Gospel for Asia

NEW YORK – Commenting on World Water Day (March 22), the Secretary-General of the United Nations said, “2.1 billion people live without safe water . . . By 2030, an estimated 700 million people worldwide could be displaced by intense water scarcity.” It is insightful, if not interesting, that we can infer from the Secretary-General’s comments that he does not expect to be able to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) #6 for 100 percent clean water access by the 2030 goal. There is no question that the world is facing a water crisis that could potentially affect the entire global population. And, despite the claims that no one should be denied access to clean water, most people who are currently affected by a lack of clean water are not “denied access.’ They either don’t have a source of water nearby and/or the source they have is polluted. Many have no choice. When they are thirsty, contaminated water is their only choice. Often the closest source is a mile or m...

Integral Components of GFA’s Observance of World Health Day  Include Treatment and Education. WILLS POINT, TX — Each year since 1950, April 7 has been set aside for the observance of World Health Day. The special day was introduced to commemorate the first World Health Assembly sponsored by the World Health Organization. The purpose of World Health Day is to draw attention to the major health needs around the globe to encourage the support and outreach of governmental and non-governmental agencies in combatting poor health and providing accessible healthcare treatment and education. Treatment and education are integral components of the outreach of Gospel for Asia and its partners throughout South Asia  where many people live in abject poverty and are often exposed to life-threatening illness and disease. Some Gospel for Asia partners will hold special community events that promote awareness of best health practices for families and entire communities. Some of thes...

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) released a brand-new video that tells the remarkable story of what the Lord has been able to do with a 24-year-old young man who had immigrated from India to the United States.In just three minutes, Dr. K.P. Yohannan shares the unexpected mission to which the Lord called him and several of the utterly amazing things God has done over the past 40 years since the founding of Gospel for Asia. From Vision to Mission – When Gospel for Asia launched in 1979, it had only 24 workers and one mighty, big God. Today, GFA helps support thousands of workers in 16 different countries. The ministry has prospered with the founding of thousands established congregations proclaiming the love and grace of Jesus Christ. Mercy through Medicine – GFA-supported teams hold thousands of medical camps every year with as many as 2,000 attending some of those camps. There is no fee for treatments or medications. In 2018 alone, GFA-supported workers organized more...

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) – Discussing the global water crisis. It amazes me when I ponder some of the things that we take for granted. Especially when they are things upon which our very lives depend. Things like water. I don’t think it would be hyperbole to say that the vast majority of Americans are unaware that there is a global water crisis and that billions of people are affected by it every single day. As a Missions Box contributor, I urge our readers to take 15 minutes to read Gospel for Asia’s latest special report, “ Dying of Thirst: the Global Water Crisis. ” Gospel for Asia recently released a special report titled “Dying of Thirst: the Global Water Crisis,” which highlights many of the worldwide issues people are facing today concerning the lack of pure water and it’s availability. Below are six facts pulled from the report. Click here to read the rest of the article . Go here to know more about Gospel for Asia: Facebook | Sourcewatch | Flic...

WILLS POINT, TX – Realizing that World Water Day was fast approaching on March 22 nd , I reread  Gospel for Asia’s special report , “Dying of Thirst: The Global Water Crisis.” I read the report a couple of weeks ago, which was published March 1, but I wanted to prepare my heart to pray for the third of the world’s population who have no access to safely managed drinking water. As I reviewed the staggering statistics reported by other authorities, I was stunned when I came across the photo that leads this article. The sight of six very young children carrying empty buckets to fetch water at a distance of who knows how far shook my soul to the core. I realized that the water crisis is not simply about access to water, it is about how the lack of access to clean water is borne on the shoulders of children. I found it difficult to comprehend that these little ones would have to return to their homes under the weight of more than 16 pounds of water. They probably make this trek e...

Treatment and Education are Integral Components of GFA's Observance of World Health Day. Wills Point, TX (PRUnderground) April 5th, 2019 Each year since 1950, April 7 has been set aside for the observance of World Health Day. The special day was introduced to commemorate the first World Health Assembly sponsored by the World Health Organization. The purpose of World Health Day is to draw attention to the major health needs around the globe to encourage the support and outreach of governmental and non-governmental agencies in combatting poor health and providing accessible healthcare treatment and education. Treatment and education are integral components of the outreach of Gospel for Asia and its partners throughout South Asia  where many people live in abject poverty and are often exposed to life-threatening illness and disease. Some Gospel for Asia partners will hold special community events that promote awareness of best health practices for families and ...

George Verwer to Present His Passion On the Beauty of Messes George Verwer to address attendees on Mess-i-ology at the Gospel for Asia Wills Point, Texas campus. WILLS POINT, Texas – Gospel for Asia has announced that international leader and renowned missionary statesman, George Verwer, will speak at a special event on the GFA Wills Point, Texas, campus on Sunday evening, Feb. 11, 2018. Verwer is the founder of Operation Mobilization (OM), one of the world’s largest ministries of evangelism, discipleship training and church planting. OM has more than 6 thousand people using arts & entertainment, business, church, education, media and social activities to make Christ known around the world. He is the author of numerous books, including Out of the Comfort Zone and Drops from a Leaking Tap . “George Verwer is one of the most important and influential mission leaders of the last century,” says GFA’s Vice President Daniel Punnose. “Not only is he the founder of OM, which ha...

