Shining in the Darkness

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” – Matthew 5:16 (NKJV)

Jaimashi (Christ is Victor) from the home of Mt. Everest! It is our joy to share with you all that the Lord has been doing over the past couple of months.
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Despite the efforts of the Nepali government to make evangelism and conversion illegal, God has been blessing our ministries here in Nepal. Lives are being changed and the gospel is going forth! Praise the Lord for His protection and provision over all that we are doing.

With that said, for the safety of our staff and ministry team, please do not post this update on any social media outlet. It is okay and safe to share through email. 
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First Baptism
On September 8th, Calvary Chapel Kathmandu (aka – Salvation Church) conducted our first ever baptism! We had one new believer that wanted to demonstrate her love and commitment to the Lord by being baptized. Please pray for Anjali as she is the only Christian in her family. Pray that she would stay strong in her faith and that she would be a good witness to her family and friends. We would love to see the rest of her family become Christians as well.

Fun with the Promise Child Girls
During one of the major holidays, the Promise Child girls had an entire month off of school. We did not want them to just sit around the house and be bored so we came up with some fun outings for everyone to go on.
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The first outing was a trip about 45 minutes outside of the city to a beautiful park and botanical garden. We went on a small hike and collected lapsi (a Nepali fruit) from trees, played games, had a picnic, Bible story time with Pankaj, and a special lesson on hygiene with our other missionary friend, Hannah. It was a great time of fun and laughter for all.

The second outing was a day at a water and amusement park called Whoopee Land. The park is fairly new to the Kathmandu Valley and is a big deal to go there for most Nepali people. Everyone had a great time going on the water slides, playing in the pools, and riding on the rides.

In addition to the special trips, we also had some fun times at the home playing games and bringing visitors to meet the girls.

We had a blast hearing the laughter and seeing the smiles on all the girls faces during all of the activities and outings we did during their holiday break. We are humbled to be a small part in the lives of these precious girls.

Lots and Lots of Outreaches
We just said goodbye to the Calvary Chapel El Monte team. There were 13 people on this team, two of which were Tonielle’s parents.
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During their trip, we hosted a VBS outreach in one of the slum areas, 3 medical camps where they were able to minister to 400+ people, shared testimonies and encouraged the patients at a Christian rehab center, met and loved on the Promise Child girls by giving gifts, and so much more!

We were blessed to have two amazing doctors and nurses on the team who not only treated the patients illnesses, but also prayed with each person before they sent them to the pharmacy section where the other team members were waiting to share with them.

After the patients saw the doctors, the other team members had a chance to talk one-on-one with each of the patients, share the gospel, and pray with them while they waited to pick up their medication.
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There were many souls and lives saved as a result of these medical camps and other outreaches.
We also have a team from Church on the Rock, in Oregon. It is a team of 6 people. So far, they have gone to the Promise Child girls home and played games with them, handed out hygiene kits and went house to house to share the gospel and encourage other believers at a leprosy colony a few miles away from where we are located. They are now on a 6-day trip in a mountain village called Swara where they will be witnessing, discipling, and loving the people in the village. Please keep them in your prayers.

CCBC Student Outreach/Graduation
The students are gearing up and excited to go on their student mission trip this week! They will be traveling to a village located in the Ghorka region and sharing the gospel through skits, special songs and dances, and sharing testimonies. The trip is scheduled for Oct 29 – 31. Please keep them in your prayers as this is a step out of their comfort zone.

On November 17th, we will be having 7 students graduating from the 2017 Spring and Fall semesters. We are excited to see what God will do in their lives and ministries as they return back to their homes.
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Tonielle’s New Ministry Opportunities
There seems to be a baby boom happening in Kathmandu these days! Over the past two months, Tonielle, Jena, and Hannah have been busy hosting and attending a total of 4 baby showers for all of their expecting friends. Baby showers are not a common thing, here in Nepal, but we are having fun introducing the fun games and traditions that come with these parties. We have jokingly said we should all start a baby shower ministry!
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Tonielle and a few of the other missionary women have been doing a book study/discussion through Kay Smith’s book “Reflecting God”. It has been a sweet time for them to get together, fellowship, and get to know each other better. They all read a few chapters of the book and then meet at our house to discuss what ministered to each of them during the readings. Tonielle hopes to be able to continue this group and open it up to other english speaking women after they finish this book and find another book to go through.

An American Holiday Season
We are very excited to share that the Sarkar family will be in America for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years!! This will be Levi’s first American Christmas experience and we are really looking forward to spending this special time with our family and friends.
As long as all goes as planned and Pankaj’s immigration paperwork is approved, this will be the last trip we take to the States for the next 2-years. Traveling back and forth from Nepal to America every year takes quite a toll on our finances and also takes us away from our Nepal ministry. It would be a blessing if Pankaj is approved to stay out of the country for longer than 11 months with his green card.
We know Christmas is a busy time for all, but we would love to see as many of our friends and family as possible during this trip. Please let us know when/if you are free to meet up with us and we will put it in our calendar. We would also love the opportunity to share at any churches and Bible studies about our ministry out here.
Tonielle & Levi’s Visa Update
The visa drama continues! Our lawyer was able to obtain a 3-month business visa for Tonielle (and Levi) that will get us through the rest of 2017. When we return from our trip to America, they will enter Nepal on a tourist visa and then, God willing, will be able to reinstate a 1-year business visa after we settle back in here in Nepal.
Thank you again for your love, prayers, and financial support for us and our ministries. You are all co-laborers in helping further the gospel here in Nepal.
Love,
Pankaj, Tonielle, and Levi