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 Salbador, his struggle to provide for his family against poverty while enduring near constant chest pain, and his son’s persistent faith for healing for his father.
For 32-year-old Salbador, the past two years had been fraught with discomfort and pain. The father of three worked at a factory to provide for his family, attempting to keep them out of poverty. Long hours and tough labor resulted in severe, near-constant chest pain. Multiple hospital visits proved no help; the doctors could offer no relief for Salbador’s pain.
A Son’s Faith
Udahl (pictured front second from the left), convinced his father, Salbador (pictured center back) to attend the church after his chest pain would not dissipate.
Salbador was a believer in name but didn’t fully follow in Christ’s footsteps. His 10-year-old son, Udahl, however, attended church faithfully. Multiple times, Udahl invited his parents to go with him, but they always found some excuse to not go, even after they listened to Udahl chatter excitedly about all he learned at Sunday school.
When Salbador’s chest pain first flared up, Udahl recommended they go to the church.
“I have seen [Gospel for Asia (GFA)] Pastor Pallatin praying for many sick people in the church,” Udahl told his parents.
Maybe the pastor could pray for Salbador? Maybe Salbador could be healed?
Still, Salbador did not go. Udahl was a child; what did he know?
Undeterred by his father’s stubbornness, Udahl decided to invite Pastor Pallatin to his home. His father could be healed, Udahl knew it.
Through constant and diligent prayer, great things can be accomplished. And like this man pictured, Salbador experienced God’s love through constant prayer.
Healing Finally Found
Through constant and diligent prayer, great things can be accomplished. And like this man pictured, Salbador experienced God’s love through constant prayer.
When Pastor Pallatin visited, he shared exactly what Udahl had told his father: Jesus could heal Salbador’s pain. It seemed impossible, but this time Salbador finally decided to listen. Pastor Pallatin continued to visit the family, continually offering up prayer for Salbador to be healed from discomfort. And soon, those prayers were answered.
Salbador’s chest pain, which had plagued him for two long years, vanished. Rejoicing, the family invited Pastor Pallatin to continue visiting their home and sharing from God’s Word. And after a few blissful months of growing in Christ’s love, the whole family devoted their lives to Jesus.
“For the past two years, I had been taking medicines, but there was no relief,” Salbador said. “Now, the Lord Jesus healed me completely, and I do not feel any discomfort and pain during my regular work.”
Through his son’s persistent faith, Salbador has found healing and a new, invigorated life.
“We are proud of our son,” he said. “As he took initiative for this new 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.
Join the GFA World Prayer Team as we lift up in prayer the people of Asia and their needs. Receive prayer requests for Asia with a special focus each month. You can have a part in ministering to those in need—through our most powerful tool: prayer.
Learn more about the GFA World 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.
Last updated on: December 16, 2021 at 10:56 pm By GFA Staff Writer
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 Gospel for Asia Canada, to serve the deprived and downcast worldwide – Discussing the grief and turmoil in Imalda’s family brought by the death of her firstborn son, and the peace from God through the help of Gospel For Asia’s Sisters of Compassion.
After Imalda (not pictured) experienced devastating loss, God answered the fervent prayers of the Sisters of Compassion to restore Imalda’s mental health and bring peace and harmony back to her home.
The excitement of the birth of Imalda’s firstborn child, a son, was dampened by the discovery that he had a hole in his heart. Devastated by the news and afraid, Imalda and her husband, Agnolo, a registered medical practitioner himself, leaned on the reassurances of the doctors stating the hole would eventually close on its own. Unfortunately, it did not.
The new parents did everything they could to bring healing to their precious baby: They spent large amounts of money on his medical treatments; they visited numerous temples; they offered multiple sacrifices. Still, nothing saved their baby boy. Within a year of his birth, Imalda and Agnolo’s son died.
The weight of the loss crushed Imalda. She expressed her grief by lashing out at her husband, screaming and fighting with him. As Imalda descended into mental illness, her behavior changed drastically. She even ventured outside naked on several occasions.
