Feature Stories
God Provides Healing and a Home
November 2024 • Article
What had happened to Shmuel? He had been a healthy boy, but that suddenly changed when, at age 11, he fell seriously ill. Headaches and fevers became constant in his life. It seemed that nothing—no hospital, medical doctor or witch doctor—could heal him. His condition grew even worse following injections from a local hospital. Shmuel grew skinnier and weaker.
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Going the Distance
November 2024 • Article
A chill slowly settled and night skies lingered longer over the steep Himalayan foothills where Samzun lived. The changing season meant he and his family had work to do. At winter’s advent, while most of us prepare for the holidays, they would have to focus on survival, on getting through each day. To prepare, they needed to chop firewood, gather hay for their animals and, if they needed any supplies, hike a few hours to the market.
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Couple Shows Widow Love of the One Who Never Forsakes
November 2024 • Article
What was Beula to do? She, a widow, had worked as a domestic helper for many years, but now with her health declining, she couldn’t continue with the same number of hours. How could she take care of herself and her only son? As life’s burdens continually increased, would Beula ever find rest?
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A Dire Illness Leads to New Life
November 2024 • Article
You’ll start seeing a new name for our Sisters of Compassion: Sisters of the Cross. As their number and reach expands, this change will more immediately identify them as ministers of the Gospel in service of Jesus Christ. Thank you for helping them in their important mission!
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Faithful Service Yields Fruit in a Family
November 2024 • Article
Kai and his wife, Eira, had lived well in their village for many years. Kai worked as a farmer, while Eira took care of their home and the five children they had been blessed with, four sons and a daughter. But their life was eventually disrupted by their youngest son’s drinking and the introduction of a new neighbor: Pastor Iwan.
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A Daughter Reads Healing Words
November 2024 • Article
Like many GFA missionaries, Pastor Rahn experiences challenges in his ministry. Although more than 20 people attend weekly worship services at the church he pastors, the town he serves in is very opposed to his work. People in the town hold fast to a traditional religion and typically reject any other teaching.
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Administering Mercy, Prescribing Love
October 2024 • Article
“I felt grieved that I came to know such Great Love so belatedly,” GFA woman missionary Alina shared. She had spent her entire life practicing her family’s traditional religion, seeking favor and peace through its rituals. But when her father died unexpectedly, the shock threw Alina and her family into depression. There was no peace.
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Refusing to Throw in the Towel
September 2024 • Article
“Ministry doesn’t exist without people,” shares Mike, GFA staff member of 15 years. Mike is just one of the dedicated people who makes the ministry of GFA World possible. Serving as behind-the-scenes missionaries, Mike and other members of GFA’s Mission Support Team (MST) link partners here and national missionaries on the field so that more people can hear Jesus’s name for the first time.
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Life’s Last Chance at a Bus Stand
July 2024 • Article
Radko wandered through his house, looking for anything he could sell. The table, chairs, stove and electric kettle were already gone, sold for a couple of dollars to buy alcohol. Maybe the pictures on the wall were worth something. Supporting a family of six was difficult under the best circumstances, and he was usually too hungover to go to work. Half the time, he couldn’t even remember who he was. And his wife … what was her name? Margret? Maija? Maude? No—Magali. Her name was Magali. Since his nervous breakdown, he had trouble recognizing his wife and kids.
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Words of Life for Less Than a Penny
June 2024 • Article
This was not the future his parents had imagined for him. The scenery, all too familiar, rolled by as Jonathan rode the bus home from work. If he was honest, this probably wasn’t the future he’d dreamed of for himself, either. The 19-year-old had received medals and awards for athletics, he’d played in the school band, and when the time had come to take his final exams for 12th grade, he had passed with flying colors. He’d done so well, in fact, that he had received the coveted invitation to continue with higher studies.
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Finding Someone Who Wouldn’t Abandon Her
May 2024 • Article
Loneliness. Abandonment. Rejection. These had been frequent milestones on the trail of Pima’s life, even though she was only 29 years old. Now, she had a daughter to raise with little support from her husband. How could Pima help her daughter navigate life when she herself felt alone and abandoned?
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Escaping a World of Ignorance
April 2024 • Article
It’s been said that only those who escape the limitations of tea estate schools have any chance of succeeding in the sphere of education, and Nadette was fighting to escape.
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Compassion That Doesn't Run Dry
March 2024 • Article
Ariana perceived a reluctant look on her neighbor’s face. Had she pushed their generosity too far? But she needed clean water for herself and her children to drink. For Ariana, asking neighbors for drinking water was uncomfortable, especially during the dry season when she knew they also struggled to attain pure water. As a single mother, though, she didn’t have another option. Would she forever have to depend on others’ kindness? Was there Someone whose compassion could never be overextended?
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