Gospel for Asia Pastor Witnesses Mother’s Spark of Faith Lead to a Miracle

Last updated on: February 10, 2022 at 10:53 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 Jany, the difficulties of widowhood, the sickness that plagued her village, and the Gospel for Asia (GFA) pastor who saw her believe in God Who brings miraculous healing.

Sickness plagued the village. Too many lives had been lost already, and as Jany mourned the loss of her husband, she feared she would also lose her daughter. The villagers did not know the cause or the cure, but they knew something had to be done to fight the mysterious illness. When the doctor was unable to provide a medicinal remedy, the community turned to a local magician for answers.

Sacrifice Required

Discussing Jany, the difficulties of widowhood, the sickness that plagued her village, and the Gospel for Asia Pastor that saw her believe in God who brings miraculous healing. — As this woman smiles, Jany can now smile, rejoicing over her daughter’s healing and her newfound faith.

The magician suggested the deities of the traditional religion would have mercy on the town if they were appeased with sacrifices. He proposed each family provide such a sacrifice.

A group of five people were chosen to solicit the sacrifices from the village families. Jany was one of them. When they reached one man’s door, she saw him choose to pursue healing in a different way.

“You know every time I gave whenever the villagers collected something for the village purpose,” Gospel for Asia (GFA) pastor Bhari told Jany and the other collectors.

“However, I will not be able to sacrifice anything to gods and goddesses at this time because I worship the living God who can protect me from any harm.”

Pastor Bhari’s courage and bold faith caught Jany’s attention. She wondered what gave him such assurance—and if it was possible his God had the power to heal. Instead of continuing with the group, Jany chose to stay and learn more about this God from Pastor Bhari.

A Better Plan

Jany yearned to know more about the faith that made the pastor so confident. She was not convinced offering a sacrifice would be the answer to save her sick daughter, but she had a spark of faith that Pastor Bhari might know Someone who could. Perhaps, she thought, prayer to the God she’d heard the pastor speak of was a better solution for her daughter’s healing, which she so desperately wanted.

“Please come and pray for my daughter named Pareet who is having swelling and stomach problems for the last month,” Jany asked Pastor Bhari. “Now I will not sacrifice anything to gods and goddesses. I need your prayer until she gets healing.”

Although she didn’t realize it, Jany displayed the same bold faith as Pastor Bhari in her request, the same bold faith as the woman in the Bible with the issue of blood: She believed the One to whom Pastor Bhari prayed could heal her daughter.

Pastor Bhari readily complied. He regularly visited her family, praying for Pareet and sharing the hope he had for miraculous healing from a different Source.

Pareet soon recovered from the mysterious disease. The miraculous healing encouraged the faith of Jany, Pareet and Jany’s elder daughter, Saffi. Together, they continued to learn about the Great Physician and decided to begin personal relationships with Him.

Pareet and Saffi began to attend worship services at Pastor Bhari’s church. Though Jany is unable to attend due to opposition from other relatives, she continues to learn more about Jesus and hold family prayer at home.

Please pray for Jany and others like her who have seen the healing power of Jesus and are hungry to learn more about Him.

To learn of a woman Jesus healed from the brink of death, read Sahana’s story here.

Learn more about the 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 Field Report, Mother’s Spark of Faith Leads to Miraculous Healing

Learn more about how you can help alleviate the many struggles widows face through the Gospel for Asia supported Widows Ministry, providing them with basic essentials, sources of income and opportunities to find peace in Christ.

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

Gospel For Asia Water Filter Removes Stomach Pain in Village

Last updated on: February 10, 2022 at 10:54 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 Bakul and his family, the debilitating effects of drinking impure water, waterborne diseases, and the Gospel for Asia Water Filter that changed lives.

For years, Bakul and his family faced the debilitating effects of drinking impure water. Stomachaches, diarrhea, weakness, coughs and colds haunted them with every glass they drank. “I would take medicine for my stomach pain,” Bakul shares. “However, in spite of continuous treatment, I continued to struggle from unbearable pain in my stomach.”

Chance Encounter Changes Lives

A Gospel for Asia pastor named Thorley served in Bakul’s village, but Bakul didn’t know much about him. One day, however, as Bakul passed by the church, he saw a large crowd: The pastor was passing out BioSand water filters to several people in the village.

“I asked Pastor Thorley to give me a water filter, and to my surprise, he gave me a filter,” Bakul shares. “Now nobody is suffering from stomach problems in my family.”

Bakul, having witnessed the kindness and generosity of Christians, has become curious to learn more about Jesus Christ. What’s more, Bakul is able to interact with Gospel for Asia (GFA) workers when they visit to perform routine maintenance on his filter.

