farewell to nepal
Greetings Remnant Body of the Lord Jesus Christ, dear friends, and to whomever else may stumble upon this post. Grace, mercy, and peace be with you from He who commended His love toward us in that “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
Alas, the time has come for us to leave Nepal, at least in terms of the foreseeable future. Since my last post, our planned journey to the remote Far West never came to fruition. The entire region was shut down, and the airport in Dhangadi was padlocked due to political upheaval for 20 days! Our backup plan to target the nearby Helambu area also fell through as another bandh (i.e. strike) crippled transportation in Kathmandu Valley. It became very apparent that the Lord was keeping us here and closing the door on those opportunities. With sadness, I write these things; but I also find comfort in the Divine Hand of Providence as I am reminded of Proverbs 16:9: “A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.” Having peace from God in this, we have decided to focus our attention on the long journey ahead. Early tomorrow morning (10 days earlier than initially planned), we depart by van to the TB border, hoping to get through the barriers that will have been erected due to another strike that is ongoing. Please pray for us as we will be attempting to covertly carry more than 5,000 pieces of “good news” into China. From the border, it will be a 6-day journey to Lhasa, along which we hope to scatter many seeds and perhaps water seeds that Ricky and I had planted back in November when we traveled the same route. Lord willing, we will get to visit Mt. Everest Base Camp, and the children will get to see the handiwork of the world’s tallest mountain up close. Pray for them especially, as we will be traveling at very high altitudes, crossing the 17,000 ft. threshold on several occasions. Once in Lhasa, we won’t have long for street fishing, but we hope to visit the local university and the areas around a few monasteries for saturation. Keep in mind that we have to be sober, vigilant, and very careful. Nonetheless, the materials must go out. Please pray for our government-appointed guide and the driver, that we will have an opportunity to share with them. Friends, this is one of the world’s darkest and most unreached corners. We consider it Divine Providence that we can even make this journey from Kathmandu, for as of May 5th, the Chinese government has changed the rules. Now, the only people allowed into TB from Nepal are tour groups of at least 5 people that are of the same nationality. Well, we are officially 5 people (they don’t count Josiah); and we all have American passports. Without the family alongside, this journey would not happen. Actually, I anticipate the children being a welcome distraction for the guide and a magnet for the locals. This can only benefit our purpose. By the way, I apologize for the air of vagueness; I want to be careful about details at this juncture.
After a couple days in Lhasa, our train leaves for Beijing (48 hours across vast desert and high plateaus). With a healthy supply of “good news” in Chinese, we anticipate some opportunity for witnessing and distribution in the capital city. If the Lord gives an opportunity, I would love to lift up my voice like a trumpet in Tiananmen Square and trust Him to give the people understanding. We’ll see. We hope to get Jamie and the children on an American Airlines standby flight out of Beijing on June 4th. Thanks to some dear brethren from Texas who are allowing them to use guest passes, they can travel for a fraction of the normal fare. Anyway, those flights get crowded this time of year, so please be praying that they can find open seats. Once we see them off, Ricky and I anticipate traveling up to Mongolia for a few weeks as the Lord already seems to be opening some doors of opportunity in that wild and vast place from whence Genghis Khan and his hoards branched out to consolidate history’s largest land empire. Lord willing, both of us will be back in the States by the first week of July.
The bottom line is that we don’t know exactly what the Lord is going to do. We have materials; we’ll be traversing closed areas; and we carry in our hearts and minds the greatest news ever revealed to man: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I (i.e. Jesse Boyd) am chief” (I Timothy 1:15). And, we find great comfort and joy in knowing that many of you will be holding the ropes for us in prayer.
