Nepal: new government and upcoming travel

Please pray for Nepal’s new government to lead with integrity, meet the needs of its citizens, foster economic growth and strengthen the nation with stability and good governance. Please also pray for favour for Christian organisations serving in Nepal – for the government to view their work positively and encourage it. Pray for mission associate N, who has had to postpone a trip to Nepal to be able to travel in three weeks’ time instead.

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Nepal: intense political unrest

Following the government’s ban on 26 major social media platforms this past week, frustration with political corruption, nepotism and governance failures has driven young people to lead protests, escalating to violent clashes and widespread arson. More than 20 people have died and hundreds have been injured, the country’s prime minister and president have both resigned. Please pray for peace, protection, and wisdom for Nepal’s leaders and citizens, and for a swift resolution to the leadership vacuum following the government’s resignation. Pray for Asia-CMS partners in Nepal and across Asia; for safety and perseverance to keep going in the face of challenges.

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Video transcript

Hello and welcome to Hope from the Edges. I’m Andy Roberts, the new CEO for CMS.

In the next few minutes, we’ll bring you inspiring news from three edges in our world. Stories that you’re making possible through your gifts and prayers.

First, we’ll go to Nepal, to meet a Christian who is not giving up despite being rejected and threatened for his faith.

From there we’ll go to DR Congo to see the incredible difference our supporters have made for victims of violence.

And then finally we’ll go to Somerset for tea, toast and a beautiful story of a cafe that became a church.

First, let’s meet Oman in Nepal whose name has been changed for security reasons.

Oman grew up following the majority religion, like his father and grandfathers before him. But from an early age, Oman had questions. When his father got sick, why couldn’t their gods help?

As a young adult Oman decided to follow Jesus. Because of this, his family threw him out of their home. People in this village called him a lunatic.

But Oman kept following Jesus and became an apprentice to a local pastor.

Seeing Oman’s gifts, his pastor recommended he get some leadership training at a long time CMS partner college.

Oman embarked on a three month intensive course to help him become a church leader.

Since completing this course, Oman has planted three house churches in his area and now looks after 150 believers.

But being a Christian in Nepal is not easy.

One day when Oman came out of a church meeting, a crowd of about 300 people was waiting to confront him. They wanted to beat him and smear him with ink.

In Nepal, throwing or smearing black ink on a person is a huge sign of disrespect.

It’s an act of public humiliation which declares, “You don’t belong here!”

God protected Oman that day. But like many Christians in Nepal, he understands things are getting tougher for people like him in a religious minority.

Still, he keeps going. Oman says,

“I recognise that God is there in the midst of these things. Jesus is alive. He will never give up. I also will not give up.”

CMS has launched an appeal to help Christians like Oman stay strong in their faith.

Go to churchmissionsociety.org/nepal to find out more.

Now, let’s go to Goma, DR Congo.

I’m grateful to report that CMS supporters’ generous respons to our emergency appeal for DR Congo has helped more than 10,000 victims of violence.

Residents of Goma have long known instability and bursts of violent conflict. Their city was consumed by violence in late January 2025 as M23 rebels took over.

People were traumatised for what they’d witnessed, with many left grieving for loved ones who had been killed.

Meanwhile electricity and water shortages, a lack of medical care and an increase in gender based attacks made life unbearable.

Thanks to generous gifts from CMS supporters, our partners on the ground were able to help more than 10,000 people through financial assistance, food and hygiene supplies and trauma counselling.

CMS Africa, the Anglican Diocese of Goma (led by mission partner Bishop Martin Gordon) and other partners, will continue to focus on helping people and communities to rebuild their livelihoods and strengthen their resilience for the long term.

Please pray for peace to prevail in this region.

Finally, let’s go to Somerset, UK for some tea and toast.

Tea and Toast is a cafe-style church gathering in a new town with a new housing estate called Haywood Village.

Tea and Toast was started by CMS pioneer Fiona Mayne. Fiona herself was once an atheist and today she enjoys connecting with people who might not immediately feel comfortable in a traditional church.

Tea and Toast is an informal time where people get together and where they can ask open and honest questions about faith.

Attendance has grown for this and other gatherings Fiona has initiated in the area with older people, younger people, families and people with special needs becoming part of the community.

