Poverty. You know it when you see it – but, can you define it? A World Perspective Dictionary.com defines poverty as “the state or condition of having little or no money, goods, or means of support; the condition of being poor.” It defines “poor” as “having little or no money, goods, or other means of…
BEIJING – Christians in China are learning what it means to fight against principalities, powers, and the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (See Ephesians 6:12) The Chinese government is continuing its concerted efforts to shut down all forms of Christian worship. Missions Box has been publishing news…
HENAN PROVINCE – On November 30, 2018, Chinese communist authorities ordered a church in Henan Province to remove its display of the first commandment of the Ten Commandments. The directive came during a regular inspection of a church affiliated with the government-approved Three-Self church movement. Freedom of religion in China has been a consistent and…
“For China’s Christians, these are desperate times.” That was a comment made by U.S. Vice-President Mike Pence in October 2018 in a speech where he described the Chinese Communist Party as “avowedly atheist.” Perspective Magazine, which covers U.S. foreign policy from a Christian perspective observed that “in 2018, China’s religious repression has reached ‘a sustained…
Missions Box News recently published a report about GFA-supported pastors and missionaries who had visited an orphanage in which all 28 boys have lost their parents to AIDS and are themselves infected with the dread disease. The pastors and missionaries undertook this effort to assist and encourage the boys and educate them about the HIV…
WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) Special Report – Discussing the impact of education on the eradication of extreme poverty. When considering the issues of poverty and lack of education, an old saying comes to mind: “Which came first, the chicken or the egg?” Poverty and low education are each self-perpetuating: Those born into…
One WEDEW unit can produce 2,000 liters of water per day Welcome to the first of a regular series of news articles to be published by Missions Box News (MBN) on the subject of clean, safe-to-drink water and clean water scarcity worldwide. It is part of a metamorphosis at Missions Box News to raise awareness on…
INDIA – September 8th was International Literacy Day. With so many days set aside to draw attention to causes, we rarely take a look back to recognize what we have done to meet the needs of the cause beyond memorializing the day. Illiteracy is a significant issue in South Asia and other areas of the…
GFA (Gospel for Asia) shares example of reconciliation to mark International Day of Peace and inspire more peacemakers to prayer and action WILLS POINT, Texas—As political and religious divisions widen and deepen around the world, GFA (Gospel for Asia) hopes that a simple story of reconciliation and forgiveness will inspire more people to pray and…
KERALA – Merku Thodarchi Malai is a made-in-India Tamil language film that chronicles the daily lives and the continuing plight of tea estate workers in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The English title of the film is The Western Ghats. The Western Ghats is 62,000 square miles of the mountain range that runs parallel to the…
Gospel for Asia (GFA World) Special Report: Hope to Overcome the Challenges of Widowhood Written By Ken Walker of InChrist Communications Accounts of the humiliations, insults and indignations suffered by widows worldwide would make anyone cringe. Gulika, a widow in Asia, experienced helplessness after the people in her village turned their backs on her after…
As the flood survivors of Kerala, India, recover from the devastation caused by the massive flooding, Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported workers continue to diligently serve those in need. Congregations led by Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported pastors are stepping in to help in various ways. A Women’s Fellowship located in one of the hardest hit places…
Gospel for Asia (GFA World) Special Report on Slavery & Human Trafficking Written By Palmer Holt of InChrist Communications Around 10 million people are currently behind bars somewhere in the world. Some have yet to face trial, a few have been wrongly convicted, but most are prisoners for a crime they have committed. Meanwhile, four…
WILLS POINT, Texas — GFA (Gospel for Asia) has issued an urgent appeal for help in responding to some of the worst flooding in almost a century that has claimed several hundred lives and displaced nearly a quarter of a million people in southern India. Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported workers have already begun distributing emergency…
Kerala, India, continues to face peril as the monsoon rains destroy homes, paddy fields and businesses. The death toll has risen, as reports are now estimating well over 100 lives have been lost, while some people are missing. Some houses are under 10 feet of water. Many people are still being rescued by helicopter after…
Gospel for Asia (GFA World) Special Report on Mosquito Netting and Malaria Prevention Combat a Parasitic Genius Written By Ken Walker of InChrist Communications Fighting Malaria. Though eradicated in many developed nations, malaria still claims thousands of lives around the world. One victim who survived this mosquito-borne disease compared its chills to “lying down between…
