#009 Dan Pokharel - Following Christ from Nepal to the U.S. and Back

Speaker A: You are listening to GC Talk with Bo Ellis. This show is produced by Great Commission partnerships in Tampa, Florida, to bring you inspiration and conversation with pastors, church planters and missions leaders who are making disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ locally, nationally and around the world.

Speaker B: Hello, friends, and welcome to GC Talk. I'm Bo Ellis, and today, welcome. We're talking the Great Commission with a pastor, a missionary and church planter who grew up in Nepal. But at age 20, he met Jesus Christ, the one true God. And that changed everything for him. His name is Dr. Dan Pokarel, executive director of Global Mission Nepal, uh, based in Charlotte, North Carolina. More recently, he founded the National Baptist Convention of Nepal as the first Baptist denominational organization of its kind in a country that only received the Gospel of Christ in the 1950s. It was 50 years later, in the early 2000s, that Dan came to the US as a young Christian to study and prepare for ministry, thinking that he'd go back to Nepal. But God had other ideas. And Pastor Dan has been planting Nepali speaking churches in Texas, in Boston, New England, in Charlotte, and in Nepal ever since. Hey, good morning, Dan.

Speaker C: Good morning, Bo.

Speaker B: Hey, it's great that you're joining us. Um, um, good morning, Good afternoon. Whatever it is for you. Dan, I know you're joining us from Charlotte, North Carolina, but you are our partner in Nepal. Explain to us how a Nepalese guy who's planting churches in Nepal and in Charlotte ends up being based in Charlotte.

Speaker C: Thank you, Bo. Thank you for your partnership. Well, um, we are Nepali Christians. We are first generation Christian Gospel is recent in Nepal, so my generation is first Nepali Christian generations. So God called me from Hindu family background. That's what I come from. And then God brought me here in the US to get training. And, uh, while I was seminary students, I started reaching Nepalese, Hindus, Buddhist, animish people here in this state. Then God called me further, especially planting, reaching Nepalese unreached people through church planting. So I went to Dallas, Texas, then Boston, work with NAM North American Mission Board. In 14, we launched Global Miss Nepal. Reaching Nepal is not only us go to, um, back home, my country. Uh, we started planting there in 2016. We moved here in Charlotte. I thought, I will not plant church here in Charlotte. Instead, I wanted to focus back Nepal, which is home country, my home country. But again, during COVID God brought Nepalese people here in Charlotte. And I could not, um, stop. I couldn't resist God calling. So I accepted. Now we have Nepalese church here in Charlotte back Nepal. We'll continue planting churches in fact, Bo, we, our chol planting movement in Nepal, um, help us to form National Baptist Convention of Nepal. Now, whatever we do here in the US or back home country, my home country, back Nepal, we are reaching andris Nepalese to spiritual planting.

Speaker B: And that's only recent. Uh, you just walked us through, um, about 30 years of your life. So on this show, um, GC Talk, we're talking about missions and this calling on our lives to go and make disciples on those who go and those who stay and support those who go. Um, but you come from a Hindu context in a country where the gospel wasn't even, you know, in the country until the mid-1950s, a closed country. And you're growing up in a place where Hinduism and Buddhism is just is what it is. And yet God reaches in and somehow pulls you out. I think of Psalm, um, 40. He pulled me out of the pit. And I just wonder if you can share with our listeners how God did that when you were young. I think you told me when we first met you were in your early 20s when God called you to himself. What did that look like then? And how did you respond?

