Nestled among the world’s tallest mountains, Nepal is home to a staggering 125 different ethnic groups. The country is best known for the hundreds of climbers who test their mettle on the peaks of Mt. Everest each year. What’s less often seen are the numerous communities who live in these remote regions. Many have had very little opportunity to hear the gospel in their own language.
Hope on the Airwaves
Narbu Sherpa, a local pastor, remembers growing up in one of these secluded communities. “At that time, there were no Christians who could teach me,” he says. “But I found a radio program. I felt like this is what I was looking for and I started to listen. And then, every day, it became a part of my life to listen to the Word of God.”
This encounter with Christ not only changed the course of Narbu’s life, but would eventually influence the community of Sherpas he grew up in.
Who are the Sherpas?
Contrary to popular belief, Sherpas are not merely mountain guides. They are an ethnic group whose villages are scattered through the Himalayan Mountains. Predominantly Buddhist and largely unreached, many Sherpas have had limited access to the gospel due to the difficulties posed by the very mountains they call home.
A Faithful Witness
Eventually, Narbu made the difficult decision to leave for Kathmandu, Nepal. Though the move and the adaptation to a new culture was not easy, the distance did not stop him from sharing the hope he had found in Christ.
He began writing letters to his family back home, explaining the message of Jesus and answering the questions they had. Over time, God used those faithful letters to draw Narbu’s loved ones to himself. Speaking of his family, Narbu says, “Amazingly, God is bringing all of them into his kingdom.”
Heart Language of the Himalayas
Narbu now pastors a church of nearly 90 congregants. Roughly half of them are Sherpa. Yet he knows there remain many men and women throughout the Himalayan region who have never had the opportunity to hear about Jesus in their own language.
While most Sherpas have some level of proficiency with the national language, Nepali, their native tongue carries a deeper sense of meaning. “If it’s in Sherpa,” Narbu says, “then we feel like it belongs to us.”
That is why Narbu is so passionate about creating biblical resources in the Sherpa language. Because Sherpa culture has a strong oral tradition, audio resources are particularly effective. His vision is to help produce recordings of Scripture, biblical teaching, and Sherpa worship songs that can easily be distributed among Sherpa communities and listened to again and again.
Hope for the Future
Already, this vision is becoming a reality. In the near future, Narbu is going to be producing radio programs with Words of Hope. And although many families are moving away from the mountains, the gospel is still finding its way into the hearts of those who remain, thanks to the faithful service of believers like Narbu.
In Romans 10:14, Paul exhorts the church in Rome: “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?”
The gospel can only continue to go forth in places like Nepal if Christians like Narbu continue answering the call of Christ.
Prayer and Generosity
Please join us in praying for Narbu, the Sherpa people, and all the cultures in Nepal. Pray that God would continue opening hearts as his Word is translated, recorded, and shared throughout the Himalayas.
Thank you for your generosity. Every gift equips local believers to bring God’s Word to unreached people. We believe that, one day, every nation and tribe will gather together before the throne in eternal worship of Christ (Rev. 7:9-10).
