Rejoice!

GFA-supported national workers respond to many natural disasters each year, delivering relief supplies even to remote areas.

“We were four members in our family when the water waves were increasing,” Tanish reflects. “We left our home to [go to] a safe place. ... Within a second, half of our house was in water, but we were saved.”

As floodwaters raced across the land, covering homes, fields and flocks with no distinction, men and women ran to save their lives and the lives of their children.

People moved to higher ground, seeking what shelter and safety they could find. Then, as the floodwaters that washed over Tanish’s village began to abate, nearby GFA-supported national workers set out to serve as emergency Compassion Services teams, bringing hope and help to all they could reach.

But getting to Tanish’s village wasn’t easy.

A Dangerous Road to Travel

A team of five traveled for six hours along a narrow road that many feared to travel. They carried rice, lentils, flour, oil, salt, spices and blankets—the barest essentials—along with the invaluable commodities of hope and peace. It wasn’t much, but it was more than most had.

“After losing our domestic things and half our home,” one man lamented, “we cannot live anymore. I am a poor person who depends on labor work for the survival of my family. Now there is not even money to buy food for my family.”

The team distributed relief supplies—supplies funded through the donations of GFA friends like you—and blessed 55 families in Tanish’s village.

“So far, no one reached with the provisions to our village,” Tanish shares, “but your church is the only one who came to our home and provided for us provisions. Thank you very much.”

Gratitude Transcends Disasters

In areas where annual floodwaters deluge homes and displace families, Compassion Services teams bring invaluable comfort and practical help.

Losing your home is devastating, whether it’s through the sudden onslaught of water, a fire or an earthquake. When a disaster strikes, there is little most people can do but run.

We praise God for enabling our brothers and sisters to bring hope, comfort, some food and shelter to people during their deepest hour of need—many of whom have never heard John 3:16. Thank you for your part in these stories of hope.

Even local vendors hired to drill a Jesus Well can be encouraged by the words of Jesus on the plaque they install.

Tanul’s hands wielded his tools with a strength and grace that made it evident he knew his craft of masonry well. But for as much skill as he had, he couldn’t understand the meaning of the words on the plaque he was fixing.

His eyes strayed to them often as he worked, the words running over in his mind.

“Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again,” it read.

That made sense—he was working on a well, after all. The rest of the verse, however, was not so simple to understand:

“But whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

This was the second Jesus Well that Tanul had worked on, a job given to him by local GFA-supported worker Divit. He and Divit talked often. After their first encounter, Tanul had come to realize that Jesus was far more than just a good teacher—Jesus was something more.

But it wasn’t until Tanul had time to ponder this Scripture that God washed his heart clean. Tanul wasn’t the only one working at the new well that day—God did His work, too, and a spring of water welled up within Tanul’s own heart, just as the plaque said.

No matter how well a child performs in school, they receive love, help and encouragement from the Bridge of Hope staff. This support can make a huge difference in a child’s growth and development.

Sahima’s parents worked hard every day, struggling to make enough to feed their family. Her father drove a rickshaw, and her mother helped out at a local school. If it had only been Sahima and her brother they needed to care for, they probably could have made due—but their grandfather and grandmother lived with them as well.

Six mouths were more than Sahima’s parents could fill. They did what they could, but when a GFA-supported Bridge of Hope center opened in their area, it helped them tremendously.

Sahima, only 6 at the time, enrolled in Bridge of Hope, along with her brother. They received fresh meals at the center every school day, which eased the financial burden her parents faced. But the center brought a lot more to this mischievous little girl than only the blessing of a full tummy.

‘I Love Bridge of Hope’

Little Sahima came to Bridge of Hope without any interest in pursuing her education. She didn’t know how to read or write, and she didn’t care to learn.

But the staff patiently worked with the young girl. They encouraged her, praised her and challenged her to grow—and she did.

Under the loving care of her teachers, Sahima developed into a mature young woman. She now reads every day, sings songs with enthusiasm and has improved in every way. Her parents are tremendously grateful, and so is 15-year-old Sahima.

