Testimony of

Isaac R.

Church Planter in Nepal

Testimony of Conversion 

My name is Isaac R. and I was born and brought up in a Christian family. My dad has been a pastor at a Baptist church since 1993. Having been brought up in a pastor’s home, I had the privilege of growing up hearing the gospel frequently. I grew up in a Sunday school. Since my childhood, I knew I was a sinner and needed to be saved. I believed the Gospel and trusted Jesus to be my Savior and Lord and was baptized at the age of 14. However, my life was not consistent with my profession. I still lived in sin and used to think that it was normal and okay to be involved in the activities I was involved in. Nobody questioned my faith. With that hidden sin, I went to Kathmandu in 2006 to study theology. At that time, God graciously exposed my sin as I began my theological study, and got rid of it. I finished a Bachelor of Theology in 2010 and flew to Malaysia to continue my M.Div studies in 2011. Unfortunately, I fell back into sin as I was given a personal computer and high-speed internet facility. I felt guilty in what I was involved in, yet I had no dominion over it. I knew I needed help, but I couldn’t share it with anyone. I used to grieve over my sin and yet sin had its grip on me. I struggled for years. 1 John 3:36 hit me every time I sinned, “No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him.” I finished my studies in 2013 and returned to Nepal. 

In 2016, I visited Dubai and attended the Friday gathering at a church there. The associate pastor was preaching from Psalm 38 that Friday. As I sat and listened to him explain Psalm 38, David’s sin and salvation, the Lord brought my sin right before my eyes. I could see it crystal clear, and I was convicted in my heart so strongly that it was against God that had I sinned. I went to my room in the evening and began to confess my sin before the Lord. Something happened that night, God finally rescued me from my sin. God did not forsake me, he was not far from me, he helped me, and the Lord became my salvation! Praise God! I was lost but now found. I was blind but now I see. When I look at my life now I can see that I am not what I used to be.

Call to Ministry 

Honestly, it never was my desire to become a pastor or preacher. I wanted to be a great worship leader. What brought about a change in my life? It was not music, no, not at all. It was the faithful teaching of God’s Word from the pulpit. God creates people by His Word, and God changes people through the preaching of His Word. At the church, I came to the conclusion that the greatest need of Nepali churches is not music, but the faithful preaching of the Word of God. I was asked to join the pastoral internship at the church. The next nine months were incredibly busy, but very formative months for me. In that internship, I learned more things than what I had learned in the previous seven years of seminary study. Towards to end of my internship, I began to have a strong desire for pastoral ministry. I began to see that God was preparing and calling me to plant a church in Nepal. Upon the completion of my internship, I was sent out to plant and pastor a church in Nepal.