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Sisters of Compassion Share God’s Love with Forsaken Kaling, Reports Gospel for Asia

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In Luke chapter 15 we find the parable about the prodigal younger son, who comes to his senses once he loses everything, and returns back home to a loving, gracious father. Kaling’s life is similar to the story Jesus shared with tax collectors, sinners, scribes and Pharisees. The heart of our Heavenly Father remains the same through the ages. Even though we may wander far from home, God desires to redeem the past, and draw us close to Himself. And sometimes He may go to great lengths to show us that grace. Just like he did for Kaling through Gospel for Asia- supported Sisters of Compassion . Gospel for Asia-supported Sisters of Compassion minister to the least of the least in society. The Redemption of a Dying Man Kaling never listened to his father’s instructions, even as a little boy. His father tried to teach him how to live a good life, but despite all the guidance he received, Kaling had a disobedient and unchanging heart. Eventually, his father would no longer endure his son’s s...
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For Days, Months and Years Later People Lived in Fear of the Ocean, Reports Gospel for Asia

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Tsunamis happen more often than we think. Just this year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recorded four. In 2016, it recorded seven. In 2014, it recorded 11. Now that’s a lot of tsunamis. Thankfully, the majority haven’t been large enough to cause extensive damage, with waves cresting less than a foot above sea level. What a relief! But then there are times when the waves, upon reaching shore, reach heights of 10, 30, even 300 feet . Tall walls of water crescendo and collide into coastlines, coursing through every crevice, collecting chunk after chunk of sea-side homes and business, sweeping away thousands of pounds of metal in the shapes of buses and other motor vehicles. Husbands and wives, mothers and fathers, children and grandparents run, their backs to foaming black water that threatens to steal their lives. Tsunamis. One of the “ costliest and deadliest forces of nature .” The United Nations declared Nov. 5 as World Tsunami Awareness Day because of t...
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At Gospel for Asia, Prayer is Woven Into Everything We Do

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Dozens of hands pressed down on pieces of paper while more hands lifted toward the sky. An unintelligible murmur filled the room as the Gospel for Asia staff prayed. We were about to send out a mailing, letting people know about the opportunity to give toward constructing places of worship, and we didn’t want to do it without bringing it before the Lord one more time. At Gospel for Asia (GFA), prayer is woven into everything we do. It’s been that way since before the beginning of the ministry . Gospel for Asia has this set of 10 things we call our Core Values. Number five is “Being a people of prayer and worship.” Even as I write this, one of my coworkers exemplified this value. “I’m going to the prayer room,” he said as he walked by, “if anyone wants to know where I am.” He said it as casually as someone announcing they’re going for a coffee break. No boast, no shame. Just letting us know why he’s not at his desk. At many prayer meetings, the Gospel for Asia staff will gather around ...
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How Might We Incorporate More Prayer Into Our Lives? Recalls Gospel for Asia

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It’s time to talk about one of Gospel for Asia longest-standing traditions: Tuesday night prayer meeting! The very first Tuesday night prayer meeting began in a time of Dr. KP Yohannan’s life when his passion was suddenly rekindled for the people in his homeland to know Christ’s love. Eager to do anything he could, Dr. Yohannan and his wife, Gisela, called a few friends together one Tuesday night and began to pray in their living room. They spread maps around the room and used them to pray for the nations God loves so dearly. The decision—made more than 30 years ago—to start a simple prayer meeting has since shaped the direction and mindset of the ministry birthed not long after: Gospel for Asia. “As days went by,” Yohannan recalls, “things became more and more clear about what we must do [to move forward in ministry]. Not that God unfolded the entire plan, no; He would just say one thing and we did that, and then the next thing. Life was suspense. But one thing was consistent: praye...
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Abhaya Was 8 the First Time He Went to School, Only to Be Ridiculed, Reports Gospel for Asia

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Can you imagine, as a parent, watching your child suffer while you stand by unable to help him? You send him off to beg on the streets in order to make money for a crucial surgery that he needs, but somehow that extra money he earns is always needed for other things. The hope for healing grows dim as years pass by. That is the condition Sanjita and her husband Chatur where found in until they were blessed by a local teacher and Gospel for Asia Bridge of Hope Program. Anxiety in the Delivery Room “The size of his head is abnormally large,” the doctor explained to anxious Sanjita and Chatur shortly after their son was born. “The reason might be malnutrition during the mother’s pregnancy. We can bring it to a normal size after doing an operation. But we have to wait until he grows older.” He paused, then his voice changed to one filled with gravity, “It needs lots of money for the operation.” The birth of Abhaya caused conflicting emotions to surface in Sanjita and Chatur’s hearts. While...
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When We Can’t See the Road in Front of Us, How Do We Press Forward?

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A couple of years ago, I was at a missions conference where we came together to discuss what was happening in the missions world around the globe. One of my friends there asked me, “How are things going at Gospel for Asia? What’s going on these days?” We were going through some challenging situations on the field at the time, and I remember telling him, “It’s a good time to be alive. It’s a good opportunity to walk by faith.” Which was completely true! We don’t always have great opportunities in front of us where we get to walk by faith, trusting God day by day, but trials and difficulties allow us those opportunities. In the first chapter of James we are told, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will b...
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It’s Crazy What a Blanket Can Do for Those Who Face the Freezing Cold in Asia

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Do you ever stop to consider how many blankets you have in your home? What kind of stockpile do you have stored up in case the heating goes out for two weeks during a severe winter storm? It’s no stretch to guess you have at least one blanket for each person in your family. If you’re like most of us, you probably have light summer blankets in addition to heavier, winter quilts. There might even be some cozy throws on your sofa and the recliner, and the afghan your grandmother made for you. Don’t forget to count the extra blankets in the guestroom, the ones in the cars, and the picnic blanket in the garage. And what about the sleeping bags you keep with your camping gear? With all the warm clothes and blankets you can find in your home, you and your family could probably survive a long winter emergency in an unheated home. But how would you fare if your home was only a makeshift hut, your family had hardly any winter clothing or blankets, and you could barely feed them with your meager ...
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