Gospel for Asia

It’s December, and that means Christmas, which for some people is a day of new beginnings, a day of joy, a day of hope and expectation. For Aashi, her first day at a Gospel for Asia- supported Bridge of Hope center was very much like Christmas! All the things she ever dreamed of had become a reality: In the morning, she went to school for the first time, and after class, she ate a delicious and nutritious hot meal at the Bridge of Hope center—something she almost never got at home. In addition, Aashi received a new school uniform and a new backpack, as well as school supplies. Every day she received loving help with her homework from the Bridge of Hope teachers. Throughout their time in Gospel for Asia-supported Bridge of Hope centers, children receive many gifts, from pens and pencils to packets of soap, umbrellas, blankets and toothbrushes. The 6-year-old girl was so happy and excited to tell her family all she experienced on her first school day. She was the only one in the family ...

Raju looked confused by my question, and his response revealed it: “What do you mean by Christmas tradition?” I had served the Lord in Asia with Raju off-and-on for over a year. He was a first-generation, Asian believer with a tall, slim build and a heartwarming smile. He loved Jesus and was excited about the upcoming seasons of Advent and Christmas. I tried to explain what I was asking to my bewildered brother in Christ, “Do you and your family have anything that you do every year to celebrate Christmas?” I had come from a family that had been either devoted or nominal Christians for every generation that we knew of. Having immigrated from Eastern Europe to America in the beginning of the 20th century, many of the traditional ways we celebrated Christmas stretched back to before my forefathers left Europe. It never occurred to me that it may take two generations of believers to form a tradition. Raju then went on to explain the different things his family did to celebrate Christmas, m...

Mani entered the world infected with HIV. Soon after birth, he lost his parents to the deadly disease. His uncle, Dhiraj took him in and cared for him. He made sure Mani had the medicine he needed to stay healthy, but his wife was not so welcoming. Fear and suspicion filled her heart when she thought of Mani. Her ignorance about HIV/AIDS led her to reject her desperately needy nephew. She continually pressured her husband to send Mani away, but Dhiraj would not abandon the boy. Instead, he found help from three GFA-supported Sisters of Compassion that served in the area. On Dec. 1, World AIDS Day will be observed around the globe, bringing needed awareness to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. All across the globe, organizations work together to promote the prevention of AIDS, to emphasize the compassionate care needed for those living with the disease and to remember those who have died from it, like Mani’s parents. Students from GFA-supported Bridge of Hope centers across Asia participated in ...

We’ve talked before about how God answers prayer , and how not a single story you read of lives changed ever happens without prayer . The same is true for our field partners in Asia. This is a powerful testimony of God moving in response to the prayers of His people. And it starts with a marriage on the verge of destruction. Janesh and Juhi fought continually until they heard the message of forgiveness through a GFA-supported radio broadcast. Like Tilak, whose story is below, these two were on the brink of divorce until God intervened and turned their lives around completely. Both families found healing and restoration in Jesus’ name. No ‘Other Woman’ Anymore Tilak, father of three, wanted to leave his wife. He had found another woman—one he thought could satisfy his desires, and he was willing to destroy his marriage because of it. For two years, his marriage grew steadily worse as he focused his attentions elsewhere. But while Tilak was on the brink of divorce, God intervened in his ...

I have an odd way of thinking about the quality of goodness. In my mind, I have an impression of the earth spinning in space—the photo we’ve all seen so frequently taken from some satellite circling our planet. An exquisite globe shimmers in the dark, turning and turning. Blue mostly, vast seas accented by green and white with pinpricks of lights shining out through occasional cloud cover, across thousands of miles of dark. I know these are cities and towns glowing on the surface of our planet, but I prefer to think that these points of brightness mark an act of kindness here, a gift of sacrifice there or initiatives of uncommon goodness everywhere. Perhaps this is purely fanciful, perhaps it’s imagination gone awry, perhaps it’s an artistic vision given for the purpose of prayer—or maybe, it’s just an old woman’s meanderings. However, it seems as though my mental fancy has some precedent. The term “one thousand points of light” was used in a speech by George Bush at the 1988 Republic...

What impact can a simple film make? This question is being answered every day as many remote Asian villages get the chance to watch a film on the life of Christ. Many of these precious people have never seen a film before, let alone heard of what Jesus has done for them. The message of Jesus’ sacrifice compels many to realize the vastness of God’s incredible love for the world. It opens up a new perspective—one that shows how everything the world has to offer pales in comparison to the love and life Jesus gives. This is exactly what 17-year-old Gunja found when he watched a film that changed the very course of his life forever. Finding What the World Can’t Give From an early age, Gunja and his twin brother attended church with their parents. They watched as their mom and dad remained faithful to Jesus despite the hostile treatment they often faced from their relatives who wanted nothing to do with Christ. Those relatives sowed seeds of doubt in the minds of the young impressionable bro...

