Joseph Chikopa

Joseph is a Global Sharing Ministry Partner who lives and works in Malawi. We met Joseph in 2017 at a Disciple Making Movement Conference in Zomba.

Ron: Joseph, tell us a little about yourself.

Joseph: My name is Joseph Chikopa. I was born on 18th June 1976. I'm a Malawian living in Nsanama, Machinga district. Nsanama is a Muslim village. My favorite food is nsima (a corn/maize mush) with chicken brai (barbecued over the fire). I love to watch movies and documentaries. I love to read biographies especially about the lives of missionaries. My heart is to learn more about some missionaries who have gone before me so that I can learn about their stories, how God has been using them which inspires me in my ministry journey. Those are some of the things which I love to do.

Ron: What is the community like where you live?

Joseph: The Yao People here like to go to the mosque because they are Muslim. The game which they like most is football (i.e. soccer) and so they like to go to football clubs to play and there they watch movies too. This is the culture of the Yao people. They also like dancing in their traditions. There are 4 million Yao people - all Muslim for the last almost 200 years. David Livingstone came and preached the gospel and the Yao turned from their animism to Christianity. But they were taught back then, even required to kick out all but one wife when they converted to Christianity, and their culture struggled with this. Islam came in later and said they could have multiple wives so they converted back to Islam. Today my community is almost 100% Muslim. 

Ron: Describe your family growing up.

Joseph: I grew up in a Catholic home. My parents were farmers, but both died when I was young. Farming is one thing which I learned from my mom. When I was young, I especially enjoyed the trees, the animals, the plants, the mountains. This has been one of my favorite memories and also now is my hobby. I will always cherish going out to our farm and being out in nature. I love nature. My most vivid and traumatic memory is when my parents passed away. This has been something which I will always remember. It was a very big deal in my life. It broke my heart, and I grew up as an orphan.

The hardest time I had in my life was before I received Jesus as my personal Savior. I had suffered a lot without Jesus and I was feeling like nobody liked me. Nobody liked me and loved me probably because I wasn’t very lovable. But with that day of Jesus coming into my life, I remember that it was a harvest day. I heard in my life, God began to change me, so I always thank God for that day.

Ron: How did you come to faith in the Lord Jesus?

Joseph: I started following Jesus when I was 23 years old. One of my friends took me to a Christian friendship group and at that time I couldn't believe about a real God because of what happened to my life in losing my parents. I was thinking that there was no God and I convinced myself about that. But one day a group of people came to my village showing the Jesus Film. At this time, I was broken in so many ways. I couldn't trust anybody. But when I went to that place where they were showing the Jesus Film, something happened to my life, and I remember I couldn't believe that there was a God but I wanted to. I was thinking that if there is a God, why would God take my mom and my dad before I finished school while I was so young?

So while I was watching the movie something happened. I felt in my spirit like a big weight was moving out from my life which was hurting me - so obvious before the Christians there. I realized I was hurting God badly that day. It was 1999 the day my life started to change. I found myself down in front of everyone, crying there at this Jesus Film event. Amazingly, the big weight moved out from my life and the Lord changed my life that night, and I heard a voice of the Lord saying,  “You know even if you feel like nobody loves you, I am there for you. I am your parent and I want to take care of you. That's why I died on the cross of Calvary.” Then when I saw the movie, and with the voice I heard from above, things began to happen in my life. That was the turning point for me, and I felt a peace and joy as things began to change. Today I am not the same person I was back then. I heard the Lord telling me that so many people who are also suffering like me, “I wanted you, Joseph, to go and share the love of Christ” to them, what I’ve done for you. That's when I found myself starting sharing the love of Christ to many people and that was before I went to Bible School. I did not know anything, but I said to myself, I'll just testify about what happened to my life. How my life changed! That's when the Lord called me to go to preach Christ where Christ has never been preached. In my younger years before this, I was drinking. I was doing bad things. I couldn't and didn’t experience love. But since I gave my life to the Lord, Jesus changed my life. I am not the same. I'm a new person and a new creation. I thank Jesus for that.

