Denied Entry into India - OCT 2025

My last post ended with a brief paragraph describing Joel Krafft and my upcoming visit to India. Our travels were right on schedule, and we met each other just before the immigration line formed. We shared a quick greeting and got in line, eager to get through immigration, grab our luggage, clear customs, and get to our hotel for a good night's sleep before a busy schedule of a pastoral conference, meetings, and district visits kicked off the next day.

As many of you know, I have been waiting for nearly six years to return to India after my visa was revoked and I was denied entry in January of 2020. A few months ago, I applied for and was granted a new 5-year visa. I can't even tell you how excited I was, thinking that the door was open for me to visit India again!

Unfortunately, I was denied entry again. It's a long story (if you want to hear the fun details, give me a call), but when I handed over my passport and visa to the immigration officer, he scanned them and began studying his computer screen. He then asked me what my purpose was in visiting and why I was denied entry in 2020. I told him that I came to visit friends, and I wasn't given a reason in 202. He then went to the office of the Chief Immigration Officer, who then came to the window and asked me to come with him. In his office, there were lots of questions, a search through my carry-on luggage, and a demand that I unlock and hand over my phone or be arrested, telling me that Indian immigration laws grant him permission to inspect all my personal items. A couple of hours later, both Joel and I were informed that we were denied entry into India and that we were being deported immediately. No definitive answers were given as to the reason. Joel had actually cleared immigration but decided to wait outside the immigration officer's office to see what was happening with me. When they realized he was traveling with me, they denied him entry as well. As Joel put it, with a grin on his face, "My only crime was being associated with Todd Ohlmann."

Because Joel was booked on a round-trip itinerary, the airline was able to quickly change his flights back to the U.S. for later that evening. I was required to return to the last airport I had flown through, and since I had arrived on a one-way Sri Lankan Airlines flight from Kathmandu with a layover in Colombo, Sri Lanka, I had to return to the last airport I had traveled through. Unfortunately, there aren't many direct flights back to the U.S. from Sri Lanka. I waited through the night at the Chennai, India, airport until I was escorted to my 10:00 am flight to Colombo, only to wait another 10+ hours there for a flight to Abu Dhabi with a 4+ hour layover before a flight to Chicago and then home to St. Louis. I arrived home yesterday (Oct. 22) afternoon, exhausted but very thankful to be home. 

The reality is that I may never have the chance to visit India again, and this weighs heavily on me. To be honest, the thought of not being able to see, work alongside, and spend time with my dear Christian brothers and sisters, as well as fellow kingdom workers whom I have known and grown close to over the past 28 years since my first trip to India, breaks my heart. 

All of this is rather disappointing, discouraging, frustrating, and sad. And yet, I can rejoice, knowing that while Satan thinks he may have prevailed, God's will is always good, gracious, and merciful! While I don't understand or know the reason why this door has been closed to me, I trust the One who closed it! God's plans are perfect, and His ways are always love. And because of the great love He demonstrated on the cross, we can be confident that this, too, will work out for the good of those whom He has called into faith in Jesus Christ according to His good pleasure!

I've been in contact with the pastors and leaders of the CLCI and BELC as they met for the conference this week. While they, too, are disappointed that Joel and I were not able to attend, they gathered around the firm foundation of God's saving word that serves as the basis for the fellowship they are sharing this week. Pray for them and thank the Lord for their zeal and courage in continuing to spread the Good News of our Savior, Jesus, even though they face increasing persecution for their Christian witness. 

Nepal - OCT 2025

I've grown accustomed to (or at least I'm not as frustrated by) the fact that things don't always work out according to my plan. This visit to Nepal and the things we had scheduled have been on the calendar for about a year. I schedule my visits to Nepal in the late fall to avoid the monsoon season that typically runs from July to September. Most years, an October arrival should have been OK. But this year, Nepal experienced an unprecedented late monsoon during the first few days of my visit that brought everything to a halt and claimed the lives of over 50 Nepalis. I've never seen it rain so hard and for such a long period of time here in Nepal. It rained constantly for 48 hours in Kathmandu. Everything pretty much shuts down when it rains so hard. That meant sitting and waiting rather than traveling from Kathmandu to Chitwan, where most of the activities were to take place as we had planned. The heavy rains here cause landslides and the potential for life-threatening landslides and floods on many of the roads that pass through the Himalayan foothills. The rains were especially heavy in the areas where Raju and I were to travel, and the roads and footpaths that many of the pastors and students of the Himalayan CLC of Nepal (HCLCN) needed to traverse to make it to the pastor training seminar we had scheduled and the Himalayan Bible Institute (HBI) graduation. The roads from Kathmandu to Chitwan were impassable in several places due to major landslides, and many areas prone to landslides were closed to keep everyone safe. 

