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My name is Silas Thapa. I was born in Hindu family, in the year 1967, in a small village of Bhutan. My parents were illiterate so they did not keep the record of my birth. From my childhood, I always asked these questions, "What will happen to me when I die? Where does people go after they die?"
Because of the fear of death sometimes I could not sleep at night, especially when someone died in the village. I thought that I would give anything to avoid death. I was willing to do anything to avoid death in my life. In search of truth and life I did all kinds of religious works and spent lot of time praying and chanting Buddhist prayer. But none of those things could satisfy my spirit. Sometimes I even thought of going deep into the forest and spend my whole life meditating like Buddha. I tried to follow my religion strictly, but I never had assurance of salvation, nor peace and joy.
During that time, up to my knowledge, there were no Christians and Churches in Bhutan. I never heard about Jesus, never heard the word Bible, or Church. One day in another part of the country I heard that if I become a Christian I would go to heaven. That was what I had been searching for in my life.
At the age of 15, I accepted Jesus as my Lord and personal Savior, which has changed the course of my life for eternity. As soon as I accepted Jesus in my life, I started witnessing about Jesus to my friends, relatives and neighbors.
How did my ministry began?
The joy and the peace that I got from Jesus was so new to me and I couldn't hold it within me, so I started telling and sharing to others about Jesus. During that time Christians were so few in Bhutan, that we could not met anyone with whom to fellowship. In 1982, I was searching Christians for fellowship, but did not meet anyone.
In 1983, I met one Christian couple with whom I started having fellowships. I was hungry and thirsty to learn more about God. Later in I came into full time ministry and started sharing about Jesus to everyone.
Persecution in Bhutan
In 1987, I was Pastoring a small underground church in Gola Bazzar in Sibsoo Bhutan. In the month of July 1987, I went to attend conference in nearby town in India. When I came back all the Christians of my church has been arrested by Gola Police and imprisoned them. Police officer and Dungpa (administrative officer) asked the innocence village Christians ‘who made you Christian and who is your leader?
My believers told them that “Silas Thapa is our leader and he made us Christian.” Gola police were after me. When I reached Gola Bazzar in the evening I learned about the incident and next early morning I felt something in my spirit, (this prompting of the Spirit of God was the same kind of 2004 prompting when I felt that God was talking to me to leave Bhutan) that I needed to leave that place immediately. Later I came to know, that as soon as I left the house that I was staying, the police came searching me.
Rejection from family and community
I have never faced persecution like 2001- 2002. I was called by my village authority on October 20th 2001 and asked if I am a Christian. I told them that I am a Christian. The Gup (Village Headman) of Tshangkha Mr Nanda Lall Orari told us to write statement, that I am a Christian and also that I will never make anyone Christian.
I had to also state that I will not be preaching to anyone and if I am found preaching and teaching Christianity to any citizen of Bhutan I am willing to face any kind of punishment according to the law of the country. After this, I left my village, my mom had to go through lot of mental harassment from villagers and the headman of the village. He also instigated all the people of my village to rise up against me by out casting me from the society.
In the month of December 2001, we were again called for national census. When we reached our village on Dec 4th 2001, people were different. They started treating us like strangers. We were not allowed to enter our own parental house.
My second elder brother started scolding and shouting at me in front my two sons Mangal and Navin. He scolded me for forsaking parental religion. He said everything bad that he could think of. We were thrown out of our own parental house. That night my wife, Deoki and our two sons, Joel and Navin and myself, had to sleep outside the house in the December cold.
The next day, we left our village without completing our national census work. After a few days, I had to go again for the census work, which was incomplete. This time I went alone, I reached my home at about 4PM on December 18th 2001, as soon as I reached home my second elder brother disappeared. I was not allowed to enter the house.
Later, my mother and sister came to me, and said, I was not to stay that night in that house. My brother has threatened that he would kill me or breaks my arms and eyes so that I would not be able to do any work. My mom and sister told me to go to one of my aunt’s house, which was about 1.5 miles away from our house.
I had to walk up hill to reach that house and when I arrived there, it was already dark. There is no electricity in the village and there was no moon in the sky and it was very cold. But to my dismay, even my aunt and uncle told me that I could not stay in their house, because I was Christian. I had to leave that house not knowing where to go. It was too dark to walk in such hills where there is no paved path.
Anyhow I managed to reach another house , which was not far away from that house. I asked them for one night shelter outside the house, but the man of the house refused. The lady of that house showed me a small shade where they kept corn covers. She told me to go and sleep quietly and to leave early in the morning without her husband’s knowledge. The shade was so small that I could hardly sleep there. I thank God for such place.
