GFA World Newsletter

May 2019, Vol. 15, No. 4

At age 34, Pival had a husband and five children, but she was missing something that most people gain during childhood. With her days spent laboring tirelessly in the fields to provide for her family, it seemed she was too busy to learn something new.

But when two GFA-supported Sisters of Compassion told her they were teaching literacy classes for women, the words tumbled out.

“I do not know how to read and write,” Pival said.

Struggling for Subsistence

Without education and with no land of their own, Pival and her husband struggled to provide for their children through slash-and-burn agriculture (clearing forest to cultivate crops) and through daily labor jobs.

They were desperate to please their gods. Every Wednesday, Pival fasted, performed rituals and sought her god’s blessing, but that didn’t give her prosperity.

Two Sisters of Compassion, Jiya and Shari, lived nearby. One day, as they were visiting ladies in Pival’s village who attended their literacy class, they met Pival. As they talked, Jiya and Shari told Pival of God’s love. They also explained they taught a class to help women who couldn’t read or write. Pival asked to join.

Through literacy classes, women who had never before had the opportunity to be educated are learning to read and write.

New Skill, New Hope

Glad for Pival’s interest, the sisters welcomed her to the class, which included about five other women. As they taught Pival how to read and write, their friendship grew. They continued to visit Pival, encourage her and pray for her.

Attending the literacy classes faithfully and eagerly, Pival soon could write her own name. Excitement and gratitude filled her heart.

“With the help of Sisters of Compassion team, I am learning to read and write,” she said.

Not only did she learn to read and write, but she also was impacted by Jiya’s and Shari’s friendship. Seeing their commitment to Jesus, Pival desired to know Him and placed her trust in Him. She got involved in the local church and began growing in her faith.

Because Jesus sent two friends to demonstrate His love, Pival gained the valuable skill she longed for—and a gift even more precious.

“I have found hope in the Lord,” Pival says.

A large gathering of about 200 people crowded to get a good view. It was a film, quite the rare sight in this rural community. This film, however, was a particularly special one.

God’s Love Is for Them

GFA-supported mobile teams travel to the most remote of villages. Some of these isolated communities, hidden away from the world, have never heard the name of Jesus. One mobile team, led by Pastor Kovida, visited a similar village where GFA-supported pastor Abhinay was serving.

Two hundred men and women lived in this specific village and worked as daily wage laborer and gatherers. Some walk five miles just to find work. Poverty reigned. Furthermore, out of the 200 residents, only two had passed 10th grade.

Truly, the brothers saw that these people needed God’s love. As they mingled with the villagers, they offered Christian literature and invited them to the film showing later that night.

The Power of God’s Love

That night the villagers gathered. Pastor Kovida and his team started the film. For the first time, many not only heard of Jesus but also saw His life and ministry. This Man, who loved them so much, died on the cross.

After the movie ended, the villagers were so curious and fascinated with what they had seen, they couldn’t stop talking about it! Pastor Abhinay also talked to many of the villagers who had seen the film. Several desired to know more, so an open-air meeting was arranged for a later date.

Among those villagers were Syum and his wife, Pravina. The elderly couple was childless and alone, but after seeing the film and hearing of Jesus and His great love, their hearts were moved.

The night of the film, they opened their hearts to Christ and later attended a local fellowship. Two additional families decided to reignite their faith that night.

Through film, mobile teams like Pastor Kovida’s are able to not just share Jesus’ love but also show it.

How many children at age 14 desire to be a teacher so they can help other children in need? Sayona does. She wants to bless others as her teachers have blessed her.

A Family in Need of Peace

Sayona lives with her parents, grandparents and two siblings. Her father and mother are daily wage laborers who struggled financially. The entire family devoutly followed their traditions, visiting local holy areas and performing their rituals. That piety was instilled in Sayona at a young age, and she dutifully followed her parents’ and grandparents’ examples.

Despite their piety, the family had no peace in their hearts. All their sacrifices and all the rituals they followed did nothing to settle the deep sadness in their hearts. And so, the family continued to suffer in silence.

A Place of Love

When Sayona was 13, a GFA-supported Bridge of Hope center opened in her village. The staff, led by the center's coordinator Rubin, went door-to-door, seeking to bless the local children. When the staff met Sayona and her family, Rubin told them of the newly established Bridge of Hope center.

The family, after hearing all the benefits the Bridge of Hope program offered such as a daily meal, hygiene supplies and education, enrolled Sayona.

Sayona threw herself into her studies, quickly mastering her lessons. The young girl soaked in the love and affection shown by the staff.

Sickness Leads to Desperation

Then tragedy struck. Sayona’s mother, Liana, fell ill with severe stomach pains. What little money they had went to medication and painkillers for Liana. But the painkillers had the opposite effect; one of Liana’s kidneys failed, triggering a series of hospital visits.

“My siblings and I starved many days,” Sayona recalls. “We felt sad and cried seeing [our] mother’s condition and financial crisis at home.”

