Sophia’s Home, a girls’ home in Kathmandu, Nepal supported by Methodist Missions Society (MMS), celebrated her 25th anniversary in April this year. Former MMS missionary Shanti Merry Tan who served from 1998 to 2010 recounts how the girls’ home began and how it became a significant part of her missionary journey and ministry to young lives.
It began 25 years ago with a simple nudge in my heart, a quiet but persistent prompting to reach out to Nepali girls. At that time, we neither had the means nor a clear outreach plan. In fact, our mission focus was on church planting, not starting something that would stretch us financially or place additional strain on our resources.
Yet the burden did not go away.
After much prayer, we shared this burden with a couple, and later with our ministry partners, the Lepchas. What followed was a step of faith more than a carefully structured plan. We set aside one room in the flat we were living in, gathered four blankets, and welcomed four girls into our home.
That was how the journey of Sophia’s Home began.
The road ahead was anything but smooth. Almost immediately, we faced resistance. The house owner was unwilling to allow the girls to stay, and so we moved. Then we moved again. This pattern repeated itself more times than we could count. Doors closed one after another.
These upheavals did not stop us from welcoming more girls. Each move brought adjustments, uncertainties and challenges, yet the number of girls continued to grow. Each girl we took in was abandoned and was vulnerable to human trafficking due to extreme poverty.
As the number of girls grew, we experienced the faithfulness of God. What we lacked in resources, he provided in abundance. In August 2009, after years of constant moving, God led us to our permanent home.
Over the past 25 years, 35 girls have graduated from Sophia’s Home. Nine are now married, and many are successfully walking paths they once could only dream of. Each life is a testimony of transformation, resilience and hope.
We witnessed not only numerical growth, but deep and lasting change. The girls grew physically and emotionally, finding stability, care and belonging. More importantly, they grew spiritually, encountered God, discovered his love, and anchored their lives in him.
Sophia’s Home is a story of obedience, of what happens when we offer God the little we have and trust him with the rest. Like the boy with the five loaves and two fish, God takes what is placed in his hands and multiplies it for his purposes. His resources are never lacking, and he provides according to the riches of his glory.
A version of this article was published in Harvest Force 2026 Issue 2.
25th Anniversary Celebration
Sophia’s Home (SH) celebrated 25 years of God’s faithfulness on 26 April 2026 at Siddhartha Cottage, a well-known event venue in Kathmandu, Nepal.
The event was attended by government officials, alumni of Sophia’s Home, NGO board members, representatives from Christian organisations, and families from The Methodist Church in Nepal. Rev Erick Tan represented Methodist Missions Society (MMS) in his capacity as Director of the mission field in Nepal.
Bishop Philip Lim, who was formerly Executive Director of MMS, conveyed his congratulations from The Methodist Church in Singapore through a video message, affirming the impactful ministry among Nepali girls. In the video, he said, “As you mark this silver anniversary, may you be renewed in vision, strengthened in resources and multiplied in grace. We celebrate with you, give thanks for every volunteer, donor and staff member, and commit to standing with you in the years ahead.”
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Photos courtesy of Methodist Missions Society (MMS)