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, Water Filter Removes Stomach Pain

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

Learn more by reading these Special Reports:

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

Gospel for Asia Pastor Shares Peace with a Dying Man

Last updated on: February 22, 2022 at 10:22 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 Dadgar, his battle against cancer, and the peace and hope provided by the New Testament Scripture read aloud by Gospel for Asia (GFA) Pastor.

Sadness and frustration hung over the family like a dark cloud. Dadgar, father to Ravalnath and father-in-law to Ratubai, lay in bed, cancer ravaging his body. Doctors had given up on the aged widower, but his family had not. They had taken Dadgar to various temples, offering alms and sacrifices for supernatural healing, but none came.

Battle Against Cancer

Amongst the rolling hills and sweeping fields of the tea estates, Gospel for Asia (GFA) pastor Kraanti ministered to the tea garden workers. During one of Pastor Kraanti’s ministry outings, he met Ravalnath and Ratubai and learned of their troubles.

The past months had taken a heavy toll on Ravalnath and Ratubai as they sought healing for their ailing father. Lines of worry and sadness creased their faces as they shared their woes. Pastor Kraanti knew the family desperately needed encouragement, so he pulled out a New Testament and asked if the family had ever heard of Jesus.

As Ravalnath and Ratubai listened to the pastor, a feeling that had evaded them for some time inched its way into their hearts: peace.

The Peace That Surpasses Understanding

Pastor Kraanti continued his visits, each time offering encouraging words and fervent prayers for the entire family. After one such visit, the pastor offered to leave a New Testament so they could read more about Jesus.

Ravalnath and Ratubai’s neighbors, opposing Christianity, pressured the family to refuse the pastor, to drive him away. Ravalnath almost gave in, but Dadgar stopped him. The pain lessened whenever Pastor Kraanti prayed, the aged man explained, and sleep came much easier when Ratubai read him the New Testament.

One day, Dadgar asked Ravalnath and Ratubai to call Pastor Kraanti. When the pastor arrived, the old man declared he believed in Jesus with his whole heart. That evening, as Ratubai continued her nightly ritual of reading the New Testament aloud, Dadgar interrupted her to tell her how he believed in Jesus as his Lord and Savior and wished for her and Ravalnath to embrace His love as well—even if their relatives and neighbors opposed them.

Minutes later, Dadgar passed away.

Dwelling in the Lord’s Embrace

As mourning settled over the household, Dadgar’s last words echoed in Ratubai’s ears. The New Testament Pastor Kraanti gave them sat by the bedside, waiting to be opened. Ratubai picked it up and began reading. The peace she first felt those many months ago returned stronger than ever; hope burst aflame in her heat. Whenever she read God’s Word, all her worries seemed to melt away, and it gave her the strength she needed to face each day.

A desire to embrace the love her father-in-law had found settled in Ratubai’s heart, but she knew people would mock her and perhaps even treat her with hostility. Her husband was not willing to take the journey his father had taken, so Ratubai knew she’d have to go alone.

A few months after Dadgar’s passing, Ratubai visited Pastor Kraanti’s church, and following in her father-in-law’s footsteps, she made the decision to worship Christ alone for the rest of her life.

God’s Word can bring light to even the darkest situation. Click here to read how a New Testament helped restore a woman’s self-worth.

A Bible and a Gospel for Asia missionary brought God’s love to a hopeless woman. 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 Field Report, Woman Follows Father’s Footsteps

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

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Child Bride Grows Up Next to a Gospel for Asia Jesus Well

Last updated on: September 11, 2022 at 8:31 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 Suhana, a victim of child marriage, the desperate need for clean water, extreme poverty, illiteracy, and the Gospel for Asia provided Jesus Well that brought stability and hope for a future.

Nine-year-old Suhana stood in her bridal dress, her childish face masked under heavy kohl eye liner, and the red powder on her forehead signaling her entrance into the adult rite of marriage. Her young husband, closer to adulthood than herself, placed a floral garland around her neck. After the ceremony, Suhana moved to her husband’s village, where another newcomer had arrived just a couple years before her—a Jesus Well.

Harmful Customs Sustained by Need to Survive

Suhana’s people lived in rural forests, mountains and valleys where they practiced the same traditional way of life for thousands of years. Predominantly farmers, they cultivated their land to produce rice, vegetables and cotton, which were their main economic resources.

The goal for these farmers was simple and straightforward: survive. But there were many obstacles to overcome. Ponds, which irrigated the fields and provided water for households, dried up during the summer and were reduced to mud holes. Sometimes the area experienced droughts so severe entire villages had to relocate, leaving behind anything they could not carry and becoming poorer in the process.

The need for clean water is not unique to Suhana’s people; it is an urgent issue for 783 million people worldwide.

