Gospel for Asia

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 receiving help today through Bridge of Hope.

Bitterness Becomes Gratitude

Dirty, tattered clothes hung loosely over Kaling’s malnourished frame—poverty marred his appearance in many ways. Yet Kaling felt even more forlorn on the inside than he looked outwardly: Bitterness and insecurity churned in his young heart.

Death took his father when Kaling was only 5 years old. With no father, the burden of providing for the family fell heavily on his mother’s shoulders. His mother, Nadia, decided the best thing for the family was to send Kaling to live with his grandmother while she and her other son worked as daily laborers in another state.

Kaling’s grandmother also lived in poverty, and she couldn’t provide for the young boy or fill the void after his family left him. Kaling felt lonely and longed to see his mother and brother, but they knew no other way. Although Nadia meant well, a tangled mass of bitterness festered within Kaling.

A Place of New Beginnings

Situations like Kaling’s are not unusual in many South Asian nations. Gospel for Asia (GFA) field correspondents have encountered many such desperate plights. When parents die young or leave to find work, the elderly and fragile are often charged with the responsibility of caring for young grandchildren.

That is one of the many reasons Gospel for Asia’s Bridge of Hope Program exists: to help care for children like Kaling who have next to nothing; to ease the burden of their loving but helpless caregivers.

One day, a team of staff members from a Gospel for Asia-supported Bridge of Hope center met Kaling. Touched by his sorrowful plight, they invited the unhappy 8-year-old boy to enroll in the center. His first day in Bridge of Hope, December 14, 2012, marked the start of a new life.

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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 for a quality program?

We weren’t sure how everything would turn out, but we walked in faith believing it was direction from the Lord. And we have witnessed His faithfulness to our obedience.

Through the years, GFA has sought to be faithful in small beginnings, and we have experienced the joy of seeing the Lord grow the work. Bridge of Hope has been very successful. Thousands of our national missionary donors also began sponsoring children as soon as we shared with them the details of the program. On the field, our field partners were able to set up Bridge of Hope centers in many locations, despite the hard work.

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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 stop here. Because of his healing, faith grew deep in Prameh’s heart, and he believed God could and would hear his prayers.

So Pramesh prayed for a fishing boat. Why not? If God could heal and deliver him, surely he could provide what he couldn’t. And a fishing boat would keep him from having to travel about 21 miles to find work as a daily laborer.

Pramesh prayed for a fishing boat, and the Lord answered when He provided this fishing boat as part of a Gospel for Asia-supported Christmas gift distribution.

Pramesh knew God could perform miracles, and the Lord did not fail him. Pastor Haatim, through the help of people all across the glove, was able to provide Pramesh with a boat! This was the direct answer to Pramesh’s hopeful prayers. It is amazing how Pramesh’s livelihood was impacted through this gift. The fish he caught from fishing, he sold at the market, and whatever was leftover, he used to feed his family for the day.

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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 another place in Asia, Neha and Prema shared a six-by-eight-feet hut with their parents and five other siblings. For a bathroom, they had to go to the railroad tracks—they had no alternatives to escape prying eyes. Their parents worked as garbage collectors, digging through people’s trash every day to look for anything they could sell or recycle. Prema and Neha often ended up helping their parents, hoping they could provide that little bit extra their family always needed.

Then there’s Sashmita and her family, who lost everything they had in a flood. Already poor, Sashmita’s parents struggled to get back on their feet and provide for their three children. After the flood, the family had to move, and they couldn’t afford to send Sashmita and her brothers to school for several years.

Like many other families in Asia, all these children were stuck in a nearly unbreakable cycle. As poverty kept them from attending school, their chances for a good education—and to rise out of poverty—faded. Most likely, their children and grandchildren will inherit the same struggles.

Fortunately, for tens of thousands of children throughout Asia, this is no longer their story. The cycle of poverty is being halted at the first step: educating the children. For the more than 82,000 boys and girls enrolled in Bridge of Hope, a child sponsorship program supported by Gospel for Asia, poverty is no longer an obstacle to education.

Click here, to read more about this article.

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 difficult—even pathetic at times—Ujala trusted Jesus.

He learned that, as Dr. K.P. Yohannan writes, “During chaos, confusion and uncertainty, we don’t have to lose hope.”