One of the most vivid and important days I had in my life... there are so many of these days, but I will mention one. It was when I had an accident on 8th June 2015. I was coming from the training center and I was in a minibus and the mini bus turned over. God saved my life.  I did not die but I broke my legs and my hand. My legs were behind my arm at one point. But still today I know God saved my life. He has a good reason why he has saved me like this. I don't take this for granted.

Ron: Tell us about your wife, Violet. What do you love most about her?

Joseph: In 1995 I got married to Violet, my beautiful wife. I was 19 and she was 18. During that time, she and I weren’t Christians yet, and as I shared before, I missed my parents love, so my wife was one of my best friends even to today! God changed us together to be followers of Him. She's an amazing woman of God, a woman of faith. She's very good and encouraging to my life and the ministry that we’re involved in together. Honestly, our children are the joy of our lives. We have five children together. The challenge for us has been to find school fees for them, but the Lord has been faithful up to today. Two have finished schooling- even university!  And three of them are continuing their schooling, God has been good to us.

Ron: Do you have favorite Bible characters or stories?

Joseph: The stories that I like from the Bible apart from the story of Jesus is the story of Philip in the book of Acts. What an amazing guy! And also, the story of Steven in the Bible. These people, living inspired by the Lord, challenged my life. You know they gave their life to God by their actions and commitment. They were just normal people without titles in their lives. But God used them to reach so many people. When you read in the Bible the life of Philip reaching out to the Ethiopian eunuch, this really touched my heart and I see God can use anybody so with their story I know God can use people like me who don't have titles. He can use anybody. That also helps me know I am just a common man. I don't have a name in this world. Nobody knows me apart from God, yet I know God can use me the same way he used Steven or Philip. I see the life of Steven who was willing to die for the truth. He was not comparing himself with somebody who has a name or a title, just a deacon waiting on a table. But he stood for the truth. This touches my heart a lot.

Ron: How did you know God was calling you to work among the unreached Yao people?

Joseph: I received the calling of God one evening when I was young. I had a calling for people but I did not understand, because many times I could hear the voice of the Lord but I couldn't realize it was God (like Samuel?) and sometimes He would give me a dream to show me some scriptures but I did not understand what it all meant about the scriptures until I gave my life to the Lord. That's when I realized the Lord was calling me to go and reach out to those people who never had the gospel.

For the Yao people, 97% of this tribe are Muslims, and when I was at home one day, the Lord gave me this scripture found in Romans 15 v18 and 20. He was saying to me that I needed to preach Christ where Christ had never been preached. So this touched my heart and when I was in Blantyre, the second largest city of Malawi, I had been involved in so many churches, but the Lord had told me that I needed to go where Christ had never been preached. That's why Violet and I prayed about it and preferred to come to Machinga among the Yao. Into a different culture, different religion, even a different language!!

Ron: What do you find most challenging in ministry and life right now?

Joseph: My challenge most of the time is to raise up funds to help my kids to go to school. This has been one of my challenges in the mission field. Also to raise up funds to support people who are chased from their homes by militant Yao People. This has been one of the biggest problems. But God has been faithful, and he remains faithful. This is really a prayer request for many people to pray for us about this and another prayer request is to see their people coming to know the Lord so they can grow and do the work of ministry as a follower of Jesus. Another challenge is persecution. You know when our fellow believers tell people that they’ve come to know the Lord, the community stands against them, and they start fighting. Sometimes they beat them and sometimes even I remember people came to our house and broke windows in our house. This is some of the challenges we normally face. Please keep on praying for us.

Ron: Where do you find encouragement, especially when facing those challenges?

Joseph: Working together in the ministry is very important. It’s very special when you're having the same vision and the same heart of reaching out to those people who have never heard the gospel. That is very, very important and it brings joy because together you can do so many things, much more than when you work apart. When you are working together there is power because you strengthen each other, you listen to each other, encouraging each other, empowering each other, praying for each other, doing things together. Things which I cannot do someone else can do it so there's power and unity in the body of Christ.  

