GOSPEL OPPORTUNITIES
"We engage in the unbeliever's life by giving them food, water and cold drinks."
In 2008, Nepal was declared a secular state after the success of the communist movement in 2006. This paved the way for the abolition of the monarchy. Christian missionaries were allowed to enter the country thus, leading to the increase of Christian conversion in the Himalayan region.
Our country team has been joyfully working to make the Gospel known in far -flung areas, seizing every opportunity to make Christ relevant to their communities. “This is our strategy. We engage in the unbeliever’s life by giving food, water, and cold drinks. What they want to eat, we just treat them. If one cup of coffee or tea will bring that person to the Lord, why don’t we spend that? When they come to know the Lord, we disciple them and empower them to do the same thing,” said one of our workers.
Another worker said, “I am involved in a project that helps children with cleft lip and palate. A cleft lip is a deformity at birth, but people do not understand this condition. When other people see a child like this, they think the child is demon-possessed. They say that it is because of the sins of their parents and ancestors. We cry with them and listen to their stories. They talk about the difficult times they went through with the birth of their deformed child. Because of their needs, their hearts are open. We share with them the good news, that there is Someone who loves them no matter how they look, no matter what their background is, no matter what society says. There is one person who really loves, cares, and thinks about them. We show the love of God to them and personally touch their lives. The people are very receptive. They were thankful for this work.
We have shared the gospel with over 3,000 people through this cleft lip program. This has been an effective program in winning souls for Christ.
We also take care of widows and orphans. There are so many widows in the mountain regions. They have no citizenship, no facilities at home. During the winter, usually they die, at least three or four of them, because nobody cared for them; having no food or warm clothes. We also have lots of orphans, many of whom were entrusted to the Buddhist monasteries. We take care of them and help them with food and education. It is such a blessing to be able to affect the lives of these widows and orphans as we lead them to the saving knowledge of Christ our Lord.”
Conversions are happening fast in Nepal. People are responding to the Gospel. The BBC itself reported this early this year. But Hindu adherents like former Deputy Prime Minister, Kamal Thapa, are lobbying for Nepal to return to becoming a Hindu state. Let us pray that he will not be successful in this endeavor.
Pray for our workers as they continue to take every opportunity to share the Gospel. Pray that God will preserve this nation for Christ.
“Be very careful then, how you live — not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.”
