GFA World Newsletter

August 2021, Vol. 18, No. 5

Lachlan watched his wife, Favianna, lean on her walker, her movements stilted and slow. A disability severely hampered her ability to get around and take care of herself—and was especially challenging when she needed to relieve herself. For her, and many others in the village, the fields were their bathrooms, and full of peril. For Favianna, the open fields with uneven ground and no privacy were hazardous places for the woman to relieve herself.

The Needs of a Village

A poor day laborer, Lachlan’s earnings depended on the jobs he could find, which were mainly related to agriculture. With a drought that emaciated the village, jobs were few. Though Lachlan provided for his family as best he could, his poverty kept him from affording little else than the bare essentials—which didn’t include a toilet.

Most families in Lachlan’s village had space for an outdoor toilet, but they didn’t have the money to construct one. Lachlan wanted one for Favianna so she could more easily and safely relieve herself. Lacking proper sanitation facilities meant she and the other villagers risked becoming infected with diseases or becoming prey to wild animals and people who wished to take advantage of them.

Nearly every villager used the fields as their toilet. Even the elderly walked more than half a mile to defecate.

Relief Provided

Then GFA pastor Sabien came to the village.

As he walked through the village, Pastor Sabien saw the telltale signs of poverty. The overall quality of life in the village looked abysmal, and when Pastor Sabien heard about the villagers’ struggles with sanitation, his heart broke. Nobody should have to live like this.

Most families in Lachlan’s village (pictured) had to use the fields as their toilet until GFA World helped construct 22 outdoor toilets.

After telling his leaders about the village’s needs for toilets, Pastor Sabien quickly received permission to construct sanitation facilities.

Soon Lachlan, Favianna and their family—along with 21 other families—had their own toilets. No more uncomfortable, exposed journeys to the fields to relieve themselves. Thanks to their new toilet, they—Favianna especially—needn’t stumble in the dark, exerting themselves and risking their lives to disease and predators just to defecate. Their new toilets would offer both protection and dignity.

Abena was a Christian, right? Her parents were Christians, and even though the lives of her non-Christian friends seemed more exciting, she regularly went to church and Sunday school. Wasn’t that enough? The teenage girl didn’t understand why she had no peace.

Ebah and Abrya, two GFA workers who served alongside the pastor, often saw the young woman at church, but they didn’t know the turmoil inside her heart. Reserved, Abena mingled with only a small group of people at church and rarely talked to the two older women—until the day they stopped at her house.

Chance Conversation Brings Hope

One day, as Ebah and Abrya were walking home from an event, they sensed the Holy Spirit leading them to stop and visit Abena’s family. While at the house, they chatted with Abena and her mother, and before leaving, Ebah prayed specifically for the girl.

A floodgate opened in Abena’s heart as she listened to Ebah’s prayers for her. Suddenly, Abena recognized there was someone who cared about her, someone she could talk to.

Friendship Leads to Transformation

Two days later, Ebah ran into Abena. For the first time, the teenager initiated a conversation with Ebah, and her openness took the older woman by surprise: Abena confided she was facing temptations.

Outwardly, Abena had followed in her parents’ footsteps by attending church. But inside, she was captivated by the lifestyle of her friends who didn’t know Jesus, and these longings left her without peace or joy.

Hearing the girl’s struggles, Ebah prayed for her again and encouraged her. “When Christ lives in your heart, you will discover joy,” she said.

Abena, hungry to experience this joy, continued to attend prayer meetings and church—this time from her own motivation to know Jesus. She gradually realized she needed to offer her life to Him. As God’s Word filled Abena’s mind and heart, she found contentment in Jesus.

Now, instead of longing to follow her friends, Abena confidently follows the perfect Friend who changed her life. She has become an example for others, telling her friends about the goodness of Jesus.

Kaleena, wife of GFA pastor Lamonta, set an example for the members of their congregation. She faithfully supported her husband, cared for their four children and excitedly attended regional events for the church, such as women’s seminars and health care training programs.

