Nine years ago, Pippa,* left her home in Surrey and joined in with what God was doing among Buddhist communities in the Himalayas. Through challenges, doubts and crises, prayer has been her unshakeable foundation and the catalyst for Kingdom growth.

"Open my ears to hear and my eyes to see what You are already doing."

"This is my prayer," declares Pippa. "As I pray, I discover who He is, and I realise afresh that it's all about Him. He is the pioneer. He is already at work, and He has invited me to join in. So here I am."

Around the time she moved, the team were witnessing God at work; the vast majority of a village in the Himalayas turning away from their Buddhist heritage and towards Jesus as King. This was the beginning of God's purpose for these villagers, and the culmination of significant, faithful prayer and Jesus followers sharing God's love in this region over the years. 

"Some of the people from this village are now nurturing new groups of Jesus followers themselves," says Pippa. Perfectly positioned, this lower valley - which now has a number of established churches - acts as a gateway to two further valleys where the Gospel is barely known.

"There are about 9,000 Buddhists living in these two valleys and very few Jesus followers, most of whom are youth," Pippa shares. "Our goal is to see these churches in the lower valley share God's love in the valleys above, supporting the few young believers already there."

The vision is big, but Pippa's conviction is steady and certain. "God is faithful. He will do again what He has done before. And it begins with prayer."

Praying God's promises

"When we trek up to the valleys where we minister, there is a change in the atmosphere," Pippa describes. "You feel the oppression, and each day spent there is full of spiritual battles."

She explains that Buddhist religion is dependent on performing good karma to secure the next life. There is a constant undercurrent of anxiety and hopelessness.

"I found every visit to the valleys exhausting," she describes with heavy recollection. "Until I was gently, yet poignantly, challenged by my mentor; 'How are you praying for the Buddhist people?' she asked."

"I realised that my prayers themselves were heavy - crying out to God for the hopelessness of the people we served and petitioning Him to break the bondage that held them." Pippa's prayers were honest and heartfelt, but burdened her. "Why don't you try focusing your prayers on who God is?" her mentor suggested.

This was the moment everything shifted. Obedient service became joy-filled, love-inspired, compelling service. "I began praying God's promises over the darkness and declaring His victory. I worshipped Him more."

Open doors through prayer

"This year we felt challenged afresh as a team to take a step up in our prayer and fasting," Pippa shares. "God is already opening doors!" The team have been overwhelmed by the response of local believers now mobilised to reach out with God's love into their local communities.

With the pandemic limiting travel, the onus for sharing the Gospel has been more keenly felt by local believers.

"Just imagine the future impact of both near- and far-culture workers serving together, sharing knowledge and resources to enable God's love to be shared where He is not known."

"Join us in prayer," Pippa invites. "Prayer is vital. It's the foundation of ministry. Through prayer we see what God is doing. Through prayer we join in with Him. Through prayer mountains move for His glory."

Let us pray

Father, open our ears to hear and our eyes to see what You are already doing and give us the courage to join you; in prayer, in word, in action. 

May your Kingdom continue to come in the farthest corners of the earth, where your love is not known. Amen. 

Further Prayer Resources