Recently, someone who works as a carer for a churchgoer with special needs found herself drawn to Jesus and she has now been baptised.

Now this growing church is working to create a community hub while preparing to build a more permanent meeting space on a plot of land that has been acquired nearby.

Fiona is now an ordained pioneer minister in the Church of England, having trained on the job while studying at CMS.

She said recently in an interview: “CMS is an outstanding place to learn and meet other like-minded people. As a pioneer I don’t think there is anywhere else I personally could even consider wanting to go.”

The CMS Pioneer Mission Training programme is now on the lookout for who will be our 1,000th pioneer!

Since beginning in 2010 we have journeyed with more than 980 Pioneer Mission students.

Could you or someone you know be number 1,000?

To find out more and join this thriving learning community, visit churchmissionsociety.org/pioneer.

Thank you for joining me for these stories from the edges and for your prayerful support, which makes them all possible.

Please share this video with your church, small group or anyone you think could use some fuel for their faith.

Until next time, we are so grateful for your gifts and prayers as together we go:

With Jesus
With each other
To the edges

ENDS

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The post Hope from the Edges August 2025 appeared first on Church Mission Society (CMS).

When Oman* in Nepal started following Jesus, his parents threw him out of the family home. He has been ridiculed, shamed and threatened because of his faith. But rather than giving up, after training at a CMS partner college, he is making disciples and planting churches.

I’m from southern Nepal and grew up following another religion. My father and grandfathers all belonged to this religion. When my father and grandfather got sick, they prayed to their god, but he didn’t answer, and they lived in pain and suffering. As a teenager I asked them: If the god you worship can’t help us, is he really the true God?

When I was about 18, I met a church pastor, who shared the gospel with me and took me to his church. After going to church for a year, I saw someone delivered from an evil spirit and gave my life to Jesus.

Rejected but not forsaken

At home, I stopped observing our family’s religious rules. Tension built up gradually until one night, my family threw me out of the house. That night, I slept in a field and cried for several hours. I was heartbroken: it felt like the most terrible thing in the world that my parents would reject me. The next day, God spoke to me: “Your worldly parents may reject you but I will not forsake you.” Later, I reconciled with my family – they decided to let me live as a Christian and welcomed me home.

When I told people around me that I was following Jesus, they ridiculed me and called me a lunatic. But I knew that Jesus is the true God and those people would someday look for him. They were also struggling with evil spirits and the only one who could really help them was Jesus.

From apprentice to church planter

I left school and started working with my pastor as his apprentice. After a year and a half of making disciples alongside him, I realised I needed to grow and he suggested I get some training. He had in mind a three-month residential course at a longtime CMS partner training college to help me deepen my faith and become more effective in ministry. Incredibly, my family agreed I could go. [This course has been led by CMS partners. It helps people like Oman, first generation Christians in remote areas, to access training in leading churches without needing to leave home for several years.]

The training was intensive and practical. During those three months, I learned how to do ministry, preach the gospel, do things that I’m still doing now.

We had teaching on spiritual warfare, learning about our authority in Jesus. Nearly all the believers I look after now have been delivered from evil spirits, but before I had the training, I didn’t know about the weapons of spiritual warfare or how to fight.

The training also covered bitterness, hurt and unforgiveness. Around 90 per cent of the people I meet have a root of bitterness in their heart, and being able to bring this type of issue into the light and help people deal with it is very important.

One pastor also taught us about the Bible and preaching. I learned how to preach more powerfully than before through better preparation, grounding my teaching in God’s Word and structuring my sermons differently. Although I found it hard at the time, this is one of the most useful aspects of the training, as preaching is such a core part of my ministry.

When I came back from training, I started using my God-given authority over evil spirits, preaching in a different way and discipling people more effectively. After the course, I was able to start planting churches and doing ministry myself, not just with my pastor. My training gave me the tools I needed to plant three house churches in my area. One of these now meets in a church building on my family’s property – and a CMS partner came to support us as we inaugurated the church. Altogether, I look after 150 believers.

