In this series, those involved with CLC foreign missions profile one aspect of our overseas endeavors.
[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.]
The HCLC Nepal has been working in Nepal since 2009, and the Lord has blessed us with a number of churches and fellow servants in the country. We have been especially blessed in our work with the people in the hills and mountains of the country. The country is struggling to move forward as it lags behind in social, economic, and spiritual aspects. A vast array of false gods are worshipped in Nepal. In this scenario the Lord has given us the opportunity to share the saving Gospel with the lost people in this nation.
Our Gospel preaching and evangelizing has been carried out throughout the year. Jesus in John 3:5 says, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” Jesus here points out the importance of faith and Baptism, in that He says one should be born of water and the Spirit.
Again, at the end of His time on earth Jesus said, in Matthew 28:19-20, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
It is God Who has moved His people to share the saving Gospel in this Himalayan country. This year, and particularly the month of April, have been great for our church body. The Lord is blessing souls who are ready to receive the blessing of Baptism. In Chitwan district we are going to experience seventy-five people receiving Baptism in April. This is one of the biggest numbers in a month that we have experienced so far. Thirty-five people were baptized on April 9th alone. The Word of the Lord is working and growing.
There are a few more reports from different churches about Baptisms and the increasing of the membership in the churches. The Lord has blessed us with the Holy Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. The baptized members have been increasing since then. The Lord has been working in the hearts of people in Nepal, and they are opening their hearts for the Gospel, and the Lord has brought them to faith.
Now there are several churches in Nepal affiliated with the HCLC Nepal. The number will increase as the training of the new students continues and more places can be reached.
The work is not easy, and there are several challenges to the spreading of the Gospel. We are working so that we can reach out to the many villages in the country. There are invitations and requests from several areas and churches for the visitation, seminars and training to the local pastors, leaders and church members.
God is good, and He has done mighty things in Nepal that would not be possible with human strength and wisdom. People are coming to Christ, and they are receiving the gift of salvation through the Gospel and the Holy Sacraments.
We appreciate your continued prayers and support to the HCLC Nepal from the brothers and sisters in the CLC USA and from all around the world. Our vision is that the country may be saturated with the Gospel, and that many may come to know their Savior Jesus Christ and receive the blessing of hope and salvation.