Mission: Nepal 2019

Soldiering for the kingdom

The revered Gurkha soldiers have roots in the region. Soldier for Christ Megh Gurung dreamed of being a Gurkha when he grew up in the area, a place he says “is very rich in culture and heritage.” It’s also steeped in high mountains, Hinduism and Buddhism.

Climbing For Christ returns to the Annapurna Region in 2019; this time exploring the Manaslu area, where the world’s eighth-highest mountain looms at 8,163 meters (26,781 feet).

“I hope we can open the door to hearts in those areas,” said Megh, our kingdom worker in Nepal. He planned a trekking route that avoids tourist areas and allows the delivery of the Good News to villages. “Nobody gets to share the Good News among these people,” he said.

We’ve been blessed since our first expedition in 2008 (to Everest Base Camp) with the opportunity to share with many Nepalese who had never heard about Jesus. From 2008 to 2018 there were 15 expeditions into the Himalayas. We’ll GO again twice in 2019.

God has opened “a great and effective door” (1 Corinthians 16:9, MEV) to us in many areas. He has used us to help build five houses of worship for the local church, with a sixth in the works through faithful prayer. Despite growing opposition, including enforcement of the government’s anti-conversion law, we have walked in the good works God has prepared for us:

• In the Central Region, where two churches have been built and a children’s home is supported.
• In the Mid-West, where two churches have been built.
• In the northwest, where the first church was built and previously unengaged villages have been reached and continue to be reached.
• In the West, where we are praying for the construction of a church that could be a gateway to villages throughout the Annapurna Region.

Work in the mountains north and west of Kathmandu has gone on for years. It included Langtang treks (2012 and 2015) and aid to villages in the Dhading District (where Megh’s home village is located) after the 2015 earthquake. The first of two Mission: Nepal 2017 teams visited Dhading early that year, and the trek scheduled for 2019 was proposed by Megh. Prayers for open doors are lifted to the Lord of the harvest, the One who declared the fields are ripe.

We know, as Jesus told us in John 4, “‘One sows, and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap a crop for which you did not labor. And you have benefited from their labor” (vv. 37-38). We follow in His footsteps and in the tracks of others called by God to GO to the high places in the Himalayas. 

PRAY: For continued boldness of the church in Nepal in the face of growing persecution. We pray not for safety, but for God’s name to be glorified through the obedient acts of brothers and sisters who are daily delivering the Good News.

GIVE: To the construction project for a house of worship in Pokhara. Contact us at info@ClimbingForChrist.org for donation information.

GO:  The first trek, around Manaslu, will occur in January. We also will serve the children in ministry-partner SARA’s care outside Kathmandu. The second expedition, in November, could go deeper into the Manaslu area (Tsum Valley), where thousands of Buddhists live in isolation. We hope to answer the prayer “that Christian trekkers will turn their treks into prayer walks and witness to the Tsum people.” An area in the East also is being prayerfully considered for 2019 or 2020. For C4C members only. Email info@ClimbingForChrist.org for a mission application and specifics about these expeditions.