Finally I have what I was looking for ...!
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his
only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
My name is Tek Bahadur Khatri and while I was in Bible
College, my colleagues called me ‘Tekson’.
I was born and brought up in Nepali Hindu family in Chamba, Himachal
Pradesh. In my very childhood, my parents were passed away and another couple who
worked with my parents in a corporation, brought up me. My step parents used to
tell me that because of my bad horoscope I had killed my parents. Whenever I
heard it, it had grieved me most. There are neighbours who used to encourage me
for observing fast in order to get divine help to get rid from my sorrow. I
began to observe fasting and to visit temples; and began to read religious books.
But still I had been struggling with my emptiness.
In 1997, even after completing 10th std. with first
division, I could not study further. I began to work in company as supervisor
and started to earn. I fell into a bad company and started to drink alcohol. In
1999, a Christian friend invited me to attend an advance Christmas program in
Kullu. I went there just for enjoyment. During Nov. – Dec. 1999, there was a
daily headline in news that Pakistani terrorists had hijacked the airplane in Kathmandu,
and they had carried to Kandahar. I saw
in the program, where Christian men and women were praying with tears. Actually
I was laughing at them thinking that Christians had become mad. But it
compelled me to realize that these Christian men and women had not seen those
people who were kidnapped with the airplane, but yet they were praying for
their release. I began to think that I go to temple and always I pray for
myself. I never prayed for others, even they were known to me. After the
worship, the evangelist distributed a piece of paper to each one of us. I
opened it and read John 3:16, but I couldn’t understand it. Later a believer
read the verse for me and explained it for me; and placed a copy of NT in my
hand. I read the whole John 3 chapter after coming back to my room. I read the
conversation between Nicodemus and Jesus where Jesus speaks about the born
again. During my school, I read a myth about
the North polar star – Dhruv Tara. This story is this way: There was
a king, whose wife died after giving birth a son. This king married another
woman. She also gave birth a son. The king loved more the son who was born from
his second wife. One day the son born from second wife was playing with the
king and the son who was born from king’s first wife also watching them to
play. And this boy came to king and asked him to play with him. But king’s
second wife denied him saying, “If you want to play with the king and with my
son, you must be born from my womb again.” After hearing this, the boy began to
ponder about the born again. He began to ask sages of how to born again, but no
one could tell him. One day Maharishi
Naradmuni met to him, as the asked
the question, the sage encouraged him to please Narayan Bhagwan to get
the secret of how to born again. This boy went in thick forest and devoted his
life to please Narayan Bhagwan. After so many years Narayan Bhagwan appeared to him and gave him an offer to ask for any wish.
But this boy asked Narayan Bhagwan to tell him the secret of how to
born again. Bhagwan Narayana spoke the impossibility of born
again, but offer an unmovable place in the North in the sky, and told that you
would known as Dhruv Tara.
In olden days, when there was no compass, people used to see the
position of Dhurv Tara to voyage. As
I was reading John 3 chapter and pondering the conversation between Nicodemus
and Jesus, I reminded the story of Dhruv
Tara, where Narayan Bhagwan expressed
his own inability to grant born again, while Jesus offers the way to born again
here. I started to read the NT. As I realized the need of forgiveness from my
sin, I prayed God asking forgiveness and for born again. On 16th
January, 2000, I confessed my sins and accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and
saviour. After 10 months, I baptised in Manali Masihi Mandali. The joy God had filled my heart on that day
was an inexpressible experience!
I was working in Larji project as supervisor. Due to
busy in the work, I couldn’t attend the fellowship regularly. I had desire to
serve the Lord and take the Gospel to my people. But I could not decide to go
for the ministry. Mean while I was shifted to Garsa and began to work there. On
16 July 2003, there was cloud burst and a great destruction occurred. I ran at
dark night and climbed the mountain to save myself. At dawn, I came down and
saw the corpses of little children and man under the trees and stones. I was
shocked and terrified by seeing all these things. A gentle voice I sensed in my
heart that saying, “Tek, think if you would have died in last night, where
would you be now?” I could not sleep at night. I had gone through many nights
without sleep. I was unrest and longed for peace. I remembered the day I had
unspeakable peace while I prayed on knee and accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as
my Saviour and Lord. I wanted to attend
again the fellowship, but I felt shy to go for fellowship. During those difficult times, I met to Mr.
Ratna Rai, who was serving the Lord at Salah, nearby Sainj; and he encouraged
me to grow spiritually. As I shared my burden, he encouraged me to go for
theological study in order to equip myself for the ministry. Mr. Ratna Rai sent
me for training in 2004 on the recommendation of Christ Church, Kullu (IEM). By
HIS grace, I completed 3 years course successfully and returned to Christ
Church and began to serve the Lord as an evangelist. In 2010, God opened the
door to serve the Lord through Indian Evangelical Mission. At present, I am
serving the Lord in Assam along with my family.
I am so thankful to those who prayed and have been
praying for me. I am not able to name them one by one, who have invested their
lives for me. May the Lord and our Saviour Jesus Christ bless them and reward
their deeds!
All glory to God alone!
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