In this series, those involved with CLC foreign missions profile one aspect of our overseas endeavors.
[Ed.: The following is a report about current activities in the HCLCN. It is written, in his own words, by the indigenous pastor who is our main contact in Nepal. Names of people and places are being withheld because of the risk of persecution. The report is lightly edited for clarity.]
We at the Himalayan Church of the Lutheran Confession in Nepal (HCLCN) are very excited as the Lord has blessed us abundantly throughout the years. We are encouraged by the Word of the Lord and the current situation. It is getting better these days. The government of Nepal has lifted all COVID restrictions. Life is getting back to normal as it was before the COVID-19 pandemic. It has been a great time to do our mission work among communities.
The Lord has blessed us with many blessings and gifts during these years. We lost some of our pastors due to the pandemic. However, there are great blessings that we are blessed with. One of the greatest blessings for the HCLCN is our building project. We are very excited and thankful to the Lord for providing all the resources to carry out the building project.
During the visit of Missionary Todd Ohlmann to Nepal in March-April, the building was dedicated to the Lord. The building dedication took place on April 5, 2022. There were about a hundred people that were at the program. Our pastors from different districts and locations came to the dedication program.
Now the building has been used as the headquarters of the HCLCN. It is located in the center of the country so it is easier for our pastors and visitors to travel to. The ground floor is going to be the Himalayan Bible Institute (HBI) classroom and dormitory for the students. The first floor is for the residence of the chairman and principal of the HCLCN. The second floor is going to be office, library, lounge and rooms for our guests. The work is almost completed and there is still some work to be done at the building.
During the missionary visit, there were several seminars in rural areas in the foothills of the Himalayas. During his visitation, Missionary Ohlmann encouraged us with the Word to work and restart the Bible Institute which was halted due to COVID and the construction of the building. The LORD blessed our work with more seminars and conferences in the rural parts of the country, which was a blessing for the churches and communities. Through rough off-roads and windy hills we arrived in the villages where people were waiting to hear the Good News and the comforting words from the Scriptures.
Many places were reached with the Gospel of our Savior.
We also held seminars in the tribal villages in the hills. The churches are growing, and the youth in the churches are encouraged to get trained and serve the Lord in their villages. We had moments of great joy when we heard Gospel songs in the tribal languages. The Lord is calling tribes to His kingdom.
We received many requests from several parts of the country to reach out with the saving Word of God. There are invitations from the eastern part of the country as well as the western parts. There is a huge potential for growth. Many people are bound by evil and darkness, and are carrying a heavy burden of sins, and they want to be free.
Nepal will soon hold elections, and we pray that the elections go well. We pray that the Lord appoints those political leaders that do not show any partiality against minorities such as Christians. The country is going to go through many challenges and changes. The pandemic has affected all the parts and areas of the country. We pray that the Lord gives us leaders who will help to improve the situation of the country.
We plan to begin the pastoral training at the HBI soon. We will have ten students and we will start training the students soon. We are praying that everything goes well according to the plans.
The Lord has blessed the HCLCN with new hope and enthusiasm to carry the Gospel message to the lost souls in the Himalayan country Nepal. We appreciate your prayers and continuous support.