Rejoice!

As cases of COVID-19 rose and lockdowns kept people at home, impoverished families found themselves struggling to survive. Without work, many feared starvation. In response to the growing desperation, thousands of GFA missionaries took the initiative to feed and encourage those in need.

Caring for the Vulnerable

Among those particularly struggling have been widows and single mothers, who are often the sole breadwinners for themselves and their children. The pandemic has prevented many from earning income. In one mountainous region, GFA missionaries and pastors identified 12 women who desperately needed help during the pandemic, providing bags of rice, lentils, oil, salt and other basic supplies to fight hunger. Many of the women also had been personally affected by the virus.

One recipient, Prue, and her husband had both tested positive for the virus. Prue survived, but her husband didn’t.

“The first wave of COVID-19 took my husband from me forever,” Prue shared. “… He was very much supportive of me. But after his death, I was loved by the local church. I want to thank the church family from the bottom of my heart for the relief items I received.”

The Cries of the Helpless

These women were among 12 who received packets of food from GFA missionaries.

Many women like Prue faced similar situations of helplessness and loss during the pandemic. When a cyclone swept through an area under lockdown from the pandemic, GFA missionaries distributed food supplies to nearly 100 needy widows.

“During the storm … the river water was overflowing, and it came all around my house,” said Palmira, one of the widows. Jesus answered Palmira’s prayer and spared her home from destruction.

“I hoped and had confidence that I will get some help from the church,” Palmira said. “I was waiting for the great God to provide [for] me. Finally, God provided [for] me.”

Other mothers had simply been abandoned.

When one GFA pastor distributed large bags of rice to 50 impoverished individuals in his area, he happened to meet Macey, who lived by herself. Her children had left her all alone, even taking her ration card for themselves.

When the pastor presented her with the rice, Macey wept.

“God has sent you to my house to feed me when I am hungry,” she said. “I now have enough rice for the whole month.”

Thanks to your support, vulnerable people, such as widows, are receiving the help they need during the pandemic.

Young adults from Pastor Daine’s church (pictured) distributed groceries to families in need.

In the area where Pastor Daine serves, COVID-19 lockdowns prevented impoverished families from making a living. No money meant little to no food. Hearing of their plight, Pastor Daine and the youth in his church wanted to help.

Like many other GFA pastor-led churches across affected countries, Pastor Daine and his congregation gathered food to distribute to the poor and needy. But first, they needed permission from local officials.

When the officials heard what Pastor Daine’s group planned to do, they granted permission immediately, grateful for the young adults who wanted to help people in need. Pastor Daine and the youth then identified five families most in need and provided bags full of rice, dal, sugar, oil and salt.

The families gratefully accepted the food kits and profusely offered their thanks.

“People are afraid to visit or talk to each other,” one recipient said. “My neighbors also do not talk to me, and in this situation, you are risking your lives and happily reaching out to people with help. I believe your God is protecting you and guiding you to show His love to poor people like us.”

Young adults from Pastor Daine’s church (pictured) distributed groceries to families in need.

GFA World’s Child Sponsorship Program offers hope to girls who may otherwise have few opportunities to thrive and learn.

Perhaps Aliyah sighed as she stared at her homework. She wanted to do well, but her studies seemed nearly impossible. Who knew first grade could be so difficult?

A Struggle to Learn

Aliyah’s parents were poor and uneducated. They struggled to provide for Aliyah’s tuition and other school supplies. Without the proper tools or help she needed to succeed in her studies, Aliyah’s future seemed bleak.

Renuka, Aliyah’s mother, sorrowfully watched her daughter strive in vain. The troubled mother wished they could do more, but they were powerless to help. Was Aliyah destined for a life of poverty as well?

Then Renuka heard of GFA World’s Child Sponsorship Program, which provided free tuition and supplies to children in need in her community. Would they help Aliyah? Renuka hurried to meet with the program staff and poured out her plight. Perhaps she even pleaded with them, but pleading was unnecessary. The staff responded with compassion and soon enrolled Aliyah in the sponsorship program. A ray of hope broke through the clouds, hope for a better future.

Learning to Excel

Aliyah took advantage of the opportunity. She continued to work hard in her studies, but now she had help. With the guidance of GFA program staff and the materials she needed, Aliyah began to excel. The staff cultivated the brilliance within the young girl, and her grades soared. Now a teenager, Aliyah’s future has never been brighter.

Her mother is grateful for the opportunities Aliyah received, opportunities Renuka and her husband were unable to give her.

“I am happy to see my daughter doing well in her studies,” Renuka said. “She has not only learned from her books, but she has developed good habits. Thanks [to the program staff] for [their] love, care, help and kindness towards my daughter. Because of [their] love and encouragement, my daughter is happy and doing well.”

Thank you for helping children like Aliyah obtain hope for their future!

Odis and his family (pictured) were drawn to Christ by seeing the witness of GFA pastor Aero.

Odis had built a comfortable life for himself and his family. He owned a bit of land where he raised vegetables to sell in the local market. To supplement his income, Odis often caught fish and sold those as well. His family was fed, and his two boys attended school. Their needs were met. Still, even though the family performed religious rituals to please their traditional gods and they hoped for continued success, something was missing.

A Life-Changing Visit

One day, local GFA pastor Aero visited Odis. The pastor was respected and well known in the community for his wise counsel and good works. Perhaps Odis knew Pastor Aero by reputation, but as the two men held a long conversation, Odis grew to know him personally, and something about the other man intrigued him.

There was something different about the smiling Pastor Aero. He was full of joy and grace, qualities lacking in Odis’ other neighbors. The pastor’s words and spirit inspired Odis; he yearned to know more.

After that visit, Odis frequently welcomed Pastor Aero and other believers into his home for prayer. The believers also discussed the truths found within God’s Word.