After losing his son, Agnolo watched helplessly as he began to lose his wife as well.
During this tumultuous time, Imalda gave birth to a second son. The child should have brought joy, but Imalda could not overcome the loss of her firstborn; turmoil continued to reign in her home.
Help from New Sisters of Compassion Friends
As Imalda wrestled to find peace in her mind and her home, she met two GFA Sisters of Compassion, Bianey and Cyprienne. The Sisters spent time talking with Imalda and learned about her family’s tragic story that led to Imalda’s mental illness. Before parting ways, the Sisters prayed for Imalda.
Agnolo agreed to let Bianey and Cyprienne visit Imalda every Wednesday to pray for her full healing. Faithful to their word, Imalda’s new friends came every week, praying and fasting for Imalda’s health to be completely restored.
A Miraculous Answer to Earnest Prayers
God heard their prayers and began to heal Imalda. Agnolo could hardly believe the changes he witnessed in his wife as she became calmer and more composed than he had seen her in eight years. After seven weeks of prayer, Imalda’s mental health was fully healed.
With much gratitude, Agnolo and Imalda opened their hearts and lives to Jesus, the One about whom they read in God’s Word and who transformed their broken lives, filling their home with peace. “I was totally distressed and often quarreled with my husband, due to which we lost the peace in our home,” Imalda recounted. “I thought I would never become normal and [would] never obtain peace in my life. But now, I am happy with my life and family. The Sisters took special care of me, and because of their prayers, love and support, I could come back to life.”
Imalda and Agnolo rejoice that God brought them through the many years of upheaval and delivered peace to their home.
*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.
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.
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 Nadajay, a 45 year old widow, her family’s struggle with poverty and sickness, and the Gospel for Asia distribution of a goat that took care of their medical needs.
One dollar and thirty-eight cents—that was all Nadajay made per day working in the mines. The 45-year-old widow needed to provide for her two sons, but her daily income barely covered living and school expenses, leaving hardly any extra.
But when Nadajay’s 10-year-old son, Adeon, fell ill with a kidney stone, she spared no expense. She wouldn’t lose another son; she couldn’t lose another son.
A Tragic Past, a Region in Need
Goats, like those pictured above, provide much-needed income as families in need can sell their offspring.
Nadajay had already lost her husband and five sons to sickness in the past. Their poverty meant they could not seek proper medical attention—an all-too-common occurrence in Nadajay’s region. People suffered with malaria, jaundice and typhoid, and many could not afford proper treatment.
When Adeon fell ill, Nadajay’s fear and heartache from the past surged to the present. Any spare money she had saved up went to finding relief for her son’s pain. Doctor visits and traditional rituals brought no healing. What if she would lose him, too?
When Gospel for Asia (GFA) pastor Macalay first arrived in Nadajay’s region, he saw families stricken by poverty and devastated by sickness. He saw the mental and emotional strain on the locals’ faces. He saw the hopelessness and the pain. Pastor Macalay knew these men and women needed love, so he sought to be a beacon of hope for those trapped in destitution and despair.
When Pastor Macalay met Nadajay, she shared with the pastor her grief and troubles. She told him of the tragic passing of her husband and children. Now another son—her youngest, Adeon—lay ill, and nothing she’d done had worked. Please, she asked, pray for my son.
Pastor Macalay did. For the next two weeks, he visited Nadajay’s home, praying for her sick son. And after two weeks of constant prayer, Adeon’s pain vanished. He had been healed.
Blessings for a Widow from Gospel for Asia Distribution
Enormous relief settled in Nadajay’s heart. For nearly a year, worry for Adeon, combined with the pain of the past, had ruled Nadajay’s thoughts. Her attempts had not healed her son, but Pastor Macalay’s prayers did. Why? What was different about the pastor’s prayers that enabled her son to be healed?
She realized it was Christ and His love that had brought healing for Adeon’s body—and to Nadajay’s heart.
She began attending worship services held by Pastor Macalay with other villagers. Together, as one congregation, they grew in the knowledge of Christ’s love and the power of prayer.