“I love all the Bridge of Hope teachers,” Sahima shares. “They teach with friendliness and with full interest. They teach moral lessons and advise us with teachings that will help me even in my old age. I love Bridge of Hope.”

With the examples of her teachers before her, it’s no wonder Sahima wants to be a teacher when she finishes her education. Considering what her life was like when she was 6 years old, it’s truly amazing that she has these aspirations at all.

Following are a couple of stories highlighting various tools given to GFA-supported workers, which equip them for ministry where God has called them to serve. Tools like winter clothing and film equipment are crucial for thriving ministries in bringing the hope of Christ to people. Through faithful donors, these stories are made possible.

Frigid temperatures and harsh climates can’t stop Jesus’ love from flowing out of national pastors. But a simple gift of a blanket helps the “hands and feet of Christ” stay warm and protected so they can minister to people around them!

More than Winter Comfort

It was Christmas in 2008. Pastor Etash shivered as he stood underneath the roof of a cow shed. A group of Sunday School children was about to arrive. This was his first Christmas in the village where God had called him to serve.

The cold weather didn’t stop Etash from doing the work the Lord had given him to do. In this region, where even the summertime nights call for a blanket to keep warm, the winters can become fierce and harsh.

But over the years, as Etash has served faithfully in this frigid village, he has been blessed with a simple gift that keeps him effective in serving the Lord: a blanket. Because of giving donors like you, Etash has been able to be the hands and feet of Christ to those around him all year round.

Today, Pastor Etash has a beautiful church building replacing the humble cow shed he used for worship gatherings. The Lord has blessed his endurance, and fruit has come from his committed labor.

Some Receive, Others Reject

A generator, a DVD player and a projector are ordinary tools— but in the hands of a GFA-supported film team, these tools give many people the chance to understand the life of Christ.

Film teams are far more than simple projectors, screens and laborers. Film teams are all about demonstrating the hope of Jesus to the hopeless through tools that help bring the reality of Christ to life.

Often a simple film about Jesus can impact an entire village. After a film showing, teams are able to direct the crowd to the local pastor, which helps open the door for him to build new relationships in his area of ministry.

One film team, led by GFA-supported worker Citrya, has experienced a lot in its members’ years of ministry. Here is a peak at what happened in two villages they visited over the span of one month.

Welcomed and Received

In one village the film team was welcomed with open arms as a group of 160 villagers gathered to watch the movies they had brought. After the show, three youth asked the local pastor, who had invited the film team to come to his village, to tell them more about Jesus. As a result of this showing, the pastor was able to conduct a prayer meeting, and many seeds of hope were planted in the villagers’ hearts.

Drunken Disruptions

In another village a few days after this event, the film team began a screening that was kindly hosted in a villager’s home. However, as the film was still going on, a few intoxicated men disrupted the gathering of 50 people. They shouted and told the national team to stop the film.

In faith, the brothers continued the film, but the drunken men responded by throwing stones at them from a distance. The owner of the house told the agitators to stop.

“This film show is conducted according to my will,” he said. “If you are not willing to watch, then go. Why are you disturbing others?”

The men quit opposing the film team, but they had caused enough distraction to keep people from openly receiving the truth of Christ.

Citrya and the other film team members know that even when things don’t go as hoped, God is still at work! And they, too, will continue their work.

Thank you for being part of seeing more people come to understand the love of Jesus, the risen Lord, in villages such as these.

Two of her children were gone. Missing. Where were they? What had happened? Where had they gone?

Sisters of Compassion working in Asian slums bring hopeful light into what are otherwise deeply depressing places. Lonely, hurting people are uplifted and renewed by friendship with the sisters and with the Friend who heals their hearts.

It was her husband. He had taken them. Taken them and left again without telling her a word.

Panic and fear washed over Amlika. What would she do? Who could she turn to?

She had no one.

Locked in Fear

After getting married at an early age, Amlika, now 29, and her husband had five children. They crowded into a single-room shanty in the middle of a slum on the outskirts of a major city.

Her husband started drinking. He stopped working. He began chasing after other women.

And then he left, leaving Amlika with the responsibility of caring for their children, ages 9 to 3.

