When she was just 19, Stephanie Kountz (daughter of Dave and Debby Kountz) applied for an internship with Gospel for Asia.
“My intention was to come for a year,” she said. “But I came here and after three or four months, the Lord changed my perspective on everything. I came here wanting to do good things…but I started to discover who God is in a whole new way.”
Five years later, Stephanie is still with GFA, now as a support staff member. Based in the main office in Texas, she also recently lived in Southeast Asia for six months. On September 28, she’ll be back at her home church — Blue Ridge — with GFA Founder K.P. Yohannan, who will be speaking at all three Sunday services. He will be sharing how GFA is working specifically in the lives of women missionaries and children in need. GFA trains and sends out national missionaries to proclaim the Gospel.
During her time with GFA, Stephanie has gotten an up-close look at what this missions organization is all about.
“The leaders here are so humble. The hearts of people are really sold out…I’ve met people who have left their homes, successful jobs, people working high up in multimillion companies, soldiers, nurses, all walks of life, to come and be a part of Gospel for Asia.”
They meet together four times a week to pray for missionaries in the field and for each other. She said she sees unity in the body of Christ there — as someone covered in tattoos serves alongside someone from an Amish background.
“There's no reason these people would want to talk to each other. But that all disappears because we all want to serve, to bring the Gospel to those who don't know Him,” she said. And when Stephanie went to Southeast Asia for six months, she found that same unity.
“The heart of the people was exactly the same,” she said. “It was amazing to be involved with their work, to hear them pray and weep for their villages and family members.”
She said the Christians there bring hope to people who are often invisible to others due to their cultural and socioeconomic conditions.
“Christians look and see actual humans. They listen to their stories. They give them food and pray over them.”
Find out more about Gospel for Asia and how it is reaching some of the world’s most downtrodden people for Christ. Come hear Dr. Yohannan speak Sunday, September 28 at all three services. Saturday, September 27, we will feature a showing of “Veil of Tears.”
“I hope for Blue Ridge, it will become real to them like it has become real to me,” Stephanie said.