A Legacy that Will Touch Generations
Gospel for Asia (www.gfa.org) News Release – For Immediate Release
WILLS POINT, TX (ANS – March 17, 2017)
-- Not too long ago, there was a village characterized by a desperate
struggle for survival. People lived in poverty and at risk of disease.
But there was an even more pressing problem: In the hot, dry desert,
there were not enough water sources to go around. The villagers depended
on dirty ponds and rivers. Sometimes, it was difficult to find water at
all.
Pastor
Dalapathi ministered in this village and was deeply concerned about the
people’s situation. While he worked hard to share Christ’s love with
the people, it was difficult to break through, and he could see they
desperately needed clean water.
Hope Through a Well
By
God’s grace, Pastor Dalapathi and the believers did not lose hope.
Instead, they prayed and something changed: God provided a Jesus Well
for their village. It was an amazing answer to prayer. Suddenly, the
villagers had clean, safe water ready and accessible. But this gift had a
far greater impact.
“The non-believers of the village were astonished by the good work that has been done by the church,” said one field report.
And this tangible act of love warmed hearts to learning more.
Because of a Jesus Well, things are very different now. And 109 other villages have been changed in similar ways.
But the story didn’t start here.
A “Wee Woman” with a Big Impact
This
story started far away in Northern Ireland, United Kingdom. It’s the
story of a woman who loved Jesus more than the things of this world and
left a legacy that is changing the lives of thousands . . . perhaps
forever.
Very
kind. Funny. A little eccentric. These are all words used to describe
Mae Coulter. A woman with a passionate witness for Jesus, who loved Him
“beyond reason.” A remarkable “wee woman” (as they say in Northern
Ireland), only around 5 feet and 1 inch in stature. But her life touched
literally thousands of people whom she never even met.
When a House Was Born Again
Born
in Northern Ireland, Mae’s life was checkered with tragedy. She moved
to England with her husband, Les, and had been married only a short
while when he died suddenly and unexpectedly. He went outside to get
Mae’s birthday present, and she never got to speak to him again.
After that tragedy, Mae found Christ. Soon afterwards, she returned to Northern Ireland, where she bought a house.
Then
disaster struck again. A house fire destroyed all of Mae’s possessions.
Family photographs. Household treasures. Everything was gone in a
matter of minutes.
That
event changed Mae’s perspective completely. As a close friend, Marilyn,
explained, “She decided that never again would she store up anything.
It could just be gone. Anything she had would go into something that was
lasting, that was kingdom building.”
Mae’s house had to be reconstructed inside. That was when Mae erected a plaque outside it that simply said, “Born Again.”
“She
used to say that she had been born again, and so had her house,”
Marilyn reflects. “It gave her opportunities to share the Gospel with
people who visited her.”
Choosing to Live Differently
From then on, Mae’s focus was on eternity. She saw no need for accumulating things in this world.
“Always invest in something that’s going to be long lasting,” Marilyn recalls Mae saying.
Mae
threw herself into serving others. She sent shoeboxes of presents to
disadvantaged children and went daily to make meals for a friend who
couldn’t make them herself. Every Christmas, she bought gifts for
desperate people in Asia, in honor of her friends. Mae believed deeply
in providing clean water. “If people had clean water,” she would say,
“then sickness would be eliminated.” And she thought of a way to provide
thousands with just that.
A Legacy that Will Last
As
Mae got older, she made preparations for her departure from this world
and into the presence of Christ. To Marilyn, Mae explained clearly what
she wanted: a simple black stone upon the coffin that said, “Mae
Coulter, with the Lord.” Nothing else was needed. That said it all.
But
that wasn’t all Mae had planned. When Mae went to be with the Lord, she
left a legacy to be divided between two charities she had loved and
faithfully supported. It included enough to dig 110 Jesus Wells.
Mae gave the money in faith, with no idea what it could accomplish.
“She
was just doing what she could,” Marilyn says. “She would be astounded
if she knew the number of people who have benefitted from that. Her
generosity will benefit many who never knew her or her them.”
And
they really are benefitting. Now, in 110 villages, downtrodden
villagers who once trekked to filthy water sources have access to clean,
safe water . . . and a signpost to the Water of Life. It’s changing
their lives forever.
Learn more about Jesus Wells -- https://www.gfa.org/water/.
Note:
Gospel for Asia has -- for more than 30 years -- provided humanitarian
assistance and spiritual hope to millions across Asia, especially among
those who have yet to hear the Good News. Last year, this included more
than 75,000 sponsored children, free medical services for more than
180,000 people, 6,000 wells drilled, 11,000 water filters installed,
Christmas presents for more than 400,000 needy families, and spiritual
teaching available in 110 languages in 14 nations through radio
ministry. For more information, go to www.gfa.org.
To schedule an interview with a Gospel for Asia representative, please contact pressrelations@gfa.org or call 972-300-3379.
Photo
captions: 1) Because of a Jesus Well, things are very different now.
And 109 other villages have been changed in similar ways. 2) Mae
Coulter, a “Wee Woman” with a Big Impact. (GFA). 3) A thirsty child
drinking from a Jesus Well.
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In
this series, Pastor Frangipane shares two visions the Lord gave him
nearly forty-five years ago. And while he touches on such things as the
shaking of the nations, the antichrist, earthquakes and other end-time
events, his focus is primarily upon the greatest reality awaiting us in
the last days: the "sign of the Son of Man."