Imagine. You’re a woman in Asia with no rights. You’ve just been married to a man who wants to use you to get rich. You really don’t have the money he’s looking for, yet you’re family’s required to provide a “wedding gift” — a dowry. Your father takes out a loan to pay the groom and his family, yet it’s still not enough. The husband’s family demands even more while your family is left impoverished with nothing more to give. Now your fate is to be burned in a blazing fire because what your family had to offer him didn’t make the cut. Sound unbelievable? Bride burnings and dowry deaths still occur in Asia, even today. Imagine. You wake up one day to find your husband went to work one morning then suddenly went missing. Days pass and you find out he was mauled by a fierce tiger, or lost his life in a work-related accident. You’re a widow now. But instead of getting support from your family during your grief, everybody who loved you before now abandons you and no longer cares for you, beca...

Recently my wonderful daughter-in-law Angela asked if I could pick up her children, ages 8 and 10, from school when their classes were dismissed. Later in the afternoon she would drop off the third child, age 5, by the house. Angela is the widow of our son Jeremy, who died several years back from aggressive lymphoma, or cancer. She has her hands full. Not only does she work full-time, she is also close to getting her doctorate in adult learning. So I am always happy to help out. At the appointed time, Eliana and Nehemiah tossed their book bags in the car, hopped in themselves and promptly announced they were hungry. “Tell me what you want and Papa (that’s me) will get it for you,” I replied. Eliana, the oldest, had a hankering for a cinnamon pretzel. There’s a shop that sells them a few blocks from the school, and what she wanted looked huge in the glass case. I should have given the price tag of $4.00! Nehemiah’s request was for a Blue Ice. “Where do I get that?” I asked. “My friend g...

You’re 10 years old, enjoying your happy-go-lucky days by running around with your friends and playing games. But in a few months, all that will end when you assume the mantle of being a wife to a man you only just met. What’s the point in going to school and learning anything besides how to take care of a home and a family if your fate has already been decided? It is estimated that one-third of girls in developing nations are married before the age of 18—and 1 in 9 are married before the age of 15 . In Asha’s community, they were married as young as 10. “In their society, girls were not given consideration,” reported a Gospel for Asia-supported field correspondent. “They were believed to be a burden upon their parents. At the age of 10, they would get them married. Parents did not want them to study more, since they are going to be in someone else’s house after their marriage.” Asha, too, had no regard for her education. Why would she when it was common knowledge her life would end up...

Jagat isn’t a super hero. He isn’t a genius. In fact, he dropped out of school early. Yet he is a mighty man of God. Through him flows the Spirit of the Living God, and within him dwells the One who gives all wisdom and strength. But it wasn’t always this way. Jagat is a Gospel for Asia- supported national missionary . Because of Jagat’s willingness to be used by God, many people in South Asia have started intimate relationships with Jesus. But each one of their glory-filled stories exists because of Jagat’s own story of finding Jesus. Pastor Jagat and his family. Jagat’s life took a dramatic turn from drugs and irresponsibility to serving God as a Gospel for Asia-supported missionary. Form of Godliness Fades Away Jagat grew up in a Christian home, but he had many of the characteristics James 3 warns against. He held a form of godliness—he obediently followed his family to church services, Sunday school and other activities—but he did not know Jesus personally or live in His power. So...

How many movies do you suppose you’ve watched in your lifetime? Even in the last year? Some clever punchlines or visuals of intense scenes probably stuck in your mind, but there’s a good chance you haven’t thought back to many of the movies. It’s quite a different story for many people in Asia who attend a film show hosted by Gospel for Asia supported workers . For many, that simple movie night ends up changing the course of their lives. Through Gospel for Asia-supported film ministry, the heart of Christ is displayed in a culturally relevant way. Many have found new life in Christ as a result! But even if you loved a certain movie, would you risk your own safety to organize a movie night? Rajak did. Rajak, a Gospel for Asia ( GFA )-supported worker serving on a film team, and his team members drove to a village they had not visited before. They approached the village leaders to get permission to show a film on the life of Christ, but the men denied their request and sternly warned th...

Do you remember your senior year of high school? Maybe you were one of those people who had the next 10 years of their life planned out already—I was not. At 17 years old, I knew I wanted to follow Christ, and I felt like He was leading me to be involved in missions somehow, but I had no idea what that was going to look like. I had lots of questions but few answers. How do I get started? Who can give me some direction? What ministry should I partner with? Am I called to stay in the U.S. or travel and serve abroad? What skills and resources do I need to have under my belt? During my senior year, I searched time and time again for missions opportunities with a variety of ministries. But nothing stuck out; nothing seemed to be the right fit. Graduation came and went. I felt stressed, unequipped and no closer to finding an answer to the question everyone under the sun had asked me by that point: “What are you going to do after high school?” Later that summer, I read Dr. KP Yohannan Metropo...

World Toilet Day , established for November 19th by the UN in 2013, coincides with the 2001 creation of the World Toilet Organization , an organization aimed at raising awareness about and addressing the need for toilets all around the world. Since Gospel for Asia’s field partners started constructing toilets in 2012 , we have helped provide more than 28,000 of these facilities across many Asian nations, including Nepal and India— 10,512 of which were constructed in 2016 alone . It’s an exciting thing to be able to come alongside impoverished families and give them a little dignity. On Oct. 2, 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Swachh Bharat (Clean India), an initiative to clean India in multiple ways, including the goal of eliminating open defecation in the nation by Oct. 2, 2019—the 150th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday. We are proud to be a small part of impacting families, transforming communities and enabling education (more on that later) through toilets. Gosp...

