Damber Bhattarai was confirmed at St. John’s Lutheran Church located at Morgan Ford and Chippewa, on Sunday, the 16th of August. It was the culmination of a journey she began seven years earlier over 7800 miles away in a refugee camp in Nepal, where she first heard of Christ through the preaching of a Nepali pastor. She was married and had a 6 month old daughter at the time. Having heard the Gospel, she had considered baptism but was dissuaded by the antagonistic stance of her husband’s family.

rev. Tanney with member lynne foster, alisha and mother damber battarai

After her 2010 arrival in St. Louis she learned of a church that was attracting a lot of her Nepalese friends and neighbors. This church featured an outreach effort that included the use of a bus to transport prospective members of the growing St. Louis Nepali community. Though the pastor provided no instruction regarding baptism, Damber nevertheless joined a growing number of Nepali refugees who were being baptized.

However as the Nepali members gradually moved to other parts of St. Louis and beyond, the Nepali portion of this church’s ministry gradually diminished until finally it was discontinued. One day shortly thereafter as Damber and her husband were walking past the Peace Center they were greeted by Rev. Eddie Mekasha, who was serving with CFNA as a missionary among St. Louis refugees. He successfully introduced them not only to CFNA, but also to St. John’s Lutheran Church where Damber and her her family began attending worship.

Shortly thereafter, the pastor at St. Johns, Rev. Michael Tanney, enrolled Damber in an instruction class that covered the entire catechism including especially, the Sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion. On Sunday, August 16 Damber was confirmed and she had Rev. Tanney baptize her six year old daughter Alisha as well.

Please pray that husband Tara finds a job, and a commitment to Jesus in his heart as well.

By: Richard Leigh Photos by: Lynne Foster

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