En route

Friends and Family,

In lieu of a newsletter, this month, I send you a letter, greeting you with the love of Christ as Paul used to greet his own friends and family. 

As I write this, I’m sitting at the airport, waiting to board a plane to Nepal with a joy in my heart at seeing the country that is becoming a home away from home. 

I love the colors, the smells, the food, but mostly I love the chance to visit and spend time with the people, especially the 24 children who call Abba House Children’s Home their home. It is through your generous support that they have a safe place to live rather than the street or even worse. And yes, in Nepal, there is worse. 

These are children created by God with purpose, just as each of us has been created for His purpose. These boys and girls have dreams and goals, and The Global Missionary wants to see them fulfill those goals in Christ. 

I also love the chance to meet with the current church planters and evangelists who are studying Biblical foundations at our Bible training center in Kathmandu. Their joy at the struggle that awaits them is a building block in my own faith, for I know that once they take their message to the countryside, they will meet persecution and rejection. 

With a population that is more than 95 percent non-Christian, it gives me great hope to know that we are making a difference through the lives that we are reaching, and with our plans for a field-training program — literally taking Bible courses to the Nepali borders — I know that God will bless our adventures. 

During our trip — my 11-year-old son, who raised his own funds for this trip, is traveling with me — we ask for your prayers of safety and protection. We go with God and know that while in His hands, we have nothing to fear. 

Thank you again for all you do to support our critical work in Nepal. In His name,

Christopher

Moving heaven and earth

Somewhere, right now in rural Nepal, someone is being blamed for last week's earthquake.

Conservative estimates put the number of Hindu gods at somewhere right around 330 million. Yes, 330 million. Three hundred and thirty million deities demanding acknowledgement. Of those, nearly all require a constant stream of gifts, catering, worship, and appeasement.

Otherwise, they get angry.

Really angry.

Angry enough to, say, shake the earth and cause your house to fall down.

The Vedic idea is that Lord Shiva, who is the destroyer of all evil, becomes very ferocious and angry and performs “Rudra Thandavam”, or the “Ultimate Dance of Destruction” when man becomes selfish and greedy and disregards God and Nature.

Keep in mind that Shiva is just one of 330 million gods making the rounds through the Himalayan region. And remember, also, that each one of these gods expects a certain amount of tender loving care to be kept in his/her/its good graces. So, what, exactly, can provoke a god to such anger that an earthquake results?

Sadly, in the Hindu world, any number of shortcomings can cause calamity. Forgetting to ring the bell to wake the god. Being irreverent in the manner in which one presents offerings of food and drink. Showing pride in one's appearance. A woman shaking hands with a man who is not her husband, or speaking her husband's given name in public. Serving one's own food before that of a guest.

Village elders are charged with ensuring justice, lest the gods feel that a blind eye is being turned and decide to take matters into their own hands.  Often, the punishment is both swift and severe--again, sending the message to the deities that no intervention is necessary.

All of this sounds familiar, in a certain sense, doesn't it? Seemingly small infractions with potentially disasterous results. Harsh retribution, often resulting in death?

It's the very stuff that Jesus came to free us from. He suffered, died, and was buried so that no one who chose to accept Him would ever have to face the righteous anger of God.

And yet, 2,000 years later, there are still those who are deceived. There are still those who live under the chains of a law they cannot satisfy--a law handed down not by a just Creator who desires to be in relationship with them, but a law written by millions of fickle powers intent on enslaving its followers in darkness forever.

Earthquakes, floods, mudslides ... none of these things are new to Nepal. There has been devastation in this country and hundreds like it before the current social climate or political setting. Disasters happen in this fallen world.

What I challenge you with today is this:

Somewhere, right now in rural Nepal, someone is being blamed for last week's earthquake. Houses have collapsed, cows have been killed, a celebration has been tainted, a statue toppled. Awestruck at the suddenness of this disruption in their lives, the loyal Hindu observers began searching for the possible cause. And they settled on something or someone as the ultimate reason behind the disturbance. Maybe it was a woman who didn't seem quite as meek as she should in the presence of an elder. Perhaps it was the birth of an "imperfect" child. It could have been an old man whose dementia made him lose himself for a moment and forget to bow just so in front of a statue.

