Thursday, October 17, 2013

One Family's Commitment Continues to Lead Relatives and Neighbors to Jesus

"My wife and I were suffering from seizure.  Shamans, village medicine and doctors could not cure us, till we came to Jesus.  Now those complicated demonstration of evil's power is past" said Bishnu Roka as I asked him why he became a Christian.
    The eldest son of the family, Bishnu, lives in Kaping village about 80 km east from Kathmandu, just about 35 km to China border.  One takes a bus to the main high way toward the border, and gets down walking up about 90 minutes uphill to reach his village. Through his influence, most of his clan members (about 60) have become believers. His two daughters Sunita (just graduated from the high school) and Sona (still a high school student) with the helps from a few others are conducting children's ministry program every Friday afternoon. Not having a parochial school in Nepal, such program is a best source to lead children to Jesus though negligible amount is present SDA Churches in Nepal.
   The Sabbath of October 5, 2013 was a special day for Kaping. I was there on early Friday after riding the bus about 4 hours and walking up the hill. I was there early to see the children's program where about 30 children attend. Action songs, telling memory verse and stories were the main feature of the program. I was pulled in to tell the Bible story. The age 5 to the grown up youth enthusiastically participated the children program which was introduced by Uma Shrestha (then Spicer student) through VBS program some years ago.  Then the next day Sabbath, October 5 Pr. Umesh Kumar Pokharel, the Nepal Section President, and the Pr. Milan Dahal from Banepa conducted briefing in the church to the 19 candidates who wanted to take baptism on their own wish.
    It was raining, yet the believers prepared by the Gospel Worker Bishnu and his daughters through children's ministry for baptism did not want to wait for the fair weather.  So we all walked down to the village river whose water went on to mix with the river that came from Tibet. Surrounded by the beautiful mountain walls and over looked by the Heavenly Father up from the sky, helped by Pr. Milan, Bishnu and his brother, Pr Umesh baptized 19 members of Vishnu's relatives and neighbors.  One of the youngest ones was an orphan girl who was the faithful attendant in the children's program and the church.  She was about 13. The oldest one was over a couple who must have been over 60.  The rain did not prevent from the leading of the Holy Spirit to take steps for Christ.
     Several people like Pr. Naseeb Basnet, Pr. David Kumar Tamsang, Pr. Abirman Puri, Pr. Umesh Pokheral, Pr. Milan Dahal and other visitors played their role to give light to this mountainous   village church.  Though there is as if a rivalry church just a few second down to the SDA Church, and no matter what earthquake took place in the mission, Bishnu has been holding faithfully to the Adventist faith without being shaken, though from time to time other church pastors throw the temptation like, "If you join us behold, we will give you such and such."
    "How do you feel baptizing so many at once after being the president of Nepal Section for the first time?" I asked Pr. Umesh. "I feel good that the Lord has been steering people to make them the part of His family" replied Pr. Umesh.
May the Holy Spirit continue to work in the hearts of Bishnu, his family and congregation to include as many as possible to the kingdom of God.
Bhaju Ram Shrestha


147,181 sq km Nepal though declared a secular state, does not have legal religious freedom. The church can own no property, school or a church building, yet belief in Jesus Christ is spreading like a wildfire. The Lord has given the transitional time to spread the good News about the salvation. This time might be up when we have new constitution for which the second constitution assembly supposed to be held in November, though the success of it is still in question. The  land  of 660 million gods and goddesses is waiting to see the feet that spread the Good News of His love-not just through preaching but through witnessing by changed lives.





Beyond the last mountain lies the Tibeto-China-just 35 km from the church

Action Songs




Utilizing the half day holiday on Friday, Sunita (standing next to the young boy on the left) with the help of other lead out the children's ministry.

The young orphan Sumitra tells the memory verse while Sunita checks her name. She has no father and mother, lives with her sister-in-law who faithfully comes to the church but her, her husband does not care about the belief


Pr. Umesh and Pr. Milan lead out the words of commitment to God before baptism. It is the inside part of the worship place


Who care about the rain if the Lord rains His Spirit? The happy group ready for the baptism flanked by Pr. Umesh Pokherel on the extreme left


The baptism service: A candidate holds Pr.Umesh who prays, Pr. Milan blessing gesture

Young and old are baptized

 Pr. Umesh Kumar Pokharel, Pr.Milan Dahal, Brother Bishnu Roka

2 comments:

  1. How wonderful to hear of many people in the same family being saved! God Bless

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  2. May God bless the Bishnu family so that they could set an example for others n bring more people in Christ.

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