I grew up in a mountainous, rocky, and remote area of Nepal near Mt. Everest. I was born and brought up in a Hindu family in the midst of severe poverty. When I was very young, my parents, frustrated with our living conditions and with a desire to live a better life, migrated to an area of the plains near the Northern border of India. They felt, in this region, they could cultivate good crops for food and make a better living. 

My family moved to the plains area thinking and hoping life would improve. But sadly, it did not happen as they thought. Instead, my mother died after two years of demonic attacks on her mind and body. There were no hospitals, no churches, and many practiced witchcraft and believed all kinds of superstitions.

Then life became worse! I was so sad as a five year old boy - without my mother, and having no love hope or joy. One day someone from the community saw our pathetic conditions and recommended us to an orphanage home.

At the orphanage, I had a chance to eat regularly and go to school! But because of sadness and a broken hurting heart I couldn’t study well.

One day my brother got sick and I had no way to help him. As his elder brother, I felt so helpless sitting beside my brother. I regretted my life. A Christian came along and told me about Jesus and asked my permission to pray over my brother. He prayed and went away. After a while, my brother was healed! That gave me hope in Jesus.

At that time there was no church and only a handfull of believers used to gather for prayer secretly because terrible persecution was going on all over the country. One day I was invited to a children’s fellowship.

They taught us choruses and told us Jesus’ story and they asked me to memorize John 3:16. That verse changed my life. I was deeply longing for the love of my mother after her death. Through God’s Word, I learned about the true love of God which never ends.

A few weeks later I believed in and received Jesus as my Savior and the Lord of my Life. I found myself new inside! I could feel joy and hope within me.

I was so excited and encouraged that I began to study hard in school, and even won the “First Position” in my entire class. That increased my faith. In 1993 I was water baptized. Water baptism is a very big step for a Christian in many Hindu countries. It is a real declaration that you now only worship and serve Jesus Christ.

At that time, the Lord gave me a burning desire to serve Him. As I was praying, God opened doors for me to attend a short term training program in Nepal. That training motivated me to participate in God’s ministry.

In 1994, I was struggling. My ministry seemed fruitless. People began to criticize me and say that I had no real call from God and that I was a “nobody” in the ministry. Some people suggested that I should find another job and move away. I was so discouraged and thinking of quitting the ministry.

I decided to “sit with the Lord” - to seek His face and to fast and pray. As I was praying to God, in the middle of the night, I received a true call of God for the first time in my life. I started a prayer meeting at my apartment. Soon it became a church! I pastored this church for three years. During that time, it grew to 80 members! I appointed another leader in my place because I was planning to attend Bible College in India.  My plans fell apart for lack of funds.

Once again I became sad because I had turned the church over to another leader and now I could not go to Bible College. My wife and I both were so disappointed.

But, we began to seek the Lord again, and He showed us another place where we could start a new church. In 1997, we started a church with four people and God increased this church greatly.  Today there are more than 250 people in the main church and we have started other branches as well. We started SARA (Savior Alone Reaches Asia) Children’s Home and a Missions Training Center for pastors and leaders.

How I praise God for making me - a nobody - into a somebody.  My commitment to ministry is making disciples and planting churches. God has given me so many blessings and opportunities. He has given me a wonderful wife and children, a place for ministry and ministry partners such as Kingdom Expansion Resources. He also helped me to obtain a Bachelors degree in Theology, and a Bachelor of Arts degree. In addition, I have completed several international level training courses such the Haggai Institute in Singapore and the Keystone Project in the USA.

I thank God and those people that are being used by Him in my life. Pray for us and partner with us! 

Pastor Tej