After about one an hour, the man of the house came out and put a flash light toward that shade. The shade was about 50 meter away from house. But, as the shade was too small to hide me, he saw me sleeping there.
He went inside the house and said in loud voice that he would call people of the village to come and beat me to death. I have never heard people trying to kill me. So when he said that he would beat to death by calling people from the village I was scared to death. I jumped off the shade and left that place in the dark without knowing where to go.
They were the people that I grew with. That was my own village. They were my neighbors I was their friend. According to our culture they have to give shelter to the stranger. But I was not a stranger to them. Just because I was Christian they would not want to give me shelter, even in a cow shade.
I went down the hill through the forest about one mile to reach my own house, because my mom and sister were the only help that I could get in that situation. Running down hill was not easy. There were so many boulders that I stumble and hurt my legs and feet.
It was so dark that I could hardly run but the fear of people following me was so intense that I had to run in dark. The path is not paved, and there are not roads. When I reached home I was thirsty and exhausted. Moreover, I was mentally tortured, and called my mom from outside the house. She came with a lamp in her hand and I fell in her arms and cried. I could not control my tears.
At this time, my brother, who was sleeping inside the house came out groaning like a lion to hit me. He was position to hit me. I knew that he was going to hit me. This time, I took courage and I told him, that if he hit me, it is of no use. There is the law of the country that will decide what to do. When I said this, he shouted at me, and went inside. That night, I slept outside the house without blanket and mattress in cold. On top of that I also needed to be careful watch if my brother would really come and hit me again.
Poisoning of family
On fine morning of March 2004 at about 9AM an unidentified man knocked my door. When my wife opened he introduced himself as the friend of our regular milkman. He also said that his friend has gone to Alipur a nearby town so his friend has requested him to deliver one litter of milk to our house. We believed him and kept the milk.
But something in my heart had some check. So we decided not use the milk till the regular milkman’s timing who usually use to come at about 12PM. At 12 Pm our regular milkman came and we asked him about the other milkman who gave us the milk. He said that he had not sent anyone to deliver the milk.
So we knew that something was going wrong. I told our housemaid to through away the milk. She threw away the milk but she mixed some rice in the pot where there was some milk leftover and she gave it to our dog. In the evening I notice our dog was sick vomiting and about to die. I did not know the reason but later I came to know that our housemaid had given the milk to the dog.
What if we human have consumed the milk? Why didn’t the man who delivered the milk didn’t came back to get his money? No one will just go to someone’s door and ever give milk or anything that cost money especially in the country where economy is so poor. Why did they want to poison my family? Why didn’t they repeat the same thing to other people around us? How did he know that we have milk vendor who deliver milk at certain time. All these were totally impossible unless someone has been planed properly, watched our family closely in secret.
Certainly there was danger for my family to continue to live in Bhutan. I was strongly convicted in my heart along with my wife that it is time for us to move to safe place. I prayed about it with fasting and the Spirit of God led that I need to move out of Bhutan as soon as possible. My wife who prayed along with me felt the same conviction in her heart.
Coming to USA: Divine Preparation
When all these incidents started happening one after another, we felt that we need to move out of Bhutan immediately. So in August 2004 we left Bhutan to come to USA without knowing what is in His hand for us.
We continually prayed for God’s direction in our lives and ministry. After 4 years of our arrival in USA we came to know why God brought us to USA. He brought us ahead of time to prepare us for the time like this. Today I help these refugees in many areas like job hunting, hospital appointment and hospital visit, interpreter, driver etc. Most importantly I serve them as minister of the gospel.
Call of God
After arriving in USA I worked as associate pastor for sometime and later I had to move to Seattle WA to do my immigration work. While I was working on my paper works, I started driving truck making good money. But deep inside me, I knew that God did not brought me to USA to drive truck. In 2007 I had to move again from Seattle to Atlanta GA. While I was driving truck God started to deal in my heart that its right time to do for what God has brought me to do in USA.
One night as I was driving down I-85 near Sugarloaf and Peachtree Ridge God started dealing with me about the ministry. That night while I was driving I could not resist His divine calling anymore. I started crying like baby and surrounded my life one more time for His ministry.
By faith without any support or and finances I stepped into fulltime ministry not knowing how God was going to provide. But since I stepped into fulltime ministry since January 2009 God has never failed us. He is providing all our needs.
Emmanuel International Church
We started this church among Bhutanese refugees on June 21st 2009 in two bedroom apartment with about 35 people. Within two months we outgrew two bedroom apartment. We moved to one of the Church's classroom. We have also outgrown this new facility. We have baptized 25 Hindus and Buddhists in just one year and many more are getting ready for baptism.
