boys, Sejun and Badal, joined the center. After the earthquake, Sejun and Badal had traveled with their families to Pastor Pahil’s village with nothing but the clothes on their backs. All of their belongings had been destroyed in a landslide. Everyone in their village was forced to relocate.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Sejun and Badal's families lost nearly everything in the earthquake that struck Nepal in 2015, but Bridge of Hope helped give them a fresh start. — Sejun and Badal’s families lost nearly everything in the earthquake that struck Nepal in 2015, but Bridge of Hope helped give them a fresh start.

As the boys attended the center, the kindness and compassion of the Bridge of Hope staff greatly impacted the families’ lives. Soon Sejun’s and Badal’s families began to realize Christ’s compassion toward them. They are grateful for the help they received from the Body of Christ, especially after having lost much of their livelihoods in the earthquake.

Practical Love Offers Hope in Trial

Though the earthquake’s destruction was catastrophic, Pastor Pahil has an optimistic outlook on the situation. He’s seen the people in his village respond to God’s love and faithfulness in the midst of trial and tragedy. Through the believers’ tangible example of Christ’s love in their relief work, six villagers have decided to follow the Lord.

“The villagers’ attitude toward Christians . . . has been totally changed since the earthquake,” Pastor Pahil says. “Now they take us positively.”

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Much of the damage caused by the earthquake in Nepal is long-lasting, but Gospel for Asia workers are continuing to help as the nation recovers. — Much of the damage caused by the earthquake in Nepal is long-lasting, but our workers are continuing to help as the nation recovers.

God has shown His goodness in the aftermath of this tragedy, and He will continue to bring people to Himself as the nation recovers. Though the first earthquake to strike Nepal in 2015 occurred years ago, our workers are still on the ground helping communities and individuals rebuild.

Learn more about Gospel for Asia Disaster Relief Work, where our national workers serve victims of natural disasters, such as earthquakes, cyclones and floods, and how to help GFA Compassion Services teams provide things like food, blankets, medicine and other emergency supplies to disaster-affected people and villages across Asia.

Learn more about the Bridge of Hope program and how you can make an incredible difference in the lives of children, bringing hope to their lives and their families, transforming communities.

Source: Gospel for Asia Featured Article, Courage When the Ground Shakes

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

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

How Gospel for Asia Goats Fixed a Leaky Roof

Last updated on: April 26, 2022 at 12:25 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 Kripal and his family, the deep poverty, illness, grief and despair, and the help and hope brought by Gospel for Asia (GFA) pastor and the gift of goats through Gospel for Asia’s Gift Catalog.

Water dripped through the roof made of tiles and grass and landed in puddles around four children and the frail body of Kripal’s wife, Bani. A strange sickness held her life in its grip and kept her from eating, slowly stealing her strength until she couldn’t even walk properly. Doctors and those who practiced traditional healing ceremonies failed to cure Bani, but that didn’t stop them from demanding payment.

In addition to Bani’s health problems, the family was distressed by another faceless trouble: During the night, they heard strange noises on their roof. It worried them and interrupted their sleep.

Gradually, Kripal’s family slipped into poverty, grief and despair.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Unable to find a cure for her strange illness, Bani (pictured) grew very weak, plunging her family into poverty as they struggled to find a cure. — Unable to find a cure for her strange illness, Bani (pictured) grew very weak, plunging her family into poverty as they struggled to find a cure.

Hope Comes by Word of Mouth

Kripal’s grief and problems were evident, and a family of believers in his village watched his struggles. They sympathized with his poverty and sorrowful plight, and they shared his story with their pastor, Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported pastor Taranga, and asked him to visit Kripal.

Without delay, Pastor Taranga and a group of believers visited Kripal and Bani. They prayed earnestly for Bani’s healing and asked the Lord to deliver the family from the distress that burdened their hearts. They also prayed for a way for Kripal to climb out of the deep poverty his family had fallen into because of Bani’s health issues.

As Pastor Taranga and the believers continued visiting Kripal’s family and praying for them, the Lord worked His miracles in Kripal’s and Bani’s lives. Bani gradually gained back her strength and found freedom from her mysterious illness, and the unusual noises her family heard around their home vanished, so they finally enjoyed peaceful sleep again.

Touched by the mercy and love they experienced, they desired to know Jesus and be known by Him.