Refusing to give up

In Nepal, persecution is getting worse. For example, one day when I came out of a house church meeting, a crowd of about 300 people was blocking my way. They came with the intent of beating me, smearing me with ink – that is one of the worst punishments a person can get. They wanted to put me in jail. For 25 minutes they argued and questioned me about what I was doing there and why. They pushed me, they shoved me, they tore my clothes and threw my shoes away and they were preparing ink to smear on my face. At that moment, I felt completely alone, but God protected me. It felt like the story of Daniel in the lions’ den. I know that in the midst of persecution and suffering, God is with me.

Even so, I knew that if I went back to that village, people would probably try to break my bones. The danger is real. Recently I was invited to go to Kathmandu for a couple of months for a break, but I didn’t want my believers to think I was afraid or that I had forsaken them.

The Bible says that if you want to be a disciple, there’s a cost involved. Sometimes there might be doubt, but I recognise that God is there in the midst of these things. Jesus is alive. He will never give up. I also will not give up.

*Name changed for security reasons

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Video transcript

Hello and welcome to Hope from the Edges.

I’m Andy Roberts, mission director here at CMS.

In the next few minutes, we’ll bring you inspiring news from three edges in our world – stories you are making possible through your gifts and prayers.

We’ll start in Nepal, where we’ll meet a young man who has chosen Jesus over fame and fortune.

From there, we’ll go to Honduras to meet an award winning barista in a story that involves good news and good brews.

Finally, we’ll give you an update on the situation in eastern DR Congo and share how you can play your part in bringing peace to this nation.

First, let’s go to Nepal for a story of one young man who has made a big sacrifice to follow Jesus, but who insists it’s totally worth it.

In Nepal, a mostly Hindu country, fewer than 2% of the population are followers of Jesus.

Amit grew up in midwestern Nepal. As a young boy, he gave his life to Jesus after a friend took him to church.

As an adult, he became a professional dancer and choreographer, which he says pulled him away from his faith. But one day, when he was in his early 20s

Amit was shocked that Jesus would love him that much, and from that day forward, he says he returned to his first love.

Today, though he could be making loads of money on YouTube or TikTok, the only thing Amit wants is to be a living evidence that Jesus is alive.

He is studying at theological college and preparing to go back to minister within his home community.

We can’t wait to share more stories from Nepal with you over the coming weeks and months.

Make sure you’ve signed up to receive news from CMS updates.

Now we go to Honduras, where we’ll meet an award winning barista who has had a rocky road to faith.

Carlos was previously wary of Christianity having been hurt in the past. Yet, he was intrigued by Café Alas part Proyecto Alas a Christian project supporting at risk children and young people, and the chance to work in a café with a cause.

Mission partners Lindsey and Steve Poulson invited him to manage this cafe ministry, just as he was dreaming of getting involved. Carlos took the job.

As he settled in, he had to adjust to a culture where people were seen as more important than making money. Here, people were given second chances if they messed up.

When Steve supported Carlos through a difficult time, Carlos decided that these Christians were different. They were not like the Christians who had hurt him in the past.

Carlos was becoming more open to faith in Jesus. At the same time, Proyecto Alas was growing and the team decided to open a second coffee shop a few hours away.

Carlos and his family moved to the new location in January 2024 to run the new cafe.

At the beginning, Carlos felt it was up to him to make the cafe a success. When things didn’t go well, he was tempted to give up. But one day a pastor came into the cafe.

Carlos started seeking God and going to a local church with his family. Soon he gave his life to Jesus.

Since taking the step of faith, Carlos’s attitude towards the cafe has changed. Instead of feeling like it’s all up to him to make the cafe a success, he is praying and trusting God to make things happen.

Finally, let’s go to DR Congo.

If you’ve seen some of our recent communications, you may already know that the people in Goma are being pushed to the edges.

Violence has left communities shattered and in fear.

People have lost their loved ones, their homes and their livelihoods.

We are so grateful to everyone who has given to our emergency appeal – thanks to you, our partners on the ground have provided vital relief and support to thousands of people.

Let’s keep standing with our brothers and sisters in the Dr Congo.

You can find out more at churchmissionsociety.org/pray

Thank you for joining me for these stories and for your prayerful support, which makes mission in these places possible.

Please share this video with your church or small group, or anyone you can think of who could use some fuel for their faith.