Inside, however, Kaleena struggled with embarrassment and insecurity. She felt inferior when she watched other ladies in church read God’s Word. She, the pastor’s wife, couldn’t read the Holy Scriptures. She couldn’t read at all.

I wish my parents had sent me to school so that I also could have the ability to read God’s Word and other books, Kaleena thought.

Praying for a Chance to Help Others

Kaleena’s parents had battled poverty while raising their children, and they didn’t understand the value of education. Consequently, they hadn’t sent Kaleena to school. Now she couldn’t even sign her own name.

“God, please help me to read and write,” Kaleena prayed. “I am also your servant. I will read [Your Word] and know more about You and will be able to teach others too.”

Kaleena confided her disappointment to her husband. She wanted to learn from God’s Word and read other materials so she could teach others, but she felt powerless.

Lamonta assured Kaleena that her illiteracy didn’t change his love for her.

“When you had time, you could not go to school,” he said. “Whether you know to read or write or not, I am happy with you for who you are.”

Pastor Lamonta encouraged his wife to keep praying to God about her desire to read and write. Then, one day, he got the opportunity to be part of the answer.

Prayers and Perseverance Pay Off

One day Pastor Lamonta attended a pastors’ meeting, where one of the regional church leaders shared about literacy classes the church offered. GFA workers had created a literacy curriculum, complete with workbooks, published in 13 languages.

The leader encouraged the pastors to start literacy classes to benefit women in their congregations who were illiterate, especially their wives. Overjoyed about this opportunity to help his wife and others, Pastor Lamonta immediately got to work. He asked a literate woman in the church, Madora, to help him identify the women in the congregation who would benefit from the class. Then Madora started teaching the literacy class for six women, including Kaleena.

Learning to Read and write seemed like an impossible dream until Kaleena (pictured, center) got the opportunity to attend a literacy class.

At first, Kaleena struggled to grasp the letters of the alphabet, and she became discouraged. Would she, a woman in her 40s, be able to learn?

But Kaleena persevered, asking God for help. She listened attentively in class and practiced diligently at home with her husband’s assistance. Soon, Kaleena’s seemingly impossible dream became a reality: She could read and write!

Now Kaleena can read God’s Word every day. Her new skill has helped her to lead worship at church, lead the Women’s Fellowship group and even help older people in her village who are illiterate. Before, Kaleena couldn’t even sign her own name on forms, but now she can go to the bank and help others fill out forms. Kaleena praises God she finally got the opportunity to learn, grow and serve others more effectively.

More than 240,000 women, including Kaleena, have received the chance to read and write through women’s literacy classes organized by GFA workers. Thank you for partnering with them to equip women to impact their families and communities in ways they once thought impossible.

As the daughter of a poor, alcoholic daily wage laborer in Asia, Venita was destined to obtain limited education and repeat the cycle of poverty. Yet here she stood, a college graduate contributing to society as well as to her family’s income.

A Young Girl Struggles

Venita’s father, Kadan, barely earned enough for his family’s survival, and his drinking problem only depleted the family’s funds. Education for his four children, especially his three daughters, was not a priority. Venita’s community considered education for girls an afterthought. Venita attended school but, hampered by the lack of proper study materials and support, she struggled.

One day, the family met Abiah, who told them of a nearby GFA World Bridge of Hope center that could help Venita. If the academic assistance didn’t appeal to the impoverished family, the other benefits, such as a free daily meal and school supplies, surely did. At the age of 8, Venita entered the program, and her life would never be the same.

A Young Woman Prospers

With careful guidance from Bridge of Hope staff, Venita soon caught up in her studies, and learned discipline, manners and morals along the way. She also had the opportunity to participate in extracurricular activities, such as drawing, singing and reciting poetry. When she attended a medical camp hosted by the center, Venita received eyeglasses, which allowed her to see clearly the new world now open to her.

With the help of Bridge of Hope, Venita completed 12th grade and went on to college, where she participated in student government and solved various student issues. She earned good grades and completed her bachelor’s degree. Venita broke out of the cycle of poverty; she was destined for greater things.

