GFA World Newsletter

April 2015, Vol. 11, No. 3

As the believers arrived, they sat down and filled the small room. More families came, looked inside and realized there was no room for them, so they took their seats outside the entryway. Worship songs arose, along with the hot sun that beat down on the necks of those who sat outside.

Sometimes, during the Sunday services, noise would blare into the rented room when the landlords, unhappy with the church, turned up the volume on their TV to disturb the congregation.

The small congregation lacked a church building, but it wasn't those who attended service that suffered most—it was those who didn’t.

Pastor’s Story Begins in a Church Building

Gajendra, the pastor of this congregation, had come to know the Lord in part because of a church building. As a youngster, Gajendra fell ill. For three months his family spent much money and sought help from many different sources, but nothing helped their son, until a relative recommended he go to a church for prayer. There the local pastor prayed for Gajendra, and the Lord healed him! As a result, Gajendra came to know Christ and serve Him.

No Building Means Few Visitors

In villages without church buildings, seekers may not know where the congregation will meet. In places like Gajendra’s village, if they did visit, there might not be room for them inside. These difficulties hinder many people across South Asia from learning more about Jesus.

But the believers in Pastor Gajendra’s congregation started to pray for a church building. Three years later, the Lord provided the land and, through friends of Gospel for Asia, the funding for their church building. The believers and even their neighbours contributed their labour to build the church.

For Those Who Come and Those Who Don’t

Now, when the believers in Pastor Gajendra’s congregation arrive on Sunday mornings, they can enter the church building. As more arrive, they look inside and find there is room for them, and they all worship the Lord under one roof.

The church building makes it easier to conduct Women’s Fellowship meetings and Sunday school, so the women and children are now growing more in their knowledge of Jesus.

Now those in greatest need, those who don’t come on Sunday mornings and who may be suffering like Pastor Gajendra once was, will pass the church building and be reminded of the Christians and their God. When any of them desire to come to a worship service, they’ll know there is room for them. There, they’ll learn about the God who loves them, and one day, they may even end up serving Him.

Ever since Reshika saw a film about Jesus in 2012, she wanted to know more about Him. Who was this man who bore so much pain for other people’s sins?

When two women handed her a booklet one day, excitement filled Reshika’s heart as she saw that the literature was about Jesus and that the two women, Gospel for Asia missionaries Aasha and Chandira, were Christians. Reshika seized the chance to find out more about Jesus.

“How can I know more about Jesus?” she asked. “How did Jesus come to this earth?”

Aasha and Chandira told her more about Christ and His mission to give new life to the world. Reshika listened attentively.

Seeing how interested Reshika was in learning about Jesus, Aasha and Chandira began visiting and chatting with her and answering her questions.

‘I Took a Step of Faith’

One day in 2013, the Gospel for Asia film team came to Reshika’s village again to show a movie about Christ, and Aasha and Chandira invited Reshika to come watch. Excited, Reshika brought her sister with her.

As Reshika watched the scene of Jesus suffering on the cross in agony, she began weeping, filled with remorse that He had endured pain and death for her. Reshika realized she needed His mercy.

The next day, when Aasha, Chandira and the film team paid her a visit, Reshika told them she wanted to live for Christ.

“I am delighted because the Lord has filled my life with His peace,” she later declared. There was no joy, no peace and no assurance of salvation before I knew Christ. I often wondered what I was living for, and I felt as if my life had no meaning at all. But as I took a step of faith, . . . my life was transformed. I am glad that the Lord is working on me. I have understood the secret of finding joy, which comes from knowing the Lord intimately.”

Finding the Secret

Now Reshika is growing in the Lord and is actively involved in the local church and Women’s Fellowship, and she tells many others the secret of finding joy. She found this joy because God sent two women missionaries to answer her questions and invite her to a film show. Through your support of national missionaries, the Lord is continuing to change the lives of men and women like Reshika throughout South Asia.

Like Prajin, many people in Asia who have never heard the Good News view believers with suspicion.

Prajin was the last person Kambojand Bhupal expected to see on their doorstep. A visit from him could only mean bad news, couldn’t it? Kamboj and Bhupal were frightened. The GFA missionaries didn’t know what to think when Prajin invited them to his home to spend time with him and his family. Was Prajin trying to lure them to his house so he and his family could beat them?

Family Continually Harasses Missionaries

For the past month, Kamboj and Bhupal, who served together as a film team, had been ministering in Prajin’s village and the surrounding villages. They prayed for people, visited families in their homes, offered Gospel literature and showed films about Jesus.

But as they faithfully shared the love of Christ, some persecuted them—especially Prajin and his family. Whenever the missionaries passed by Prajin’s house with their film equipment, the family would start yelling at them and verbally abusing them. “They are disgracing our religion!” they shouted.

Yet Kamboj and Bhupal didn’t stop showing the films about Jesus. They knew how important it was to give these villagers a chance to hear the message of hope and new life. Meanwhile, the missionaries fasted and prayed for Prajin and his family to understand this message.

A few weeks later, when Prajin came to their door, they didn’t know if this was an answer to prayer or another trial. But trusting the Lord and praying silently, they followed Prajin to his home.

Missionaries Enter Persecutors’ Home

When Kamboj and Bhupal entered the house, a welcoming atmosphere startled them. Prajin and his family members spoke kindly to the missionaries. After other villagers had told the family about the film and explained that Jesus died for their sins, Prajin and his wife realized they had been wrong. They apologized to the missionaries for the ways they’d harassed them.