WILLS POINT, Texas – They ran. They jogged. They trotted. They loped. A few even moseyed. A total of 229 runners registered for the 2nd Annual Tiger Supply Run hosted on the campus of Gospel for Asia (GFA) in Wills Point, and sponsored by Russell Memorial UMC and GFA. Participants lined up for an early 8:30 a.m. start under cloudy skies ready to raise funds to purchase school supplies for this year’s Will Point ‘Back to School Fair.’ The world will little note nor long remember the names of all who ran, except to note that none were “also-rans.” Everyone was a winner – especially the students of the Wills Point Independent School District. The entire $4,045 raised by the participants will go directly to help supply less fortunate students with necessary school supplies for the 2018-2019 school year. The Wills Point IDS is rich in tradition and is driven by innovation. Its exemplary educational program is commissioned with providing all learners with a safe environment an...

WILLS POINT, TX - Gospel for Asia (GFA) — The Bible speaks of hope specifically as a “confident expectation,” not a wish or a maybe. Dr. KP Yohannan’s vision for establishing Gospel for Asia’s (GFA) Bridge of Hope Program was not simply an idea of something nice to do for the underprivileged children of Asia. The vision was to provide a bridge to the confident expectation of a fruitful and productive future. I take it for granted that most readers already understand what Bridge of Hope centers do. Faithful supporters have read many stories of individual changed lives of current and former Bridge of Hope students. Many readers, however, may not realize the measurable impact that Bridge of Hope centers have on students achieving the confident expectation of a brighter future. Remember What We Do Bridge of Hope centers serve marginalized and underprivileged children throughout the Asian nations of India, Nepal, Myanmar and Sri Lanka. The purpose is to provide students wit...

WILLS POINT, TX — Gospel for Asia (GFA) — Discussing openhomeaphobia — its symptoms and remedies. Open-home-a-phobic , noun ( op-en-hom-a-fo-bick ) From Latin phobicus ; Greek phobikos ;   1. Someone terrified to open his or her home to guests.   2. Someone filled with anxiety due to the overwhelming feelings that his or her home is not good enough for company, the rooms not large enough, the food not tasty enough.   3. Someone who panics at the thought of fitting hospitality into a schedule jammed with deadlines, timelines and bottom lines. Symptoms include:  • Gagging at the word “guest”.  • Uncontrollable urges to hide when the doorbell rings.  • Sweating when the church bulletin pleads for people to include internationals for holiday meals. If there ever was an age in which the beneficial, healing properties of scriptural hospitality was more needed than in this one, I don’t know which age that might be. The AARP Bulle...

WILLS POINT, TX — Gospel for Asia (GFA) — In his account of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Mark shares the story of a rich young ruler who had inquired of Jesus, “What shall I do that I may inherit eternal life” (Mark 10:17). Jesus essentially told him that he needed to live a perfect life, reciting several of the Ten Commandments to him. The young man replied that he had faithfully followed the commandments all of his life. Mark then records that Jesus looked at him lovingly and said that he needed to do one more thing. He needed to “sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven” (Mark 10:21). Jesus invited him, once he had given all that he had to the poor, to “come, take up thy cross, and follow Me” (vv. 21). Do you wonder what you would have done had you been that rich young man? The truth is, I wonder what I would have done? We spend so much time thinking about what we are able to accumulate in pleasures and treasure that we fa...

WILLS POINT, TX — Gospel for Asia (GFA) — Discussing the life-changing impact of Jesus Wells on families in Asia who lack any access to safe drinking water. You need to get some water for a family meal so you head for the kitchen sink. It’s almost automatic; you do it every day. Probably several times a day. You turn on the faucet, but you feel “a sinking sensation” when no water pours from the tap. You panic. Yes, you panic. What am I going to do? We need water. Your mind races as you subconsciously understand you may not be able to make food for your family if you can’t get water. You wonder how long you will be without water. A call to the utility company frustrates you because you hear a recorded message: “Our operators are busy assisting other customers.” While you are on hold, you ask your spouse to run to the store to buy some bottled water. After waiting 20 minutes or so, you learn from the water company that a major main has been severely damaged. They say...