Whatever the cause that was landed upon, a remedy was decided upon and carried out. It could more offerings. A new temple being built. A child being abandoned to the elements. A woman being maimed. This, the villagers are thinking, will show the gods that we are trying harder to live as they wish.


Someone, somewhere, is paying a price.

A price that will not set anyone free. A price that will not bring an end to the fear and the enslavement.

A price that means nothing.

We read the news of an earthquake, look at the death toll, shake our heads, and move on. In places dominated by darkness, upset and calamity is not so simple. There are 330 million gods to appease. Three hundred and thirty million chances to get it wrong.

Think of this when you see that a disaster has struck a place that seems to hard to reach with the Gospel. Think of this, and pray that the light of Jesus will come and penetrate the darkness. That, after all, is TGM's goal: to bring light where darkness reigns. To open eyes to the beauty of Christ throughout Nepal by training church planters. And then, maybe, next time there's an earthquake, no one will have to be punished.

Male and Female He Created Them ...

Nepal has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world. Each year, 54 out of every 10,000 pregnant women in the country die in childbirth or from complications stemming from birth. Pregnant women fair better in Bangeladesh, Papau New Guinea, Ghana, and even Haiti. Grim standings, to be sure.

Roughly translated, that's 6,000 women each year whose lives are cut short just as they are entering what is to be one of the most beautiful seasons of life for a woman: motherhood. Instead of memorizing their newborn's pursed bow lips, or counting tiny fingers and toes, these women suffer through undeliverable breech labors, contract septic infections, or bleed to death on the dirt floor of an outdoor cow shed.


While much of the blame can be laid upon the country's dismal economic situation, a look into the Hindu-dominated practices surrounding birth gives more insight into why having babies is such dangerous business in Nepal. In villages, elders and religious leaders often control who has access to health care. Trained birth attendants are a rarity, since the role is seen as one of low-caste standing. Because the birth process is thought to potentially bring bad luck upon men and livestock, it takes place in the shed normally reserved for housing cattle.  (See this photo montage for more.)

This is not the safest way to have a baby.


Sadly, the direness of women's issues in Nepal extends beyond their birth experiences. The simple biological act of menstruation sets them up for exclusion and derision thanks to an ancient myth:

In Far-Western and Mid-Western Nepal, families isolate women from the home during menstruation and also immediately after childbirth. Advocate Poonam Chand says this is because various religious books have deemed menstruation and pregnancy to be sins, and chaupadi [ritual seclusion] is the punishment. (GPI: click here for full story)

Women are hidden away, ostracized, and neglected during their monthly cycle thanks to a Hindu belief. Condemned to a freezing hut for seven days, many women grow ill or even die each year from exposure.






Reading these facts make the smiles of the girls at Abba House that much more precious. Safe from enslavement to myriad Hindu gods, unfettered by the oppression of superstition and fear, these girls are being raised with the joy and freedom of Christianity. They are learning that they, too, are fearfully and wonderfully made in God's own image. They are told daily that children are a gift, that they are as entitled to the gift of salvation as any man or boy, and that the Lord who set the stars in the sky cares about their needs, large and small.


Quite a different perspective, isn't it?

Gold Rush!

Cascade Community Church in Monroe, WA, raised $2,385 for Abba House! Way to go, kids! The children of Abba House will be getting new tennis shoes, and a failing electrical inverter can now be replaced. A massive thank you to the children at Cascade and their families!

Scenes from Abba House

This short video features some of the sights of life in Nepal as well as the beautiful children of Abba House. Cascade Community Church's VBS in Monroe, WA, is currently raising funds to purchase shoes for the Abba House children. Their goal is $1,500!

Dal Bhat

There seem to be as many recipes for dal baht as there are people who make it. That being said, this staple is served at Abba House Children's Home at least daily.

