Tsunami of the Spirit

We have just returned from one of the most encouraging and uplifting weeks we've ever spent! We spent a week at the southern tip of India teaching at the Seminary of Gospel for Asia, located in Tiruvalla, India. We were, again, overwhelmed with the effectiveness of this remarkable ministry, which is literally changing an entire country.

Gospel for Asia also operates 54 Bible Schools throughout the country, with 8,000 students preparing for full-time ministry. They have trained 14,000 pastors, missionaries and evangelists who have now planted 21,000 functioning churches! They are also conducting 20,000 Bible studies, which will become churches. They are planting 16 new fellowships per day!

The operations on their 160-acre campus at Tiruvalla are a beehive of activity. In addition to the Seminary, they conduct radio broadcasts in 92 languages and publish over 240 million editions each year of Bibles, tracts, and the like, in 18 languages!

We had a truly delightful time with the energetic and inquisitive students of the Seminary, teaching four hours each morning, consulting with the faculty in the afternoons, and conducting evening services, which were open to the public.

We also had ample opportunity to tour the extensive facilities - while some of the classrooms are quite primitive (see photo), most of the buildings, etc., are extremely well done. In fact, this is clearly one of the best managed operations I've ever had the privilege of visiting. The entire staff appears efficient, competent, and committed. 

K.P.'s vision and commitment is bearing fruit that is an enduring credit to our King. His son, Daniel, is also able and effective.

We are, of course, supplying them with all of our materials for their library and courses where appropriate. And we plan on regular visits as the Lord provides opportunity.

I very strongly encourage you to add them to your prayer list and respond with confidence as the Lord may lead. Their website is www.gfa.org.

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About K.P. Yohannan and Gospel for Asia

(excerpted from www.gfa.org)

K.P. Yohannan is the founder and president of Gospel for Asia, a mission organization involved in evangelism and church planting in the unreached regions of Asia. Currently Gospel for Asia supports over 14,000 church planters in the heart of the 10/40 Window.

Born in a remote village of South India, K.P. Yohannan's personal journey toward spiritual reality began at the age of eight when he gave his heart to Christ. While he was still a young boy, his mother began fasting each week, praying God would call one of her six sons into full-time Gospel ministry. Her prayers were answered in 1966 when 16 year-old K.P., her youngest, volunteered to serve in North India with Operation Mobilization.

From 1974 to 1979 K.P. attended Criswell Bible College in Dallas, Texas, where he earned his B.A. in Biblical Studies. He was also awarded an honorary doctor of divinity degree from Hindustan Bible College in Madras, India.

During the time he attended Criswell, he pastored a local church in Dallas. However, he was unable to forget the millions still lost without Christ in his homeland of India, and knew God was calling him to reach his own people. In 1978 K.P. resigned his pastorate and he and his wife, Gisela, organized what is now Gospel for Asia.

GFA has grown rapidly and has quickly become one of the most effective mission forces in Asia today. The ministry has expanded beyond India to support native missions in Nepal, Myanmar, and many other Asian nations. In addition to traveling and speaking in North America, K.P. spends half of his time in Asia, consulting with Christian leaders and speaking at missionary gatherings. He's also heard throughout India by millions of people on a daily Christian radio program. He lives near Dallas with his wife Gisela. They have two grown children, Daniel and Sarah, who are serving the Lord.