2021-09-11T04:42:14+00:00

Last updated on: September 11, 2021 at 4:42 am   By

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World) founded by K.P. Yohannan, whose heart to love and help the poor has inspired numerous charities like Gospel for Asia Canada, to serve the deprived and downcast worldwide – Discussing a widow, the grim reality of cancer, and the answered prayers that brought miraculous healing through Gospel for Asia’s Sisters of Compassion.

Discussing a widow, the grim reality of cancer, and the answered prayers that brought miraculous healing through Gospel for Asia’s Sisters of Compassion.
Gospel for Asia’s Sisters of Compassion are dedicated to faithful prayer and compassionate care of their friends and neighbors.

The lump on Arleta’s breast nearly brought her to her knees. She’d had enough struggles in life, especially since the passing of her husband. Unfortunately, a trip to the doctor confirmed Arleta’s worst fear: The lump was a cancerous tumor.

The doctors told her she needed surgery, but Arleta couldn’t afford the procedure. She sought a second opinion, searching for another remedy. She took the prescribed medicines and even observed the religious customs she remembered from her childhood, hoping that would help, but nothing did. The cancer continued cutting a destructive path, stealing Arleta’s health and causing the widow deep anxiety.

As she considered her options, Arleta recognized the grim reality she faced. It would take a miracle. Even if she could borrow the money needed for surgery, Arleta was concerned it wouldn’t get rid of cancer. Without her husband or her daughter there to help, Arleta was forced to make an important decision alone.

Meeting Compassion

One day Arleta met four Gospel for Asia (GFA) Sisters of Compassion who served in her neighborhood. They carried booklets bearing titles like “Book of Hope” and “Amazing Doctor” that shared inspiring stories and encouraging words.

Curious, Arleta asked the Sisters about the booklets. As the women conversed, Arleta shared her battle with cancer and the painful experiences she’d endured.

Through their attentive listening and genuine concern, Arleta found women with whom she could share her fears and worries. The Sisters empathized with Arleta and prayed for the weary woman. They also told her about Jesus and His great power to heal. Arleta was encouraged to hear real stories of people healed by Jesus.

From that day, Arleta’s new friends stopped by her house every week to visit. The lonely woman welcomed the sight of the Sisters walking down the road to her home.

Believing for a Miracle

The women helped Arleta with everyday chores and prayed earnestly for her healing. Arleta began to believe she could be one of the people miraculously healed by Jesus. When she was invited to a weekend of prayer and fasting at the local church, Arleta decided to go. She spent the weekend on her knees, asking Jesus to heal her and believing He would. After the weekend concluded, Arleta continued in her faithful prayers.

Three weeks after the prayer event, Arleta returned to the hospital for a doctor’s visit. She was full of faith Jesus would heal her. But she couldn’t help but wonder what the doctor’s report would show.

When the report returned, Arleta couldn’t contain her joy at the news: The tumor had shrunk! Arleta knew without a doubt Jesus was answering her prayers and miraculously healing her. She couldn’t wait to tell everyone she knew!

Her Sister of Compassion friends continued to pray with her, trusting Jesus for Arleta’s full healing. As she regained strength, Arleta hosted a prayer meeting at her house. She had to thank Jesus for the healing work He was doing in her body. She invited her daughter, neighbors and nearby relatives, sharing with them the good news of her healing.

Everyone who heard Arleta’s story and witnessed her invigorated spirit was amazed. Could this be the same poor, lonely widow for whom life was painful and joyless? Truly, it was a miracle!

Read how prayers for Samuel’s healing changed his life.

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

Source: Gospel for Asia Field Reports & Updates, Bold Prayers Answered with Miraculous Healing

Learn more about the Sisters of Compassion – those who are specially trained woman missionary with a deep burden for showing Christ’s love by physically serving the needy, underprivileged and poor.

Read more on Prayer and Sisters of Compassion on Patheos from Gospel for Asia.

2021-07-23T13:55:38+00:00

Last updated on: July 23, 2021 at 1:55 pm   By

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World) founded by K.P. Yohannan, which inspired numerous charities like Gospel for Asia Canada, to assist the poor and deprived worldwide – Discussing Badin, his family, the challenges brought by disability and disaster, and how Gospel for Asia Pastor helps rescue and bring alleviation in a time of grave need.

When the rains came, they came violently and suddenly. Badin watched in horror as landslide after landslide occurred near his home. Then water began to creep into Badin’s home, and he knew he had to evacuate. With his wife and three children, Badin made a break for the closest city. Hopefully, they would make it.

