A Dying Widow is Introduced to Jesus and Gospel for Asia Women’s Fellowship

August 9, 2020 By GFA Staff Writer

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World and affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada) founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan – Discussing a widow named Sahana, the sickness & grief, and God’s instruments bringing life through believers & Gospel for Asia Women’s Fellowship.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Discussing a widow named Sahana, the sickness & grief, and God's instruments bringing life through believers & Gospel for Asia Women's Fellowship. — These ladies from Women’s Fellowship pray for a woman’s healing, just as Carina prayed for Sahana during her illness.

Carina watched her neighbor Sahana walk down the road to clean yet another house. Sahana’s frail frame hardly looked capable of helping in someone’s home, yet the determined—and desperate—young woman pushed herself to wash dishes, sweep and tidy up six or seven homes every day.

Sahana had married at 13 years old, brought two children into the world and kept house for her husband. However, her husband contracted tuberculosis and also developed a serious drinking problem, which burdened the family and eventually plunged them into grief. At 21 years of age, Sahana became a widow and the sole provider for her two children.

She had no family and no one to turn to, so Sahana rallied her courage and did all she could to meet her young family’s needs. She worked tirelessly day and night, exhausting her body. Eventually, she contracted typhoid, but she couldn’t afford to stop working. Nobody would pay her for taking care of herself, so she worked relentlessly until she lost every ounce of strength. Dangerously ill, Sahana finally ended up in the hospital.

Loving Neighbor Goes the Extra Mile

Carina worried about her struggling neighbor and asked Jesus every day to help the young widow. She knew Sahana tried to please various deities and faithfully performed religious rituals in her home, but Carina also knew Jesus lovingly gave Himself for Sahana and offered her eternal life.

When Sahana’s illness forced her into the hospital, Carina made it a priority to visit Sahana and pray over her in person. At the hospital, Carina found an extremely frail woman whom the doctors worried would not recover. The medical staff had not yet given up on Sahana, but her situation looked grim.

The bleak diagnosis did not squelch Carina’s faith in Christ’s healing power, however. She explained to Sahana who Jesus is and how He came to give life in full. Carina’s testimony of God’s mercy brought hope to Sahana. Faith stirred in her heart, and Sahana asked Jesus to do His saving work in her life.

Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Women's Fellowship — After Sahana experienced God’s restoring power in her life, she met Prisha (pictured) the leader of the Women’s Fellowship in Sahana’s area. Together, the women glorified God for His work, and Sahana learned more from Prisha about her Savior.

Full Restoration & Gospel for Asia Women’s Fellowship

From that day onward, Sahana prayed in Jesus’ name for her complete recovery—and God, full of grace and power, answered those prayers in a miraculous way. Sahana moved from the brink of death to full health in a matter of days. Astonished at the woman’s recovery, the doctors discharged her.

Carina introduced her living-miracle friend to church, where Sahana met Prisha, the leader of the local Gospel for Asia (GFA) Women’s Fellowship. Prisha helped Carina and the other women to strengthen their walks with Christ, and that day, she entered Sahana’s life as a new friend too. Sahana shared the story of God’s healing in her life, and all the women praised God for His restoring work.

Sahana could go back to work again, and although she still had to work hard, she wasn’t alone anymore. Because of Carina’s concern and loving ministry, Sahana found a group of women who cared about her and her children, and she has a personal relationship with the powerful God who saved her from death and promises her eternal life in heaven. Despite the hardships Sahana has walked through and still faces as a single mother, her renewed heart declares that Jesus is enough for her.

Read how another ill woman’s life changed because of a simple demonstration of love.

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

*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, Concerned Believer Prays for Dying Widow

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

“We Want to Sacrifice”: Gospel for Asia Women’s Fellowship Gives Help and Hope

June 22, 2020 By GFA Staff Writer

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World and affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada) founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan – Discussing the Gospel for Asia (GFA) Women’s Fellowship groups that continue to give help and hope with an immense love to Jesus and others even at the cost of their own comforts.