As Bhutanese refugees are coming to USA every week our church is growing constantly.
Our immediate need at present is the Church building which can hold up to 500 people.
Another need is associate pastor to reach our more people in Christ.
Contact info) silasthapa@hotmail.com
Because of the fear of death sometimes I could not sleep at night, especially when someone died in the village. I thought that I would give anything to avoid death. I was willing to do anything to avoid death in my life. In search of truth and life I did all kinds of religious works and spent lot of time praying and chanting Buddhist prayer. But none of those things could satisfy my spirit. Sometimes I even thought of going deep into the forest and spend my whole life meditating like Buddha. I tried to follow my religion strictly, but I never had assurance of salvation, nor peace and joy.
During that time, up to my knowledge, there were no Christians and Churches in Bhutan. I never heard about Jesus, never heard the word Bible, or Church. One day in another part of the country I heard that if I become a Christian I would go to heaven. That was what I had been searching for in my life.
At the age of 15, I accepted Jesus as my Lord and personal Savior, which has changed the course of my life for eternity. As soon as I accepted Jesus in my life, I started witnessing about Jesus to my friends, relatives and neighbors.
How did my ministry began?
The joy and the peace that I got from Jesus was so new to me and I couldn't hold it within me, so I started telling and sharing to others about Jesus. During that time Christians were so few in Bhutan, that we could not met anyone with whom to fellowship. In 1982, I was searching Christians for fellowship, but did not meet anyone.
In 1983, I met one Christian couple with whom I started having fellowships. I was hungry and thirsty to learn more about God. Later in I came into full time ministry and started sharing about Jesus to everyone.
Persecution in Bhutan
In 1987, I was Pastoring a small underground church in Gola Bazzar in Sibsoo Bhutan. In the month of July 1987, I went to attend conference in nearby town in India. When I came back all the Christians of my church has been arrested by Gola Police and imprisoned them. Police officer and Dungpa (administrative officer) asked the innocence village Christians ‘who made you Christian and who is your leader?
My believers told them that “Silas Thapa is our leader and he made us Christian.” Gola police were after me. When I reached Gola Bazzar in the evening I learned about the incident and next early morning I felt something in my spirit, (this prompting of the Spirit of God was the same kind of 2004 prompting when I felt that God was talking to me to leave Bhutan) that I needed to leave that place immediately. Later I came to know, that as soon as I left the house that I was staying, the police came searching me.
Rejection from family and community
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| ▲He has baptized 25 Hindus and Buddhists last year. |
I had to also state that I will not be preaching to anyone and if I am found preaching and teaching Christianity to any citizen of Bhutan I am willing to face any kind of punishment according to the law of the country. After this, I left my village, my mom had to go through lot of mental harassment from villagers and the headman of the village. He also instigated all the people of my village to rise up against me by out casting me from the society.
In the month of December 2001, we were again called for national census. When we reached our village on Dec 4th 2001, people were different. They started treating us like strangers. We were not allowed to enter our own parental house.
My second elder brother started scolding and shouting at me in front my two sons Mangal and Navin. He scolded me for forsaking parental religion. He said everything bad that he could think of. We were thrown out of our own parental house. That night my wife, Deoki and our two sons, Joel and Navin and myself, had to sleep outside the house in the December cold.
The next day, we left our village without completing our national census work. After a few days, I had to go again for the census work, which was incomplete. This time I went alone, I reached my home at about 4PM on December 18th 2001, as soon as I reached home my second elder brother disappeared. I was not allowed to enter the house.
Later, my mother and sister came to me, and said, I was not to stay that night in that house. My brother has threatened that he would kill me or breaks my arms and eyes so that I would not be able to do any work. My mom and sister told me to go to one of my aunt’s house, which was about 1.5 miles away from our house.
I had to walk up hill to reach that house and when I arrived there, it was already dark. There is no electricity in the village and there was no moon in the sky and it was very cold. But to my dismay, even my aunt and uncle told me that I could not stay in their house, because I was Christian. I had to leave that house not knowing where to go. It was too dark to walk in such hills where there is no paved path.
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| ▲Rev. Silas Thapa's Family |
After about one an hour, the man of the house came out and put a flash light toward that shade. The shade was about 50 meter away from house. But, as the shade was too small to hide me, he saw me sleeping there.
He went inside the house and said in loud voice that he would call people of the village to come and beat me to death. I have never heard people trying to kill me. So when he said that he would beat to death by calling people from the village I was scared to death. I jumped off the shade and left that place in the dark without knowing where to go.