Kripal and Bani realized that, while all their own efforts to find healing and peace brought no relief, Jesus graciously answered the simple prayers of His children on their behalf. Touched by the mercy and love they experienced, they desired to know Jesus and be known by Him.

A Helping Hand for Struggling Family

Kripal’s family faithfully gathered with Pastor Taranga’s congregation for times of worship and fellowship, and they grew together in their knowledge of God. With good health and new peace in their hearts, their lives were much improved. However, their financial situation continued to trouble them.

The effects of Bani’s sickness and their search for treatment had left them very poor, and though she was healthy now, they still couldn’t make ends meet. Their roof leaked, their children needed clothing and school supplies, and providing food for a family of six was no small task.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Gospel for Asia’s Gift Catalog enables pastors in Asia to bless families with income-generating gifts. Kripal received two goats at a gift distribution, which changed his life significantly. — Gospel for Asia’s *Gift Catalog* enables pastors in Asia to bless families with income-generating gifts. Kripal received two goats at a gift distribution, which changed his life significantly.

But God was with Kripal and Bani, and He saw their struggles. Faithful to care for His children, God prompted believers to help Kripal’s pastor give families income-generating gifts, the kinds found in Gospel for Asia’s Gift Catalog.

Soon, Kripal and 200 other people eagerly gathered to receive gifts that carried the potential to completely change their lives. Dozens of families walked up to receive cows or sewing machines—their new sources of income and hope—and when Kripal’s name was called, a pair of goats stood ready to meet their new owner.

Goats Multiply, Blessing Increases

Kripal quickly embraced his new livelihood as a goatherd and faithfully cared for his precious gift. His area was well suited for raising goats, and the gift that started out as two quickly multiplied. Within one year, Kripal had 12 bouncy goats under his care!

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Kripal’s family (pictured) carefully raised their goats, enabling Kripal to provide food, clothing and education for his children, as well as a tin roof for their home. — Kripal’s family (pictured) carefully raised their goats, enabling Kripal to provide food, clothing and education for his children, as well as a tin roof for their home.

Today, Kripal’s goats have enabled him to pay his children’s school fees, and whenever his family needs rice, potatoes or vegetables, Bani has enough money to go to the market. Kripal even sold six goats to purchase tin sheets for his roof, so now their house keeps them dry and warm, even during the rainy season.

Kripal and Bani are full of joy and gratitude to the One who is near to them each day. They praise God for not only extending His healing hand toward them, but for also offering them a helping hand and enabling them to care for their family.

Tell People of God’s Love

Only a few years ago, Kripal’s home was filled with anxiousness, sickness, poverty and despair, but Christ led his family into a new life filled with hope and peace through a personal relationship with their Healer.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: God is using these goats to bring Kripal and Bani out of poverty and remind them of His continual presence. — God is using these goats to bring Kripal and Bani out of poverty and remind them of His continual presence.

You can be Jesus’ hands and feet to families like Kripal’s. By giving gifts that meet practical needs and carry the story of the hope God gave to the world, you can help moms, dads, grandparents and children discover Emmanuel, God With Us.

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

Source: Gospel for Asia Featured Article, How Goats Fixed a Leaky Roof

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

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

Reviving Health and Blooming Faith: Gospel for Asia Pastor Brings Jesus Well to Village

Last updated on: April 26, 2022 at 12:28 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 acute dangers of not having access to clean and safe water, and the Gospel for Asia Jesus Wells that brought health and the hope of Jesus.

In the midst of Asian farmland, villagers toiled under the sweltering heat of the sun. After a long, tiring day in the fields cultivating potatoes and green chilies, the diligent farmers refreshed themselves with a glass of murky water. Their drinking water often led to sickness, but there was no other choice.

Meeting the Obvious Need

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: This is Pastor Turag with his wife and children. God has used Pastor Turag to change people’s lives and rescue them from waterborne illness. — This is Pastor Turag with his wife and children. God has used Pastor Turag to change people’s lives and rescue them from waterborne illness.

Gospel for Asia (GFA) pastor Turag was like the daily laborers in many ways. He too, grew up working alongside his parents in the fields. He lived knowing about Christ but having no relationship with God. It wasn’t until a missionary shared Revelation 3:20 with him years earlier that he began living for Christ. Now, as he stepped foot in the new village the Lord had called him to serve, he had no idea the ways God was going to use his life.