Mima’s hands grasp the grains of rice, letting it spill from her fingertips as she sets apart a portion of food for the day. The same hands rise in worship and prayer. The same hands make soap; share literature; and help the poor, the widows and orphans. The same hands tenderly care and tend for her family. In Mima’s heart rests this hope: The fruit coming from her hands is something eternal.

Every Friday, Mima and other women from churches all across the country meet for a day of fasting and prayer at their Gospel for Asia (GFA) Women’s Fellowship. They pray for their families and lift up the needs of the local church. They read God’s Word and go out into their communities to encourage their female neighbors in the Lord. Their sole desire is to know and love the Lord more, and they have seen the Lord work powerfully.

“For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing, imploring us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. And not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God.”
—2 Corinthians 8:3–5

Not Your Everyday Women

Beyond your average women’s meetings, there is something profoundly unique about this particular group of ladies. Much like the example given in Proverbs 31 in the Bible, these women stretch out their hands and resources to the poor and needy around them.

Like Mima, each woman in the fellowship raises funds for their fellowship and for the kingdom of God. They set aside a handful of rice from the daily portion they cook for their families; they make soap and sell it; and they also sell vegetables in the market. By doing so, Mima and the other Women’s Fellowship ladies sow into the kingdom and their church with the finances they raise. They are not afraid they will go hungry by their sacrifice—to them, it is a sacrifice worth giving unto the Lord.

“We want to participate, we want to give, we want to sacrifice what we have, even if it is small things,” Mima says. “It gives us strength to give for the Lord…”

Through Mima and the other women’s efforts, they are able to support three local Bible college students. Last year they were able to provide a few flood victims in their area with rice, clothes and drinks.

“In my thinking, fundraising is very important,” Mima says. “If we don’t have funds, we cannot do any mission work or sponsor any items or activities. So fundraising is very important.”

The women also help each other out with hospital bills when one of the women in their fellowship gives birth. Through their fundraising and fellowship, they have seen a strong bond of unity form among them.

“Whenever we make an arrangement for fundraising,” Mima says, “we can have more fellowship at that time, and also we have good relationships with each other . . . also, it gives more happiness to our heart when we participate in activities.”

Along with their fundraising, they remain proactive in sharing their personal testimonies of God’s faithfulness in their lives. For Mima, it hasn’t always been easy to share her faith. There have been times when she simply had no courage. But she would pray, and the Lord would give her strength and boldness to comfort those in need and share His love with her neighbors. Along with these house visits, Mima and some of the other women make it a point to invite women in their community to come to their prayer and worship gatherings.

Blooming and Growing in Christ

Over the course of the years, Mima has seen her Women’s Fellowship come to life. It has grown and bloomed as the women themselves grow in their fellowship and in their love for one another, for God and for others who need to know Him.

Cheerfully and willingly, Mima and the Women’s Fellowship give and make sacrifices. Their efforts a have great reward, for their eyes are fixed on eternal things as they aim to serve God in every area of their lives.

Their hands will always toil with hard work. They will sacrifice a daily meal so others may experience the Bread of Life for the first time. They have joy knowing their efforts, small or large, are making a difference. They walk together in unity and fellowship, all with one purpose in mind—to love the people around them with all they have found in the Lord.

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

Here are some ways you can join in prayer for Gospel for Asia Women’s Fellowship.

Source: Gospel for Asia Featured Article, We Want to Sacrifice

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 Lending Caring Hands to Elderly

November 28, 2022 By GFA Staff Writer

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 the negative effects of poverty to the elderly and the care brought through GFA World Sisters of Compassion

Vitality waning, the aging men and women struggled to care for their own everyday needs. With a negative correlation between poverty and health, the diminishing well-being of these impoverished seniors meant they had greater need of daily care and assistance with everyday activities.[1] Yet they had no one to care for them.

Some of them still worked hard to support themselves, despite their aging bodies, having no pension or retirement plans to depend on.

At 60 years old, Adey still worked in the field until a bad fall rendered her unable to stand. She had a son nearby, but he neglected his mother, even beat her at times. With no one to care for her, Adey was injured and all alone, or at least until a daughter came to help her.

Aili, 61 years old, was fortunate enough to live with her daughter, but she was unable to work. She couldn’t walk and required constant care.