Speaker C: Um, Bo, I think that's a great question. I think God has two kind of calling in every individuals. First God call us to be saved. If you read, uh, if we read book of Isaiah, chapter six, talk about, uh, first God cleans Isaiah's sin, his mouth. And then after cleaning him, he called Isaiah to become missionary for his own people, to become prophet to people of Israel. So in my own case, I was brought. I was born, raised in Hindu family. When I was 16 years old, I ran away. When I was 20. No, sorry. When I was uh, 18 again, second time I ran away, I was 20 years old. When I found Christ, I would say Christ found me actually as Hindu young man, I was wandering, still worshiping Hindu God goddess, going one temple after another one, one God after another God. My life was miserable. So that time Jesus found me. One of my Hindu friend and I met and my friend who never been to church, but he had heard power of Jesus Christ before. Even before going to uh, church. When I was going through tough time, I was sick actually in that closed room in my heart because my friend said whatever we ask in Jesus name, he would give us. Only gospel I heard was whatever you ask in Jesus name he'll give us. So I pray silently in my heart. Next following week, my friends and I, we both went to church underground church. It was 88 since then. I think that was my first calling to be Safe I never had, uh, in my dream I would serve the Lord in whatever I, uh, it is. I have no idea. Because for uh, Hindus, if you want to be priest, you have to be born in certain, uh, caste group, which is Brahmin. You have to born in hierarchy family. If you don't born in that Brahmin family, you cannot uh, serve as a priest. So I had no idea at all. So it was 93 when we got married, my wife, I got married and God called me from ministry. So, um, it was 93 then I started uh, uh, doing ministry, reaching my own people, um, back home country in Nepal.

Speaker B: Well, just a little background for, for our listeners and uh, many, many who know GCP would know Pastor Dan already. And your story is in, is, is inspiring. And that's why I asked you to come on the uh, show and I hope you'll join us as a regular. Because you bring so much wisdom about missions, I remembered meeting you first. In 2011, I traveled to Boston with a mission, uh, team from the seminary in Raleigh, Wake Forest, North Carolina. And we were going to meet with this Nepalese guy. And in walks Dan. And you shared about church planting and mission with such confidence that it struck me that you were absolutely convinced that God was going to do what he'd sent you there to do. And it's walking in confidence, um, even when you're taking big risks for the Lord to do that. And as those born and raised in the US we think about risk, um, it's um, not even close to what you went through to accept Christ, to trust in Christ in a Hindu context, to leave uh, your, your mother land to, to study in English in Dallas and to uh, earn your m. Div. In 4 years in English was to me an amazing feat. Uh, I couldn't understand how you did that when we first met, but this calling on your life was so evident, even Pastor Joe Souza told us when you were assessed for uh, for NAMM as a church planter, he uh, he sat down with you for about two minutes and he closed the book, he said, because he didn't need to ask any more questions. And it's obvious to everyone that the calling of God is on your life. And you go fearlessly into that calling. And I know that for you as you and Mandara and two boys, um, move from Dallas up to Boston, uh, to plant that first church. But as the story goes, you actually went to Boston to meet with someone to tell us that story about that lady you went to meet with.

Speaker C: In 2007. I was in Dallas planting one of first Nepali church in US well before that, prior to 2006, there were Nepali Christian in the US but we did not come to US to plant church or become missionary. In my case, I just came here to study. I want to go back to Nepal. So God just led me to plant church. He convicted. Of course there was a lot of lot of risk. Number one, I have no idea how to reach Nepali people in American context. Secondly, there was a finance. I had no idea how to raise money. Back in home we have family members and local church. And um, we used to little sigh. We don't tell our need to other people. Especially minister need over here. I have no idea. So I just listen God voice. Then went to Dallas. There, you know, back Nepal. Let me say something. Nepal still there's a law anti conversion law. Actually in those days, if you say 1980, if you just hold Bible, if you just hold Bible and um, carry Bible, go here, there. If police find, if army find, they can arrest you with no reason at all, just being Christian and put you jail. So I met uh, Dallas. One lady, she recently went to the Lord. She was only daughter and of our former chief of army. Only daughter. She was living there doing business. But that time she was going through tough time. Somehow I met her. God led me to lead her to Christ. Actually she accepted Christ and again she was, you know, if I were Nepal, I never dreamed to meet this lady. She is uh, unapproachable because of her family.

