Preparing for Takeoff

Gospel for Asia, Spring 2012

Dear Friends,
This January, my home church voted to support me with a very generous monthly pledge. Paired with new pledges from friends, Ive hit 41 percent of my support goaland with all the doors Gods been opening lately, I can see that 50 percent marker coming soon! I just need you to help me pray it into reality. In this economy, there are plenty of reasons to doubt the possibility of raising $2100 in monthly pledges, and yet, we have the greatest reason to believe that this will all come together: We serve God Almighty, who made all creation, who brought two of every animal to Noah, who put life in Sarahs 90-year-old womb! He is more As I start Year Two of raising support, I keep returning than able to raise this support. All He asks is that we to James 1:6: But let him ask in faith, with no believe He will do it. So, will you pray and believe with doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the me for. sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.
Church #1

One February night, I followed a whim and visited this church, praying that they would already be looking for a new mission to support. After the service, a mission board member told me theyre looking to fill a spot that just opened! A few weeks later, I spoke to the mission board, and am now waiting for their response.

Church #2 I spoke here in February, and the pastor spoke positively about pledging, but asked me to come back on April 22, when there will hopefully be more of a turnout.

New Pastors Every week, I visit at least three different churchesin addition to those I cold-call. This means there are a lot of pastors, deacons, and mission boards reading about GFA right now. Pray that God will move them to action. And for those who want to give but cant, pray that God will provide a way!

Jackson Hewitt In December, I snagged a job preparing taxes. I love being paid to snoop into other peoples lives, but I had no idea how many would snoop back. Ive had many opportunities to talk about GFA, and one client offered to connect me with not one, but two churches! Pray that both will be excited about the ministry.

Church #3 This pastor was thrilled when I told him Im raising support to help national missionaries because he already supports some in India. Hes going to connect me with his and other churches. Pray that these connections bear much fruit!

41%
Im always excited to talk about those tax-deductible charitable contributions!

Make your pledge at gfa. org/ bedu and tell your friends all about GFA!

Your prayers are a great encouragement to me. Thank you for your support!

God Bless, Bethany

When Suicide Fails, Whats Next?

Outsiders wouldn't have guessed Lina was just moments from death that day. For a woman in Asia, she had what people in her culture would consider an unusually good life. She had a husband and two sons, which were an automatic source of honor. Her younger son was getting a good education, and her older one already had a successful job. But the happiness was all external. For seven years, Lina had endured severe internal pain, and none of the money her family spent on doctors made a difference. In fact, the doctors refused to help anymore because they couldn't find a cause or see any change in her condition. The hopelessness Lina felt was compounded when her husband started fighting with her. He was angry she couldn't keep up her work around the house. Hurting without anyone's comfort, Lina chose poison as her escapetwice. But each time, her neighbor found her and got her medical treatment that saved her life. She couldn't even control whether she lived or died. Escape was heavy on Lina's mind as she walked along her village road, but that day, Lina ran into someone completely unexpected. The stranger was alarmed that Lina wanted to kill herself, but it wasn't an unusual story. The number of suicides among young to middle-age women in some parts of Asia is devastatingly highabout ten times greater than the world's average suicide rate. Lina's new friend, Charney, was a Gospel for Asiasupported missionary, and she immediately met Lina's distress with comfort and a message of hope. Her compassionate words sunk into Lina's heart. It overwhelmed her that maybe, just maybe, there was help for her after all. Charney invited Lina to a church service. There, Charney and other believers gathered around Lina to surround her with love and prayers. The Lord answered as they cried out to Him, and He completely took away Lina's pain. For the first time in seven years, Lina felt wholeand that wholeness extended to her spirit after she chose to embrace the love of Jesus. Lina's neighbors, who once knew her as the desperate lady who wanted to kill herself, suddenly saw a healthy, joyful woman. They had to know what had changed!

Her testimony spread through the village, and Lina started to see change in her family as well. The whole environment of her home became more peaceful. She The stranger began talking to Lina, probing into her knew the Lord hadn't finished working in themor downcast demeanor. Lina opened up to the woman and in her. shared about her consuming problems and despair.

You to Me to Charney to Lina

In most Asian countries, women are generally less educated than men, arent free to make their own decisions, and rarely interact with men outside the family. So its not easy for a male missionary to share the Gospel with these ladies unless they already attend church or their husbands come to Christ first. However, there are no cultural restrictions for women like Charney to reach out to them, and that is why your support is so valuable! Your pledge and prayers let me work fulltime telling others about this need. The people I tell, in turn, pledge their money to support a missionary like Charney, who is now able to go out and share the Gospel with women who would otherwise never hear! In 2010, we added 225 womens fellowships to the field because of the gracious support of people like you. Thank you so much for making even greater numbers possible!

Bethany DuVal 4571 Trenton-Oxford Rd. Hamilton, OH 45011 (513) 519-4540 bethanygduval@gmail.com www.gfa.org/ht/bedu