Friday July 6th

We took the morning off for some recreation. We were at Chitwan Park. Unfortunately we were all rather tired and it was raining, perhaps dampening the experience.

The night before a tree had fallen on the main power lines and the power was out to the whole area. It was hot, humid, muggy with no breeze and obviously no fan. Then there was the rather vicious sounding dog fight that went on for some time in the middle of the night. So sleep was challenging and fleeting.

We saw a cultural presentation on the battle sticks of the Tharu tribal heritage in the area. It was all presented in their tribal dance. One dancer missed his parry and got beaned.

We also went on an elephant ride. They strap a platform on his back on which we sit. The driver is on his neck with his feet behind his ears pressing, no pumping them like pumping the gas pedal when a car won’t go. From his back we saw deer and boars but no rhinos or tigers. Rajan wanted to take on the boar for breakfast. We were soaked. They also offer bathing with the elephants. You are on their back and they spray you. We passed on that one.

We also went on a canoe ride in a real native style dugout canoe. Supposed to be lots of crocs. Did see one and many birds, cranes and a kingfisher, what a brilliant blue.

Leaving there we took a bus to Avocado motel in Hetauda. There was only standing room. Matt and I have to have along all our luggage for the whole trip so I had three bags. We stood with them for two hours then some got off the bus and we sat. But more came on so the aisle remained full. When we needed to get off, I could not get through the aisle with my bags. People behind who wanted to get off were urging me to get going. It would not fit. Finally a person took my largest bag and passed it forward over the heads of people and I was able to get through.

Sent from my iPad

Thursday July 5th

Yesterday and today we have had a Pastoral Conference with about 20 men in Bharatpur. They are very different in age, dress and the places they serve but all have one LORD, one faith, one hope. Some of them had to make those mountain trips, such as described in previous blogs, in order to join us. Some live and work in cities but still had long bus rides. They all are eager to learn more about Scripture.

Yesterday Pastor Matthew presented the flood and baptism. Unity was expressed in this gift that lifts us out of judgment creating faith in Jesus.

Today I presented the importance of the clear distinction between law and gospel, sanctification and justification. Objective Justification is the foundation of the sweet comfort God gives. It’s denial undermines all assurance and comfort. Appreciation was expressed for providing a clear understanding of this bible teaching.

A couple hours of questions followed including questions like these: What is the OT timeline, How does the development of Hinduism fit in with that, How do we know that Hinduism didn’t start first, When did Babel occur, How do the OT sacrifices and laws fit with the NT, What message should we start with in evangelism, What is the hierarchy of offices in the NT, Do we still have Apostles and Prophets, Aren’t we supposed to have an apostolic ministry and therefore have an apostle, What about those who claim they are apostles today, What is happening when I receive a vision, God gave them in the OT so can’t we receive them today, What about believers who receive visions and prove the vision was really revealing the unknown, and more. Some of these questions may imply a weak or wrong understanding but all were eager to hear what Scripture says and to gladly listen to it. What a joy to see and share this unity of the Spirit in the bond of truth.

“Jamisee,” a Nepali Christian greeting of alleluia, was warmly shared by all as they spread in all directions. Sent from my iPad

Saturday July 8

Let’s see in one week, I have ridden in a regular car, a van bus, a full size bus, a ruk-ruk, a put-put, a rickshaw, an all terrain mountain truck, a horse drawn cart, on a motorcycle, and on an elephant. In most cases they have been banged up and rickety and filled to twice their capacity. Yet the Lord has always gotten us to our destination. “The Lord of hosts is with us, The God of Jacob is our refuge.” Praise the Lord.

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Monday July 2nd

The congregation here has a new church, dedicated last year with a roof supplied by you the CLC. They are eager to be able to purchase some additional land so they can put in a toilet, the land they have can’t have one. They asked us to remember them in our prayers.

They asked me if I would forget them. I said, I never can. There are many reasons for that. The trip in I already wrote about. The vistic scenery. But we also just finished five hours of worship. The temperature was close to 100F, it was muggy and there were about 100 people in the building with a tin roof and hardly a breeze but the congregation rejoiced to hear the Word of Christ, praised Him enthusiastically, and I can still hear many of them singing in the church hours after the service ended.

Indeed mighty is the Lord who works in us and for us. Though I may forget and can do little. The Lord never forgets His people and is mighty to do all things.

They presented Nepali hats to us, they knew they would be too small, can’t buy ones big enough for Americans, and got a real laugh out of our trying them on.

There was no road to the village, the one hardly passable for mountain trucks ended an hour’s hike away. A truck going in even that far had not been available for us to hitch a ride. One wasn’t on the way out either til almost the end.

There was also no electricity. Yet the teens had cell phones, their music and some fashion statements. Some of the young men were wearing their jeans in the popular sagging fashion. The young ladies however were not following the revealing fashions of the US but their traditional styles which are very attractive with lots of color and design.

Coming out from Maidi was a joy. We got started early 5AM so it was cooler and mainly downhill. We got a ride after we were most of the way down the mountain but that had its own hazards. With the rainy season that clay, so slippery hiking up, caused the truck to often spin, at times on steep slopes where the valley opened out below the spin out. Then there were the wash outs, where it didn’t even seem there was a place for the truck to get by between the cliff and the wash out, which dropped off into the ravine.

We went by a Hindu temple as they were opening it for the day. They ring the bell to wake the god up and tell him it’s time to be on duty. Shades of Carmel.

indeed mighty is the Lord to be with us always, to protect and provide.

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Sunday July 1st

We set out for Dhading. The trip was an ordeal. We started in a bus for a three hour drive but the bus was very crowded, it was hot, and a truck driver had gotten in a fight with a policeman stopping all the traffic for a long time. So we were sitting, crawling with trucks belching huge clouds of fumes and blasting waves of heat.

