What do you think?
Rate this book
At the Foot of the Snows
At the Foot of the Snows tells the inspiring story of an American family living among the virtually unknown Kham Magar of Nepal, developing a deep bond of friendship that transcended their cultural divide. Through years of study and hard work, they translated Scripture into the Kham language, igniting a spark of interest in the gospel that would fan to life through years of persecution. Through it all, David and Nancy Watters struggled to demonstrate that gospel to these people who lived, in the words of the Khams, "at the foot of the snows."
374 pages, Paperback
First published November 16, 2011
10 people are currently reading
217 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
June 26, 2025
This book genuinely changed my life and left an impact. It shows the reality of the struggles many missionaries go through and the battle of keeping the right mindset. I think many missions-minded books show only the romanticized side of it all, but this book showed the parts that aren't as pretty, which made the good parts worth rejoicing in even more. I was dreading the end of the book - I just wanted it to keep going! I think every Christian should read this book and allow God to use it in some way in their lives.
June 22, 2020
This is a very approachable and honest account of what Bible translation looks like in a tribal context. I appreciated the honesty in the story. He doesn't shy away from sharing the pressing questions and uncertainty they had when trying to contextualize the translation. It was also a great encouragement for my daily walk to see the doubts and questions they had of God in the midst of suffering, especially when they experienced demonic oppression that didn't seem to fit their biblical categories. Their simple faith allowed them to keep pressing forward even though they never got clear answers for many of their questions.
May 11, 2025
Inspiring, encouraging, informative! I loved reading the story of this missionary and seeing the faithfulness of him and his family, and also the Lord! The chapters were short so it was perfect to read right before bed, and it always left me encouraged! It helped me not take so many things for granted, like having scripture in my own language in so many versions! Thank you for writing this book, and being obedient to the Lord!
September 21, 2019
This book was so good. His own personal story was shared, with the lives and culture of Nepal woven into every detail. The ending of the book was completed by his sons who gave a loving tribute to the work he did, and I really loved that they did that. Loved this autobiography!
January 7, 2020
Read this book a few years ago. Still stands out in my mind.
June 12, 2013
Excellent, inspirational story of a missionary family and their sometimes harrowing, always fascinating lives, travels, and ministry among the Kham people of Nepal. Working with one extraordinary Kham elder, David Watters transcribed and created an extensive grammar of the Kham language while translating the Bible during a time when Christianity was highly restricted and conversion forbidden in Nepal. Meanwhile, his wife raised two young sons in this primitive and challenging environment while offering medical services to the Khams. Highly recommended for its vivid descriptions of a stunningly beautiful and challenging land, an isolated people, a holy mission, and the work of linguistics and language translation!
June 15, 2019
This is difficult to rate for a couple of reasons. I'm pretty sure this is the first missionary biography I have ever read (and I've read quite a few) that has swearing in it. And it's not just once. Maybe eight or ten times throughout the book. That was a bit of a shock. The author also included a whole section on some of the lewd sayings of the people he worked with. I understand that they are part of life in that particular part of the world, but come on! These are unsaved people, saying appalling things, and you feel the need to quote them verbatim in a book? They did not add in any way to the gist of the story and I think they would (rightly!!) make every Christian I know uncomfortable at best. I almost put it down because of those two things: the swearing and the details of disgusting conversations.
I'm not sure why I read on, but I did and I'm glad I did.
The book chronicles the story of the Watters family, who lived with an isolated, unreached people group in the mountains of Nepal, learning their language and their way of life and translating the Bible into their language.
I keep typing and then deleting...I don't know how to sum this book up!
I don't recommend it for kids because of the things I mentioned above, and I am not 100% sure where this guy is coming from theologically, but I think this might be one of those books every Christian needs to read.
The story of the Watters family was interesting and held my attention, but towards the end when it started talking about the Kham church - their faith, their suffering, their testimony, their faithfulness, their joy - that part was completely mesmerizing.
One of the final scenes we get to see is the moment when the Kham believers hold the Bible in their hands in their own language for the first time ever. Unforgettable.
This quote from the book about sums it all up:
"We live at the foot of the snows," they used to say, "and even our own king had never heard of us. But the King of Kings knew us, and one day He visited us."
