Rejoice!

In areas with short water supplies, people often have to choose between walking for miles to find clean water or settling for contaminated sources.

The young father of four lowered his vessel deep into the well, hesitantly expecting the rope in his hands to tighten and the bucket to submerge beneath the water. Instead, the cord relaxed and he heard the unsettling sound of his bucket hitting the sand far below.

Thunk.

Rasna sighed as he pulled up the rope, his suspicions confirmed: His well had finally run dry.

Sand in Their Water

The well Rasna dug on his property had served his family faithfully for years. As time passed, however, they noticed a problem: Their water grew more and more cloudy with each bucketful they collected.

The family began storing the murky water in containers to let the sand and other debris settle at the bottom before using it. Time consuming as this simple filtering procedure was, the family managed to survive . . . until the well dried up completely.

Left with no other choice and a severe need for water, the family began the backbreaking task of hauling water from a source far from their home, as many other villagers were also doing. Then one Sunday, Rasna decided to talk to Pastor Payas. Rasna had developed a friendship with the Gospel for Asia-supported pastor and had come to know the Lord after he heard Pastor Payas share his own testimony of God’s grace. Maybe he could do something about their situation.

Jesus Well Benefits 25 Families

Pastor Payas assured Rasna he would do all he could to help him and his family. The two men prayed and waited for the Lord’s answer. When a survey of Rasna’s village showed the people’s need for clean, accessible water, a Jesus Well was installed and dedicated for the use of the entire village only a short time later. The well now blesses 25 families with clean water for their daily needs. Because its location is near Rasna’s home, he and his family members often use this opportunity to share what God has done in their lives with the people who draw water from the well.

Jesus Wells are inaugurated with prayer and much rejoicing. Often, many villagers will show up to join the service.

“I am thankful to my church for the installation of this Jesus Well,” Rasna says. “I cannot help the people of my locality, but our church has looked into the needs of the common man.”

After hearing about God’s faithfulness in the lives of Rasna’s family, two other families have come to taste the Living Water and drink of it for themselves. Today they worship alongside Pastor Payas and other believers, like Rasna and his family.

“The local people . . . now know that our church performs good works and cares about the development of society,” Pastor Payas says.

Bakul (left) with his new water filter.

For years, Bakul and his family faced the debilitating effects of drinking impure water. Stomachaches, diarrhea, weakness, coughs and colds haunted them with every glass they drank.</p.

“I would take medicine for my stomach pain,” Bakul shares. “However, in spite of continuous treatment, I continued to struggle from unbearable pain in my stomach.”

Chance Encounter Changes Lives

A Gospel for Asia-supported pastor named Thorley served in Bakul’s village, but Bakul didn’t know much about him. One day, however, as Bakul passed by the church, he saw a large crowd: The pastor was passing out BioSand water filters to several people in the village.

“I asked Pastor Thorley to give me a water filter, and to my surprise, he gave me a filter,” Bakul shares. “Now nobody is suffering from stomach problems in my family.”

Bakul, having witnessed the kindness and generosity of Christians, has become curious to learn more about Jesus Christ. What’s more, Bakul is able to interact with Gospel for Asia-supported workers when they visit to perform routine maintenance on his filter.

Missionaries care deeply for the sick and suffering around them, ministering to them through prayer and encouragement.

One evening as Gospel for Asia-supported women missionaries Pakhi, Heerkani and Sabeena stood on the terrace of their house overlooking their city neighborhood, they saw an old man lying down on a cot outside his home. The man looked very sick as his family members hovered around him, taking care of his needs.

The three women missionaries went to their room and began to pray for the man. There they asked the Lord for His help to minister to their neighbors.

A Doctor’s Plight

The man’s name was Bilva—and he couldn’t move. A doctor by trade, he was usually the one to look into the faces of the ill as they rested on their sickbeds. But now he rested on his. Paralysis had taken him by surprise months before, leaving him completely helpless.

The medicines he took did nothing to improve his condition, and Bilva lived the same routine over and over again, until a visit from three unfamiliar women changed things.

A Change of Mind

When Pakhi, Heerkani and Sabeena introduced themselves to Bilva and his family, they learned about his paralysis. Pakhi shared hope from God’s Word and told them about the One who heals. At first, Bilva’s family didn’t respond very positively—they didn’t know anyone named Jesus. But as the women patiently explained the healing power of the Son of God and offered to pray for Bilva, the family changed their minds.