Ron: Describe your partnership with Global Sharing.

Joseph: I knew about a Global Sharing through meetings we had in Zomba back in 2016 where we heard about the Disciple Making Movement and in that meeting there was one of the leaders of Global Sharing and that man was you, Pastor Ron! So the Lord gave us that time to connect and since then, we have been working together in many things. I am so thankful to you, Pastor Ron, because you have been a big blessing to us. May the good Lord continue blessing you!

Global Sharing has been a big blessing to us too by helping us to grow spiritually through counsel, teaching, and mentoring. And not only that, we have also grown more closer to God about physical things that help us, including a solar powered well pump so we can teach wet farming to many Yao people. The ministry has supplied us with so many Bibles and audio Bibles and also leaders’ bicycles and helped in the building of our center, and also electricity at our center to help us reach the Yao. This is just a few of the ways GS supports us as a family- supporting the work of the ministry in Malawi. GS is a really good partner to us. So I know that God connected us because many people have come to know the Lord through GS support. We’ve traveled together with the GS team when they came here. They've been visiting us and praying for the people in the communities, blessing them with eyeglasses and prayers for healing, and encouragement to leaders struggling to faithfully follow Jesus in the midst of persecution. We have been encouraging each other about Disciple Making Movement which is the heart of Global Sharing. We are so thankful for that. May the good Lord continue blessing Global Sharing. Thank you so much!

Click HERE if you'd like to meet Joseph online with Ron hosting!

Global Sharing Spotlight:

Malawi, Africa

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We invite you to explore with us the regions where our global ministry partners work. These places are unique and vibrant, each boasting their own special beauty. And the people? Well, we believe the people are extraordinary. And we think once you get to know them better, you will too. So we invite you to venture out with us virtually as we celebrate the people, places, and ministries God has called us to serve around the world.

ON THE MAP

For some years now, Malawi has been called the “Warm Heart of Africa” and this tiny nation has surely embraced the moniker. Friendly people, a vibrant culture, and a relatively stable government has made this Central African nation of roughly 19 million people an attractive destination for travelers seeking an African adventure.

Malawi is dwarfed by its massive neighbors, and is just 900 miles across at its widest point. Zambia is to the west, Tanzania sits to its north, and to the south, the long, thin Warm Heart of Africa seems to stretch leisurely, like she’s dipping her big toe into the heart of Mozambique.

From its place in the sub-Saharan southeast, Malawi has much to recommend it. Making the most of its position in the famous Rift Valley, it boasts the third largest lake in Africa, numerous national parks and wildlife reserves, forested highlands, and Central Africa’s highest peak. The famous Lake Malawi makes up one fifth of the nation’s geography. It’s length neatly divides into relatively even thirds, forming regions known as North, South, and Central Malawi. The North is the least populated area and unspoiled in its beauty. It’s characterized by rugged highlands and dramatic beaches along the northern lakeshore. Heading south, parks and wildlife reserves are plentiful and there are many tourist attractions along the lakeshore. the commercial capital and the old colonial capital sit on a high temperate plain that gives way to the hotter, drier south. The nation’s capital city, Lilongwe, sits in Central Malawi and makes a great launching point into the other regions, especially for international visitors.

HISTORY

As Europe emerged from the Dark Ages, Malawi was part of the Maravi Empire, a vast expanse of southeastern Africa which included Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique. Organized by tribe, the area was mostly agrarian, farming millet, sorghum and later maize. The Europeans arrived en force in the 17th century and the tribal leaders began trading ivory, iron, and slaves with the Portuguese and the Arabs. It was the British who ultimately succeeded in colonizing the region, dubbing it British Central Africa. Unfortunately, during the colonization era, wars erupted between the Christian missionaries that came with the colonizers, like David Livingstone, and many of the powerful regional tribes. One of those tribes was the Yao.