I'm not sure why I read on, but I did and I'm glad I did.
The book chronicles the story of the Watters family, who lived with an isolated, unreached people group in the mountains of Nepal, learning their language and their way of life and translating the Bible into their language.
I keep typing and then deleting...I don't know how to sum this book up!
I don't recommend it for kids because of the things I mentioned above, and I am not 100% sure where this guy is coming from theologically, but I think this might be one of those books every Christian needs to read.
The story of the Watters family was interesting and held my attention, but towards the end when it started talking about the Kham church - their faith, their suffering, their testimony, their faithfulness, their joy - that part was completely mesmerizing.
One of the final scenes we get to see is the moment when the Kham believers hold the Bible in their hands in their own language for the first time ever. Unforgettable.
This quote from the book about sums it all up:
"We live at the foot of the snows," they used to say, "and even our own king had never heard of us. But the King of Kings knew us, and one day He visited us."
March 21, 2021
"The first seeds of doubt were beginning to make their way into our consciousness. Were we really following God's calling, or were we recklessly pursuing our own foolish romanticism? Our confidence died a bit that night." -David Watters, 'At the Foot of the Snows,' 53
A firsthand account of translating the Bible into Kham, a Nepalese tribal language. Watters portreys his mission as a spiral that begins with naïve, untried faith and revolves through a cycle of doubt, discouragement, and fear only to arrive at renewed faith. Each revolution is circumscribed by the previous, bringing him closer to the assurance that is finally made certain: In His sovereignty, God has revealed Himself anew in the idiom of yet another people He chosen for Himself.
I recommend this as a source of inspiration for aspiring Bible translators--definitely for a mature audience, though. It steers largely clear of the simplistic hagiography that many missionary biographies become; it gives an unvarnished, candid look at the struggles, uncertainties, and messiness of laboring in ministry among fallen people in a broken world. All the while, it was encouraging and moving to read what fruit their ministry bore: the church established there has grown while weathering the storms of persecution, imprisonment, and martyrdom.
A firsthand account of translating the Bible into Kham, a Nepalese tribal language. Watters portreys his mission as a spiral that begins with naïve, untried faith and revolves through a cycle of doubt, discouragement, and fear only to arrive at renewed faith. Each revolution is circumscribed by the previous, bringing him closer to the assurance that is finally made certain: In His sovereignty, God has revealed Himself anew in the idiom of yet another people He chosen for Himself.
I recommend this as a source of inspiration for aspiring Bible translators--definitely for a mature audience, though. It steers largely clear of the simplistic hagiography that many missionary biographies become; it gives an unvarnished, candid look at the struggles, uncertainties, and messiness of laboring in ministry among fallen people in a broken world. All the while, it was encouraging and moving to read what fruit their ministry bore: the church established there has grown while weathering the storms of persecution, imprisonment, and martyrdom.
May 27, 2024
How do you rate a book that has completely altered your life? This one blows past all scales of rating - it will be remembered by me for the rest of my life. Easily one of my top books, next to scripture.
In fact, this books causes you to fall in love with scripture more than before. Having recently traveled to where David Watters’ has been, I can picture all he describes. I feel it. His life is an example of bravery for the sake of Christ despite great difficulty. His life, all these years later (and that of Hasta Ram’s) has now changed mine.
These words are rich. This story is robust. It’s more than inspiring….it’s subversive and compelling. It doesn’t leave you how it found you.
I am grateful to have received this book after recommendation from the missionary we worked with. He lived a story similar to Hasta Ram’s. How beautiful it has been to meet these words and to have held this book in my hands for the past couple of weeks. One cannot ascribe value to this experience!
In fact, this books causes you to fall in love with scripture more than before. Having recently traveled to where David Watters’ has been, I can picture all he describes. I feel it. His life is an example of bravery for the sake of Christ despite great difficulty. His life, all these years later (and that of Hasta Ram’s) has now changed mine.
These words are rich. This story is robust. It’s more than inspiring….it’s subversive and compelling. It doesn’t leave you how it found you.
I am grateful to have received this book after recommendation from the missionary we worked with. He lived a story similar to Hasta Ram’s. How beautiful it has been to meet these words and to have held this book in my hands for the past couple of weeks. One cannot ascribe value to this experience!