Plain Rice (Bhat) 2 cups rice (Basmati or Long grain preferred) 4 cups (1 lt) water 1 tsp butter (optional) Lentils (Dal) 1½ cups lentil (any kind) 4 to 5 cups of water (depends preference of your consistency of liquid) ½ tsp turmeric 1 tsp garlic, minced 6 tbsp clarified butter (ghee) 3/4 cup sliced onions 2 chillies (dried red chilies preferred) (depends on your preference) Salt to taste OPTIONAL ¼ tsp (pinch) asafetida ¼ tsp (pinch) jimbu 1 tbsp fresh ginger paste

Rice: 1 Wash rice and soak for 5 minutes. 2 Wash rice and soak for 5 minutes. 3 Boil the rice over medium heat for about 10 -15 minutes. Stir once thoroughly. Add butter to make rice give it taste as well as make it soft and fluffy. 4 Turn the heat to low and cook, covered, for 5 more minutes until done   Lentils: 5 Wash lentils and soak lentil for 10 minutes. 6 Remove anything that float on the surface after it and drain extra water. 7 Add drained lentils in fresh water and bring to a boil again. Add all spices. 8 Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 20 to 30 minutes until lentils are soft and the consistency is similar to that of porridge. 9 In a small pan heat the remaining of butter and fry the onions, chilies and garlic. 10 Stir into the lentils few minutes before you stop boiling. Serve with rice. (Source: food-nepal.com)

Jamie Oliver would be proud

Nepal has enacted a ban on cell phone usage by students in its state-run schools, as well requiring parents to supply homemade meals for their children rather than offering packaged convenience foods. For details, read here.


An excerpt:

As per the new decision junk foods such as readymade noodles and snacks are not allowed into the school for health reason, according to officials.

DoE has reasoned that uncontrolled use of cell phones in schools has affected students'' performance and consumption of junk food can adversely affect children''s health.

In a country where food shortages cripple nearly a tenth of the population, this move can either be seen as genius foresight on behalf of the government, or burdensome to parents struggling to put any food at all into their children's bellies.

Water

Lack of access to clean water kills tens of thousands of people in Nepal each year. In 2008 alone, 10,500 children under the age of five died from water-borne diseases.

Disparity

According to the US Census, the average median income in the United States in 2009 was $50,221 (US).


That same year in Nepal, UNICEF says, it was $440 (US).

Summer newsletter

Christian burial in Nepal

A quick video highlighting one of the many challenges Christians in Nepal have recently faced--the question of where to bury the dead. Government restrictions and a climate that favors Hindu traditions have combined to restrict the practice of burial.

After a 40-day peaceful protest by Christians, the Nepali Ministry of Cultural Affairs became involved, and has asked for land to be granted for burial.

June newsletter

Blessings to you, our dear family and friends, 

It’s with a bit of trepidation that I write this month’s newsletter. You see, at this moment, 24 children living at the Abba House Children’s Home in Nepal are counting on The Global Missionary to take care of them. 

I don’t just mean with an occasional visit or a gift here or there. I mean their every need: food, clothing, school tuition, school supplies and more. You name it, we need to provide it. 

How did this happen? For months, we have been sharing fundraising responsibilities with another Christian nonprofit called ABWE with the understanding that at some point, as their missionaries in Nepal follow God’s call to other parts of the country, we would step up and take over full responsibility at Abba House. 

Well, that time has come. And if these children are counting on us to care for them, then  we’re counting on you to make it happen.  

Here’s how you can help: We’re looking for individuals, families and churches to consider making a monthly contribution (any amount!) so that we can cover about $1,600US in monthly needs. 

We’re also looking for people who are willing to make one-time occasional gifts to cover additional expenses such as doctors visits, dental exams, new glasses, books, games, balls, even house and vehicle repairs when needed. 

We know that many of you are already stretched thin, especially during these difficult times, but these children didn’t ask to be living at Abba House. Each of them is there due to incredibly difficult circumstances that I pray none of us will ever experience. 

Still, if you could spend the day with them, you’d never know that such tragedy had played a part in their lives. The smiles, the love, the willingness to help, but most of all the joy of Christ in their hearts is evident each day of their lives. 

If there’s one way to reach Nepal’s unsaved, it’s through these children and more just like them. Already, many of the older children have said that what they want to do as adults is serve Christ as pastors, missionaries, husbands, mothers and more. 

To make this transition easier, ABWE has contacted its Abba House donors, asking them to switch their donations to The Global Missionary. We pray many, if not all, of them will. ABWE also has generously donated an Abba House rainy day fund for our use in the meantime. But that money won’t last forever. 

