Narration: Welcome to the Harvest Bridge Podcast. This platform allows you to hear directly from the local ministry leaders we support across South Asia and Myanmar, while also protecting their identities and shielding them from further persecution.
Each year here at Harvest Bridge, we release a comprehensive impact report. It’s filled with stories and photos from the ministry leaders we support, along with the numbers and statistics that help show the big picture of how far these ministries have reached.
This month on our podcast, you can hear just a few highlights from the report. We encourage you to read the full impact report here.
Let’s start by hearing from Pastor Shalva* in Nepal. In Nepal, the ministry continues to grow. Just last year, 75 house churches were planted. 623 women received health checks, medicine, and surgery, and 385 people joined the savings group program.
The ministry in Nepal is already thriving. But Shalva* and Jandi*, the co-country leaders, are always adapting to the needs of their communities. Over the past year, 65,000 young people left Nepal each month, going to neighboring countries like India and the Gulf countries looking for work. The work is often difficult, and they are not treated well, but these young people feel a responsibility to financially provide for their families. Shalva shared about how they are equipping these migrant workers to have a spiritual mission while they are away.
Shalva: “You know, there are a lot of, you know injustice, and mistreatment in the foreign land for the Nepalese people. So doesn’t it make you cry to stay in other land? That was my question to some of the migrant workers. Some are financially so weak that they have to take care of their family, children, wife, you know, elderly parents. You know, they have – they are forced to work over there. They have no other option. So those who want to go abroad, we cannot stop them, but we are doing one thing. So, we are developing them as a migrant mission workers. MMW, migrant mission workers. They go to other country. They work there. Same time, they will do the evangelism with their fellow, you know, worker. You are Christian. So make use of time. Respect the law, but share your testimony. How God changed your life. It will help you stay connected with the Lord, and it will satisfy you. So because you are standing for the Lord, and Lord will protect you. You know, this way we are encouraging them.”
Narration: In Bangladesh, an abusive government was overthrown in 2024, leading to political uncertainty throughout the country. The people also faced ongoing struggles with natural disasters, and high rates of poverty and trafficking. In spite of these challenges, the church is growing. Through the ministry leaders of Harvest Bridge, 8 new house churches were planted, 5 new missionaries were trained, and 588 new believers were baptized. Pastor Darpan* shared their desire to reach children growing up in Bangladesh with the hope of the gospel.
Darpan: “Our target is to go take the Gospel to the non-believers and bringing the new souls. We wanted to start like as a Sunday school. Our target is to prepare our kids that they can be understood about the Bible, about the Jesus Christ and the salvation, and, and the Christianity. They can be the faithful. If they can be the faithful church member, they will be the leader in the church and the communities.”
Narration: The ministry is also growing in Bhutan. Your gifts allowed Harvest Bridge to provide training to 225 pastors, and to provide 2 leaders with motorbikes. 30 ministry students received monthly Bible training. And 5000 Bibles for various age groups were distributed. In the midst of this success, there was also grief. Missionary Lhamo’s* toddler son died suddenly from food poisoning. Just a few days later, her father Pastor Pema* passed away at age 81 from the toll of his grief. Pastor Jagan* shared about the legacy of Pastor Pema’s ministry.
Jagan: “He seems to be a very, you know, like passionate for God and very tireless pioneer, because the place where he stays surrounded by three, you know, kind of temples or monasteries. Uh, from that place that’s actually high altitude, he walks like mad guy to, you know, like reach the people. And he can very easily connect with anybody. And another thing, what I found is that – some 10 years before, I found out this idea in his mind in one meeting: you know, we should not westernize things. Rather, we should try to localize things. Moreover, like, he’s a very cheerful man, you know, like he always, like, had that extra patience for the Lord. So that’s that speaks volumes. So we need to really, you know, like, follow his footsteps, because old man, or, you know, like uh, person of his age, who can you know, like climb mountains for reaching people and go and serve the cause? He will never, ever keep quiet. So the youngsters, others, like, you need to learn a lesson. His setup itself is like the local kind of setup. So people bring, even Buddhist people they used to bring, you know, like sick people for prayer. So the influence is very high. So we need to adopt all those things, you know. So it’s really, you know, wonderful, and I really thank God for this life.