Speaker B: Um,

Speaker C: well, one day she gave me call and said, pastor Dan, I have friend in Boston. She's one of wife of our former king brother. She says she too go to church. Well, I took my wife and meet this lady again, the believer in Dallas. And she said, pastor Dan, my friend from Boston has invited you and me back to um, Boston. Well, that was a great idea. King former Kings youngest brother wife. It's unheard story. It's very unheard story. You don't hear something like that. You need appointment. If you're caught by Kings or Ms. Uh, Bodyguard or police those days, they can arrest you, put you in jail. But this woman, I heard she was going to church. But long story short, brother, what I heard was what she told me was she that lady in Boston, she was not going real church. She was going some kind of, uh, you know, Mormon, other kind of a kind of cult which is not true Christian. They don't represent true Christianity. Well, they that really gave me vision to go Boston. If I were there, if this lady may have Opportunity to hear gospel. So I took my wife, my youngest son, and then uh, the member from Dallas, the lady went to Boston. When I met her 2008 in month of April, she invited all Nepalese prominent people whom she connected, especially dignitarian son and daughter, uh, royal family members. And uh, she introduced me to Nepalese community in Boston. So that was you know, God confirmation for me to go to Boston. So August 2008 we moved to Boston. So that's how I ended up in Boston.

Speaker B: I love the story because your, your plan was to study in Dallas and, and you went there not really knowing what would be next. And because of the yes that you gave God to, to move your whole family to Dallas, he started arranging those relationships that would result and you moving down that path, saying yes to opportunities that he presents to you. And that's so much of what it is to be about the mission of God is number one, accepting that it's his mission, not yours, and that you're joining him on his mission and that if you would just allow him to use you, if you'd ask him to let, let me be used, uh, he'll present opportunities. Um, you didn't dismiss that opportunity and your yes was immediate. Um, talk to us about how upon arriving in Boston, um, you started planting churches. I mean how did that just kind of grow up, if you will.

Speaker C: In 2008 when I visited Boston in April, month of April, um, I found there are few, maybe three or four Nepali Christian. They used to go to English congregations. Um, there were not thousand Baptists. Um, I found one guy used to go to independent church English congregation. There was another guy used to go American Baptist. Um, so when I went there also I met another student from Nepal. He was Christian. He was just not going church at all. So 2000, I still remember 2008. It was 8-4-2008. I landed uh, in Boston with my wife and my two son. Other than this Hindu lady. We started going to Mormon church. I had no idea at all. I was told that Boston is very much liberal Christian toward Christians. These liberal people have hostility toward Christians community, especially evangelical Christian community. Another challenge for me was how to survive there. Too expensive. So um, with limited, very limited resource, we landed off in Basan. One of my prayer was before I go there, I studied a lot of missionaries life stories, especially William Carey story. How William, uh, Carey, who is considered father of modern missionary movement, he went to my region, especially South Asia. He lost his wife, um, children, um, went to a lot of finest difficulties. Not only that in Seven years he, he led one guy to Christ. So that really gave me um, confidence that I said, God, I'm ready to fail. You know, when you go mission, when you receive God call. We should not um, afraid to become failed. So my challenge was how to survive in Boston. Also Nepali. Those Nepalese who I found living in Boston, coming from wealthy family background, hierarchy family background, they have money, resources, even back home. They're studying, um, Harvard, mit, some other colleges. They have a high paid job. Is that Dan and his family have nothing other than God call. It's very tough. But I was praying God, you know, I landed there in October. Um, sorry, um, August 4th of 2008, my prayer was, God give me 10 people in next five months. I still remember that I had no idea what I need to do. For one whole month I was driving and uh, knowing cities where Nepalis were living. I drive and park my car, go street by street, stop maybe 5 second, 10 second, 15 minute, 10 minute stone, pray for Nepalese people there. I did almost um, from um, uh, uh, until October, uh, sorry, uh, full month of August also middle of September. And then I decided to launching date, actually church launching date at least. I need to invite a Nepali folk to my house. So 2,000, um, eight, September 3rd week I told those Nepalese, I know them, I invited them, hey, can you come to my house? Let's study Bible. Let's do, let's do some different thing. So it was 2000, um, eight September 27th, I started first Bible study group in Boston. Then my prayer was 10 people. Bo, I like tell you amazing thing how God um, listens our prayer and how he reward that years. Christmas Day, December 24th, 25th, those people and I was praying for 10 people. We celebrated 42 people in my own home celebrating Christmas, uh, in Boston. So God gave beyond what I asked and then that become, just become uh, no story.