Originally from Mozambique, pressures like famine and tribal conflicts had led the majority of the Yao to migrate eastward into Malawi. When they settled, they established trade with neighboring Swahili Muslims and became one of the most powerful tribes in Africa’s southeastern corner. The ivory and slave trades were not all they dabbled in; they also adopted the religion of Islam and did not appreciate the attempts of 19th century Christian missionaries to convert them. Today, two million of the roughly 2.8 million Yao live in Malawi. They continue to practice Islam and remain collectively resistant to the gospel message. But little by little that is changing.

MINISTRIES

Deep in Malawi’s south and sitting on the border with Mozambique is Nsanje where native son Pastor Medson Mzonda leads a small congregation. Life in the region is difficult; the geography lends itself to extreme heat and little rain which wreaks havoc on agriculture and thus the food supply. Medson began preaching here in 1985 as an evangelist but settled down to plant a village church in 2000. There was little gospel presence in the area, and much opposition, but He felt the call to serve among the unreached. Over time, many have come to faith in Jesus in an area dominated by animism and the worshiping of spirits. Medson faithfully serves his community, meeting practical needs, feeding the hungry, and encouraging his flock to reach out and press into villages across the border in Mozambique who need to hear the good news. Following in his father's footsteps of ministry, Medson's son, Joseph, has embraced the DiscipleMaking Movement (DMM) and is doing online Discovery Bible Studies in Malwai, making disciples who are making disciples throughout the region and beyond.

Joseph Chikopa was raised in the commercial capital of Blantyre, but like Medson, the Holy Spirit called him to press into areas without a gospel presence. So, he set out for the region of Machinga, where he trains the Yao tribe to farm, using a DMM discipleship tool called Farming God’s Way. DMM is rooted in relationships and by training Yao farmers in simple agricultural methods, communities have been blessed by increasing maize crop yields. The two together communicate the love of Jesus both physically and spiritually. In a land that has been plagued by seemingly endless drought, the villagers are learning how to engage in sustainable farming AND many in the Muslim community have given their lives to Jesus in the process. Whether it’s leading Discovery Bible Studies or strategically gifting Audio Bibles, Joseph continues to creatively present the gospel in word and deed among the Yao, and they are hungry for it. But the Yao tribe has a long memory and the key to the success of Joseph’s ministry has been this: He went not as a missionary, but as a servant. And they have welcomed him.

OUR PART

Global Sharing is proud to partner with both Medson and Joseph as they serve the Kingdom in Malawi. We will continue to offer the encouragement of friendship, prayer support, and teams of volunteers (when we can travel) to both these ministries as they continue to faithfully serve in their little corner of Africa. As both men press on with their work, we will continue to tell their stories, support them how and when we can, and invite you to join us in walking the Kingdom path with them.

As our partners press on in Africa, pushing further into the darkness with the light of hope, we will continue to tell their stories, support them how and when we can, and invite you to join us in walking in the way of Jesus with them.

PRAYER POINTS

• Pray for continued fruitfulness as the Yao respond to the Word of God.

• Pray for wisdom as leaders are identified and trained for the work ahead.

• Pray for spiritual opposition from religious groups mounting against those who follow Jesus.

• Pray for spiritual fruit from the solar-powered audio Bibles recently donated by GS partners in the US.

• Pray for continued groups of families and villages to respond en masse to the gospel.

THANK YOU

Thank you for making our partnerships with both Medson and Joseph thrive. Thank you for praying for these partners and the beautiful people they serve. Thank you for seeing the challenges and being part of bringing change to this corner of the world. We press on with your help, and we press on because the hope and healing of Jesus is the only change that will last.

To receive our prayer email updates for our partners, click HERE.

To give to our Malawian partners through Global Sharing, click HERE.

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Thank you to all who have journeyed to Malawi with us to serve our friends and partners there! We hope to visit them again when we are able to travel!

Santosh Gurung

Ron: Santosh, tell us a little about yourself.

Santosh: My name is Santosh Gurung. I am 37 years old and married to my beautiful wife Yojana. We live in Jamuna More, Nagrakata, which is a small town in the Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal in India. I was born here in this small town, and I continue to live here with my family.

