Nepal

The disaster in Nepal has been front and center in international media for the last week. I’ve received some inquiries about our work with/in Nepal.

OIM Asia and the LCMS currently don’t have active work or worker in Nepal. However we do have contacts with Christians there who oversee congregations in various parts of the country – including the area affected by the devastating flood last week.

I made contact with one of those individuals last week to offer prayers and get updated information. Currently I’m the only Area Facilitator in Asia (one moved out of that position and the other is now the interim Regional Director), so by default I’m the point person here. I haven’t met this person in Nepal personally but I know folks who have, and he’s done some work with our international seminary in Eurasia, so he’s not a complete unknown.

I’ve arranged for a $5000 mercy grant from LCMS Disaster Relief to be sent to assist. Nepal is almost entirely Hindu (a fascinating thing for the birthplace of Buddha!). As such it’s easy for Christians to be overlooked in aid relief, and our grant is intended to help those who might not have received assistance yet. In addition to loss of life, there is widespread destruction of churches, homes, shops, and all the other infrastructures that make life possible.

Please continue your prayers for the people of Nepal. Pray also that this opens a door for further work in Nepal. I hope to travel there again in the near future to meet this individual personally and some of the churches he works with, and determine if we can be of further assistance both in showing mercy as well as in providing theological grounding and training to the lay leaders responsible for pastoring congregations.

If you or your congregation are interested in providing further financial assistance towards this crisis, please contact Lutheran Disaster Relief directly for the best instructions on how to do so.