Speaker B: Well, it's walking by faith, doing the mission, not sitting around thinking about whether you can do the mission or not. Um, the command of Jesus was to go and make disciples, right? Jesus said, I will build my church. And you're joining Jesus in that mission. And I just think it's a great example for um, for so many, uh, church planters in the U.S. we American, um, church planters. They'll spend a whole season of planning and creating prospectuses and raising money and uh, designing a strategy for um, church planting in a context they may not even be that familiar with. Um, I like to liken it to if you had 10 traffic lights, you're waiting for all 10 of them to be green before you're willing to go. So what, what's inspirational for me about the way you started the, the ministry up there was that you saw what God was doing and you immediately just started sharing the word of God. The Bible study preceded the church plan, right? The, the. The relationships and the sharing of the word of God. The fellowship of the church preceded officially planting a new church and that church led to others. So I know that we're running probably a little bit short on time for this episode, just hoping that people can get to know you a little bit. But you planted multiple Nepali speaking churches across, um, Massachusetts, New England, Vermont, Massachusetts, uh, and then came to represent the North American Mission Board as our ethnic church planting catalyst up for that region. And then sometime around 2013, you had another call talk to us about how God called you out of the Nam role and into launching Global Mission Nepal, uh, as really something that's a life, a life's work for you.

Speaker C: Thank you. That's a good question. You know, I started believing myself that the meantime we say this is my mission and this is my church and we sometime we, we like to own mission, um, by ourselves. Jesus said, I'll build my church. Jesus is the one who built his church, not us. Our, uh, then our responsibility is that we just have to obey, trust his word and obey Him. Um, while I was planting church there, Bo, uh, we planted one dozen Nepalese churches all over New England. Actually 2008 to 2016. We also have Chal Plant nem Chal plant in New York. This area, um, we just named all over New York, uh, some churches we help even in Canada among Nepalese folks. Um, for your um, knowledge, you may, your um listener may like to hear. Since 2006, there was no Nepali church established Nepali church in North America. Today there are more than 300 Nepali churches all over us. For me as uh, CH planters I needed new place. One day in fall of 2013, I was praying God, what next in new area. Most of the places we planted church. I asked God, God, where do you want me to go? Well, I set up this chatel, um, in that church. Uh, you know about the church which you visited has now more than 150 people. In that church just a mile from Harvard University in, um, Portugal, we planted Nepal's church. I should have stayed there and have uh, monthly support from church members. Just uh, last year, uh, avoided all, you know, travels, hazards, uh, stay with family. But I think that was not my calling. One day God gabby I was praying and God started whispering in my ear. Then what do you think? Go back to Nepal and plant churches? I said what I came to us and you called me to do something here. Now you want me to go back Nepal. How that happened? Uh, what happened? My neutral plan in Bar. Slowly God started teaching me. Vision was to plan 100 churches next 10 years, 14 to 24. God clearly spoke to me. You will plan 100 churches in 10 years. I had a very tough time to believing in God. No money. I'm not fundraiser. I cannot communicate wisely or clearly with my Americans and churches. I had tough time. But only thing what I can do, I told Lord is God. I believe you. I believe in you. Then I share with you. Bo, you know, you helped our, uh, creation of our website. We put something there under child plan visions. I started going back Nepal. And whenever I get, uh, my free time, my extra time, my vacation time, we started going back Nepal. Brothers, we planted 167 churches last 10 years. 167 churches last 10 years. I believe this is not me. Only thing what I can, uh, say is that is God work. Not me, not anybody. It's got work because Nepal, you have less than 2% Christian. They needed. They need Jesus. So now last year we, our team in Nepal actually form National Baptist Convention of Nepal. We form convention, we register in government office. I recently returned from Nepal. I was in Nepal in month of January, last month. Now we have first National Baptist Convention presidents. We have a board member completely form National Baptist Convention of Nepal. So that is, I think, uh, we did a little bit, uh, you know, adding, uh, something for history of Nepali Christianity.

