Gospel for Asia: News and Features Digest
– Reaching the most Unreached – Wednesday, 27 November 2013
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7-Year-Old Boy Tortured, Killed for Being
Christian
November 26, 2013
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Seven-year-old Anmol laughed and played;
he sang songs and learned Bible stories at Sunday school—and later, he was
cruelly tortured and killed for being a Christian.
The last time Anmol’s parents saw their
son alive was right before he left for Sunday school November 17. Anmol never
returned home that day. His mother and his father, Harish, assumed he had gone
to play with his friends, like he had done in the past. But when he didn’t come
home, they began to worry.
Harish filed a missing persons report
with the local police Monday, November 18. That same evening, police received a
call about a child’s body seen floating in a nearby pond. When Anmol’s parents
heard the news, they rushed to the hospital, where the body was taken, and
identified the dead child as their son.
“It
was very clear he was brutally murdered,” reported field correspondent, Jayana.
“[The murderer] had tortured the child in such an inhuman way. . .”
Evidence suggests Anmol’s neck was cut,
toes were broken and hands were slashed and burned. His face was burned, as
well, while hot fragments of coal or firewood were placed on Anmol’s stomach,
burning his abdomen. His mouth was also found tied. Autopsy reports came back
indicating Anmol’s final cause of death was drowning.
Details identifying the murderer are
unconfirmed while investigations take place.
“It's unthinkable that this would happen
to a little child like this,” said K.P. Yohannan, founder and international
director of Gospel for Asia. “Persecution against Christians is an ongoing
matter that we see happening every week. In fact, it’s increased by 400 percent
in the last several years, but the killing of a little child like this is
unheard of. Our people are already there to comfort and meet the needs of the
family.”
Harish with his wife, daughter, remaining
son and two of his brothers. Pastor Ruben continues to minister to the family
during this time.
Harish held Anmol’s funeral Tuesday, November
19. Around 200 believers gathered for the ceremony, including the local GFA
pastor, Ruben.
“The wail of the people and the parents
was truly heartbreaking to see,” Jayana said. “It was truly a painful and
intolerable incident.”
Anmol’s family has been a main target for
persecution since 2003, when Harish made the decision to live for Jesus Christ
after witnessing the miraculous healing of his older brother who had been sick
for a long time. Along with Harish, 45 other people came to know the saving grace
of Jesus and were added to the church because of this healing. Later, Harish’s
distant relatives also believed in the power of Christ through Harish’s
witness. Today, Harish is considered “one of the strong believers of our
church,” Jayana said.
Because of the large number of people
coming to know Christ as their Savior, persecution has since broken out in this
community.
Around 200 believers gathered for Anmol’s
funeral.
Please pray for:
Comfort and peace for Anmol’s family as
they grieve his death. Anmol leaves behind a father, mother, older brother and
younger sister.
God to strengthen and protect His
children from further persecution.
Anmol’s murderer to repent and come to
know the saving and forgiving grace of the Savior.
Pastor Ruben as he ministers to his
congregation during this time.
Join the Prayer Team
We trust that you will be challenged to
pray and assist our brothers and sisters in Asia who face persecution on a
daily basis. You will receive emergency prayer needs from Asia and monthly
requests. Let's knit our hearts in prayer together for these faithful men and
women.
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As a homeschooling mom, Cory generally
has an eye out for unique learning experiences—and knows when busyness and
logistics make such experiences impossible to attain. When her oldest son
suggested in early December 2012 that the family raise money for Gospel for
Asia's Christmas Gift Catalog, she knew there wasn't enough time. But like a
typical firstborn child, Zachary had already rallied his three siblings, set a
goal and dug in his heels.
No Time, No Money, & An “Impossible”
Goal
As a homeschooling mom, Cory generally
has an eye out for unique learning experiences—and knows when busyness and
logistics make such experiences impossible to attain. When her oldest son
suggested in early December 2012 that the family raise money for Gospel for
Asia's Christmas Gift Catalog, she knew there wasn't enough time. But like a
typical firstborn child, Zachary had already rallied his three siblings, set a
goal and dug in his heels.
November 2013
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Family Plans to Help the Needy During
Holidays
Originally, raising money for the
Christmas Gift Catalog had been Cory's idea.
Several years before, she and her
husband, Brandon, had learned how Gospel for Asia uses practical gifts to
provide physical relief to impoverished families and share the Good News of
Jesus Christ.
When it came time to buy gifts for
nephews who were too young to appreciate yet another toy, buying chickens and
pigs seemed like a fun way to give a present while actually making a difference
for someone who could use eggs or meat for income.
