DMM Update
Dear Praying Partners,
Greetings in the mighty name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
I am grateful to God to update you regarding our recent trips to Provinces 1 and 2. We started our training sessions at the Ithari Siloam Church, which is run by one of our MCPTs, Pastor Rajesh Rai, and his wife, Sonu. In this area, we are working among the Yakha people group.
The Yakha are an indigenous ethnic group primarily found in eastern Nepal, particularly in the Koshi Zone. They are one of the Kirat groups, related to other Kirati peoples like the Limbu, Rai, and Sunuwar. While traditionally animistic, many Yakha now identify as Buddhist, and some have adopted Hindu customs. The Yakha language belongs to the Eastern Kiranti branch of the TibetoBurman language family. Though historically concentrated in specific areas, migration has led to their dispersal across Nepal. Some Yakha practice Buddhism, Hinduism, or ancestor worship, while a small number have embraced Christianity.
During this time, we provided training on deliverance ministry, and many laypeople were delivered from demonic oppression and experienced freedom. We were also able to baptize 8 young people from this people group.
The wife of our MCPT has caught the vision of the CHE initiative. She identified a critical need in the community: skill training for women. As the Chairperson of the Christian Women’s Society of Ithari NCS, she used her position to speak with the government regarding funding to support a skill development program for Yakha women.
By God’s grace, the Nepal Government has provided half a million Nepali rupees to support beautician training for 60 women in the Ithari area. She is following up daily to help empower these women so they can receive training and start their own beauty parlors or work as beauticians in existing ones.
We are believing God to help us establish a strong network within the community to share the Gospel through the CHE initiative. This is a pilot program in Ithari, and we are also praying for God’s guidance to replicate this model in other areas of East Nepal, especially in Province 1. We have made a one hour and 30 minutes podacst of Mrs Sonu Rai about how she was able to implement CHE initative to bring government funds to empower women of the society. We have also taken short vidoe to send to our partners as well.
UDAYAPUR DISTRICT –PROVINCE NO. 1
Beltar is a vibrant, agriculturally rich locality in eastern Nepal’s Inner Terai. It thrives on its diverse cultural fabric, improving educational infrastructure, and strategic connectivity. While it may not be a tourist hotspot, its natural beauty, fertile plains, and community life offer a window into the everyday charm of rural Nepal.
The Mushar (Musahar) community—often referred to as “rat-catchers” or “rat-eaters”—lives in Beltar, Udayapur, and across the Inner Terai of Province 1. Their estimated population in Nepal is around 234,000, which accounts for approximately 1.2% of Udayapur District’s population.
Our MCPT, Santosh Thulung, has a strong passion to reach the Musahar people group with the Gospel. He
has started a church in a slum area where many Musahar families reside. These people are landless and work for others as daily laborers.
He has invited members of his community and provided training based on Luke 10:10. This training empowers laypeople to pray for the lost and build relationships within the community, with the goal of reaching entire households with the Gospel.
During this outreach, the community expressed a strong desire for a free tuition program for their children. Since most parents are engaged in stone and sand collection, and many struggle with alcohol addiction, they are unable to help their children with homework after school. As a result, children often face punishment from teachers for not completing homework, which has led to a high school dropout rate.
We are currently working to find a qualified teacher to start a free tuition program. In the initial phase, we will cover the tuition costs, and in the long term, we hope to empower local leaders and engage the government to sustain the program.
PROVINCE 2: BREAKING THE CYCLE OF BACKWARDNESS
The backwardness of Province 2 (Madhesh Province) is not due to a lack of potential. In fact, the region is rich in culture, manpower, and agriculture. However, long-standing systemic neglect, social inequality, and weak governance have contributed to its underdevelopment.
With the introduction of federalism and increased local autonomy, there is now hope that targeted development, education, and inclusion efforts can begin to reverse the situation.
Challenges in Province 2 Province 2 faces several serious challenges:
It has one of the lowest literacy rates in Nepal, especially among women and Dalit/Madheshi communities.
Early marriage, child labor, and lack of educational awareness continue to hinder progress.
Dalits and Madheshi communities have long faced social exclusion and systemic discrimination, which limits their access to education, employment, and leadership roles.
Untouchability and caste-based barriers continue to affect their economic and social mobility.
Ministry Among the Chamar Community
In Province 2, we are working with the Friends Mission team and collaborating with 40 local churches. Our focus is on the Chamar people group, with the goal of developing a model village or community. In this time, we have Trained 40 pastors and local leaders from this
community.Focused our training on how to pray effectively and how to reach entire households, following the principles of Luke 10.
Community-Led Clean Water Project
The Chamar community identified their greatest need as access to clean drinking water. In response, they have launched a hand-pump water project.
Three key groups are partnering together in this initiative:
1. The local people
2. The local churches
3. The local community
They have already gathered funds to begin a pilot program for the clean water system.
Who Are the Chamar People?
The Chamar people are a Dalit community primarily found in India and Nepal, traditionally associated with leather work and tanning animal hides. The word Chamar is used both as a caste label and community identity, although it has historically been linked with untouchability and caste-based stigma.
Historically, they were considered “untouchables” in the Hindu caste system and have suffered severe discrimination, poverty, and social exclusion. Today, the Chamar people remain one of the most marginalized communities in the region.
However, through the power of the Gospel, community empowerment, and strategic development efforts, we believe lasting transformation is possible.
FOLLOW-UP TRAINING AMONG THE SANTHALI PEOPLE – DAMAK, NEPAL
In Nepal, the Santhali are a minority indigenous community, mostly living in the eastern and southeastern Terai regions, such as Jhapa, Morang, and Sunsari districts. In our previous newsletter, we mentioned that we are believing God to help us reach the entire Santhali community for Christ.
There are 109 traditional churches among the Santhali community, but 40 churches have adopted the DMM (Disciple-Making Movement) model, and 30,000 people have come to know the Lord so far. We want to mobilize all these churches with CHE (Community Health Evangelism) initiatives to empower them to live out the vision of “each one reach one,” with the goal of saturating the entire community with the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Since the people here are very poor, the local community, government, and churches are working together to
NEXT TRAINING:
Our next follow-up training is scheduled for the last week of July and will involve 50 churches. We are also organizing a prayer walk among the Brija community, which has a population of only 300 people in the entire country. Tragically, their primary source of income comes from selling their children to buy local alcohol. In this community, 90 percent of the children are being sold.
Please pray with us as we enter this community with the CHE (Community Health Evangelism) initiative.
Tehrathum – Bhojpur –Dhankuta: Mountain People
Tehrathum is known as the “Dhaka Capital”—not because it’s the capital of a country, but because it is a major center for the production of Dhaka cloth, a traditional Nepali fabric. The district has a large number of Dhaka industries and is recognized for its contribution to this craft.
We worked with the Agape Network of churches in this region. We were blessed
empower them by teaching pig farming at the household level as a means of livelihood.
We also want to partner with them by providing 80% educational sponsorship to individuals who want to pursue a Bachelor’s degree. The Santhali community, especially women, are at high risk of human trafficking, so education is a vital tool for prevention and empowerment.
During this time, we trained participants on how to pray for one hour daily for the lost in their community, and also equipped them with tools to reach entire households with the Gospel.
to train them on how to do deliverance ministry, how to present the Gospel in five minutes to reach entire households, and how to pray for the lost. The Holy Spirit touched every participant, reigniting their passion to reach people for Christ. Half of the participants were delivered from demonic oppression, and they are now ready to implement the CHE initiative development model in the region.
We were also able to record a podcast with the number one Dhaka fabric manufacturer and trainer in Nepal. Her
story will impact many lives. We plan to broadcast the story in two weeks. Many government officials buy Dhaka fabric from her. So far, she has trained 7,000 women across the country, and among them, 3,000
women have started their own businesses in the region. We are praying that her skills will be used by God to reach unreached communities.
I am especially grateful to my team— especially our SC and MCPT—for working tirelessly to impart the vision of CHE to people like her.
My team and I are thankful to the Venture family for enabling us to stand strong for the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are born to do more. Exciting days are ahead, regardless of the persecution.
PO Box: 10239, Kageshwori Manahara-8, Gothatar, Province No. 3, Kathmandu, Nepal +977-1-5146441 +977 9813696996A rajusundas2016@gmail.com, raju.sundas.90834 hosannajorpati@gmail.com, hosannajorpati@gmail.com www.hcm.org.np