Long story short...our plans had to be changed, and there was a lot of downtime since we just couldn't travel to the places we were scheduled to visit. We did manage to have an abbreviated pastor conference with many of the HCLCN pastors who braved the dangerous roads. And we were able to conduct the HBI graduation with all fourteen graduates, their families, and some of the members of their home congregations able to attend! This was the 5th graduation of the HBI. The Lord has been and continues to be doing amazing things here. 

The necessary schedule changes provided a few days of downtime that allowed us to travel to the West for a couple of days, where the rains and thus landslides were not an issue. Raju has been wanting to take me to Mustang District to show me some fantastic views of the Himalaya for many years, but we've never had the time. 

Spokesman for the HBI Class of 2025 receiving his diploma

2025 HBI Graduates and Instructors

While I don't appreciate and rarely understand why things don't always work out according to my plans, I have come to realize more and more with each passing year that God's constantly working to bring His good, gracious, and merciful plans to fruition. And, all things do indeed work out for the good of those He has called according to His good purpose! That is certainly evident here in Nepal among the hardworking and dedicated laborers in our Savior's Nepali harvest fields. 

When I first received an email from some guy in Nepal named Raju some 18 years ago asking, "Can you come to Nepal and help us train pastors?" I can honestly say that I didn't think too much of it. The CLC was receiving lots of inquiries from several places around the world at that time. It was my job to respond to each one on behalf of the CLC Board of Missions. I sent a quick reply with my typical form letter, asking several questions and stressing the importance of the truth of God's saving word in all that we do, with an invitation to study God's word together via online theological correspondence courses. I was thinking that this inquiry would go the way most do and probably wouldn't turn into anything more than a request for financial support. But oh boy, was I wrong, and thankfully so! Over these past several years, the Lord has blessed the Gospel ministry in Nepal as none would have expected! Knowing our Savior's desire for all to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth, I'm not sure why this surprises me, but as I look back at what He has accomplished, I am amazed! 

After a couple of years of correspondence, a colloquy with Raju and his father, and several visits, Raju came to the U.S. to attend 3 years at our Immanuel Lutheran Seminary. He returned to Nepal in the spring of 2015 after the earthquake and started the Himalayan Bible Institute. In the past ten years, 42 men have completed the two-year training course and are now serving faithfully as pastors, evangelists, and church leaders as they spread the Good News of Jesus Christ in a nation that is less than 2% Christian. Who would have thought that, eighteen years ago, a simple email from Nepal and a form letter reply would blossom into such an amazing opportunity and privilege to assist with our Savior's Great Commission in such a far-flung region of the world? Praise the Lord for giving us, the CLC, the privilege of being a part of the Nepali harvest! 

A recent census indicates that there are approximately 500,000 Christians out of roughly 30 million Nepalis. Some estimate that there may be as many as 1 to 2 million Christians, but many are afraid to admit it for fear of persecution. That's a lot, but it also means that there is still a lot of work to be done. The work of spreading the Gospel is not easy here. There are many challenges. The terrain and dangerous travel make it difficult to reach many parts of Nepal. There is a growing resistance to Christianity, with Hindu Nationalism on the rise. And Anti-conversion laws are always a potential for trouble for anyone proclaiming the Gospel. Praise the Lord for His love, protection, and blessings on the faithful pastors, leaders, and members of the HCLCN who continue to shine the light of Jesus in Nepal.