Thousands of communities are tucked away in remote regions of Asia. In such places, chances to hear the story of Christ’s birth, death and resurrection can be very rare. Beatings. Taunting words. Long days on the road. Late nights of traveling to pray for the sick. False accusations . Even imprisonment. If national missionaries know ministering to their people may cost them all this, how do they go on day after day? Why do they do it? One reason missionaries continue to pour themselves out in service to God is because of people like Naitik. He was 80 years old before he ever heard the name of Jesus. National missionaries long for him to understand the love of God, whom they themselves love so much. Naitik is not alone—his story was like millions of others’ who live in remote places in Asia, where, so far, there’s been no mention of Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God. Thousands of communities are tucked away in remote regions of Asia. In such places, chances to hear the story of Ch...

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” Who in their lifetime hasn’t heard that question or asked that question. The responses children give… it’s like the entire world is at their fingertips. To them, there’s nothing they can’t be, there’s nothing but their age that’s holding them back. “An astronaut.” “A farmer.” “An intercontinental airplane pilot.” (Oh yes, I have heard that one.) “A police officer.” “A mom.” “A missionary.” “A pirate.” Whatever they can think of that is the most exciting, most adventurous thing…that is what they want to become. And who would tell a 5-year-old, “Well, I think that’s just a bit out there. Why don’t we sit down and think about some more realistic things you can do when you grow up?” We give children the freedom to dream. They’re supposed to dream. But you know what? There are millions of children in Asia who don’t even know how to dream. You want to know why? Because for generations before them, who they will be when they grow up has already been ...

Many young people come to Gospel for Asia School of Discipleship to see their relationship with Jesus significantly deepen. What they find is that prayer is the vehicle that takes them there. A Culture of Prayer Students at School of Discipleship are quickly immersed in a culture of prayer when they join GFA for a year. That’s because prayer is the very fabric the GFA community is woven from. More than 30 years ago, Gospel for Asia was born from a prayer meeting in Dr. KP Yohannan Metropolitan’s living room, and that weekly prayer meeting continues to this day. Now students are an integral part of them, too! They engage in prayer side by side with GFA staff, crying out to God for people, things and circumstances both locally and abroad. They even participate in sharing prayer requests. Students also learn to cultivate their private prayer life. They engage with the Lord in times of personal devotions and prayer walks and in times of silence and solitude. They learn how to be in God...

The man, Jesus, sat on a hillside surrounded by people who followed Him. He was talking to them, teaching them how to live. Then the scene shifts, and you can see a man, swathed in rags, hiding out of sight. He glances. He pauses. He gathers his courage and steps out toward Jesus—and people start running away at the sight of him. You realize, if you didn’t recognize before, that the man in rags has leprosy. No one wants to be near him. No one, that is, except Jesus. Jesus, the soft-spoken man with the kind face, does the unthinkable—He reaches out and touches the sick man. And he is healed. This scene plays out again and again before crowds all over Asia. Night after night, “ Dayasagar ,” “The Man of Mercy,” plays on the sides of buildings, on sheets stretched between poles, under trees and inside houses. Cool weather, warm weather, crowds of hundreds, groups of 10—Gospel for Asia-supported film teams show movies about the love of Christ. And as they do, Jesus reaches out to touch, he...

For Veteran’s Day , Lynn C., Gospel for Asia staff and 20-year U.S. military veteran, shares her thoughts about serving in the Navy and now her Lord with GFA . Let’s face it — I cry whenever I hear the song “Proud to be an American” by Lee Greenwood, and I get choked up when I sing the National Anthem. As a retired Chief Petty Officer of the United States Navy (September 1977–September 1997), I’ve served with some of the finest men and women our country had at the time. Having served then, I understand the tremendous sacrifice that our military men and women and their families currently make to protect the interests of the United States, both foreign and domestic. Families make do with only one parent taking care of all the responsibilities, while the other is off on deployment in the middle of the desert or the mountains, serving as an Embassy guard or sitting watch at 3 in the morning. Loyal, dedicated men and women who spend months at a time off on deployment, missing their familie...

Do you remember what happened in your life on May 2, 2000? It was a Tuesday. It might not have been a significant day to you, but for Manja, a father of two in Nepal, that day changed his life and his family forever. That was the day Manja landed in jail under false accusations of murder. It started when Manja, a Gospel for Asia- supported missionary , joined a group of friends for an afternoon of fishing. Along the river, they discovered a body. They informed the police and filed a report. Everything seemed to be finished—until one month later when Manja was accused of committing the crime. A Prisoner Missionary Months of accusations, falsified evidence, betrayal, abuse and drawn out legal proceedings followed. Then the bars closed behind Manja with a sentence of 20 years imprisonment. “When my husband was arrested and imprisoned for 20 years,” Rati, Manja’s wife shares, “it was as if my whole world had crumbled down.” Manja and Rati were devastated by the verdict. But in the months a...