Category Archives: Poverty

March 8, 2015 · 8:32 am

Did You Know?

In South Asia:

• 50,000 female babies are aborted each month just because they are a female.

• One in three women are illiterate.

• Many young girls are forced or sold into a lifetime of prostitution. (1.2 million child prostitutes)

• Women commit suicide at a rate 21 times the world average.

• Every year, 7,000 women are doused in kerosene and burned to death by their husbands because of insufficient dowry.

• Widows are blamed for their husband’s deaths. They are then shunned by their communities, rejected by their families, and forced to live in an inhumane lifestyle. Tens of thousands commit suicide. (40 million widows)

• 92% of India’s women, aged 70 and older, are widows with little hope to survive.

But did you also know that there’s hope for women in South Asia?

Gospel For Asia is reaching and helping thousands of women in South Asia through women missionaries and their “Help for Suffering Women Fund.” If you are able, consider partnering with Gospel For Asia with a one-time gift or monthly support for a woman missionary. For more info, click here.

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February 28, 2015 · 11:31 am

What If We Ate A Few Less Cookies This Year?

It’s one of those chilly evenings in February. You are watching television when the doorbell rings. You hit pause on the remote and walk to the front door, expecting to see the neighbor’s daughter selling Girl Scout Cookies. But instead of a girl pulling a red wagon filled with overpriced cookies, you are confronted by eleven million abandoned Indian children. Each child has a hand out, begging for help. Each looks desperate and malnourished. You blink your eyes and hope the nightmare scene in front of you will change.

I know. I know. This is unrealistic and will never happen on our front porches.

Yet, the fact remains that there are eleven million abandoned children between the ages of 4 years and eleven years of age on the streets of India. Most are abandoned by parents who can’t afford to feed them. These children don’t have the option of blinking their eyes and hoping their nightmares will end because they won’t…unless we decide to help them.

How can we help?

By sponsoring a child through Gospel For Asia’s Bridge of Hope program for only $30 per month. Gospel For Asia has helped 72,000 children so far and hopes to sponsor 500,000 children in the near future.

Maybe we could eat a few less cookies this year and help Gospel For Asia reach its goal one child sooner.

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January 24, 2015 · 12:24 pm

Heads Up: Tomorrow. Tomorrow. Tomorrow.

January 25, 2015, is World Leprosy Day.

This is a perfect opportunity for all of us to pray and intercede for the tens of thousands of people suffering from this ghastly disease in Southeast Asia who are closeted away in a thousand leper colonies.

Leprosy is a bacterial disease that attacks the nervous system, particularly the nerves of the hands, feet and face. As the body absorbs cartilage into its system, victims of the disease slowly lose their fingers, toes and even limbs. The social stigma is devastating, perhaps even worse than the disease itself. Lepers are shunned and forgotten by family and friends.

But in the midst of this dark hopelessness, Gospel For Asia’s leprosy ministry brings the light of Jesus:

• Pray for lepers to embrace Jesus and His love.

• Pray for healing miracles through GFA’s ministry.

• Pray for the lepers to be transformed by the love of Christ.

• Pray for the GFA leprosy ministers.

• Pray for more medical workers to aid GFA’s leprosy teams.

Prayer helps, but if you can do more, check out what Abby is doing here.

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January 17, 2015 · 11:11 am

Yohannan Makes Me Cry

K.P. Yohannan was a tongue-tied 16-year-old when God sent him on a journey that would transform the way he and millions of others think about and live out the Great Commission. But the story doesn’t end with him. (RevolutionBook.org)

I can point out all of the verses in the Bible on why we should give financial offerings to foreign missions. We are blessed for doing so.

But even so, it still comes down to where we will give our offerings, and to be honest, there are probably many reputable ministries that are doing great work on the foreign mission fields. God bless them all.

So, why do I give to Gospel For Asia?

Because K. P. Yohannan makes me cry. Yes, that’s right, Yohannan makes me weep.

I have never met the man, which might be a good thing, because I would probably break down and blubber all over him if he just said, “Hi.”

The reason I weep is that I can hear his broken heart crying out for the lost and the unreached people of Asia. His brokenness helps to break the hardness off my apathetic heart. I am not there yet, but thank God, maybe there is still hope for people like me.

If you are interested, check out Revolution in World Missions and the eleven short videos.

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December 13, 2014 · 8:26 am

How Big is our God?