The lack of fundamental needs, such as water, traps many communities into a life dedicated to obtaining basic necessities. Initiating community development projects, like drilling wells or educating children, are unattainable luxuries for many families. The effects of poverty are especially strong on young girls, who are not seen as able to contribute to the family’s survival—and are subsequently married off at a very young age, making them the in-law’s responsibility to support.

783 million people worldwide don’t have clean water

Open sources of water quickly become polluted when hundreds of families use them for everything from washing clothes and watering animals to cooking and bathing.

Village Welcomes Two New Residents

After her wedding, Suhana set about the household tasks she had been trained to do by her mother. For many of her tasks, Suhana utilized the Jesus Well that had been drilled just outside her home a couple years before she became a bride; it was one of the first Jesus Wells ever drilled by Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported workers. Suhana did not understand it then, but this Jesus Well would slowly transform her new village in ways no one could foresee.

Suhana established herself in her new community and joined the other wives in daily visits to the well. She balanced water jugs on her head as she carried back clean water for cooking the family meals.

Before Gospel for Asia (GFA) workers installed a Jesus Well, this village faced the same hardships as the one Suhana came from—ponds as a sole source of water for bathing, irrigation, cooking and drinking, and summer droughts that evaporated the dirty pond water. There had been a well in the village, which was a huge relief to the community, but it went from providing clean, clear water to brown polluted water after only a couple months. It had become no better than the ponds. With no one around to maintain the well, it was abandoned and sat as a reminder of the one resource they needed most but had too little of.

When the Jesus Well came, everyone rejoiced in the immediate benefits, but the long-term benefits had not yet been imagined.

Gospel for Asia (GFA World and affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada) founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Jesus Well — Suhana visits with a neighbor while she gives her cow a drink of water at the Jesus Well. This well, located a stone’s throw from Suhana’s home, was constructed shortly before she arrived in the village as a young wife.

Consistent Water a Stabilizing Influence

Within a year of becoming a wife, Suhana became a mother, and then quickly had two more children in the next few years. She worked hard on her daily household chores and earned extra income doing manual labor at construction sites working with bricks, sand and cement. Her husband worked as a painter, and they both cultivated their land to feed their growing family.

The Jesus Well assisted Suhana in almost every task, from watering her crops and animals to washing dishes and cooking food. Since the Jesus Well was nearby, Suhana did not have to spend extra time hauling water back and forth from a distant water source.

With their basic needs taken care of, Suhana could send her children to school rather than to the fields or to earn money as daily laborers.

The Jesus Well blessed more than just Suhana’s family. People from all over the village came to the Jesus Well every day. During summer droughts, the Jesus Well faithfully poured out clean, pure water, attracting people from other villages whose water supplies had dried up. Even with the additional burden of more people drawing water, the Jesus Well flowed continually, giving life to Suhana’s community and many others.

Suhana uses water from the Jesus Well for almost all of her household tasks, like preparing a meal for her family. The Jesus Well has eliminated the water crisis in Suhana’s village and brought stability to the residents’ daily life.

“This Jesus Well water is more than sufficient for the entire village and also for some neighboring villages,” shares Suhana. “It never dries up during summer, whereas many other water sources dry up. The more we draw water out of this well, the cleaner and purer the water comes out. Everybody comes here and takes water every day, and good water keeps coming out of this well. Everybody is satisfied with the water.”

Village Steadily Transforms

As years went by, Suhana’s children grew and so did the community’s dependence on the Jesus Well. With a reliable source of pure water, children weren’t as sick and missed fewer school days. People could grow their crops and did not have to leave their homes looking for water, and children didn’t need to help their parents earn money.

Eventually, a girls’ school was built nearby, and the daughters of the village attended school instead of preparing for marriage at a young age. Each day on their breaks, students would come to the Jesus Well for drinks and to play and laugh in the cool water.

Suhana and the Jesus Well have lived in this village for almost 20 years now. They have both become part of the fabric of the community.

A local Gospel for Asia (GFA) pastor, whose church building is located next to the Jesus Well, shared the impact this gift has made in the community.

“I feel very happy to know that this is one of the first Jesus Wells…” — the local pastor

“I feel very happy to know that this is one of the first Jesus Wells,” the pastor said. “It’s not easy to have a well maintained for this many years; because anybody can install a well, but maintaining it for almost [20] years, where it still gives clean and good drinking water, it is not easy. That makes me very proud and happy, and I am so glad that this well is [by] our church.”

The Jesus Well has brought stability and health to this village and surrounding villages, serving hundreds of families, including Suhana’s, whose children now have the option of continuing their education and no longer have to give up their dreams in exchange for the daily struggle to survive.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Over its 20-year life, this Jesus Well has served hundreds of people thousands of gallons of pure clean water. — Over its 20-year life, this Jesus Well has served hundreds of people thousands of gallons of pure clean water.

