The Travel: Traveling back and forth to Biratnagar, Nepal, was difficult. Flying there involves four separate segments and over twenty-four hours of non-stop travel. My hip replacement joint pain was constant and unescapable-a little scary. I am thankful for Tylenol, Advil, and Nyquil:-).
The Adventure: I loved every minute of the Nepal adventure. It did wonders for my soul.
The Ministry: I spoke numerous times at various settings—individual churches, a two-day conference, a dinner with pastors and their wives, and several spontaneous gatherings. I was also blessed to baptize two Nepali believers. The messages were very simple but were well-received. One pastor intends to repeat my messages to his congregation. People traveled from miles around to attend the two-day conference. They arrived in taxis—motorcycles with a riding compartment on the back—and some walked. After returning to my hotel in the city, these hardy Nepali believers sang late into the night, then slept on the floor of the church shelter in a communal style. The opportunity to gather was truly meaningful for these saints.
shaving kit attached to a tree. One Nepali Christian leader described them as the left-behind ones, the untouchables of the lower castes. They were not untouchable to me; I held their babies, shook their hands, gave many hugs, and was privileged to show them the common decency of being human—and this alone moved them. Heartbreaking. The Needs: Although the need for the basic sustenance of life is evident, none of those to whom I conversed asked for help in these areas. Instead, they desire to be better witnesses to their communities. They want to grow the body of Christ in Eastern Nepal (the neglected part of Nepal). My Nepali host’s father has given him a modest piece of land next to the father’s dilapidated house. The father asked his son to build a church on that land. Here is the vision. They hope to rebuild the humble, leaky shed of a house into a structure that can accommodate Erickson (my host), his family of six (including four orphans), and his elderly parents. Then, on the parcel of land next to the house, they plan to build an orphanage. When this is finished, Erickson and his family will move back to the impoverished village from the city. His wife will leave her job, and they will live primarily off the land while caring for the orphans.
The Vision: Erickson and the leadership team believe that by rescuing left-behind children first, they can join the Savior in a church-planting movement in Eastern Nepal, the land of the untouchables. They have carefully considered their plan, they are prayerful people, and their reasoning seems solid. They are also fully committed. The house and the orphanage together will cost only around $70,000.00, which is a modest amount.
The Bible Institute: Along with their building plans, they have organized a Bible institute curriculum. They hope I will play a major role in this by teaching both in person and online.
Takeaways: The Christians of Eastern Nepal are people of robust faith with many very real needs. Their desire is true to their Savior; they want to join Him in rescuing people and building the body of Christ. The need for an orphanage cannot be overstated. It seems children are treated as a throwaway commodity, and their plans to address this are praiseworthy. Their plan, while sacrificial, makes sense.
Merry Christmas,
Bill and Deb