A year later, Nadajay received a pair of goats through a Christmas gift distribution. They provided the widow with much-needed income, especially as the number of goats steadily increased from two to 24. Through selling the offspring, she could take care of any medical needs that arose—and get her sons through school and repair a leaky roof.
Nadajay no longer feared for her sons’ survival. Thanks to the faithful prayers of Pastor Macalay, Nadajay now rejoices in the comforting embrace of God’s provision and love.
*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.
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 Dora, a widow, her desperate need for her son’s affliction, and the power of the Scriptures that brought deliverance, peace, and joy.
Searching for help for her son, Dora clearly heard God’s Word at a Women’s Fellowship meeting like this one.
After her husband’s passing, 56-year-old Dora moved in with her adult son, Caster. Dora was a kind-hearted woman who cared deeply for her friends and offered help whenever she saw someone in need. But when Dora’s good friend Athena told her about a church just a few blocks from her home, the dear widow failed to recognize her own need for a trustworthy God.
Dora thought she knew about the God her friend worshiped, and frankly, she was surprised Athena attended church. How could Athena worship this God instead of their ancestral deities? The typically quiet, reserved woman did not hide her disapproval.
Athena wasn’t surprised by her friend’s reaction, but she chose to respond with kindness and a soft answer. Athena described to Dora the timeless truths she learned from God’s Word and the wonderful ways in which God answered prayers and provided for her and her family. Athena lived out the truths of the Scriptures, treating her friend kindly and praying for her faithfully. She even invited Dora to come with her to a Women’s Fellowship meeting.
Still, Dora was uninterested. She hardened her heart and stubbornly refused to listen to the words Athena shared, not realizing it was those same words of hope that enabled Athena to patiently demonstrate God’s love to Dora.
Time of Desperate Need Becomes Turning Point
Months later, Dora’s son, Caster, was attacked by an evil spirit. Dora was shaken. Her son needed healing, but she couldn’t help. She knew she didn’t have the answers to his problem. She thought of her friend Athena and the God who answered her friend’s prayers.
After ignoring Athena’s invitations, Dora could refuse no longer. She decided to visit the church around the corner.
Until that day, Dora had never heard the Word of God so clearly. Ultimately, it was God’s Word, which Dora was previously reluctant to hear, that gave Caster what he needed: deliverance from the harassing spirit.
Dora was humbled by the power of God’s Word, amazed at the joy, peace and healing the powerful words brought into her life. She began regularly attending the Women’s Fellowship with Athena and studying Scripture with the pastor’s wife. The more Dora learned, the greater transformation she recognized in her life. Both she and Caster found peace and joy.
Dora discovered God’s Word is pure and trustworthy. When she is in need, she can rely on it. Her trust in God continues to grow and she has resolved to live for the Lord as she learns more about Him through His Holy Word.
*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.
WILLS POINT, TX — A global humanitarian organization is helping combat the world’s “stinkiest” health emergency — people defecating in the open — a new report reveals. Gospel for Asia (GFA World) is installing thousands of toilets in some of the world’s remotest and least developed areas — places where people typically relieve themselves in the bushes, by the local river, or in the street.It’s part of a global effort to curb deadly diseases spread by people practicing open defecation, known as OD, says the agency’s new report Taking the Toilet Challenge.
SOLVING A DEADLY STINKY PROBLEM: Texas-based humanitarian organization Gospel for Asia (GFA World) is helping combat the world’s “stinkiest” health emergency — people defecating in the open. The agency just released a new report, Taking the Toilet Challenge.
OD spreads cholera, dysentery, hepatitis, typhoid and leads to chronic diarrhea — killing millions of children worldwide every year.
OD is not just a health crisis in the developing world — it’s also a serious issue in the United States, where cities such as San Francisco and Seattle are battling to find solutions among their growing homeless populations.
Up and Running: 32,000 Toilets
So far, GFA World has helped install more than 32,000 toilets in OD-prone locations across Asia.