A Seventy-five Goat Increase

Ujala’s struggles did not go unnoticed. God moved in the heart of Gospel for Asia-supported pastor Patoj to help his friend. Patoj arranged for Ujala to receive a pair of goats during a Christmas gift distribution held at their church. Ujala received the gifts gratefully and took them home. This was just the beginning of his faith-filled prayers being answered.

God blessed his family through this simple pair of goats. Over the next five years, the goats multiplied again and again, and Ujala ended up with 75 goats! Ujala didn’t keep them all, however. He could sell one male goat for around $70, and he sold several to help his family.

Through this revenue, Ujala was able to send his children to school and even build a small house.

God answered this father’s prayer through a pair of goats. Gifts like this are made possible through GFA’s Christmas Gift Catalog. God honored Ujala’s faith and steadfast heart, and now Ujala and his sons have a brighter future!

Ujala received a pair of goats through Gospel for Asia’s Christmas Gift Catalog. After five years of raising his goats, his herd increased to 75 goats!

The gift Ujala received drastically changed his family. Years later, his day-to-day life was still affected by the generosity of people all across the globe whom he had never met—all because of love.

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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 Asia-supported Christmas gift distribution to take care of those in need, and she received a weaving loom. To Imani, it showed her how the Lord and His Church had not forgotten her.

“I was thinking, What will happen to me and my son? when my husband left us on this earth alone,” Imani said. “Today I felt sad, as I missed my husband, but at the same time I count myself blessed and thank the leaders for not forgetting me and for giving me a gift by which I can look after my son and look after my family needs. I am truly encouraged by your love.”

For those who find the Christmas season challenging—and born-again believers can also fall into that group—sometimes all it takes is a thoughtful word, card or gift that reminds them they are not forgotten. It can remind them once again that this holiday season is truly one of “great joy.” The Lord Jesus wants everyone to experience that.

Gospel for Asia-supported workers give out all sorts of Christmas gifts from barnyard animals to sewing machines to rickshaws to mosquito nets that help get people out of poverty or improve their quality of life.

Last year, more than 600,000 people all across Asia got to taste the “good news of great joy” after receiving Christmas gifts from GFA-supported workers. Many of those people may have been living in grief and heartache; many may have been wondering how they would make it through another day. Yet, at just the right time, God showed them they were not forgotten and that they, too, could have joyful lives.

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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 around in his underwear.

Perhaps it’s because of the conversations I had while sitting around in Bible study groups as I traveled in Africa that the Old Testament stories come alive in new ways. Listening to Africans in Kenya, all modern and educated and wise, talk about their particular understanding of Bible stories made me realize there were nuances I just had simply never understood because of my American background, because of privilege, because of limited exposure to the world.

Take the story of Abigail and David as an example. Abigail, with her beauty, wisdom and insight, saves David from slaughtering in angry outrage her whole little village. She prepares food for his band of outliers, assuages David’s outrage, then tells her husband Nabal (whose name means “fool”) how his death has been avoided. Out of shock, he dies anyway, and Abigail immediately marries the leader of this renegade resistance movement, David (see 1 Samuel 25). I’ve often thought, Why did she marry him right away—or at least what appears from a surface reading as “right away”?

However, the Kenyan women sitting in our Bible discussion circle understood instantly. I gained insight when each described how her own tribe treated widows, not just in the past but in the present. Abigail, as a widow had no rights. She would not inherit her husband’s wealth; that would legally go to the nearest male relative. Widows are often outcasts in communities around the world, even today, having lost position gained through a husband. Suddenly, listening to my African friends, I got it and thought: This really is not an American story, is it?

The picture that came to my mind as my pastor spoke last Sunday was of a young man, “ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to,” deliberately stripping himself of all kingly regalia down to the kind of garments a working man might wear while breaking rock, or hauling grain from the field, or pushing felled and stripped logs toward a construction site.

Michal, David’s wife (also the daughter of King Saul, recently slaughtered in battle along with his sons), sees her husband dancing wildly in the streets and despises him. Commentators are often not kind to Michal—but her story is one of tragedy and agonizing family dysfunction. Remember, she had been torn from David and given to another man name Phalti, who followed her weeping when she was re-joined again to her first husband, now the king (see 2 Samuel 3:15–16).