GFA Team Cares for Elderly

GFA World discussing the negative effects of poverty to the elderly and the care brought through GFA World Sisters of Compassion — Gospel for Asia (GFA) workers massage an elderly woman’s arm.

A group of Gospel for Asia (GFA World) Sisters of Compassion and Women’s Fellowship members saw the condition of elderly citizens like Adey and Aili. Their hearts burdened with the seniors’ plight, the Sisters sought to take care of them. They trimmed fingernails, massaged weary muscles and prayed for these precious people. The love shown by these Sisters brought tears to the eyes of the elderly as they thanked the team.

Adey had severe pain in her legs and hands. The Sisters tenderly applied oils and massaged her limbs. The caring hands of healing warmed Adey’s heart.

“I thank God for the Sisters of Compassion team and your ministry,” Adey said. “No one has ever come to know my well-being, but these sisters came and cut my hair, gave me a bath, and massaged my hands and legs. I am truly thankful to them.”

The Sisters also visited Aili, trimming her nails and encouraging her with kind words. Their thoughtfulness overwhelmed the elderly woman, who gave an emotional thanks before the Sisters moved on to their next stop, where they prayed and cared for more people.

The women’s ministry team was thankful for the opportunity to serve.

“I thank God for this privilege that I could do something for the needy people,” Sani said. “When I see these old mothers and fathers whose children have left them alone to struggle, my heart breaks.”

These sisters’ own hearts were warmed as God’s love flowed through them in practical service to aged community m embers in dire need of care.

“I feel so good to see smiles on their faces,” Dahiana said. “I thank God for this day.”

Read how Pastor Pekelo brought medical help to a destitute village.

[1] Ye, Feng. “Aging and Poverty in Asia.” https://borgenproject.org/aging-and-poverty-in-asia/. September 3, 2018.

*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 Father’s Fight Against Fatigue

Learn more about the GFA World 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.

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

Woman Discovers Power of Scriptures in Desperate Situation

May 24, 2021 By GFA Staff Writer

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.

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.

Read about the power of God’s Word to change a young man’s life for the better.

Source: Gospel for Asia Field Reports & Updates, Woman Discovers Power of Scriptures in Desperate Situation

Join in prayer for the mission field, and for Women’s Fellowships, asking God to bless our sisters in the Lord and their areas of ministry.

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

Gospel for Asia Fulfills a Last Wish

December 2, 2020 By GFA Staff Writer

WILLS POINT, TX – WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World) founded by K.P. Yohannan, which inspired numerous charities like Gospel for Asia Canada – Discussing a widow, mother & a female GFA worker — Malati, the difficulty, pain & opposition, her husband’s last commission & the promises in God’s Word.

“After my death, there will be many people—even my relatives from our own house—they will reject you. They will say [unkind] words to you; they will oppose you, but never forget the love of Jesus,” Jyan’s words pierced through Malati’s heart.

Malati and her husband had endured much together, and now he commissioned her to stand—without him. Even as he lay weak from heart disease, the four years he spent committed to the Lord gave him strength to endure through the end.

Bearing the Name Widow

After Jyan died, Malati witnessed his dying words come true. Villagers and relatives asked why she was continuing to follow Jesus and live as she was when she should return to her old traditions. Malati’s pastor, Gospel for Asia (GFA) pastor Jaton, encouraged her, much like he had been doing the past four years. Now his encouragement was even more appreciated than before as she struggled with bearing the title “widow,” taking care of her two young children and desiring to pursue the Lord more.

“I will stand beside you, and I will pray on behalf of you,” Pastor Jaton said.

Journey of a Female GFA Worker

Malati wanted to serve the Lord and commit her life to ministry. But could she? Should a woman with two young children who was now living the life of a widow dare go this route? The vision, the passion…they were all there, and for Pastor Jaton and the leaders of the church, that was enough.

For one year Malati studied at a Bible college. With a burden searing her heart for others to know her Comforter, Malati spent a second year on the field doing a practical internship with a young woman who also attended Bible college. Pastor Jaton, during this time, took care of Malati’s two sons.

After graduation, Malati wanted to go back home and minister to her relatives, but the Lord had need for her elsewhere. There was a pastor who needed help reviving one of his churches. Willing to serve where the need was the greatest, Malati and her two sons moved.

