persecution.com

A Bible for a Former Buddhist

Sejun’s parents sent him to a Buddhist monastery in India when he was 4 years old. For nine years, he studied Buddhist texts eight hours a day in hope of becoming a monk.

Then, at age 13, Sejun grew tired of being beaten for failing to memorize sections of text perfectly, so he left the monastery and returned to his home in Nepal.

When Sejun returned home, his parents enrolled him in school. While there, he heard about Jesus Christ and soon started attending church. “I found the people in the church to be so loving, kind and caring,” he said. “When I was in the monastery, I never received any love or care from my teachers. I saw how if people love Jesus then they learn to love and care for others.” Two years into his schooling, he placed his faith in Christ.

After receiving a Bible from someone at school, he read as much as he could and learned what Scripture teaches about sin and forgiveness. While he had learned a similar concept of sin from Buddhist texts, the idea of forgiveness was new to him.

“In the Bible, I found that our sins are forgiven by the blood of Christ,” Sejun said. “So no matter what sin we have, Jesus is ready to forgive. There is no reincarnation in the Bible.”

Reading the Bible gave Sejun a new understanding of grace, but it also led to persecution; as Sejun read his Bible at home one day, his brother attacked him with a tent pole.

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When a VOM worker in Nepal learned of Sejun’s increasingly abusive home environment, he helped him move to a Christian-run hostel in a city.

Today, the Bible that Sejun received from someone at school helps him endure persecution from his family, and he continues to grow in faith. Three times a week, Sejun leads 26 other residents in Scripture memorization during daily devotions.

“In our morning devotions, I am now going through the Book of Psalms with my roommates,” Sejun said. “There are a lot of words of knowledge and how to praise God even in the worst situation. I am blessed by the Book of the Psalms.”

Now 18, Sejun tries to memorize a Bible verse every day and plans to enroll in a Bible school. He wants to help others know and better understand God’s Word for themselves — all because someone gave him a Bible years ago.

Christians in Nepal and elsewhere around the world cherish God’s Word, relying on it to sustain them when they suffer persecution. You can help provide a Bible for every believer in a restricted nation and hostile area, equipping them to maintain a faithful witness for Jesus Christ in the world’s most difficult and dangerous places to follow Him.

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