““For millions around the world, the humble toilet is the best gift they can imagine,” said K.P. Yohannan, founder of the Texas-based organization that helps millions across Asia and has just launched projects in Africa. “Giving people the most basic necessities of life is one way of sharing God’s love with them.”
Global Progress
Citing progress, the organization’s report says OD has been cut in half globally in recent years. In South Asia — home to one quarter of the world’s people — the number of those practicing OD has dropped sharply from two-thirds of the population to one-third.
But, the report says, about one in every 11 people worldwide still doesn’t have access to a toilet.
The report also spotlights efforts to “reinvent the toilet” — designing toilets that process human waste without water, sewer or septic systems.
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.
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 Salihah, the grief being a widow brings, the dire financial situation, and the Good News of Jesus’ love introduced through GFA church pastor, and the blessing of a sewing machine.
Salihah’s sewing machine helped her meet her family’s needs and bless others.
Salihah was only 24 years old when she became a widow and single mother. Her husband, Padraic, had been killed in a motorcycle accident due to drunk driving. Padraic was the sole breadwinner in the family, and his death not only left a void in the hearts of his loved ones, but also left them without the income they needed to survive.
After Padraic’s death, Salihah took over his job as a janitor in the local government office, a job for which Salihah was grateful. Still, deep sorrow hung over the family.
Salihah feared for her two young children, worried she would not be able to provide for all their needs. With the few resources she had, Salihah did her best to make their small, one-room apartment suitable for her and her children, but water from the leaking roof dripped on their heads—and their hopes. The family’s difficult financial situation, combined with lingering grief over Padraic’s death, weighed heavily on Salihah. She was losing hope, and she didn’t know where to turn.
A Helping Hand
One day, Pastor Talon from a Gospel for Asia (GFA) church talked to Salihah. Pastor Talon listened attentively as Salihah shared the struggles she was facing. He encouraged Salihah and told her about Jesus’ love for her.
Salihah had never heard the Good News of Jesus’ love for her before, and she was greatly encouraged.
After praying with Salihah and her children, Pastor Talon returned to his nearby village. Seeing their living conditions and aware of their need, Pastor Talon requested a sewing machine for Salihah, knowing it would be a huge help for her and her children.
Widow Mending Garments, ‘Sewing’ Hope
Salihah was thrilled to receive her new sewing machine. She was so grateful to God and to the church for the gift. Salihah started repairing her and her children’s clothes herself, saving money on tailor fees.
She also started mending the clothes of her friends, even making them new dresses, thereby passing along the love and care she received to others in need of the same. Salihah’s new sewing machine helped to not only provide for her and her family’s financial needs, but also provide for the needs of her friends as she mended garments and “sewed” hope.
*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.
WILLS POINT, TX – GFA World — one of the world’s largest humanitarian agencies 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 — is sending oxygen equipment and supplies to help people fighting for breath amid devastating second wave of COVID-19 in India.
FIGHTING FOR BREATH:GFA World — one of the world’s largest humanitarian agencies — is sending lifesaving oxygen equipment and other vital supplies to help people fighting for breath amid India’s devastating second wave of COVID-19. People can support the agency’s COVID-19 relief efforts by going to its website.
The Texas-based organization is readying the first shipment of lifesaving medical supplies as India remains in the grip of a worsening crisis. Demand for oxygen has increased sevenfold since last month. Reports say two people are dying of COVID-19 every single minute in India — gasping for air as oxygen and equipment runs out at hospitals across the nation.
“We cannot stand by and watch thousands suffer and die, gasping for breath,” said GFA World Founder K.P. Yohannan, as the nation’s official COVID-19 death toll approaches 250,000. “India is literally suffocating to death. I’ve never seen anything that compares with this tsunami of suffering.”
‘Third Wave’ of Compassion
Along with other organizations, GFA World is “helping launch a ‘third wave’ of compassion, prayer and humanitarian aid to India,” said Yohannan, as the agency announced efforts to ship oxygen equipment as quickly as possible.
The organization is partnering with indigenous local hospitals in Southwest India to get aid to those suffering.