The Waters Rising

Discussing Badin, his family, the challenges brought by disability and disaster, and how Gospel for Asia Pastor helps rescue and bring alleviation in a time of grave need.
Badin, pictured here, shows the gaping hole in his home brought about by the landslides.

Badin and his wife, Wilah, lived in a rural village in South Asia where Badin worked as a laborer on a local farm. Due to a physical disability from birth, he could not undertake hard labor, but Badin provided for his family as best he could.

Then the torrential rain came. Badin didn’t think the water would reach their house, so they stayed put. But late that night, at around 9 p.m., the first landslides began. After one swallowed a neighboring home, Badin turned to his wife—they needed to evacuate now.

Gathering their children and what supplies they could carry, Badin and Wilah made their way toward the nearby city.

But it was too late.

They were stranded in their village, the high water impassable. They couldn’t return home either—four feet of water lay claim to their humble dwelling.

Shelter at the Church

Before leaving their home, Badin called GFA World worker Gosha, the leader of their church.

We are evacuating and in need of help, Badin said, “Can you help us?”

The pastor and other believers rushed to collect the evacuating family, but news came that stopped them in their tracks. Reaching Badin’s village would be impossible; the way was blocked. Undeterred, Pastor Gosha approached some local officials and asked if they would be willing to rescue Badin and his family.

Some hours later, rescue personnel reached Badin and his stranded family. They brought the family to the church, where Pastor Gosha and other believers had set up space for Badin and his family to sleep.

For the next 12 days, the stranded family was taken care of. They received bedsheets, clothes, food and water. Many others who found refuge in the church received the same provisions to help them through the difficult days ahead.

When the floodwaters receded enough for safe travel, Badin returned to his home to inspect the damage. Almost every belonging they had was gone. Walls were demolished; mud and stones filled the house. Their home was unfit to live in.

After the authorities deemed his home not safe for residents, Badin returned to the church, where they stayed until a temporary rental house was found for them. Thanks to the church, Badin and his family were safe, fed and clothed—and that’s all they could have asked for.

Read more about how GFA workers make a difference during natural disasters

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

Source: Gospel for Asia Field Reports & Updates, Family Rescued from High Waters

Learn more about the GFA World 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.

Learn more about the need for Disaster Relief Work, Gospel for Asia’s “Compassion Services” with relief teams who love the Lord who are focused to help victims of natural disasters find a firm foundation.

Read more on Disaster Relief and National Missions on Patheos from Gospel for Asia.

2025-08-22T15:35:39+00:00

Last updated on: August 22, 2025 at 3:35 pm   By

WILLS POINT, TX – GFA World (Gospel for Asia) founded by K.P. Yohannan, has been the model for numerous charities like GFA World Canada, to help the poor and deprived worldwide – Discussing Sigrid and her helpless battle with her illness, and the GFA World pastor who brought the miraculous power of God’s Word and prayer.

With two older sisters married, 18-year-old Sigrid was the baby of the family and well-loved by her family and by her sisters’ in-laws. When she fell ill with a severe cough and persistent fever, however, it seemed her doting family could only look on helplessly as Sigrid battled her illness day after day for an entire year.

The Long Road in Search of Recovery

Woman reading God's Word, the Bible
As God healed Sigrid (not pictured) from debilitating chest pain, she reveled in the opportunity to read God’s Word aloud to her family.

Despite taking prescribed medications, Sigrid’s condition only grew worse. Unbearable chest pain compounded her ailments; the doctors could not discover their cause, let alone a cure.

In desperation, Sigrid’s parents took her to a hospital with advanced medical practices. Upon examining Sigrid, doctors concluded her chest was filled with fluid and extra air. Her condition required immediate surgery.

Part of the surgery included insertion of a tube to help rid her body of the excess fluid and air. After 10 days in the hospital, Sigrid went home to finish recovering. However, just three days later, intense pains overtook Sigrid’s stomach, chest and head. The girl on the brink of womanhood was instead facing the brink of death.

Sigrid’s parents lost no time rushing Sigrid back to the hospital. But after offering medicines that did nothing to lessen Sigrid’s howls of pain, the doctors urged her parents to take her back home. There was nothing left to do to cure the teen.

The family was crushed. Discouraged, they went to the home of Sigrid’s older sister, which was near the hospital. But Sigrid’s father and the father-in-law of Sigrid’s sister would not give up. They had one more cure to try.