I think Michal was a young woman corroded by depths of grief and shock. And there’s David, dancing in the streets before the crowd of joyful and ecstatic Israelites, bringing the Ark of the Covenant that had been stolen by Israel’s archenemies, the Philistines, back to the capital city (accompanied by some 30,000 able-bodied young men). Quite a picture.

The account in 2 Samuel tells us Michal despised David in her heart and says to him when he returns to bless his household, “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, going around half-naked in full view of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would do!” There’s nothing like the sarcasm of a wounded woman. In other words, “I’m the daughter of a real king who knows how a real king should behave.”

I wondered what would have happened if the young David (and remember, a handsome and athletic man) hadn’t stripped down to the work garments of the common laborer. I wondered if he hadn’t led the people into worship as a man among men, a herder of sheep, a slaughterer of giants with nothing but a stone and a slingshot as weapons. I wondered if the people wouldn’t have entered fully into worship, rejoicing and thanksgiving if their young king hadn’t brought the Ark of the Covenant—a symbol of the Presence of God—to Jerusalem as one of them, simply as a man among men.

David responds to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the Lord’s people Israel—I will celebrate before the Lord. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor” (see 2 Samuel 6:21–22).

How extraordinary: Young women, torn from their families due to war or raids, utterly subservient to the will of arbitrary masters and mistresses, vulnerable and without position of any kind, powerless as virtual slaves—these understand what David was doing.

If I have any insight into this passage, think of what it must have felt for them to see King David divest himself of the symbols of kingly authority, strip down to the garments of a common working laborer (like all those groaning throngs in Hollywood historical films showing the building of the pyramids, for instance). This act of David’s, if there is any truth into my flash of insight, said to them, “I am just a man like any other. All are welcome to enter into exuberant worship, not just the high or the mighty or the wealthy or the well-placed. The God of Israel is the God of all, even of the lowly, the humble, the abandoned, the ordinary. Come dance and worship along with me and let us together extol the King of Heaven.”

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A bicycle can literally change the course of someone’s life. In Asia bicycles are a major form of transportation. The two-wheeled machine can often save hours of travel time, enabling much more productivity to the user.

One of our favorites gifts to give impoverished people in Asia are bicycles. Whether that be for a school-going child or a hard-working dad, we have seen how these simple tools have amazing effects. In Gospel for Asia (GFA) 2016 Special Report, there’s a story about a man named Tosa who received a bicycle through the kindness of donors and supporters across the globe.

Here’s a snippet:

Tosa was known as the poorest man in his village. Though Tosa and his wife both worked as much as they could, they were barely scraping by. If they couldn’t work, they didn’t eat that day.

Tosa knew that if he could get to the city, he would find better work and be able to feed his family. But there was a problem: His family owned only one bicycle, and his children needed it to get to school each day. There were no other means of transportation he could afford. So he stayed in his village—sometimes walking by foot to nearby villages—looking for work so his family could live.

Doors Begin to Open

Whenever Gospel for Asia-supported pastor Gobi visited Tosa’s village, he made it a point to check in with Tosa and his family. As they saw the genuine love and care Gobi had for them, they decided they wanted to learn more about Jesus, the One who deeply loved the world.

Christmas Give Brings Hope on Wheels

When Pastor Gobi organized a Christmas gift distribution, he requested that Tosa be added to the list of recipients. Two months later, Tosa was presented with a bicycle. With this useful gift, Tosa traveled to the city and began to earn a better living. Soon his family could enjoy three meals a day, and he was even able to purchase more clothing for his family, including school uniforms for his children.

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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.

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 to attend school; her older brother and sister were illiterate. They never had the chance to get an education because of their dire poverty and their abusive father’s addiction to alcohol.

Growing up, there were days Aashi and her siblings starved. If they were able to eat a meal, it was usually gruel and rice once a day. Their desperate mother would borrow money from neighbors and worked odd jobs to try to feed her children.

A number of years have passed since Aashi’s first school day, and today she is a graduate with a bright future. So many positive changes took place in her life and in her family because she was given the opportunity to attend Bridge of Hope. She excelled in her studies thanks to the daily tutoring she got at the Bridge of Hope center. Her health also greatly improved because of the nutritious food and medical care she received through the program.