Loneliness. Agony. Fear. Shame. Worry. Hunger. This was her life.

Amlika cleaned people’s homes, but despite her daily labors, she scarcely earned enough to feed her family.

And then two of them went missing.

Amlika’s husband had come by a few times through the years, bringing a little bit of money for his children, but he had never stayed long. Then one day, he suddenly vanished with two of the kids. A few days passed before he showed up again to bring them home, but it was enough to fill Amlika with fear that she could lose them forever. After that day, she locked the door with her children inside whenever she went out to work.

A Compassionate Hand

Some GFA-supported Sisters of Compassion served in the slum where Amlika and her children lived. One day, Amlika decided to attend a special Mother’s Day event at the local Bridge of Hope center—the center her eldest daughter had been enrolled in soon after Amlika began cleaning homes.

The young mother saw the Sisters of Compassion sharing kind words with other women, and something made Amlika want to talk with them. She asked them to visit her home, and they did.

They came to Amlika’s home with eternal love in their hearts. The women talked, and tears flowed down the young mother’s face as she shared about her plight. The Sisters of Compassion comforted her and shared about the One who never leaves us. The women introduced her to a local GFA-supported pastor, who also visited Amlika. Through their faithful companionship and prayers, peace penetrated her fear, truth replaced anxiety, and dignity overcame shame.

“I am experiencing [Jesus’] guidance and love in my life,” Amlika shares. “I have nobody to trust or to support me in times of troubles. I have no idea what the future holds, but now I have found hope in Jesus. I am confident that Jesus will give me strength to overcome all the adverse situations of life.”

Meeting a Practical Need

Amlika (not pictured) once feared for her children’s safety as they stayed home alone while she worked to meet their needs. After receiving the gift of a sewing machine, she can both provide for and protect her children as she works from home.

Amlika found a peace that surpasses understanding and circumstances, but she still struggled to provide for her youngest children. Thankfully, Bridge of Hope was taking care of her eldest daughter’s need by providing a daily meal and other necessities.

Knowing Amlika could still use some help, GFA-supported workers collaborated to bring her aid. On International Widows’ Day, Amlika received a sewing machine!

Gifts like sewing machines, provided through the donations of men and women like you, have changed the lives of thousands upon thousands throughout the years, and Amlika is one of them.

Amlika started learning how to use her machine and became confident this gift would enable her to earn more money to provide for her children’s needs.

A sewing machine was a perfect fit for Amlika because now she will be able to run a tailoring shop from her own home. That means Amlika won’t need to worry about coming home to find her children missing again. She can spend more time with them, help them grow and love them well.

There is a verse about thanksgiving that has been an encouragement and a challenge to me over the years: “Whoever offers praise glorifies Me; and to him who orders his conduct aright I will show the salvation of God” (Psalm 50:23).

I think it is so good for us to deliberately remember all the Lord has done in our lives and to give Him thanks for it.

Sometimes I’m tempted to feel overwhelmed by the things going on around me, like I’m on a train that is going a million miles an hour. But often in those times, the Lord will remind me of something He did in the past, some story or encounter or event, some answered prayer.

And He’ll tell me, “I’m still the same God. I never changed.”

I’m sure you have times like that you can look back on. Tanish, the man you read about in this issue of Harvest, can see how God took care of him and his family after a devastating disaster destroyed his home. Then there’s Amlika, who lived in a slum and feared for her children’s lives whenever she was away working. She can see God’s hand in the support He provided her through compassionate sisters in the Lord. These are stones of remembrances. We all have them, whether they are big or small stones, but how easily we forget to give God thanks.

In Psalm 78, God talks about all the things He did for the children of Israel, and in the end, He basically says, “They forgot.” It is a very sad statement.

Together, let us remember to deliberately give thanks, a “sacrifice of praise,” to the Lord.

You can even pause for a moment right now. Say, “Thank You, Lord,” and suddenly a thousand things will come to your mind of all the things He has done in your life.

I also want to thank you for the incredible difference you have made by grabbing hold of the opportunity to help so many understand the love of Jesus for the first time. Thank you.