There was a church in the village where Sigrid’s eldest sister lived. The two men knew people went to the church to ask for prayer and decided to entreat the pastor to pray for Sigrid. This seemed their last chance; they had to take it.

A Miraculous Answer through Prayer and God’s Word

Gospel for Asia (GFA) pastor Paul willingly followed the two men to pray for Sigrid and soon saw the situation’s severity. The girl’s life hung in the balance. She needed a miracle.

Pastor Paul prayed fervently for Sigrid’s complete healing before leaving to preach the morning service. After the service, he and a few members of the church returned and prayed relentlessly through the night.

As dawn began to break through the night sky, all who were gathered at the house witnessed a miracle: Sigrid asked for a drink of water, after three days of being unable to eat or drink. Then she ate some food. It was a testament to the miracle God was working in her body.

The faithful prayers of the believers were instrumental in Sigrid’s fight for her life. To the amazement of her family, soon Sigrid felt well enough to sit up in bed.

As she began to regain strength, Pastor Paul gave Sigrid God’s Word to read. How quickly Sigrid moved from almost dying to reading the Holy Scriptures out loud to her family and new friends!

“I like to the read [God’s Word],” Sigrid said. “Whenever I read [God’s Word], I [feel] so good.”

She read out loud every morning, every night and often at other times as well. Sigrid would read loudly enough for her family to hear as they went about their household activities during the day, and the whole family would gather to hear her read at the day’s end. Her family marveled at the life-giving words of the Holy Scriptures even as they were blessed by hearing Sigrid’s strong voice read its truths.

“Philippians 4:13, Psalm 103 and Psalm 23 are my favorite [Scriptures], which I read repeatedly,” Sigrid said.

Thanks to the prayers of Pastor Paul and believers from his church, God worked a miracle in Sigrid’s life. She is completely healed and is scheduled to have the tube removed from her chest. Sigrid even walked to church on her own to share the story of her healing.

Read the story of another woman’s miraculous healing due to faithful prayers on her behalf.

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

Source: Gospel for Asia Field Reports & Updates, Chest Pain Lifted Allows Teen to Read God’s Word Aloud

Learn how to provide at least 20 copies of God’s Word—either as complete Bibles or New Testaments—which will enable many to grow and learn more about Jesus.

Read more on God’s Word and National Missions on Patheos from Gospel for Asia.

2021-09-15T19:07:52+00:00

Last updated on: September 15, 2021 at 7:07 pm   By

WILLS POINT, TX — India’s devastating “second wave” of COVID-19 is overshadowing another deadly tsunami of suffering — rampant hunger. GFA World (Gospel for Asia) reported growing desperation across India as we support efforts to feed those facing starvation amid the pandemic’s continuing onslaught. We have helped feed hundreds of thousands since the pandemic began.

On World Hunger Day, May 28, GFA World reports growing desperation in India as it supports efforts to help thousands starving amid COVID 19
HUNGER’S DEEP SILENCE: On World Hunger Day, May 28, Texas-based humanitarian agency Gospel for Asia (GFA World) reports growing desperation in India as it supports efforts to help thousands starving in “deep silence” amid the pandemic’s continuing onslaught.

“As COVID-19 ravages India, we’re seeing hunger on a massive scale,” said Bishop Danny Punnose, vice president of Gospel for Asia (GFA World), spotlighting the accelerating crisis on World Hunger Day, May 28.

In the nation’s pandemic hotspots, so-called “corona curfews” and lockdowns make it very difficult to get groceries — even if people have cash to spend.

‘Deep Silence’ Everywhere

“Markets are closed… no shopkeepers are willing to open their shops. People are struggling to get grocery items. (There’s) deep silence at all places,” local relief workers reported.

In India’s densely populated Uttar Pradesh state, local church members are going door-to-door, delivering free meals to COVID-impacted families in strict quarantine.

Many day laborers — among the poorest of the poor — have lost their jobs because of the pandemic, have no source of income, and no other way to get food.

Fear Grows

“The fear of going hungry, for many, is as great as the fear of the virus,” said Bishop Punnose. “Working alongside the government of India, we’re doing all we can to help relieve suffering and show people the love of God.”

Heartbroken parents were watching their children “starving to death before their eyes,” he said.

World Hunger Day — an annual awareness event — says 690 million people worldwide face chronic hunger, reportedly killing more than malaria, AIDS and tuberculosis combined.