NEW DELHI – This year India will celebrate the 72nd anniversary of its independence, following two centuries of being subject to the domination of the British East India Company and, ultimately, the rule of the British Empire in 1857. In the 18th century Indian subcontinent consisted of an array of local kingdoms. As the British…
Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported workers warn of dangers of tobacco to help demonstrate that ‘God cares for the whole person’ WILLS POINT, Texas—June 2017, residents of a community in northern India pledged to make it tobacco-free following a health awareness drive by Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported workers. Carrying placards and handing out advisory leaflets about…
MUMBAI – India Spend recently inteview Naina Lal Kidwai. Kidwai was the former head of HSBC in India, the first woman in India to become the head of a foreign bank in the country. She is the current vice-chair of the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Water. She was instrumental in founding the…
JERUSALEM – Drought and water shortages are plaguing nations all around the world. Blame it on whatever you choose, the need to provide adequate amounts of clean, sweet, potable water must be addressed before the local and regional water crises become a global, life-threatening crisis. Israel faces a potential crisis as the Sea of Galilee,…
One of the widows touched by Gospel for Asia-supported teams’ help-and-hope visits speaks of her ‘beautiful house’ made possible by simple donation WILLS POINT, Texas—The message of God’s sheltering love for the destitute and disenfranchised was spelled out practically with tin sheets and umbrellas when Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported teams reached out to some of…
GFA (Gospel for Asia) leader Dr. KP Yohannan assists in ‘great act of kindness’ supply distributions in wake of severe flooding in Sri Lanka. WILLS POINT, Texas—Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported (GFA) workers worked alongside Buddhist priests to bring relief to some of those worst hit by the severe flooding that left thousands of Sri Lankans…
HAMILTON, ONTARIO – The name Tim Horton is almost synonymous with Canada. For most Americans who are familiar with the name, it is a national chain of doughnut shops. But Tim Horton was a real person. Horton was a first-team All-Star three times in his 24-year career in the National Hockey League. In 2017, he…
GFA (Gospel for Asia) matches simple mosquito net distribution with awareness drive to further ‘life and death’ fight against malaria. WILLS POINT, Texas—Malaria may be a thing of the past in many places, but it remains a major public health threat in large parts of the world, prompting GFA (Gospel for Asia) to sound the…
BEIRUT – Horizons International recently introduced its plans for establishing the Middle East Center for World Missions in Beirut. The entire project is expected to take 10 years to complete. The objective is “To build a hub and network that facilitate the mobilization, training, and sending of missionaries from the Middle East and North Africa…
NEW DELHI – Indian Prime Minister Modi launched the Swachh Bharat Mission in 2014 to overcome “the poor sanitation and related health concerns [that] have remained a major problem in India since the country’s independence 70 years ago.” and move India toward sustainable ODF. One of the essential and fundamental elements of the Swachh Bharat…
NEW DELHI – As the world moves on to other matters following World Water Day, the World Water Forum, and Cape Town’s postponement of ‘Day Zero’ until 2019, a global water crisis continues, nonetheless. A crisis already exists for many people in South Asia and there are indications that conditions could get worse before they…
Gospel for Asia (GFA World) Special Report on the worldwide issue of extreme poverty Written by Palmer Holt of InChrist Communications More than 80 years after George Orwell wrote in his classic Animal Farm that “all animals are equal, but some are more equal than others,” his barbed observation on disparity rings ever truer for…
How should we pray for overseas missionaries and pastors? I want to pray, but what do they need? This is a question that often crosses our minds when we hear of the adversity facing those who serve the Lord in areas that are volatilize and prone to hostility. Tamang is a pastor in South Asia who…
THIRUVALLA, KERALA, India – Believers Church Medical College Hospital gave new life to a one-year-old Indian boy and restored hope for his anxious parents when the medical staff at Believers Church Medical College Hospital (BCMCH) successfully performed a complex surgical procedure to repair a large hole in the boy’s heart. Aksar’s parents, both day laborers…
Gospel for Asia (GFA World) Special Report on the global problem of violence against women Written By Michelle Jimenez, GFA Staff Writer Geeta, a mother of two, lived in the slums and struggled to put food on the table every day with the meager 20 rupees her husband gave her. That amount equaled less than…
For most who read this article, the thought of water evokes images in the mind of a thirst-quenching drink. If we spend a few minutes pondering the world of water, we might think about idyllic, picturesque lakes and streams. Some will think of water’s life-giving qualities. Those who are familiar with the Bible might reflect…
Gospel for Asia (GFA World) Special Report on the Open Defecation Sanitation Crisis Written By Karen Burton Mains For much of my adult life, it has been my privilege to hang out with the “renegades” of Christian missions, that relief-and-development crowd that rushes to help during natural disasters, struggles to alleviate the suffering and abasement…
