Rejoice!

Macen (pictured) prays to dedicate the village’s Jesus Well.

GFA pastor Macen regularly visited the villages in his surrounding community. With a heart of compassion, he took note of the various needs in those villages and helped meet them as much as he could, offering practical assistance and spiritual support to the people around him.

But there was one dire need that stood out. It made visiting the villages difficult and threatened the residents’ very lives.

A Desperate Deficiency

Pastor Macen knew eating or drinking anything in these villages carried risk. The people lacked access to clean water and proper sanitation. As a result, disease was rampant.

The need in one particular village pricked Pastor Macen’s heart. The people were good-natured; they got along with one another and welcomed his presence. But their water supply for drinking and other daily use was woefully insufficient. They had to travel a long distance to collect water, and even that water was unclean, causing frequent sickness.

Their plight stirred Pastor Macen’s heart to action. “How would it be if we arrange a water facility?” he asked the people, explaining his desire to help and the process of obtaining a Jesus Well. Perhaps the pastor’s words initially brought shock or unbelief and it took them a moment to fully grasp the implications. Perhaps the news was instantly music to their ears. Regardless, they all rejoiced at the prospect of access to clean water.

A church member (pictured) tastes clean water from the Jesus Well for the first time.

Living Water for the Thirsty

A local believer offered a piece of land for the Jesus Well, and it was soon installed. The well, which serves about 200 people a day, filled the entire village with joy and gratitude. They could now fill their vessels with pure water that didn’t carry disease, and they could easily collect it in their own village, without hauling it miles to their homes.

Though the people had previously welcomed Pastor Macen, they were initially hesitant to listen to his message. The church’s response to their critical need, however, demonstrated Christ’s love and drew the people’s hearts to Him. Several families, after tasting of clean water and God’s love, have now put their trust in the One who offers Living Water.

BioSand water filters are an effective gift to families who have access only to unclean water, removing 98 percent of impurities. Filter recipients often share the gift with their neighbors, too!

Kalin put in long hours working as a daily wage laborer in a tea garden. Day after day he toiled for meager wages, struggling to meet his family’s basic needs.

The remote village Kalin lived in offered little hope for improvement. They had no electricity and, worse, no pure water.

Kalin’s family, like the rest of their village, depended on a small river as their water source for drinking, cooking and cleaning, but the dirty water created a host of problems. Many people in the village, including Kalin and his family, suffered from frequent sickness.

Their situation bred anxiety. How could they go on living like this? What could they do?

The answer came when GFA pastor Elazar happened to visit Kalin’s house. After hearing their woes, Pastor Elazar encouraged the family from God’s Word and offered practical help: He told them of a water filter that could bring joy and health by removing 98 percent of impurities from their water.

After giving them a BioSand water filter, Pastor Elazar continued to visit the family, praying for them and encouraging them. His concern moved their hearts, and Kalin and his family soon chose to follow Christ. With clean water and clean hearts, this family has a fresh start.

Vance (pictured) faced many challenges growing up in a slum, and he once had little interest in his studies.

As Vance lived in a slum dependent on his father’s meager income for his next meal, poverty was always present. Unfortunately for Vance, his father spent most of his earnings on alcohol instead of on family necessities. Many days the teen went hungry.

Additionally, with the near constant threat of sickness from no proper toilets, disease-carrying mosquitoes and the lack of clean water, Vance and the many other children living in the slum lived in an unhealthy environment and frequently got sick. What hope was there for a better tomorrow?

A Future Secured

One day, Vance’s father and stepmother, Rawling and Mabyn, heard of a program where children and families facing poverty could receive help. A healthy meal, free health care, tutoring in their classes—whatever a child needed, they got through GFA World’s Child Sponsorship Program. And the program staff gladly enrolled Vance.

Vance’s first days in the program were marked by disinterest. The teen had no drive to do well in his studies and often skipped classes. Neither did he know how to take care of himself. The program staff had their work cut out for them.

After Vance got the opportunity to join GFA World’s Child Sponsorship Program, he received nutritious food and academic support. Soon, his schoolwork began to improve.