“We’ve been serving the poor in Asia for more than 40 years and we’re able to get help fast to those who need it the most,” Yohannan said. “The government of India is doing all it can to help us and other organizations bring urgent relief right now.”
The U.S. State Department has urged all Americans in India to leave the country immediately as the nation of nearly 1.4 billion people continues to shatter global records for new daily COVID infections. A deadly new ‘double mutant’ variant in India is also raising alarm.
Dying in the Streets
“We’re all weary of the pandemic and ready for it to end, but we cannot forget those in the thick of the battle right now,” Yohannan said. “Seeing people dying in the streets in India — and suffering elsewhere in Asia and Africa — surely must move us to show God’s love through compassion and action.”
GFA World has set up a way for companies and individuals to donate urgently needed medical equipment and supplies in support of the agency’s COVID relief efforts. Those interested in donating equipment and supplies can visit www.gfa.org/press/AirforIndia and email [email protected].
About GFA World
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 expects to launch programs in numerous African nations, starting with compassion projects in Rwanda. For all the latest news, visit our Press Room at https://press.gfa.org/news.
WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World) founded by K.P. Yohannan, has been the model for numerous charities like Gospel for Asia Canada, to help the poor and deprived worldwide – Discussing GFA World pastor Pekelo, his encounter with a remote village full of sickness, fragility, the absence of mosquito nets to defend against mosquito-borne illnesses, and the free medical camp that brought hope and love.
For Pastor Pekelo, it was worth shouldering the heavy box for three miles to give villagers much-needed medicine and loving care.
Gospel for Asia (GFA) pastor Pekelo had only been to the remote village once. The only way to reach it was a three-mile hike. Upon reaching his destination, however, Pastor Pekelo found himself in the midst of destitution. He quickly forgot about the long journey and turned his attention to the needs of the villagers. As he surveyed the situation, an idea began to form in Pastor Pekelo’s mind: He wanted to offer the entire village of nearly 50 families a free medical check-up.
An Undeniable Need
Pastor Pekelo knew bringing a free medical camp to the small, remote community would be a challenge, but he was armed with a determination to assist with the needs he witnessed firsthand.
With his own eyes, Pastor Pekelo saw the darkness of the village where electricity was a commodity still unavailable. With his own legs, Pastor Pekelo experienced the village’s difficulty of access. With his own nose, Pastor Pekelo inhaled the odor of sickness that plagued the village due to lack of medical care.
Pastor Pekelo quickly learned the residents often fell ill with mosquito-borne illnesses. They needed aid and protection. The compassionate pastor knew a free medical camp and mosquito net distribution would take strategic planning, but he was convinced such an event would benefit the people of this remote village.
Plan of Action – A Free Medical Camp
Villagers wait in line to receive free medical check-ups and a mosquito net to help prevent mosquito-borne illnesses.
In conjunction with the Youth Fellowship pastor, Pastor Pekelo began coordinating with church leaders and fellow believers. They secured boxes of medicine and mosquito nets and enlisted the services of three doctors, including a surgeon. The team then hefted the heavy boxes of supplies on their shoulders and set out on the over-three-mile trek to the village.
As word spread about the free medical camp, people from the next village, about one-and-a-quarter miles away, journeyed to the village to stand in line for a check-up.
Doctors spent the day examining patients and prescribing medications. Pastor Pekelo and his team distributed mosquito nets. Over the course of the day, approximately 300 patients received free health assessments and medicine, and 150 families left with mosquito nets to help protect themselves against disease.
The villagers were grateful for the love and care shown through the attention of the doctors and Pastor Pekelo and his team.
A young boy tries to not squirm as the doctor performs a routine health check-up.
“I have been in this village for 22 years and had not seen anyone come to this village with help for us and our children,” said 22-year-old Luane, who came from the neighboring village. “[The church], not knowing who we are and our situation, visited us by walking five kilometers all the way to our village. We are ever grateful to them for their help. Thank you.”