Narration: Just a week before his death, Pastor Pema submitted his final ministry report, writing:
“We have Sunday service, Sunday school for children, youth fellowship, a sister fellowship where women meet to pray, share testimonies, and study the Bible. Our team also visits families and villages to share the Gospel and pray for people. Through these activities, many have grown in faith and have become more active in serving the Lord.” The legacy of leaders like Pastor Pema* will last for generations.
In India, Priya is also building a lasting legacy in her work leading a large ministry that supports the gypsy and tribal communities. Through her ministry last year, 700 people received citizenship for the very first time. But she didn’t stop there. Priya also felt a burden to help them have housing.
Priya: “Every day I cried and every day I prayed for this, and uh, I had like, a very big wound in my heart, because I see many deaths, during the flood time. I decided that I want to get the housing for these people immediately. It is a very, very deep struggle that I applied for the housing project. Without God, because it’s not possible. Many people attacked me, and they said, why you are helping for gypsies and tribes group? But also, I never stopped with the prayers.”
Narration: Through her work, 256 families from two communities were granted the government-provided housing they were entitled to in 2025, and were also provided shelter and utilities while their homes were being built.
The leaders in the Andaman Islands also experience regular persecution, and they are not letting it stop their ministry. Pastor Ram* shared:
Ram: “After coming into the power of this present, the BJP government, uh, the people are more… what you call? Opposing to the gospel. But even in Andaman earlier there was no problem at all. But recently, um, one of the leader of the RSS, he came here and they, uh, they conducted a meeting, and after that, people are getting some kind of, what you call? Boost, like that. ‘Yeah, we can. We have to, what you call safeguard our religion. We should not allow them to come inside’. Such kind of uh, what you call? Thought is going through the minds of the people.”
Your support allowed Harvest Bridge to provide monthly support for 20 leaders in the Andaman Islands. Their ministry led to the planting of 5 new house churches, 16 baptisms, and 30 students attending monthly Bible school training.
The final country we will hear from is Myanmar. Myanmar continues to face the oppression of the junta military and the increasing conscription of their young adults. The dismantling of US foreign assistance in 2025 had devastating impacts throughout the country, further compounded by the earthquake in March.
Harvest Bridge was able to provide food and basic hygiene items for 2,520 families (or 12,600 people) affected by the earthquake and the war, and 34 families received funds to rebuild their homes. As families were forced to flee bombing by the junta, we provided funding for several months worth of food and support for 94 children and their caregivers. Pastor Pan shared his gratitude for your support:
Pan: I’m very thankful for the work that the Lord has been entrusted to us, and it’s been because of your help and prayer. I never thought that we would do such great things in 2025 and the earthquake victims that we have and the war victim, the refugees that we have, by the God’s grace, we did more than expectation. I thank God for everything he has done through our lives in this challenging time.
And Pastor Thang shared more about how much this support has meant to them:
Thang: “To be honest, we are afraid. But we are so thankful that you all are our backbone, who pray for us and support us so we share whatever we get, you know. I think there’s a joy in, you know, sharing, it’s sharing things with great joy. I always am thankful to God that He never abandoned us, you know? And also thankful to the Lord, to you all for your concern and love. You all have been graciously, lovingly helping us and helping for our people, giving us hope, life for the future, to look ahead. So I think that make us to live for another future.”
These stories are just a small glimpse into what leaders across South Asia and Myanmar are experiencing. We encourage you to read the full impact report to see the full scope of their work. Your support is making a difference. We look forward to sharing how God will work in 2026 as the ministry leaders of Harvest Bridge continue to do much, with little.