May 10, 2025
This was a fascinating insight into a people group and time in history. I felt challenged by David and Nancys bravery especially from the perspective of taking on this journey with two young children.
It was beautiful and heartbreaking to see the impact of the word of God in the lives of the Kham.
I would have loved to understand more of how this work impacted their family life and how they grappled with some hard decisions (like leaving Nancy and the boys in the village while David went off for weeks with the shepherds). They must have weighed up many hard decisions between their own and their children’s safety and the work they felt called to do. I wish I could have had an insight to those conversations.
Overall my own faith was strengthened through hearing this story.
It was beautiful and heartbreaking to see the impact of the word of God in the lives of the Kham.
I would have loved to understand more of how this work impacted their family life and how they grappled with some hard decisions (like leaving Nancy and the boys in the village while David went off for weeks with the shepherds). They must have weighed up many hard decisions between their own and their children’s safety and the work they felt called to do. I wish I could have had an insight to those conversations.
Overall my own faith was strengthened through hearing this story.
December 27, 2023
May the Lord's name be eternally glorified. At the Foot of the Snows intimately retells the story of one family (I viewed them as my own missionary family's forefathers) braving the unknown, all for the sake of the Good News. I especially appreciated the detailed portrayal of linguistics and how it can be used to give the greatest gift of all--God's Word. As millions of Christians go about their lives chasing after happiness, peace, and material gain, millions upon millions of people are dying and going to hell. Many have never even heard the Gospel before. May the Lord work in our hearts so that we overflow with zeal for His name. May we obey Him and carry out the Great Commission with all joy and courage. Praise God from Whom all blessings flow.
January 16, 2025
This book has deeply changed my perspective and appreciation for the Scripture, and the immediate access I had to it from birth. From cover to cover, it tells of the beauty of the word of God being translated into new languages and made accessible to unengaged peoples and communities. At every page turn I was inspired, encouraged, and convicted by the humility and faithfulness through each characters life.
I would encourage anyone who believes that the gospel of God can be preached without attempting to provide the written Word alongside to read this book and reconsider.
It’s not glorious work by the definition of man, but it is holy and sacred work by the definition of God.
I would encourage anyone who believes that the gospel of God can be preached without attempting to provide the written Word alongside to read this book and reconsider.
It’s not glorious work by the definition of man, but it is holy and sacred work by the definition of God.
March 22, 2020
This book was very interesting. It provided insight into life in the remote regions of Nepal, Within the first few chapters I was intrigued. The level of detail in this book almost made it seem like you were really there, which made it a little bit of a hard read sometimes. The different experiences that David and his sons share in this book did not cease to amaze me. 10/10 Definitely read this book.
September 20, 2018
Great book on a families life to serve others in a very high altitude, difficult lifestyle and culture. Worth it in the end. The author has a great way of sharing the story. Thoughts on how culture and language of this people group was examined and explained like no other writer I have read. Must read! Inspiring!
Read
August 4, 2020Amazing book on what one man following the Lord can do! This book inspired my faith and challenged me to live more boldly. I LOVE reading about those who view life in light of eternity and use each day to serve the King of kings! The challenges faced by the Nepali Christians and how they overcame reads like a modern day book of Acts.
May 14, 2025
A beautiful book about beautiful people. I'm encouraged by the call of God on a family to a people and their faithfulness to STAY. I am challenged to new again take for granted that I have access to the very words of God in my own language.
November 9, 2025
I took a long time reading this book which made a few of the less common names harder to follow throughout the book, but an incredible story of the Gospel’s power in a remote village of Nepal. A beautiful story I highly recommend.
February 18, 2020
On par with, or possibly even better than, E.E.?! Mantz, I'll lend you my copy!
February 15, 2021
Great stories! Really amazing and honest journey of a Bible Translator.
October 13, 2021
Epic story with good deeds and touching relationships but noticed more colonial language than I would've noticed before...
November 11, 2022
Honest. Humble. Transparent. Insightful. This what missionary biographies ought to aspire to. Among my favorites now.
August 9, 2024
This book made me want to study linguistics. Such a fascinating story!
