Gospel for Asia 

“How cold does it get where you live? How hot? How do you dress for the extremes? Now think for a minute about
India.If you want to experience extremes, I could take you to the Thar Desert of Rajasthan, where temperatures can exceed 45 degree Celsius. Or we could visit the high mountains of
Sikkim, where winter temperatures can be 40 degrees below zero!  And in either place, we would find Gospel for
Asia native missionaries going out daily to share the love of Jesus with those who have never heard His name. But believe me, in addition to the persecution and rejection they often face, these courageous men and women also persevere in situations like the harsh
Sikkim winters.(…) 

‘We get snow all around us during winter,’ Arhyam, a GFA leader in
Sikkim, says. (…) He explains that even where people have electricity, they often gather around a fire because they don’t have the proper wiring for an electric heater. And even if they did, Arhyam says, they cannot afford the extra electricity.‘Still, you have to get up in the morning,’ he adds. ‘But people get sick here due to extreme cold, especially the women. Arthristis, backaches, stomach problems, and headaches are common problems we face during extreme cold.’ 

The solution for Arhyam and other missionaries in the Himalayan region of
Asia is to have adequate, warm clothing for the brutal winters. ‘If we don’t have warm cloths it becomes really hard to walk around,’ Arhyam says. ‘Sometimes, we cannot afford them.’ 

The problem is that winter clothing is much more expensive in remote areas lie northern Sikkim than in others parts o
India. A sweater can cost 800 rupees (19$) and a warm jacket can be more than 1000 rupees (24$). And while these may seem modest prices in
Canada, they put great stress on a missionary’s budget.  That’s why Gospel for
Asia provides a winter clothing packet for missionaries like Arhyam through a special offering – and that’s why I would like to ask you to help provide one of these packets for one of our missionaries today. We can provide this packet for only 40$, and it may include a blanket, sweater, socks, warm trousers and shirts for men, skirts and shawls for women, and even hiking boots, depending on the need.(…)” September is almost over. As I am sending to Gospel for Asia the money we’ve got in the Bank for Native Missionaries in a few days, and as there is no more money in our bank, please think of those missionaries who need warm clothing and give your 2 or 3$ for this Bank. It’ll be faithfully sent to GFA at the end of October 2006.