So until next time, we are so grateful for all your gifts and prayers as together we go:

With Jesus
With each other
To the edges

ENDS

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The post Hope from the Edges May 2025 appeared first on Church Mission Society (CMS).

“Jesus is my life,” says 60-year-old Badar, who is not giving up on his call, despite rejection and ridicule.

by Sarah Stone

Sixty-year-old Badar was a witch doctor before he met Jesus. He’s animated as he speaks. Clearly passionate and full of life. Asia-CMS partner Raj says he loves working with Badar for this very reason.

“Knowing God is the greatest joy of my life,” says Badar. “Knowing that he is the creator who created everything, who sustains us with the fruits and the vegetables that come out of the ground, and also that all parts of our bodies are created by him – that gives me joy.”

Badar is leading a small church in his village in remote, rural Nepal. He’s faced a lot of opposition from his community for choosing to follow Jesus, but Jesus is someone he’s unwilling to give up.

After faithfully following Jesus for 15 years, Badar is seeing some of those who ridiculed him come to know Jesus for themselves.

Faith out of desperation

It was in a time of desperation that Badar came to faith. His son was sick, and there was no treatment. “We went to doctors, [other] witch doctors, shamans, Buddhist priests – and we didn’t get any cure,” he says. “Then somebody from Beautiful Gate church told me about Jesus and the healing we could receive.”

Beautiful Gate is a church set up by and for people with disabilities. Pastor Adhikari was paralysed in 1984 when he fell from a tree while collecting fodder for his animals.

After the accident, he and his wife were ostracised from their community because of stigmas around disability in Nepal. Forty years on, they’re leading a thriving church, welcoming people of all disabilities and none to worship Jesus with them.

A new purpose

Badar found help for his son at Beautiful Gate church. But he also found his new purpose for living.

“Before coming to Christ, I had a lot of anxiety, I had a lot of pain, struggles in my heart and life,” he says. “But after coming to Christ, those things started to cease for me, and it was a kind of new way of life compared to my ancestors’.

“I was trained for 40 days at Beautiful Gate, and also for a month in India.” Through this training, Badar was equipped to minister to others.

Over the years, some of those who have found Jesus at Beautiful Gate church have planted daughter churches back in their home communities. Badar leads one of these seven churches, supported by Asia-CMS partner Raj.

“Brother Raj comes to our church from time to time, and he encourages us,” says Badar. “He shares the Word with us, and his presence is very encouraging in my ministry.”

Vital encouragement

Having encouragement is so important for pastors like Badar, who are outnumbered and can face a lot of opposition. Less than 2 per cent of Nepal’s population are Christians, and in remote areas the percentage is even lower.

Life for these Christians is increasingly challenging, with anti-conversion laws making it more difficult and dangerous to share Jesus.

In remote villages, Pastor Raj says Christians and their God are often blamed when something bad happens. “Many people come against us and there are lots of challenges,” says Raj.

“Many times people do not allow us to do the fellowship. [When someone in the family is a believer,] if anything happens to the family, they blame God. That is one of the big challenges our leaders face…. It is a huge pressure we are feeling.”

Badar says he hasn’t experienced any extreme persecution, but the stories he tells us show that he has faced rejection and ridicule for his faith in Jesus.

He describes how people have challenged him: “They say, ‘Why are you bringing this? These people are unholy…. So don’t come to us.’ It’s rare for people of my faith background to come to Christ.

“People have talked behind my back. They have ridiculed me for my faith in Jesus. They misunderstand me, and they accuse me, saying that I have followed this path for the sake of money – they claim that I follow Jesus because I get dollars. But no, it’s not that and I’ll continue on this path despite the ridicule that I face.”

“God has a time for everything”

Fifteen years into his ministry, Badar has seen miracles – and a few of those who mocked him for his Christian faith have come to know Jesus.

“Those people who have ridiculed me and rejected my message, two of them have come to know the Lord. One of them was a witch doctor like me, and now he has also taken baptism. So it seems God has a time for everything.” Badar says it’s important to be a living, loving witness for Jesus and to trust God to work in people’s hearts.

“I feel blessed when these people come to know Christ, and I see the change. I come to realise that we just need to trust in the living Word of God, and when we trust in that, things happen.”