A 40-year-old woman, Alonna, expressed her deep gratitude: “Our village has no electricity, and our children frequently get fever due to mosquito bites. I thank God for the mosquito nets that we received today. It will protect our children. We thank [the church] and Pastor Pekelo for the love and concern towards us.”
Pastor Pekelo’s vision to help a remote village by hosting a free medical camp became more than a blessing of physical care for the villagers. They were also blessed to receive the love and care of neighbors acting as the hands and feet of Jesus.
*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.
Learn more about the GFA World Medical Ministry — helping thousands who are in need of medical care and attention, all while displaying the love of Christ.
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.
Last updated on: December 16, 2021 at 11:13 pm By GFA Staff Writer
WILLS POINT, TX – GFA World, a major humanitarian agency founded by K.P. Yohannan, has been the model for numerous charities like GFA World Canada, to help the poor and deprived worldwide, is calling for “eleventh hour” prayer as India suffers a devastating second wave of COVID-19 — and the world faces a growing number of deadly new variants.
GFA WORLD CALLS FOR PRAYER AS ‘TSUNAMI OF SUFFERING’ HITS INDIA:GFA World is calling for “eleventh hour” prayer as India suffers a devastating second wave of COVID-19 — and the world faces a growing number of deadly new variants. South Asia is experiencing a “tsunami of suffering,” says GFA World founder K.P. Yohannan.
In India — the world’s second most-populous nation with nearly 1.4 billion people — the pandemic death toll is soaring. According to BBC reports, people are dying in streets outside overwhelmed hospitals, gasping for air as oxygen supplies run out. Crematoriums can’t keep up with the body count. “In my lifetime, I’ve never seen anything in my experience that compares with this tsunami of suffering,” said K.P. Yohannan, founder of Texas-based GFA World. “A catastrophe is unfolding in front of our eyes — and we’re now at the eleventh hour.”
Yohannan, author of Never Give Up, called for global prayer as new COVID-19 variants threaten more carnage around the world.
‘Gasping for Breath’
“We can be sure that God weeps for those who are suffering, for the many who are even now gasping for breath,” he said. “The government of India — and other governments around the world — desperately need prayer for wisdom right now as they confront this unforgiving pandemic.”
India — the world’s biggest COVID-19 vaccine producer — has seen its number of new cases skyrocket by well over a million in less than a week. About 2.7 million vaccine doses were being given every day, but the country is now at risk of running out of shots, according to reports.
Neighboring countries, including Bangladesh and Nepal, are also at a crisis point.
Gospel for Asia (GFA World) had hundreds of workers on the frontlines in the aftermath of the catastrophic 2004 Asia tsunami that killed more than 200,000 people. “The Asia tsunami was a massive disaster,” Yohannan said, “but the scale and scope of suffering was nothing like we’re seeing now.”
‘Hope to the Suffering’
With national workers across South Asia — and with new compassion projects launching in Africa — GFA World is “committed to bringing hope to those suffering most,” Yohannan said. During the pandemic, the organization has been helping local workers distribute food to tens of thousands of families and migrant workers on the edge of starvation.
“We have people on the ground right now, ready to care for millions, and show them God’s love,” he said. “We’re thankful that governments in India and around the world are willing to help us get into the places where suffering is unbearable, to serve the sick, the poor, and the dying.”
The pandemic also threatens to wreak havoc across East Africa where over 7 million people are on the cusp of starvation, according to humanitarian organization World Vision.
GFA World is launching compassion projects in the East African nation of Rwanda this year as it expands its reach beyond Asia, where it serves millions of the world’s poorest people, caring for children and providing clean drinking water to over 37 million people.
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. In the years ahead, GFA World expects to launch programs in Africa, starting with compassion projects in Rwanda. For all the latest news, visit our Press Room at https://press.gfa.org/news.
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, issued this second part of a Special Report update on Malaria making a comeback amid the worldwide impact of the COVID 19 Pandemic.
Progress Ebbs and Flows in the Fight to Beat Malaria
Recent developments in the fight against Malaria have placed a heightened spotlight on World Malaria Day, observed on April 25. Fortunately, despite the high death toll and other troublesome signs lately, not all the news about malaria treatment is bad. There are gains amid the setbacks.