When Pastor Turag considered the struggling state of the villagers and the polluted water they drank and used for cooking and bathing, God’s love and burden grew inside him. Bad water was their consistent trial. Seeing the tremendous need, Turag quickly made a request to his leaders for a Jesus Well to be drilled.

While he waited for the Jesus Well to be approved and installed, Pastor Turag encouraged the people of the village and built relationships and prayed with them.

By the grace of God, a Jesus Well was installed with John 4:13–14 inscribed on the plaque. The doors to Christ’s love opened in a new way. The practical gift helped the villagers lives and they would never be the same. They were so grateful.

663 Million People Without Access to Clean Water

One day, after the Jesus Well was drilled, Pastor Turag met a villager named Darpan. As they were talking, Darpan asked a question he had been mulling around in his mind: Why did Pastor Turag help them get a Jesus Well? Who would do such a generous action for the villagers?

Pastor Turag shared how the Lord had provided the well through supporters across the globe.

“This Jesus Well is very helpful for us,” Darpan said, “because we used to draw impure water, which was very harmful. Because of that impure water, often villagers would get sick.”

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Pastor Turag was able to tell the villagers that, although the Jesus Well will help prevent illness, Jesus is the One who can heal every sickness and in Him is Living Water! — Pastor Turag was able to tell the villagers that, although the Jesus Well will help prevent illness, Jesus is the One who can heal every sickness and in Him is Living Water!

Darpan and his fellow villagers made up just a few of the 663 million people worldwide who don’t have access to safe water. Contaminated water can cause headaches, confusion, stomach pains, vomiting and diarrhea. Long-term exposure to impurities, like arsenic, can lead to skin diseases, cancer or—if not treated—coma and death. But the Jesus Well helped save many from that fate.

By seeing the fruit of God’s love through the simple but desperately needed gift of clean water, Darpan wondered who Jesus really was. Who was this God Pastor Turag knew? Darpan was a Christian by name, but he didn’t fully understand the love of God and His grace and mercy revealed on the cross. He asked Pastor Turag to share more about Jesus.

“Jesus answered and said to her: ‘Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”
—John 14:13-14

Pastor Turag explained that the Jesus Well could help people be free from waterborne illnesses, but Jesus Christ can heal every sickness if you believe in Him. As he shared from God’s Word, the Spirit touched Darpan’s heart forever.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Jesus Wells impact many villages and individuals, just like this well changed the lives of the people pictured. — Gospel for Asia (GFA) Jesus Wells impact many villages and individuals, just like this well changed the lives of the people pictured.

Jesus Well Impacts Entire Village

Soon a friendship developed between Pastor Turag and Darpan. Darpan found hope in his heart, and he wanted Jesus to change his life. Darpan and his family were the first fruits of Pastor Turag’s faithful prayers and service to the Lord. This was the beginning of Pastor Turag’s fellowship.

Darpan’s new faith and trust in the Lord opened the doorway for others to experience Christ’s love, and eventually other villagers began to respond to Jesus’s love, too. Soon the congregation grew to be more than 30 faithful believers!

It was a very small beginning when Pastor Turag came to this village, but God used His faithful servant and the simplicity of clean water to help people see they can be washed clean by the love of Christ!

“I never thought that God will work in this way,” Pastor Turag said.

Today, Pastor Turag is continuing to serve the Lord with passion and a burden for the people around him. The Lord answered his prayers for the Jesus Well and has established the work of his hands.

Give Them Water and an Opportunity to Live

The Lord used the Jesus Well in Darpan’s village to transform his life—and that of many others. Jesus Wells help rescue families from illness and serve the community in a practical way!

Learn more about how to provide pure, clean water to families and villages through Gospel for Asia Jesus Wells and BioSand Water Filters.

Source: Gospel for Asia Featured Article, Reviving Health and Blooming Faith

Read the Solving the World Water Crisis for Good special report — Lasting Solutions Can Defeat an Age-old Problem.

Learn more by reading The Global Clean Water Crisis special report — Finding Solutions to Humanity’s Need for Pure, Safe Water.

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

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

Too Poor for Suicide: Gospel for Asia Pastor Introduces Widowed Mother to New Life

Last updated on: November 25, 2021 at 2:06 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 widowed mother Chamudi, the sickness and hunger, sheer hopelessness unto thoughts of suicide, and the encounter with one of our pastors that God use to bring life.

