Gospel for Asia

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) Part#2 Special Report on the aftermath of acute gender imbalance: Discussing the horrendous reality of 100 million missing women worldwide. Geeta’s husband used to come home drunk and beat her with the wooden cricket bat pictured. Violence against women is a major public health problem in Asia and a violation of women’s human rights. The majority of this violence is intimate-partner violence, estimated to be 30 percent worldwide. Intimate-Partner Violence Against Women Contributes to Gender Imbalance One of the greatest contributors to this missing-women / gender imbalance factor is violence against women—both sexual violence and violence by their own intimate partners. According to the World Health Organization, “Violence against women—particularly intimate partner violence and sexual violence—is a major public health problem and a violation of women’s human rights.” Global estimates indicate that about 1 in 3 women worldwide (35 percent) have ...

Death and sickness where two things Abhijun was familiar with. Including him and his family, many in his village and the surrounding area contracted serious illnesses such as typhoid from their drinking water. “We suffered from many sicknesses,” Abhijun said. “When our relatives come to visit us from the city, looking at the color of the water, they did not want to drink. Sometimes they managed to drink it, but they suffered from cold, cough and headache.” Gospel for Asia (GFA) is working toward the improvement of situations like Abhijun’s with its two major clean-water initiatives: Jesus Wells and BioSand water filters. In places where the water sources are almost completely contaminated, such as Lhepar, BioSand water filters are the best option. An Answer for the Thirsty: BioSand Water Filters For Abhijun and his family, a BioSand water filter, which purifies water up to 98 percent, was the perfect solution to their water crisis. Fortunately for them, Gospel for Asia (GFA) -supporte...

Rita traveled more than seven miles to attend the medical camp, which she heard about through Pastor Ganesh’s flyers. She had suffered numbness in her hands and legs for more than a month, forcing her to abandon her work in the fields. Even household chores such as cleaning and cooking became impossible. Desperate to see a doctor, Rita made a difficult journey. On the morning of the medical camp, a brightly colored tent covered the courtyard of Pastor Ganesh’s church. A throng of people gathered under it. Sisters of Compassion patiently checked in fathers, mothers and small children wanting to see the doctors. Pastor Ganesh went from group to group helping volunteers and ministering to the sick. That day, Dr. Aarpit Nipun and his colleague saw more than 200 patients and gave out free medication to those in need. When it was Rita’s turn to see the doctor, she told him the history of her symptoms. Dr. Nipun asked many questions and prescribed medications for her pain. He counseled her t...

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) Part#1 Special Report on the aftermath of acute gender imbalance: Discussing the horrendous reality of 100 million missing women worldwide. One of the stunning stories from Scripture tells about the uninvited woman who crashed a VIP party at the home of an important religious leader. This is a gal whose bad reputation preceded her—a “woman of the city” reports the account in the book of Luke. Some versions even say that she “was a great sinner.” Humph, thinks the very important dignitary whose party has been so rudely disrupted by this emotional female basket case. If he [Jesus] was a true prophet, he would know what kind of woman this is, for she is a great sinner. This is a powerful story of male intervention, protection and advocacy, and in this case, it is Jesus who intervenes for a weeping woman, provides protection and clearly illustrates how to advocate for those wounded and longing for forgiveness. “Simon,” Jesus asks, “Do you see this ...

Reflections on the 40-year Ministry of Gospel for Asia The world has yet to see what God can do with and for and through and in and by the man who is fully and wholly consecrated to Him. I want to be that man. - D.L. Moody No doubt that statement by the great American evangelist D.L. Moody is still true, although the Lord used him mightily. We have surely seen “what God can do with and for and through and in” by the likes of Billy Graham, Luis Palau, Tim LaHaye, Jerry Falwell, Chuck Smith, Greg Laurie and many others. But we still don’t know if we have seen the fulfillment of the desire of Moody’s heart that each of these men shared. The amazing thing about the people God uses most effectively is that they seek no glory for themselves, they spend hours in prayer, and they yield all that they are and all they possess to serve the Lord in whatever way He directs their paths. Rarely, when these men were young, did they anticipate a day 40 or more years into the future when they would look...

