News Update on Devastation in Asia
(For information about Gospel for Asia (GFA) see end of post.)
Gospel for Asia workers are ru****ng food, clothing, medical supplies-and
the
love of God-to millions of Asians still in deep shock from a disaster
spawned by the most powerful earthquake in 40 years.
GFA President K.P. Yohannan (a native of India), who returned from India
the
day after the powerful tsunami hurled devastating walls of water from
Thailand to Africa, said GFA workers are already ministering among the
estimated three million survivors huddled in massive refugee camps in
India.
Others are serving in Sri Lanka and other hard-hit countries.
In Sri Lanka, where 12,000 deaths have been re****ted, 17 villages in the
rebel-controlled north of the island have been especially hard hit, and an
entire train with 1,000 people on board was washed away along a coastal
rail
line.
Amid the death and destruction, however, Brother K.P. re****ted this
morning
on how God's hand protected one Believer's Church congregation.
"In one of our churches in Sri Lanka, our believers were spared even
though
their entire village was washed away," Brother K.P. explained. "At the
time
the wave hit, they were all in church, and their church building is
located
up in the mountains."
But Christians have suffered alongside their countrymen throughout South
Asia's devastated coastal regions. One pastor in Sri Lanka, Brother
Logidasan, lost his wife, son, and mother when the waves crashed in on
them.
The leader of GFA work in Sri Lanka, Lal Vanderwall, has called for prayer
for the pastor and his coworkers as they try to minister to others in the
midst of their own grief.
In India, the confirmed death toll has hit 11,000, but thousands more are
still listed as missing. It may be weeks before a final number is known,
as
thousands of men, women, and children were swept out to sea as the killer
waves retreated. Some were out for a Sunday morning stroll on the beach
when
the tsunami hit. More than 5,000 fishermen are missing, their small boats
swamped and crushed by the awesome power of the ru****ng water.
Hundreds and perhaps thousands lost their lives in the Indian coastal
states
of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Kerala, where GFA has its Asian
headquarters. Most of the victims knew nothing of the earthquake or the
tsunami until the huge waves began rising up from the ocean in front of
them. Most South Asian countries lack warning systems to alert the people
to
such imminent dangers.
As of this morning, re****ts were still coming in from GFA offices across
Asia.
In the Andaman Islands a re****ted 6,000 people have been killed. In
another
miracle, however, all 26 GFA missionaries serving on the low-lying island
chain are re****ted safe.
"We thank God for these miracles," Brother K.P. said, "and pray that He
will
use these believers to share His love and compassion with the millions who
are suffering so terribly."
In the wake of this disaster, GFA's 1.5 million-member Believers Church in
India is rallying sup****t and deploying its leader****p and members to
minister to those suffering so horribly-both physically and spiritually.
---------------------
How you can help:
You can help the people who are in immediate need by visiting the websites
of trustworthy Christian organizations that are there with food, clothing
and medical help -- in the love of Jesus Christ. I've listed the urls for
3
excellent Christian organizations: World Vision, Samaritan's Purse, and
GFA.
World Vision: http://www.wvi.org/wvi/home.htm
GFA: http://www.gfa.org/gfa/
Samaritan's Purse: http://www.samaritanspurse.org/home.asp
--------------------------------
What is GFA?
Gospel for Asia is a native mission organization like no other. Rather
than
educate and train foreign missionaries from the West, GFA trains men and
women who are native to Asia. They already live among the people who need
to be reached. They already speak the languages and understand the
cultures. They do not try to change the people of India, for example,
into
Americans or Canadians or Brits. Instead, they simply share the gospel
message and help to start and grow local churches.
For more information about GFA , visit:
http://www.gfa.org/gfa/distinctives
And be sure to order a free copy of the book, "Revolution in World
Missions"
by GFA founder, K.P. Yohannan. It's excellent reading, and it will change
your life.
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