The following is a true story about a MyGFA campaign and a dad who involved his children in the campaign decision:

Dad: “For Christmas this year what do you think about our family helping raise support for a Jesus Well?”

Kids: “YEAH!!! That sounds great!”

Dad: “How many wells should we raise support for?” (Dad quietly thinking possibly five wells, because anything is possible with God!)

Kids: “How much does a Jesus Well cost?”

Dad: “One thousand four hundred dollars.”

Kids: “Ok. Let’s raise support for one thousand four hundred Jesus Wells.”

Dad: Humbled. “Do you know how much money that would take? We would need to involve everyone we know and then they would have to involve everyone they know and on and on and on…”

Kids: “Daddy, How big is our God?”

Dad: “One thousand four hundred Jesus Wells sounds like the perfect God inspired number. Now let’s get ready to watch God move!”

This is your invitation to become a part of the story to personally see how God can use anyone with a willing heart to accomplish His will. (You can read the rest of the campaign article here.)

To date, the family has raised $2867, which means they still need $1,957,133 to meet their campaign goal. Why not help them out? You can do that by clicking here.

After all, how big is our God?

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December 6, 2014 · 12:55 pm

Being Sick Really Stinks, But…

(Click to see)

Maybe I ate too much turkey and stuffing, but regardless of the cause, I was sick last week. I had a fever, a headache, and slept hours and hours each day. Just standing up was a struggle for me. My sickness lasted for five days before it simmered down to a few sniffles and light coughs.

Yes, I hate being sick, but all and all, I didn’t suffer that much. A few writing projects got pushed to the back burners. Yet, we did not suffer financially at all.

Now, what if I had been a Dalit farm laborer with a wife and two children? What if I would have missed five days of work? You see, Dalits are the lowest rung in India’s Hindu society. They are paid only pennies per hour to do backbreaking farm work.

If a Dalit farm laborer missed five days of work, he could lose ten to fifteen dollars of pay for that week. That loss can not be made up. Something will have to be cut from their family budget. Most likely it will be food.

What can we do to help the poor people of India?

Carol and I like to help poor families in India at Christmas time. We look through Gospel For Asia’s Christmas Catalog and choose a gift that will help earn extra income for a family. The last two years, we chose sewing machines, but this year, we returned to our farm roots and chose two goats.

Throughout the year, we then pray for the families with sewing machines and now, the family with the two goats. And you’re right, we don’t know their names, but God knows them. He also knows how to direct our prayers to the proper recipients.

Maybe you’re interested in helping a family in India. If so, click here.

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November 24, 2014 · 3:30 pm

Why Should we Care About India? Don’t We Have Enough Problems in America?

When Count Zinzendorf and the Moravian Church began sending out missionaries to the West Indies in 1732, did Germany have any problems? Are you serious? Germany was in a constant state of war. Young men were being killed by the thousands in various battles throughout Europe.

Christian leaders even accused Count Zinzendorf of sending young missionaries to die in distant lands when they were needed in Germany and Europe. Zinzendorf took so much heat that he went into exile and traveled for a few years.

But still, between 1732 and Zinzendorf’s death in 1760, the Moravian Church sent out 226 missionaries to Greenland, Lapland, Georgia, Surinam, Africa’s Guinea Coast, South Africa, Amsterdam’s Jewish quarter, Algeria, the native North Americans, Ceylon, Romania, and Constantinople. They endured terrible hardships and many died in desperate circumstances. These missionaries came out of a group of believers, which never numbered more than 600 members.

Why did Zinzendorf and the Moravian Church send out missionaries? They believed the Lord wanted them to do so. The fruit of their obedience is still being harvested today.

Why should we care about India and Asia, especially since America has so many problems?

I believe the Lord has shone His light on India, China, and all of Asia at this particular moment in history, directing our focus there for missionary outreaches. We can either put on our blinders and ignore what God is doing right now – OR – we can join with Him.

If we choose to join with what God is doing, we may end up reaping fruit for the next three hundred years, just like the early Moravians have done.

And guess what?

If we are faithful to pray, fast, and give for the work God is now doing in Asia, He will help us with our problems in America. You see, God will honor our faithfulness as a fragrant offering before Him and will supply our needs here in America for our families, neighbors, and communities.

Click on to see MyGFA site.