This woman in West Bengal was very grateful to Believers Eastern Church and its leaders for providing her with a mosquito net to protect herself and her family from vector borne diseases like malaria.
One positive example is Myanmar, where the annual malaria death toll of 3,800 a decade ago has decreased to approximately 170. The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria credits the efforts of 17,000 community volunteers who provide rapid testing and treatment, with serious cases referred to health facilities. Volunteers also educate the public through national antimalaria campaigns.14 Unfortunately, it’s unknown if the recent military coup in Myanmar will adversely impact the recent progress it’s achieved in the prevention of malaria.
News of another positive development appeared last October in Legion. About the same time the United States revealed a COVID-19 vaccine would be ready by the end of 2020, the Canadian magazine reported that a noted medical journal announced a new approach to fighting malaria.
Legion reported a clinical researcher for the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has developed a vaccine for mosquito-borne diseases, based on mosquito spit. It causes the immune system to recognize mosquito saliva proteins and produce antibodies. The antibodies promote immunity by binding to pathogens to prevent them from damaging cells, plus coating pathogens and alerting other immune cells to attack and remove them.
“Those antibodies recognize the proteins the next time they’re encountered, sparking an immune response that goes into action to impair or prevent infection—and not just to malaria, it turns out,” wrote author Sharon Adams. “In animal studies, saliva vaccines impaired development of mosquito-borne Zika virus and sandfly-borne leishmaniasis.”15
In the first human trial of this vaccine in 2017, Adams said a strong immune response was observed among 49 volunteers, with only minor side effects. Next it will be tested on larger groups; if clinical trials continue to prove successful, the first effective malaria vaccine may be just around the corner.
Maya from a village in Uttar Pradesh was given a mosquito net as a Christmas gift by Gospel for Asia. She can now protect her family from mosquito bites that transmit vector-borne diseases like malaria, Zika, dengue, encephalitis and more.
In addition to this promising development, a European magazine carried a report from a healthcare company official saying there are antimalaria positives to be gained from the COVID-19 fight. Hogan Bassey, a Nigerian native who experienced several bouts with malaria as a child, noted that the pandemic highlighted system failings in global healthcare. He said if we are able to address those problems, the world will be better positioned to eradicate malaria and other diseases.
The chief innovation officer and founder of LivFul said his company is working with others—including nonprofits—to develop a repellent that it hopes will prove an efficient control tool. It has been working on a project in Ghana with a pharmaceutical company to improve one of the repellant’s ingredients, using LivFul’s technology to drive access.
After moving to the USA from Nigeria, Hogan Bassey began to work on an insect repellent formula to change the world. The true breakthrough for his new company, LivFul, came after partnering with a physical chemist to create a brand-new technology which allows insect repellent to remain on top of the applicant’s skin for 14 hours at a time. Photo by Terry News
“When we developed a revolutionary family-friendly insect repellent to halt the transmission of diseases like malaria and Dengue fever, we knew we could have a significant impact on insect-borne disease,” Bassey wrote in EPM Magazine. “If people in malaria-prone areas can purchase and use our repellent, these diseases can be stopped before they destroy lives, families, communities and industries.”16
Such a product won’t be the first tool developed. National Geographic recently reported hundreds of thousands of children across Kenya, Malawai and Ghana have been receiving the RTS,S vaccine, whose development has taken 35 years and cost hundreds of millions of dollars. While some African health professionals have asked if the expense and logistics of multiple vaccinations are worth it, the magazine said some Chinese scientists have been utilizing a new approach: preventing malaria from even occurring.
It goes back to 1972, when the Chinese discovered Artemisinin, a drug used to treat malaria. Now, scientists there believe Artemisinin Combination Therapies (ACTs) can be delivered to an entire community simultaneously, through Mass Drug Administrations. The goal is to reduce levels of the malaria parasite in human blood, so mosquitoes won’t contract it and spread it.