I leave for India tomorrow (Monday, Oct. 20). It's been almost six years since my India visa was revoked. I'm excited and eager to return to see my dear brothers and sisters and fellow servants of our Savior. If all goes according to plan, I will meet Mr. Joel Krafft (chairman of the CLC Board of Missions) at the airport in Chennai. We will spend a little more than a week attending the BELC/CLCI joint pastoral conference, meeting with the leaders of each church body to discuss their ministry opportunities and needs, visiting a couple of districts of the BELC, and reviewing proposed plans for a building project to replace the dilapidated BELC headquarters and Bible institute. 

Your prayers of thanksgiving for a good visit to Nepal, His blessings of safe and uneventful travels, and successful passage through immigration in India are requested and much appreciated.

The Annapurna Range from the Mustang District

JB, Rama, Sanju, Raju, and a nobody at the 5th HBI Graduation

CLC World Missions Prayer List - SEP 2025

 

…pray for us that the Word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified...

 2 Thessalonians 3:1

Nepal (South Asia) – The Lord has blessed the Himalayan Bible Institute (HBI) with faithful and dedicated students. In early October, fourteen men will complete their studies at the HBI. Missionary Ohlmann is looking forward to attending the graduation and conducting a Bible training seminar with the students, pastors, and church leaders who will be at the HBI to attend the graduation. With the approval of additional Kinship sponsorships, the HBI will welcome new cohort of twenty students in January. Following the political unrest in Nepal on September 8, a calm has returned to the nation with the appointment of a new interim government. Elections are scheduled to be in six months. Ask the Lord to provide safe travels for everyone traveling to the HBI to attend the training seminar and graduation. Pray for His blessings on the preaching, teaching, and learning of God’s word at the seminary. Pray that the Lord will lead and provide for a new stable and good government that will be a blessing to citizens of Nepal and for the Gospel ministry of the HCLCN.

India (South Asia) – A joint pastoral conference of the CLCI and BELC is scheduled for late October. CLC Board of Missions Chairman and Missionary Ohlmann will be there to attend. Please pray that the Lord will protect, support, and strengthen the faith of His children in India, especially amid the increasing persecution against Christians. Ask the Lord to bless the preparations for the upcoming pastoral conference and to provide for safe and uneventful travel for everyone who is planning to attend.

Bangladesh (South Asia) – Construction work on the multipurpose building is going well. This building will serve God's Kingdom as a Bible Institute for training faithful church workers, a place for worship, and housing for teachers and students. Fourteen men are ready to begin pastoral training once the building is completed. Please continue to pray for the success of this building project and that the Lord would move the hearts of His people to give generously for this important work, so the project can stay on schedule.

The Philippines (Southeast Asia) – With the monsoon season coming to an end, Pastor Palangyos has begun regular visits to the two congregations of the LAMP. He also plans to resume work on a new worship and Bible training facility that his sister donated to the LAMP. One of the two LAMP congregations has recently experienced significant growth with new members, increased attendance, and baptisms. Please pray for the LAMP outreach efforts so that more people may repent of their sins and rejoice in the forgiveness of Jesus Christ. Thank the Lord for recent growth and ask for His blessings on these new members. Pray that the Lord provides everything necessary to complete the new worship and training facility.

Myanmar (South Asia) – Pastor Kham recently reported that the military has been conducting nightly raids of homes known to have young boys and soccer fields during the day as they forcefully conscript young men into the army. Previously, the young men taken by the military could be ransomed with money. CLC Kinship funded the release of one of the orphans a few months ago. Now the military Junta is no longer accepting bribes because of the need for replacement soldiers. The orphan boys being cared for my Pastor Kham and his wife are in hiding and cannot go outside because military checkpoints are everywhere, even in front of the schools. Please keep our brothers and sisters in your prayers, asking for peace, justice, and relief for all affected by this conflict. Thank the Lord for providing a new generator through the offerings to Kinship.

Tanzania (East Africa) — Pray for the ongoing education of the six students Wittenburg seminary students, and for the ministry of Amos Otiendo, who will begin his pastoral work in Moi's Bridge, Kenya, following graduation in November. Ask for the Lord’s blessings and provision as several TCLC congregations are struggling to build permanent church buildings.

Kenya (East Africa) - God willing, the KCLC will meet for their annual conference in January. Missionary Naumann is scheduled to attend. Pray for God's blessing as the KCLC is working to establish new congregations. Ask the Lord to bless their ongoing efforts to work together as a cooperative church body.

