My name is Silas Thapa. I was born in Hindu family but was taught
Buddhism in school. From my childhood, I always asked these questions, "What will happen to me when I die? Where do the people go after they die?" Because of the fear of death sometimes I could not sleep at night, especially when someone died in the village. I thought that I would give up anything to avoid death. I was willing to do anything to avoid death in my life. In search of truth and life I did all kinds of religious activities and spent lot of time chanting a Buddhist prayer. I made a small statue of the Buddha and prayed a sincere prayer.
Sometimes I even thought of going deep into the forest and spend my whole life meditating like Buddha. I tried to follow my religion strictly, but I never had assurance of salvation, nor peace and joy in my life.
My oldest Brother became Christian in 1981 and when I heard about his religious conversion, I was not happy. But when he started sharing about Jesus, I was curious and decided to go to church. I was expecting that in
church there will be statues and lamps. But to my surprise the church I went did not had anything. It was a small room with one chair and one small table.
About 10 to 15 people gathered and started worship service. When I prayed a
Buddhist prayer, I didn't understand what I was prayer but to my surprise these people were talking with God as if the are talking to friends. That caught my attention and deep in my heart I decided to follow Jesus. Although I was never lead to sinner's prayer, when I decided to follow Jesus, something
happened in my heart. I was a different person. I had a assurance of salvation now. I had a unspeakable joy and peace. During that time, up to my knowledge, there were no Christians and Churches in Bhutan. I never heard about Jesus, never heard the word Bible, or Church. One day in another part of the country I heard that if I become a
Christian I would go to heaven. That was what I had been searching for in my life.
At the age of 15, I accepted Jesus as my Lord and personal Savior, which has changed the course of my life for eternity. As soon as I accepted Jesus in my life, I had a assurance of salvation and immediately I started witnessing about Jesus to my friends, relatives and neighbors.
How did my ministry began?
The joy and the peace that I got from Jesus was so new to me and I couldn't hold it within me, so I started telling and sharing to others about Jesus.