Following Jesus and trusting he will work in his time and his way is challenging for all of us. But in a context like Nepal, it’s even tougher. Does Badar ever feel like giving up? Maybe surprisingly, he doesn’t. Why? Because, in his words: “Jesus is my life.”

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Following a few decades of relative freedom to share the gospel, Nepali Christians are sensing a net tightening around their liberty. Yet, though they increasingly feel their outsider status, they aren’t giving up, as Naomi Rose Steinberg discovered on a recent trip to the country known as the Land of Truth.

Arriving in Kathmandu, I was surprised to learn that the time difference between Nepal and the UK is five hours and 45 minutes. Depending on who you ask, there are differing reasons for this unusual variation from the standard increments: some political, some geographical, some cultural. A typical response to the question is: “It’s complicated.”

Nepal in many ways is a complex country, facing multiple challenges: economic struggles, political precariousness and a geographically landlocked position between the influences of India and China. All of these and other factors have recently contributed to making it an increasingly tricky place to be a Christian.

Christianity in Nepal

The rapid growth of Christianity in Nepal in the decades since the country became a democracy in 1951 has been phenomenal, particularly since the 1990s. In proportion to population, it remains one of the fastest growing churches in the world. I’m told that in Kathmandu, you can’t walk more than two or three streets without being near a church, many of these being house churches or groups that meet in multi-use buildings.

However, there is a growing uneasiness among Nepali Christians, as anti-conversion laws become more stridently enforced due to pressure from other religious groups.

Nepal is officially a secular country, but many Christians told me that, as a minority religion (less than 2 per cent of the population) followers of Jesus are increasingly and often arbitrarily discriminated against. This is making them more wary of overtly sharing the gospel.

On the outside

The Christians I talked to described how they have been made to feel like outsiders in various ways. This included family opposition, with one man telling me how he’d been thrown out of his house and made to sleep in a field, and a young woman relaying how her mother used to beat her for her faith. I heard stories of funerals being held by families when a relative turned to Jesus.

There is also cultural and societal pressure; Christians are often viewed with scepticism and suspicion. There is a perception that Christians have abandoned their culture for something Western-influenced, even though the church in Nepal is led mostly by indigenous people.

Nepali Christians are sometimes accused of being in cahoots with Western Christians for monetary gain. One local partner told me that this perception grew after the catastrophic earthquake in 2015: “Many well-meaning Christian organisations came to help, but there were reports of Bibles being put in sacks of rice that were given to suffering people and this was viewed as coercive.”

The same partner shared that Christians are being scapegoated for economic and social ills that Nepal is facing. This is partly due to the influence of Hindu nationalism, which has been on the rise in neighbouring India with reports of ensuing violence against Christians.

Growing hostility

Some of the Christians I met have contended with threats of violence from their communities. One rural pastor told me he came out of leading a church service to find 300 people waiting for him, angry and shouting. “They threatened to beat me and smear me with ink,” he recalled.

Smearing ink on someone is a sign of abject shame. The pastor was taken into police custody but later released. When I asked him if this kind of intense opposition makes him think about giving up being a pastor or following Jesus, he said, “The Bible tells if you want to be a disciple you have to pay a price, there is cost involved. Maybe I am just paying the price of being a disciple of Jesus.”

Counting the cost

In the face of growing opposition, Nepali Christians are demonstrating patience, resilience and adaptability.

Some tell me that while they can no longer safely go door-to-door, hold evangelistic events or hand out Christian literature, they are discovering the importance of building relationships and being good living witnesses for Jesus.

They point out that others can see the love they show for people, how Christianity breaks down barriers of gender and caste, and how Christians treat people with dignity. And this is still drawing people to Christ; the church is still growing, though perhaps not as quickly as before.

CMS, alongside Asia-CMS, has long been committed to helping people in Asia deepen and strengthen their faith so they can withstand storms of antagonism and keep sharing the gospel from the margins.

The pastor who had been threatened credited his ability to withstand pressure in part to training he’d received from a CMS partner. In recent years, deep discipleship has become an even greater priority.

Given the increasing opposition Christians are facing in Nepal, and having seen firsthand the difference this commitment to discipleship has made in people’s lives, it seems that maximising these efforts couldn’t come at a better time.