“We have understood Jesus is the real God,” they said. “We want to [know] Jesus. Show us the way for that.”

Amazed, Kamboj and Bhupal thanked God for answering their prayer. They and the local pastor, Deepit, spent time sharing about Jesus and the new life He offers. Then they prayed for the family and gave them a New Testament so they could learn more about Christ each day.

Grateful for the missionaries’ visit and for the opportunity to read God’s Word, Prajin and his family not only stopped opposing the Christians but also began attending the local church, and finally, they watched the film about Jesus for themselves. Kamboj, Bhupal and Pastor Deepit continued to encourage and counsel the family. After a month, Prajin, his wife and two of their sons announced their faith in Christ publicly, and now they tell others how Jesus transformed their hearts.

Love and Labour Yield Open Hearts

Prajin and his family represent just a few of the thousands of lives touched through the love and labour of Gospel for Asia film teams. Your support and prayers enable film teams to continue sharing Christ’s love in villages throughout South Asia. Thank you for helping these faithful brothers and sisters reach families like Prajin’s!

Dakshina watched her family in utter disbelief. Her grandfather lay in bed, paralyzed and in pain. Her parents, Daaruk and Priyam, spent all of their earnings to treat his condition; they even gave a pig, a goat and a chicken to the local witchdoctor as offerings. None of these sacrifices worked, and Dakshina’s grandfather was still unable to move. Daaruk and Priyam lost all hope, but Dakshina knew Someone who could help.

Childlike Faith Amidst Parents’ Anger

Dakshina attended a Bridge of Hope centre where she learned many things about the God named Jesus. When she heard the story from John 5 where Jesus heals a lame man, it intrigued Dakshina. She wanted to know more about the Bible. She prayed every morning, asking God to heal her grandfather as He did the lame man she heard about.

But Dakshina couldn’t share what she knew about Jesus with her family. She was too afraid of what they might do.

When Daaruk and Priyam finally found out their daughter prayed to Jesus, it made them furious. They beat Dakshina and said she could no longer attend the Bridge of Hope centre. When her teachers found out about this, they encouraged Daaruk and Priyam to allow their daughter to continue going to the Bridge of Hope centre, assuring them her studies were improving, and the education of Bridge of Hope was unlocking a brighter future for her.

Dakshina’s parents still wouldn’t let her go, but that didn’t shake the girl’s faith. She continued to pray for her grandfather, finding her only hope in Jesus.

An Answer to Her Prayers

Days later, Dakshina noticed her grandfather moving his hands and legs. The Lord had healed him! Daaruk and Priyam realized this miracle had happened through their daughter’s faith in Jesus and her continuous prayers. They let Dakshina go back to the Bridge of Hope centre, where she is continuing to receive a quality education from the caring staff.

By experiencing Jesus’ love at Bridge of Hope, Dakshina delighted in Him more each day and believed Him for great things. Now her family knows Jesus can do the impossible, and they no longer oppose her faith. Through your prayers and generosity toward Bridge of Hope, more children and their families are encountering the Great Physician and His compassion and love. Thank you for your support!

Sarbani, 18, lived the life of a beggar. She’d watched her parents go door to door, begging for one meal a day, and now she followed in their footsteps. She didn’t think she would ever climb out of this poverty.

One day she happened to beg at the house of Gospel for Asia pastor Rajiv. He gave her some rice, but it wasn’t enough for her entire family. So she kept begging. Later, when Sarbani knocked on another door and asked for food, she saw Pastor Rajiv inside, praying with a family from his congregation. Pastor Rajiv recognized her voice and went up to her. He wanted to know why she was still begging.

“Sir, this is my daily routine,” Sarbani replied.

When Sarbani explained that her family relied on her to beg, the pastor’s heart broke.

Finding Love, New Life

After talking more with Sarbani, Pastor Rajiv decided to visit her family one day. A wave of surprise shook Sarbani and her family when the pastor came to the tent where they lived. They weren’t used to people who didn’t beg wanting to spend time with them.

Then, one Sunday morning, Sarbani discovered Pastor Rajiv’s church. Joyful songs filled her ears as she entered. She listened eagerly, wanting to know what the Christians were singing about. When Pastor Rajiv began sharing the message, God’s Word took hold of Sarbani’s heart. She decided to attend church on a regular basis.

As Sarbani began growing in the knowledge of Jesus, she learned God would take care of her family’s needs. She relied on Jesus more each day and soon decided to follow Him.

Sarbani wanted to stop begging, but how would she help provide for her family? Pastor Rajiv had an idea.

The Perfect Gift

Sarbani had learned to sew from a friend who owned a sewing machine, but she could never afford one herself. At Pastor Rajiv’s request, Sarbani received a sewing machine through Gospel for Asia. This gift filled her and her family with joy—Sarbani could now earn a decent income without begging!

Now she earns enough to provide for many of her family’s needs. Best of all, Sarbani and her parents know the riches of Jesus’ love, and they are serving Him faithfully.

“I was a beggar; now I am a believer,” Sarbani says.

Through your generosity in providing sewing machines, more people in Asia are finding their true wealth in Christ. Thank you!

Rejoice!

Other Articles in this Issue