The conversations stirred Odis’s heart until he could no longer contain his curiosity. He had to ask Pastor Aero more about his beliefs. Pastor Aero explained to Odis the hope found in Jesus. Light shone in Odis’ heart, and he began to share what he had learned with his family members.

Soon, they listened to Pastor Aero as a family, enraptured by the Living Word. Their souls drank deeply as Pastor Aero poured out Living Water, refreshing and nourishing them. The family slowly put aside their traditional religious practices. Instead, they conducted family prayer meetings in their home and became regular participants in Pastor Aero’s church.

“By following Jesus Christ, we as a family could receive peace and joy in our hearts,” Odis said. “How blessed we are! We as a family will share the salvation experience to non-Christians so that they will also experience the same love of Jesus in their lives.”

Odis and his family (pictured) were drawn to Christ by seeing the witness of GFA pastor Aero.

Odis and his family have found what was missing in life, and they will never be the same.

National missionaries such as Pastor Aero impact their communities with Christ’s love. They compassionately and diligently share the hope of Jesus with people who have yet to hear. The lives of people like Odis and his family are being transformed as a result. This ministry would not be possible without the support of donors like you.

Attending a VBS Program and hearing the story of Zacchaeus started a transformation in the life of Pelo (pictured).

Pelo listened to the story of a man who climbed a tree to catch a glimpse of Jesus. When Jesus called the man down, a life-changing event ensued. Would Pelo experience the same kind of transformation?

Invitation Becomes a Turning Point

Pelo’s parents didn’t have easy lives, and Pelo, 12, didn’t make their lives any easier. Pelo’s father and mother worked hard to send Pelo and his two younger sisters to school. But Pelo often argued with his parents and disobeyed them. Their hard work didn’t earn the boy’s respect.

One day, while Pelo was playing at home, a friend came by and invited him to join the Vacation Bible School program GFA pastor Raff was leading. Pelo walked to the church, where he saw a group of children singing and dancing to action songs.

Pelo came back day after day to listen to stories from God’s Word, learn about Jesus and sing. The story of Zacchaeus, a man whose joy at meeting Jesus led him to repentance, stood out to the boy. Whether he realized it or not, Pelo was starting to change, too.

At the end of the week, Pelo told Pastor Raff, “I will come to Sunday school … because I feel good and I like to know about Jesus, and I also like to learn songs and dance.”

Curiosity Leads to Change

After just one week of VBS, Pelo’s parents noticed changes in their son’s behavior. He listened to and obeyed them instead of arguing. Amazed, they visited the church.

“After coming to your church, our son’s behavior has changed,” they told Pastor Raff. “We really thank you for your classes and for conducting such a blessed program here.”

Pastor Raff told them about Christ’s love, the force that drove his ministry and that had sparked a change in Pelo’s life, and invited them to the church to learn more.

As Pelo and his parents began attending worship services at Pastor Raff’s church, Pastor Raff visited them to pray for them. After two weeks, Pelo and his whole family began to trust in Christ.

Through one VBS program, a child, like Zacchaeus, found a life-changing love that impacted others. Thank you for partnering with national missionaries so they can help children experience the grace of their Creator.

Sharing Christ’s love in Africa.

God is amazingly opening doors for GFA World to expand ministry into Africa. Last year, leaders at a ministry base in Asia prayerfully sent the first missionaries to Africa.

Not only have many groups of people in Africa still not heard the Good News of Jesus, but millions of people in Africa lack access to basic needs, such as education and clean water. According to 2018 statistics from UNESCO, 32 million primary-school-age children in sub-Saharan Africa did not attend school—more than half of the global number of primary-school children out of school. At the current rate, four million girls in sub-Saharan Africa will never go to school.

Now, in Kigali, Rwanda, more than 70 children are receiving help through GFA World’s Child Sponsorship Program. GFA missionaries are also helping to provide food to people in Kigali, where already-impoverished people have struggled in the midst of COVID-19 lockdowns. In the coming years, they are praying to be able to establish a hospital, mobilize Sisters of Compassion to help the poor and needy, and start discipleship training for African brothers and sisters.

Thank you for joining with GFA missionaries through your prayers and support as we seek to share Christ’s love in Africa!

K.P. Yohannan is the founder of GFA World.

The stories on the previous pages make one thing clear: As GFA missionaries serve the Lord, they do their ministry willingly and joyfully; they know their work is unto the Lord. No matter what type of ministry is done, if it is done according to His desire, He will sustain you.

When our ministry to the people around us is done as a ministry unto the Lord—doing His work in His way—there will be no striving. There will be no human sweat.

Why?

Because sweat signifies man’s effort. The first time sweat is mentioned in the Bible is in Genesis 3:19. Because Adam had eaten from the forbidden tree, God told him, “Cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread” (Genesis 3:17–19).

Sweat is the result of the curse that sin brought. Because of it, the ground would not yield its fruit without man’s effort and sweat. …

Work done out of man’s ability, smartness or money can be a horrible sweat. But when you come to the place in your life at which you begin to live and serve in His strength, you understand what it means to bear His yoke, which is easy and light (see Matthew 11:28-30).

In this way, the assignment He gives you will never destroy you emotionally or physically. It will not tear you apart. Why? Because you are not working in the realm of human talents, resources and strength. You are not producing it out of your own labor and sweat. There is no longer any flesh involved. It is Him—ministry unto Him and empowered by Him.

This brings tremendous freedom and liberty to laugh and be content and joyful in whatever comes. It makes no difference whether you are asked to turn the world upside-down or just to be a doorkeeper at the house of God. You simply do the work that He has given you in the strength that He supplies as a ministry unto Him.

I hope this and the stories you have read in this newsletter are an encouragement to you. Thank you, and may the Lord bless you!