For the latest information on GFA World’s COVID-19 efforts, visit: http://www.gfa.org/press/WorldHunger

About GFA World

Gospel for Asia (GFA World) is a leading faith-based global mission agency, helping national workers bring vital assistance and spiritual hope to millions across the world, especially in Asia and Africa, and sharing the love of God. In GFA World’s latest yearly report, this included thousands of community development projects that benefit downtrodden families and their children, free medical camps conducted in more than 1,200 villages and remote communities, over 4,800 clean water wells drilled, over 12,000 water filters installed, income-generating Christmas gifts for more than 260,000 needy families, and teaching providing hope and encouragement available in 110 languages in 14 nations through radio ministry. GFA World has launched programs in Africa, starting with compassion projects in Rwanda. For all the latest news, visit our Press Room at https://press.gfa.org/news.

Media interested in interviews with Gospel For Asia should contact Gregg Wooding at InChrist Communications @ 972-567-7660 or [email protected]

2025-01-07T23:42:04+00:00

Last updated on: January 7, 2025 at 11:42 pm   By

WILLS POINT, TX – GFA World (Gospel for Asia) founded by K.P. Yohannan, whose heart to love and help the poor has inspired numerous charities like GFA World Canada, to serve the deprived and downcast worldwide – Discussing Seafra, the sickness and suffering brought by poverty and mosquito borne sickness, and the mosquito net gift distributions through GFA World church that brought blessing in the midst of tragedy.

Discussing suffering brought by poverty and mosquito borne sickness, & the mosquito net gift distributions through GFA World church that brought hope
Gift distributions for mosquito nets, like the one pictured and the one Seafra attended, are organized to bless and uplift families at risk from malaria and other vector-borne diseases.

The mosquitoes that buzzed outdoors brought no comfort to Seafra’s family. For the 50-year-old father of four who farmed for a living, he knew that he had two options: He could use what little earnings he made to feed his family, or he could risk temporary starvation to purchase a mosquito net they desperately needed. If he didn’t purchase a net, sickness would continue to ravage his family. The weights on the scale of importance never seemed to balance.

The Burden of Disease

Seafra and many other of his fellow villagers faced the same problem: mosquitoes. The tiny insects carried numerous harmful, and sometimes fatal, diseases. Malaria, and tyhpoid took turns infecting the villagers. The WHO estimates that 409,000 people worldwide died from malaria in 2019, with more than 229 million cases across the globe.[1]

Seafra and his family members had already fallen ill to many of the mosquito-borne maladies. And if one or more of his family were to become infected again, he knew their funds would not be enough to pay for the subsequent medical bills.

But then Seafra and his family were invited to a local church led by Gospel for Asia (GFA) pastor Kedrik. At the church, the family received insecticide-treated nets to ward off mosquitoes. These special nets have proven to be one of the most effective ways to prevent transmission of malaria over the past 20 years.[2] Together with other prevention programs, these nets have prevented an estimated 7.6 million malaria deaths.[3]

After receiving the net, the family confided in Pastor Kedrik the struggles they faced. While the nets would provide ample protection against further disease transmission, the trauma of past illnesses caught from mosquitoes still lingered. Pastor Kedrik continued to visit the family once a month, praying for them and encouraging them.

GFA Pastor Brings Gift of a Mosquito Net Amidst Tragedy

Four years later, the threat of becoming ill from a vector-borne disease had vanished. Seafra and his family spent their nights in peace under the mosquito net’s protection. But then a crippling medical crisis struck the family when Seafra began experiencing severe knee pain. Unable to properly tend to his farm, Seafra was taken to various doctors, and the family performed various traditional rituals.

After exhausting nearly every avenue and selling most of their farm to pay for them, Seafra’s family asked Pastor Kedrik to pray for Seafra’s healing. They knew Pastor Kedrik cared for them; he had shown it through the surprise gift of a mosquito net and through his friendship throughout the years.

Then, after a period of continuous prayer, the pain in Seafra’s knees vanished. He could walk properly again; he could provide for his family again. So touched by his healing, Seafra and his entire family began attending Pastor Kedrik’s church, desiring to continue experiencing the tangible love of God.

