When our family left Nepal at the end of 2020, there were so many changes that were quite hard to accept. So often I think of the task that remains with work among Tibetan people and the unfinished business on our part. As we have continued to serve the Lord here in America through our local church and Christian school, I have not forgotten our dear friends in Nepal.
Last year in 2022 during Spring Break, my wife and I were able to travel to Nepal and take 200 MP3 players on which the Nepali audio Bible may be downloaded and distributed. We enjoyed visiting several friends and people we had ministered to. We had no idea what God was doing and only recently would learn of what God would do.
A few months ago, a friend of ours in the adult Sunday school class that I teach connected me with a missionary friend of his. Jarrel is from the Philippines and his friend Lindsay has recently moved to Nepal from the Philippines.
When I contacted Brother Lindsay, I was excited to learn that he and his family are actually working in Swayambhu near where we had lived.
I shared with Brother Lindsay my evangelistic website and he was so excited to have some essential materials already translated into Nepali. It greatly encouraged me that he would want to utilize resources that I have been writing and recording for years! He has been able to use some of my resources to help some new converts he is working with.
I soon gave him contacts of friends we knew there. His family soon met up with Darlene, who is also Filipino, and her husband Sailash for supper. They were our former neighbors and Darlene got saved as a result of Bible studies we had.
Brother Lindsay was then able to meet up with a Buddhist monk whom we have known for a few years. Lobsang has learned so much, but still needs Christ as his Saviour. I am so glad that there is now a continued Christian witness in his life.
Brother Lindsay was able to follow up with another friend of ours named Karma. He lives with his family overlooking the city of Kathmandu and has a little restaurant now. Karma loves the Lord and is a great witness for the Lord!
Brother Lindsay also met up with our dear Brother Gyatso for fellowship. Gyatso is like a family member to us and has matured so much. He has been through Bible college and has been ministering to a fellowship of other Lowa Tibetan believers. He presently works with a Christian organization and travels to minister to Tibetan-related villages in the Himalayas.
Gyatso recently was able to introduce a group of Dolpo Tibetan believers to Brother Lindsay for fellowship. Please pray with Brother Lindsay that God will give him wisdom as to how to provide leadership for them.
A few weeks ago I met up with my dad, Thomas Knickerbocker, who works with H.E.L.P. Ministries. He had seven national pastors with him from Africa and Asia. I shared with them this story about my missionary friend in Nepal. Afterward, an older Filipino pastor asked me if I knew Brother Lindsay. I replied, “That was the missionary I was just talking about!!” He then informed me that he was the pastor who had baptized Brother Lindsay about 20 years ago! What a small world indeed!
When I shared this story with my Sunday school class the following Sunday, another brother in our class named Joe told it to his wife. Joe is married to a Filipino lady named Faye. She was not in class because of her involvement in another ministry. That night she told me that Brother Lindsay used to be her youth pastor in the Philippines! What a small world!
Today I just learned that a week ago Brother Lindsay was in a motorbike accident. He fractured several bones in his arm and needs to have surgery. It will cost about $4,000 USD. Thankfully, he does not need to go to India for the procedure, but is in need of financial help. Please be in prayer for his healing and for the expenses to be covered. Our church will be sending him money to help with his surgery. If you would like to participate, let me know or give through our church’s website..
About the author:
Luke graduated from Crown College of the Bible in 2003. He married Jamie in July of 2006. God has blessed them with five children. Together they had the privilege of serving in the pastorate of a Baptist Church in Florida from 2007-2011.
In August of 2011, our family began our journey to serve the Lord as labourers among Unreached People Groups in Asia. We prepared ourselves at Baptist Bible Translator’s Institute in Bowie, Texas. During that time, God directed our path to work among the Tibetan people in the country of Nepal.
In February of 2014, we moved to Kathmandu, Nepal and experienced God’s work of grace and protection upon our family. We had the privilege to serve at the Crown Nepal Bible College. Teaching classes and preaching at youth conferences was a great opportunity for our family. We also were able to assist in outreaches to villages of the Tamang and Gurung people.
In 2021, we moved to Tampa, Florida. We currently are serving in our home church Southside Baptist Church and teach in the Christian Academy. Luke continues his writing ministry (www.pilgrimoftruth.com) and video messages on his YouTube channel (Pilgrim of Truth). His goal is to aid believers in making Christ known to the world. He continues to seek to assist churches in America. His heart’s desire is to help meet the needs of the unreached people groups in the world.
