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One Story Among Millions Suffering in the Slums

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“In our world, one in eight people live in slums. In total, around a billion people live in slum conditions today.” —UN-Habitat Slum Almanac 2015-2016. Upon reading this fact, my mind almost shut down. An eighth of the world’s population? [1] It seems absurd, but apparently, it is the truth. The reality for those living in slums is harsher than what is reported. Maisie (not pictured) is among millions living in slums. Gospel for Asia (GFA) -supported workers seek to bring them the love and hope of God. The Slums: An Explanation Firstly, what exactly are slums? Merriam Webster defines “slums” as “a densely populated usually urban area marked by crowding, run-down housing, poverty, and social disorganization.” [2] Little to no basic utilities exist in slums. Sanitation facilities, clean water, medical provision are inadequately present in these urban areas. Diseases run rampant, with little to no prevention. [3] Slum dwellers suffer under these harsh and brutal conditions. These peopl...
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6 Reasons Why Humility Is Necessary in the Lord’s Work

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Make no mistake about it, there is no greater joy than working in the Lord’s service. Nor is there a calling in which we will receive more criticism, resistance and opposition—even more so than being an appointee to the United States Supreme Court! 1. To set aside our personal desires requires humility. Romans chapter 12 begins with the Apostle Paul urging believers to present ourselves as living sacrifices acceptable to God. 2. To set aside the world system’s potential path to success requires humility. Paul follows his plea with another one to not be conformed to this world system. The world system is all about how to become successful, and then how to become even more successful. It is a system built upon networking, self-marketing and public recognition. It is a system based on self and pride. 3. It takes humility to see ourselves as we are and to realize that we are no better than anyone else aside from grace. In verse 3, Paul admonishes us to not think of ourselves more highly th...
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Empower Gospel for Asia Supported National Missionaries With Prayer

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WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) -supported national missionaries need us to stand beside them for enablement and empowerment, whether they serve in a slum, a remote mountain community or a village for outcasts. Let’s think for a minute what enablement and empowerment mean and put them into perspective as they relate to Gospel for Asia (GFA) -supported national missionaries. Enablement The root word in enablement is “able.” Enablement intrinsically refers to providing means or opportunity to make something possible or practicable. When people support or give to Gospel for Asia (GFA) , they help GFA’s field partners provide the training, literature, equipment and living expenses to make their ministries possible and practicable. Empowerment We believe that empowerment is, by far, more important than enablement. Without empowerment, national missionaries would be ineffective representing Jesus to the thousands of people in Asia. Their ability to establish fellowships and transform...
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What Is a Christian to Do About Criticism?

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“Everything we do either propels God’s mission forward or hinders the embodiment of His kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven.” — Jeff Christopherson, Vice President of Send Network Christopherson is right on point. All too often, we fail to see that everything we do impacts the kingdom of heaven on earth. Since we are the only representatives of that kingdom, every believer must come to the point where we learn to confront ourselves with every word we speak and every action we take—before we say or do them. The failure of some of us to weigh our actions is a shortcut to behaving like the ungodly whose lives are characterized by contentions and dissensions (see Galatians 5:19–21). In short, there is no room in a Christian’s life for creating strife, friction and discord—especially between and among professing believers. Recognizing the Danger of a Critical Spirit Contention usually begins with a critical spirit and exhibits itself as criticism. Whilst conceding that criticism can be co...
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Dying of Thirst: The Global Clean Water Crisis (#1 by Gospel for Asia)

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WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) Special Report #1 – Discussing the world’s quest for access to clean water that is safe to drink. Photo credit Giacomo Pirozzi, UNICEF The statistics are mind-numbing. 502,000 people die each year from diarrhea—caused by unsafe drinking water. [1] 2.1 billion people have no access to safely managed drinking water . [2] 159 million people get their drinking water directly from surface water sources . [3] 263 million must travel more than 30 minutes daily to collect their water. [4] Safe drinking water is something most of us take for granted. But for millions of people, the only water they have is contaminated. And millions more are at risk of having no water at all. According to the United Nations, 1.9 billion people (27 percent of the world’s population) live in “potentially severely water-scarce” areas . [5] They wake up each morning knowing they must fight to survive. For those of us who enjoy ready access to clean water , these numbers are d...
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7 Reasons Unsponsored Children Need Our Help

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“The poor do not need our compassion or our pity, they need our help.” — Mother Theresa It is almost impossible for us to understand the magnitude of the needs of the children of South Asia and their families needing the assistance and intervention of Gospel for Asia (GFA) and others. How bad can their life be? Frankly, their lives are much worse than most of us can even begin to imagine. Oh, you’ve heard the appeals over and over again from Gospel for Asia (GFA) , Save the Children, Compassion International, World Vision, and a seemingly endless number of NGOs who are committed to reaching out to those living in extreme poverty who are considered the lowest of the low in their home countries. But there are literally millions of precious, innocent children suffering indignities at levels we fail to comprehend. So, let us explain a few reasons these children need our help. 1. They are considered outcasts. Our national missionaries go into the urban slums and remote villages where the ...
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Stigma & Misunderstandings Keep Leprosy Alive (Gospel for Asia #3)

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WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) Special Report #3: Discussing why leprosy remains, despite it being a curable worldwide issue. Gospel for Asia Gives Leprosy Patients Food, Income-generating Gifts, Education and More A GFA-supported Bridge of Hope center located within an area known for leprosy is providing free education, food, medical care and love for children from impoverished families, several of whom are touched by leprosy. While these children of leprosy patients may otherwise be rejected from schools or tolerated at a distance, they are welcomed and loved at Bridge of Hope. National workers and believers in congregations in the nations Gospel for Asia (GFA) serves are helping break the stigma and social rejection experienced by leprosy patients. People affected by Hansen’s Disease are invited into churches and homes. They are hugged. They are fed. They are shown the respect and dignity we, as Christ’s followers, believe every human being deserves. These children, many...
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