Janga Chaudhary
It was my very first trip to Nepalgunj, a city near the Southern border of Midwest Nepal. I would be teaching at DTC (Discipleship Training Center) for two weeks. At this location was the gravesite of one of the first pioneers of the gospel, Barnabas Rai. I would be staying in the home of L.B. Chaudhary, a dear brother in the Lord, who in the years to come, would be my guide, my traveling companion, my translator and in relationship, become like a son to me. He is now the General Superendent of the Assemblies of God in Nepal.
Throughout the night clanging sounds of a nearby factory, barking dogs and romantic cats made sleep nearly impossible. After a few nights the Lord helped me become accustomed to the nocturnal noises. I still remember the peace of God filling my heart and my little room becoming a delightful sanctuary where the Holy Spirit shaped my heart as I studied in preparation to deliver the lessons to the students.
Though the language barrier was extreme, I soon became aware of the bonds of friendship being formed between the students and I. Through smiles and facial expressions, thoughts and understanding, though unspoken, can be conveyed because we are humans and we are humans who are believers.
It was during this time, I became interested in the personal testimony of these young men and women. Through L.B. I instructed them to write out their personal testimony of how they came to know the Lord. In just a couple of days they completed their handwritten stories of their personal journey to their new birth as a believer in Christ. I was to discover that none had been Christians. Their varied backgrounds had been Hindu, Buddhist and Animist. Though all had heard the good news of Christ, it was through dreams or manifestations of healings or other things that got their attention and they were ready for God’s messenger who later came and shared the gospel. In a later article, I will give another one of their testimonies.
One of the students was a teen ager from the Tharu tribe in Western Nepal. His name is Janga Chaudhary. I would teach for the short two weeks at the Bible School but in the years ahead, I would be reunited with him in his ministry.
A couple of years had passed when I encountered Janga again. After graduation, he had married and had moved to the Dang Valley. The Dang was a beautiful location and was located in the Hill Country. He had opened a church and Ginger and I went to preach for him with L.B. doing the translating. He obtained a site for the church and people started coming. Janga was hardly out of his teens but he was a visionary. Today he is one of my many heroes in the nation of Nepal. With the many challenges that comes to pioneering a church, he never gave up. Though quiet of disposition, he stuck with it. Another thing, nothing was too big for God.
I have been to the city of Gorahi, where he is located, about three times since he started the church. He is the same humble, quiet Janga but the work continues to grow under his leadership. Just a couple of years ago, his church had just under 600 baptized members in attendance. From the main church in Gorahi, there have been 33 new churches raised up. On my last visit there with my son, I ministered in his church. One on the outstanding features was not just the packed out facilities but it was the sweet presence of the Holy Spirit. People from all walks of life were experiencing God’s amazing love and grace. A lesson learned is that God uses tender and yielded hearts, not just in Nepal but anywhere in the world.