Christians
Might Be At Risk: But The Churches Move On
My friend
Dr. Ramesh Khatry who has a Christian library in Kathmandu, also was in jail
for quite a few year during the rule of the king told me, “I also look forward
August 17, 2018..” Because I wrote to
him that on that day the ghost of Prithivinaryan Shah who ousted the Christians
in Nepal around 1768 is going to come alive as the present make believe
democratic government has decided to come heavy hands on Christians preaching
or publishing literature that threaten the religion of ancestor. I am going to
call August 17, 2018 a Black Day for those who long to live eternal life. The
government said they will deport the foreigners preaching and import the
Nepalese to jails with heavy fine making
of course mockery UN Declaration of Human Right whose signatory was
Nepal.
Yet, I move
on pressing the promise that God has given in Psalms 91:16 “I will give him a
long life, I will make sure he lives a life of satisfaction and whenever he is
in trouble I will deliver him.” On the condition of course, “If he stays on My
canopy and is willing to follow My way” Psalms 91:1 (Bhaju’s paraphrase).
With the
strength the Lord has been providing me, I have been continuing to hop form one
mountain to another each Sabbath. Three Sabbaths ago I was in Kosi Dekha which
the president of the Union of India told it was the end of the world when he
visited during the opening of the church a few years ago. On August 4, 2018, I
was in a village of Sangachowk of Chautara district that borders between China
and Nepal with the mountains, this Sabbath of August 11, I was in a
non-Adventist Church in Charikot of Dolakha District of the epicenters of last
major earthquakes. It is north-eastern side of Nepal
Some
pictures with some cooked flashy thoughts about the last two Sabbath trips.
Sangachowk
SDA Church
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Picture 1:
The daughter of a layman who is a strong man to keep the Sangachowk
going.. He is a local man. Here his daughter leads the first part of the
church. She was deaf and with a treatment, she could hear.. She told me God
helped her to hear.
Picture 2:
Shankar lost everything including his wife when he accepted Jesus. He
started a church in his village of Chautara, later on he handed over to a
leader.. He went to Malayasia where he learned to drink and smoke. But there he found the meaning of life in
Jesus. When he came back his wife took all money and disown him. His parents
persecuted him. He came wandering to SDA church, where he found Manna who was
the Gospel worker. After getting the legal divorce from his first wife, he got
married with Manna. Together they run the church with a small stipend his wife
gets from the mission. Theirs is the survival by faith. He sold his gold chain
to meet the end.. Their life is struggle with no extra source of income but
they are happy and dedicated.. Shankar is a strong man in the church. In this
picture he is telling the regular mission story that is printed in the SS
lesson.
3.This person’s house was burnt down along with part
of his body. He lost the beauty of his life but found beauty in Jesus. He is
teaching the SS lesson.
4. I am salvaging whatever felt I have to use it to
tell Bible stories for the message. People are enjoying saying that the felt pictures
make the presentation of message vivid.
5. This is the congregation. Manna is sitting in
front with blue dress. When she came to this village, There were only a couple
of believers as the other believers got scattered due to the lack of a leader.
She says now if everyone comes there are over two dozen. She and her husband
Shankar take care of the believers by making them feel home. They regularly
visit and have fellowship with them. Manna tries to retrieve the back sliders
and also reach out to people by making friends. Her family disowned her when she accepted
Jesus. Both she and her husband are on call all the time resulting not able to
do another job. But living by trusting in God.
6 The mission bought the land. The Koreans built it.
It does not have compound wall making vulnerable to be used by public. Manna
wants to protect the church property but the mission has no money. She says
the public is challenging to protect it if not it would be like a public property. Christians are still treated as
outsiders and have no legal voice.
August
11, 2018 I went, I gave message and left just a foot print
A
Trip to Dolakha
 
Riding on the merciless twisting road, in a
jumping bus that hit my head several times as a result of sitting way back,
after about 7 hours I arrived in Charikot, Dolkha district on Friday upon the
invitation of our faith sister to preach in her husband’s church which was
not the SDA ignoring the warning by the newspaper not to travel far unless
emergency..
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Sara and an SDA believer
who used to be a light bearer in Kosidekha is married to Naran who is the
metal potsmith. They come from poor and schedule class. Naran did not believe
that I would be there. After spending some time with the value of study of
Bible he said he would like to spend a couple of days in Adventist Point with
me to study about Adventist message.
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In
absence of a pastor this Baptist congregation was led by a young girl. It is
a rare opportunity to lift Jesus in the congregation other than own..
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The high light of my visit was to meet these two
sisters-Amika and Ranjana of the Baptist church. Amika said she had been a
Christian for 22 years because her husband got healed from devil possession
but now does not go to church She did not know much about the Bible because
she did not know read and write. I bought an alphabet book, note book and
pencils (in the second picture) , and requested our sister to teacher reading
and writing and also reading the Bible. Amika said, “Thank you for
encouraging us. God has sent you to encourage us.”
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Charikot, Dolakha is a beautiful mountainous place,
presently blanketed the beautiful view
of the mountains due to the monsoon. It has 12 churches. Nearly a couple of
years ago 7 Christians were arrested for distributing Bibles along with the
notebook in the school that is shown in the picture. After a month of
custody, they were freed. After August 17, more Christians are expected to be
arrested. Christians might be arrested but the no one can arrest the power of
Jesus.
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Sara
and her husband lives in a small rented room having a kitchen in the same
room. They insisted that they sleep on the floor while I sleep on the bed.
Such repeats often when I go to the villages. The I find the light bearer
often sleeping in the porch outside while I sleep inside. This is why I can’t
charge anyone for using the Adventist Premises for God’s laborers.
In
a couple of months they plan to move to near China border in Khadichaur where
they hope to get better income. They will attend the church that is 11km up.
I suggested to start a company in their new place which they hope at least to start with a tin shack.
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Potpourri:
My
weekly spiritual fellowship with the daughters of ex-bonded labors and the
family who is taking care of them under an organization has been blessing to
both of us. I provided Bibles, notebooks and Sabbath School lesson. It has
been looking forward event.
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Once in a while I do get treats.. I got to be
invited at the dinner hosted by Pr.. Umesh of Himalayan Section to the
students who are learning primary health care under the leadership of Dr.
Calvin David from SUD and the liaison from Vellore Medical College for the
health training that is being held in SMH. Most of the 15 participants are
active SDA church members from different parts of Nepal. The program is the
first of its kind conducted by the Southern Asia Division according to Dr.
Calvin Joshua. (Sitting front are Shanti Pokherel wife of Pastor Umesh, Pr.
Umesh, Dr. Calvin Joshuwa and Pr Abirman Puri. The behinds are the teachers
and the trainees.
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Finalley, in spite of extracurricular activities,
I have finished translating the last quarter SS lesson for 2018 entitled
Unity in Christ. It should be in the press within two weeks after
proofreading and formatting. The last of the faith base SS lesson for 2018 in
which the Lord and I seesaw to publish it.
I am starting to translate the new SS lesson of
first quarter of 2019, entitled the Book of Revelation by Ranko
Stefanovic
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Welcome
to Adventist Point in Dhulikhel to view: 
