Nanda was inspired to become a pastor as he saw the hardships around him as he was growing up. His neighbors were animists, they believed spirits of ancestors and nature, and worshiped idols to them. He wanted to share the release his family had found in Christ, and show his neighbors how a Christian community can provide freedom from oppression and even poverty.

So, after training at ServLife’s pastor training school, Nanda began to preach the Word among the people of his hometown. People quickly began witnessing the power of Christ through Nanda’s church. Many sick people were healed when members of his church prayed over them. One man had been paralyzed on one side of his body for over a year due to a neurological condition. After living in the church and being prayed over for two months, he was completely healed. Nanda’s church has since grown to include over 100 people and he has started 3 more churches in nearby areas as a result of the miracles people have witnessed.

Sharing God’s word is not always easy, however. Nanda lives in an area that many people have to travel through to get from one end of Nepal to the other. So there are all types of people living there, some of whom are opposed to Christians sharing the Gospel. Traveling Hindu priests stop in the area and make their living by performing ceremonies and getting paid to intercede with Hindu gods on behalf of the people. They are therefore opposed to Christians sharing the Gospel, because it takes away from their clientele of people desperate for help from the gods. The priests and zealous followers of other religions often threaten Nanda and his congregation as they attempt to minister to the community.

Pastor Nanda believes that he can help even more people witness the love of Christ through a micro-finance program to help local people escape poverty. He thinks that if the people are no longer in the clutches of desperation and have a community of believers offering to support them, then they will see God’s love at work and be more open to receiving Christ.

Please pray for Pastor Nanda to reach the lost in his community and to find strength to stand against the opposition the church faces. Pastor Nanda and many pastors like him also need a sponsor to encourage and support them.

Find out more on our Planting Churches and Pastor Sponsorship pages.