Rejoice!

When Gospel for Asia pastor Vikranta arrived in the small village, he knew where he was going and what to expect.

The family he was about to visit, however, had no idea he was coming or how much their lives were about to change.

Someone had told Vikranta about a family in desperate need of help. With faith in his heart, he hopped onto his bicycle and travelled five miles to visit them. When he arrived, he introduced himself and told them why he’d come: He was there because of their buffalo.

Family’s Buffalo Becomes Sick

Garima and her family depended on their water buffalo. They were devastated when the creature fell ill, unable to produce its life-sustaining milk—milk the children needed to drink. Garima and her husband did all they could to heal the buffalo, but nothing helped. Their situation grew so desperate that one neighbour, a follower of Jesus, called the pastor on their behalf.

When Vikranta arrived, Garima told him of their plight: “We have taken our buffalo to the [veterinarian], but . . . its health is getting worse,” she said.

Vikranta encouraged her family to put their trust in Jesus and offered to pray for their water buffalo.

For many days, he travelled the miles between their villages on his trusty code bicycle to visit and pray for Garima and the family’s buffalo. And God honoured Vikranta’s persistence. Garima’s buffalo started producing milk! At the same time, God produced faith in Garima’s family: They each decided to walk with Jesus.

Now they meet with Pastor Vikranta every Friday, opening their home so he can minister to a small fellowship of believers.

Granddaughter Falls Ill

With a healthy buffalo and a new hope in her heart, Garima could hardly have been happier—that is, until her granddaughter fell ill. This time, sickness threatened to rob them of far more than milk.

The sickness became so severe that Balik, their son-in-law, blamed his daughter’s illness on the newfound faith of his in-laws. His opposition was so strong, it ripped his family apart.

Following Pastor Vikranta’s example, Garima and her family didn’t give up hope and continued to pray. Soon the little girl began to laugh and play, and even Balik recognized God’s hand at work.

Because of a Bicycle

Daily journeys that once took hours have become just a short bike ride.

“Because of this [bicycle], I could start ministry in this village,” Vikranta shares. And he can do much more than that. Pastor Vikranta can travel several miles to neighbouring villages to share this same message of hope and love found in Christ and reach out to those in need of prayer. The fellowship that meets in Garima’s home is one of eight he is able to minister to. Thank you for standing with him.

Payod longed to expand his family’s small home, but he could barely afford to keep their stomachs satisfied. Although Payod had worked hard selling tea every day, he couldn’t meet all of his family’s needs.

Payod, who’d been walking with Christ for 20 years, stood strong despite this poverty and was seen as an example of faithfulness in the local church.

Last year, Payod’s pastor requested a gift for him through Gospel for Asia’s Christmas Gift Catalogue.

Payod received a cow not long afterward. With this valuable source of income, he started selling milk, and the Lord lifted his family from poverty.

“Now I have extended the corridor in my small house,” Payod says. “I am so thankful to God and the church leadership for helping me in my difficulties.”

This gift has enabled Payod to both renovate his home and build up the Body of Christ. He now supports one of his daughters financially as she attends Bible college, and he regularly gives a generous offering to the church, filled with gratitude to the God who provides.

Deepak, 10, and Charu, 14, who live only a few miles away from each other, have suffered the same tragedy—but, more important, have found the same hope.

More Than a Roof Over His Head

Deepak’s grandparents worshipped their gods zealously, regularly performing rituals and sacrifices. So it wasn’t strange that their daughter, like thousands of other women from poverty-stricken yet religious families, became a temple prostitute.

After she gave birth to Deepak, she found out a client had given her something that would eventually destroy her: HIV. Her parents took her to hospitals where she received expensive treatment, but she passed away when Deepak was only 4 months old.

Deepak’s grandparents took responsibility of caring for him, even though they struggled to make ends meet. Then they discovered Deepak had HIV too.

Through all their hard work, Deepak’s grandparents were able to send him to public school, but Deepak wasn’t interested in learning. To him, a boy with a death sentence, school was just a roof over his head.

