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“Bridge of Hope Made Impossible Things Possible for Me”

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Schooling. Food. Clothing. An encouraging smile. These are simple ways of showing love to a child, but those simple gestures shape lives. In God’s Church, generosity flows freely toward the hurting and sorrowful. We at Gospel for Asia (GFA) can testify to that. Tens of thousands of men and women and children of all ages in many countries freely give of their resources to help uplift the lives of people they love but have never met. Why? Because that’s the heart of the King we love. Bridge of Hope, an afterschool tutoring program supported by Gospel for Asia (GFA) , is currently giving more than 82,000 children those simple gestures of love. But it wouldn’t be possible without the prayers and support of the loving Body of Christ. Without them, stories like Kaling’s would be quite different. These are two of Asia’s children who live in a slum. We may not be able to change every difficult circumstance in their lives, but we can do something! We rejoice in 82,000 children in Asia receivin...
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Being Surrounded by 125 Energetic, Joyous Children Was a Real Treat

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It is always amazing to me when small moments in your life have more significance than you realized at the time. When Gospel for Asia’s Bridge of Hope Program started, I did not imagine how many tens of thousands of lives would be changed by it. To sponsor the second Bridge of Hope child in GFA’s history was quite an honor for me and my wife. I remember the excitement and enthusiasm of everyone had when the entire staff met to witness Dr. KP Yohannan select the first child to be sponsored. Starting a child sponsorship ministry was embarking into unknown territory for Gospel for Asia ( GFA ). We were primarily known for our national missionary sponsorship emphasis, and there was concern of how a child sponsorship program would be received by our supporters. The staff waited enthusiastically for Dr. KP Yohannan to sponsor the first Bridge of Hope Child. The Lord was growing the ministry at a tremendous rate. Would we be up to the challenge of providing all the infrastructure needed fo...
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Possessed by an Evil Spirit for 13 Years, He Couldn’t Work Until Prayer Changed His Life Forever

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There is nothing impossible with God. Nothing. This truly is an inspiring thought. But it is much more than a thought or word to keep us going—it is truth. Truth many impoverished people are getting the chance to witness in their own lives. Truth that was made evident in 33-year-old Pramesh’s life. Pramesh’s family life was troubled. For 13 years he was possessed by an evil spirit , and his behavior changed. He couldn’t work to provide for his children and wife , which also meant they didn’t have enough money to pay for sacrifices so their god would heal him. But “there is nothing too hard for the Lord Jesus.” These very words of hope spoken by Gospel for Asia-supported pastor Haatim— words found in the nature of God, the worker of the impossible—gave Pramesh courage. After seven months of prayer offered up by Pastor Haatim and the local believers, Pramesh was set free from the demonic powers. This miracle brought his entire family into the loving arms of Jesus. The impossible did not...
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“All I Want Is to Bring My Sister Home From the Bonded Labor Man”

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I hear the stories all the time. I work at a missions organization, so, of course, I’m aware of suffering children in Asia. Sometimes I pause and let it break my heart, but other times my mind glides over the words and tucks the story into a pile of “sad things” and moves on with my day. But today I want to hear these stories with Jesus’ heart, to pause and take time to be there with these children, imagining they are my own. Listen to this little girl talk about her sister Lakshmi : “My sister is 10 years old. Every morning at 7 she goes to the bonded labor man, and every night at 9 she comes home. He treats her badly. He hits her if he thinks she is working slowly, or if she talks to the other children, he yells at her. I don’t care about school or playing. All I want is to bring my sister home from the bonded labor man. For 600 rupees I can bring her home—that is our only chance to get her back. We don’t have 600 rupees…we will never have 600 rupees [the equivalent of U.S. $14].” In...
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Two Gift Goats Provide Recurring Revenue Reports Gospel for Asia

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Try to think of a gift you received five years ago. Can you think of one? If you remember one, it probably made a special impression on your heart. It was something meaningful. But did it change your life or your family’s? Ujala was in need of a gift like that, a gift that would drastically alter the course of his life. Two Goats Provide Recurring Revenue Sweating in the open fields every day wasn’t helping to get Ujala’s family out of poverty. It looked as though his five sons would have to follow the continuous cycle of harsh life and struggle . But Ujala had hope, and he prayed God would provide. Ujala didn’t let their circumstance shake his devotion and love for Jesus. He firmly believed God would supply all their needs. Month followed after month, and their situation didn’t improve, but somehow, they always got by. Ujala faithfully continued meeting with other Christians to worship Jesus, and he worked hard to provide for his wife and sons. Although their financial situation was d...
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With My Husband Gone, What Will Happen to Me and My Son?

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It’s Christmastime, “the most wonderful time of the year”! And we at Gospel for Asia believe the Lord God desires all peoples to enter into His joy this season—and all year ‘round. That is why the angels proclaimed at the Christ’s birth that they bring “good news of great joy that will be for all people” (see Luke 2:10). But for some, instead of joy, the holiday season heralds in a season of loneliness and discouragement, especially for those who may not have anyone to celebrate with or who have lost the ones they used to celebrate with. Grief and heartache shroud our joy, and Christmastime can become just another event filled with painful memories of what has been lost. Imani understood this grief. She had lost her husband, who was a Gospel for Asia- supported pastor , and her heart filled with sorrow. She wondered how she would care for her son alone. But then something wonderful happened that helped lift the shroud of loneliness and discouragement. The local church had a Gospel for ...
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He Came Among Us to Show Us How to Live & How to Love

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Last week, our pastor preached a sermon on the topic of King David bringing the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem. Sitting there as part of the congregation, I had a sudden stunning understanding about this passage from 2 Samuel chapter 6 that I’d never had before—an understanding so fraught with meaning that I’ve been thinking about it all week. Being a child raised in evangelicalism, my spiritual journey into adult faith has been grounded and formed by Scripture. As a youth, I memorized seven books from the Bible perfectly. I married an ordained minister, who himself preached a series on this topic in an inter-racial church we planted in the inner city of Chicago. Most preachers emphasize in some way or another that David, who had only recently assumed the appointment as king of Israel, stripped down to his linen ephod and danced before the procession, bringing the Ark back to the city. Few preachers avoid drawing an obvious parallel that the king was basically leaping and dancing a...
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