Submission and Eternal Fruit

Today, Malati serves in three surrounding churches. She leads the children’s Sunday school and Women’s Fellowship. She also helps lead prayer meetings in believers’ homes and often travels with a few other women to nearby villages to share the love of Christ.

Malati’s journey as a female Gospel for Asia (GFA) worker, however, hasn’t been without pain. As a widow, she faces difficulties among those with whom she shares the love of Jesus. To bring down the barriers that hinder the message of hope she shares, Malati doesn’t always explain she is a widow.

“I know it is very difficult being a widow and being a woman,” she says. “Whenever I find that people are not genuine, . . . and they are going to treat me in a different way, . . . I did not disclose myself as a widow, knowing that they would reject me.”

It also causes her much heartache when she is scolded for not remarrying. People will tell her, “You are still young and you have children, . . . so now why do you continue your journey like this? It is better that you get married and have a husband.”

But as a faithful daughter of the King, Malati doesn’t let other people’s remarks or criticism keep her from serving Him. The love of Jesus propels her to continue. It is her one constant source of strength, and she keeps reaching out to the sick and stretching out her hand to the needy.

Whenever she faces discouragement, she kneels on the floor, tears streaming down her cheeks, asking God to help her bear the stinging remarks of others who don’t understand the Lord’s calling on her life. Being a widow, a mother and a female Gospel for Asia (GFA) worker doesn’t come without pain. But she clings to her husband’s last commission and the promises in God’s Word, and she is able to continue.

When she rises to her feet, she rises renewed and with a passion to reach more villages and proclaim with fervency the comforting love of the Savior. The road ahead may be long and hard, but Malati has decided to follow Jesus—there is no turning back.

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

Source: Gospel for Asia Featured Article, Fulfilling a Last Wish

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 Pastor’s Wife Discovers Love That Casts Out Fear

November 2, 2020 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 Prina, the wife of a Gospel for Asia pastor, the struggles and poverty in the slum, her heart made willing by God to serve alongside her husband – in slum ministry and Gospel for Asia Bridge of Hope center.

Fear crept into Prina’s heart as she took in her surroundings. Before her stood thousands of tiny shacks, crammed tightly together in long rows. Large piles of garbage covered the same streets where children played. Accustomed to village life, Prina knew when she married Martin that moving to one of the largest cities in the country would bring change. But what she saw upon her arrival was nothing like what she had ever imagined.

A New World

Prina married her husband when she was 18 years old and left her rural village and all that was familiar. She didn’t realize that moving to the big city would mean living in one of Asia’s many slums—Martin’s childhood home. The depressing nature of the new surroundings intimidated Prina. Simple, everyday experiences in the slum were foreign to the young woman.

To add to the culture shock, Prina faced a major barrier: She didn’t speak the same dialect. When she found she couldn’t communicate with anyone in the slum other than Martin, the young newlywed kept to herself inside their house, hidden away from the unfamiliar world around her.

Husband Leaves for Bible College

Martin, also known as Marty, was a believer and hosted prayer meetings in their home. Then, after four years of marriage, Marty told his wife about his desire to attend a two-year Bible college.

“I was not sad, but I was overcome by fear,” Prina says. “I [was] still new to the city. I had my [oldest] son. I did not know how I was going to face the world and cope [with] the situation.”

With the help and encouragement of her in-laws, Prina said goodbye to Marty and sent him off to attend Bible college. Meanwhile, she and their son lived with Prina’s mother for two years.

A Willing Heart

When Marty graduated in 2006, God led him to stay in the slum where he grew up and start a Gospel for Asia Bridge of Hope center. Even though living in the slum was still somewhat foreign to Prina, she encouraged Marty to do what the Lord told him to do.

“He was born and grew [up] in this place, and he knew the environment and life of those people,” Prina explains. “So I encouraged him not to go elsewhere but [to] come back to the same area and do ministry.”

Serving As a Team

Nearly a decade later, their ministry has flourished. Now there are two Bridge of Hope centers and three churches led by Gospel for Asia pastors in the slum where Marty and Prina’s family lives. While she used to be afraid to leave her house, today Prina goes out into the slum with her husband and speaks to people about the love of Jesus. Marty is very supportive and encourages her often.