One day the staff of the local Gospel for Asia Bridge of Hope centre met Deepak’s family. They saw the plight of two grandparents trying to care for their HIV-positive boy who seemingly had no hope. Wanting to encourage the family, the staff told them God loved them and shared about the work of Bridge of Hope. Deepak’s grandparents asked if he could join, and the staff happily enrolled him in the program.

At Bridge of Hope, surrounded by caring, loving staff and classmates, Deepak’s life began to change. He wanted to go to the centre as often as he could, and he became interested in school.

Support Amidst Condemning Diagnosis

In a village only a few miles away lived another orphan, Charu. His father had died before he was born, and his mother died three years later. Like Deepak, Charu was raised by grandparents who could barely provide for themselves.At 60 and 75, Charu’s grandparents, Kandan and Makshi, could find work only as daily labourers, and they struggled just to feed Charu. Eventually, Kandan grew too old to work, so Makshi toiled as the sole breadwinner.

Makshi approached the local Bridge of Hope centre to see if they had any work for her, and they hired her as a cook’s helper. Over time, she opened up to the project coordinator, Raza, about her struggles to provide for Charu’s education. Eager to help, Raza invited Charu to join Bridge of Hope.

Knowing Charu would get a quality education filled Kandan and Makshi with gratitude, but they were still concerned about him. He often got a severe fever, and even though they took him to the hospital, his condition didn’t improve. When the Bridge of Hope staff learned about this, they prayed fervently for Charu.

The Lord restored his health, but a few days later, Charu got sick again, and the doctor gave a crushing diagnosis: Charu had HIV.

Despite this devastating news, Makshi hoped that the God who’d answered the staff’s prayers would continue to intervene. She asked Raza about Jesus and visited a local fellowship. Hearing God’s Word filled her with comfort, and she and Kandan both decided to follow Christ. Meanwhile, the Bridge of Hope staff continued to pray for Charu. As God responded to their prayers, his health started to improve.

Futures Forever Changed

Despite the illness that can destroy them physically and emotionally, both Deepak and Charu are thriving at Bridge of Hope as their families and the staff members pray for their complete recovery. Now these young men are trusting God for the future, and they have the chance to positively impact society.

Deepak, who was once apathetic about school, is excelling in his studies, earning good grades in every subject. He hopes to one day become an engineer. Even better, he is growing up in a home with grandparents who love him and love Christ. After experiencing God’s love through the Bridge of Hope staff, they decided to follow Him and now attend a local congregation.

Meanwhile, with Charu’s health gradually improving—thanks in part to the prayers of the Bridge of Hope staff—he can participate actively in Bridge of Hope. His grandparents hope that one day he will go into full-time ministry. Filled with faith in the God who saved her grandson’s life, Charu’s grandmother regularly tells others about Jesus and often sees Him heal sick people when she prays for them.

Through Bridge of Hope, these two adolescent boys have gained more than an education; they have gained access to a bright future, and they have watched Christ’s love transform their families.

“We have been changed into new persons, and Jesus’ love has brought us joy, peace and happiness,” say Deepak’s grandparents. “We don’t have to do anything to earn His love. … We also thank Bridge of Hope for helping our grandson.”

Thank you for supporting the ministry of Bridge of Hope. God is using your prayers and generosity to bring His joy and peace to more families!

Thet Nu cried for help as she ran from the murderous charge of her husband. He had been sampling his own brew again, and it wasn’t long before he picked up a knife to attack her. Her neighbours came to her aid— not for the first time—and eventually Ohnmar settled down.

Ohnmar took care of his family by making and selling rice beer. But like many local brewers, Ohnmar was his own biggest customer. It was not unusual for this 62-year-old man to get raging drunk, only to instigate problems with his wife and other villagers. Turmoil filled this troubled family, and it seemed Ohnmar would always be an alcoholic.

The Prayers of a Pastor

Gospel for Asia pastor Myo Zaw had a burden to share the hope of Jesus with the people in Ohnmar’s village and prayed for them regularly. One day, God gave him a unique opportunity to clearly explain Christ’s love for all people.

Myo Zaw hosted three days and nights of prayer and sharing from the Word of God. The pastor welcomed any to attend. Ohnmar heard about this through his neighbour and decided to go. He stayed through every moment.