But as the days turned into months, a change began to occur. The free meals provided by the program got him through the day. Even if he missed a meal at home, Vance would not go hungry. In addition to receiving physical nourishment, Vance gained counsel and attention from the program staff, who tutored him in his core subjects and encouraged him to take care of himself. Vance started to actively pursue better grades in his core subjects.

Vance is now confident in himself and happy with his new life, and his parents are grateful their son has grown into a disciplined young man. His younger stepsiblings also joined the program. They, like Vance, now have a chance at a better tomorrow.

Pastor Sealey and his wife, Bianca, (pictured) have faithfully ministered God’s love in whatever community the Lord has planted them. Currently, they minister to a church of nearly 40 people.

Normally, 32-year-old Reeve and his family attended church services every week. But for two weeks straight, they were absent. The entire family was sick with high fevers and coughs. As Reeve was a farmer, he could not afford a hospital visit for one person, let alone his entire family.

Then, a visitor approached their door: It was their pastor, Sealey. Concerned at their absence, the GFA pastor had come to check on them.

After praying for the family’s recovery, Pastor Sealey then journeyed nearly 10 miles to the nearest town. He brought back enough medicine for the entire family. Within a few days, Reeve and his family, grateful for Pastor Sealey’s help, recovered.

For Pastor Sealey, ministry means more than verbally sharing God’s love with individuals who need it. Ministry involves hours of labor: It is visiting the sick, caring for the discouraged, helping the destitute find ways out of poverty. Those the Lord calls to ministry sacrifice time, money—even their own lives. But the men and women, like Pastor Sealey, who answer the Great Commission know stirring hearts with God’s love is worth the sacrifice.

The First Years

When Pastor Sealey was 22, he completed his theological training and began his first ministry assignment in hilly countryside near his ministry training center. After his internship, he was sent to two other villages on his first solo ministry assignment.

At first, Pastor Sealey faced difficulties in his ministry. As most villagers had little education, it was tough to communicate God’s love to them. But this hurdle didn’t deter the young missionary.

If words didn’t always get the villagers’ attention, actions did. Pastor Sealey, with spade and machete in hand, headed out with the villagers to the surrounding jungles. As he worked alongside them and showed them the best ways to clear out the tangled vegetation for farming, Pastor Sealy won their respect. Finally, they listened. And what they heard changed their lives.

After four years of fervent ministry, the young pastor had begun three fellowships in three separate villages. Today, those fellowships include nearly 200 people.

Ministry Together

The fourth year in Pastor Sealey’s journey marked a major change—he married Bianca, a fellow missionary. Bianca joined Sealey in his ministry, and along with the various ministry roles she took on as a pastor’s wife, Bianca helped the poor children in their community. Whenever she could, Bianca gave the children haircuts, trimmed their nails and helped give them baths. Bianca also read and taught them stories from God’s Word. Throughout their work, Sealey and Bianca served with God’s love.

After spending six years in the same area, change came to Sealey and Bianca. Sealey’s leaders transferred him to another village. But besides the scenery, not much changed. As in their previous areas of service, Sealey and Bianca ministered constantly, spreading God’s love to all. And currently, nearly 40 men, women and children are a part of the church led by Pastor Sealey.

Many national missionaries have similar stories to Pastor Sealey’s and Bianca’s. They give of themselves tirelessly to bring God’s love to families and communities who may never have heard of Christ. No matter how hard their work may be, it is well worth the reward of seeing lives transformed.

Siro (pictured) almost didn’t take Pastor Rahn’s gift, a New Testament, but when his daughter Pabla read the book to him, God did a miracle.

It was a national holiday, so Siro had the day off from his job as a painter. When a strange man approached his door, he wasn’t yet ready to hear the message of hope the man had to offer. The visitor, GFA pastor Rahn, offered Siro and his family a New Testament and some booklets. He also explained that he was available to pray for anyone in need.

“We are illiterate people,” Siro gruffly responded, “and we do not know how to read and write. You better move [on] from our house.”

“Your daughter can read for you,” Pastor Rahn suggested. “Please just listen. This is … the Word of God, and it can change your life, as well as all the difficulties you are facing.”

Then Pastor Rahn moved on, as Siro had advised him to do. He didn’t know that Siro and his family were facing serious difficulties.

