Dear Prayer Partner,

Loving greetings in Christ from Nepal—the “top of the world!” I also bid you a “Happy New Year” from here since it is the year 2065, while it has just turned 2009 there in the States. So when I stepped off the plane here, I got much older! Expect to see a lot more grey hairs on my head when I get back home this weekend! As usual, when I landed here in Kathmandu, I “hit the ground running!”  My son, Joseph and associate, Scott Hahn, were with me for the first 3 days.  Then they went to India for a couple of days of meetings with two of our key leaders there, Murli Menon and Bishop Ezra Sargunam.  I have stayed here for another week of meetings with as many of our partners as possible.  I will send you a pictorial report when I get back.

POLITICAL SITUATION

To say that Nepal has gone through some cataclysmic political changes in the last few years would be a big understatement! After over 200 years of being “The World’s Only Hindu Kingdom” where the king and queen were incarnations of deity, to being a “Secular State”, is off the charts politically! This means that there is a total freedom of religion that has never existed before. No one could have ever imagined this a few years ago.  When I first came to Nepal in 1989, the church was very much “underground” and under a great deal of persecution. Now all of that has changed. While this new freedom of religion was brought about by the Maoist insurgency over the past decade, it was obviously not done with the Christians in mind. But I believe that God sovereignly orchestrated this for the advancement of His Kingdom here. So, this is a very strategic time that we must seize for the Kingdom of God.

The Maoist leader, Parchanda, is now the Prime Minister. However, like most revolutionary leaders, he is finding that it is much easier to lead a revolution than to build a new government. There is also a growing dissension and division in the Maoist ranks between the Prime Minister and his young followers, to whom he promised the “spoils of battle” that he is now unable to deliver. Only time will tell how this division will be played out—peaceably or violently.

ECONOMIC CHALLENGES

There are many economic challenges here just like in America—only much worse.  Because of an antiquated and worn-out infrastructure, there is little consistent electrical power. In fact, the norm is now no electricity 16 hours a day. And when it is on, it is usually between midnight and 5:00 AM—not a time when most of us depend upon our electricity! The government is saying that in the next few days the power will be cut down even more. This lack of power has caused hundreds of big and small businesses to shut down and close their doors. Few can afford the scarce diesel fuel to operate off generators. This has resulted in the loss of many more jobs—only further intensifying the high jobless rate that previously existed.

In addition, there is a scarcity of gas, diesel fuel and kerosene for the people. There are long lines at most gas stations. All of this has resulted in a lot of demonstrations and strikes throughout the country and particularly here in Kathmandu. As a result, there are a lot of riot police throughout the city.

SPIRITUAL DIVISION

To me, one of the saddest things is the new division within the church here. When I first came to Nepal, there was a pristine unity like the 1st century Church. As I have often described it: “The church was neither bound by tradition or divided by theology.”  But because of the great spiritual revival that has been taking place here for the last couple of decades, western Christians have rushed in with their denominational destinctives which have tragically divided the Christians. Previously people did not know what a Baptist, Presbyterian, Methodist or Pentecostal was. They were just the Body of Christ! But now the tragic denominational divisiveness in America and the west has flooded Nepal! God forgive us! And the cults are also coming in—just as they did in America from the 1960s onward.

CELEBRITY CHRISTIANITY

In addition to our denominational divisions, there is also a growing influx of American and western “superstar Christian leaders” who are coming into Nepal with their spectacular crusades and healing and miracle meetings. Ironically, the Nepali church has experienced more legitimate healings and miracles than most of these “healing evangelists” have ever seen in their lifetime! Most of these “barefooted evangelists” have faced down, and cast out, more demons than western Christians have ever experienced. The spiritual arrogance coming in from “superstar Christians” is both absurd and heart-breaking.

Recently, a famous American TV evangelist came to Nepal for only a few hours. She flew in on her private jet and drove to the Crusade venue in a motorcade fit for royalty. During the brief time she was here, she never even shook the hand of one of the local pastors or Christian leaders who had worked so hard to set up the meeting for her. She was buffered by her “security guards” around her at all times! Then she left the stage and went back to her luxury jet and flew back to the States. However, I am sure her people shot enough video for her to raise another couple of million dollars for her “Nepal Ministry!”

What a travesty this is in the name of Christ! What a mockery of servant-leadership.  Can you imagine Jesus or Paul traveling with “security guards?” Both were constantly “pressing the flesh” as they immersed their lives in the throngs of needy people that followed them. This kind of glamorous spirituality is grievous in America—but even more so in a country like Nepal! The Christians here have so much more to teach the American Church than we have to teach them!

CONCLUSIONS

Thanks for your love, prayers and support that have enabled us to love and labor among the “least of these His brothers and sisters” in Nepal for some 20 years now. I look forward to sending you a fuller report with pictures when I get back home and before my next trip to Africa the last week of this month.

Finally, I plan to be back here in both April and October. I hope some of you will give some serious thought and prayer about joining me for a “Asian Kingdom Adventure” here at the “top of the world!”

In His Servant Love,