It’s hard to believe that 30 years have passed since my first mission trip to Nepal, a tiny nation nestled in the shadow of the majestic Himalayan Mountains. In February of 1994, I joined a small group of fellow elders from my local church for our first team visit to South Asia. We spent almost two weeks in India, dedicating new church buildings that members of our congregation provided. Nepal seemed an end-of-trip add-on. Nevertheless, that three-day visit launched a long-term partnership with multiple native missionaries in what was then the world’s only Hindu kingdom. I fell in love with Nepal, its mountains, and its people.
Three decades later, I look back fondly on my many visits to Nepal. About the size of one and half states of Pennsylvania laid end to end, Nepal is sandwiched between India and China, the two most populated countries in the world. It is home to 227 people groups (218 unreached), speaking 123 languages.
Thirty Years of Loving Nepal
This past February (2024), I returned to Nepal to celebrate 30 years of friendship, fellowship, and ministry. My primary responsibility was as part of an Operation Barnabas teaching team. Together with team leader Jerry H and co-teacher AMK from India, we participated in two encouragement conferences for front-line Nepali pastors and workers. My good friend Chandra, whom I met on that first visit in 1994, organized the 2nd conference in Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu.
As we bounced up the mountain road from the first conference back to Kathmandu, I reflected on how much has changed in 30 years and how much has not. In 1994, I thought I had entered the most exotic place on earth: cattle in the streets, ancient architecture, and village life that had not changed significantly in hundreds of years. The cattle are still there, as are the ancient buildings, even though many temples were damaged and repaired after the massive earthquakes in 2015. Village farming life is very much the same but with increased availability of electricity, cell phones, and more vehicles.
On the other hand, as we slowly drove through the seemingly perpetual cycle of road destruction and construction, I noticed an electric vehicle charging station on the side of the main highway and several electric cars from India and China. Then, almost immediately, I was shocked to see a live goat tied to the top of a van alongside the passengers’ belongings. As illustrated by those two sightings, Nepal’s past and future seemed to merge on the road to Kathmandu.
The Mission Field in Nepal
The mission field in Nepal is still “white for harvest” (see John 4:35). One thing that has not changed in 30 years is the resilience, dedication, and vision of our Nepali native missionary partners to see the over 200 unreached people groups in Nepal reached with the message of Jesus before He returns.
During the Kathmandu Operation Barnabas conference, our team met two young church planters who had suffered greatly for their faith as they witnessed about Christ among the unreached in Nepal. Their pain and suffering were apparent on their faces as we prayed for them. Nevertheless, they would not give up. It is this resilience in the face of suffering that most impresses and humbles me. Their faithful witness to the Gospel has been a singular blessing in my life over the past 30 years, and I trust for many more to come.