Suicide. The thought pulsed in Chamudi’s mind as relentlessly as the hunger that gnawed in her stomach. Completely broken at the thought of her children’s suffering, Chamudi decided today was the day to end it all—for herself and for her children.

A Hole in the Broken Heart of a Widowed Mother

Twice in 10 years, illnesses turned Chamudi’s world upside down. First, her husband died from a brain tumor, thrusting her into the life of a single mother in a culture that often looked down upon widows. Second, Chamudi received terrible news: She had a hole in her heart.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Discussing widowed mother Chamudi, the hunger & thoughts of suicide, and the encounter with a Gospel for Asia supported pastor that God use to bring life. — Chamudi, like this widow, could not provide food for her children. Her heart broke over the suffering of her children.

The doctors told her she should not do hard labor or get tired, and unless she received an operation, she would soon die. Desperate for a way to provide for her children, but severely limited in what she could do, Chamudi searched for any light work she could find. She washed dishes and served as a maid, but hunger crept into her home and became a consistent part of life. If she was unable to regularly put food on the table for her precious children, then there was no way she could buy medication to help her condition.

Chamudi was in turmoil. She was going to die, and misery would taint however many more days she had left. Her stomach ached unbearably. She thought of her young children—if enduring hunger caused such agony for her, a grown woman, how much more difficult it must be for her young, confused children? And once she was gone, her children would suffer even more. They would be alone, vulnerable against any who would seek to exploit them.

As bleak as the present was, the future looked even worse to Chamudi.

Buying Death

One morning, Chamudi again found no food for her children’s breakfast and could bear it no longer. She knew of only one way to end all their pain—suicide. If she couldn’t help her children live with peace, she could give them peace through death.

They would drink poison and be free from pain together. Yes, that was the solution. She found no help from her gods, and she had no one to turn to. Better to end it all now, she thought.

Rather than face slow starvation, Chamudi decided suicide would be a better end for herself and her children.

Through her cloud of hopelessness, she realized she didn’t even have money to buy poison. Chamudi slumped onto the only bench she had in her house and thought about how she could earn enough to bring about her family’s death.

Life Comes Knocking

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: When our pastor Alak visited Chamudi's home, she revealed her decision to commit suicide that very day. — When our pastor Alak visited Chamudi’s home, she revealed her decision to commit suicide that very day. Pastor Alak (pictured here during his early days of ministry nearly 20 years ago) spoke to her broken heart and encouraged her to seek peace from Jesus.

From her position on her bench, Chamudi watched in surprise as a man dressed in black pants and a white shirt came walking toward her house. She didn’t recognize the middle-aged stranger. Rising from her seat, Chamudi curiously approached him.

He introduced himself as Alak, the Gospel for Asia (GFA) pastor of a local congregation. He offered the disheartened woman some literature, which sparked a conversation about Jesus and the new life Christ offers.

As they talked, Chamudi shared about her poverty and hopeless situation, and she eventually disclosed to him her intention of killing herself and her children that very day. Taking the timely opportunity God provided to minister to Chamudi, Pastor Alak prayed earnestly for her and encouraged her to trust in Jesus.

Chamudi’s religious convictions forbad her from going to a Christian worship service, but as she learned more about God’s redeeming love and listened to Pastor Alak’s prayer, peace entered her heart. She found a dose of hope that day, and she decided to learn more about the One who sent someone to her to keep her from death.

The Restoring Power of God

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Touched by God's mercy and kindness, Chamudi and her children underwent complete transformation at the hand of God. — Touched by God’s mercy and kindness, Chamudi and her children (pictured) underwent complete transformation at the hand of God.

Chamudi and her children started visiting Pastor Alak’s congregation, bringing their troubles and sorrows to the Lord. Soon, Chamudi found a small business she could run from her home! She received cloth from a factory and sewed children’s clothing. The work was gentle, and her new income enabled her to feed her children.

Hope filled Chamudi’s heart, as well as love for the God who provided for her family. She continued learning about the Lord through the local church, and her love for Jesus impelled her to ask Him to adopt her into His family and give her new life.

Finding work was just the beginning of the answers to prayer Chamudi received. When Chamudi went to the hospital to buy medication with her new earnings, the doctors said her condition had improved! And just as the Lord sent Pastor Alak to Chamudi’s house on the day she planned to die, He later sent another man to impact Chamudi’s life—except this one married her. Athula, who worked at the factory where Chamudi received her cloth, linked his life with Chamudi and her children, helping support them and walking alongside them as they journey closer to Jesus together as a family.

