See God’s amazing power through GFA’s reports from the mission field. Several field reporters cover multiple countries in South Asia to bring you news, inspirational stories and prayer requests that will enrich your life.
Water-borne illnesses run rampant in areas where the only source of water is a filthy pond or dried up well, read the stories of how providing clean water through Gospel for Asia changes lives.
The numbers from the survey had finally come in, and the problem was even greater than Ritain had previously thought. Around 252 families living in his district had no sanitation facilities, a dangerous threat to their health and safety. How could he, the district head, meet their needs? Risking Their Lives to Relieve Themselves Nearly 1,600 families lived in Ritain’s […] Read more »
In the heat of midsummer, GFA pastor Madhukar traveled to a neighboring village where some members of his church resided. He wanted to visit fellow believers and connect with other villagers. However, when Pastor Madhukar arrived, he realized the Lord had much more for him to do than just meet new people and make conversation. A Thirsty Village Deep in […] Read more »
Imagine for just a moment: The water that flows through your filtered refrigerator to your glass of ice or that pours from your sink faucet to the cooking pan is gone. Instead, you heft a bucket in each hand and walk to the closest river, which is 300 meters (0.19 miles) away. When you return home with the heavy buckets, […] Read more »
A group of villagers huddled around a large hole, peering into the darkness. Feathers. Again. They let out a groan—not in grief over the dead chicken, although it was a loss for someone’s flock, but because it meant their well was contaminated. They gathered buckets and emptied the well late into the night. All that precious water wasted because of […] Read more »
Keeva’s stomach pains would not go away. For a long period of time, 34-year-old Keeva had battled with acute stomachaches. The wife and mother of five knew exactly what the issue causing her pains was, but she couldn’t do anything about it. The Source of Sickness A single well was the only water source in the village. The dirty water […] Read more »
Imagine you live in a village. You are a farmer, and your life and livelihood revolve around the use of water. You share one water source with all your neighbors. It is the only relatively clean source of water for many miles. Suddenly, you are no longer allowed to collect water from there because you believe in Jesus Christ. What […] Read more »
Vatsala, 24, fervently prayed for her husband’s anger to subside. There never seemed to be any peace in her young family. Always on edge, Vatsala constantly waited for Sukumar’s next outburst. Her husband’s verbal abuse heaped shame on her head. Vatsala used to fight back. Husband and wife would yell through the house, tearing away any harmony in the family. […] Read more »
Balab woke up before sunlight broke through the morning sky. Other believers in his village had to do the same. Balab dipped his bucket in the public well and trudged home. He needed water for his family but couldn’t be caught in the act of collecting it—he and the other Christians were banned from the public water source. Meeting a […] Read more »
Maina and her family were affected by water scarcity in their village. Enduring the heat of the day, they walked more than two miles anytime they needed fresh water. Maina began to wonder if she would ever see relief, so she began to pray. Enduring Thirst Maina, her son and her husband lived among 200 other families in a remote […] Read more »
Pastor Paavak could not turn a blind eye from the needs he saw in the village he served in. After seeing families and individuals in his community thirst for a clean water source, he decided to act. In 2013, the GFA-supported pastor ministered in an Asian village that had 150 homes spread out over a vast area. The main water […] Read more »
Sabeena watched clean water trickle out of the BioSand water filter. Impressed by how well the rocks and sand within the cement structure cleaned the water of impurities, she immediately wondered—could her family have one, too? Water was a painful component of life. Due to her husband’s bad reputation, she felt too ashamed to ask for help from others. Using […] Read more »
Can you imagine living in a land where there is no proper source of water? What would you do? How would you gather enough water for your needs? Tasks like washing dishes, bathing, cooking and simply drinking water would become a problem you’d have to face every day. This is reality for the men and women in one Asian village. […] Read more »
It had been the same pattern, day after day. People crowding around the water, arguing and quarreling over the precious but limited supply. No one wanted to be late to work or, even worse, go home with an empty bucket. Villagers Lack Sufficient Water Obvious distinctions could be seen between families in Malik’s village, especially in regard to water. Those […] Read more »
Kalyan watched as the two Gospel for Asia-supported pastors cleaned and inspected his BioSand water filter. The precious gift Kalyan had received only two years earlier changed his family’s life. Filtered Through a Mustard Oil Tin Dysentery, jaundice and diarrhea: Kalyan’s family used to suffer from these and other waterborne diseases often. The bacteria-filled water they used for their daily […] Read more »
Murky water. That was the prize Kenga brought home from the next village. Despite taking a significant amount of time out of her day to fetch water, the water she got was barely worth drinking. This widow and her three adult sons struggled to make ends meet. She worked as a housemaid, and her sons worked as farm laborers when […] Read more »