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If you met Amit, you’d never know he was once a professional dancer and sought-after choreographer on a path to fame and fortune.

By Sarah Stone

This gentle young man is nervous and shaking as he begins sharing his story – how he found Jesus as a child raised in a different faith, almost lost him, and then found him again.

Now, facing financial challenges and the political and cultural pressures of being a Christian in a country that’s increasingly hostile to evangelism, 28-year-old Amit has one desire – to fulfil God’s vision. In pursuit of that goal, Amit is learning all he can about the Bible at a CMS partner college.

Here Amit shares in his own words why he sacrificed his dance career for the one thing he’ll never give up – Jesus.

The start of my faith journey – drums

My name is Amit and I am from the midwestern part of Nepal. My family were worshipping various gods and goddesses. When I was nine years old, my cousin took me to Sunday School. My mother didn’t stop me going to church because she had seen that [the Christian children] were so good in behaviour.

When I arrived there, I felt so good because there are many friends like me, and I saw they were singing, playing guitar, playing drums – and I had never seen that before. To be honest, I saw the drums, and I liked them so much. It was because of the drums I went to church.

After keeping going, one day I felt the conviction of the Holy Spirit that Jesus Christ is the Lord and only one Saviour of my life. I was convicted that I have to accept him.

A difficult decision: fame or faith

But after I came to faith, I became a professional dancer, and I also used to do choreography. Dance took me far from my Jesus.

One day during 2019, when I was 23, I heard a voice, the Holy Spirit, and that voice told me, “Amit, I love you more than your mother.” My mother loves me more than any other person loves me, so for the Holy Spirit to say he loves me more than even my mother, it shocked me. From that day, I quit dance.

Dance was my profession where I could earn money for me and my family. My dance group performed on many big stages, and we earned so much money and fame. So at that time, the thought came in my mind, “What will be your future? You have just one profession, one gift, one talent from which you can earn money.” And that used to kill me inside. So I thought, “I’ll go back to dance and just earn some money. And then I’ll come to Jesus again.”

All sorts of thoughts came inside me. But the Holy Spirit said to me, “No, you are not chosen for entertaining people. You are chosen to save the people.” So that voice provoked me to stay stable in faith.

Now I have only one desire, only one passion, only one vision – that I want to fulfil his vision. I want to be living evidence that proves Jesus Christ is still alive and there is power in the blood of Jesus.

Discovering more of Jesus

I wanted to know Jesus more, and I came to know that through his Word I can know him. But when I tried to find him through the Bible, I understood nothing, because there are so many things about Israel, about a different culture. So many parables I didn’t understand. So I decided to come to theological college to know Jesus through the Bible. I’m studying the Bible, and I’m getting closer towards him every day.

I’m living by faith. Now I’m in Bible college, I’m not earning money – I’m giving money for my study. So God is my provision.

This is not just a college, it’s a family. I’m going to remember every teacher, every friend and all the teachings. [Asia-CMS partners at the college] are doing so much. A lot of things I have learned, not just from their teaching, but from their life. They are really a good mentor for all the students, they are giving their 100 per cent day and night.

Whatever I have learned here, I want to teach to my people. First, I plan to go to my church, that church who really prayed for me and who taught me about Jesus. I want to go back to my church, and I want to teach whatever I have learned, and I want to serve.

I know that my community will not appreciate me, because in my community I think there are only three or four houses who are in faith out of more than 300 houses. But I believe that God will work through me in my community. I think that’s why I am here in Bible college.

My whole family, my father, my mother and my one elder sister, also came to Jesus Christ after five years. I prayed for them. [They saw my faith.] But it’s not of my effort. I can say it’s God’s grace. We all are saved, and we all are in faith.

I’m so happy and I really thank my Lord Jesus Christ. He didn’t just choose me, but he also chose my family. He saved my family. There are so many relatives who still haven’t accepted Jesus as their Lord and Saviour, but I believe that he again will show his mercy.

“I have no fear”

In our Nepali context, it’s hard, because Nepal is a majority Hindu country. There are around 33 million gods and goddesses Nepali people worship. In the midst of this, we few Christians are living. It’s culturally difficult and it’s politically also difficult. It’s so hard, but we know that God works in the hard situations.