A Vessel for God’s Use

Chamudi experienced God’s restoring power in incredible ways, all because one national missionary made himself available to be used by God to touch lives.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: National missionaries minister to people in all walks of life, bringing news of hope and restoration to broken hearts. — National missionaries minister to people in all walks of life, bringing news of hope and restoration to broken hearts.

You can help send more missionaries who are ready to minister to hurting and disheartened families in Asia. Who knows, God may use them to hinder suicide plans, like He did through Pastor Alak.

Learn more about the Widows Ministry, how you can help widows not only hear that Christ cares for them, but that they may also experience His love firsthand and see how He gives them dignity, peace and eternal life.

Source: Gospel for Asia Featured Article, Too Poor for Suicide

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

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

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

Giving Love and Relief to Leprosy Patients

Last updated on: April 27, 2022 at 5:41 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 the difficulties of people afflicted with leprosy, the rejection and isolation, and the GFA leprosy ministry and the GFA Compassion Services that helps leprosy patients understand how much God loves them and values their lives.

Serving others in Jesus’ Name takes on many different forms. For many of our workers, their ministry is focused on bringing God’s love to people afflicted with leprosy.

One national missionary, Sakshi, experienced firsthand the difficulties of leprosy. She contracted the disease as a teenager, and although she eventually was cured of leprosy, Sakshi didn’t forget the rejection she experienced from her community.

Later serving as among leprosy patients, Sakshi noticed, “Nobody is there to comfort the leprosy patients and to give any kind of encouragement. Nobody wants to love them, hug them, or to come near to them to dress them.”

“I will become their daughter,” Sakshi decided. “I will become their grandchildren, and I will help them and encourage them, and I will love them.”^[1]

Leprosy imposes an extremely heavy burden on its victims. News sources share story after story of the struggles people face after contracting leprosy.

Here are just a few stories of what some have had to go through as a result of their disease:

“Basha is 65 years old and told me he was thrown out of his family home when at 20 he started to develop small patches of numbness on his skin. This can be a symptom of leprosy and is what brought Basha to the colony, where he’s lived ever since, and although he told me he has several brothers and sisters, he said he’s never seen them again.”^[2]

“Anjana is 45 years old, but easily looks a decade older with deformed hands, feet, and eyes, due to late diagnosis and treatment. She was abandoned by her own family, and now counts the community as her family. ‘I need bandages for my hands and eyes, but the government clinic keeps running out of them, so I have to buy them. Where will I get money to buy them?’ she asks.”^[3] Adding insult to injury (which, in itself, is the story of what it is like to live with leprosy), Anjana has difficulty withdrawing her monthly pension ($4.21US) because her government requires a fingerprint verification—and her fingers are too marred to provide a fingerprint.

Ashok contracted leprosy when he was 10 years old. Cured of the disease but permanently deformed by it, Ashok, now 52, was forced into more than 40 years of begging to sustain himself.^[4]

“Nagama is in her 20s. She does not have leprosy, but her mother and grandmother do. Because they are blind and incapacitated, Nagama could not care for them in her own home without raising the rejection of family and friends. So, she moved to the leper colony to look after them.”^[5]

Nagama’s story is significant because she has demonstrated compassion toward her mother and grandmother—something too few leprosy patients receive.

Leprosy can be a devastating disease. Left untreated, it often renders patients physically disfigured and dependent upon help from others. The life-altering effects of leprosy cause others to fear catching the disease, even though it is not easily transmitted. That leads to the worst part of leprosy: the rejection leprosy patients typically receive from other people.

Because of the breadth and intensity of the ostracism they face, people with leprosy are often forced into isolated communities of leprosy patients, or they move to one voluntarily. The settlements are typically the only places where people with leprosy can obtain a feeling of peer acceptance.

Dr. K.P. Yohannan, the founder of Gospel for Asia (GFA), began our leprosy ministry over a decade ago. What he started as Reaching Friends Ministry is now a significant part of GFA’s Compassion Services initiative.

God does not reject people afflicted by leprosy. Instead, He loves them and offers them adoption as His sons and daughters. National workers demonstrate His love to leprosy patients and help them learn about the eternal life found in Christ.