How we wish this could be the story for every needy child in Asia! But sadly, for every child helped through GFA-supported Bridge of Hope centers, there are far more children who never find this kind of fresh start.

It is our hope, prayer and fervent desire that the children of Asia have the opportunity to experience “Christmas” like Aashi did. We want children to have hope and expectation met, so that they may find fulfillment and go on to bless their communities and help others as well.

Click here, to read more about this article.

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, most of which actually occurred before Christmas. He told me about how they took part in different Christmas programs at his local church, how they sang Christmas carols, how they helped the poor, and how they spent Christmas Day with the Christian community.

Some of his traditions were similar to mine, some were different.

As I asked other Asian brothers and sisters about their Christmas traditions, their answers were very similar to Raju’s, though they were from different cultures and had different mother tongues. Their “traditions”—though they didn’t identify them as that—were more about what they shared with other Christians within Believers Eastern Church and the rest of the church worldwide, rather than what was passed down to them by their parents. Their Christmas and Advent traditions were truly “church” traditions, not family traditions like mine.

The Season Leading Up to Christmas: Advent

The season of Advent is an important part of preparing for Christmas. Our Asian brothers and sisters follow the traditional church calendar that has been handed down through the centuries and is followed by believers throughout the world. Their “Christian year” always starts the fourth Sunday before Christmas, which this year falls on December 3 (so Happy New Year!)

This first season of the church calendar, referred to as Advent, is a season to build our expectation for the coming of Christ, which we celebrate on Christmas. Advent literally means “coming,” referring to the coming of Christ. It’s approximately four weeks long but varies because Christmas always falls on a different day of the week.

However, it always has four Sundays and each of these Sundays has a different theme:

Hope: The first Sunday of Advent helps to stir up a hope and longing for the coming of Christ, much like the nation of Israel had at the time of Jesus’ birth.

Love: The second Sunday of Advent reminds us about the great love that God and Jesus have for us, and we are encouraged to love others as a result.

Joy: The third Sunday reminds us of the excitement the angel shared with the shepherds on the night Jesus was born: “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be for all people” (Luke 2:10). That joy is now ours in Christ!

Peace: The last Sunday of Advent reminds us of the peace we have with God as a result of Christ’s coming.

These themes are carried out throughout the week and are highlighted in the Scripture readings that are read in all of their churches.

Since the theme for this Sunday is hope, the Scripture readings are from Isaiah 64:1–9; Psalm 80:1–7,17–19; 1 Corinthians 1:3–9; and Mark 13:24–37. These Scripture passages are being read in every church led by a Gospel for Asia-supported pastor—and throughout the rest of the world—this Sunday. In more than 300 languages, messages of hope will be spoken by GFA-supported missionaries, and millions of hearts will be directed to the coming of Christ.

In fact, if you want to read the exact same Scripture passages that our fellow brothers and sisters in the Lord will be reading, you can sign up for our daily Advent readings and prayers to help keep your heart directed toward Christ this season in the Advent.

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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.

Many GFA-supported pastors, Bridge of Hope centers and bible college students and staff took to the streets in honor of World AIDS Day. Last year, 31 Bridge of Hope centers located in Kolkata, West Bengal, came together and held rallies in the red light district. In one rally, participants shouted slogans, such as “Lets aid each other to combat AIDS” and “Know AIDS, no AIDS.” They also carried banners sharing God’s love for victims of the deadly disease. More than 50,000 people were impacted by the rallies.

In the Delhi area, GFA-supported bible college students and staff worked with the local Red Cross AIDS Team to distribute pamphlets in slum areas where the disease is known to spread quickly.

A representative from the Red Cross said, “The church is doing a great job… We are with you for any help in regards [bringing] awareness of this disease. We will work jointly.”

According to UNAIDS, “36.7 million people globally were living with HIV in 2016.” They estimate 35 million people have died from the disease since the time HIV/AIDS was recognized as a global epidemic. India is estimated to have the third largest population with HIV/AIDS-infected individuals. With concentrated effort, India has been able to reduce the new HIV infections by 46 percent and AIDS-related deaths by 22 percent since 2010, UNAIDS reports. And when community organizations, such as GFA-supported Bridge of Hope centers and local churches, work in partnership with government authorities to educate high-risk populations on prevention, treatment and care for those living with HIV and AIDS, we can continue to see the percentages decrease.

