Jungle birds call outside my window; it is desperately humid this tropical afternoon, but it’s tears, not sweat, that drip down my cheeks. Anguish and hope engulf my heart as I listen to Ruth tell me her story. One of four happy sisters, I’m confronted with the unrecognized privilege of my own childhood, one where sonlessness was never perceived to be a family handicap, and daughters were no burden. Ruth’s parents had sold their land as a sacrifice, desperate to... Read more
When I was around 19 years old, I was in Bihar, India, along with my mission team. It was summertime, and there were several hundred of us young people gathered together. George Verwer shared with us from Hebrews 4:1-2: “Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they... Read more
When I first started serving the Lord with the mission movement I was part of in India, I was so young and naïve. By my age and experience, I wasn’t even qualified for the team, and it was only because they needed one more person at the last minute that I was even there. At the beginning, I couldn’t do much. I hardly spoke a word of Hindi, the local language, and my main role on the team was helping to cut vegetables and make chapatis. During that season as I continued to serve... Read more
During my seven years as a young person serving in India with a missions movement, I lived and worked with people from around the world. I learned to follow Jesus by first following others who were already following Him. I learned what it meant to walk with God and how to be godly by observing the godly examples around me. I was taught to forsake all and to be His. I learned service and obedience by living in close community... Read more
During my early days of serving God, I remember being asked to share my testimony for the first time. This was one of the very first ministry assignments I ever had. I was hardly 17 years old. I walked up to the podium and just stood there. I don’t know what exactly I said, but it was only about three or four words, and then I ran back and sat down. I had prepared in advance what I wanted to... Read more
I got my first rebuff when I applied to serve with a missions movement just after I finished my schooling. They first refused to let me join the teams going north because I was underage. However, I was permitted to attend the annual training conference to be held in Bangalore, Karnataka. At the conference I first heard missionary statesman George Verwer, as he preached, he challenged me as never before to commit myself to a life of breathtaking, radical discipleship.... Read more
Gospel for Asia (GFA) celebrated its 40th anniversary on July 3, 2019. It’s hard to believe it’s been that long since we began this journey! God has been so incredibly faithful. Over the coming months, I would like to share with you some stories from GFA’s history in a series called Journey through Time. I hope you will be encouraged by looking back with me and seeing all the ways the Lord has worked, even in times when we couldn’t... Read more
“Monday, May 27 is once again Memorial Day in America. Like us, many will gather as families and visit the grave of a loved one. I like that tradition, and we will once again do that in memory of Jeremy…” Five and a half years ago, we lost our youngest son Jeremy to an aggressive form of lymphoma, or cancer. It was about five months between when his condition was first diagnosed and his death at age 42. He left... Read more
Everyone has a mother. And yes, in some cases it turns out to be a mother surrogate. That’s someone like an adoptive mother, stepmother, foster mother or a grandmother who takes on the mother role. Maybe it’s an aunt or even an older sister. Most people have strong feelings—both positive and negative—about their “mothers.” One of the Ten Commandments (number five) reads, “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your... Read more
By Dr. KP Yohannan, Founder and Director, Gospel for Asia – As we can see from Scripture, the Apostle Paul had an extraordinary life. What was Paul’s secret? Was it his education, background or abilities? No, it was none of those things. In fact, Paul considered all his worldly privileges nothing but “rubbish” as far as their usefulness in walking the road to reality with Christ (Philippians 3:8). In Romans 7:18, Paul wrote, “For I know that in me (that... Read more
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