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November 21, 2014 · 9:19 am

Friday’s Prayers for Prisoners (11/21/2014)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuixalECVQg

Each Friday I pray and fast for nations where Christians suffer the worst persecution around the world. This week I am praying and fasting for:

Eritrea. 5.9 million people with 2.7 million Christians.

The repeated tragedy of migrant boats capsizing in 2013 has drawn attention to the repressive circumstances for Christians in Eritrea. Those in the Coptic Church enjoy relative freedom, but Christians of other denominations suffer house raids, arrests and systematic torture. Gabriella is an influential Christian in the underground church who was interrogated, tortured and kept in solitary confinement – but she never denied Christ. She describes her time in prison as ‘a honeymoon with Jesus’. (Open Doors, World Watch List)

The Eritrean government has banned all Christian groups except the Orthodox Church of Eritrea, the country’s largest Christian group; the Roman Catholic Church; and the Evangelical Church of Eritrea, a Lutheran-affiliated denomination. With the exception of Sunni Islam, all other public religious practice has been banned. Security forces continue to disrupt private worship, conduct mass arrests at prayer meetings and other gatherings, and detain those arrested for indefinite periods without charge. Between 2,000 and 3,000 Christians are imprisoned in Eritrea because of their faith, and most of those have never received a court hearing or been formally charged. Prisoners are tortured and subjected to extremely poor living conditions, often locked in metal shipping containers or underground bunkers. Several who have refused to renounce their beliefs have died in custody. (The Voice of Martyrs)

Today, I prayed:

Lord, I pray that You send Your light and Your truth into the nation of Eritrea and that You open up the hearts of the Eritrean people to receive the love of the truth. (Based on Psalm 43:3 and 2 Thessalonians 2:10)

Join with me on Fridays to fast and pray for prisoners, according to Hebrews 13:3.

Click on to see MyGFA site.

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November 20, 2014 · 2:32 pm

Got Goats?

I love Christmas.

Yes, it is an imperfect holiday. Yes, it may not be the exact day when Jesus was born. Yes, the world system tries to derail the true meaning of Christmas every year. Yes. Yes. And more yes.

But I still love Christmas. I love being with my family and giving gifts and laughing and hugging and eating.

Now, let me share one of our Christmas traditions with you, okay?

Two years ago, Carol and I began giving gifts through Gospel For Asia’s Christmas Catalog program. Because Carol is a quilter, we chose sewing machines as gifts both years. So, today, somewhere in India two people and their families have a sewing business because of our gifts. Just knowing this, blesses my socks off!

If you want, you can start the same tradition for your family, too. It’s so easy, just click here. Eleven dollars buys two chickens. Twelve dollars buys a blanket. Seventy dollars buys a goat. One hundred and fifteen dollars buys a sewing machine. Or four hundred and sixty dollars buys a water buffalo. Check all the gifts out and see if something catches your eye.

There is nothing quite like giving a gift to a person who can give nothing back in return…except thanks.

(Click to check it out.)

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November 1, 2014 · 9:35 am

No iPhone 6 for Shanti

Shanti was not one of the twenty million people who recently purchased an iPhone 6 at $650 and up. Her friends never received texts from Shanti announcing, “I got one! I got one! Come over and look at it. It’s so cool!”

But then again, ten-year old Shanti lives in rural West Bengal, India, which is in Northwestern India, near Nepal and Bangladesh. She also doesn’t have a MacBook Computer, an iPod, flatscreen SONY TV, microwave, closet full of GAP clothing, Pandora Bracelet, and NIKE tennis shoes. Her list of what she doesn’t have includes almost everything we consider as necessities here in America.

You see, Shanti is a Dalit, one of the nearly 300 million people in India who are considered “untouchables.” Her parents are poor because her dad works as an agricultural laborer, earning a couple of dollars per day for his backbreaking efforts. Her mom is a housewife and raises some chickens.

An iPhone 6? It would take all of the family’s income for one year to buy one. So, no iPhone 6 for her.

Shanti was the first Bridge of Hope child that my wife and I began sponsoring over three years ago. Since then, we have communicated often by letters and have sent her photos of us

In one letter she wrote: “God has blessed you so much.”

Her words caused me to reflect for a moment until it dawned on me. Yes, we are so blessed that the Creator of heaven and earth, the Lord God Almighty, our Father would entrust us to help a beautiful girl like Shanti.

If you also want to be blessed by sponsoring a child in Gospel For Asia’s Bridge of Hope program, click here. Or click on my campaign icon below:

Click on to see MyGFA site.

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