Uganda (East Africa) - CCCRU pastors plan to meet in January to coordinate their work. Ask our Lord to provide for the daily needs of pastors as they struggle to serve the Lord and their families with little financial support from the impoverished congregation members.

Nigeria (West Africa) – With an MDF grant and local offerings, the Nigeria-CLC is on schedule to complete their long-awaited building project. Upon completion, the building will feature new classrooms, a library/computer room, and an office for faculty. Missionary Ohlmann plans to visit the NCLC in November for the dedication. Ask the Lord to continue to bless this project and thank Him for providing the funding through the NCLC and MDF offerings. Thank the Lord for the privilege of working together in this effort to train faithful workers in His Nigerian harvest of souls!

Togo (West Africa) – Three students are finishing up their studies at Mount Horeb Lutheran Seminary, with graduation scheduled for December 6. Missionary Ohlmann is planning to be in attendance. Pastor Kossi Blewu has conducted a Gospel outreach radio program in a town located about 30 minutes away from the seminary and plans to restart his radio programs as a means to establish a preaching station there. If the Lord blesses this effort, one of the graduates from the seminary will be called to serve there. Please pray for these students as they complete their studies and ask the Lord to bless their efforts in establishing preaching stations and congregations so that the truth of His saving word may be proclaimed for the salvation of Togolese souls.

Liberia (West Africa) – A regular schedule of Bible training seminars has resumed with pastors in several different areas of Liberia. Pastor Kwiwalazu is also making preparations for a LCLC wide pastoral conference in November when Missionary Ohlmann is scheduled to visit.

DR Congo-CCLC (Central Africa) – Violence in the DRC Missionaries Evensen and Ohlmann has been temporarily postponed until security improves. Pastor Yumba, who serves the CCLC, reports that the seminary students of Holy Trinity Lutheran Seminary are completing their vicarages. A graduation and ordination, when it is safe for Missionaries Evensen and Ohlmann to visit, is being planned. Thank the Lord for the diligent study and faithful teaching of God's Word over the past several years at the Holy Trinity Seminary. Ask for the Lord's continued blessings on the students as they finish their vicarage assignments. Pray that the Lord will bring peace and an end to the greed and violence that have been such a terrible part of the DR Congo’s history.

DR Congo-ECLSAFA (Central Africa) – Pastor Jacques Pondi Lumiangu in Kinshasa has scheduled a number of outreach seminars in the coming months. The congregation is also facing challenges with renting their church building and is unable to fully support Pastor Pondi Lumiangu, so he is facing financial challenges as well. Pray for outreach work of the ECLSAFA Congo and that God would abundantly provide for their needs.

Please continue to pray for all of our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world, who, by God's grace, are dedicated to proclaiming the truths of God's saving Word for the salvation of souls as they trust the promise of our Savior that His Word will not return to Him void but will accomplish that for which He sends it

Missionary Bruce Naumann (Tanzania-East Africa) – Thank the Lord for good health and safe travel, as they have recently returned from visits to Zanzibar and other TCLC districts. Pray for their patience, strength, and zeal for the Lord's work among our fellow believers in East Africa. You can follow Missionary Naumann’s blog at https://clc-tz.blogspot.com/.

Missionary Peter Evensen (Togo, West Africa) – Missionary Evensen continues to work with the 3 students at the Mt. Horeb seminary as they are on schedule to graduate and be ordained at the beginning of December. He will then begin editing and improving the French translations of the curriculum for the next batch of students. Pray for the Lord’s continued blessing on Missionary Evensen’s work to prepare faithful preachers and teachers of God’s saving word.

Missionary Todd Ohlmann – Missionary Ohlmann has been granted a 5-year visa to visit India again, after it was revoked five years ago. Over the next few months, he is scheduled to visit Nepal, India, Liberia, and Togo. Pray for God's blessing and provision on the necessary arrangements for these trips, and for his wife, Beth, as she continues to care for her elderly father, who is on hospice care and is longing for his heavenly home. You can read reports and see pictures here: missionaryohlmann.blogspot.com.