We concluded our training in southern Nepal today. The participants really enjoyed it and appreciated the opportunity to study the Apostles’ Creed in greater depth. Of course there were other conversations and questions and discussions over the four days as well. These people are hungry for the Word of God, and to understand it and embrace it and trust it and teach it to their people faithfully. What a privilege to serve God’s people in this way!
Each day of training would begin with a time of worship and prayer. They had several gifted music leaders who took turns serving in this way on guitar and on a traditional Nepali drum. Then the training would begin. As is typical in most Asian cultures, time was fluid and flexible. There was always opportunity for fellowship and laughter!
Meals were cooked and served for everyone three times a day. This minimized the expense to the participants (and to us as trainers). Every meal included rice, lentils, and then either seasoned and spiced vegetables such as cauliflower or a meat and vegetable dish like chicken or pork. Fresh chilis were also served on hand for those of us who enjoy a little more spice in our food!
This afternoon Michael and I were also privileged to see another project this group is organizing about 30 minutes out of town. A group of people from the hills were displaced from their traditional homes by a series of landslides years ago. Over the years they’ve attempted to settle in various other places but things haven’t worked out for one reason or another. A few years ago they settled in this area just outside of town. The hope is that they will stay here, and towards that end permanent housing is being built for them, and they are providing the labor for the work.
You can see in the picture below the grass huts they have been living in for several years. The piles of sand and gravel will be used with cement to form the blocks for their new homes.
The area is beautiful, but I can’t help but think how hard it must be for these people to migrate from their ancestral lands in the hills to these plains in southern Nepal!
One exciting additional element to this story is that most of this tribe is Christian! They have come to faith and hope to serve as an example of what Christian life together can look like to the Hindu neighbors who surround them. Before we left, they gathered with us for a time of prayer. Please pray that God would facilitate the building of these homes before cold weather sets in at the start of the new year. And pray their faith would remain strong and a powerful witness and invitation to their non-Christian neighbors to accept the best gifts of all in the Son of God made man for us!
The Nelson Family Indonesia 