Ministry in the Mountains

Ps Jiwan Rai

AO coordinator.      

In February I received an invitation from Ps Ramesh Manger of Urlabari in Nepal, to join his mission team going to evangelise to an unreached peoples group high up in the mountains near Pokhara, Nepal. Living in Silguri which borders Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh, I have had my fair share of evangelising to villages high up in the mountain areas but in my 19 years of ministry, nothing quite prepared me for what lay ahead.

On the 20^th Febuary, two lay leaders from my church and I left Siliguri by bus on a 16 hour journey travelling at night. On arrival in Pokhara the team (13 altogether) were waiting for us and after a briefing and introduction, we began our journey up the Durga Mountain.  Durga is actually a female deity according to Nepalese Hindus and they named the mountain after her.

I was told that we would be going to a very remote village high up in the mountain where the Santhals and the Biswakarma Tribes lived. There are about 300 inhabitants living in Durga village. After changing three buses and walking for some two to three hours, we finally reached a small slum village where we had to spend the night. It was already 10pm and the whole team was exhausted and so glad to have reached our stop for the night.

The next morning we were up by 6am to start our journey. From here on, we had to go on foot but since I was not used to trekking I was given a horse to ride on. The trek consisted of many steep paths, zigzagging along mountains and as you climbed up, you saw what seemed to be the end of the climb but as you went higher, you realised there’s another steep hill waiting for you on the side. But it was almost impossible for me to sit on the horse as the paths were so narrow and hilly and I was afraid the horse would slip over the edge. For the first few hours up the trek we walked through the forest and as we got higher we began to leave the forest behind. The scene before us now was the snowy mountains and beautiful skies. The climb got higher, harder and colder. The mountain paths got narrower as it climbed and every step got more dangerous. One slip or stumble and we would fall over the edge. By this time, some of us began to experience ‘high altitude sickness’ and the team stopped to pray for us. By now the paths were covered with snow, some areas four to five feet thick and most times it was snowing. I felt like the 13 of us were like lost children trying to find our way in this sea of white snow. Some places the snow was so thick and slippery that we fell a couple of times and by then my legs were hurting. After 16 hours and 30 minutes through piercing winds and the freezing cold, we finally reached our destination. Praise the Lord! Throughout our long and hazardous journey we always felt His presence with us.

The village had absolutely no modern amenities and the people here are living in abject poverty. There was no hospital, shops and not even a police station. Since there was no government authorities present, the villagers set up their own administration. Most of the villagers here are Hindus and the only Christians here were Pastor Dil Bahadur and a family of four who had built their own stone church. The village is nestled amidst the snow-capped majestic Annapurna Mountain Range A simply breath-taking sight. It was like a forgotten place where time stood still.

 The next day we held our Healing crusade, the first ever in this tiny village. (Refer to cover picture). These simple mountain folk, completely cut off from the outside world were touched by the saving grace of Jesus Christ and several of them accepted Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. It was so amazing to see them so excited on hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. During the crusade when we made an alter call for prayer & healing, some people experience instant healing. It was a humbling experience to share the Word of God with these simple people. After the meeting we distributed bibles, pamphlets and food to the crowd. It was an awesome two days of sharing the Gospel with people who are hearing it for the first time. They were sad to see us leave and I was sad to be leaving.

Our journey down was just as tough as our journey up but we made it down in one piece and all of us were so grateful to the Lord for giving us such a wonderful experience. I have already made plans to meet Ps Dil in Pokhara in July as our church is collecting clothes, blankets and other items to give these villagers. 

I realized that I am not the giver here. No matter how much I give, I give of what He has given me. Even my life, entirely belongs to the Lord. The true Giver is the Lord God Almighty whom we call the Heavenly Father. He has called every one of us to be His vessel and I am blessed as I choose to obey Him.

Hebrews 6:10

God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.

Prayer Request

1. Please pray for Ps Dil as being the only pastor he sometimes feels discouraged.

2. We pray for more open doors in the village to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

3. We ask the Lord of the Harvest to send more workers to reach the unreached.