Finally out of the city the road traffic opened up as did the magnificent vistas of valleys, graduated descending patches of rice paddies, corn terraces, banana groves etc. We wound up and down each new mountain and valley. At Dhading we got in a 9 passenger van with 30 people in it or hanging out the door. I was the latter and the centrifugal force going around the mountain curves was rather intense.

At our drop off we started a five hour hike continually up and down the mountains. I had tried to pack just what was needed but I soon decided it was way too much. The first 3 hours the heat was overwhelming for such climbing then it started raining, cooler but even more humid and soon everything was soaked including many important things in our backpacks. After a while we took refuge in an animal shed. Now, setting out again, the trails were running with water, the clay and rock paths very slippery. We made it wet, muddy, consumed.

The vista’s along the way were inspirational, God’s handiwork ranging before us in overlapping ranges, fields, and woodland. We slept last night above the cow barn on a straw mat. We pray the Lord will bless the teaching of His word today.

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Saturday June 30

Worshipped this AM with Eternal Life Lutheran Church – could not understand their words but across language, land and liturgy we share faith in Christ Jesus. The fervency of their songs and prayers conveyed the message of their hearts. There were about a 100 there in a room 20′ X 20′.

The congregation is eagerly constructing it’s own worship home.

Went to see the monkey temple. What foolish lengths man goes to in order to construct hope when he has lost the living hope

Off tomorrow into the hinterlands for teaching conferences at congregations so will be out of touch.

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Friday June 29th

What a day. We got up Thursday 4:30 AM London time. Started with the flight hassles I described in London, flew to Mumbai. The night time portion was spent sitting in terminal rooms in Mumbai and arranging the changed flight to Katmandu. We got here after 11AM their time Friday. Raju was tied up at the Embassy applying for his student visa to come to Immanuel so was not at the airport. Probably 50 men are competing the moment you come out of the terminal to give you a ride, help you call whoever, carry your bags or whatever, and be your best buddy. The moment you are going somewhere they literally take the bags out of your hands to take them all to the taxi or whatever as if it is all part of the same service but then they all want a tip.

The phone # Matthew had for Raju was not working for some reason so we didn’t know where he was, where to go or how to contact anyone at all. Definitely kept things interesting. Praise the Lord He is able to cause Phillip and the Eunoch to cross paths even in the desert when they didn’t have cell phones. When he was done at the embassy, our calls to Raju’s cell went through and on we went.

I was shocked at the chaos everywhere: driving daredevil, no set lanes, no lights, few rules if any, on a busy very narrow road a man simply jerked right in front of traffic making a Y turn and interrupting all traffic, people walking on the roads with traffic zooming all around, brick piles on road and sidewalk and roads turning like a zigzag with entrances totally blind as drivers zoom in and out of them honking.

JB’s house was such a contrasting picture of the Lord’s loving order. The orphans quiet and smiling, eagerly singing and dancing their songs of praise. Sitting on the roof in the evening breeze hearing of how the Lord has bleessed them, their venture of faith with the orphans and now starting to build their own church building.

It was also a day for buf. I ordered spaghetti but the meatballs were water buffalo. Then at supper Mrs. Bhitrakoti prepared buf sausage. And dessert was curd from water buffalo milk. It was all good.

It was finally to bed 40 hours after rising. You would think I would then be able to sleep somewhat decently, but no. This morning we share God’s word at their church service. They worship on Saturday because that is the day people can get off work. Praise the Lord for the order He provides.

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Friday June 29th 2:00AM

Places take on different appearance and meanings. British Airways had overbooked all flights to India the whole week, undoubtedly why they did not let us board. They said it was unlikely we would get passage the whole week. We could show up each flight and wait standby to see if there were no shows. So Thursday AM we waited standby to no avail. So we then tried waiting standby for a flight to Mumbai instead of Dehli. That also was overbooked but the Lord granted us room.

So the place of our destination changed like Paul going to prison to go to Rome, Moses to the desert to come back to Pharaoh as the Lord’s spokesman.

The cliffs of Dover, from high above, look like a chalk line. The forests of Germany like dark patches on a quilt. Then such rough and forlorn places. Yet such intriguing places like the causeway across a sea. Where, how, why?

In Mumbai now but we must sit in a chair all night, we can’t leave transit cause we cannot enter India now or we could not return for two months, 8AM flight to Katmandu. Thank the Lord He does not overbook but has a place for us with many glorious mansions sufficient for all in Christ Jesus.

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Wednesday June 27th
Our flight yesterday from Chicago to London was overnight. We went on the underground (subway) into London. What changes and generations of people have swept over this area. We walked around St. Paul’s. The cross raised there @ 1100. We walked across the Thames and down around West Minister. With delays on the underground and a strict adherence which would not let us enter through security even though it was 35 minutes til departure, we were denied our flight.

Time is so fickle. In the dark hours of a sleepless night, pressed in by bodies on every side, sore but unable to move or sleep, time drags. But prayers and psalms ascend to Him who dwells in eternity. In a frantic run for the scheduled departure gate, seconds speed too fast. But prayers ascend to Him who dwells in eternity. We wait in line fretting for an hour for nothing. We wait fretting for two hours for Matt to ferret out a place to stay. Back to the underground for an hour and half to get there. The sleep, the departure, the time are all missed. And what a mess can be made with all the connecting ramifications when we miss a few seconds in time. Praise the LORD He did not miss the day of His coming to save us nor will He ever.

We ended up at a hostel at Olympic Park. What looks lie Roman ruins are just out the window. Thank God our troubles are not stoning, shipwreck and prison. Praise the Lord who uses clay pots to glorify His salvation, enable us O Lord.

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