In Nepal it was recently made illegal to evangelize. We were informed that a team of young missionaries from a different organization were imprisoned here in the past year due to being caught sharing the Gospel, and another team was kicked out of the country shortly after that for the same reason. So my squad knew we would have to really exercise discernment while here.
It’s found throughout the book of Acts that Paul was always attentive to what the Holy Spirit was leading him to do in different places. Sometimes the Holy Spirit would say to him, “Don’t be afraid… speak! I will protect you.” And other times the Holy Spirit would say, “Don’t share the Gospel here yet.” That’s a hard thing to hear but must be trusted regardless. He always knows better than we do.
This is my first time really having to put that kind of discernment into practice. It was heart-wrenching to talk with people who I knew were deceived and worshipping false gods, not being able to tell them the BEST NEWS of true salvation in Jesus. So it was an amazing, unexpected surprise to go to Nepali church on our first Saturday morning in Kathmandu and see it THRIVING!
This church has three services each Saturday and they have a total of 6,000 members. 6,000!!! And this is just one of thousands of churches existing in Kathmandu. Just when I was beginning to let Satan steal my hope for this nation, God showed me the crazy amount of sons and daughters that love here.
It’s a funny thing how the more a country tries to kick God out, the more people end up finding Him. You see, it’s illegal to evangelize but it’s not illegal to be a Christian. And y’all, our God is a creative, UNSTOPPABLE God. I imagine Him like, “If the Gospel can’t go to them, I’ll bring them to the Gospel!”
Churches here are thriving and more people are being saved each day. You literally can’t kick God out. I’ll never forget the overwhelming joy and reverence that swept over me as I stood in a crowd of Nepali men and women who were passionately worshipping Jesus! Man, talk about boldness and courage!
Please join me in PRAISING Jesus for the ways He is revealing Himself to the Nepali people, despite the laws that want to shut Him down. Please pray for the believers here; for their protection and for discernment as they seek to live out the Great Commission in a place where it’s illegal. Please pray boldness and wisdom over them. God opened so many doors for us to encourage the Christians here, and in the process He greatly encouraged me. He is creative, He knows His children, and no law can stop that pursuit. I’m grateful to have experienced it and to have played a role in it. That’s my Jesus!!! Praise Him, hallelujah!!
-Anna