From neglect of small girls to dowry violence and abandonment of widows, GFA (Gospel for Asia) highlights ‘silent suffering’ in region. NASHVILLE — While much of America is caught up in the “#MeToo” movement, a new report by GFA (Gospel for Asia) is spotlighting the scale of the daily horrors faced by women around the…
Gospel for Asia (GFA) highlights need for more toilets to cut avoidable death toll, in the first of challenging series looking at major social issues affecting people in Asia. WILLS POINT, Texas—Missionary organization GFA (Gospel for Asia) is calling attention to a usually ignored, delicate subject at the heart of much of its caring work—a…
On Super Bowl Sunday, in a commercial by an alcohol beverage company, Matt Damon promised that if people purchased a chalice, $3 of the $13 purchase would go to benefit communities in need with clean water for five years. Stella Artois is doing this in partnership with Water.org. NPR released an article on February 2…
World Cancer Day 2018 By Karen Burton Mains When our last-born child, Jeremy Mains, was younger, he used to complain regularly about the privileges of his older brothers and sister. “Why don’t I get to do all the things Randy and Joel and Melissa get to do,” he would whine—frequently. My reply always was, “Just…
When Christians today think of well-known pastors or missionaries, they mention names like Billy Graham, Jim Elliot, David Livingstone, Hudson Taylor, Joel Osteen, Matt Chandler, Rick Warren or John Piper. Most people would not list George Verwer nor would they even recognize his name. As it turns out, that’s probably just the way George Verwer…
Gospel for Asia (GFA), WILLS POINT, Texas – We understand that it is reasonable for people to infer from our name, Gospel for Asia (GFA), that our only area of service is in Asian countries and that our only service is to share the Gospel. While that assumption is reasonable, it is not entirely accurate….
Nearly 80 million people in the U.S. workforce are paid on an hourly basis. About 700,000 who are currently paid the minimum wage of $7.25 per hour will be getting an increase as 18 states raise their minimum wage effective January 1, 2018. Minimum Wage Increase The federal minimum wage has remained at $7.25 since…
The Church tries to build healthy communities in impoverished areas, often times through hand-outs or one time gifts that do not help families out of poverty. By providing work opportunities, the Church can build communities and help eradicate poverty. Faith-based organizations (FBOs) are most often supported by the Church and its congregants in such a…
Gospel for Asia (GFA) moved its offices from Carrollton, Texas to Wills Point, Texas in Kaufman a few years ago. This moved placed the nonprofit ministry on a campus where staff and people helping to fulfill the mission of Gospel for Asia can be housed. Gospel for Asia (GFA) is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit with…
As U.S. families prepare for Christmas expenses and holiday giving, Gospel for Asia’s Christmas Gift Catalog is helping people find joy through giving practical gifts that produce income for families in need. WILLS POINT, Texas—This year as some families attempt to navigate the Christmas season of gift giving, often times exchanging items no one…
Hurricane Harvey hit the Texas Gulf Coast on August 25, beginning days and days of destruction, particularly in Houston and Port Aransas. Hurricane Harvey was a Category 4 hurricane, with top winds of 132 mph. Those cities were covered in flood and debris. They are recovering slowly, but it may take years to get back…
Mon Nov. 13, 2017 – Gospel for Asia Thrilled to be part of Boo on the Bricks in Wills Point, Texas, Gospel for Asia makes a good impression on the community it knows and loves. Creating a reason to enjoy the season together, community members in Wills Point, Texas gathered on Saturday, October 28th for…
Photo by www.viajar24h.com Before September of 2013, four men raped and killed a woman in New Delhi. CNN reports, “Police said the men took turns raping the woman, using an iron rod to violate her as the bus drove around the city for almost an hour. Her male companion was beaten as he tried to…
Photo by Simon Williams / Ekta Parishad In 2013, India passed the Sexual Harassment laws, which promised to protect women in the work place. The Economic Times explains these laws, “India’s law against sexual harassment at the workplace was passed in 2013, laying out processes that need to be followed in organized and unorganized sectors.”…
Wed April 19, 2017 – Gospel for Asia Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported workers provide disease-prevention systems and lessons to improve health, offer hope in World Water Day effort WILLS POINT, Texas—Fresh water sources are freeing impoverished families in Asia from sickness and disease. GFA (Gospel for Asia)-supported workers dedicated new Jesus Wells in series of…
GOSPEL FOR ASIA-SUPPORTED WORKERS OFFER HELP AND HOPE TO NEEDY COMMUNITIES TO MARK REPUBLIC DAY As India celebrated its national heritage recently, some of the country’s neediest people were given help and hope by teams supported by Gospel for Asia (GFA). Hundreds of Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported workers in different locations went out into their…
Introduction Throughout Jesus’s life, he met and healed lepers. He had compassion for them, because they were the outcastes of society. There was and is a stigma attached to leprosy. Christians continue the work of Jesus by caring for those who have leprosy and bringing healing to them. The Disease of Leprosy Leprosy is a…