After two years of doing this, Cory
thought raising money for a bigger project might be a neat way to bring her
family together by working toward a common goal.
When the catalog arrived in the mail, her
8-year-old son, Zachary, pored over the pictures for two hours and got excited
when Cory mentioned setting a family goal. Despite good intentions, though, the
scheme was forgotten until the first week of December.
“All of a sudden, [Zachary] brought it up
again,” Cory says, “and I was really skeptical and negative.”
Cory insisted it was too late to start
the project, but Zachary and his younger siblings, Zoey, Ally and Austin,
persisted, making their goal the $678 Barnyard Bundle, which contains 12 farm
animals.
“I was even more negative about that
because it was a big ticket item,” Cory says, “but the kids totally had the
faith that it wouldn't be a problem … They just plowed forward.”
By evening, Cory, Brandon and the four
kids were sitting at the dinner table brainstorming about fundraisers.
No Time, No Money and an 'Impossible'
Goal Cory thought raising money for a Christmas Gift Catalog item would be a
fun way to bring her family together, but she worried that early December was
too late to get started.
Son Revives Fundraising Plans at Last
Minute
As the family tossed around ideas, Cory
and Brandon quickly realized most fundraisers would only engage the two of them
while the children watched from the sidelines. Wanting to involve even
3-year-old Austin, the family decided to make bags of caramel corn and hot chocolate
mix with labels the youngest children could decorate.
The finances would be a stretch, but the
family jumped into action that night, leaving their kitchen covered with sticky
caramel and cocoa powder. The next morning, they came to church with their
stock of “Hot Chocolate and Caramel Corn for Hope.”
“I tried to prepare the kids that, you
know, people might not be on the same page as us, or … who knows, is this
really what God wanted us to do?” Cory says. “We kind of did it really fast.
There wasn't a ton of preparing or prayer that went into it.”
When they told their pastor what they
were doing, though, he asked the family to speak in front of the church, and
after the service, every single bag had been purchased.
One single mom told the family she had
wanted to buy a Barnyard Bundle but didn't know how she was going to raise the
money. With tears in her eyes, she pulled a 100 dollar bill from her pocket and
gave it toward the family's efforts.
“We left church just in awe—all six of
us—because we just couldn't believe that God had been planting the seeds in
other people's hearts before we even had taken the idea to fruition,” Cory
says.
No Time, No Money and an 'Impossible'
Goal Cory's family made and sold bags of hot chocolate and caramel corn. Even
the youngest kids got involved by designing labels for the bags.
Community's Response Overwhelms Family
For the next week, Cory's family sold
caramel corn and hot chocolate mix to people they ran into at their homeschool
co-op, basketball practice and other places around town.
“Families in our homeschool group that
don't even know Jesus were so impacted by thinking about others and giving to
other people,” Cory says.
By the next Sunday, they had almost
reached their goal. They came back to church with more inventory and told
everyone it would be their last week, but many of their customers asked them to
come back with more the next week.
“It was so crazy during that whole time,”
Cory says. “I mean, literally, church would get out and people would start
handing us money, and it was all I could do to keep up.”
In two weeks of selling, including three
Sundays, the family earned enough money for three Barnyard Bundles, and
momentum was already building for Christmas 2013. Seeing the project's success,
other families with small children realized they could start a Christmas Gift
Catalog campaign, too.
No Time, No Money and an 'Impossible'
Goal Each Sunday, Cory's family sold out of their “Hot Chocolate and Caramel
Corn for Hope,” eventually earning enough for three Barnyard Bundles.
Family Expands Plan for Upcoming
Christmas
“For me,” Cory says, “it's been a huge
faith builder. … We didn't have the time. We didn't have the resources to make
all of that caramel corn and hot chocolate. … I was just thinking of all these
reasons why we shouldn't do it, why it wouldn't work, and I was really limiting
God.”
Since last year, Cory and Brandon have
talked with the kids about the impact of the animals and prayed for the
missionaries who were picking which families would receive the gifts. While the
family prays about their plans for this Christmas, the kids have already gotten
a head start by selling artwork to friends.
This year, the family is raising money
for a Jesus Well, which will show God's love by providing clean water for a
whole village. However, they also plan to enable other people to meet their own
goals. Inspired by a church member who gave them money to buy fishing nets,
they decided to take orders this year, allowing people to give toward whatever
gift is on their hearts.
“Who knows what God has in mind for
raising this year?” Cory says.
