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.
Overcome by sadness, Mayra held no hope for her future. As a widowed mother of three, she was torn between leaving this world and staying with her children. Would anything come into her life to keep her going? Stripped of Joy Mayra spent her childhood in an area of Asia where child marriage was commonly practiced. In her youth, Mayra […] Read more »
Having a child often brings joy to the lives of most who are expecting. The months preceding a baby’s arrival may be filled with shopping, birthing classes, painting rooms and other things to prepare for life with a new little one around. For 25-year-old Ganitha, however, this was not the case. Ganitha’s pregnancy brought an illness that would overtake her […] Read more »
How does a women’s literacy program result in physical healing? For Ragi, learning to read and write was not the only benefit of attending an adult literacy class. What she found was something that no doctor could offer. Literacy Class Effects Positive Change GFA-supported women missionaries offer many services to the communities they serve in. A group of women missionaries, […] Read more »
“There is nobody to help me,” Maina said. “I have no strength.” Ladies from a Women’s Fellowship listened intently as Maina shared her hardships of being ill. Left Alone to Suffer A year had gone by since doctors told Maina that she had a tumor in her stomach. She did what she could to survive amid her pain, but Maina […] Read more »
Hopelessness and tension permeated the already polluted air. Slum homes lined the open field. Families struggling to provide, fathers addicted to the bottle and helpless widows lived here together, huddled under their makeshift homes. For them, the future looked bleak. But hope walked into the slums as women attired in white and gray saris stepped inside the miserable slum alleyways. […] Read more »
Mahiya found herself sitting inside a church building, surrounded by a huge crowd of people worshiping Jesus. Something stirred within her pursuing heart. Ever since her husband’s death, she was seeking an answer to her turmoil—maybe this was the answer she was searching for? Maybe this would stop her worrying about her fatherless children? Maybe here she could find hope […] Read more »
Women listened intently to the speaker in front of them. New ideas and thoughts whirled through their heads, and a sense of deep gratitude and hope filled some of their anxious hearts. As they left the class, the women carried home precious information that could impact many future generations. Life-changing Advice GFA-supported Women’s Fellowships all across Asia conducted health care […] Read more »
On New Year’s Day in Asia, much like in the United States, many people celebrate by throwing parties, watching fireworks, singing, dancing and enjoying one another’s company. But not all people are able to celebrate the new year. Women who are widows may be rejected and alone, and extra gifts and treats are out of reach for many impoverished […] Read more »
Sapna left the witch doctors, frustrated and disappointed to again be met with failure. Doctors were unsuccessful in treating her severe pain, and now even witch doctors couldn’t find a cure. Sapna wondered why faithfully obeying her religious customs for so many years hadn’t brought her the blessings she expected. As part of the local priest’s family, she had diligently […] Read more »
Tourists flocked to Shanti’s city year after year, enchanted by the snowcapped mountains reflected in a glassy lake. But while visitors dreamt of living in her beautiful city, Shanti lived in a fog of depression and frustration, weary of suppressing her lifelong desire. Girl Kept Home from School During Shanti’s childhood, most parents in her community believed sending girls to […] Read more »
Reena will likely never forget the day the terrible news came. Her second child, still growing within her womb, would never meet his father. “Daddy” would become a distant memory in the mind of her 5-year-old firstborn. The rains that normally brought nourishment to Reena’s community had instead brought devastation. Flooding swept the young mother’s house away, along with all […] Read more »
Lajja once lived alone in unrest. She looked for any value in her life, instead finding only bleakness and misery. But if you talked to Lajja today, she would tell you she is a precious child of God and is loved both in heaven and on earth. Her eyes might even sparkle! Widow Struggles Alone Lajja’s four children were in […] Read more »
When Anhithi and Yuktha, two Gospel for Asia-supported Sisters of Compassion, felt burdened to minister to the needy people in their nation, they determined to show love through any opportunity that came their way. One day, it meant helping 101-year-old Unami tidy her appearance and clean her time-worn body, and helping Rakhi, another elderly widow, level the uneven floor of […] Read more »
One woman named Saparna shares how God healed her from a life-threatening disease when the gods her family adored couldn’t bring her relief. I am Saparna. I am 35 years old. … I have a husband and four children. … I and my husband take care of the family through farming. Since I grew up in a [religious] family, I […] Read more »
Madina cursed life. She wanted an escape—she wanted to die. The thought of leaving behind her younger brother, Makul, was the only thing that kept her from suicide. Madina, who had never married, and Makul, who had an intellectual handicap, lived with their older brother and his wife. Though it should have been a refuge for them, this home was […] Read more »