The sisters prayed for and visited the family regularly. As time passed, Bilva’s body began to improve, and he started to move his hands and legs. The family rejoiced at his improved health, and Bilva’s daughter chose to love Jesus. Now she prays with the missionaries and spends time reading God’s Word.

Thanks for being a part of stories like this through your prayers.

Each year, the Gospel for Asia-supported radio ministry receives thousands of responses to broadcasts. Radio correspondents pray for listeners and personally respond to the letters, phone calls and emails they receive.

Every day, countless people in Asia tune in to Gospel for Asia-supported radio programs to find encouragement, learn how to live a morally upright life and hear about the love of Jesus Christ. By God’s grace, these broadcasts bring hope for many at just the right moment in their lives and are continually opening doors for further ministry. To help celebrate more than 30 years of Gospel for Asia’s radio ministry, we’ve included five short stories in this issue of Harvest about the miracles God has performed in Asia through radio. Thank you for standing with us to help proclaim the name of Jesus.

Man Regains Lost Railway Job

When Rajani lost his railway job, he gave up all hope. He worried about meeting his family’s needs. Then one day while tuning his radio, Rajani heard a broadcast from a Gospel for Asia-supported radio program. “God cares for you; therefore there’s no need to fear,” the speaker said. “Believe in the Lord and take courage.”

Encouraged, Rajani began to ask the Lord for peace in his heart and the restoration of his job. Soon after, he reapplied for his job, and the Lord gave Rajani back his position with the railway! Today, Rajani continues to find encouragement through Gospel for Asia-supported radio broadcasts.

Healing through a Phone Call

A painful boil on Sharadendu’s back oozed pus and left him with a high fever. He tried using several different kinds of medicine, but nothing he tried could heal him or give him relief from his agony.

But on the radio Sharadendu had heard of a healing God. One day, he called a Gospel for Asia-supported radio station, and the people in the office prayed for his healing. Later, the radio station received a letter from Sharadendu.

“You prayed for my healing over the phone,” he said. “God did a miracle on that day itself. He delivered me from great pain. Thank you for your kind prayers. Praise God.”

Waiting for Marriage

Simrit worried about finding a husband. Many women in Asia are married in their early 20s, but Simrit was 31 years old. Even her relatives and neighbors mocked her because she wasn’t married.

When she found out about a Gospel for Asia-supported radio program, she sent a letter to the radio station to tell them of her sorrows. The staff at the station prayed for Simrit and wrote her a letter of encouragement.

Sometime later, Simrit wrote to the radio station again with joyful news: God had given her a husband! Today Simrit and her husband are walking side by side in awe of the God who brought them together.

They Prayed for Nine Months

James’ younger sister had been married for several years, but she and her husband had no children.

Out of compassion for his sister, James wrote to a Gospel for Asia-supported radio station, asking for prayer on his sister’s behalf.

Each time the staff at the radio station came together for prayer, they prayed for James’ sister. Nine months later, the staff received another letter from James.

“I am so thankful to you and for your prayers. God has granted a baby girl for my younger sister through your prayers,” the letter said. “Also, I never miss your radio program. Really, the message, which you are sharing, is very much a blessing for me and my family.”

In cities, villages and rural communities throughout Asia, listening to radio programs at home is a favorite pastime, which makes radio an effective tool for ministering to people.

A Timely Letter

No matter how many steps Kanvar took, his legs refused to co-operate. An accident had hindered his natural stride and left his body tense and sore. As a listener of a Gospel for Asia-supported radio broadcast, Kanvar wrote a letter to the radio station, and to his joy, he received one in return.

The letter lifted Kanvar’s spirits and gave him hope in the Lord, and his health began to improve!

Kanvar came to realize that Christians love, care for and encourage others in times of discouragement, and he is eager to learn more about Jesus Christ.

Every day, Priti, her older sisters and her mother, Chunni, had suffered the daily abuse of her father’s drunken rages. As Priti listened to her mother cry through the nights, it slowly dawned on her that her father had left them and he wasn’t coming back. They were alone.

Mother Struggles to Provide, Dies

Priti’s mother found work in a rice field, but the labor was hard and she frequently became ill. Without a sustainable income, Chunni couldn’t send her girls to school; she couldn’t afford to feed her children; she couldn’t visit a doctor to treat her illness. Chunni eventually arranged for Priti and her siblings to live with their grandparents, though this didn’t improve their lot in life very much. Unable to afford medical care, Chunni died.