Ron: What is the community like where you live?

Santosh: My hometown is referred to as the chicken's neck of India because we share our borders closely with Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China and Burma. I live in the Terai-Dooars region of West Bengal, which is also sometimes called a mini-India for itsdiverse culture. We have different communities and cultures living together here, but the majority of people in my area are either Nepalis or Adivasis (tribal outcasts). Most people around me earn their livelihood by working in the tea gardens and as daily labourers. Our community is quite large and consists of people from different walks of life. We are very fond of travelling and eating varieties of food. There are frequent cultural activities held in our community, and people are very fond of football, cricket, movies and other sources of entertainment.

Ron: Describe your family growing up.

Santosh: For the glory of God, let me begin by telling you how my family and I came to know about God and accepted him as our saviour. In his early years, my father suffered a lot of hardships in his life, my mother and myself, including my three brothers, would often fall sick. My father owned a small hotel where he served Chinese food, such as Momo, chow mein, etc, to the people of our small town in Nagrakata. Due to frequent illness of his little children and his wife, he had a lot of trouble running his hotel as well as looking after the sick at home. My father took me, my brothers and my mother for treatment to different hospitals and tried various medications, he also called various witch doctors and healers from Bhutan and Darjeeling to try black magic and heal us all, but we were not getting any better. My father was tired and had no hope left for all of us, he had made up his mind to feed us all poison including himself and put an end to our misery. As he was planning this in his mind, a young man came to his hotel and handed him religious tracts.

My father cannot read or write, hence he asked my mother to read it for him. It was written that Jesus Christ has the power to heal all sickness, when he heard these words, his hopes were renewed again. He then began to ask around about Jesus. Around the same time, the Shalom Gospel Church in our town had organized a healing program. My father took us to the gathering and various people prayed for us that day. We returned home and our father placed his faith in Jesus Christ, and slowly we were healed from our illness. But we were not aware that we also had to go to a church, hence one day one Pastor named Rev. Simon Naik came to my father’s hotel and asked my father if he knew about Jesus. My father immediately gave his testimony to the pastor and he invited us all to come to the church. This way we began going to the church and having fellowship with God. Today, our whole family is happy and blessed in Christ. Our family is experiencing the grace and love of God every day and we work for the glory of God.

Ron: What was daily life like for you growing up?

Santosh: After getting to know Jesus and believing in him, my whole family began to have fellowship with God. I also got the blessed opportunity to lead the sunday school service in our church every sunday before the main service. I also got the opportunity to share the word of God during the cottage meetings on Thursday. This way I began growing in Christ and also simultaneously studying. When I was 14 I had the opportunity to work in the Children's Bible Club organised by Seva Bharat Mission. This way I became attached to the children's ministry, and became a Sunday school teacher. This way I had the privilege to grow in the love of God and my family.

Ron: What your life was like before following Jesus? 

Santosh: I was healed by my father’s faith. So, I began to follow Jesus in my childhood. I completed my studies in a Christian school named St. Mary’s Boarding High School. I conducted Sunday schools and preached in cottage meetings. This way I was growing in Christ, but one day, our church was divided, our pastor Rev. Simon Naik decided to leave our church and join a new organisation and form a new church. He requested my father to follow him to the new church, but my father refused. He stated that he came to know Jesus through this church and he would continue to go there till his death. We had no pastor in our church and our church was boarded up. I was studying in Class 9 at that time, due to lack of fellowship from the church, I became friends with some bad company. I started to follow them in their bad company and got involved with them. I never told my friends that I was a Christian, I had started believing that God is only one and all Gods are one. I started to drink and smoke with them, tobacco and drugs became my friends. I used to come home drunk and fight with my family. I spent my father’s money from the bank for drinking with my friends. I became a prodigal son, my father and my mother would cry and advise me to turn my ways but they never hit me. I became a bad person and my neighbours would tell my father of my misconduct and ask him to keep his son away from theirs. This way I went further away from good company and started leading a bad life.