He watched Myo Zaw pray to Jesus and saw several people receive healing. He heard him read from the powerful Word of God. And when Myo Zaw explained more about Jesus, Ohnmar was fascinated.

By the end of the third day, Ohnmar broke down in tears and confessed his sins to the Lord. Unable to contain himself, he shouted out, “Jesus, forgive me!”

Changed Lives

And Jesus did. Ohnmar stopped making and drinking alcohol and starting walking with Jesus instead. It didn’t take long for Thet Nu to notice the transformation in her husband, one she desired for her life as well. Now, through Ohnmar’s testimony and Pastor Myo Zaw’s regular visits, several other families have also embraced the same life-changing love of Jesus.

Thanks to the prayers and support of men and women like you, God is opening doors and transforming lives through dedicated missionaries like Pastor Myo Zaw. God used him to change Ohnmar’s life. Now, in the same village where he once brewed alcohol and chased his wife, Ohnmar pursues the living God.

Rehan lived a life of hopeless toil, never earning enough to provide for his wife and three children. They sheltered under a roof with no walls, and Rehan couldn’t provide his children with a balanced diet.

When Rehan’s nephew, whose legs were paralyzed, began to walk after a Christian prayed for him, Rehan wondered if this God named Jesus could change his own life. With this hope, Rehan started attending the local fellowship led by GFA pastor Mudita.

Faith Grows, Prayer Avails

Rehan’s faith in Christ grew, but he still struggled financially. When Pastor Mudita learned about the family’s situation, he spurred Rehan to trust in Christ for provision, sharing about God’s love and goodness. Encouraged, Rehan began praying for his family every day.

The next year, Rehan and his family made a decision to follow Christ wholeheartedly, and they saw God answer their prayers when they received an unexpected and timely gift: a pull cart given through Gospel for Asia’s Christmas Gift Catalogue.

Rehan began using the pull cart to earn income, and every day he would start his work by thanking God for his gift. Then he’d take orders from shopkeepers to deliver items from the wholesale market to them.

Blessings Overflow From Pull Cart

Through this new source of income, Rehan was able to give his children nutritious food, send them to a good school, buy a milk cow and finally build a house. As neighbours became curious about the family’s improved living standard, Rehan testified of how Jesus helped his family.

One day, while Rehan was heading to the market, a man asked how he’d gotten a pull cart. After Rehan shared about the goodness of Jesus and the compassion of the church, God touched the man’s heart. He and his family decided to follow Christ, and now they are part of the local fellowship as well.

Through the pull cart, God has filled Rehan’s family—and many others— with joy.

“Now my family is running smoothly, and I am blessed through the vehicle that the Lord has provided to me,” Rehan says. “My family and I are happy in the fellowship of God’s people.”

Thank you for giving gifts like this pull cart. Through your generosity, families like Rehan’s are finding lasting hope in Christ!

I first rode a bicycle when I was 17 years old, and I have loved riding ever since.

At the time, I was serving the Lord with a team of young people in North India. I even remember the time I crashed into someone on the street because I couldn’t control the thing yet! But I did learn, and I was able to use that bike in the service of the Lord.

Just like Pastor Vikranta’s bike, our bicycle was very helpful for our ministry. Rather than spending money on gas to drive our old truck into town, one of us would take the bike in the mornings to get food for the rest of the team. Honestly, I can’t imagine how much more time and money we would have spent without it.

I don’t know where that bicycle is today, but I know there are many people in heaven because we used it.

Because of that bike, I am much more grateful whenever one of our brothers or sisters on the mission field is able to get a bicycle. With it, brothers like Pastor Vikranta can travel to faraway villages and reach those in need of prayer more quickly—even if the one needing prayer is the family buffalo.

I want to thank you for your continued prayers and support for brothers like Pastor Vikranta and for the generous donations you have given, enabling us to reach out to people like Ohnmar and Rehan. You may not realize it now, but you are truly making a difference.

If you get on a bike in the coming days, I hope you take a moment to thank the God who uses bicycles to spread His love in South Asia.

Thank you again for your love and prayers for the unreached