[1] “World Malaria Report 2020: 20 Years of Global Progress and Challenges.” Geneva: World health Organization. 2020. 3 March 2021. https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/malaria/world-malaria-reports/9789240015791-eng.pdf?sfvrsn=d7a8ec53_3&download=true

[2] “Core vector control methods.” World Health Organization. 19 January 2020. https://www.who.int/malaria/areas/vector_control/core_methods/en/

[3] “World Malaria Report 2020: 20 Years of Global Progress and Challenges.” Geneva: World health Organization. 2020. 3 March 2021. https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/malaria/world-malaria-reports/9789240015791-eng.pdf?sfvrsn=d7a8ec53_3&download=true

See how you can help GFA workers continue to protect at-risk families from disease and simultaneously show God’s love through mosquito nets.

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

Source: Gospel for Asia Field Reports & Updates, Gift of Mosquito Net Provides Family Avenue of Hope

Learn more about how generosity can change lives. Through GFA World (Gospel for Asia) 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.

Learn more how to save families from the sickening agony or death from malaria through the gift of Mosquito Nets that offer protection from the sting of an infected mosquito and help to give their owner a restful nights sleep.

Read more on Christmas Gift Catalog, Mosquito Nets and Poverty Alleviation on Patheos from Gospel for Asia.

2025-01-08T04:08:43+00:00

Last updated on: January 8, 2025 at 4:08 am   By

WILLS POINT, TX – GFA World (Gospel for Asia) founded by K.P. Yohannan, which inspired numerous charities like GFA World Canada, to assist the poor and deprived worldwide – Discussing Hajime, his struggle with disability and poverty, and the Gospel for Asia gift distribution that provides freedom through the gift of a wheelchair.

Discussing Hajime, his struggle with disability and poverty, and the Gospel for Asia gift distribution that provides freedom through a wheelchair gift.
A wheelchair, like this one, met Hajime’s need and inspired his faith.

Hajime longed for a wheelchair. His independence had been stripped away from him after becoming paralyzed from the waist down. He needed people to carry him whenever he needed or wanted to go somewhere. He was bound to whatever place he sat. And now he watched as his wife took on the role he once had as provider.

A wheelchair would give him back some sense of freedom. It would help him to be able to care for himself and to function on his own without worrying about becoming a burden to his family. But Hajime knew that his dream of having a wheelchair was just that—a dream—and that his wife’s meager income could never produce enough money to purchase one.

A Man in Need

Before Hajime’s paralysis, he and his wife, Aafje, struggled to meet their daily needs. Despite the small, government-provided room they lived in, their finances were strained, and the couple often went without necessary things.

After Hajime’s paralysis, their financial situation worsened, and Aafje was forced to work to keep the family afloat. The couple’s three sons worked but kept their earnings to themselves, unwilling to help their parents in their time of need.

Gifting Hope

Hajime had been attending a small church near their home led by Gospel for Asia (GFA) pastor Mariano. Hajime and Aafje enjoyed learning about Jesus and getting to know Pastor Mariano and the other church members. As Hajime and Aafje continued attending the church, Pastor Mariano’s heart ached for Hajime and his struggle, and he desired to help his new friend obtain a wheelchair.

Later that year, Pastor Mariano’s church held a couple of gift distributions, providing 215 families in the area with essential items, and Hajime was one of the recipients. With the help of Pastor Mariano, Hajime was brought to the church to pick up his new wheelchair. Hajime’s face radiated joy and his hands trembled with emotion as he received his most-longed-for gift.

“I am grateful to you for providing me a wheelchair,” Hajime expressed from the seat of his new wheelchair. “I have not been able to walk for a long time due to the disability of my physical body, but after receiving the wheelchair at least I can go around and do my work. I thank you for providing me this wheelchair.”

Hajime was so grateful to the church for meeting his need and helping to give him back the independence he had longed for. Now he can get from place to place without having to ask for help, and he can visit his relatives. He continues to attend Pastor Mariano’s church and grow in his knowledge of Jesus. Hajime tells everyone he meets of how the church provided him with his wheelchair and gifted him with newfound hope.

Read how a toilet blessed Laal and his family.

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

Source: Gospel for Asia Field Reports & Updates, Gift Distribution Provides Man a New Sense of Freedom

Learn more about how generosity can change lives. Through GFA World (Gospel for Asia) 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.

Learn more by reading these Special Reports from GFA World:

Read more on the Christmas Gift Catalog and National Missions on Patheos from Gospel for Asia.

