My parents met Joe and Barb Finsaas, Bethany missionaries in North India and Nepal, when they were studying at a seminary in the city of Bareilly, where Joe served as visiting faculty. My father had a great evangelistic zeal and Joe realized it. They started traveling together to many cities of North India preaching the gospel, especially cities on the Nepal-India border. In 1965, my father joined an indigenous missionary society and on his first assignment he was sent to Nepal.

One night my father was arrested by the Nepali police for preaching the gospel and was sent to prison. However, for his release God had already sent Dr. Joe to the city of Kathmandu. When he learned about the arrest of my father, through his close friendship with the king, he got my father released from the prison and immediately sent him to India. This all happened before I was born.

Though in my childhood I never meet Joe and Barb Finsaas, my father always told me about his time with them as one of his memorable life stories. These stories deeply impacted me to make the most important decision of my life either to serve the Lord instead of the world.

After finishing my schooling in 1987, I joined Operation Mobilization’s ship ministry. Then, from 1991 to 1998 I ministered in Central Uttar Pradesh, going into towns and villages preaching the gospel. In 1998, I attended a missionoriented Bible school called SAIACS in Bangalore and graduated in 2000.

In 2005, following the Lord’s call, my wife Sara and I started Nicodemus, an organization dedicated to reaching the most unreached Urdu speaking Muslim people groups in 25 cities of North India where there is hardly any Christian presence. Today Nicodemus seeks to share the love of Jesus through educational and medical projects, business as missions, holistic child development and survival programs, skill development and income generation projects, training and leadership development, and women empowerment.

Closing the Generational Loop

In 2014, Sushil attended a mission’s conference in Minneapolis and visited Barb Finsaas at Bethany. After more than 45 years, the Tyagi family reconnected with Barb Finsaas, the wife of his father’s friend and ministry partner, and opened up a new generation of ministry relationships.