What she does know is that this year she
won't look at her family's efforts with doubt but with sweet expectation of
seeing God move in families' lives here and all across Asia.
No Time, No Money and an 'Impossible'
Goal This Christmas, Cory's family is raising money for a Jesus Well to provide
clean water and the hope of Christ to an entire village.
It's not too late for your family to be
part of changing lives in Asia. Check out our Christmas Gift Catalog and see
what God can do through you!
Watch
now
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Save a Turkey - Give a Chicken
Save a Turkey
For turkeys, Thanksgiving is a rough
holiday to endure! Though we don't have turkeys in the Christmas Gift Catalog,
you can give a pair of chickens to a family in Asia.
Donating Animals Delivers Hope, Income
How are chickens, rabbits and goats a
display of Christ's compassion? It's simple, when a family receives one of
these items, they're blessed with the income the animal provides. Smaller
animals reproduce quickly, and their offspring can be sold. Larger animals can
plow a field or pull a cart. Receiving a gift from the stable truly changes a
life.
FEATURED ITEMS
Rabbits
Add
Lambs
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Water Buffalo
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All Gifts from the Stable
See the Impact in Asia
Chickens Make Lots of Eggs
$11 for a pair
For the people of Asia, a pair of
chickens can create a steady income. Chicken eggs provide food for the family
and the extras can be sold at market. Through this simple gift, you may help a
malnourished child become stronger every day because of the tasty eggs.
My Gift $ Add to cart
See the Impact in Asia
Milk-Producing Goats
$70 each or $140 for a pair
A pair of goats produces at least two
offspring each year, and plenty of milk is provided to drink and sell. Giving a
pair of goats is a great way to share the happiness of Christmas with a poor
family this year.
My Gift $ Add to cart
Rabbits Are Easy to Raise
$11 for a pair
They're furry. They're cute. And they can
change someone's life. A pair of rabbits will quickly multiply, providing a
steady diet of healthy meat, and plenty of bunnies to sell. Rabbits are easy to
feed and can be raised in a small space—an important consideration in the
crowded areas of Asia.
My Gift $ Add to cart
See the Impact in Asia
Pigs Provide a Steady Income
$65 for a pair
Giving a pair of pigs is like giving
someone a steady paycheck. Each pair can produce up to 20 piglets a year, and
each piglet will grow over 200 pounds in less than five months. Now that's a
lot of pork to both eat and sell!
My Gift $ Add to cart
See the Impact in Asia
Water Buffalo Are Tough
$460 each
These robust animals can easily haul a
cart, plow a field, and also supply milk. Purchasing a water buffalo will even
help a poor mother feed her children and send them to school.
My Gift $ Add to cart
What Can You Do with a Camel?
$345 each
Where trucks quickly sink into sand,
camels feel right at home. This strong animal can work long hours in the heat
and carry up to 330 pounds across a desert with no problem. Poor families use
camels for plowing, transportation and hauling goods. Both camel milk and wool
can be sold for income as well. Helping to provide camels really makes a big
difference.
My Gift $ Add to cart
Lambs Produce Milk, Wool
$65 each
One lamb will produce up to 30 pounds of
wool each year. That's like giving an Asian family 10 miles of yarn! And wool
is not the only thing lambs have to offer. Their rich, nutritious milk is an
excellent source of calcium and makes delicious cheese. A pair of lambs will
reproduce, providing even more lambs for wool, milk, and meat. These little
animals truly make a difference.
My Gift $ Add to cart
See the Impact in Asia
Cows Provide Transportation
$375 each
Cows pull carts and heavy ploughs, and produce
lots of milk. Their calves are sold or kept to increase the size of the herd.
Donating this sturdy, all-in-one creature changes the income stream of a
family.
My Gift
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New Books by K.P. Yohannan
Books by K.P.
Stocking stuffers that amuse and inspire!
Check out K.P. Yohannan's new books, Little Things That Make a Difference and
Dance Not for Time in the GFA store.
Gospel for Asia Store
Featured Items
A Year of Intercession
GFA's 2014 Calendar
Dance Not for Time
K.P. Yohannan
Little Things That Make a Big Difference
K.P. Yohannan
Wristbands
Support Children in Asia
Touching Godliness
K.P. Yohannan
MyGFA T-shirts
MyGFA is Your GFA
Journey Series
Living By Faith, Not By Sight
The promises of God are still true today:
"Anything is possible to him who believes!" This booklet shares
balanced teaching that will remind you of the power of God and encourage you to
step-out in childlike faith.