Gospel for Asia (GFA World) Special Report on the worldwide issue of extreme poverty Written by Palmer Holt of InChrist Communications More than 80 years after George Orwell wrote in his classic Animal Farm that “all animals are equal, but some are more equal than others,” his barbed observation on disparity rings ever truer for humankind. According to a 2017 report by Credit Suisse Research Institute , 10 percent of the world’s richest population owns 88 percent of all global wealth, while “3.5 billion individuals — 70% of all adults in the world — have wealth below USD 10,000.” That includes some who could be living in grinding poverty in Asia. Poverty devastates the whole family, often causing children to drop out of school early to start working. This boy is one of 168 million child laborers doing the backbreaking work of collecting, breaking and selling rocks from a nearby river. Despite improvements in some parts of the globe, the World Bank says “extre...

by Lou Gutheil, GFA guest writer “You fathers–if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not!” (Luke 11:11–12 NLT) One of His disciples had asked Jesus to teach them how to pray. On that occasion, Jesus gave them a format for prayer that we some call The Lord’s Prayer and others refer to as “The Model Prayer. His comment quoted above serves as an exclamation of how remarkable our Heavenly Father is. Having just taught them to ask the Lord for daily sustenance, He used the illustration of how earthly fathers would respond to the same request from their own sons. He reasoned with them that, if a father would gladly give his children the essentials of life — and even more so, not only give what they needed and requested but also not substitute harmful things instead — how much more would a thrice-holy Father respond in goodness, grace, and kindness? We can infer that Jesus expect...

Young adults ages 18–27 have the opportunity to go through a one- or two-year program called School of Discipleship (SD) with Gospel for Asia. In this program, students grow in their faith through prayer meetings and living in the community with fellow believers. Eveline learned how to love the Lord and others during her two-years at School of Discipleship. Source: Gospel for Asia “I have a better and deeper walk with the Lord and deeper relationship with others, not just here but also back home,” Eveline, a current SD student said. “The Lord has taught me the greatest commandment: to love the Lord and love others.” I went through the School of Discipleship, too. In my two years of training, I grew in relationship with the people around me and with my family, but especially my love for my family. There is a Christ-centered community at Gospel for Asia in which staff and students intermingle, serve and live together to keep their focus solely on Christ. “I enjoy...

In one northeastern region of South Asia, just beneath the Himalaya Mountains, a river flows, and heavy monsoon rains often cause flooding. It’s difficult to imagine that the residents of this lush land would lack clean drinking water. But it’s true. This is where Salil lives with his wife and three children. Like most of his fellow villagers, Salil makes his living as a laborer. Until recently, all of the villagers drank, bathed in and washed their clothes in water from a local pond. Whenever the river flooded, the pond would fill with sand. When that would happen, they’d have to dig to find the water they needed. But that pond water was contaminated. The villagers suffered from typhoid, jaundice and a variety of horrible skin diseases. They lived daily with nausea, high fevers, diarrhea and general weakness. Their chronic illnesses made it difficult for them to work. So they languished in grinding poverty. It seemed the very water they depended on for life was curs...

PAMPLONA, Columbia —  Operation Blessing has provided relief to millions of people in 90 different countries and all 50 of the United States over the past 41 years. Founded in 1978 by Pat Robertson, the faith-based NGO provides aid in areas where people’s lives are threatened by poverty, disasters, and persecution. Venezuelans resting on the way to Columbia Like similar faith-based organizations (FBO), such as Samaritan’s Purse and Gospel for Asia ,  Operation Blessing teams work to provide safe drinking water, food, clothing, and health and medical care. One arm of the ministry is working curtail the plague of human trafficking. Another reaches out to provide microenterprise opportunities for families and communities via skills training, small business loans, and construction projects. The current crisis in Venezuela has become one of the worst in the world in terms of meeting the needs of millions of Venezuelan refugees attempting to escape their homeland where, a...

More than 3 million men, women and children in India’s capital city are homeless. They choose to sleep on the streets regardless of the weather. As I write, it is 3:45 a.m. in Delhi and the temperature is 43° F. Delhi offers shelters of various types for its homeless population. Some shelters are available in permanent buildings, others are in portacabins and some are tent structures. Many of these people have made their way to the bustling urban area hoping to find work and a way out of their misery. Their dreams come crashing onto the concrete when they discover they lack the education and skill sets required for jobs in the city. By the time they realize how desperate their situation is, they don’t even have a way to pay rent for a roof over their heads in the city’s slums. So, they sleep on the streets, some in makeshift tents but most with nothing but their clothes and, perhaps, a tarp or mat to sleep on. The Sleep Number® on their ‘beds’ is zero. Sadly, many of the...

People walk outside of a church in the Kachin state of Myanmar, where 95 percent of residents are Christian. | (Photo: Twitter/@BobRobertsJr) A second pastor in Myanmar’s Rakhine state has been abducted by suspected Buddhist insurgents after another was killed less than two months ago. Pastor U Thar Tun was abducted from his home in Buthidaung township on Feb. 13, according to the U.S.-based watchdog group International Christian Concern . Tun is the 50-year-old pastor of Mara Evangelical Church who is active in community development and received a theological education from Mizoram State. The father of five has served as the pastor of his church even though the congregation could not support him financially. The pastor’s abduction was also confirmed by contacts of the England-based Christian aid agency Barnabas Fund , who say that he was abducted by militants of the Arakan Army. The Arakan Army is the armed wing of the United League of Arakan and is active in both...