Shine for Eternity

Goats and Gospel

A submission story:

Bhaju Ram Shrestha

"Oh, gods, we have done everything to prevent our goats getting sick. We have gone to the veterinaries, to shamans and what not. Our goats suddenly get sick and they die. As a last resort, we are calling you all the way from Kathmandu to pray for our goats and ward off the evil spirit" the lady of the house pleaded by folding her hands. Her husband and his brother together own about 50 goats for their income. All of them were Hindu family except the lady who claims to be a Christian. Raja Ram was the elder brother who requested us through one of our church members in Kathmandu to go to his village and pray for the goats.

So four of us from upon the direction of Pr. Umesh Pokherel of Gathaghar Church-two ladies, Durga and Indira and Mr. Sharma (80) and I went to the village that was over 50 miles from Kathmandu that took us about 3 hours. When we arrived in the nice village I saw many healthy goats, sick goats and a couple of sick kids who were sleeping under the basket. After the lady's plea we tried to console them through the Bible. I read Psalms 24 and the promise from James. Other urged them to believe in Jesus, so that the evil spirit would go away. Mr. Sharma pointed the story of King Hezekiah and in fact he urged the younger brother to read. Perhaps that was the first time in his life that he read the Bible. They all gave the words that believed in God and eventually they would spread their interest in Bible and join the church. We did not have a Bible to give to them; however, we left the illustrated Bible that we published and the Steps to Christ. Both were in Nepali language. After sharing our faith, I poured the olive oil on the head of a sick kid as if I were a priest ready to sacrifice the goat. Each of us took the turn to pray and pleaded the Lord to make the goats healthy, drive the evil spirit away from the premises so that the owners would glorify God who owns everything.

After the prayer the household gathered together in a room where I presented the power point on why we suffer. It was my intention to direct the villagers' mind to Jesus through whom God showers the love, and He does not cause evil as all the major religions depicts.

Within a couple of hours we finished our mission assignment and headed toward Kathmandu.

Please pray for those goats in Sanga chowk which is in Sindupalanchok district that borders China. Please pray that through the healing of the goats, the owners would glorify God and turn their eyes on Jesus. In the book of Joel the plague of locusts was upon the land of Israel so that the chosen people would turn to God. Likewise according to John 3:16, God has chosen everyone for eternal life provided he or she chooses Him.

It was the wonderful experience on last Sunday (Dec 9, 2012) that we had heeding the Macedonian calls from the goats.

Indira shows the Illus Bible