Born into a family of Hindu priests, Dilli Ram was destined to follow in the footsteps of his ancestors. For 21 generations, his family had served as the spiritual leaders of their village. However, Dilli Ram moved overseas to study, where he had a life-changing encounter with Jesus Christ that set him on a new path. “I had never met a Nepali Christian before,” Dilli Ram recalls. “God called me back to Nepal. It was not the easiest… but I’ve never had any regret following Jesus.”
The Hindu traditions of Nepal and Christianity collide
When Dilli Ram returned to his home in Nepal, his Hindu community did not accept his new faith. “Mental persecution, physical persecution, social persecution, political persecution… I faced all that,” he shares. His decision to follow Christ was soon met with hostility from his family and neighbors. They demanded that he undergo cleansing rituals to wash away the “pollution” of his newfound Christian faith. When he refused, the persecution intensified.
Despite these hardships, Dilli Ram remained steadfast in his faith. He held onto a vision of the future, believing that Nepal and Christianity had a destiny which would result in millions of Hindus coming to Christ. He began ministering to the people of the country, and his unwavering commitment to the gospel did not go unnoticed by the authorities.
In recent years, Nepal introduced anti-conversion laws that make it illegal to evangelize. However, the law is often interpreted strictly. Sometimes, even carrying a personal Bible can be seen as a conversion attempt. These laws are enforced with heavy fines and prison time and are often abused to prevent people from practicing their faith.
Dilli Ram experienced the consequences of these policies firsthand when he was unjustly arrested and charged for violating anti-conversion laws. False accusations were made against him, claiming he was distributing Bibles door-to-door and making false promises to convert people. “I didn’t do these things, but some people had given false testimonies,” Dilli Ram explains.
Dilli Ram goes to a Nepali prison for his Christian faith
Dilli Ram spent seven days in custody, facing intense interrogation and pressure from the Hindu authorities. However, his faith never wavered. When asked how he endured in prison, he shares, “Persecution is part of the Christian calling. Jesus says, ‘People will persecute you.’ Persecution is not fun. But I am happy to talk about how God led me through it, because after, the persecution becomes joy. It is joy to walk in that and then be able to share how Jesus helped me in hard times … My wife and I both believe that we are living here not for us. We are living for God. Like Paul says in Galatians 2:20, it’s no longer we who live, but Jesus is living in us.”
After a grueling two-year legal battle, Dilli Ram was finally acquitted of all charges. The experience has only strengthened his resolve to continue sharing the gospel and supporting the persecuted church in Nepal. As a leader in the Nepalese church, he sees the great need to strengthen the lives of believers with the power of God’s Word. He is one of several Nepalese church leaders who is involved in the effort to ensure Nepal and Christianity become better integrated—by ensuring every Christian family has a Bible in their home.
Shaping the future of Nepal and Christianity
While Nepali church leaders and evangelists like Dilli Ram have a burning desire to see the Christian faith grow exponentially across Hindu-majority Nepal, a critical need must first be met: more Bibles. And specifically, they need audio Bibles and digital SD card Bibles for mobile phones.
The need for Bibles in Nepal is immense. Scripture is not widely available, and illiteracy affects 23% of the adult population. Nepal is also an oral culture; even those who can read and write often still choose to listen rather than read. Because of the illiteracy rate and this cultural preference, audio and SD card Bibles have become critical tools in spreading the gospel and strengthening the faith of believers in Nepal. “Audio Bibles are very needed for the Christian to have to read. If every Christian house has at least one audio Bible, it can bring understanding about what the Bible is,” Dilli Ram believes.
He also knows from personal experience that knowledge of Scripture is crucial in difficult times. “If people are persecuted, they can lose their faith. We need to make them strong thinkers, and they need to be rooted in the Word of God.”
The church in Nepal is quickly expanding
As the church in Nepal and Christianity continues to grow, so does the need for prayer and support from Christians around the world. “We are asking the international Body of Christ to pray for believers here,” Dilli Ram pleads. “Things here are unclear. Anything can happen at any time. Persecution from society, government, the law, and people from other religions all happen.”
Despite the looming threat of persecution, Dilli Ram still remains hopeful for the future of Nepal and Christianity. He sees this as a time for believers to stand firm in their faith and do whatever God has called them to do. “We are in a unique window of time in Nepal,” he says. “For 2000 years, the gospel had not come to Nepal. We had no chance to hear the gospel. And now, people are rising against Christ and making new laws. We don’t know how long this window of time will be. We ask you to think about Nepal and help as much as you can, while you can.”
