Nepal March 2009
Sister LUDMILA FYODOROVNA KURITSYNA
We're very sad to report the falling asleep in Christ of sister Ludmila Kuritsyna. She was one of the most dynamic preachers of the Truth of our generation, converting over 300 people by personal witness, and devoting her life to caring for them. Even in her very old age and effectively housebound, with limited sight, hearing and energy, she continued her labour of love for so many by letters and telephone calls. A huge number of tributes to her have come in from throughout the Russian speaking world. There is a tribute to her from her long time friend and co-worker Brother Duncan, with whom she worked so effectively throughout the former USSR. It's on the Russian Christadelphian website at www.hristadelfiane.org/lfk.htm , in English and Russian, and we think it makes stimulating reading. There are many in Eastern Europe truly mourning her passing at this time, and longing the more dearly for the day of resurrection which she so ardently preached.
NEPAL
About two years ago Carelinks made a visit to Nepal to baptize Santosh, and we followed this up by assisting brother Sam Bradley to make a pastoral visit to strengthen our brother last year. We're delighted to say that Santosh has become a true spiritual father to others, distributing Bible Basics far and wide as he does his work of distributing Vitamin A to children throughout Nepal. We reported in a previous Carelink how one of his contacts lives several days trek from the nearest transport, and yet has studied Bible Basics and requests baptism. We were unable to get to him nor he to us on this occasion. However we're delighted to report the baptisms of UTTAM and RAI. These are both mature and educated men who have made an informed decision to turn to Christianity. Uttam first obtained a Bible when working in Germany some years ago, and has been searching all this time for the true understanding of it.
Photo: Uttam with Bible Basics
Photo: Santosh, the father of Carelinks work in Nepal
Rai was a former Member of Parliament, who now in his mature years has engaged with the issues of religion and chosen Christ. Rai has retired to a remote part of Eastern Nepal. He had to walk some hours, take a bus and then a plane to get to meet with us. And when offered a contribution to his fares, was unwilling to accept, such is his integrity. He brought with him all that way his precious copy of Bible Basics. It truly was a pleasure to baptize him. He's already started translating our material into the local Rai language, which has very little Christian literature of any sort.
Photo: Rai and his copy of Bible basics
Most visitors to Nepal go to Eastern Nepal, attracted by the Himalayas and Everest foothills. Much of Western Nepal is one of the last frontiers of civilization in our world. Transport is non existent in many parts. For some time we've been in contact with a wonderful man named BISHNU [far right in the photo]. God truly connected us together. He lives in a small town in Western Nepal, and studied with us through Aletheia College and then Bible Basics. It was again an honour to baptize him along with two other associates of his, YOGENDA and NARENDA. They are all deeply keen to spread the word further, especially to the local illiterate people in Western Nepal; we gave them Sister Robin Jones' illustrated Bible timelines and the 'Speaking about Jesus' course. The timelines are especially helpful as they're so visual, enabling illiterate people to get some grasp upon the historical perspective of the Biblical narrative.
Photo: YOGENDA, NARENDA and BISHNU
We produced a brief video outlining the Gospel of the Kingdom in very simple terms, translated live into Nepali by Bro. Bishnu. Whilst our productions aren't great quality, we believe this is among the first resources of its kind in Nepali and pray it will be useful. Nepali is very similar to the Indian language of Hindi, so we welcome all preachers of the Gospel in this area, CBM, WCF or whoever, to make free use of the movie:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5RYOxdeJmU [Part 1]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U63-98CdpVU [Part 2]
REACHING THE RAUTE
Brother Bishnu has for over 10 years been visiting the Raute people, a hunter-gatherer tribe of around 2000 people who live in the jungles of Western Nepal. He has learnt their language and is one of the few non-Raute people to have built up a trusting relationship with them. As a nurse, he’s been able to assist them medically and also has taken rice, tents and blankets to them in difficult times. They even trust him enough to be willing for him to educate their children. Whilst generally non-receptive to outside influences, Bishnu is seen by them as their link to the outside world. They’ve even allowed him to take some of their members to hospital. Before meeting us, Bishnu had himself converted to Christianity and sought to share his faith with the Raute, although he says it’s hard to make progress without being with them for extensive periods. It takes him a few days travel to get to them each time he visits. But now that Bishnu has found the true message of the Bible and been baptized into Christ, he’s the more zealous to take the true Gospel to this people, for whom he feels a special responsibility. There are huge opportunities here to not only assist a needy, isolated people materially, but to enable the spread of the Gospel to the very last frontiers of human civilization; to truly take Christ “to the regions beyond”. Even from the town where Bishnu lives, it can take him up to a week to walk to the Raute, sleeping in a tent, and fording major rivers. The Raute only stay in the same area for 3 months and then take up their tents and move on. He has some amazing stories and photos of his experiences.