Another Disturbing Night

For some time, Siro had been frequently experiencing attacks that seemed to be caused by an evil spirit. Some nights, he would suddenly become restless and then faint. These episodes disturbed the whole family.

The night after Pastor Rahn’s visit, another attack happened. Siro woke up at midnight shouting. His wife began weeping in distress. But Pabla, their seventh-grade daughter, remembered Pastor Rahn’s words. Maybe the Word of God could solve their problems, as he had claimed.

God’s Word Brings Peace

Pabla took the New Testament and began reading aloud. Suddenly, a voice bellowed from her father’s mouth: “Don’t read this book.” But Pabla’s mother told the girl to keep reading.

After a while, a miracle occurred. With one more shout from her father’s lips, the evil spirit apparently fled—Siro was free. He became calm and asked for some water to drink. Then he hugged Pabla.

Pabla read aloud to the family a little more. Then, after so many disturbed nights, they all slept in peace. Siro woke up in the morning with a firm conviction: We slept peacefully after a long time because of this Word of God.

Siro told Pastor Rahn about the miracle. The family began attending worship services at the church led by Pastor Rahn and put their faith in Jesus. Because of the gift of God’s Word, the family found freedom from oppression; now they have a lasting peace in Christ.

People in Myanmar in desperate need of help during the COVID 19 pandemic.

Today, untold millions in Myanmar (population 55 million) live with indescribable suffering. The pandemic and a civil war have gripped the land, leaving people stranded. Shootings, bombings, killings and the burning down of houses have become continual. The heartbreaking situation is only worsening, and families from GFA World churches are not far from it.

A few months ago, more than 600 of these families in one district were driven out by force; houses and church buildings were destroyed. Thousands of precious believers are scattered in forests and other hiding places to survive. By God’s mercy, GFA missionaries continue to provide rice and other basic needs to sustain these believers and their families. We thank God for the generous help that is given to relieve the untold suffering in this land. Pray for God to intervene and bring peace to this nation.

As COVID-19 and political upheaval have taken lives, GFA missionaries in Myanmar have been providing vitally needed food and medical supplies to suffering communities (pictured).

In South Myanmar, GFA World churches have actively helped distribute COVID-19 kits containing items such as PPE uniforms, gloves, hand sanitizer, oxygen cylinders and concentrators, face shields, surgical caps and masks to hospitals and communities. Through the COVID Care Center, hundreds of COVID-19 patients are receiving care. Vaccinations are also provided as they are available.

Think about Apostle Paul’s life.

K.P. Yohannan

He was a member of the Sanhedrin and the ruling party, very powerful. He had the highest possible education and much that would bring him esteem, but then he gave his life to Christ. Immediately after his commission, Jesus said, “I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake” (Acts  9:16). Then, for 30 years, Paul was like a wounded animal: Everywhere he walked, he could see the drops of blood from opposition, but he never stopped. He knew his destiny as a minister for Christ.

When the prophets in Acts 20 foretold that he was going to get beaten up and imprisoned and risk his life, for Paul it was kind of confirmation. He knew what was coming, but he didn’t regard his life as dear to himself. All he wanted was to preach the Gospel in simple language.

The price you are to pay and I am to pay in obeying our Lord is to face real-life opposition. We don’t realize we’re enlisted into an army. Maybe even with all the preaching, teaching, writing books and everything, I still don’t fully grasp this. There are times I wish somebody else would do this; I am old and tired.

We want to escape, find peace, find some rest. If you are going through trials and opposition, welcome to the reality of your enlistment in the army. Here we are, recruited by the Lord. In His grace and mercy, He enlisted us. He could have chosen 10,000 other people, but He chose you.

Whatever battle I am dealing with, whether it is a difficult telephone call, a social media firestorm or my own failures, I need to understand it is not just accidental. This is not just normal life; these struggles are as powerful as real bullets. The spiritual battle is real, but God never abandons us or forsakes us; He is with us and will give us grace.

The national missionaries featured in this newsletter have, like Apostle Paul, committed their lives to sharing the Gospel. May their lives inspire you to persevere as you continue to serve our Lord, who will grant you grace for whatever circumstance you find yourself in.