Kathmandu . Nepal
Organization: Harvest Bible Chapel // Kathmandu, Nepal
Who we met with: Pastor Timothy
SparkNotes version of the ministry: To manifest the presence and the glory of God to the nation of Nepal through discipleship, church planting, maintaining an orphanage (holding 20 plus special needs children and youth) and train pastors in a 4 year program.
The extended version: If he wasn't a pastor he could easily be Santa Clause. Pastor Timothy greeted Olivia and I with the biggest, most jolly hug of all the six months that I have been on the race. Immediately we wanted him and The World Race to be able to partner with each other. 43 years young, Timothy has been a pastor for the past 25 years – beginning with an underground church and pressing on through the years to branch out to 25+ churches throughout Nepal. He has suffered the dangers of a Hindu-rooted culture by going to jail numerous times and, like the apostle Paul, the struggle has only strengthened and encouraged his faith.
Today the Harvest Bible Chapel oversees an orphanage that cares for 20 plus special needs children and youth, offers a four year pastoral training program, has about 25 churches under it's umbrella, and continues to reach out to the nation of Nepal to shine His glory more and more.
Organization: Fire and Fragrance // Kathmandu, Nepal
Who we met with: Megaen
SparkNotes version of the ministry: Fire and Fragrance is in association with the ever-so-popular YWAM group. They are passionate about being the love of Jesus to people throughout the world (this location is specifically to the Nepalis). In Nepal they travel from village to village to share the gospel, plant churches, and focus on discipleship and evangelism.
The extended version: After meeting with Megan we began to see the fire in Fire and Fragrance. Her passion for what the organization is doing in Nepal is apparent and contagious. She told us how it began as a Discipleship Training School in Hawaii in 2008 under the wing of YWAM. As their website states "their goal is to cultivate worship and prayer with the missions movement, joining the great commandment to the great commission. They believe the fire in our hearts for Jesus will become an attractive fragrance to the lost!"
"But we all sense, the adventure is just beginning!" is a true statement from the website in that they are in hopes of being able to host WR teams in the near future. So much is happening at the moment that the staff of Nepal's F & F does not have the time or resources to host WR teams, but hope to do so in the near future!
Chitwan . Nepal
How we got here: Never did we think that the woman in the corner smoking cigarettes and drinking whiskey on the rocks would be the most Spirit-filled being of inspiration we had yet come across on the Race. Janice was her name, but the wait staff seemed to call her "mother" or "alma" meaning grandmother. She knew everyone and when she discovered what it was we were in Nepal for she willingly called Brother Bharat. Bharat was a pastor of his own and a pastor to pastors. His main goal as a man of God is to be the love of God and to maintain unity among the church leaders. He warned us of the common trend of house pastors welcoming in westerners with a beggars hand. Within minutes Brother Bharat called and confirmed that Pastor Hem in Chitwan had lodging within our price range, would pick us up from the bus stop and take us to the hotel and organize meetings with the village pastors in the surrounding area.
Side note: Brother Bharat and Janice hadn't talked for years although that morning Bharat attempted to call her numerous times and was never able to get through. That evening Jancice called him on our behalf… talk about a divine meeting. God is good.
Organization: Church hopping within Chitwan // Chitwan, Nepal
Who we met with: Pastor Hem Chaundhary
SparkNotes version of the ministry: Pastor Hem was a friend of Brother Bharat and with no more knowledge than his name and the reassurance he would have some place for us to stay, we showed up at Holy Lodge in Sauraha, Chitwan. As it turned out, Pastor Hem oversaw three churches and took us around to many villages where we prayed over the villagers and gave testimonies and messages.
The extended version: Brother Bharat referred us to Pastor Hem mainly on the basis of providing us a place to stay for our time in Chitwan. Before Hem became a Christian, he was an alcoholic that worked at the Holy Lodge hotel. He has now become a full time pastor of three churches within the Sauraha, Chitwan area. Although he does not work at the hotel he still managed to provide us three rooms within our budget as well as numerous pastoral connections. Pastor Hem brought us around to three different villages to pray for the villagers and gave the opportunity for three of us to share a message. The people were friendly and receptive to us and were encouraged by us visiting them. That evening we were welcomed into their hearts and fed dinner.
Day's later, after leaving Chitwan, Pastor Hem called us to check in on our new ministry connections and to follow up on our activity within the villages. He informed us that one of the women we prayed over who was being tormented by dark, evil dreams had come to church and accepted the Lord into her life. She now calls herself a Christian and has yet to experience a harmful, scary dream.
Organization: Bhandara Evangelical Friends Church // Bhandara Chitwan, Nepal
Who we met with: Pastor Gayesh Lama
SparkNotes version of the ministry: A local church with a passion to serve it's community and to raise up the next generation to know the love of Christ and become believers and leaders. Their 120+ body of believers are just as important to them as those outside the church in need of Christ.
The extended version: Due to being literally being lost in translation three of us showed up for our meeting with Pastor Gayesh and worship leader Prakash two hours late. Regardless of the lost time the leaders of the Evanglical Friends Church greeted us as just that – friends. We were surprised with chai and breakfast (which, by that time, was much appreciated) as we discussed each other's ministries.
Through the kind translation of the newlywed couple,Prakash and his sweet wife, we shared the heart of The World Race with Gayesh and noticed his humble heart begin to praise the Lord. Gayesh has been a pastor for six years now, starting from a small five persons congregation to a 100 plus group of people gathering to seek the heart of Jesus.
The goal and vision of the church seemed to be to strengthen and encourage the faith of all the people of the already established group as well as bring in more people. They offered men's groups, women's groups, Saturday services (Saturday being the primary day of Sabbath for Nepal), a weekly youth group as well as an annual youth conference for the area of Chitwan. Upon leaving these kind new friends we were invited to have lunch, dinner, to the house of the newlywed couple, to their Christmas program… etc. These people know how to do community and be the love of Christ.
Organization: Vijaynagar Church // Chitwan, Nepal
Who we met with: Pastor Vijay
SparkNotes version of the ministry: Vijay started the church in hopes of reaching as many people as possible. He has multiple radio stations broadcasting the Gospel, has a television show and created their own booklets and tracks, all in hopes that staying relevent within this generation will enable him to get the gospel into the hands and the hearts of the Nepalis.
The extended version: Vijay began asking the question "Why do we have to face various problems and difficulties?" as a young, 10 year old boy working 18hrs in a carpet factory. Although he questioned why he had to travel through such difficulties, he never ran away from them.
Vijay quickly quit the carpet business to work as a house-keeper for little pay and the ability to be enrolled in primary school. At the age of 12, he was admitted into grade one and pressed on despite his age to complete through grade five within two years time (1993-1995). By 2000, he received his certificate stating that he had completed school.
He came to know Christ in 1995 through a church located in Kathmandu and was baptized in 1998. There he found the answer to his previous question and why people face problems – Genesis 3:17-19. From that point his faith took him to witness his grandmother's healing from bone cancer, a marriage in 2001, studying radio anchoring and technician training in India, and pastoring the Chitwan area for the past 13 years.
Vijay has multiple radio stations and a television show proclaiming the gospel, while also printing his own tracks and booklets on the gospel. His idea and aim is to use the media at hand to reach people for Jesus. He recognizes that people are adapting more and more to hearing and learning fom television, radio, and printed materials and that is where he wants to place the message of hope and of the one true God.
Team Mosaic went on to meet with many other great pastors, churches and ministries within the Pokhara and Kathmandu (for a second time). For further information on these meetings and heroes please visit all team members blog pages.