Priti didn’t know how to express her grief or where to find any answers for her struggles. Without the love of her parents, joy slowly seeped out of the 14-year-old’s life.

God Provides Life, Hope

But Priti’s story doesn’t end in hopelessness. The staff at a nearby Gospel for Asia-supported Bridge of Hope center heard about Priti’s heart-wrenching situation and visited her home to see if they could somehow bless the young girl. Their hearts ached when they witnessed her gaunt and haggard expression.

Before long, Priti enrolled in the Bridge of Hope center where the staff encouraged her, prayed for her and also helped her practically through things such as daily meals, school supplies, bars of soap and lessons on cleanliness and morals. Within two months, the girl’s outlook had changed completely.

The Christ like love and examples of Bridge of Hope teachers across Asia (top) impact students like Priti (above) deeply.

“I have inspiration to study and perform well in my studies,” Priti shares. “God is my inspiration. I attend [the] Bridge of Hope center regularly, and I [have] learned moral values of the society. … I praise God for the Bridge of Hope that made my life more meaningful and helped me to grow excellent in studies.”

Thank you for helping make stories like this possible through your love, prayers and donations. You are making a bigger difference than you know.

Just one year ago, life was different for the young woman.

As a single mother, Gina is able to provide for her daughter’s education by selling milk from the cow she received on International Widows’ Day last year.

Gina could feel the daily ache in her muscles from her hard labor. Dust from the quarry where she worked mingled with the sweat on her brow; she wiped it away before it could drip into her eyes.

Just one year ago, life was different for the young woman. One year ago, Gina was happily married and cared for. Then she lost her husband and made the heart-wrenching transition from being a housewife to working in a quarry as the sole provider for her and her 9-year-old daughter.

The work was backbreaking and money was tight, but somehow she managed to meet all of their needs— all but one. Gina couldn’t send her daughter, Prithika, to school, and it broke her heart.

Widow Finds Hope

When Gina happened to meet a group of women from the local church a few years ago, she unloaded her struggles and heartache on their attentive ears. They told her about Jesus, the God who can help anyone in their troubles. Curious to know more, Gina talked with GFA-supported pastor Ekanpreet. When Pastor Ekanpreet further explained Jesus’ grace, she soon embraced His love.

The Gift of a Cow

The church Gina attends, like many other churches GFA is privileged to stand with, hosted a special outreach for widows on International Widows Day last year. At this event, Gina received a cow— and this gift has transformed her life.

When the cow gave birth, Gina was able to start selling milk in her neighborhood. Through the proceeds, God provided for Prithika’s education, much to the mother and daughter’s delight. Today, Gina cheerfully gives a portion of her profits to the local church.

Thank you so much for standing with GFA through your prayers, donations and encouragement. We are so blessed to witness God move in the lives of His children around the globe, and it is our joy and privilege to share their stories.

You are making a difference. Thank you!

Discouragement is one of Satan’s most powerful tools against us. The word “discouragement” actually means a “loss of courage.”

When we are without courage, it becomes difficult to see our circumstances clearly because we no longer have the right perspective—all of the little, insignificant things in our lives start to look like huge mountains. It’s in times like these when we need to remember God sees more of the situation at hand than we do.

In the early days of the ministry, when we first began to broadcast radio programs in Asia, I received a few letters each week from people who harshly criticized the radio station. The letters never seemed to stop coming, and it began to wear on me. I hadn’t even wanted to start a radio program in the first place, and now these negative letters kept trickling in. Was the program helping anyone at all? I wondered.

After this had gone on for a while, I finally asked if we ever received any good letters.

“Oh yes,” my staff replied, “thousands of them.”

All that time, I couldn’t see what was really happening. I only received the bad letters. I was ready to pull the whole radio program off the air because I didn’t think it was doing any good. From then on, I asked the radio station to send me the good letters!

It is so easy to become discouraged when we are in the midst of trials, when all we hear is bad news. It’s important to recognize in those times that God sees far beyond our present circumstances. He’s working for our good even when we can’t see it.

When you are weary, remember that you serve the Living God. Pray with another brother or sister, and ask the Lord for His help and strength as you wait on Him. As He assures us in Philippians 1:6, He will finish the good work He begins in us. We can take great confidence in this promise.