“The life cycle for a mosquito is 30 days,” explains Ethan Peng, senior manager in Kenya for the Chinese company New South, which manufactures ACTs. “So by mass medication, we can clear the source from all human beings (so) the mosquitoes cannot pick up on the malaria parasite again with their short lifespan.”17
People in rural villages in West Bengal often suffer from malaria, but these folk were very happy to receive mosquito nets for their families. Over eight hundred mosquito nets were gifted to the villagers who come from economically poor backgrounds, and might not have been able to afford to buy them on their own.
Mosquito Nets Still the Leading Tool for Protection
Vandana and Vaibhav are sleeping peacefully on their bed in Maharashtra under their mosquito net which protects them from mosquito bites. They received their bed nets from a Christmas gift distribution from Gospel for Asia.
When it comes to fighting malaria, the bed net still appears to be the leading tool. When COVID-19 hit in March 2020, WHO malaria scientist Pedro Alonso expected the biggest malaria disaster in 20 years after African countries temporarily suspended bed net campaigns.
That didn’t seem to be happening, the scientist said five months later. He credited lobbying by WHO’s Global Malaria Programme and its partners, which persuaded countries to resume their net distribution campaigns. Despite concerns over continuing COVID-19 problems, Alonso said, “We probably stopped the first big blow.”18
Among the many non-governmental organizations doing their part to distribute mosquito nets is Gospel for Asia (GFA).
Since 2010, GFA has distributed more than 1.3 million nets to at-risk residents in mosquito-prone areas, including 380,000 in 2019 (many are treated with insecticide, with availability depending on local conditions).
These efforts are augmented by distribution of malaria pills at GFA’s medical camps. In 2019 the organization hosted nearly 1,300 camps, which are free to attendees.
The difference net distributions make can be seen in the stories of people like Baharupa, a 55-year-old farmer and father of three who felt pressured to drink alcohol at many village-wide events. Not only did he often wind up drunk, he developed an addiction. That all changed after Satyam, a GFA worker, organized a distribution of 4,000 nets.
After 71 years, Bhranti, a widow, no longer has to worry about mosquitoes biting her in the night thanks to the new bed net she received from a distribution event.
“Who can give us mosquito nets without money?” Baharupa wondered. “This shows [the believers’] love towards us.”19This experience so touched Baharupa that it began a transformation in his life.
Another story of relief involves a 71-year-old widow whose husband had died more than a decade prior. With four daughters all married, Bhranti spent evenings alone, worried about the tattered net providing her only protection from mosquitoes. She received a new net through a distribution organized by a GFA worker.
“I am so grateful to the [GFA workers] for their love and care and for providing a mosquito net,” Bhranti says. “Now I do not need to worry about buying a mosquito net as I have been provided a new one.”20
Even amid the problems COVID-19 has caused in poorer parts of the world, GFA’s supporters have been able to help local workers in the field save lives and prevent more tragedies during the pandemic, says Gospel for Asia (GFA) founder, Dr. K.P. Yohannan.
Dr. K.P. Yohannan, GFA World Founder
“Without proper prevention or treatment, the consequences of a simple mosquito bite are very serious in many places of the world,” Yohannan says. “But for just $10, we can protect numerous lives, one net at a time.”
One simple way to fight mosquito-borne diseases like malaria, is to consider giving a needy family a simple Mosquito Net. For only $10, Gospel for Asia’s field partners can distribute one of these effective nets to an at-risk family in Asia and provide them with safety from insects during the day and at night.
GFA World (formerly known as Gospel for Asia) 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. In the years ahead, GFA World expects to launch programs in numerous African nations, starting with compassion projects in Rwanda. For all the latest news, visit our Press Room at https://press.gfa.org/news.
Since 2010, GFA has distributed more than 1.3 million nets to at-risk residents in mosquito-prone areas, including 380,000 in 2019 (many are treated with insecticide, with availability depending on local conditions).
These efforts are augmented by distribution of malaria pills at GFA’s medical camps. In 2019 the organization hosted nearly 1,300 camps, which are free to attendees.
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