They were the people that I grew with. That was my own village. They were my neighbors I was their friend. According to our culture they have to give shelter to the stranger. But I was not a stranger to them. Just because I was Christian they would not want to give me shelter, even in a cow shade.
I went down the hill through the forest about one mile to reach my own house, because my mom and sister were the only help that I could get in that situation. Running down hill was not easy. There were so many boulders that I stumble and hurt my legs and feet.
It was so dark that I could hardly run but the fear of people following me was so intense that I had to run in dark. The path is not paved, and there are not roads. When I reached home I was thirsty and exhausted. Moreover, I was mentally tortured, and called my mom from outside the house. She came with a lamp in her hand and I fell in her arms and cried. I could not control my tears.
At this time, my brother, who was sleeping inside the house came out groaning like a lion to hit me. He was position to hit me. I knew that he was going to hit me. This time, I took courage and I told him, that if he hit me, it is of no use. There is the law of the country that will decide what to do. When I said this, he shouted at me, and went inside. That night, I slept outside the house without blanket and mattress in cold. On top of that I also needed to be careful watch if my brother would really come and hit me again.
Poisoning of family
On fine morning of March 2004 at about 9AM an unidentified man knocked my door. When my wife opened he introduced himself as the friend of our regular milkman. He also said that his friend has gone to Alipur a nearby town so his friend has requested him to deliver one litter of milk to our house. We believed him and kept the milk.
But something in my heart had some check. So we decided not use the milk till the regular milkman’s timing who usually use to come at about 12PM. At 12 Pm our regular milkman came and we asked him about the other milkman who gave us the milk. He said that he had not sent anyone to deliver the milk.
So we knew that something was going wrong. I told our housemaid to through away the milk. She threw away the milk but she mixed some rice in the pot where there was some milk leftover and she gave it to our dog. In the evening I notice our dog was sick vomiting and about to die. I did not know the reason but later I came to know that our housemaid had given the milk to the dog.
What if we human have consumed the milk? Why didn’t the man who delivered the milk didn’t came back to get his money? No one will just go to someone’s door and ever give milk or anything that cost money especially in the country where economy is so poor. Why did they want to poison my family? Why didn’t they repeat the same thing to other people around us? How did he know that we have milk vendor who deliver milk at certain time. All these were totally impossible unless someone has been planed properly, watched our family closely in secret.
Certainly there was danger for my family to continue to live in Bhutan. I was strongly convicted in my heart along with my wife that it is time for us to move to safe place. I prayed about it with fasting and the Spirit of God led that I need to move out of Bhutan as soon as possible. My wife who prayed along with me felt the same conviction in her heart.
 |
| ▲Worship Service in Emmanuel Intl. Church. |
Coming to USA: Divine Preparation
When all these incidents started happening one after another, we felt that we need to move out of Bhutan immediately. So in August 2004 we left Bhutan to come to USA without knowing what is in His hand for us.
We continually prayed for God’s direction in our lives and ministry. After 4 years of our arrival in USA we came to know why God brought us to USA. He brought us ahead of time to prepare us for the time like this. Today I help these refugees in many areas like job hunting, hospital appointment and hospital visit, interpreter, driver etc. Most importantly I serve them as minister of the gospel.
Call of God
After arriving in USA I worked as associate pastor for sometime and later I had to move to Seattle WA to do my immigration work. While I was working on my paper works, I started driving truck making good money. But deep inside me, I knew that God did not brought me to USA to drive truck. In 2007 I had to move again from Seattle to Atlanta GA. While I was driving truck God started to deal in my heart that its right time to do for what God has brought me to do in USA.
One night as I was driving down I-85 near Sugarloaf and Peachtree Ridge God started dealing with me about the ministry. That night while I was driving I could not resist His divine calling anymore. I started crying like baby and surrounded my life one more time for His ministry.
By faith without any support or and finances I stepped into fulltime ministry not knowing how God was going to provide. But since I stepped into fulltime ministry since January 2009 God has never failed us. He is providing all our needs.
Emmanuel International Church
We started this church among Bhutanese refugees on June 21st 2009 in two bedroom apartment with about 35 people. Within two months we outgrew two bedroom apartment. We moved to one of the Church's classroom. We have also outgrown this new facility. We have baptized 25 Hindus and Buddhists in just one year and many more are getting ready for baptism.
As Bhutanese refugees are coming to USA every week our church is growing constantly.
Our immediate need at present is the Church building which can hold up to 500 people.
Another need is associate pastor to reach our more people in Christ.
Contact info) silasthapa@hotmail.com
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