Samuel Khawas
| Samuel Khawas | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 25 April 1949 Sureney, Chirang, Bhutan |
| 💀Died | 3 December 2020 (aged 71) Rochester, NY, USA3 December 2020 (aged 71) |
| 💼 Occupation | |
| 🏢 Organization | United Jyoti Church.[1], Love the Lost, Touched Foundation |
| Known for | United Jyoti Church Founder, Rev Samuel Bible School |
| 👩 Spouse(s) | Amrita Bhujel (married 1971-2020) |
| 👶 Children | 8, Kausila (died 2019), Martha, Kamala, Ruth, Mena, Mary, Lazarus, Timon |
Dhan Bhujel (Nepali:धन भुजेल) (Samuel Khawas (Nepali:शामुएल खवास)) (25 April 1949 – 03 December 2020) was a Bhutanese-Nepalese-American evangelical pastor[2]. He was the founder of United Jyoti Church[3], Love The Lost, and Touched Foundation.
Early life
Rev. Khawas was born on April 25, 1949, in Sureney, Chirang, Bhutan. Rev. Khawas shares an origin with Bhutanese-Nepalese[4] Lhotshampa people. The Lhotsampian migrated to Bhutan during the 17th century and lived happily ever after until the Bhutanese governing body made Lhotsampian leave their motherland. As a consequence of the political conflict with the Bhutanese government, Bhutanese-Nepalese fled from the country Bhutan and settled as a refugee in Nepal. Where a superstitious Hindu priest, Khawas, encountered Jesus for the first time in traumatic life circumstances. As written, "Faith can move the mountain" Matthew 17:20. He served twenty-two years as a Hindu priest (Jhākri)[5], like his past three generations. Despite being a great Hindu priest, Khawas lost all hope and confronted something unusual, a miracle which changed his life forever. During the process of settling as a refugee[6] in Nepal, along with hundreds of Bhutanese families, Rev. Khawas and his family spent nearly six months of a traumatic life on the bank of Kankai River. Right around that time, Rev. Khawas learned Jesus is the only savior through his family's challenging life circumstances.
Personal life
The Rev. Khawas is survived by his loving wife, two brothers, three sisters, eight children, six sons-in-law, two daughters-in-law, twelve grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren[7]. Khawas never went to any formal education but, with the grace of God, he was very good with reading and writing in Nepali. His all sons-in-law are serving His kingdom as Pastors and leaders. His comic timing was great. He was very friendly with any age range but mostly he was comfortable with the Youth group.
As Bhutanese Refugee First Pastor
As part of the life experience common to many of his age and cultural background, the Rev. Khawas spent 18 years, from 1991 to 2009, as a resident of a refugee camp (Beldangi refugee camps overseen by the United Nations in the Jhapa District of Nepal). During this time, as a Christian pastor, he shared his faith with many men and women and provided much-needed hope and guidance in a very challenging time. It didn't take long for Rev. Samuel to be met with hatred, being out of culture, prosecuted, and even ended up in prison multiple times for being a Christian leader and sharing about Jesus's love. However, nothing obstructed him from growing in spirit and being the mediator to bring thousands of lives into Christ in the refugee camp and surrounding areas in Nepal.
Ministry
Rev. Khawas served as pastor between 1991-2009 under the Jyoti Church Damak, Jhapa, Nepal. During his pastorship, he visited many districts in Nepal including Jhapa, Ilam, Morang, Taplejung, Pachthar, Dhankuta, Sunsari and some parts of India too.
Ministry POST USA
Rev. Khawas continually served as pastor post his arrival in Rochester, New York, the USA on March 23, 2009. He started a small fellowship from his two-bedroom apartment home, United Jyoti Church, in September 2009 along with a few migrated Bhutanese refugees (a total of 11 members) in Rochester, NY. He mentioned in one of his sermons that the offering for the first week was $3[8]. God used him to expand his kingdom by starting a congregation in other States of the United States. He contributed his time to outreach and established daughter churches around the nation including States such as New York, Ohio, Kentucky, North Carolina, California, New Hampshire, and Virginia.
Death
Rev. Khawas died in his residence on December 3, 2020[9]. He died of pancreatic cancer. There weren't any signs and symptoms until the first week of October. He reported discomfort in his belly. His C-T and Biopsy came back positive for metastatic pancreatic cancer on November 24.
Publication
- The Birth to the Resurrection
- बिन्ती (Completing by his son Lazarus)
- Pastor Samuel Khawas in Nepali Christian History
Reference
This article "Samuel Khawas" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Samuel Khawas. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
- ↑ http://jyotichurch4u.blogspot.com/p/contact-us.html
- ↑ https://www.facebook.com/donate/3455431241237333/
- ↑ https://www.facebook.com/1687638918149120/photos/pppbo.1687638918149120/1729064404006571/?type=3&eid=ARDvQ4l-u1GBiDbbLzua_WGmbEC5RBot09hB0MyZBSQVTWDHGfanOK924fi6AmiNtm06yFB5hdMao1W4
- ↑ https://www.unhcr.org/en-us/news/latest/2015/11/564dded46/resettlement-bhutanese-refugees-surpasses-100000-mark.html
- ↑ https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/photography/shamanism-nepal-rituals-practises-spiritual-world-jhakri-a9266826.html
- ↑ https://www.cdc.gov/immigrantrefugeehealth/profiles/bhutanese/index.html
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAQI0Xppd8g
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OARCHh9SRoI
- ↑ https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=3610523075662202&set=a.476108149103726