Despite the family’s prayers and supplication, they received no answer from their deities. Their last vestiges of hope and faith shattered, putting the family at a loss.

Healing Power of Christ

During this time, Rubin and a local GFA-supported pastor, Baldev, heard of this family’s struggles. They both offered prayer and encouragement to Sayona’s family.

“Christ will deliver you from your distress,” the pastor said.

For the next four days, Pastor Baldev and his family fasted and prayed for Liana’s healing. God answered their prayers and removed the pain plaguing Liana! Witnessing this miracle, Sayona and her entire family put their faith in Christ’s unwavering love.

Inspiration Through Blessing

For Sayona, the Bridge of Hope staff never let up in their encouragement and love. Throughout her family’s ordeal, the staff was by her side, providing for and inspiring her.

“The Bridge of Hope center provided me nutritious food for the past one year. Every month, it provides my school supplies and hygiene kits,” Sayona says. “I also got a blanket recently. I am so fortunate to be part of Bridge of Hope. After my studies I want to help the poor children who are struggling like me.”

The support and blessings heaped upon her by the Bridge of Hope staff inspired Sayona. The young girl wants to be just like her teachers, blessing and encouraging children in similar situations as her.

“I have a great desire to become a teacher in [the] future,” Sayona says. “And I will teach poor and needy children free of cost as [the] Bridge of Hope center helps me now.”

How many 14-year-olds wish to be like that? Thanks to Bridge of Hope, Sayona does.

Sabeena’s primary concern was keeping her girls safe. At ages 6 and 11, they were vulnerable without a father’s protection. The death of Sabeena’s husband reduced the family to poverty, forcing them to live in an open hut. Sabeena was scared to find daily labor work and leave her girls alone and unguarded from evil influences.

Sabeena and her daughters desperately needed a safe place to live. When officials in her community reached out to a GFA-supported leader for help, he mobilized the church to help build her a home of her own.

For nearly 10 years Sabeena held together her struggling family. Though she was illiterate and unskilled, monthly rations from the government allowed Sabeena to feed her girls daily. She got them to school on a bicycle given by villagers, and Sabeena’s neighbors allowed her to draw water from their well for cooking and bathing.

Pulling Together to Build a Home

Despite the help Sabeena received, she still desperately needed a better living situation. Individuals in the community pulled together to help her but could not raise all the needed funds to build a proper home for Sabeena and her girls. Local officials asked several organizations to help the poor widow, but they received denial after denial.

Then one official reached out to a GFA-supported pastor and told him of Sabeena’s need. When the pastor heard of the family’s desperate situation, he mobilized the church to help build them a house.

On July 13, Sabeena and her daughters, surrounded by the neighbors and local officials who had done so much for them, rejoiced as Pastor Jyotis dedicated their new home.

“I am privileged to witness a great act of kindness for a poor widow in my division, which brings lots of joy to me,” said one local official. “There is not even one Christian in this village, but when I sent an appeal for help to [a GFA-supported leader], he responded positively without hesitation looking at the urgent need of this poor family. … According to the Bible, as I heard today, Jesus has commanded that first you need to help the poor, widow and the orphan, which I witnessed with my own eyes.”

With tears in her eyes, Sabeena thanked Pastor Jyotis.

“I now believe there is a God who really cares for people after I experienced it today,” she said.

I will never forget the sacrifice of one dear retired widow, whom I met on a speaking tour. Excited about how much she still could do even though she wasn’t working, she pledged to help sponsor a missionary out of her tiny Social Security check.

After six months I received a very sad letter from her.

“K.P.,” she wrote, “I am so privileged to be supporting a missionary. I’m living all alone now on only a fixed income. I know when I get to heaven I’m going to meet people who have come to Christ through my sharing, but I must reduce my support because my utility bills have gone up. Please pray for me that I will find a way to give my full support again.”

When my wife, Gisela, showed me the letter, I was deeply touched. I called the woman and told her she need not feel guilty—she was doing all she could. I even advised her not to give if it became a greater hardship.

Two weeks later, another letter came.

“Every day,” she wrote, “I’ve been praying for a way to find some more money for my missionary. As I prayed, the Lord showed me a way—I’ve disconnected my phone.”

I looked at the check. Tears came to my eyes as I thought how much this woman was sacrificing. She must be lonely, I thought. Without a phone, she would be cut off from the world.

“Lord,” I prayed, as I held the check in both hands, “help us to remain true to You and honor this great sacrifice.”

This widow’s sacrifice has inspired others in ways I never would have imagined. … I praise God for the example of this dear woman and of many others like her.

Thank you for being one of those many people who have sacrificed so more people can experience Christ’s great love. When we stand worshiping the Lord together for all eternity, we will stand alongside people whose lives have been touched through our obedience to Him. May the Lord encourage all of us in remembering these sacrifices are worth it.

Some of this material appeared on K.P. Yohannan’s blog “Living in the Light of Eternity” on December 20, 2018. You can find the entire post at www.patheos.com/blogs/kpyohannan/2018/12/widows-sacrifice/.