It was reported in the news today here the toll of Covid-19 on the church community in Nepal. Over a hundred pastors have succumbed to the virus in the virus’s second wave. We remain marginalized as we meet when we can with churches online. Our church plant did not survive the pandemic. Many others continue to struggle.
We barely were getting our small fellowship off the ground when we had to shut down. The pastor in training has chosen to focus on his higher studies and was unable to see to our fledgling community much, mostly occupied with trying himself to survive and see to his own family and needs and work with the church from which he was trained and continues to work. We were left to ourselves for the most part. We do house fellowship and online when it is available with others.
The need already is great for training pastors. To see so many churches lose their pastors only surmounts the issues as often they are the most exposed trying their level best to aid their sheep and making hospital visits and overseeing the funerals. As the article stated, there are many leaders of significance who are no longer with us to lead. Many missionaries have had to leave the country or permitted them from their regularly scheduled visits albeit online venues have brought a number of conferences to many in the wake of a shift in how we fellowship and serve. It is vital for us to be here on the ground and assist the fledgling communities to weather these sad, trying times.
Nepal has seen significant church growth in the past decade alone. Amid the flourishing, there has been a rise in persecution at all levels. Earthquakes rocked the nation in 2015. That brought in many to assist. We are thankful for their continued work in Nepal. On the heels of this tragedy have been the 2015 blockade by India. The Covid-19 pandemic came amid locust plagues regionally. Nepal has its very own variant of Covid called delta plus. Now the monsoon season is as predicted wreaking much havoc as it has in 2019 and 2020. Every step Nepal takes forward, it seems to be forced backward on its heels.
However, in all the lockdowns, restrictions, and the severity of the monsoon season this year, it remains difficult to make contact. Most of the leadership here lacks appropriate training as it is. This only compounds the poor conditions leaving many shepherdless and in need of guidance. So many are ill-equipped and just trying their best in sustaining what has been cobbled together.
I have partnered with an institution outside the Valley to assist in training those in remote areas via online programs crafted to meet their needs. The plan remains in committee. Most everything moves quite slowly here especially during the global pandemic and lockdowns while avoiding scrutiny from the powers that be. I remain prayerfully in preparation. Once they release it upon approval hopefully sometime this month, I can commence with building a strong, vital curriculum to meet this deficiency. Key work is slated to begin next month to move their existing programs online while I update the entire catechism that is outdated and poorly translated many decades ago.
I continue to research. I gather resources as funds become available to write what is required. Prayers are coveted. Life here is ever-present a continuous challenge. We thank God for his grace and for all those he sends our way to assist and encourage. We are truly grateful for any glimpse of God’s glory that shines in this present darkness whether from above directly or from those who mirror heaven’s good graces to us here. All God’s best!
