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.
Medical care is hard to come by in a lot of areas of South Asia. By providing medical checkups, and care for leprosy patients through Gospel for Asia’s compassion services, the love of Christ is shared in a very practical way.
World Leprosy Day is commemorated each year on the last Sunday of January. The aim of the observance day is to raise awareness about leprosy (also known as Hansen’s disease) and its cure. For many Gospel for Asia-supported workers and pastors, the day is also an opportunity to show God’s love and care to people who are often marginalized by […] Read more »
According to a 2010 report consolidated by the Centers for Disease Control with information from the World Health Organization, 2,195 children die every day from diarrhea—which is more than AIDS, malaria and measles combined. The same report also states diarrheal diseases account for the second-highest cause of death among children under age 5. However, strides have been made to combat […] Read more »
It was Mother’s Day weekend, 2018. Over the two-day period, two separate groups of people assembled together. One group filled a small conference hall; the other was surrounded by tents. For both, this occasion was special. These people all had one thing in common: poverty. The group in the conference hall was affected by leprosy, and those by the tents […] Read more »
In an industry worth $49.46 billion, workers like Saham only make around $1.50 a day. Saham and many like him endure poverty and hardship, but for them, this work is all they have. Tea Workers’ Plight Saham worked on an tea estate that helps supply the global tea market. In 2019, Asia accounted for 60 percent of all global tea […] Read more »
Bhadraksh had once been a young man, full of vigor. Married with a child, he worked hard for his young family. He had a stable and honest job in a thread factory, which clothed, fed and sheltered them. Life was simple and good. That life seemed like another world now. As the memory of those times faded and the difficult […] Read more »
As the World Health Organization notes, leprosy is an ancient disease,[1] but it still rears its ugly head today. Leprosy affects many. In 2017, more than 210,000 new cases were reported in 150 countries.[2] Those who are afflicted know very well of the devastation it causes. They become the outcasts, the exiles and the untouchables. Some are called “cursed” by […] Read more »
Pratul never imagined how radically his life would change because of a cow. When Pratul received a cow at a Christmas gift distribution organized by GFA-supported pastor Dayal almost 10 years ago, he was a poor farmer unable to feed his family every day. Working hard all day raising crops and not being able to sit down to a complete […] Read more »
Shame engulfed Hanin the moment she heard the devastating news: She had AIDS. She sank into an ocean of despair. She wanted to end her life but held back for the sake of her children. All her life’s happy plans with her husband and children were dashed to pieces before her tear-filled eyes. By the time Hanin was diagnosed, her […] Read more »
Soapy water spilled on the dirt ground as little hands rubbed together with enthusiasm. Village children were performing the technique they had just learned. Smiles strung across the faces of young and old alike as they washed their hands, participating in Global Hand Washing Day activities. A Day Worth Celebrating Last year GFA-supported workers across Asia joined together in spreading […] Read more »
Half the population of the world, or 3.2 billion people, live where malaria is easily transmitted. Malaria killed 438,000 in 2015 alone, and according to the World Health Organization, 7 percent of those deaths were in the South-East Asia Region Malaria is highly prevalent in tropical and subtropical regions. One of the major reasons it transmits so quickly is because […] Read more »
As the women missionaries entered the gypsy colony, they could see garbage and waste strewn around and children playing in the filth. As they walked through the colony, their hearts were saddened to see the poor living conditions of the people. The sisters could see a few homes within the colony, but the majority of the people lived in makeshift […] Read more »
Before coming to stay at a children’s home in Sri Lanka, many of the children were alone, with no one to properly care for them and give them the love they needed. But at this privately-run children’s home, the children found a place where they belonged, a place where they knew they were loved and cared for. Then, through extenuating […] Read more »
Tapan’s community is remarkably diverse for being so unified. Some people were born in lush farm country, others in desert lands. Some may have been carpenters or teachers, others were farmers. They likely grew up speaking a different language than their neighbors. Yet despite their differences, they understand each other more than most people might. They all ended up in […] Read more »
Global Handwashing Day is observed every year on October 15. Last year in 2016, GFA-supported workers held events throughout Asia to teach the importance of washing hands and how it can help prevent many fatal illnesses. Inexpensive Disease Prevention According to CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), “About 1.8 million children under the age of 5 die each year […] Read more »
Eighty percent of diseases in Asia are preventable and curable. Unfortunately, many people do not have money to afford medical treatment for these various ailments. But GFA-supported medical ministry is making a difference in thousands of lives. Without Help Many people in Asia go without medical treatment because they cannot afford the cost, while others are not aware of basic […] Read more »