A senior medical officer who attended a GFA-supported World AIDS Day event encouraged such cooperation saying, “The humanitarian work of the church will really generate mass awareness in the general public.”

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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.

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 life: He sent Gospel for Asia-supported pastor Barasaat to minister to him.

As the two talked together, Tilak realized Jesus could give him satisfaction in his marriage.

At Tilak’s request, Pastor Barasaat prayed. For an entire week, the pastor prayed God would restore Tilak’s marriage, and God did! Jesus blessed this couple with a spirit of love and unity. Their affection for one another grew rapidly as peace and joy filled their home once more. That very weekend, the couple started meeting with others in the village to learn more about Jesus from Pastor Barasaat.

As they witnessed God blessing their marriage and helping them fall in love once again, Tilak and his wife fell in love with Jesus.

Praise God! Through the prayers of a Gospel for Asia-supported pastor, supported by the prayers of sponsors and donors around the world, God intervened in the life of Tilak and brought him satisfaction that can only come through Jesus.

But the thing is, not everyone is happy when men and women commit their ways to the God who walked on earth—that was the case when Tilak and his wife found a new start in Jesus.

They Wanted to Attack Pastor Barasaat

Tilak and his wife were happy again; no one could deny that. But some people in the village were anything but happy about the transformation in their lives.

Villagers blamed the Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported pastor for the couple’s new life in Christ. They wanted to attack Barasaat, so they began looking for an opportunity to do so.

That came one night as the pastor gathered with 20 youth to worship Jesus.

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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 Republican National Convention when he accepted his party’s nomination for president. He likened America’s social and volunteer organizations to “a brilliant diversity spread like stars, like a thousand points of light in a broad and peaceful sky.”

Before this, in the book You Can’t Go Home Again (1939), Thomas Wolfe lovingly describes the spirit of America saying, “It’s your pasture now, and it’s not so big—only three thousand miles from east to west, only two thousand miles from north to south—but all between, where ten thousand points of light prick out the cities, towns, and villages, there, seeker, you will find us burning in the night.”

The theologian C. S. Lewis employed a similar phrase in his 1955 novel The Magician’s Nephew in which he wrote: “One moment there had been nothing but darkness; next moment a thousand, thousand points of light leaped out.” In 1917, H.G. Wells three times states another variation of this in Mr. Britling Sees It Through: “But never was the black fabric of war so threadbare. At a thousand points, the light is shining through.”

So perhaps, with these literary precedents, the vision in my mind of a spinning earth with points of light representing each act of goodness is not so fanciful after all.

Advent is the season in liturgical settings that marks the beginning of the yearly calendar of the church, which helps Christians observe holy holidays by preparing them for Christmas, for Lent, for Easter and for Ordinary Time.Gospel for Asia (GFA) and its field partners celebrate Advent; and in our house, I try to set a traditional Advent wreath on the table before the fireplace in the living room as a reminder that Christmas is coming.

One of the things I appreciate about the liturgical systems is that Christians, all around the world, read the same lectionary, celebrate the same holy seasons, and many of them light the five candles of Advent in each home, on some table, around some kind of wreath from time zone to time zone to time zone. Think of it: African Christians, Asian Christians, Indian Christians, Russian Christians, Greek Christians begin to set themselves aside to get ready to remember the first coming of Christ, or His advent here on earth.

Pinpricks of light, if you will, in home after home reminding us to be still, to examine the condition of our souls, to not give into the frenzy of secularization, to anticipate the birth of a baby, God incarnate through some unfathomable mysterious act we can barely comprehend, candles warm and waxy and glowing reminding us to bow in holy awe at this Christ-gift, this ineffable evidence of love. “Light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.” John 1:5 (NIV)

You may not be familiar with liturgical practices or you may have little knowledge of the church calendar. This could be a rich learning journey for those who seek to research the meaning of the Advent season—Advent Sunday One, Advent Sunday Two, Advent Sunday Three, Advent Sunday Four, Christmas Eve, then Christmas, and then twelve days later, Epiphany. The Internet is free, available and a rich resource of knowledge for those who seek; take some time to learn a little bit more about this season.

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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 brothers. They taunted the boys, telling them that if they choose to follow Jesus like their parents did, grave consequences would befall them. As the boys grew older they became confused and wondered why their parents worshiped Jesus while their relatives followed their ancestral religion.