WILLS POINT, TX – According to Dr. Seth Barkley, the CEO of Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance, “Malaria is still one of the biggest killers of children worldwide, taking the lives of over 200,000 children each year.” April 25 is World Malaria Day. Because the disease is still widespread in large regions of the globe, Gospel for Asia (GFA) has shared 10 facts to remind us about this life-threatening disease: 1. The Institute of Health Metrics & Evaluation estimates that more than 720,000 people die of malaria each year. This is significantly higher than the World Health Organization’s (WHO) estimate of 438,000. 2. Malaria is still one of the leading causes of child mortality. 3. More than 70 percent of malaria fatalities are children under the age of 5. 4. Ten percent of all child fatalities in 2016 were caused by malaria. 5. Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for 90 percent of all malaria deaths. 6. Countries with the highest malaria death rates currently include: Country Deaths/100,000 Niger ...

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) – Discussing what national workers do daily to spread God’s love across Asia. “They need to think about what is needed, not what is possible because possible can change. A major problem I see . . . is not having visionary leaders.” —R.D. Thulasiraj, Director of Operations, Aravind Eye Care System Mr. Thulasirai’s sage observation, although having nothing directly to do with missions, might be worthy of our consideration of what it really means for indigenous, national workers to be supported by Gospel for Asia (GFA) and its generous donors.It is difficult for us to imagine the role of pastors and other national workers in Asia because we have not seen what they have seen, nor have we experienced what they have. One thing is for certain, these pastors and workers do not have the same routine that most Western pastors do. Gospel for Asia (GFA) -supported pastor Marty grew up in an Asian slum where, as a young boy, he often dug for food in the bo...

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 it might take three...

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 fail to measure what t...

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; Someone terrified to open his or her home to guests. 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. 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 were more needed than in this one, I don’t know which age that might be. The AARP Bulletin reported, “Social isolation has become such a problem in Great Britain that Prime Mini...

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 with the necess...

“And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, ‘Lord if You are willing, You can make me clean.’ Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, ‘I am willing; be cleansed.’ Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.” — Matthew 8:2–3 Leprosy. In many parts of the world, the very word brings with it a sense of fear. In the West however, leprosy cases are few and far between. Medicine has evolved to the point where if the disease is caught early enough, it can be cured. In ancient times, however, those afflicted with leprosy had but one hope: for the disease to die out on its own. The afflicted were cast out of their homes, often never to be seen again. When Jesus walked the earth, performing miracles and healing the sick, a man riddled with leprosy disregarded the law and ventured out from his self-exile. He put all his trust in Jesus, fully believing He could heal him. What an enormous amount of faith to have! I have read many reports and stories of men and women in Asia strick...

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) Special Report #1 – Discussing the world’s quest for access to pure water that is safe to drink. India: Success and Challenge In recent decades, India has emerged as a global economic powerhouse. It is now the seventh-largest economy in the world by nominal gross domestic product (GDP) [27] and at least the fourth largest in purchasing power parity. [1] Much of this success stems from the technology field, India’s fastest-growing sector. Information technology, process outsourcing and software services are among the country’s booming industries. " India is suffering the worst water crisis in its history ." But success is accompanied by great challenges. India is home to about 1.34 billion people and is still growing . Its population, now the world’s second largest, [2] is projected to overtake China’s as early as 2024. [3] This has placed unprecedented stress on the country’s water resources, which are already stretched to meet the...

Years ago, friends and I experimented with designing listening groups. These small groups with three or four participants met once a month for seven months. Basically, we listened to one another for two hours. After a time of centering prayer where we became stilled and focused, the first person would begin and share where he or she was in life. When the first person was done, we would go back into silence, and the only way we could respond to the one who had spoken after those short moments of quiet was to ask questions. This pattern continued until we had gone around the group. Over seven years, I led some 250 people in listening groups and was amazed by the remarkable growth I saw in many of the attendees. I also was transformed in unexpected ways; I certainly became convinced of the healing power that exists when humans feel heard and understood. We always take the first session of a listening group to get to know one another a little so that we are not complete strangers. One woma...

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) Special Report Part 2– Discussing the global water crisis and the quest for access to clean water. A mother cares for her son who is being treated for cholera at a UNICEF-supported cholera treatment center in Baidoa, Somalia Photo by Mackenzie Knowles-Coursin, UNICEF Waterborne Diseases Caused by the Global Water Crisis Even under normal conditions, people in many regions are exposed to life-threatening diseases from their water, including typhoid, polio and hepatitis A . Among the most common waterborne diseases is diarrhea , which can be caused by any of several pathogens. It kills about 1.5 million children every year, more than 80 percent of them in Africa and South Asia. World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 88 percent of those deaths are caused by unsafe water, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene . [1] Diarrheal diseases kill by depleting the body’s fluids, often very rapidly. Children are most vulnerable because their metabo...