August 11, 2025
possibly the most inspiring missionary book I've read yet - highly recommend
July 28, 2021
Great book detailing the adventures of a family in Nepal, and how God shows up so many times as they seek to reach an isolated people group and document their language via a Bible translation. Definitely recommend.
August 2, 2021
When a book brings tears to my eyes, or causes me to suddenly pause and pray in response to something I’ve read, I know I’m being treated to a highly worthwhile story. I found this book quite moving, its story very inspiring, sometimes leaving me mesmerized or on the edge of my seat. It’s a stirring story of true Christlikeness expressed in the lives of an ordinary family and of the simple mountain people they lived among. It includes stories of angels and miracles, and of beatings and imprisonments. And yet it’s not written in a way that left me feeling that the people portrayed were wholly different from me, living a spiritual life completely unattainable to anyone reading this book. The author’s son wrote in the epilogue that his parents “were painfully aware of their own inadequacies, struggling all the while in vessels of earth and clay.” It was Christ who shone in them as they humbly followed him to achieve his purposes in all their human frailty. And as a result of their obedience, a beautiful people group will now stand before the throne of Jesus joyfully singing his praises!
April 22, 2015
This story, recommended to me by a man in a Nepali equivalent to a Tennessee meat & three, is one of pure inspiration, suffering, joy, and hardship. Who knew how much the lives of one small American family in the late 60's through the early 90's could change a part of the world in such a drastic way for the Kingdom? This story had me on the edge of my seat, fighting back tears one moment, and calling out to my wife the next in disbelief at what I was reading. This family, through the Holy Spirit, brought light to the people of the Himalayas. By the end, I felt like I had walked much of this path with the Watters. If you have any desire to travel into places unfamiliar for the purpose of Jesus, then I highly recommend this book. It is a raw depiction of what can and does happen, and though scary and almost overwhelming at times, you will walk away with a heart full of joy and readiness. "If they could do what they did in this book, then surely, I can do something, too." God is good. God is still active in the world.
September 17, 2012
I have had this book recommended to me several times as "the best book you will ever read." I can't give higher praise than that.
The inspiring story of the Watters' quest to understand and love these people puts to shame our comfortable American Christianity. But David Watters never criticizes his own culture--certainly not without including himself; he presents his own faith as dwarfed by that of the Kham church, especially his friend Hasta Ram.
Whether your interest lies in cultural studies, biographies, or linguistics, this book is sure to become one of your favorites.
The inspiring story of the Watters' quest to understand and love these people puts to shame our comfortable American Christianity. But David Watters never criticizes his own culture--certainly not without including himself; he presents his own faith as dwarfed by that of the Kham church, especially his friend Hasta Ram.
Whether your interest lies in cultural studies, biographies, or linguistics, this book is sure to become one of your favorites.
March 30, 2015
An outstanding story of life among the Khaam people of Nepal. David writes like a master story-teller. He recounts the challenges and rewards of raising a young Family in a remote Himalayan village as he and an ex-Gurkha, Hasta Ram, translate the New Testament into the previously unwritten Khaam language. This book is also a scholarly record of Khaam customs, traditions and language. From impassible snow-covered ridges, to rat infestations, to high altitude shepherd camps, At the Foot of the Snows is an adventure in faith. The best of its genre.
July 13, 2015
Who says missionary memoirs are dead?
Well written account of how the Word of God was given to an isolated people group in their own language. Adventure, miracles, trials, joys, and suffering flesh this memoir out robustly. Honest and vulnerable, the writing keeps its distance from idealistic spirituality. Forget the dystopian and utopian fiction floating out there cluttering our literary space and read this book instead; it will enrich both your intellect and faith, as it anchors you to a profound reality.
Well written account of how the Word of God was given to an isolated people group in their own language. Adventure, miracles, trials, joys, and suffering flesh this memoir out robustly. Honest and vulnerable, the writing keeps its distance from idealistic spirituality. Forget the dystopian and utopian fiction floating out there cluttering our literary space and read this book instead; it will enrich both your intellect and faith, as it anchors you to a profound reality.
July 19, 2012
Great missionary testimony in the heart of Nepal. Loved loved loved the book and the story. It added to know Gary Shepherd who is mentionned in the story as he also was laboring over there. When do i get my wings so i can go and see all whats being done in the name of Christ?
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews