Chapel Offering

In less than a month, the ORU community raised enough funds to put a roof over a bible school in Bagdora, India.

The Father’s Heart, under the leadership of Pastor Sajib Sharma, is located near the foot of the Himalayans. Pastors from mountains of Nepal, Tibet and Bhutan hike down to the bible school to be trained. In their small compound, pastors sleep, eat and learn about the Bible for two months. When training is over, the pastors go back to their villages and head churches in some of the most unreached areas of the region.

The bible school building was formerly made of bamboo, but water from the mountains washed out all constructions in the compound. Currently, all functions are done in one hut. They are in the process of building a two-story structure that will not be easily damaged by flood. The first floor will be designated as a men’s residence area, while all teaching sessions will be done in the second floor.

The concrete floor and posts have been slowly built as the funds came in. The roof, which would also be the floor of the second floor, had to be laid down all at once. The Father’s Heart had to pay $3,500 up front, however, they did not have enough money to finance it. Because of the offerings collected in chapel, they are now able to release the necessary work.

A former Hindu, Pastor Sajib Sharma’s incredible testimony led him to start this training program for the people in the remote area of the Himalayans. His mother took poison while nursing in order to kill herself and her child. However, he was found alive beside his mother’s carcass. In his teenage years, Sharma contracted nasal cancer, which spread to his brain. Despite not being a Christian, he went to a revival meeting where he was totally healed of his fatal condition. He was kicked out of his house when his family found out about his conversion. While living as a homeless man in a tea farm, a pastor took him in and trained him in the Bible.

Pastor Jimmy Shaw, adjunct professor for the Theology department and pastor of Doxa Church, has been working with The Father’s Heart and relayed this concern to the administration.

A committee, which is still being formed, will be in charge of choosing the projects chapel offerings will be allocated.

The Oracle, Sept. 4, 2009
Photos courtesy of Jimmy Shaw