Hans Sundberg shares his experiences from the third session

Report EMPOWERMENT NEPAL – journey June 2013

The June journey to Nepal and India turned out more exciting than we had planned. The monsoon rains started earlier this. And I got to experience what it means to teach when you can´t hear yourself speak or think! Since the church where we had the teaching has a tin roof, the rain rattles a lot and that sound penetrates all other sounds. So what can be done?

I asked everybody to come closer to me and talked in as loud a voice as I could. The interpreter; Mankaji, also had to come closer and he talked with the sound equipment on. Hopefully most of the teaching could be heard.

Sadly the monsoon created other more serious problems, which of course we all could see on the news from northern India, with landslides and floods. Many died and thousands lost their homes.

The same thing happened in Nepal, even the number of people afflicted was lower here. We too had some effects of the monsoon rains, as the two main roads to Kathmandu were hit by landslides and it became impossible to go by car back to Kathmandu. So, going by Buddha Air became the solution.

In February our ”point man” Mankaji Amang told Håkan Sunnliden and me that he was getting married in the spring. We asked about the bride, but the answer was that he had not met her yet. It was to be an arranged marriage. And so it was: on June the 5th Mankaji and Sarita were married. We were privileged to have both Mankaji and Sarita with us in Hetauda.

Once again teaching focused on the letters by Paul. We worked our way through Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Timothy 1 and 2 and Titus. Pastor Raju Sundas talked on a few days about leadership, and Susanna Brännström also did some teaching.

The service on Saturday was celebrated at pastor Moses´ place. I preached and it was so good to meet our Christian sisters and brothers. We also had long talks with Pastor Sunam Sing who founded the church. He is the second Christian person in the state. Read more in his testimony on this home page.

Gösta Ståhl from Motala, Susanna Brännström and Katherine Lehne from Bergen also took part in the journey. It is very good that more people come along to carry the work in prayer, caring, laughter and reflective thoughts and to establish ties of friendship. My hope is that that each and everyone of them will go back with stories about what God is doing in people´s lives here in Nepal, and a growing interest in missionary work at home and abroad is the air we breathe, or should be, for all churches.

The project Empowerment Nepal enters its second year this autumn. As you can read in Mankaji Ramang´s reports, this means so very much for pastors and churches.

Please continue to pray for all who are being touched, for the life of the Spirit in their churches. Pray for us and why not support us financially, see ”support”. We need you. ”

Hans Sundberg