Each person that comes to well is presented with the Scripture declaring Christ as the Living Water: “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 4:13–14

You can help bring relief to an entire community through a gift towards a Jesus Well, establishing a legacy of God’s love and goodness for hundreds of people.

Donate to Jesus Wells

$1400 USD provides a well that produces clean water for an entire community, saving people from waterborne diseases for years. $140 can help 30 people, $700 can help 150 people, and $1400 can help an average of 300 people.

Jesus Wells are a wise investment and we keep the costs low too. For only $45, you can provide clean water for up to nine people for around 20 years. See more ways to provide clean water »

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, Child Bride Grows Up Next to a Jesus Well

Learn more by reading these Special Reports:

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

Magnifying the Praise of God with Gospel for Asia

Last updated on: February 22, 2022 at 8:43 pm By GFA Staff Writer

WILLS POINT, TX – WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World and affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada) founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan – Discussing Jiva, her husband, Vahaan, their desperate struggles in poverty magnified by water-borne illnesses, and the Gospel for Asia (GFA) Church that turned sickness to praise.

Jiva sat outside her home with her husband, Vahaan, distractedly washing dishes. Pain and severe discomfort from her illness typically preoccupied her mind, but not right now—the words and songs coming from a nearby building captured her full attention. Vahaan listened intently, too, then he uttered a short sentence, and they both walked purposefully out of their courtyard.

Desperate for Relief

Vahaan and Jiva (pictured) desperately needed relief from recurring illnesses that kept them from earning any income.

Vahaan and Jiva needed an answer. They were running out of medication—and finances. Vahaan normally earned money by cleaning the drains in front of people’s homes and businesses. It was lowly, menial work, but it provided for him and his wife. Or it had until the regular exposure to polluted water took its toll on his body. A stubborn urinary tract infection developed and rendered Vahaan unable to work.

Jiva developed an infection, too, and both were miserable for two months. Prescribed medications helped temporarily, but new infections soon manifested and troubled the couple again. Vahaan and Jiva’s plight became serious, and starvation entered their horizon. Their married daughter gave them some money to buy medicine and food temporarily, but without her help, they had no source of income.

Possibilities in the Air

Then one Sunday morning in February 2016, as Vahaan and Jiva sat uncomfortably in their courtyard, they heard songs floating across their village. Later, a voice shared passages from Scripture. It originated from a Gospel for Asia (GFA) church building less than a mile away, where a thriving body of believers gathered to grow in Christ and praise His name. The congregation had recently constructed a permanent place of worship and had placed a loudspeaker atop their building so the community could hear their times of worship and teaching. Every Sunday, anyone traveling the nearby road or laboring in the fields could listen to words of life and hope.

On this day, everyone heard the fellowship pray for those who were sick. Vahaan and Jiva listened eagerly, especially when the pastor explained that Jesus was alive and had all power to heal. Learning that Jesus could “turn anything to possible that is impossible in the eyes of men,” Vahaan told Jiva they were going to the church that very morning. They immediately stood up and started walking toward the place of worship.

Gospel for Asia (GFA World and affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada) founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Church in Asia — This church building, constructed near Vahaan and Jiva’s home, facilitated gatherings for the local body of believers. God used one of those gatherings to give Vahaan and Jiva hope during a time of great need.

Vahaan had seen the building many times; he had even cleaned the drains in front of it. But he had never ventured within its doors. Standing now before the building with his wife, he hesitated. He felt unworthy to enter the place of worship. Would he be welcome inside?

His question was soon answered when a few believers noticed Vahaan and Jiva standing uncertainly outside. They warmly invited the couple to come in and join them for the rest of the pastor’s message.

They sat alongside the 110 believers and basked in the goodness of God’s Word. Each word from Gospel for Asia pastor Marton brought great encouragement to Vahaan and Jiva.

Sickness Turned to Praise in Gospel for Asia Church

Pastor Marton (pictured with his family) met Vahaan and Jiva when they visited a worship service at his church. After speaking words of truth into their lives, Pastor Marton prayed for the couple for a week, and God brought complete healing to their ailments.

Toward the end of the service, Pastor Marton prayed again for the sick. During the prayer, Vahaan and Jiva both thought to themselves how good it would be if they, too, could be healed. Desperate for help, they waited for a chance to speak with the man of God and ask for specific prayer.

Pastor Marton listened to their situation and offered guidance, helping them understand more about who Christ is. He prayed for them that morning—and all week long. Vahaan and Jiva returned to the church every day that week for times of prayer, and as they did so, faith in Christ grew and calmed their restless souls.