Our workers, such as Sisters of Compassion, care for leprosy patients in many ways, such as by distributing food, providing medical aid, teaching health and hygiene programs, facilitating adult education, and tutoring children who live in the colonies. Each worker also provides encouragement, comfort and prayer, helping people afflicted with leprosy understand how much God loves them and values their lives.

When leprosy patients learn Jesus cares about them personally, many want to put their trust in Him and be defined by what Jesus says they are: treasured.

Ask the Lord to burden your heart for people living with leprosy. Pray for GFA’s Compassion Services and for the workers who minister within leprosy colonies, and ask God to bring relief and eternal hope to people affected by leprosy.

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

[1] “I Will Be Their Daughter”. Gospel for Asia. https://www.gfa.org/news/articles/i-will-be-their-daughter January 2017.

[2] Gap Year, India’s Forgotten People: Visiting a Modern Day Leprosy Colony

[3] The Hindu, A dying disease, but leprosy colonies still face stigma, shortage of funds

[4] https://www.livemint.com/news/india/life-after-leprosy-india-s-untamed-disease-1553164760394.html

[5] Gap Year, India’s Forgotten People: Visiting a Modern Day Leprosy Colony

Sources:

Live Mint, Life after leprosy, India’s untamed disease
com.au, Islands of death: life in a leper colony
The Hindu, A dying disease, but leprosy colonies still face stigma, shortage of funds
Gap Year, India’s Forgotten People: Visiting a Modern Day Leprosy Colony
Gospel for Asia, I Will Be Their Daughter

Image Source: Gospel for Asia, Photo of the Day

Learn more about how to bring practical help in Jesus’ name to the suffering and needy, relieving the burdened, rescuing the endangered and revealing God’s compassion to the people of Asia through Gospel for Asia Compassion Services.

Read the GFA special report update on the leprosy problem where global leprosy-elimination leaders are making exciting advances both medically and socially that are worth noting: Progress in the Fight Against Leprosy: Leprosy Prevention is Key to Elimination

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

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

Family Healing Begins When the Alcoholic’s Son Prayed

Last updated on: April 28, 2022 at 9:13 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 a Geet and his family bereft of peace and harmony, the alcoholism of his father, God’s Word shared through Gospel for Asia-supported pastor, the power of prayer and the abounding grace of Jesus.

Geet didn’t know what to do. He watched helplessly as his mother cowered before his abusive, intoxicated father, day after day.

“I would visit temples and pray to gods and goddesses,” Geet said, “but nothing changed in my life.”

Who could help his family when even his gods remained silent?

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Discussing a Geet and his family bereft of peace and harmony, the alcoholism of his father, and God's Word shared through Gospel for Asia-supported pastor — Many people in Asia turn to alcohol to try to smother their hurts and sorrows, not knowing Jesus provides true healing and hope.

Teenager Troubled by Alcoholic Father

Both Geet’s parents held steady jobs, and the family faithfully worshiped their deities, yet they never found the happiness or prosperity they hoped for. Geet’s father, Kumal, slowly turned to alcohol as his source of comfort. Geet’s mother worked hard to support her four children, assuming more and more family responsibility as Kumal spiraled deeper into his alcohol addiction.

Over time, Kumal’s frequent arguments with his family intensified, and he even caused trouble for his neighbors. As a teenager, Geet felt helpless against his father’s alcoholism, so he isolated himself, aching with loneliness and longing for peace.

Friend Introduces Teen to Prince of Peace

In the midst of these heartaches, Geet met Bidur, another teenager in his village, and the two youths gradually built a strong friendship. Eventually, Geet confided in Bidur and told him all about his family’s problems.

Bidur responded by sharing how his own family experienced tremendous peace, but it was only because of Jesus Christ and the joy He brings. Bidur invited Geet to attend church with him so he could hear for himself about the peace Jesus gives so freely to those who call on Him.

The very next Sunday, Geet accompanied Bidur to a worship service led by Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported pastor Sadhan. Geet had never experienced a worship service like it before, but he listened closely to the words of the pastor.

After the service, Pastor Sadhan shared more about God’s Word with Geet. As Geet listened, many questions about Jesus formed in his mind, but flickers of peace also began rising within him.