“My wife plays a significant role in my ministry,” Marty says. “Women are more open to listen to her than to me as a stranger. … When she shares [about Christ’s compassion], she becomes an icebreaker. She talks to them and we start building a little bit of relationship where we can share more about Jesus.”

Beginning ministry with her husband wasn’t something Prina was prepared for, though. But then she started praying.

“Lord,” she prayed, “I do not know what my future holds. But definitely, if you want me to serve you among the women I surely am open to it, but You have to give me strength and energy.”

Now Prina leads a Gospel for Asia Women’s Fellowship.

Her Confidence Is in the Lord

As Prina continues to help her husband in ministry, many times people ask her and the Women’s Fellowship group for prayer. Before going to visit, Prina and the Women’s Fellowship spend a whole day fasting and asking the Lord for guidance. Then they visit with and pray for the people, giving a listening ear to their problems and telling them about the hope found in Christ.

“I am still not very confident in serving the Lord,” Prina admits, “but somehow God has touched my life, and He is using me to do ministry among women.”

God’s work in Prina’s heart is evident through her acts of love and sacrifice. Christ has replaced her fear of the unknown with His love for the brokenhearted around her.

“We don’t want to leave this place. But tomorrow, if the Lord calls us to do ministry elsewhere, then definitely we are open to that call. It’s all in God’s hands,” Prina says.

Learn more about the need for slum ministry, uplifting the lives of slum dwellers. Gospel for Asia began supporting ministry in the slums in 1999. Through this work, many people have found hope and strength in God.

Source: Gospel for Asia Featured Article, Love That Casts Out Fear

Read more of Pastor Marty and Prina’s story.

Learn more about Dr. KP Yohannan’s book, No Longer a Slumdog, where real children living in slum conditions in Asia share their real stories of need and how our loving God intervened to redeem them with His love. You will be astonished as you read how God is powerfully moving in hearts right now.

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

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

Jesus’ Servants Come as Servants Too: Gospel for Asia Woman Missionary

September 3, 2020 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 women in situations like Prutha’s who find hope when a Women’s Fellowship group tangibly demonstrates Christ’s love.

Prutha could still hardly believe her eyes. The woman, Lavangi, whom she had just met a few weeks earlier, was sweeping her floor. The woman helped Prutha with the dishes, the laundry … whatever Prutha needed. And Prutha didn’t pay her—Lavangi worked for free. Her kindness baffled Prutha, but she was grateful. Lavangi brought life and joy to the sorrowful woman’s heart, and they soon became fast friends.

Losing Hope in the Face of Pain

Before Prutha met Lavingi, the 26-year-old and her husband, Rutajit, lived a peaceful life with their three young children. Rutajit earned a steady and sufficient income for the family by selling vegetables. Then one day Prutha felt a sharp pain in her side that wouldn’t go away. When she made it to the hospital, Prutha discovered she had a severe kidney stone. Five visits, medication and a minor surgery quickly drained the family’s finances but didn’t bring a cure. Eventually, the doctor recommended a major surgery that the family couldn’t afford.

They needed financial help, encouragement and comfort, but no one gave it, not family, friends nor the gods they worshipped. Overwhelming sorrow and pain left Prutha unable to maintain her home or even sleep properly. What’s worse, she feared everyone hated her and her husband.

But she was wrong.

Practical Demonstrations

One Saturday, as Prutha sat at home feeling dejected and alone, Jesus sent His servants, a Women’s Fellowship group from a local church, to meet with Prutha. These women, including Gospel for Asia (GFA) woman missionary Lavangi, encouraged Prutha, and when she told them of her struggles, they prayed for her healing and told her of the peace and hope found in Jesus.

After that day, Lavangi started helping Prutha with her housework. As the two became friends, Prutha wanted to know more about Jesus—someone she had never heard about in her life—and even started reading about Him from the Word. Before long, she decided she wanted to commit her life to the One who sent His love to her in the form of a servant.

Thank You!

Your prayers and contributions help sustain women like Lavangi as they serve the needy in their communities, following the example of the One who “did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (see Matthew 20:28). Thank you for making a difference.

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

Source: Gospel for Asia Newsletter, Jesus’ Servants Come as Servants, Too

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”

Join in prayer for the many Women’s Fellowship groups who are reaching out to women in their communities.

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

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

Watching Gospel for Asia Work from Afar

September 1, 2020 By GFA Staff Writer

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World and affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada) founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan – Discussing the Gospel for Asia Women’s Fellowship group who used pieces of literature help answer questions that people like Niriksh often have about Jesus.

Niriksh was impressed by what he saw. The elderly man sat at a distance, watching a group of 50 women who had gathered in an open space below. At the front of the crowd stood the women from a local Women’s Fellowship group who had organized the meeting. It was September 8, World Literacy Day.

They shared about the significance and importance of education, and several women from the village came forward at the end, eager to participate in a Gospel for Asia – supported literacy class. The Women’s Fellowship sisters had seen Niriksh, and after the event, they went over to speak with him.

What the Old Man Said

“You are doing a very good work,” Niriksh said to the women shortly after they approached.

As the conversation continued, one of the women offered Niriksh a piece of literature.

“I am illiterate,” Niriksh said in reply. “Please tell me what is written in it.”

The women explained the piece of literature, and the conversation turned to the church and Jesus. Seeking more information, Niriksh learned about Jesus’ miraculous birth, death and resurrection.

As Niriksh heard the story, excitement stirred within him. He joyfully took hold of Jesus’ offer of eternal life and begged the Gospel for Asia Women’s Fellowship team to visit his wife and tell her the same thing they had told him.

At his request, the sisters visited Niriksh’s wife later that day and told her the message of great joy as well. She, too, chose to take hold of the Savior’s hand.

Within a couple years after that day, Niriksh and his wife both passed away. Today, they’re enjoying fellowship with Christ, face to face.

Just like Niriksh’s, our lives on earth will come to a close someday. Thank you for investing yourself into seeing more people like Niriksh understand the grace of our Savior.

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

Source: Gospel for Asia Featured Article, Watching from Afar

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

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

Learn more by reading the GFA special report: Literacy: One of the Great Miracle Cures — Resolving the Limitations Illiteracy Places on the Human Spirit

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

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

A Building Worth Waiting For

January 26, 2020 By GFA Staff Writer

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) – Founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan –Discussing the experiences national missionaries in the mission field, the absence of a place of worship, the struggles they face, and the testimony of God’s faithfulness through it all.

Pastor Mahon looked at the beautiful blue and white structure. It stood so strong—and pointed to God’s glory. Within its walls, reverent believers gathered in celebration, praising the Lord. The saints who gathered there had an anchor of hope living inside them. As Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported pastor Mahon gazed at the building, all the struggles and opposition he had faced faded away.

God had done what once would have seemed unthinkable.

Pastor Mahon (serving with Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan)and his family. Even through hardships in ministry, he has faithfully served the Lord, and because of his devotion to Jesus, there is much fruit to show from his life. — Pastor Mahon and his family. Even through hardships in ministry, he has faithfully served the Lord, and because of his devotion to Jesus, there is much fruit to show from his life.

Pastor Mahon’s Ministry Begins

Pastor Garvan (serving with Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan)grew in his walk with Jesus under the shepherding of Pastor Mahon. After a time, he decided to serve the Lord with his whole life. His testimony was the first fruits of Pastor Mahon's church and ministry. — Pastor Garvan grew in his walk with Jesus under the shepherding of Pastor Mahon. After a time, he decided to serve the Lord with his whole life. His testimony was the first fruits of Pastor Mahon’s church and ministry.

Pastor Mahon began his ministry in this same village in Asia in 1996. When he first started serving the Lord in this place, it was far from easy. Many opposed him because of the message of peace he carried with him. But Pastor Mahon did not give up, and the Lord began to soften hearts to accept His forgiveness and love.

After two years of persevering, Pastor Mahon saw many come to the knowledge of Jesus, and their lives were restored to fellowship with God. A church naturally sprung up. One of the first fruits of Pastor Mahon’s ministry was a man named Garvan and his family, who willingly invited the love of Jesus into their lives.