I don’t have any kind of fear to tell people that Jesus Christ is my Saviour and Lord. Every morning at 4am I come to the chapel to pray for the people of Nepal. I feel the Holy Spirit is always nearby. I always feel his presence. The Holy Spirit is my teacher, my senior partner, my best friend. He is the reason that I am alive.

When I left dance my friends used to call me and want me to go back, because I was a good dancer, a good choreographer. Still now they want me on stage for the money. But I didn’t turn back. And I’ll not go.

In my testimony, there is one hero, and he’s Jesus Christ.

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Growing up, Misha hadn’t heard of Jesus – but now she has started a church in her village, thanks to the experience and confidence she gained through training with CMS local partners.

Misha (name changed) grew up in a Hindu family in rural Nepal. She hadn’t ever heard of Jesus. She lived in the hills with her husband, two sons and a daughter, but her husband left her and she cared for the children as a single parent. During Nepal’s civil war (1996 to 2006), Misha fled with her family – becoming one of hundreds of thousands of people who were displaced to other rural areas in Nepal.

As the years went by, Misha grew increasingly concerned about her daughter’s health. She was unwell for a long time, and Misha didn’t know what to do, especially as the cost and the difficulties of travelling made it impossible to access treatment.

Church: worth a try

One day, Misha’s cousin came to visit. This cousin shared her experience of meeting and following Jesus, including her own daughter being healed, and suggested Misha try going to a church.

Out of other options, Misha was sceptical, but decided to take her daughter to a church. The church she found was a long journey away, but when she got there Misha was amazed. People at the church prayed for her daughter, and the girl was healed! After this, Misha’s whole family came to faith in Jesus, and Misha continued to attend church.

After a few months, it became clear that the church was too far away to travel there every week, so Misha and her family sought other Christians closer to home. This isn’t a simple thing to do in rural Nepal. Travelling between villages can be challenging and sometimes there’s only one family or individual following Jesus in a given village.

Yet Misha met some local believers who gathered together for weekly worship, and she and her family joined a church much closer to their village.

Pillar of the church

As time went by, Misha became a key member of that church, and when problems came up and two leaders left, she stood firm, supporting the church and handling the issues that had arisen. Finding herself in a position of leadership, Misha realised that she needed some training to equip her in this role.

Misha wasn’t alone in feeling ill-equipped for leadership – most of the leaders of rural churches in Nepal are first generation believers in Jesus. Equipping leaders in remote and rural districts is a real challenge, leaving many churches without leaders. For new leaders, it is difficult to access long-term formal theological education – as that might mean relocating to study in Kathmandu.

In the face of this challenge, Misha heard about someone who could help. CMS local partners in Nepal run training for local church leaders through shorter courses in more accessible places. Misha heard that she could join a three-month course in a nearby town and signed up.

The courses these local partners run cover a range of different topics, including: discipleship, counselling, biblical preaching, leadership and Bible study methods.

Starting the training was a big step for Misha, and it wasn’t easy. Again like many leaders in rural and remote areas, Misha had not had the opportunity to access higher levels of education. In her case, she had only received primary school education, so study was difficult. Yet she tried her best and was able to complete the course, gaining valuable experience. She also found space to spend quiet time with God, and this time changed her and she left committed to God’s mission.

Shared learning

After the training, Misha returned to her village and shared what she had learned with others in her church. She commented, “I learned and developed myself to bring people to Christ and share the gospel confidently.” Misha felt far more able to care for the people in her church.

As a result of the training and the changes in her life, Misha has now started a church in her own village, with connections to the church she had been leading before. Misha leads this new church and even provided the land to build it.

Today there are 60 to 70 followers of Jesus attending this village church, as many Christians from a Hindu background have come to join them.

Recently one of the local partners was able to visit the church to see how God was using Misha. He shared, “I was very much encouraged by what she is doing and by the zeal and passion of the believers for Christ. I feel really God is using her to build his kingdom on this earth.”

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The post Nepal: remote possibilities appeared first on Church Mission Society (CMS).

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The post Indira Thapa, Nepal appeared first on Church Mission Society (CMS).