2023-02-22T09:02:03+00:00

Last updated on: February 22, 2023 at 9:02 am   By

WILLS POINT, TX – GFA World (Gospel for Asia) founded by K.P. Yohannan, which inspired numerous charities like GFA World Canada, to assist the poor and deprived worldwide – Discussing GFA World celebrating 42 years of showing the love of Christ by meeting practical needs of impoverished communities across Asia. 

The Lord has been using GFA World to share Good News, to send indigenous workers to provide help to needy communities, and to grow Bible-believing churches over the past 42 years. We’ve enjoyed global recognition as a major faith-based humanitarian organization. However, our primary mission remains to represent Jesus Christ and His love through word and deed across Asia.

Discussing GFA World celebrating 42 years of help & meeting the practical needs of impoverished communities across Asia with the love of Christ.The humanitarian aid aspects of our ministry includes:

And yet, there is so much more.

Many may not realize the marvelous ways the Lord has used Gospel for Asia (GFA World) to minister to the millions of people in Asia. Reaching out to those who have never experienced God’s love is just the beginning of the process it takes to establish local churches that not only serve their immediate communities but endeavor to provide help and hope to outlying villages.

Sharing

The humanitarian ministries listed above highlight the different ways we share help and hope with the hopeless, and transforming communities in despair through practical ways that help them escape persistent poverty.

These specific Gospel for Asia (GFA) ministries address practical, everyday needs that communities have, like the need for clean water, sanitation, food, basic health care, education and vocational support. They are provided with a generous dose of local loving-kindness to express the heart of Christ and his love for all people.

Sending

Gospel for Asia (GFA World) also supports national workers who share the love of Christ with their neighbors. As these relationships deepen, more and more people experience God’s love, and a new fellowship is born as new believers gather together for fellowship and discipleship.

The national worker often takes on the role of pastoring this congregation and will also continue ministering to surrounding villages where the name of Jesus is still unknown.

Growing

Generous and faithful donors provide a portion of the funding for the construction of places of worship. However, we believe that a healthy church is a self-supporting church. In fact, there are many churches that are now self-supporting, meaning they are a full-fledged church with land, a building, and believers who are giving enough via their tithes and offerings to sustain their church and its various ministries to help their community.

Local believers are taught how to do their part – and they are quite willing to do so. For example, in one year, the believers in one country financed 70 percent of the construction of 48 new church buildings. More than 400 self-supporting churches have been established with the support of Gospel for Asia (GFA World) in this nation. The believers there are poor, yet they have personally sent and supported 75 national workers in their own nation and have constructed about 280 churches.

Sharing God’s love and message of new life remains at the heart of all of GFA World’s ministry. It is wonderful to see so many churches established that are self-governing, self-financed, and self-propagating after 42 years of prayer and faithful service.

Gospel for Asia (GFA World) is committed to continuing its faithful support of indigenous believers who are sharing Christ’s love, providing hope and help to impoverished communities in practical ways, and fostering new congregations.

2021-09-22T19:49:58+00:00

Last updated on: September 22, 2021 at 7:49 pm   By

WILLS POINT, TX — COVID-19 is making a heart-wrenching situation even worse for abused and outcast widows around the world, says a new report for International Widows Day, June 23, an annual awareness event. The COVID pandemic is a widow-maker for thousands of the world’s most vulnerable women, causing them an “unbearable level” of sorrow and suffering, says the report — Coronavirus Intensifies Hardships for Widows — by Texas-based humanitarian agency GFA World.

‘Our Hearts Go Out’

Tragedy of COVID 'widow-maker' on International Widows Day
TRAGEDY OF COVID ‘WIDOW-MAKER’ ON INTERNATIONAL WIDOWS DAY: COVID-19 is making a heart wrenching situation even worse for abused and outcast widows around the world, says a new report for International Widows Day, June 23. The COVID pandemic is a widow-maker for thousands of the world’s most vulnerable women, causing them an “unbearable level” of sorrow and suffering, says the report — Coronavirus Intensifies Hardships for Widows — by GFA World.

“The pandemic is crushing widows around the globe, and our hearts go out to each and every one of them, wherever they live,” said K.P. Yohannan, founder of Gospel for Asia (GFA World), an organization that helps thousands of widows in desperate circumstances — providing food, sewing machines to help them generate income, vocational training, and other aid.

“Our goal is to bring them comfort, encouragement, and God’s love,” said Bishop Danny Punnose, Gospel for Asia (GFA World) vice president. “We want them to know that God is always with them and loves them.”