Bishnu has taken a number of photographs of the Raute which make a unique collection of material, of interest to ethnographers and any serious student of hunter-gatherer indigenous peoples. We’ve looked on the internet and can find nothing like this material, and it’s our honour to now publish the photos online. It must be the largest selection of photographs and information about the Raute people anywhere online. You can see the entire portfolio at http://www.tacomaecclesia.net/raute.htm . It's really a fascinating set of photos of our brother and his work and we do encourage you to take a look.
Bishnu has a real heart for people- he’s involved in various education schemes, an orphanage, and in addition to his own two children, he’s had the heart to adopt another four children into his family, saving them from an utterly miserable existence:
Here’s Bishnu after travelling initially by bus and then by walking and boat to the Raute people:
Existing by hunting and gathering is precarious, and as a nomadic tribe, the Raute don’t store food. So often the Raute are quite desperately hungry, especially with all the changes going on in the ecosystem due to climatic change. Bishnu has carried rice to them, using trekkers and animals, often over difficult terrain. Here in this photo which Bishnu took you can see two Raute men- note their hand made clothing. The Raute refuse to wear any stitched clothing, and will accept only blankets and cloth from Bishnu, not clothes:
two Raute men- note their hand made clothing
Bishnu reports that the Raute women have a very hard time; but that there’s been a change amongst the Raute in recent times- they are willing for their young people to be educated by Bishnu.
MEDICAL AID TO THE RAUTE PEOPLE
Bishnu has earnt such trust from the Raute people and their leaders that they have allowed him to take some of them to hospital in the town. This has involved Bishnu taking them on a bus for the first time in their lives.
Raute man boarding a bus for the first time in his life:
On a couple of occasions, Bishnu has taken Raute women to the hospital- one of the first times a Raute person has ever been in a hospital. The trust given to Bishnu by the tribe and the breaking down of barriers achieved is amazing. As Bishnu’s a nurse he has been able to provide some basic medical aid to the Raute, assisting them with breakages and sprains on location [remember they are sometimes days walking from the nearest civilization]. This is why he’s been accepted over the years as a man of great authority amongst them.
The following pictures show Bishnu giving medical aid to injured Raute people and doing basic health checkups on Raute children:
Here’s Bishnu giving fruit and water to a sick Raute man in a field hospital:
Bishnu has also taught basic hygiene to the Raute people, giving them soap and even shaving them as a sign of their special trust in him. As a result of all this, Bishnu has been accepted by the king of the Raute as the tribe’s special friend.
We feel it is very much of God that we came into contact with Bishnu and that he has accepted the truth and been baptized into the Lord Jesus Christ. Now we have a unique opportunity to participate through supporting him in taking the Gospel, as well as the works of grace, love and care which accompany it, to the very ends of the earth. Of course there is here the opportunity for someone into trekking and backpacking to accompany Bishnu into the Raute areas and meet them, although for now we’re just working through our brother. But anyone interested in attempting the trek should please contact us at info@carelinks.net
Bishnu's experiences with the Raute people are amazing. We videoed a 20 minute interview with him, called "Reaching the Raute"- viewable here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDR9D8Z060U [Part 1]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-z9Dw6TZ_iU [Part 2]
With love from your brothers and sisters of Carelinks