With each day of prayer, Vahaan and Jiva felt God’s hand of healing on their bodies. After a few days, their illnesses vanished! Both experienced relief from their suffering, and Vahaan could return to work again, which ended their financial crisis. The couple marveled at God’s power and greatly rejoiced in the love He demonstrated toward them in such a practical way.

They are now at home within the building they once hesitated to enter. They know the God whose praise is sung within those walls, and their own voices now rise in worship.

Buildings that Impact Lives

Church buildings in Asia play a crucial role in believers growing in their walks with Christ. They facilitate discipleship opportunities that would be extremely difficult, or even impossible, to organize in communities that lack a dedicated structure for worship gatherings. With a permanent building, a congregation can gather freely to praise God and study His Word. Permanent places of worship also remind communities that Jesus dwells among them in His children, like it reminded Vahaan and Jiva.

In many places, a church building can be constructed for just $40,000 USD—or less. Because a building may serve up to 500 people, that breaks down to providing one person with decades of safe worship for as little as $80 USD.

Your gift to help congregations build a permanent place of worship is one of the greatest blessings you can give to believers—and communities—in Asia.

Learn more about church buildings »

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.

Source: Gospel for Asia Featured Article, The Church that Ended the Gossip

Learn how to help communities seek Christ, by providing permanent church buildings for worship – an investment in the lives of many, for eternity.

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 Helps Provide a Bicycle for the Long Haul

Last updated on: March 1, 2022 at 9:35 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 hardships of Narottam, the daily heavy labor, and Gospel for Asia (GFA) who helped provide a bicycle that now helps him support his family without overstraining his body.

Beads of sweat formed on Narottam’s forehead as he walked the long road to his destination. The heavy loads of bamboo and firewood that he carried day after day made his 37-year-old body ache. Deep down, Narottam wondered how much longer his body could withstand the strain, but he forced himself to keep going. His family depended on him.

A Tired Body and Weary Mind

Narottam sold wood and bamboo in addition to his work as a farmer to provide for his family’s basic needs. With no vehicle to transport the heavy loads, he had to carry them by hand and on foot wherever he went—a slow and grueling task. Yet for all the effort Narottam put forth, he couldn’t afford to send his children to a good school, and his unreliable income made it impossible to pull his family out of poverty.

Then one day, a simple gift changed Narottam’s future. When the struggling father attended a Gospel for Asia (GFA) gift distribution, he received a bicycle, and his joy knew no bounds. Now he is able to carry and sell larger loads of wood without straining his body, and his mind is at ease, knowing he’ll be able to provide for his family in years to come. Narottam is thankful to those who sponsored a gift in his time of need—he has received help for his weary body and found peace in God’s hands.

Giving People a Living Hope

Maybe you’ve given a bicycle, a sewing machine or a flock of chickens to someone in Asia when they needed it most. Or maybe you provide a Bridge of Hope child with education and medical care and pray for them on a regular basis. Whether you give financially, pray regularly for a specific area of ministry, or volunteer your time to bless people like Narottam, we are grateful for your commitment and sacrifice. Thank you for partnering with Gospel for Asia (GFA) to transform lives and give people hope that lasts.

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.

Source: Gospel for Asia Featured Article, A Bicycle for the Long Haul

Learn more by reading the Gospel for Asia Special Report: Poverty: Public Enemy #1 – Eliminating Extreme Poverty Worldwide is Possible, But Not Inevitable

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

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Gospel for Asia Pastor Knows Love Overcomes Lies

Last updated on: March 1, 2022 at 9:39 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 Manraj, his contempt for Christians, his hardened heart, and the transforming power of God’s love through a Gospel for Asia (GFA) supported Pastor.

Manraj looked out from the walls of his small wine shop to see Gospel for Asia (GFA) pastor Dinshah walk past. Just the sight of the pastor made Manraj’s blood boil.

“Why are you often fooling the villagers by sharing about your foreign god, whom we never adopted from our forefathers?” Manraj sneered, forcing the pastor to stop in his tracks.

The 58-year-old wine shop owner’s false accusation caught the attention of his customers and people nearby. Soon they surrounded Pastor Dinshah and joined in the scoffing.

Pastor Dinshah looked at them through eyes of compassion and smiled.

An Unfounded Hatred

Founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan, Gospel for Asia love in the midst of hatred: Discussing Manraj, his contempt for Christians, and the transforming power of God's love through a Gospel for Asia pastor. — Gospel for Asia (GFA) pastor Dinshah (not pictured) faithfully ministered in spite of all obstacles before him.

Manraj hated Christians, a fact apparent to any of his customers. No one could purchase alcohol form Manraj without hearing of his intense dislike of Christians, particularly Pastor Dinshah. The pastor had done nothing to personally offend Manraj; he had done nothing wrong at all. But Manraj couldn’t stand to watch Pastor Dinshah visit with people, share God’s Word with them and pray for families.