As Garvan grew in the Lord, he decided he wanted to serve in ministry and eventually became a pastor.

Pastor Mahon and Garvan paved the way for other brothers in Christ to carry hope with them in this village and region. One of these men was Pastor Palu.

Passing the Baton

The years passed, and Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported pastor Palu was called to shepherd the church Pastor Mahon started, when Pastor Mahon was called by his leaders to serve in another region. As Pastor Palu poured out his life for the congregation, the Holy Spirit moved him to share the hope he had found in his Lord with people in the surrounding areas. God blessed Pastor Palu’s ministry, and many vibrant believers joined the church.

Growing Church with a Great Need: A Place of Worship

The church was alive and thriving and many lives were being redeemed, but there was one problem: The congregation had no place of worship, no building to worship in. For many in Asia, when they see Christians who have no building to gather in, it is confusing. Because they have practiced religion in a set-apart structure all their lives, this makes it difficult for them to see Christ as a sacred God.

Although one believer graciously offered his home for services, he wasn’t always in town. Then when the monsoon rains or summer heat came, many believers, especially those from surrounding villages, couldn’t attend church. It was impossible to travel in extreme weather conditions.

These obstacles discouraged Pastor Palu and his congregation. Many of the brothers and sisters couldn’t follow together as they longed to. But this didn’t keep the faithful Body of Christ from praying continually for a permanent place of worship of their own.

Pastor Mahon passed the baton of his church on to Pastor Palu. Pastor Palu faithfully is leading the church that Pastor Mahon pioneered. — Pastor Mahon passed the baton of his church on to Pastor Palu (serving with Gospel for Asia (GFA) founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan). Pastor Palu faithfully is leading the church that Pastor Mahon pioneered.

Pastor Palu’s congregation faced a struggle shared by many believers throughout Asia. Although the church was thriving, there remained an ever-present need for a building, a place of worship, so believers could worship the Lord together under one roof, protected from the weather.

Taking Action, Seeing Prayers Answered

While brothers and sisters in Pastor Palu’s congregation lifted their voices to God, believers around the world acted in line with the heart of Christ by giving their resources to provide for permanent places of worship. Months passed, and Pastor Palu’s congregation received the land and materials they prayed for to start their brand-new building. Construction commenced, and soon these joyful believers gathered to celebrate God’s goodness and answered prayer as their church building was completed.

A special guest was present on the church’s dedication day: Pastor Mahon, the man who had, by the Lord’s grace, started the ministry in this area.

Joyous believers are worshiping the Lord in the building they prayed for. God has blessed them tremendously through the work of Gospel for Asia founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan! — Joyous believers worship the Lord in the building they prayed for. God has blessed them tremendously!

“When I see the church building,” Pastor Mahon said, “I overlook all the difficulties that I faced in the initial days. I praise God for His faithfulness.”

In an atmosphere of joy, the believers sang songs of worship to God for meeting their need.

“It was a long-felt need,” Pastor Palu said. “I have no words to express my inner feelings and joy. Praise be to God.”

Now this place of worship can facilitate Women’s Fellowship meetings, Sunday school, youth ministry and various events and activities.

A Standing Testimony of God’s Faithfulness

Today, this building has become not only a place of permanent worship, but it has become a place where many Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported workers are able to meet each month to fast and pray together. God used His faithful son Pastor Mahon to share the hope of Christ to those who may never have heard His name before. The church stands not just as a building, but as a testimony of what God has done.

You can partner with our brothers and sisters across the globe who are in prayer for God’s provision for a place of worship of their own. Give a donation to fund a permanent place of worship in Asia today. Together we can stand as one, the Bride of Christ, wherever we may be located on this earth.

Source: Gospel for Asia Features, A Building Worth Waiting For

Learn more about National Missionaries – the men and women the Lord God is raising up living in Asia to be His ambassadors.