The report — which also highlights the heartache and grieving of young “COVID widows” in America — describes the tragic ordeal widows are facing in different parts of the world where they’re viewed as objects of shame and treated with contempt. The pandemic, the report says, is “multiplying” their pain.

Shocking examples include:

  • In Nigeria, widows were locked in a room with their husbands’ corpses and forced to shave their own heads — a ritual of shame.
  • In Afghanistan, outcast widows established their own “colony” on a hillside above a cemetery just outside the capital, Kabul, where they live in mud homes they’ve built themselves, disowned by their families and excluded from mainstream life.
  • In Kenya, during COVID quarantine, there were reports of widows being driven out of their homes by their in-laws who considered them to be “excess burden.”

Globally, the United Nations warns, the pandemic “is likely leaving tens of thousands of women newly widowed” and exposed to rejection and mistreatment by their families and neighbors. Rampant hunger fueled by lockdowns and soaring unemployment makes life even harder for widows totally dependent on menial work or begging to survive.

In some countries in Asia and Africa, new widows have barely buried or cremated their husband before someone tries to take their home, land or possessions, citing loss of property rights after the husband dies.

For the latest information on GFA World’s COVID-19 relief efforts, visit: www.gfa.org/press/COVID-spike

About GFA World

Gospel for Asia (GFA World) is a leading faith-based global mission agency, helping national workers bring vital assistance and spiritual hope to millions across the world, especially in Asia and Africa, and sharing the love of God. In GFA World’s latest yearly report, this included thousands of community development projects that benefit downtrodden families and their children, free medical camps conducted in more than 1,200 villages and remote communities, over 4,800 clean water wells drilled, over 12,000 water filters installed, income-generating Christmas gifts for more than 260,000 needy families, and teaching providing hope and encouragement available in 110 languages in 14 nations through radio ministry. GFA World has launched programs in Africa, starting with compassion projects in Rwanda. For all the latest news, visit our Press Room at https://gfanews.org/news/.

Read more blogs on GFA World, Widow, World Missions and the COVID 19 Pandemic on Patheos from Gospel for Asia.

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Learn more by reading this Special Report from Gospel for Asia: Widows Face Uphill Battle After Losing Spouses — The plight of widows, whether in affluent or developing nations, can be a desperate struggle

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Read what 25 Christian Leaders are affirming about GFA World.

2021-06-16T21:08:25+00:00

Last updated on: June 16, 2021 at 9:08 pm   By

by Dr. David R. Mains

She called me Dad. Jessie had come home to celebrate her birthday—she was turning 68. “I know the routine, Dad” she reminded me. (I am 83 years of age.) And immediately, she began to jump in and help my wife, Karen, with tasks that needed doing around the house. My wife hates to run errands. She feels that they can eat up a whole day when she’d rather be accomplishing other kinds of goals—such as meeting writing deadlines.

Dad Mug sitting on top of hayJessie had first come to live with us when she was 37 years of age. Homeless. On the streets. A mutual friend brought a very disgruntled young woman to our door. Wearing a leather jacket, she had developed one of the toughest demeanors I’ve ever seen. This was her adaption in order to face down a hostile world. Karen, nevertheless, with a spiritual gift of discernment, understood that beneath Jessie’s rough exterior, there was a beating heart still filled with unaccountable tenderness.

“Yep! On the inside, I’m just a marshmallow,” Jessie says now, describing what we came to discover was the truth. Despite an abusive mother, despite getting into “a lot of bad stuff” as Jessie would say, something true and beautiful, had survived those years as a motorcycle gang moll. Some inner spirit filled with longing for the right kind of love had survived her practiced liturgy of worshiping the dark and satanic.

Karen says that when she opened the door and discovered this tight ball of humanity beside our friend, an unaccountable kind of love flooded her emotions. So, Jessie came to live with us, went through an extensive rehabilitation as part of our family of four growing children. She stayed for six years. She and Jeremy, our youngest son and 10 years old at the time, became great buddies. How could Jessie not thrive with Jer acting as counsellor and life coach. This budding relationship was not only hilarious, it was touching beyond description.

We asked Jessie, on her latest visit home, what she remembered about those years in our house. “Oh, the love. You just loved me, and you loved one another. I also remember that we prayed a lot. I mean a LOT! … Why did you take me in?”

Well, it was obvious. Karen had prayed for help in the house, with the children, with the hated running-errand tasks, with the piles of laundry, and with the dishes in the sink. Who was she to argue with God concerning the way that prayer was answered and how it was packaged?