That day, when Pastor Dinshah walked pass his shop, Manraj could not control his hatred: He hurled false assumptions at the innocent. Surprisingly, Pastor Dinshah did not cower; instead, he looked with love at the people who had surrounded him and said, “I ask and get permission from the family, and then I share the Word of God and pray for them. If you do not believe, you can go and ask the villagers. If I am wrong, you can punish me or do whatever you want. I am ready.”

Taking what the pastor said into consideration, the crowd dispersed—and did exactly what he suggested.

A Hardened Heart, A Stubborn Mind

For three months, Pastor Dinshah’s accusers met with the villagers whom the pastor visited with and prayed for regularly. They asked about Pastor Dinshah’s intentions and his character and soon found out that not one of the things they had believed of him was true. The pastor was kind, polite and caring toward others. One by one, each of Pastor Dinshah’s accusers approached him and asked for his forgiveness. But not Manraj.

Manraj refused to own up to his mistakes, refused to apologize and, most of all, refused to quit looking for ways to hamper Pastor Dinshah’s ministry. Even villagers whom Manraj had previously poisoned with his opinions came to him, asking him to end his misguided quest of trying to find fault with the pastor. He was a good man, they said. But Manraj refused.

Hearts Transformed by God’s Love through Gospel for Asia Pastor

Seeing Manraj’s continued hatred compelled Pastor Dinshah to pray for the older man. He made efforts to visit with the wine shop owner and speak kind words to him, even if his attempts were met with contempt. But Pastor Dinshah persisted, and with each interaction, the Lord rooted out the stubbornness dwelling in Manraj’s heart. The unconditional love and care shown by the pastor overshadowed Manraj’s negative thoughts until, finally, Manraj asked the pastor to forgive him. He eventually invited Pastor Dinshah to his own home to dine with him and asked the pastor to visit with his family, pray for them and share God’s Word—the very things he once despised.

Pastor Dinshah visited Manraj several times in the following weeks. As he learned more about Jesus, understanding took root and began to bloom in Manraj’s heart: Christianity was about dwelling and rejoicing in the everlasting love of God. Manraj decided he wanted this loving God in his life.

As the Holy Spirit continued to move, Manraj decided to close his wine shop and rear domestic animals to provide for his family. He is now an active member of Pastor Dinshah’s church and can be found sitting among the people he once hated. He rejoices in God’s incredible and transformative love—the same love he was shown, the same love he has embraced.

Read how a young man found hope and love amid the toils of life.

Source: Gospel for Asia Field Report, Love Overcomes Lies

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

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Gospel for Asia Bringing Answers Where Few Tread

Last updated on: March 1, 2022 at 9:43 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 remote villages like Monali’s, their struggles with sickness and poverty, and the Gospel for Asia (GFA) workers that brought hope and answers through film and the Bible.

Monali grew up in a remote village situated deep in a forest and surrounded by rocky hills. Due to the village’s remote nature, outside visitors rarely came. There were no transportation facilities; people used small pathways to get to their home or the market. There was no school; most children followed in their parents’ footsteps and labored in the paddy fields.

Founded by Dr. K.P. Yohanan, Gospel for Asia answers wondering man's questions. Discussing remote villages like Monali's, the sickness & poverty, & Gospel for Asia workers bringing hope & answers through film & the Bible. — Because a Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported film team brought a message of hope to his village, Monali (pictured) now rejoices in God’s everlasting love.

Instead of getting an education, Monali listened to his father’s teaching about their traditional beliefs and rituals while he planted and cultivated crops alongside his parents. Monali’s family held dearly to their traditional beliefs, and his parents’ teachings shaped him as he grew into adulthood and had a family of his own.

Monali faithfully observed everything he had learned and dutifully performed sacrifices to his deities, but questions began to take hold of his heart: Were the rituals he performed working? Why were people still getting sick and suffering because of poverty? Why was his village the only one in the area not developing?

Fear kept Monali from asking those questions out loud. But as the poverty and deprivation worsened around him, and his children grew older, his wonderings continued. Monali wanted his children to go to school to get an education; he wanted a better life for himself and his family. He wanted to move out of his village in search of hope, but he was afraid of what consequences may come to him and his family if he did.

A Gospel for Asia Jesus Film Bringing Answers

One day, several Gospel for Asia (GFA) workers walked the narrow paths leading to Monali’s village. Determined to show God’s love, each member of the team carried a piece of the film equipment. Not one villager had ever seen a movie, so they happily allowed the men to set up their equipment.

