“I was totally helpless.”
That’s how Belissa remembers feeling as she watched her children fall asleep hungry. She couldn’t feed them the meals they needed. Her husband, Balen, didn’t have a job, and Belissa couldn’t find one that paid enough to provide for her family. There was nothing she could do but weep.
The Desperate Search for a Job
After Balen stopped working as a driver, both he and Belissa searched for other ways to provide for their family. But every inquiry for employment or potential avenue to earn money came up empty. Their funds continued to shrink, little by little, day after day. They even had to refrain from sending their children to school; there was no way they could afford the expenses.
No matter how hard or long they searched, the family did not find a solution for their financial woes. Belissa began to despair.
“I never thought that one day I would overcome my financial crisis,” Belissa later recalled. “I tried my best to do some job nearby … but I did not find a job which was suitable for me.”
A Solution to Their Problems
Then, Belissa met Jenita. Jenita led the local GFA World Women’s Fellowship, and her husband, Pastor Jairett, led Gospel for Asia (GFA) missionaries in the area. Through Jenita’s invitation, Belissa started attending the Women’s Fellowship meetings. Soon, Belissa and Balen began to walk with the Lord. And, for perhaps the first time, Belissa shared about her family’s financial struggles.
Their situation had grown so dire, Belissa and Balen couldn’t pay their rent. The landlord demanded they pay; otherwise, they would be evicted.
Despite their struggles, Belissa and Balen had not asked for money or turned to begging. For whatever reason, they did not share their financial struggles with others. That was, until Belissa told Jenita.
Jenita and Jairett both ministered to the struggling couple, offering financial advice, and Belissa and Balen focused first on saving money. But they also needed to earn money. For that, Pastor Jairett had another suggestion.
“Since you know how to work a knitting machine, why don’t you plan for making sweaters for people?” he asked Belissa, “…With this, you can make better money and run your family life.”
While Belissa knew how to knit, she and Balen couldn’t afford to purchase a knitting machine to efficiently make clothing. They did not have the money available.
But much to their surprise, Pastor Jairett helped make this idea a reality when he presented Belissa and Balen with two knitting machines, along with accessory parts and yarn, during a Gospel for Asia (GFA World) gift distribution. With these knitting machines, the couple could finally earn enough money to properly care for their children.
“I am able to do something because of [the church],” Belissa said, thankful for the gift. “With this gift, we both, husband and wife, are going to work hard.”
Balen agreed, saying “After receiving the gift, I am assured and have hope that I will be able to [provide for] my family in a far better way in the days to come.”
Read how another GFA pastor provided the tools for a family to escape destitution.