It occurs to me as we head into another national day that honors the fathers in our lives, that there are many people who become non-biological fathers to displaced folk who desperately need fathers.

Jessie’s transformation to a God-lover, to an ardent Jesus follower (“Oh, Jesus! He’s my life. He means everything to me!” she reported in our recent catching-up conversation.) was framed and formed by living in our not-perfect-by-any-means family, where there was at least a healthy and caring father-figure.

Have you observed that it’s easier for people to form an understanding of a loving God when they have had loving parents? Loving, wise, caring father figures often pave the way for a redemptive path toward God.

So, this Father’s Day, perhaps it would be a good exercise to consider those men who have been father figures in our lives. What teacher gave you crucial and encouraging attention? Did you have a neighbor who taught you how to use his tools? Was there an uncle or a great-uncle who encouraged your faith walk? Was there a Sunday School teacher who let you know he considered that you had much promise?

I had a band teacher in high school, Dan Perino, who took me aside and asked if I had ever considered running for student council president. “If you did, David, you would be sure to win.” In fact, I had never even thought of such an idea. However, I took his nudge seriously, mounted a campaign and to my great surprise, won the election! This was an embryo incident that helped me understand I had qualities in my personality that other people considered “leadership potential.”

Karen says that whenever Jessie calls on the phone and in her gravely voice prays, “DEAR LORD, BLESS KAREN . . .” my wife is always moved to tears.

I know that I am moved deeply when she calls me “DAD.”

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

Read more on Family on Patheos from Gospel for Asia.

2021-06-09T20:18:17+00:00

Last updated on: June 9, 2021 at 8:18 pm   By

WILLS POINT, TX – GFA World (Gospel for Asia) founded by K.P. Yohannan, whose heart to love and help the poor has inspired numerous charities like GFA World Canada, to serve the deprived and downcast worldwide – Discussing the family of Sesen and Hachirou, their struggle with poverty, and their dire need for a mosquito net met by GFA World Gift Distribution.

Discussing the family of Sesen and Hachirou, their struggle with poverty, and their dire need for a mosquito net met by GFA World Gift Distribution.
Mosquito nets like this one are essential items for families in South Asia. Such a net wasthe answer to Sesen and her family’s prayers.

Sesen lived with her husband, Hachirou, and their three children in a small village. To survive, the family relied on the meager income generated from Hachirou’s job as a plumber and Sesen’s job as a maid, but many of their needs were unmet—like the dire need for a mosquito net to protect themselves from the mosquitoes that swarmed their area.

A Family’s Fighting Faith

The family’s difficult financial situation was hard on them all, but they knew the Lord would provide for their needs. After coming to know Jesus a few years earlier, they had grown in their faith by attending Gospel for Asia (GFA) prayer meetings and church services. Though they faced many challenges and struggled to support themselves, they clung to a mustard seed of hope and kept the faith, always believing God to provide for all of their needs—including their need for a mosquito net.

The Need for a Net, the Grace in a Gift

The family’s small brick house was a single room in which all five of them slept, cooked meals and ate. The cramped quarters were hot and uncomfortable. They tried sleeping on the porch, but the swarms of mosquitoes resulted in restless nights and rampant illness.

With each member of the family getting sick one after another, they were desperate and needed help soon.

One February, in the midst of continued struggle and suffering, the family’s prayers were answered. Pastor Vaclav’s church organized a gift distribution for the local community, in which more than 30 families were given mosquito nets, including Sesen’s. The family was overjoyed!

Sesen brought two nets home and started using them immediately, enabling her and her family to sleep through the night and stay free of illness. Through this act of kindness and the grace of God, Sesen and her family were strengthened in their faith. They witnessed firsthand what a mustard seed of faith—even faith for a mosquito net—can do.

You can provide a family, like Sesen’s, with a long-desired mosquito net that will ease their suffering.

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

Source: Gospel for Asia Field Reports & Updates, A Family’s Mustard Seed of Faith for a Mosquito Net

Learn more about how generosity can change lives. Through GFA World (Gospel for Asia) 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.

Learn more how to save families from the sickening agony or death from malaria through the gift of Mosquito Nets that offer protection from the sting of an infected mosquito and help to give their owner a restful nights sleep.

Read more on Christmas Gift Catalog, Mosquito Nets and Poverty Alleviation on Patheos from Gospel for Asia.

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