Pakistan 2025

Pakistan Mission Journal by Steve Chew

S and Q (names withheld for security concerns) have been VBC Missions Partners for many years. One of the goals of the VBC Missions Board is to have a close relationship with our Missions Partners and truly understand the scope of their outreach. This means staying in regular communication through emails and newsletters, inviting them to California to share with the VBC congregation, and whenever possible, to actually visit them on site.

Sidney Wong and I departed SFO on Thursday, November 13 for Multan, Pakistan to visit S and Q  in Bahawalpur, Pakistan. Our flight was long and exhausting complicated by a snafu with ticketing, but eventually we both arrived safely in Pakistan. We were greeted by S at the airport  and joined by Steve and Brian of an Arlington, Texas church.  Steve and Brian were the only other westerners we were to see for the duration of our trip. From the very beginning, security was tight. Before leaving the airport in Multan we were greeted two separate times by Pakistani security agents and asked to produce our passports and visas, inquired about our destination, intent, and who we were meeting. Our itinerary had been submitted months prior but the Pakistani government is serious about our protection as Americans and equally adamant that their rules on proselytizing (the action of attempting to convert someone from one religion, belief, or opinion to another) are upheld. Per Pakistani security rules we were not allowed to stay with S and Q but were redirected to a government approved hotel several minutes from their home. On the one and a half-hour drive from the Multan airport to Bahawalpur we were escorted fore and aft by four Pakistani policemen on motorcycles with automatic weapons. This was my first time being in a motorcade but proved to be the norm for our stay.  Our $US48 dollar a night hotel was guarded by Pakistani police and consisted of a small reception area and ten guest rooms, all without windows. We were not allowed to leave the hotel for any reason. There was neither a restaurant nor amenities at the hotel and only approved individuals were allowed to enter. Our welcome to Pakistan was unique to say the least.

S and Q were born in Pakistan. Both sets of parents were influential Pakistani Christians. Samson has spent the majority of his life in Bahawalpur while Qamar came to the States at a young age due to the persecution faced by her Christian family in Pakistan. S and Q were introduced by their parents, married, and attended bible college in England. They lived in America from 1994 to 2012 and then moved to Pakistan full time.

The first day with S and Q  proved to set the pattern for the rest of the week. S arrived early to our hotel with news that he had been in communication with Pakistani Security the night before who advised him that we were not allowed to venture beyond either the hotel or his home. S drove us five minutes to his home and we enjoyed a wonderful Pakistani breakfast prepared by his cook, Shazir. We had planned to visit one of six sewing centers run by S and Q’s organization, Ten 14 Ministries (https://ten14.org ). True to the nature of all mission trips, flexibility is key.   One of my favorite scripture verses is Proverbs 16:9, “The mind of man plans his way but God directs his steps.” I have learned repeatedly that as much as I want to stick to my plan, sometimes the Lord has something even better in store. Since we were prohibited from leaving the house to visit the sewing center, the leaders of the sewing center and their husbands were invited to S and Q’s house for an afternoon meal and conversation. We were showered with rose petals, a garland was placed around our necks, a hat set on our heads, and our foreheads adorned with a red tika dot. The sewing centers for Bheel women are a means of teaching the women to sew and a means of introducing them to the Christian faith. At the end of the one-year program, the ladies are gifted with their sewing machines and the skills to provide for their families. In the process many of the women become believers. We had a wonderful time learning about the ministry and were introduced to Pastor Munaver who comes from a long line of Pakistani Christians. Pastor Munaver grew up among the Bheel people, speaks six languages has attended seminary and serves as a spiritual mentor to many Bheel brothers.

Bahawalpur is the is the 13th most populous city of Pakistan and was the capital of the princely state of Bahawalpur. The city was founded in 1738 and ruled by the Nawab family of Bahawalpur until 1955. We took an excursion to visit the Noor Mahal which was the government seat of the Nawabs. It was a grand palace filled with beautiful rooms, fine furniture, and walls adorned with multicolored tiles. Western tourists are rare in Bahawalpur so we were surrounded by school children who wanted to practice their English and take pictures with us. We enjoyed a traditional Pakistani lunch, closely monitored by our always present security guards. Anytime we left the hotel or house, we were escorted by Pakistani security.

Our next day we made the short journey to S and Q’s house with our security detail. We had breakfast which consisted of an Indian bread called paratha, chicken curry, lentils, and persimmons, and the always wonderful hot chai tea. We spent the day at the house meeting Bheel ministry leaders. The Bheel people are the lowest caste of the indigenous Pakistani people. They largely live as herders and farmers. Many are Hindi. We met several pastors including Pastor Purkhia ji who travels from village to village sharing the gospel by motorbike. Unfortunately although we had planned to travel to visit several villages, we enjoyed the company of the pastors at the house instead. It really worked out well as we had a calm, cool, environment to fellowship without the hustle and bustle of the outside world.

On Day Six of our trip we traveled to Delawar Fort which was about two hours from town. This was our day to sightsee. We were given permission to play tourist for the day and escorted by our security detail. We drove southeast into the desert to visit a fort that was built in the nineth century AD. It was part of a series of forts placed along the famous Silk Road where merchants could rest and seek protection along their journey. Not unexpectedly, we were the only visitors on site. The fort itself has been partially restored and one could imagine the grandeur of the fort during its heyday.

Each night we returned to our windowless hotel for a restful night’s sleep. There was a tv in the room but no English-speaking channels so Sidney and I spent time reading and perusing the security controlled internet.

The following morning, we woke up early and were granted permission to visit Rahim Yar Khan where Ten 14 ministries has established a Bheel church. We were excited to leave town once again and actually visit a ministry site. The one hundred-mile trip took us over four hours on bumpy dusty roads dodging in and around brightly colored trucks and heavily laden motor scooters coming at us from all directions. As we traveled from one town to the next, a new police detail was waiting at the edge of town to escort us along the next leg of our journey. The transfers were seamless and surprisingly efficient. We were welcomed to the Bheel church with a meal and then an assembly under a huge tent. Men dressed in loose fitting shalwar kameez and women in brightly colored outfits graciously welcomed us to their church. It was a wonderful celebration topped off by delicious steaming hot biryani (mixed rice dish made with spices, rice, and meat) served from large metal containers. Our security guards enjoyed the meal too. The church was a large cinderblock building nicely appointed and surrounded by a tall barb wire enclosure. Being a Christian in a country that is ninety-eight percent Muslim is not without its issues. Every day, we were aware that we were foreigners, the average Pakistani we passed on the street was polite but wary. Taking out a bible in public or talking about our faith outside the walls of home or church was done surreptitiously. The Bheel people were very gracious and truly embodied a modern-day Acts church sharing their food and possessions with their brothers and sisters. In Christ they are no longer the shunned lowest class “Samaritans” instead they are humble followers like us seeking to emulate Christ and do God’s will. It is very encouraging to see such genuine love and affection for each other.

On Day Eight I woke up feeling the effects of a cold I had the previous week and combined with the poor air quality (AQI 350) decided to take the day off. I stayed in my spartan “executive” suite and rested while my partners Sidney, Steve, and Brian spent the day at S and Q’s house where they met some of the teachers from the Ten14 Daniel’s School. Daniel’s School was built about seven years ago to provide a modern education for both Muslim and Christian children. Many of the teachers at Daniel’s School are Christians and interestingly enough the majority of the students are Muslims from wealthier families. The literacy rate in the Punjab region is only thirty percent so there is a great need for quality education. The children are taught Christian values and principles without being overtly religious to avoid the attention of the Pakistani government.

On our last day in Pakistan we packed up and left our hotel. We took a quick detour to actually visit Daniel’s School and then began our two-hour drive back to the airport with our Pakistani Security detail. From the time I left the hotel in Bahawalpur to the time I arrived home in Pleasanton it was nearly forty hours. It was good to be home and rest after our Pakistani adventure.

S and Q could easily be living comfortably with their children in Texas but instead they have chosen out of obedience to heed the Lord’s call to serving the Bheel people in Pakistan. Sidney and I were grateful to be able to spend time with such sincere, caring, and dedicated individuals.