Venita (pictured) gained valuable skills through GFA World’s child sponsorship program, skills that later helped her become a student leader and earn a bachelor’s degree.

Once a young girl struggling in her studies, Venita now tutors children—helping them acquire tools necessary to achieve a brighter future—and helps her family financially.

To what does Venita attribute her success? The foundation she received at Bridge of Hope.

Venita is thankful for the Bridge of Hope teachers who impacted her life, and she continues to visit the project center occasionally to seek their advice. Their investment has changed her life and transformed her future.

Thanks to donors like you, Bridge of Hope is helping children like Venita rise above the weight of poverty and find their true destinies, impacting their families and their communities. You are investing in their lives!

Phaedra felt helpless.

Work had run out. Government assistance had run out. Phaedra dreamed of a better future for her children, but now she couldn’t even feed them. Hope flickered on the brink of extinction.

Seeking Provision

After her husband’s untimely death, Phaedra left the only village she had known in search of work to provide for herself and her two teenage children. With little education, Phaedra’s options were few. But Phaedra worked hard as a janitor in the local primary school, for a meager salary, while her children went to school in hopes their lives could be better.

Suddenly the COVID-19 pandemic swept the world, and due to the ensuing lockdown, the school authorities ran out of funds to pay their employees. With no income, Phaedra and her children turned to government assistance for a daily meal. Weeks later, the family’s funds ran out, their meals ran out—and so did Phaedra’s options. Charitable neighbors sometimes provided food, but obtaining a daily meal became increasingly difficult.

A Visit of Providence

In her home village, Phaedra had been part of the church led by GFA pastor Damek. Concerned for her welfare, Pastor Damek shared her situation with Bakare, a GFA pastor in Phaedra’s new village.

GFA workers have distributed much-needed groceries and meals to thousands of families during the pandemic.

Hearing of Phaedra’s crisis moved Pastor Bakare to action. He and some of his church members visited Phaedra, showing her Christ’s love in the form of rice, salt and lentils. The timely aid filled Phaedra’s heart with joy and rekindled the hope within her.

“I had almost lost my hope during this dark time,” Phaedra said. “My children were hungry, and we had no one to approach for help. The Lord sent His people and helped me with my needs. I am so grateful to Him and [the church] for providing me these aids.”

It is so serious, and of utmost importance, that each of us is “endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit” (Ephesians 4:3).

“Endeavor” is another word for try, attempt, labor, strive, exert and struggle. Just by looking at these synonyms, it is obvious that it is a very deliberate, conscious act. We cannot simply state to one another, “Well, if you agree with what I say and if you eat the same food I like, I will sit at your table and we will have unity.”

In fact, the Apostle Paul tells us in the same text of Scripture exactly what we must do to attain this unity: “I … beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:1–3). …

We find a beautiful picture of what it takes to maintain this kind of unity in Jesus’ last Passover with His disciples. When He took the bread, He said to them, “This is My body which is broken for you” (1 Corinthians 11:24). If we look closely at a piece of bread, we will find that it is made up of thousands of kernels of grain; however, none of these individual kernels was left whole. They were all ground up into powder and mixed together before a loaf of bread could be formed and baked.

The bread Jesus gave to His disciples was not only a picture of His body being broken on our behalf on the cross of Calvary, but it was equally a picture of what it took for Jesus to become the Bread of Life. He was crushed and powdered as He laid down His own will and learned obedience through the things He suffered.

What about us, the Church? The Bride of Christ is also the Body of Christ. If we are His Body, we must also become bread that God can break to feed the multitudes of our generation. We can only become a loaf of bread to feed the hungry if the oneness of the Spirit is among us. And oneness only comes by yielding ourselves to be ground, powdered and mixed together.

Thank you for yielding yourself to be part of God’s work. The unity you share with your brothers and sisters on the mission field is transforming the lives of people like Lachlan and Venita, and it’s making a difference for all eternity.

Some of this material appeared on K.P. Yohannan’s blog on December 4, 2020. You can find the entire post at www.patheos.com/blogs/kpyohannan.