$3.00
Get the booklet here
For Children
Even Donkeys Speak
Inspire your children, grandchildren or
any other child in your life with Even Donkeys Speak, featuring true-life
stories for younger readers.
$7.99
Get the book here
DVD
Touch of Love
You will be inspired as K.P. Yohannan
takes you around the world to see the "Untouchable" children of Asia
through Jesus' eyes...
$10.00
Get the DVD here
Audio CDs
Asian Christian Music
Recorded in Asia by believers who put
Christian words to classical Asian songs, listen to two exciting music CDs to
add cheer to your celebrations!
$10.00
Get the CDs here
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Giving Thanks to the Lord
Things GFA is Thankful for This Year
Gospel for Asia is thankful for many
things that the Lord has done throughout this past year. What are you thankful
for?
Gospel for Asia's Thankful List
Gospel for Asia is thankful for many
things the Lord has done throughout this year. Here is a list of 15 from the
hundreds we could name.
Pastors Ugyen and Samuel were released
from prison.
The mass evacuation that saved thousands
of lives during Cyclone Phailin.
For all the donors and prayer partners
who have been with us since 1979.
Our goal was to add 10 mobile teams this
year, and the Lord has already provided 10 vehicles!
The new edition of Touching Godliness, by
KP Yohannan was released with a study guide in the back.
The documentary "Veil of Tears: Hope
is on the Way" will be out in theaters Spring 2014.
The many myGFA campaigns that have been
complete this year, and what that means on the field.
Bridge of Hope student Jincy is
recovering well from throat cancer. Read More.
The ability to help the 5.4 million
people who were affected by flood waters in September.
The government is favoring Pastor Nakul
and local believers, despite radicals' opposition. Read More.
A number of people have joined the Gospel
for Asia home-team staff this year.
For the many new Bridge of Hope and
national missionary sponsorships this year.
The School of Discipleship students and
how the Lord has used them to further His kingdom and reach out to the
community.
So far, more than 70,000 women have been
a part of the health and hygiene program launched this year through our medical
ministry and Women's Fellowship.
How the Lord is using the network of
believers here in the West to share Christ's love with those in South Asia.
Now that you know some of what we are
thankful for, we would love to hear from you!
What are you thankful for?
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Do Your Christmas Shopping Through
Goodshop
Shop to Make a Difference
Christmas shopping online through
Goodshop raises donations for Gospel for Asia, and there are coupons available
for you as well! Find out more about this cool opportunity
Every Dollar You Spend Online Can Help
Change a Life in Asia
Your next online purchase can help take
the Gospel to the most unreached. All you have to do is find your favorite
store through GoodShop.com, and a percentage of your purchase will go directly
to Gospel for Asia!
GoodShop, an online shopping portal,
works in partnership with GoodSearch to help web users raise money for their
favorite charity. More than 1,000 retailers donate an average of 3 percent—and
some up to 30 percent—of every purchase made through their online stores when
you enter them through GoodShop. It won't cost you anything extra, and GoodShop
even provides discounts and online coupons!
To get started, go to www.GoodShop.com.
Find the "Who do you support?"
box.
Type "Gospel for Asia" into the
box and click the "Verify" button.
Find a store and start shopping!
Now, a portion of everything you spend through
GoodShop will go to GFA!
(You can see how much money is being
raised for GFA by clicking the "Amount Raised" button under
"Gospel for Asia.")
If you would like a reminder to visit
stores through GoodShop every time you open your web browser, you can make
GoodShop your homepage.
For even easier access, you can install
the GoodSearch toolbar, which in most cases allows you to use GoodShop by going
directly to the store's website. The toolbar displays the name of the charity
you are supporting (Gospel for Asia), a store list, available discounts and
coupons, and the percentage of your purchase price that will be donated.
Not only that, but because GoodShop is a
part of GoodSearch, you can use the toolbar for your regular Internet searches
so Gospel for Asia will receive donations from them as well.
With all these options, it's easy to make
everyday shopping significant. When you use GoodShop to support GFA, you'll
reap more than a great book or a new pair of shoes. Your bargains can make an
eternal difference in the lives of the people of Asia.
GoodShop FAQs
NOTE: This is not an implied endorsement
of any of the products offered or of the companies found through GoodShop, nor
is it a recommendation that you install the GoodSearch toolbar.
Every dollar you spend online can change
a life in Asia.
Support GFA through GoodShop
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Gospel for Asia
1800 Golden Trail Court
Carrollton TX 75010 United States
(800)WIN-ASIA
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