The brothers decided they didn’t need Christ and started to live for the things of the world.

A Film Reveals Truth

But one evening, Gunja’s path took a turn when he joined a group of villagers to watch a film a GFA-supported film ministry worker conducted.

As Gunja watched the film that night, the Lord began to speak to his heart. Tears of repentance ran down Gunja’s face as he realized his need for a Savior. The Lord met Gunja there in the dark as he sat and watched the screen. As the film unfolded, he began to see that God’s Word and all the things he had been taught from a very young age were true. He was broken as he realized all the pursuits of his heart were leading him astray.

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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, because they believe you have bad Kharma, which makes you responsible for your husband’s death. Is there any hope for you now?

Sound incredible? Millions of widows in India suffer alone and abandoned due to this social stigma.

Is there any hope for the women of Asia who find themselves living out these scenarios?

Movie Night at Local Church Raises Awareness

On Nov. 10, a few Gospel for Asia (GFA) staff and members of a local church came together to watch GFA’s documentary film, “Veil of Tears.” One couple who came to view the film was so shocked at the treatment of women in Asia that they covered their mouths throughout the movie as they considered what could be done to help these precious women that God loves so much.

Mary, a member of the local church, was overwhelmed by the reality that many women in Asia face.

“It’s overwhelming. You wonder how you can help,” Mary explained. “I’m just one person.”

Pastor David Cartwright, senior pastor of the local church, was gripped by compassion seeing the way some women are treated.

“My heart breaks when I see how deep evil and sin go in our world,” Pastor Cartwright said. “It’s hard to believe groups of people are so unloved and despised and treated like they are. It is beyond anything we see in our culture.”

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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 got one over by the Steak and Shake,” he answered.

“Which Steak and Shake?” I asked. “There are more than one.”

“The one over by the place where they sell the Blue Ices!”

I need to learn to ask better questions!

While Eliana worked her way through the monster cinnamon-pretzel and decided she was now also thirsty, I said that we could get her something to drink at the Blue Ice place that was near the Steak and Shake where I was headed … and luckily, I chose the right one.

The Blue Ice turned out to be a half a cup of shaved ice with some kind of blue syrup (?) for $2.50. That plus a drink for Eliana made me aware that the $10 bill I had started out with was now close to being gone.

As we started toward home, maybe it was thinking about the money that prompted me to say, “I think you both forgot to say something!”

“We both got what we wanted. What did we forget?”

[LONG PAUSE]

“When Papa buys you what you want, aren’t you supposed to say something?”

“Ohthankyou”—two voices in unison and said very quickly, but with almost no feeling whatsoever.

Later, when Anelise was dropped off she discovered to her dismay that she had missed out on a Blue Ice. That’s what she now wanted more than anything else in the whole world. And there went the last of my $10, plus all the loose change in my pocket. But Anelise didn’t say “Thank you, Papa” either.

Now, I know for a fact that Angela is a very good mother, and that she has taught her children to say thank you, and they often display the results of exceptional parenting. But somehow the thank-you lesson had temporarily escaped them!

As my three youngest grandchildren grow into adulthood, will they in time learn to be truly grateful? Probably. I certainly hope so. But if they are at all like I am, they will constantly have to work at it. That’s because my experience tells me that it is easier to take for granted what we have, and to gripe about what we don’t, than it is to live in a constant attitude of gratitude.

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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 just like every other girl’s in her village.

“I never thought about studies, that I can become a better, educated woman,” Asha said. “I thought always that I won’t get good education, that I’ll be getting married, and I will go to my in-laws’ house … as usually people do in our village. So I didn’t have any hope or any future or any value of my life.”

But then something changed. When Asha was 8 years old, she was enrolled in a local Gospel for Asia-supported Bridge of Hope center where she learned that boys and girls are equal, that girls can become great leaders in their communities. Through the love, care and teaching of the Bridge of Hope staff, Asha realized her life as a woman does have value—and she began to dream of a world beyond household chores.

Then Asha’s father took notice of his daughter’s change. He saw how Asha was improving in her studies, and he no longer thought about marrying her off. Instead, he also began to dream for his daughter. As a police officer, he worked alongside women and wondered why his own daughter couldn’t become like them.

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