Ron: And things went from bad to worse?

Santosh: I was engaging in activities like drinking, smoking, and drugs use, deliberately distancing myself from Christ. I concealed my Christian identity from my friends out of fear that they would reject me, knowing that Christian’s typically avoid such behaviours. Spending countless hours with them, I participated in worship idols and took part in traditional idols festivals in my Hometown. My addiction to drugs, alcohol, and smoking marijuana led down a dark paths, where I even facilitated the smuggling of harmful substances from Bhutan to India, including marijuana and whiskey. From which I was also involve in criminal activities such as theft, extortion, and threatening innocent people, but I often evading police capture. I even resorted to stealing money from my father account, exploiting his lack of education for personal gain, funding my vices life gambling, drinking, smoking, and drugs use, I actively avoiding encounters with pastors and church members, avoiding them whenever possible. This lifestyle show my life without Christ, a period marked by selfishly straying from God paths.

Ron: So when did things change again for you?

Santosh: One day Pastor Emmanuel Sharma came to our church and opened it up, he started ministering to our family and the church and I began to run away from fellowships and the pastor. But my father told me that now I will have to start living with the pastor’s family in the Church. My father had dedicated my life as a child to God in the church, and according to the Old Testament he dedicated my life to God and his ministry. Earlier he had forgotten this promise and he now wanted to fulfil it. When I heard these words, I was shocked, I was at a loss of words and began to live with the Pastor’s family. The family was very strict, they would let me out of the room and the campus, and they were scared that I would run away. This made me even angrier.

But they loved me dearly, they thought it would not be proper for me to stay in Nagrakata and sent me to a church in Tindharey, Kurseong. When I arrived in Kurseong (Darjeeling), I

had the privilege of meeting Pastor Daniel Tamang, who graciously welcomed me into his church quarters and provided a safe haven for me. Over the course of several months spent under his mentorship, Pastor Daniel Tamang took me along to various fellowships, gradually involving me in ministry activities. I eagerly took on responsibilities such as cleaning the church and eventually leading the worship team under his guidance. Through this process, I

witnessed a gradual transformation in my life as my addictions began to lose their grip on me. One pivotal moment occurred during a three-day discipleship conference which was organized by Campus Crusade Mission, where, on the final day, I responded to an altar call by the preacher. In that moment, I felt the strong touch of God's presence, and I was convicted by the Holy Spirit to dedicate my life to Him. Following the conference, Pastor Daniel facilitated my enrollment in a Bible College in Mirik, where I received training in

preaching and sharing the Gospel. As I continued to grow in my faith, I became increasingly driven by a vision to proclaim God's message to all people. Upon completing my studies, Pastor Daniel entrusted me to the care of Pastor Emmanuel Sharma in my hometown, where I took initiative in organizing youth conferences and gatherings. Through these experiences, I witnessed profound changes within my own heart and was privileged to pursue a two-year diploma in theology training through Seva Bharat Mission. God continued to bless me with opportunities to serve, including partnerships with RAY Ministries and Trans World Radio India, ultimately leading me to embrace my role as His servant, dedicated to carrying out His miraculous work in my life.

Ron: Tell us about finding and getting married to Yojana. What did you really love about her?

Santosh: Long before the idea of marriage entered my mind, I had been fervently praying

for a life partner who shared my vision for spreading the gospel. The divine intervention came when Miss Binita Sharma, the daughter of Pastor Binod Sharma, shared about a girl named Yojana. She had graduated from a Bethel New Life Bible College in Bangalore, and her heart was aligned with the desire to marry a pastor from India for the sole purpose of sharing God's message. Intrigued by this revelation, I expressed my interest through Miss Binita, and soon a WhatsApp group was formed with the three of us. As we engaged in conversations, it became clear that Yojana and I shared not only a mutual vision but also a deep commitment to spreading the gospel. When I first spoke with her, I found that we shared a strong desire to spread the message of the gospel and serve God. What struck me the most was realizing that she embodied the qualities I had prayed for in a life partner. I had prayed for a wife who would attend Bible College, honour God, have musical talents for worship, and understand English to support my ministry. Seeing all these qualities in her felt like an answer to my prayers. It reminded me of Proverbs 18:22, which says finding a good wife brings favour from God. This realization deepened my love and respect for her even more.

Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, our connection deepened, leading to a proposal in the midst of these uncertain times. However, our journey faced an unexpected hurdle when Yojana's family in Bhutan expressed reservations about her marrying in India. This setback left us disheartened, prompting us to embark on a forty-day fast seeking divine guidance. In a miraculous turn of events, God touched the hearts of Yojana's three elder sisters, revealing to them that I was the chosen partner for her. With this divine confirmation, Yojana's family had a change of heart, and through the coordination of our pastors, our families connected with each other. This two-year-long courtship during the pandemic strengthened our bond, and as soon as international travel restrictions eased, Yojana came to India. We exchanged vows in a ceremony at my church, surrounded by the grace of God, and began our journey together in marriage, grateful for the miracles that unfolded.

Ron: Describe people that you two are burdened for – what are they like?

Santosh: I was born into a diverse culture where the majority of tribes were Nepali and Adivasi, mainly coming from backward classes, working for daily wages around 230 rupees. Usually, only one family member works, managing the entire family's expenses with this amount. Many people lack access to such work and take whatever opportunities they can find, like working in fields, selling food in small stalls, or doing labour-intensive jobs. Growing up, I witnessed my father selling fast food on the streets to feed our family of six. Through this experience, I deeply empathize with the struggles of people from Adivasi and Nepali tribes who lack basic necessities such as food, water, education, and healthcare. Moreover, many young people are drawn towards detrimental behaviours like smoking, drinking, and drug use, with uncertain futures ahead of them. The education standards in our area are abysmal. Children who graduate from government schools often lack the skills needed to navigate the real world due to the poor quality of education. Only a few privileged children receive better education in private schools, which are costly for Adivasi and Nepali families. Witnessing these challenges first-hand, having grown up in a tribal area, I feel compelled by Christ Jesus to serve these communities and help uplift them.

Since 2010, I have been praying for the people of Bhutan, known as Bhutanese. Bhutan, a non-democratic country, restricts religious freedom, especially for Christians, who risk arrest for preaching or converting others. Both my mother and my wife are Bhutanese, and hearing my mother's stories about their struggle to worship freely deeply touched my heart. My wife faced similar challenges in Bhutan, where people are suppressed in their worship practices. Knowing these circumstances, both Yojana and I are committed to spreading the gospel in Bhutan with the support of our relatives living there. My heart is burdened for the Bhutanese people who long to worship and pray freely in their country.

Ron: What is your greatest desire to see God do?

Santosh: I have been praying for them for years to witness God changing their lives and accepting Christ as their saviour. Just as Zacchaeus's life transformed after encountering Christ, I long to see the hearts of these tribal people and Bhutanese changed. They should repent for their sins, embrace salvation, and live truthfully, respecting God and each other as brothers and sisters in Christ, following Jesus's teachings, and becoming true disciples. Furthermore, I aspire to witness changes in their social and cultural lives, ensuring they receive basic necessities such as food, water, education, and healthcare. These transformations would signify God's grace and the manifestation of His kingdom among them.

Ron: What it is that you are most passionate about in doing Kingdom work today and why?

Santosh: I have started my journey by teaching children, youths, women, and church leaders, guiding them through the vision of God that He has given me in their respective churches, focusing on making disciples through training. Engaging in these activities, I felt a profound sense of blessing and discovered a passion for working in the kingdom of God. As a minister and disciple-maker today, I consider it a tremendous blessing to serve in the kingdom and contribute to the formation of true disciples. Each time I share my thoughts with others about God's kingdom, I am grateful, knowing that my heavenly Father observes me engaged in His wonderful work of sharing the gospel and making disciples. Devoting my life to God as a disciple of Jesus Christ, I wake up every day with the same energy and enthusiasm to share the gospel and spread the good news.