Speaker B: Amen. And that's Global Mission Nepal still will be, uh, equipping pastors and planting and supporting churches. But now those churches will be partnering together, um, under the National Baptist Convention of Nepal. And we do celebrate that because we're so blessed here in the US to have the local association, our state convention, our national convention to, uh, to connect us all together. We're much better together than we would be as little silos and gcp, um, has come alongside, um, Global Mission Nepal to help foster a lot of that connection in much in the way a local association might, um, getting pastors to be able to do things together. And now under the National Baptist Convention, um, umbrella, I pray that doctrinally that, uh, practitioners will be able to, um, really focus on, um, life together and strengthening pastors and sharing the gospel and planting more churches across Nepal. Dan, we're going to drill down on that next time. You join me. But I'm so happy that we got to share, uh, your backstory. If you would for this episode. Dan, talk to us about uh, the future of Global Mission Nepal. And would you pray that um, God would do it as we end this episode?

Speaker C: Um, what we do is, um, future of Global Mission Nepal is continue stay as mission agency. We work under National Baptist Convention. What we do is our job. Our ministry will continue focus recruiting child planters and continue mentoring them and providing resources, final resources. When um, our donor or partners gives money, we support, uh, two years to three years our child planters. And then we give this nutrient plant to under convention m control. The convention will lead them, convention will guide them, convention will continue mentor them. So, um, Globe Mission Nepal continues to stay as mission agency. Like if you're if um, um, doing mission here in U.S. if you're Southern Baptist. Southern Baptist has two mission agency. One international mission board, IMB, what we call second NAM, North American Mission Board. So go Ms. Nepal. Stay as like a, uh, one of our mission agencies like NAM or imb. So we'll continue recruitual planter, continue share vision under National Baptist Convention. Then once we plant church, we give uh, to convention and convention take care of uh, our churches.

Speaker B: Amen, brother.

Speaker C: Yes.

Speaker B: And once again just walking fearlessly with our God on mission. Uh, not recklessly. Dan, you're a very thoughtful, very careful guy, but fearless all the same. And it's very much a Christlike, um, personality trait. And I certainly do appreciate being your friend. And, uh, thank you for allowing GCP to come alongside. Why don't you pray and we'll be done for this episode and we look forward to having you again. You can find, ah, Dr. Dan Pokerel at globalmissionnepaul. Uh.org Dan, pray for us.

Speaker C: Thank you very much, Bob. I pray that your listener and your organization, thank you so much for partnering. You have been a partner with us, uh, and being good friend, close friend, um, since we know 2011. Now it's 10 years, Bo. No, 15 years. We're celebrating 15 years. And you have not give up. Um, I have not give up. So let's continue to do this ministry. And thank you so much for great commission partner. And let us pray together. Dear God, thank you so much for this talk. Great commission partner talk. Lord, I pray for my friend Bo, his family, uh, God, would you continue to bless him and his mission agency? Uh, also we also pray for those places where Bo and his ministry has touched many lives in Nepal, Brazil, the US all over the world. But I pray for this mission and seek. Would you continue bless as you pray for those listeners, our brother and sister in Christ. Would you can you bless them so that they can prayerfully consider joining uh, Great Commission Partners also Globe Miss Nepal as they partner with Great Commission Lord. Thank you Father for this wonderful time. Thank you so much for work which you have started and we believe on your time you will finish. We love you God. We praise you. In Christ's name we pray. Amen.

Speaker B: Amen. Thanks Pastor Dan.

Speaker C: Thank you brother Bo.

Speaker B: See you real soon. God bless.

Speaker C: Sure, you too. Bye bye.

Speaker A: Thank you for listening to this episode of Great Commission Partnerships. GC Talk with Bo Ellis. Find us wherever you get your podcasts and on the web@gcpartnerships.org where our mission is connecting Christians to missions and supporting church planters and missionaries locally, nationally and around the world.