Earlier this year, brother Duncan made a visit to Nepal to baptize our contact SANTOSH. Our new brother has preached zealously, and brother Sam Bradley of Sydney Australia recently made a visit to Nepal on behalf of Carelinks. The highlights of his visit were the baptism of KISHUR and being able to connect our new brother and his contacts with an existing ecclesia. Here is his report:
Nepal, September 2007
Nepal is a fractured and diverse country – ethnically, politically, socially and physically. Full of vivid colours and smells and sounds, it is a sensory smorgasbord that alternates between delighting and frustrating one’s reality.
Paraphrasing from a website on Nepal, “religion in Nepal is not just a set of beliefs and accompanying rituals handed down from generation to: rather it is a complex intermingling of traditions, festivals, faiths and doctrines that have permeated every strata of Nepalese society in such a way as to become the very heartbeat of the nation.
Nepal is famous, as the world’s only Hindu Kingdom. However, it is an intricate and beautiful tapestry formed by the interweaving of Hinduism, Buddhism and other beliefs. They often share each others temples and places of worship. Conflict over faith issues as such is almost non-existent. People claiming to be Hindu comprise 89.5% of the population. Buddhists 5.3%, Muslim 2.7% and the remainder are Christian and others (1991). Religious tolerance and harmony such as is found in Nepal, is perhaps a unique example to the world”
In this historical and cultural context, there are thinking people who are searching for something far more substantial than they are being offered AND are finding Jesus. It is truly a humbling experience and a priviledge to meet with such people., and as you learn about their journey in life to this point, in searching for and being led to Jesus and being so thankful that someone with a non-Trintarian viewpoint has been able to explain and assist them on their quest – you find your own faith lifted.
Thank you Heavenly Father for this wonderful experience of spiritual invigoration that we can experience!!
I travelled to Kathmandu in the last 10days of September, spending time with the local Brothers and Sisters of Chabahill and Dhumburai Ecclessias, as well as meeting with Santosh Sharma and some of his friends. Santosh was Baptised in March 2007 by Duncan, so the main purpose of the visit was to just spend time with Santosh, encourage him, and also to meet some of his friends he has been enthusiastically witnessing to, and to assess their level of readiness to “Choose Christ, choose LIFE.”
Santosh is married with a young son, and has a job with a Governmental Health body as a project co-ordinator distributing Vitamin A to children throughout the country. He has travelled overseas, speaks English quite well and has a funny giggle and sense of humour. His son loves the picture Bible that I gave them, and Santosh said they started reading it together in the evenings.
Saturday’s are the official day off, with work and school continuing on every other day, so the Memorial Meeting is held then. I had already met with Brother Rajendera Rai the previous day, so together we all went to Chabahill Ecclessia. The singing was exquisite with the small hall full of colour and smiles. With Rajendra kindly translating I based some words on the daily reading. of Luke 15, the Lost and Found parables. It had been tried previously, but communication problems and time constraints meant that Santosh had not until this time been introduced to his Ecclessia. The Brothers and Sisters enthusiastically welcomed him and Santosh was very happy, breaking bread with his countrymen.
We then met with Uttam and Laghu-Dhan on Saturday afternoon, two of Santosh’s friends who both expressed a keen interest in Baptism. We spoke at length, and I was in the fortunate position of being able to introduce them to an established ecclesia that has been running for many years baptism and first principal classes. Not every place in a “remote’ area is this blessed, and so we must carefully assess each candidature accordingly. At the beginning of the week there were four students preparing for baptism, but by the end of the week, only 3 ... as there was a joyful baptism on the 29th September and we welcomed Brother Kishur into the Body of Christ.
So these two friends of Santosh were introduced to Rajendra and other Brothers and Sisters, and have started studying and preparing more deliberately for this wonderful commitment. I am keeping in touch with them via email, and shall no doubt be visiting Nepal again in the near future if it be His will.
If anyone is considering visiting Nepal, perhaps to combine some pleasure (trekking and hiking for example) with some assistance in the form of pastoral work,, then I cannot recommend Nepal highly enough (not that I got out of Kathmandu this time) And Brother Rajendra, who works for a trekking company will be able to help you in every possible aspect of your trip. You may email me at samb73@hotmail.com
Photos: Brothers Santosh and Raj 
