The Totos are a small tribe of 1,366 people that lives close to the Bhutan border. They have a small temple, but gather in it only once a year to drink and dance and fight. They don't practice any other religion.

According to the Wikipedia, ”Anthropologists agree that the Toto culture and language is totally unique to the tribe, and is clearly distinguished from the neighbouring Rajbongshis, Koch or the Bhutanese Sharchop tribes.”

They are a ferocious and fighting people, and very proud. They make native liquor out of many things. Their main livelihood is keeping pigs. The Nagas heard about them and sent missionaries to start a work among them. At first they had limited success. Then the chief heard about it, and beat the missionaries terribly, and they fled for their lives.

Then he gathered all the people together and asked, "Who among you are Christians?" After the Christians were singled out, he made them sit down in front of him. Everyone waited on his verdict.                           P.M. Thomas about 1980

Finally he spoke: "Bring five gallons of kerosene, pour it on them, and set them on fire."

Nobody moved. No one dared question the chief. It was a very tense moment.

"I tell you, burn these people," he reiterated.

Still nobody moved. Some pretended to look, but could not find the kerosene. After a while the leader relaxed a little bit. One by one the Christians got up and went away. The leader also left.

When I heard that back in 1996, the missionary call rose up within me and I said, "I will go there and meet those people."

The bus went there only once a day, stayed about 30 minutes, and returned. My intent was to go there, meet them, pray for them, encourage those among them who had believed, and 15 minutes later get back on the bus and return as quickly as possible.               Photo shows Toto villagers.

However, I had no sooner walked away from the bus than it left.

“Why did the bus leave?” I asked some villagers.

“Bus strike,” they answered.

I was stranded there with these unpredictable, hostile people! I wondered what would happen to me next.

So I sat there while villagers came by me one-by-one and examined me. Finally the leader came.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"I am a Christian leader," I replied.

"Why did you come here?"

"I came to see your people."

He studied me up and down. I wondered what he would do.

Then he said, "Will you do a favor for me?"

I was greatly relieved that he was asking for a favor.

"What favor?" I asked.

"Our people are lost," he said. "We do not want our young people to be lost. Can you start an English medium school here?"

"Is that all?" I asked.

"That's all. But…" He paused.

I was wondering what the "but" was.

"…you should not make us Christians," he insisted.

I thought for a while and the Lord gave me wisdom.

                                    Toto hostel the Lindners helped dedicate in 2006.

"I promise you that I will not make anyone of you a Christian," I said. "But…"

I thought if he had said "but" I also could add a "but." I knew the Totos were a very proud and defiant people, and no one could make them do or not do anything.

So I continued, "…if you like me, who in the world can stop you from joining me?"

He lifted up his head and said, "If I like you, nobody--not even your police, and not even your Indian army--can stop me from joining you; I will join you."

I said, "That's all."

Toto school children sing special song in front of school building in 2006.

Two Nepalis living in the area donated a piece of land and we sent five missionaries. One of our missionaries married a Toto girl who had believed and was from an influential family in the tribe. Now a beautiful school is functioning. About ten adults have professed faith in Christ, and many students have accepted the Lord, though their parents do not allow them to worship with us. 

We instructed our missionaries not to baptize converts one-by-one, but to wait until a larger number was ready. Many are secret believers. We are actually waiting for the leaders themselves to come to the Lord. I believe God is going to give us a big harvest among them.

In 1997 we constructed a school building with brick and bamboo walls and a corrugated metal roof. Now the inside and outside walls are plastered, and it has a concrete floor.

Next we constructed a hostel. That is the only way we can have real influence on the students, if they come and live here. Otherwise they just come for teachings and return home daily. And some of the children walk over an hour to     A teacher hands out treats to Toto school children.   get here.

When Dr. and Mrs. Lindner were here in 2006, they prayed over and dedicated the hostel. Now we have morning and evening devotions, and have a much greater impact on these young lives. By God's grace, the next generation will be Christians.

The whole program took a big leap forward when my daughter, Grace, and her husband, Johnson George moved here in March 2003. Johnson and Grace met each other when they were studying in theological seminary, and later got married. Johnson then became an evangelistic pastor in a mainline denominational church in South India.

                                                            Johnson and Grace George in 2004

Then God filled him with the Holy Spirit and gave him a vision for reaching the unreached in North India. God literally gave him a vision of a pepper tree growing outside a building. Then he and Grace took an exploratory journey to North India in 2002, and saw the exact tree outside a building when they visited Totopara, the place of the Totos. The pepper tree usually grows in the south, and is not usually seen in the north.

That confirmed their call to the mission field. Since Johnson and Grace arrived in March 2003, they have developed the ministry throughout northern West Bengal. They have constructed a headquarters building that houses administrative offices for the Eastern District of the Himalaya Evangelical Mission, and have started Himalaya Theological College that now has 26 students. 

We are pleased that we have been used of the Lord to reach this unreached people, and thank God for His grace and our supporters for their prayers and gifts to make this possible.

Himalaya Theological College graduating class of 2006. In orange robes are Johnson George (l) and P.M. Thomas (r).

Additional information about Himalaya Evangelical Mission can be found on their website, www.himalayamission.org.