As night fell and the projector lit up the jungle canopy, Monali sat and watched the film. The dancing images and colors told a story Monali had never heard before, a story about the life and ministry of Jesus. After the movie, Monali approached the leader of the film team, Gospel for Asia (GFA) pastor Jagmohan, to ask him more about this Jesus. The pastor shared in greater detail about the Son of God and offered Monali a New Testament to read more.

Though Monali was illiterate and unable to read the book offered to him, he kept contacting the pastor to learn more about the living Word of God. Those conversations brought answers to Monali’s long-held questions. He finally understood that only Jesus could provide a better life for him and his family.

A month later, Monali embraced the love of God into his heart. Unable to keep his newfound knowledge of Jesus to himself, Monali shared with others about the love he now felt, and six of his fellow villagers joined him in believing in Jesus. Even in the remotest of villages, God’s vast love touches and transforms lives.

Source: Gospel for Asia Field Report, Bringing Answers Where Few Tread

Learn more about Film Ministry in Asia, as films on the life of Jesus have proven to be one of the best ways to let people in Asia know about the sacrificial love and deliverance of God.

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

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A Gospel for Asia Jesus Well Transforms Salil’s Family

Last updated on: September 11, 2022 at 8:34 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 Salil’s family and their village, the chronic illnesses and grinding poverty due to contaminated water, and the Gospel for Asia supported Jesus Well that brought healing and transformation.

In one northeastern region of South Asia, just beneath the Himalaya Mountains, a river flows, and heavy monsoon rains often cause flooding.

It’s difficult to imagine that the residents of this lush land would lack clean drinking water. But it’s true.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Salil lives in a northeastern region of South Asia with his wife and three children. — Salil (pictured) lives in a northeastern region of South Asia with his wife and three children.

This is where Salil lives with his wife and three children. Like most of his fellow villagers, Salil makes his living as a laborer. Until recently, all of the villagers drank, bathed in and washed their clothes in water from a local pond. Whenever the river flooded, the pond would fill with sand. When that would happen, they’d have to dig to find the water they needed.

But that pond water was contaminated. The villagers suffered from typhoid, jaundice and a variety of horrible skin diseases. They lived daily with nausea, high fevers, diarrhea and general weakness. Their chronic illnesses made it difficult for them to work. So they languished in grinding poverty.

It seemed the very water they depended on for life was cursed.

The water in this pond was contaminated and caused many of the villagers to get sick.

One man’s anguish—and a difficult journey

Salil watched his family members get sick. He was soon spending most of his meager income on medicine. There wasn’t enough left over to meet their basic needs. Salil needed to make more money, so he traveled to the river valley to collect and sell one thing there was plenty of—sand.

Lacking the government permits he needed, Salil worried he might be caught and punished. But he knew he had to provide for his ailing family, so he took the risk.

Whenever he could, Salil returned home to take care of his wife and children. But no matter how hard he worked, how much money he made or how often he came home, he couldn’t change the hard facts: Their water was still contaminated, and they were still sick.**

God was already at work . . .

Unbeknownst to Salil, a nearby pastor named Dayakara had also begun making regular visits to his village. As Dayakara befriended the villagers, he became aware of their water crisis. So he and other Gospel for Asia (GFA) workers decided to help. They began drilling a well, right in the center of the village where everyone could access it.

That was the beginning of a transformation for Salil’s family and their entire village.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Salil’s wife and children pumping water from the Jesus Well. — Salil’s wife and children pumping water from the Gospel for Asia (GFA) Jesus Well.

Salil’s shock—and relief

When Salil came home for one of his visits, he was astonished to find his wife and children no longer sick. How had this happened?

He learned there was a new well in the community, and his wife and children were using it for their daily water needs. He was overjoyed, but he had no idea who was responsible for this wonderful innovation.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Pastor Dayakara shares with Salil from the Bible. — Pastor Dayakara shares with Salil from the Bible.

One day Salil met Gospel for Asia (GFA) Pastor Dayakara. As they talked, Salil realized it was this man and his fellow laborers who had brought the well to his people. Salil marveled at their kindness and compassion. He decided he wanted to know this God who could put such love in men’s hearts.

“Our family is blessed both physically and spiritually. We are free from problems and sickness. We also met the Living God in due time. It is because of the people who have spent their money to drill Jesus Well in my place. I have never seen them, but I’m always praying for them. Thank you very much.” —Salil

A Gospel for Asia Jesus Well Opens the Door for God’s Love

Through the generosity of the Christians who provided their new well, Salil and his fellow villagers came to understand the love of Jesus Christ. Others in their village began having similar experiences.

Baldev was one of them. A young man with a family to support, Baldev had also gotten sick from the contaminated pond water. He couldn’t work, and like so many others, he and his family suffered. But when he began using water from the new well, his sickness went away. Salil shared the wonderful news of Jesus’ love with him—the news he had recently come to know—and Baldev and his family embraced the Lord in their lives. Now they host regular prayer meetings in their home, led by Salil.

