Rickshaw Fleet Transforms Lives
New rickshaws were answers to prayer for three Christians in Asia.
The streets in Punjab, India, are full of people, animals, trucks and bicycle rickshaws. Four of those rickshaws now belong to believers who once struggled to meet their financial needs. But today, thanks to gifts from the GFA Christmas Gift Catalog, four rickshaw drivers have a future full of hope.
Mukesh
Mukesh and his wife have three children, and the manual labor he was doing didn't pay enough to provide for all their needs. It was difficult to even find enough work, and at times, he would get so discouraged that all he could do was sit around and worry about his children's futures. Both Mukesh and his wife wanted a better life for their children, but they couldn't even afford to enroll them in school.
The family prayed and trusted the Lord. Then their pastor, GFA-supported missionary Sulil, suggested that one of the Christmas Catalog gifts be given to Mukesh. A new bicycle rickshaw became the answer to their problems. Mukesh quickly learned how to operate the rickshaw, and he is now earning the money his family needs. At last, he could provide the things he wanted to for his children.
Gaurav Jyani
My name is Gaurav Jyani. I was born and brought up in a family with traditional beliefs. I grew up with an arrogant nature, thinking I was great. I had no regard for God. I never knew Jesus and had never been to any fellowship. I was far away from the love of Jesus Christ, running after worldly things, and this had me headed toward destruction.
I became poor and struggled to get even one meal a day. Seeing my shocking circumstance, one of my uncles helped me to get some work as a mason. I worked hard for the survival of my family.
Three months later, the building construction was complete, and I could not find a new job. I was in a great dilemma and didn't know what to do or where to go. Slowly, my wife started selling our household items, and out of that income we were able to eat.
In the midst of our utter discouragement, I happened to meet Pastor Kanan Bindra. He shared with me about the love of God. That penetrated my heart, and finally I gave my heart to Jesus, my personal Savior. My wife and I joined the church, and we began growing in the love and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. My wife had been praying God would help us start our own business so we could run our family in a proper way, but because of lack of money, we could not do so.
One evening, Pastor Kanan came to our house and prayed for us. I shared with him about our personal problems. We told him we were finding it very difficult to run our family life smoothly because of our financial crisis. Our pastor comforted us with the Holy Word of God and told us, "For God, nothing is impossible. Trust and obey God. He is going to bless your family."
One month later, my pastor gave me a new bicycle rickshaw! I was awestruck. I asked myself, "How come I got this new cycle?" Of course I was in need of this, but the way the Lord provided for me was wonderful. Immediately I started praising God's name because He had done great things in my life.
I express my heartfelt gratitude to you for this special gift. It is more than a gift to me; it is indeed a lifesaver. My prayer is that the good Lord blesses you always.
Yours truly,
Gaurav Jyani
Behnam
Another believer, Behnam, had four children for whom he struggled to provide. His precarious financial situation brought anxiety and tension, even as he did his best to take care of the family. The GFA-supported pastor who serves in this village knew about Behnam's problems and had been praying for him. The rickshaw from the GFA Christmas Catalog was the answer to that prayer! When they gave him the new rickshaw, Behnam knew he finally had a way to make enough income to care for his children.
Habib
Habib, also a believer attending GFA-supported Pastor Chitral's church, had little money. His financial situation was worse because his wife had suffered from a serious illness for some time. Habib spent everything he could to find treatment for her. Miraculously, the Lord healed his wife—which was just the first miracle in his life.
Even after her health grew better, their finances continued to plummet. Yet Habib and his wife kept their trust in Christ. And when Pastor Chitral presented Habib with his own rickshaw, the Lord used it to answer their other great need.
Habib's economic situation is improving rapidly, and he is so grateful that God's people helped him in his time of greatest need.
Driving a bicycle rickshaw is physically exhausting work, but Mukesh, Behnam and Habib see it as a real blessing. Each of these men sees God's hand in their gifts, and they desire to give Him praise as they work to provide for their families, this time knowing they will succeed."
