Nepal

Population in Nepal:  100,000+

Global Population:  145,000+

Primary Language:  Sherpa

Primary Religion:  Buddhism (Tibetan)

Progress of the Gospel:  Engaged but Unreached (meaning there is some church planting work among them but still less than 2% Evangelical Christian)

The Solu Khumbu Sherpa people are the famous inhabitants of the valleys leading to Mt. Everest.  They have labored for years as guides and porters alongside climbers attempting to summit Mt. Everest.  These are the Sherpa of Nepal, which number around 100,000+.  This people group is actually much larger with around 50,000 Sherpa people living in places like India, Bhutan, and Tibet.  Many Sherpa people, having become wealthy from tourism, have moved abroad to places like America and South Korea. 

The Sherpa people are Tibetan Buddhists, and 90% practice some form of Buddhism.  However, few do little more than recite scripture and have a Buddhist statue in their home. 

In 1985, a young Sherpa boy had a vision in which Jesus visited him. This young boy's conversion eventually led to the conversion of his extended family.  When he grew up, he went to Bible college and returned to his village to pastor the local church in his village.  Reports suggest that there may be as many as 500 Sherpa believers in Nepal.

Prayer Points

  • * Ask the Lord to send forth laborers into Nepal to minister to the needs of the Sherpa.
  • * Ask the Holy Spirit to grant wisdom and favor to missions agencies currently working among the Sherpa.
  • * Pray that Christian materials will be translated into the Sherpa language.
  • * Pray that God will give the Sherpa believers boldness to share the love of Christ with their own people.
  • * Ask God to raise up prayer teams who will begin breaking up the soil through worship and intercession.
  • * Ask the Lord to bring forth a triumphant Sherpa church for the glory of His name!