This is how a village can be transformed—and the people can discover the promise of Revelation 22:17: “And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.”

Pray for Salil and his village

Intercede for Salil’s family, that they will stay strong in the Lord and that remaining members will find hope in Jesus.
Ask God to continue to bless and guide Baldev and his family in their walk.
Ask God to protect and strengthen Pastor Dayakara and continue to bless his ministry.
Pray God will enable many more Jesus Wells to be provided for people across Asia.
Pray for the villagers to realize Christ’s sacrifice and compassion for them.

Your gift today can bring lasting change to hundreds or even thousands of people.

**No wonder they were sick!

In 2016, UNICEF examined the water in Salil’s region and found arsenic contamination in 18 districts. Fluoride contamination was also found in five districts.*

A person with arsenic poisoning may experience headaches, confusion, stomach pains, vomiting and diarrhea. Long-term exposure to arsenic can cause a variety of skin diseases, cancer and—if not treated—coma and death.

Fluoride is helpful in low concentrations, but larger amounts can cause stomach pains and hinder bone formation.

It’s no wonder the people of Salil’s village suffered so. Now, things are different—thanks to a well provided by Gospel for Asia-supported workers.

A Jesus Well can literally save lives—while showing people the love of God.

* Source: Assam Tribune, May 7, 2016

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

Source: Gospel for Asia Featured Article, A Jesus Well Transforms Salil’s Family

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.

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Getting to Know the ‘Crazy’ Woman – Gospel for Asia Church Becomes Family

Last updated on: March 14, 2022 at 8:48 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 difficult life of Mysie, a widow, despised, rejected and alone, and the Gospel for Asia (GFA) church that offered food, encouragement, acceptance, hope.

Pastor Surin noticed a woman sitting among the congregation as he led the Sunday worship service—the same woman who had been wandering around the village for some time. She was crazy, people said.

Now, for the second week in a row, she had come to Pastor Surin’s church. He decided he needed to meet her.

Unraveling a Painful Story

Discussing the difficult life of Mysie, a widow, rejected & alone, & the Gospel for Asia Church that offered encouragement, acceptance, hope — After suffering many hardships, Mysie (pictured) now knows peace in Christ. This all was made possible after a visit to the Gospel for Asia (GFA) church nearby.

As Pastor Surin carefully listened, he learned this woman, Mysie, wasn’t crazy; she just lived a difficult life. Mysie explained she was a widow and had no friends or family nearby. Filled with compassion, Pastor Surin encouraged her with the promise that God cares for the poor and brokenhearted. She had come to the right place, he told her. But Pastor Surin still didn’t know the extent of Mysie’s hardships.

Over the next few weeks, Pastor Surin continued to see Mysie wandering the village. When he asked Mysie where she lived, she unraveled more of her painful story: Her husband’s family had despised her, and after he died, they chased her out of the house. She had a daughter, but Mysie lost contact with her after the young woman ran away to elope.

Mysie had no place to live; she slept wherever she could. She earned a little money by finding daily labor work, and when she couldn’t find work, she begged for food.

The tragedies Mysie had experienced stunned Pastor Surin. He began to pray for the woman to know and understand her Creator’s love for her. He also prayed for a way to help her.

Widow Finds Friendship, Transformation

Pastor Surin often offered Mysie food, and he encouraged her with the words of Scripture. Soon, when members of his congregation learned about Mysie’s situation, they also looked for ways to help her.

Mysie’s story of being disowned by her family burdened the heart of Pastor Surin’s brother, Mahruy, and drove him to action. He built a two-room mud house for Mysie on his land. Now, after months of wandering, this widow had a place to rest, a place to call home! The love and compassion shown by Pastor Surin, Mahruy and the other believers overwhelmed Mysie. Although her own family had rejected her, she was now treated as a family member by the believers.

She wanted to know more about the God who displayed such kindness and acceptance through His children; she spent time with the women of the church and joined them for prayer and Bible study.

Through all of this, the love of Christ transformed Mysie’s heart. Now she knows His perfect peace and love, and she rejoices in Him as an active member of the church. Because Christ showed her compassion through His Body, this widow’s story is now a story of hope. Mysie has decided to worship Jesus, the God who redeemed her life, for the rest of her days.

Read how God saved another widow from death through a believer’s prayer.

Source: Gospel for Asia Field Report, Getting to Know the ‘Crazy’ Woman

Learn more about how you can help alleviate the many struggles widows face through Gospel for Asia’s Widows Ministry, providing them with basic essentials, sources of income and opportunities to find peace in Christ.

The Gospel for Asia church Mysie visited had a huge impact on her life. Learn how you can become a part of building another church for a community in need.

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

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

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