What do you get as a donor to Abba House? Satisfaction that these children and others to come after them are being cared for with the love of Christ as all children deserve. 

These children have a future. God created them for wonderful work in His name, and we have the chance to help that come to fruition. 

I know many of you personally, and those that I don’t, I trust that you are always willing to follow when God calls. Would you ask Him if you’re to be a part of this ministry? Will you help us?

If you are called to help support the children’s home, be sure to write “Abba House” on the memo line, or include a note with your check. But rest assured that much of The Global Missionary’s general fund also supports our work in Nepal, including Abba House.

If you have questions, or want more information about Abba House, call me. I can be reached at globalmissionary@gmail.com. I’d love to tell you more about these beautiful children. 

Many blessings to you all, and God bless you for your prayers and past support. 

Christopher
TGM President

Nepal in numbers

Total area:
147,181 sq. km. (56,136 sq. mi.)--roughly the size and shape of the US state of Tennessee


Population:
29,519,114 (est. July 2008)

Ethnicity:
Chhettri 15.5%, Brahman-Hill 12.5%, Magar 7%, Tharu 6.6%, Tamang 5.5%, Newar 5.4%, Muslim 4.2%, Kami 3.9%, Yadav 3.9%, other 32.7%, unspecified 2.8%

Languages:
Nepali 47.8%, Maithali 12.1%, Bhojpuri 7.4%, Tharu (dagaura/Rana) 5.8%, Tamang 5.1%, Newar 3.6%, Magar 3.3%, Awadhi 2.4%, other 10%, unspecified 2.5%

Religion:
Hindu 80.6%, Buddhist 10.7%, Muslim 4.2%, Kirant 3.6%, Christianity .5%.

Government:
Federal Republic (Hindu Monarchy abolished in June 2008), awaiting new constitution

Capital :
Kathmandu

Friends and family,

I hope you’re enjoying the days as they begin growing longer, and for the most part turn warmer after the extremely cold nights of winter. It can even be a bit chilly this time of year in the countries where The Global Missionary serves. February nights in Nepal dip into the 30s then soar to the mid-70s by late afternoon. With only a few hours of electricity each day and thin walls, it can be quite a challenge to heat a room at one point, only to need to open the windows by noon!

I am especially looking forward to the month of March, not just for a little more warmth, but because I will travel to Nepal and Thailand with the goal of laying the foundations of a field training and discipleship program. While there are at least limited opportunities in the capital of Kathmandu for young men and women to study Scripture and train to be church planters, evangelists and more, there is practically no opportunity for continued training once outside the capital, nor is there much hope for those called to the Lord’s work who live outside the city.

I know in my heart that God is raising up people to share His message of love and salvation for those trapped in bondage to false gods and demons. I have personally witnessed the offerings to stone statues believed to hold the keys to freedom. This is no life, and you and I know that in the end it leads only to death. But I’ve also talked with men and women willing to risk their lives for the Gospel. This is the key!

Many of these students are now studying at the Nepal Baptist Theological Seminary in Kathmandu. As I mentioned the last time I wrote, The Global Missionary is the only means of U.S. support to the college, where as many as 50 students are relying on us to raise more than $1,500 a month to keep the seminary open.

I also told you about the Abba House, where another two dozen children without parents will need us to help offset daily costs of food, schooling and personal needs. Currently, we are trying to raise an additional $600 in emergency funds to cover the costs of necessary vehicle repairs at the orphanage. Please consider helping us meet this one-time need.

If you haven’t yet, look for us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/theglobalmissionary for more updates and news. You can even find us on Twitter! Search for TGMWorldwide and follow us. Yes, we know what you’re thinking. Twitter? But we’re just as important as that athlete or politician that you currently follow, and probably just as crazy, except that we’re crazy for God!

Please give prayer and thought to whether you can help us spread the Gospel to those who need it most: the unreached. In these countries, where a Bible can cost less than $3 or a Bible tract only a few cents, a few dollars goes a long way.

If you want to specifically support the Abba House or bible college, please indicate on the memo line of your check.

In closing, I wish you a very warm and blessed month ahead.

See you soon!

Christopher

TGM President