Geet went home and told his mother all about the amazing things he learned at the service that day, but she wasn’t interested. Undeterred, Geet turned to the precious gift Pastor Sadhan had given him: a New Testament.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: through Gospel for Asia-supported pastor many youths gather for corporate worship and are growing in their knowledge of God — Like Geet and Bidur, these youths gather for corporate worship with a Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported pastor and are growing in their knowledge of God.

Hungry Heart Feeds on God’s Word

Geet pored over his New Testament, and as he read about Jesus’ life and the miracles He performed, he realized transformation is only possible through Jesus. A longing arose in his heart for his family to experience a miraculous change.

“How can I experience His miracle in my life?” Geet asked Pastor Sadhan one day. “How can I follow this Jesus?”

Pastor Sadhan explained how God desires to have a personal relationship with His children, and he helped Geet understand the many things he had read. Touched by God’s great mercy, Geet bowed his head in prayer. He told Jesus about the wrongs he had committed throughout his life and asked Him to work healing and transformation into his heart.

Opening his eyes, Geet entered a new life—a life filled with inner joy and peace from the Lord, despite his home environment. He began spending time in prayer for his family, both privately and also with other believers at worship services. But not everyone was happy with his decision.

Steadfast in the Face of Opposition

Geet earnestly desired to worship Jesus and fellowship with his new family in Christ, but Kumal was furious when he discovered Geet’s new life. He pressured Geet to abandon Jesus and kept his son from attending worship services.

His father’s displeasure intimidated and grieved Geet. He wanted to honor his father’s authority, but after two painful weeks of reading and praying, Geet determined that he must obey the Lord above all, no matter the cost.

Geet began gathering again with the other believers and prayed faithfully for his father, asking the Lord to work transformation in his heart.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Geet recognized the grace of Jesus, just as this young believer also did, and Geet dedicated hours to reading God's Word and praying for his family. — Geet recognized the grace of Jesus, just as this young believer also did, and Geet dedicated hours to reading God’s Word and praying for his family.

The Power of Prayer

“Every day, at 5 in the morning, I get up, read the Bible and pray,” Geet shared.

Soon, God answered Geet’s prayers—Kumal’s heart made a drastic turn. After seeing his son’s devotion to Jesus and fervent prayer life, Kumal stopped opposing Geet. He even allowed Geet to share with the family the new things Geet learned from Scripture, and soon, the entire family agreed to visit a worship service.

Geet’s relationship with Jesus grew strong, and peace and trust in God replaced the anxiousness and loneliness that once filled his heart.

“Now I am not worried about any problem, because in Jesus, I find the solution to all my trouble.” —Geet

Although his family has not yet fully understood the transforming love of Jesus, Geet’s fervent prayer is that one day, they too will personally know the Prince of Peace who now carries all his burdens.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: These believers cherish their Bibles and read Scripture to strengthen themselves in the Lord, yet many other people in Asia do not have access to God's Word or know what promises it contains. — These believers cherish their Bibles and read Scripture to strengthen themselves in the Lord, yet many other people in Asia do not have access to God’s Word or know what promises it contains.

Send Peace to Searching Hearts

Hearing the Word of God helped Geet first understand Jesus’ power and grace, and by reading his New Testament, he later found courage and strength to endure opposition.

Through Gospel for Asia, you can provide copies of God’s Word for people who are longing for a source of peace, like Geet. Donate today to help people in Asia build a relationship with the Prince of Peace.

Learn more how you can share the Word of God with the millions of people in Asia — either as complete Bibles or New Testaments — which will enable many to grow and learn more about Jesus.

Source: Gospel for Asia Featured Article, When the Alcoholic’s Son Prayed

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

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

Gospel for Asia Supported Woman Missionary Brings Healing for a Broken Home

Last updated on: April 29, 2022 at 4:50 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 the Gospel for Asia supported woman missionary Sabita, who, through her friendship and ministry, God brought healing, strength, and peace to Hema and her once broken home.

Shouts disrupted the worship service. The neighbors were at it again. It seemed the married couple was always fighting. Peace looked like a complete stranger to the household, and joy a forgotten virtue. Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported woman missionary Sabita didn’t see this as an annoyance to the meetings she helped conduct, however. She saw it as an opportunity to share the peace of Jesus, the One who could restore and heal.

