In this series, those involved with CLC foreign missions profile one aspect of our overseas endeavors.
The HCLCN is working to equip leaders from the rural and remote areas of the country. The Himalayan Bible Institute is producing workers for the harvest field. The work of the kingdom was slowed down last year due to the construction of the HCLCN and Himalayan Bible Institute (HBI) building. Our regular pastoral training suffered as well. Now the construction work, which took us a little over eighteen months, is done. We are blessed with the new CLC center. Now we are planning to focus on the mission work, reaching the unreached people and communities in the rural and remote areas of the country.
Monsoon season runs from mid-June to mid-September. This year there was more rain and flooding than last year. The monsoon season hinders our travel and work as there are many mountains and many of them get mudslides and road blocks. This year our churches in the Chepang villages were unreachable. We really wanted to go to the villages that were affected by floods and landslides. However, we are planning to go to visit them soon. We pray that the Lord provides resources to travel and work in more communities. Transportation and fuel costs have nearly doubled since last year, which makes it more challenging.
We had some meetings and programs for youth and women at Eternal Life Church around the time of the holidays. We had a youth program on October 26 and a women’s program on October 27. We plan to continue the work of encouraging our brothers and sisters in the churches affiliated with the HCLCN.
We are praying to go to new places that need nourishment from the Word of God. We pray that the Lord provides the opportunity to serve the people that are in darkness. We want to bring them to the marvelous light of God. Our pastors and leaders are traveling to surrounding districts in Dang, Salyan, Rolpa, and Surkhet in western Nepal.
In Makwanpur district a new church building has been built with the help from the CLC Board of Missions and the partnership with the local congregation. By Christmas of 2022 the building will be dedicated to the Lord.
We are planning to do some mobile camps and vacation Bible programs to reach children who do not hear much about Christ at their school or homes. We would like to share with them the Word of God. During Christmas season we plan to organize several conferences and seminars to lift them in the knowledge of the Scriptures.
In the rural villages we also need to distribute Bibles to people who cannot afford them. It is a big deal for the people in the villages to purchase the Bible. What little income they have is often insufficient to feed their families. Many people have requested Bibles, and we would like to supply these to them as the Lord provides us resources.
We are also looking forward to welcoming the CLC Mission Helpers next summer, who will work with us to spread the message of salvation to the children of Nepal. A huge number of children need to hear the Gospel to be saved. Previously we were blessed by visits from Mission Helpers in 2011, 2014 and 2017. The Lord has always blessed our work together.
This country needs the Savior Lord Who can deliver them from the bondage of sin and death. Please pray that the people in this country can come to know Jesus Christ and be saved.
[Editor: The following is a report about current activities in the Himalayan Church of the Lutheran Confession in Nepal (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.]
is pastor of Saint Peter’s Lutheran Church in Iron River, Michigan.