Ron: What is it that you pray about often, asking God’s help for?

Santosh: From an early age, I have sensed a calling from God to serve in His ministry, and I continually seek His guidance and strength through prayer. I often pray for God’s help in fulling His visions for my life, which includes making disciples, raising leaders, planting churches, and engaging in various ministries such as youth’s, women’s, children’s and social ministries, particularly in the field of education and healthcare. I recognize myself as a clay of His hands and Him as a divine potter, and I pray earnestly for God to shape me into an instrument of His love and grace, ready to carry out His work and accomplish wonderful deeds in His name. My prayers are a constant plea for His presence, wisdom, and empowerment as I navigate the path of ministry and seek to fulfil His purposes in my life and in the lives of those around me.

Ron: When / how did you connect with Global Sharing?

Santosh: In 2016-17, while I was working with RAY Ministries, circumstances lead me to depart due to financial strains. However, Director Rev. Home Steward Jamang, facilitated my transition to Trans World Radio India ministry as a Himalayan media and field manager, recognizing my financial needs. It was during this period that I became acquainted with Global Sharing. In this same year, I got call from Rev. Home Steward Jamang that Global Sharing ministry intended to collaborate with RAY Ministries to support women’s conference, through Pastor Ron, whom I encountered during this time. The next year through Pastor Ron, I met Pastor Fernando and Pastor Belinda, who assured me of financial support through the partnership between Global Sharing and RAY Ministries. This experience served as my introduction to the Global Sharing ministry, which eventually led to opportunities to share gospel in larger areas.

Through my experience with Global Sharing, I have learned that it is all about spreading the

love of living God and helping others follow the teaching of Jesus Christ sharing the gospel and making disciples. What makes Global Sharing special is that it helps people wherever, no matter who they are or where they come from. It’s like a big family that reaches out to everyone in spreading the message of Christ, showing kindness and support. I believe that Global Sharing is not just something people came up with. It feels like it was God’s plan to do a good work around the world. Seeing how Global Sharing makes a difference in people’s lives, make me feel like it was God plan to join in this wonderful plan of sharing gospel, making disciples and helping the youths and leaders of church.

Global Sharing has been instrumental in my personal journey and ministry in profound ways. It has only provided me with the opportunity to fulfill my calling of sharing the gospel and making disciples but has also served as a spiritual guide throughout my endeavours. During challenging times, such as when I found myself trapped in debt, Global Sharing stepped in with financial support and prayers for me and my family, enabling to dedicate myself fully to the work of God and sharing His gospel. Their unwavering support and encouragement have been of source strength and motivation, empowering me to continue serving with passion and

dedication in sharing gospel and making disciples. Moreover, through their example, Global Sharing has taught me the importance of love and demonstrated how to effectively carry out ministry, equipping me with valuable insight on sharing the gospel and nurturing disciples. Global Sharing has been a guiding light, providing me with particular knowledge and how to share the gospel effectively, making disciples, and mentoring leaders within various churches. Their influence has significantly enriched my ministry, enabling me to reach out to other with passion and purpose.

As I reflect on the journey with Global Sharing, it becomes clear to me that God has arranged our connection for a purpose. It’s as if God has woven our paths together to fulfil His kingdom’s work. Through prayer and discernment, I have trusted the paths our partnership in His divine plan to spread His message of love and compassion to the world. With team work between my personal convictions and the mission of Global Sharing, I see the hand of God guiding us towards a common goal: to serve Him and His people with dedication and humanity. This connection is not just a coincidence, it is a testament to God’s faithfulness and His desire to work through us to accomplish His purpose.

We hope you've enjoyed hearing a little more about Santosh, his faith, and his heart for the lost. We'd love to connect you with Santosh and Yojna. Click HERE to let Ron know you'd like more information about when we are next meeting up with Santosh online. He'll also let you know about how to be part of Santosh's WhatsApp group text.