Gospel for Asia Supported Woman Missionary Visits Broken Home

Hoping to help, Sabita visited Hema and shared with her the compassion of God. Hema was a little suspicious of Sabita at first, but she didn’t turn her away. She even took some literature that Sabita offered. Sabita could tell Hema needed encouragement and hope because of this, and she felt compelled by God to invest in Hema’s forlorn and sorrowful life.

Gospel for Asia (GFA World) founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Discussing the Gospel for Asia supported woman missionary Sabita, who, through her, God brought healing and peace to Hema and her once broken home. — Hema’s (pictured) life was full of strife. Her husband, who was often intoxicated, beat her, and they quarreled often. During prayer meetings which were held nearby, people could hear their constant fighting.

Sabita continued to visit Hema, believing her time spent in sharing God’s precious promises would lighten Hema’s struggling, heavy heart. As they got to know each other, Hema’s suspicions of the missionary melted, and she opened up. She told Sabita about their constant quarreling, her husband, Talat’s, drunkenness and how he would often beat her if he felt angry. She was worried about their children, as they too were being led by this constant example.

Finding Strength in God’s Word

Through her visits, Sabita faithfully brought words of comfort to Hema’s love-longing heart, and when she was especially discouraged, Sabita prayed for her. Whenever Sabita prayed, Hema felt at ease and happy.

As Hema continued to see the love of God through Sabita, she was filled with faith to trust Jesus as the One who brings peace and hope, the One who could answer prayer, even for her drunken husband. But she was afraid to tell her husband about the hope she found, so she kept silent.

Gospel for Asia (GFA World) founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Women Missionaries sharing the hope of Christ with other women — Over time, a friendship between the two women bloomed. Sabita continued to visit Hema at her home to encourage her through God’s Word, like these women are doing.

Through Her Quiet Spirit

Continuing to be a constant and true friend to Hema as she shared her fears, Sabita had some advice to give her from God’s Word. Taking Sabita’s advice, Hema began to pray for Talat to stop his destructive habit of drinking. She cried out to the Lord and sometimes spent time fasting for her husband. Many times, Hema thought it would be impossible for Talat to ever be released from the grasp of his strong addiction, but Hema continued to pray in her weakness, asking the Lord to give her strength to believe and press on.

Meanwhile, there was a change in Hema’s life. When Talat did things she didn’t like, Hema didn’t flare back as she once had. The fighting ceased and peace started to make its home among the chaos that once held its ground. Instead of acting out in anger or returning evil for evil, Hema responded in love and kindness as God gave her strength to tolerate the harsh things done to her. God was changing her through His Word and working through her prayers. Although Hema wasn’t aware, God was moving in Talat’s heart through her gentle spirit.

Gospel for Asia (GFA World) founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Hema's life had changed, and her husband, (pictured), Talat saw the changing power of Jesus. Because of her example, he too found for himself the hope of God and stopped drinking. — Hema’s life had changed, and her husband, (pictured), Talat saw the changing power of Jesus. Because of her example, he too found for himself the hope of God and stopped drinking.

Drastic Change Not Unseen

One day, Talat asked Hema what had happened. She had become loving and kind towards him, and he wanted to know how and why. Since he was in a good mood, Hema jumped at the opportunity to speak words of truth and love to her husband.

She told him how his drinking had hurt their family and was a bad influence on their children. She shared how happy she would be to have a husband who took good care of her and the children. Her words, spoken with love and kindness, won Talat’s heart over. Little by little, through Hema’s prayers, love, encouragement and the power of God, Talat quit drinking.

During one of Sabita’s visits, Talat heard God’s Word and was moved. As time went on, he began to realize for himself that Jesus is the One who had changed his wife so drastically. He wanted this same transformation in his own life.

Today Hema and Talat no longer fight during worship services but attend them joyfully. Hema loves to tell her story, how nothing is impossible with God . . . not even a drunken husband.

Gospel for Asia (GFA World) founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Women missionaries are dedicated to sharing the hope of Jesus's love with women in need and want of love. — Women missionaries are dedicated to sharing the hope of Jesus’s love with women in need and want of love.

Send a Voice of Hope

A woman missionary can bring hope to hopeless women, like Sabita did. She can speak into a woman’s life and sympathize with her emotions and needs well. You can be part of touching lives of women in Asia, too! Prayerfully consider supporting the work of a Gospel for Asia-supported women missionaries today, and make an impact that lasts into eternity!

Source: Gospel for Asia Featured Article, Healing for a Broken Home

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

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

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