Feature Stories
Chasing Education for Her Sister's Future
October 2020 • Article
Sumana helped her parents pack up for the move to the city and corralled her siblings as their departure grew closer. As one of the older sisters, Sumana shouldered a lot of responsibility. Her family was poor, and it took many hands to keep the family fed. Though still a child herself, Sumana did more caretaking than being taken care of.
Keep ReadingWant More Stories?
Sign up for the GFA Email Digest.
Traipsing the Globe on Her Knees
September 2020 • Article
Twelve-year-old Fae listened intently to the speaker from the old-fashioned tent meeting revival. Visions of exotic and far-flung places flashed though her mind. When the speaker called people to dedicate their life to missions, Fae walked down the aisle, each step paving the path that would become her life’s legacy.
Keep Reading
Widow's Heaven-sent Roommate
September 2020 • Article
The day 23-year-old Sadhri buried her husband, she was blindsided by the news that her father-in-law was also dead. In a culture where a woman’s social standing is contingent on the men of the family, Sadhri, unmoored from the security of a husband and his father, feared the future that lay before her and her baby girl.
Keep Reading
The Birth of a Missionary
August 2020 • Article
One chilly Tuesday, a blind baby boy was born into an impoverished, illiterate family in a remote village tucked into the foothills of the Himalayas. The parents loved their little boy and named him Sundar.
Keep Reading
Child Bride Grows Up Next to a Jesus Well
June 2020 • Article
Nine-year-old Suhana stood in her bridal dress, her childish face masked under heavy kohl eye liner, and the red powder on her forehead signaling her entrance into the adult rite of marriage. Her young husband, closer to adulthood than herself, placed a floral garland around her neck. After the ceremony, Suhana moved to her husband’s village, where another newcomer had arrived just a couple years before her—a Jesus Well.
Keep Reading
Magnifying the Praise of God
June 2020 • Article
Jiva sat outside her home with her husband, Vahaan, distractedly washing dishes. Pain and severe discomfort from her illness typically preoccupied her mind, but not right now—the words and songs coming from a nearby building captured her full attention. Vahaan listened intently, too, then he uttered a short sentence, and they both walked purposefully out of their courtyard.
Keep Reading
Neglected Girl Replaces Mud Canvas with Paper, Pencils
May 2020 • Article
The tarp walls of Divena’s home could not contain the sound of her mom and dad’s constant arguments. When her mother suddenly left to be with another man, the house fell silent. Three-year-old Divena and her older brother never saw their mother again.
Keep Reading
A Miracle for an Ambitious Daughter
May 2020 • Article
Vinaya sat with other believers during a prayer meeting, mulling over her family’s problems. She knew Jesus cared about their needs—and that His power could change their situation. Finally, she opened her mouth and told her prayer group about her family’s private financial issues.
Keep Reading
Hearts Changed Before the Credits Rolled
April 2020 • Article
Paritosh excitedly sat down with his wife and other members of his community. They were about to enjoy a special treat that evening: a movie. As the film progressed, however, Paritosh’s mood changed from that of seeking entertainment to one of deep contemplation. This movie was not what he expected, but he was far from disappointed.
Keep Reading
Enough for Everyone
March 2020 • Article
Garjan watches groups of people from neighboring villages come on bikes to fill large vessels with water from the main well in his village. Instead of frustration that other people are taking his village’s resources, Garjan sees these people with compassion—and empathy. He wishes they didn’t have to face the same hardships he and his loved ones once faced for years.
Keep Reading
What She May Never Have Had
March 2020 • Article
A life of uncertainty and poverty lay before Ridhushni, but she was too young to understand. All she knew at 4 years old was that she wanted to play with her friends.
Keep Reading
Someone Who Cares
February 2020 • Article
“What shall I do?” Ranjini wondered aloud. Ranjini powerlessly watched her hands and feet deteriorating before her eyes. As a widow and a person afflicted with leprosy, Ranjini needed help. But so many people in her society turned a blind eye to widows and leprosy patients, and she was both; who would trouble themselves about her?
Keep Reading
Rejected Daughter Meets Unconditional Love
January 2020 • Article
Rasa stood in shame in front of her parents listening to the angry, disappointed words falling from their lips. How could she, their eldest daughter, engage in a secret romance with a village boy and bring disgrace to their family?
Keep Reading