Today I would like to post something here that would be, in my opinion, one of the most heart rendering stories ever heard!
A Nepali man whom we know now as Brother Bhim attended our church today. He happens to have contacts with the pastor of our church and since the pastor invited him there, he came happily, what with the fact that he is a “Christian”!
I have a habit of reaching the church about 45 minutes later, because until then we have the usual stuff going on around there like starting prayer, ikraar and all that, which I think is purely a “ritual” that the Methodist Church has followed since generations and now, even if you happen to wake up the Bishop at 2 am in the morning and ask him to take a Church, he will be unmistakable at that!
So when I reached the church, Nikita was taking the worship and the atmosphere there was so beautiful (which normally happens due to the purity of the Worship Leader) that the moment I stepped in, I was swaying! After the worship session, the priest, Pastor Benjamin, handed over the mic to Brother Bhim, for him to share his introduction, how he got to know Christ and the things other than this on these very lines. The moment Pastor Benjamin said, “Brother Bhim, please come”, I pulled myself downwards in my chair, all geared up for a nap!
My name is Bhim, I am from Nepal, I have a wife and a little kid who is 10 months old. In my family, we were 3 children, me, my elder brother and my younger sister. It’s not like I have known about Jesus Christ for the first time. I have known about Jesus Christ, what with the event that I was born in a Christian household.
I don’t know whether you people here know about the conflicts and wars that take place in Nepal or not! I’d like to tell you a bit in brief! In Nepal we have a communist group called the Maoists. These people are feared all over Nepal and even in some parts of India. These people have an enmity with the Nepali Government. They oppose whatever policies the Government makes and when they oppose, they don’t go forth without the murder of at least a 10!
In 1992, my elder brother joined the Maoists, on his own terms, and went in for their training. They trained him to a really great extent, and he became the leader of a battalion. He used to get us food, help my parents and all, so even we didn’t complain about his presence in the Maoists. After a few years passed by, the other leaders of the Maoists started developing a jealousy towards his progress, and they got together and murdered him! When we got to know, we were trapped, as complaining in the Police would have just made the matters worse! And soon after that, the Maoists raped and murdered my Aunt who was a teacher in a school, as she refused to give 5% of her meager salary to them!
I decided then that I would get with the Maoists, and destroy them internally thus avenging my elder brother’s death! I did so in 1999. I trained day and night, I trained so hard and I made it into the Maoists – and not just that, I even got into the Gorilla troopers, who are known for their high efficiency! I used to do everything that the General of the Maoists said; we used to train for weeks at a stretch in the jungles of Nepal, without eating anything, surviving with just a sip of water! We were trained to stay in mud for days at end! We also got scientific teachings there for the purposes of surviving and shooting and all that! A part of that training was to completely believe in the fact that only the things that we can hear, see and feel are of real existence. Nothing beyond that really exists! All this I did was only for my brother’s revenge! I wanted it so bad!
Eventually I was made the head of my battalion, the Maoists Gorillas! At that time, there took place a war in Nepal between the Government and the Maoists and I participated in that war! And as per their characteristics, the Maoists went on murdering anybody who stood in their way to victory! At the end, the Maoists got their way!
In the course of time, the people there became jealous of my progress too. They plotted against me and let out a rumour that I was the person who was solely responsible for the murder of 24 people in the recent war that took place! When this news reached the Government, they put me #1 on the Most Wanted list and declared that anyone who reported my whereabouts would get a lump some of 30,000 bucks! By then, I had fled the Maoists, my revenge left incomplete!
I was on a run by then! And consequently, one fateful day, an Army officer traced me and captured me! At that moment, I felt practically nothing! I was a numbed person, all those years I had trained my self to do so! I had no idea what the Army people were going to do to me, with me!
The officer, a good and virtuous man, took me into the jungle, as per normal procedure for beheading a criminal. That day, the rituals for cutting off my head and presenting it to the Government on a platter were all set up! The officer called up his Colonel General to inform him about the situation and to take his approval for performing the beheading! And I swear to God, until then I was standing numb!
The Colonel General said, “I don’t think the time is appropriate as the Ministers are not in the country. Put him in some secured place!” And then the officer locked me up in an underground tank! Now you people know how tanks are – damp, filled with water and insects and all sorts of filth! I was released 7 months from the tank after I was captured! For 7 months, I stayed there, not seeing the light of the day, not smelling the fresh air – I lived my life in the same darkness; but now, in the Light, I see!
Moving on, when I was released, they told me that as per their investigations, they found out that the story about me murdering 24 innocent people was fluke! And then they let me walk, an alright looking man! After going home I met up with my family and applied for a passport and moved to Malaysia.
Malaysia is a beautiful place to be. I began to work at a computer hardware manufacturing company there. I earned enough for my family. When I was there, I became friends with other two Nepali brothers who were Christians as well. They used to talk to me about Christ and usually asked me to attend the church with them. I was consistent at saying ‘No’! One evening, after work they asked me to accompany them to the function they were having in their church! I couldn’t say no, as they said, ‘You are a Nepali! You should definitely come see this! You wouldn’t miss it!’ So, I went. Even after going there, I did not somehow felt like stepping in, so I stayed out promising them that I’d wait till they came back! A few Chinese women from a Chinese church nearby came to lend a hand in the same program. On seeing me sitting outside in the cold, they insisted I come inside! That day an Indian preacher, originally from Darjeeling had come for the sermon. He spoke on Revelations 3:20-23 – “Open the doors of your heart and let Him in!”
And then this random guy, whom I didn’t even know, met out of the blue said, “The fellows who wish for a special prayer for them may please come forward”, and I got up and went ahead!
I closed my eyes as this guy said, “Feel His power running through you!”, and I actually felt something inside of me going wild! I felt as if I got a heart burn that was as brightly visible as the lighting in the stormy sky! I felt warm! I felt shivers throughout my body running into the deep earth! I felt Jesus Christ! I shouted, ‘Save me Father! Save me Father!’ And the people standing there claimed that I shouted continuously for 10 minutes!
At that point in my life, I knew Jesus Christ! I didn’t no more know about Him, I knew Him! He touched me, made me feel, disappeared the numbness, took away my burdens and held me in His arms saying, ‘You are my child!’
After a few years I came back to Nepal. I attended the Bible college due to my eagerness to know Him. I learned that the biggest goal in a true ‘Christian’s’ life should be to establish His kingdom in the hearts of the people and not anything else! I was saved and I saw Light – and now I see!”
