introduction to new principal

My name is Suresh Prasad Koirala, I am 37 years old, married to Kalpana Koirala (33), with two children, Sambhawana (7) and Kephas (5).


I was born and brought up in a higher cast and very orthodox Hindu family in Dumja, Sindhuli District, in eastern Nepal. The whole of my childhood seemed to be spent doing Hindu rituals and customs. Later, when I started to question these Hindu religious customs, I lost faith and became an atheist.

After my high school education, I moved to Kathmandu for higher education. During my study, I read about Jesus Christ through the Four Spiritual Laws booklet, and accepted Christ as my Lord and Saviour in 1993. When my parents came to know that I had accepted Christ and become a Christian, I was not allowed to enter the family house, and was kicked out of my village. Two years ago my father died, and the villagers rose against me and forced me to do Hindu customs as part of his funeral service. When I refused to obey, they prohibited me from living in that village, even in my own family home.

When attending Church services, I really felt called to follow Christ. I noticed church people were lovely, simple and polite. As time passed, I attended short-term training, which helped me to know more about Jesus. Later, after some years I was given the privilege of taking responsibility for a Church in Dhulikhel (Kabhre District), and also worked with Campus Crusade for Christ for 10 years.

I wanted to be equipped better for ministry as well as in Biblical knowledge. God opened the door for me to study for 3 years for a Bachelor in Theology at Bible College (B.Ed, B.Th.and M.Min). After completing this course, I was ordained as an associate Pastor at Anmol Christian Church, Prayag pokhari, Lalitpur for 4 years.

My vision and calling is to train and build up leaders for the churches in Nepal. I thank God that I have been given the privilege of working with HBSA Nepal, and recently moving to work in HBTC Surkhet with my family.

Lastly, I thank you and your supporters for praying and supporting financially our HBTC Surkhet. We highly appreciate this, and express our gratitude to you and to all the friends who have been continuously partnering with HBSA ministry.

Together, we shall equip, empower and mobilize workers in the vineyard of God.

Please pray for God's grace and protection for the 9th Batch of students, that all of them may able to complete the course successfully. Pray also for our sound health and ministry, for my children and wife's study, and for the next 10th batch, that the right people may apply and be selected for training.

Thanking you, Suresh Prasad Koirala, Principal, HBTC, Surkhet, Mid- West Nepal.

I’m sure you will join me in praying for this family, it is not easy to settle in the west when you are from the east in Nepal. Pray that ‘being rooted and established in love, [they may] grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge’ (Ephesians 3:17-19). Thank you for your support, yours faithfully, Rod.

New principal, new student group

We are pleased to confirm that Pastor Yam Bahadur Tamang is the newly appointed director of the Himalayan Bible Training College in Surkhet. He was previously in charge of the sister college in Lalitpur. Please join me in praying for him and his family as he settles in his new home and picks up the reins from his predecessor James Tamang. James meanwhile is settling into his new college director ministry in Kathmandu.
The 9th session has begun with 13 participants and thank you for your faithful prayers and partnership with us.

8th batch graduation report

Greetings from Himalayan Bible Training Center Surkhet (Nepal).
To God be all the glory and honor for what He has done wonderfully and faithfully to HBTC Surkhet. We are exceedingly grateful to you all for your fervent prayers, financial support, love, concern and encouragements that made us possible to run HBTC here in Mid-West Nepal. I am sending to you the 8th batch graduation report which is as follows:

Introduction:
8th batch class started with 13 participants from various churches in the 2nd week of July 2010. Students were from various districts, including Bardiya, Kanchanpur and majority were from local District, Surkhet. We thank God from the bottom of our heart for bringing them here in HBTC to learn His words and mould their lives.


Students' Activities:
Himalayan Bible Training Center Surkhet also tries to equip its participants with various activities for their exposure and better future practical ministry. Some of the activities are as follows-
• 15 days outreach program: as per the decision of the local HBTC board, 12 students went for a 15 day outreach program. They were in 3 teams. They visited house to house and village to village to share the gospel. The Lord was with them, and nothing bad happened to them during these 15 days, except a minor boat accident in the Bheri river. Our training center is grateful to all the local churches for their co-operation in lodging and feeding our students during their outreach program. Each team had many experiences to share of what they learnt out of this outreach. They could see the challenges first hand, and learn how Nepali village pastors are serving the Lord even in times of crisis and need.
• Weekly Church services: HBTC students go for weekly services to different local Churches. This is to build up good rapport with local churches and students' experience too. Some of our participants from distant districts were given travelling fares from the local churches where they were assigned to worship. Participants found all the local churches very friendly, supportive and co-operative. In coming batches also we would like to link with all the valley’s local churches.
• Fasting prayer: HBTC students fast and pray on the last day of every English month. All of us gather in spirit and spend time with the Lord. Generally we pray for all relevant people, organizations and friends on that day, fully believing that God would answer all our prayers in His own time.
• Thanksgiving prayer: Likewise HBTC students have a day of thanksgiving prayer on the last day of the Nepali month. On that day we thank the Lord for His grace, guidance, provision and care. Whenever we have met for this service, we have experienced God's loving presence among us. To God be the glory!
• Talent Show day: HBTC students perform their hidden talents for God's glory twice in a month on Wednesdays. On that day all of them get opportunity to perform their talents such as Nepali folk dance, folk song, jokes, poetry, drama etc. On these occasions, we come to know perfectly that our God has given all of us different gifts and talents for His glory. No one is without gift and talent. Praise the Lord.

• HBTC Welfare Fund: For several years now, HBTC has administered its own HBTC Surkhet welfare fund. The aim of this fund is to render small financial help to both graduate students and current students. Our students sometimes get sick, or they need pocket money. Sometimes unexpected but unavoidable travel is necessary to their homes due to the sickness of their parents, relatives and children etc. If our graduate friends are also struggling financially in their ministry, we try to render small help. Indeed it has been so helpful personally to me to help them through this small fund while there is need. For example, in this batch we were able to give Rs 11,000 (Ed: about £50) to our ex-student Peter Chaudhary to buy a three wheeler Rickshaw to support his family and ministry. We hope God will keep adding to this fund for His glory in the days ahead too.
• Reading entire Bible at least once during the training period: HBTC students aim to finish reading the entire Bible at least once during the five months period. Surprisingly in some batches they finish thrice also. After coming here to HBTC, it becomes habitual for our students to read the Bible regularly. Praise the Lord. "After coming here to HBTC, Bible reading has become my habitual action"- many students say.
• Verse Memorization: All the students have to memorize at least 200 bible verses during their five month period. All the time we encourage them to do this and they do so prayerfully. It has been wonderful to us also that our students memorize this many verses. To God be all the glory.

How many subjects they could learn during the five months period?
Altogether in 8th batch they learned 21 subjects on various topics.

Graduation day of 8th batch:

The graduation day was on 16 December 2010. Our venue was Itram Church. 12 graduating students were so excited with their invited pastors and guests. We had invited all our executive board members from Surkhet valley Churches and all the visiting teachers too. The program was conducted by James Tamang (outgoing Principal, HBTC, Surkhet). Chief guest was Rev. Dil Bahadur Tamang. He himself delivered an exciting message. Dedication prayer for the graduating students was offered by Pastor Padam (Chairman, HBTC, Surkhet) from Bethel Church. Certificates were distributed by Rev. Paul Hegen from UMN Nepal, guest and one of Nepal’s historical servants of God. Altogether there were 90-100 invited guests including graduating students.

Farewell & dedication program-
On the same day, there was a farewell program for James' family from HBTC Surkhet and dedication prayer for Pastor Suresh Koirala as the new principal for HBTC Surkhet. This farewell program was conducted by Elder Gyan Gurung (Secretary,HBTC, Surkhet). The dedication prayer was offered to both by Pastor Padam Nepali (President, HBTC, Surkhet).


Praise and thanksgiving points-

• We praise God for His sufficient grace upon HBTC Surkhet throughout this year.
• We praise God for His faithfulness to HBTC Surkhet thus far.
• We praise God for all the well wishers and like minded friends like you for HBTC Surkhet.
• We praise God for the co-operative & supportive hands from the local Churches & all the Christian organizations here in Surkhet including INF.
• We praise God for the successful completion of 8th batch.
Prayer points-
• Please do pray for 9th batch that will begin on 16th Jan. 2011.
• Please do pray for coming students so that God would send suitable, committed candidates for His service.
• Please do pray for all the well wishers and donors of HBTC.
• Please do pray for all the staffs and visiting teachers of HBTC Surkhet.
• Please do pray for its executive board members so that they would lead HBTC for God's glory.
• Please do pray for HBTC Surkhet's financial needs. We want to go ahead for God's glory but many a times due to a lack of finance we are unable to go ahead. We urge you all to pray for HBTC’s financial needs.
• Please do pray for new leadership here in Surkhet. Pastor Suresh Koirala has been appointed as a responsible principal and we urge your prayer for his successful ministry.
• Please pray for my family (James) also, as we take responsibility for HBTC Lalitpur from January 2011.

Thank you so much. Looking forward to getting your love and prayers in the days ahead too.
Yours truly, James Tamang, Himalayan Bible Training Center (Surkhet).