Dearest Friends,
THE TAMONG PEOPLE
We spent the best day in a rural area among the Tamong people. They are mostly Buddhists, desperately poor and eager to hear about Jesus. They live in small homes and those that are Buddhists fly flags in their yards. The children have dark hair and big brown eyes. I smile at them and they seem to think it a gift. Mostly, their clothes are dirty or torn. It doesn’t matter. They filled the church with their singing. As they called on Jesus, they filled our hearts with joy.
Nepal is blessed with an abundance of water, but for the wells to not run dry and be clean, they need to be dug deep. This is a big problem for these dear people and perhaps a ministry opportunity for you.
They are mostly farmers. We are surrounded by rice and corn fields. Rice is the staple food with a soup poured over it. The land is rich and there are plenty of cucumbers, radishes and watermelons.
The Buddhists here subscribe to the belief “eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die”. Alcoholism is a big problem. Few have cars. The roads are mostly dirt and full of bicycles. Some people use rickshaws for transport. It is a beautiful place, quiet and peaceful. In the distance, you can see the Himalayas.
Forests and Jungles
This area is famous for its big forests and jungle areas. People come to see rhinoceros, tigers, monkeys and elephants. The discovery channel even did a feature on this place. Many adventures are possible. For his honeymoon, my Pastor friend Tik Ram took his wife on an elephant ride.
Road Tax
As we travelled to the church today, we had to pay a road tax. Children had been left to collect the tax. When they saw us, they recognized us from a program at their school. They got excited and did not charge us any tax.
Prema’s Story
Prema is a lovely young woman in her twenties. She loves Jesus very much and works devotedly with the children. When she became a Christian at the age of 23, her Buddhist parents kicked her out of their home. The Pastor and his wife gave her shelter. Now, after some years, they have accepted her into their home again. Still, they do not believe. Pray for them to have faith in Jesus.
As I heard her story I found myself asking…What does it cost me to follow Jesus? Think about what does it cost you to follow Jesus? These people are willing to risk everything for the joy of knowing Jesus.
Dev and Arpan
Dev is our new driver and Arpan is his friend. Both young men are Hindus. However, the one true God is calling them to faith. Yesterday, Dev used his phone to make pictures and videos of our work. He was so excited about what he had heard that he went home and told his friend Arpan. It is like being in a Bible story.
Today, Arpan also came with us. In addition to the programs that we did, we spent 2 wonderful hours together with my friend Tik Ram translating for us. They asked many questions about Jesus. They wanted to know if they followed Jesus, what would He require of them. Dev seemed to think that he could not continue as a driver, but would have to become a Pastor. He likes driving and was relieved to know that God could use him as a driver.
Tik Ram gave each of them a New Testament and showed them where to begin reading. Please pray for these young men to come to faith. I told them today that the one true God who made the world had chosen them to hear about Him. Pray!
In Jesus,
Linda for the team