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

Hope for Every Hurt, Even Through Disease, Leprosy and Rejection

June 16, 2019 By GFA Staff Writer

Prina was a living a double-portion of a nightmare… After contracting leprosy, her husband was murdered in a land dispute, leaving Prina a quarantined widow. As the physical symptoms of Prina’s leprosy spread, so did the news of her disease among her relatives and other villagers. People, including her family, kept their distance and stopped interacting with her out of fear of contracting the disease. Although leprosy is one of the least infectious diseases, the lack of education about it in communities like Prina’s leads to fear and shunning—adding emotional distress to those already suffering.

Prina was banished to one room of her son’s house, where no one dared to enter. The only interaction she had with her family was when someone came to her door to deliver her daily meal.

Hope Visits

One day, while Prina lay outside, she met Soma, the wife of a local Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported pastor who had a church in the village.

When Soma and some women from the local Women’s Fellowship saw Prina, they stopped to offer prayer and comfort. Soma’s heart went out to this mother who had been abandoned to the shame of leprosy. Soma tried to talk to Prina, but fear and disgust mingled in Prina’s eyes, and she refused to engage with Soma and the other ladies.

Being a devoted follower of her religion, Prina despised Christians, just as the villagers despised her. Compounding her aversion was fear of even more ostracization by the villagers if she talked with Christians.

As the ladies silently prayed for Prina and made a move to leave, something in Prina shifted.

“No one likes me because I am a leprosy patient,” mourned Prina.

“Even my own relatives and children hate me—they don’t come near to me. For whom should I live now? I do not want to live and want to end my life.”

Soma felt Prina’s desperate anguish as the hurting woman shared her experience of rejection. The pastor’s wife encouraged Prina from the Word of God.

“If no one loves you, there is one God, who loves you more than anyone, and He wants to heal you from your disease. Do you want to know who that person is? That is our Lord Jesus.”

Hope dawned in Prina’s heart. She wanted to know more about this Lord Jesus who loved her. The desire for love and acceptance opened doors to Prina’s heart that were previously fastened shut. Soma shared more with Prina and invited her to join them for worship services.

Pursuing the God of Healing

Prina shyly stepped through the threshold of the house of worship. Although she rarely went in public for fear of insults and abuse, the hope that had sprouted from Soma’s encouraging words gave Prina the boldness she needed to enter the building.

The women at the church showered love on Prina. After service, the congregation gathered around her to pray for healing. Later that week, at a Women’s Fellowship gathering, Prina once again experienced acceptance and fervent prayers for healing.

Prina felt so much joy, and her faith in the Lord began to increase. Slowly, Prina noticed changes, not only in her heart and mind but in her body as well. The pain in her extremities began to subside. Gradually, the marks of her disease faded. After a few months of steadfast prayer, the Lord touched Prina’s body and brought complete healing. She was filled with joy, and praises flowed from her heart to her lips.

Prina’s family was shocked at the miracle in her life. They did not know that Jesus had such power and soon joined her at church to praise the God who does the impossible. Mother, son and the entire household are now actively engaged in the local church.

“I am so thankful to Sister Soma who came and visited me when I was alone and prayed for me,” Prina says.

“I am extremely thankful to God, who has healed me from this dangerous disease. I had no hope for my life, but God made the impossible possible. I will follow Him the remaining days of my life. Thank you, God.”

Prina’s house was completely transformed. No longer a place of seclusion and pain, her home is filled with love and joy, rooted in God’s goodness. Her healing has astonished the entire village, which witnessed her transformation.

Loving Those Affected with Leprosy Disease All Across Asia

All across Asia, many who have been shunned because of leprosy—like Prina—have experienced the love of Jesus through Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported workers. These servants of God accept the despised and rejected with open arms.

“What an opportunity we have to serve these people,” expresses Dr. Daniel Johnson, the coordinator for Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported medical ministry on the field.

“The ones who are unwelcome, out of sight and thought to be cursed—we have a chance to welcome them, bring them to the light and bless them, all because of the love of Christ.”

Join GFA in ministering with loving hands to those rejected because of the marks of leprosy. Together, we can bring hope and belonging to the outcast and forgotten.

Source: Gospel for Asia Features, The Curse of Leprosy Cured

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

Read more in Gospel for Asia’s Special Report: Leprosy—Misunderstandings and Stigma Keep it Alive – Although It’s a Curable Worldwide Problem.

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