As for our last weeks in Nepal, they have not been without occasion for the Gospel. We’ve preached in a few places and have continued to distribute Scripture portions and Gospel tracts. For awhile the Lord had been burdening me to go and visit the slums along the Bagmati River down near Thapathali. Finally, with a big bag full of chocolates and treats for the children, Ricky, Bethany, and I went down there to preach and give out a box of Johns. The people listened, received the materials, and seemed grateful. We also ran into a few landless believers who showed us their small church edifice right there in the middle of the shantytown. One Christian woman said to me: “On earth I have no home of my own, but I have an eternal home in the heavens.” I was humbled by her simple childlike faith . . . the very next day, the government, with a sizable force of Nepali armed police, sent bulldozers into that large squatter settlement and razed it to the ground. Many lost whatever possessions they had, and several were injured. That little church edifice was likewise destroyed. Please pray for these homeless souls: The Lord has a special place in His heart for the poor and downtrodden; and He hears their cries, He sees their plight (Proverbs 14:31, 17:5). Thank God we had an opportunity to go in there and sow seeds of the Gospel.
On another occasion, we went out with a team of Nepalis, Bishnu and Brother Laxmi included, to target Bhaktapur, a sizable Newari suburb about 10 miles east of Kathmandu. We preached in the open-air in at least three locales as many heard the Gospel and received copies of the Word.
Brother John from Lamjung had come to town as we anticipated traveling up to Helambu for a couple weeks with Bishnu. But, with the strike, he got stuck here in Kathmandu, so we all decided to comb the valley south of our house and do some seed-sowing in a few suburbs and amongst the farmers out threshing the wheat. It was a good time as we walked nearly 15 miles out and back. The next day, we then sent John back to Lamjung with a fresh load of materials, rejoicing that he had already been using that 1/2-mile hailer from the hilltops in unreached corners of his district. I couldn’t believe the ground he had already covered and the amount of materials that had gone out at his hands. Praise God for His faithful servants. Please continue to pray for Brother John; he is one of a very small handful of believers in that area of Nepal.
Our last “official” outreach in Kathmandu was a couple days ago. Ricky, Bishnu, Brother Laxmi, and I decided to target another squatter settlement out along the Bagmati near Balku in West Kathmandu. The government has been threatening to tear this place down and evict the people as well. Anyway, we went shack-to-shack, did a little preaching at what seemed to be the end of the earth, and had some good conversations about the things of the Lord. We also targeted the vendors at the nearby wholesale fruit market. One man had just driven a large truck full of bananas for 5 days up from southern India. He came all that way and then heard the Gospel. Glory to God! This particular day, more than 1,000 pieces of Gospel material went out; and I fought back tears knowing that it would be awhile before I had opportunity to preach in the Nepali language again. Funny, we walked a long route that afternoon and ended up in a neighborhood where we did one of our first outreaches last summer. So, in a sense, our part here ended right where it began. Now, it is up to Bishnu, Laxmi, Brother John, Raj, Samurat, and others to continue the labor of bold evangelism. Please commit these brethren to your prayers.
Please, please, please pray for the people of Nepal. This place is on the verge big problems due to political upheaval and the failure of a corrupt Constitutional Assembly to produce a democratic constitution in a timely matter. There are strikes taking place everyday. In Kathmandu, taxis and motorbikes have been torched, some shops have been vandalized, people are on edge. In the Terai and the Far West, it has been much worse. May 27th is the latest deadline for a constitution. If the government doesn’t meet it; things could go nuts. There are already people saying “We were better off as a Hindu Kingdom under a King.” No one knows what any of this means for the Church here or concerning the great open door that has existed here for the preaching of the glorious Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. People like Bishnu will need wisdom as they proceed in doing the work of the ministry with boldness. As for us here at FPGM, we aim to continue supporting these brethren with funds for printing materials and other needs that might arise; that is, as the Lord provides. As I sit here typing, I realize that it is so easy for us to leave this country and avoid the approaching storm. Bishnu and his family, Brother John, Brother Laxmi . . . they can’t do that. They’ll remain behind and have to face whatever persecution may come. Oh God, I feel like Paul must have felt as he bade farewell to the Ephesian brethren in Acts 20:38. Only the Lord knows when I will be able to come back. Yet in the midst of these bittersweet emotions, the Lord reminded me through His creative beauty that the Most High always has and always will rule in the kingdoms of men (cf. Daniel 5:21). A few days ago, as I was walking back home along Ring Road with its characteristic mayhem, I noticed that Spring had brought out a blanket of purple on the trees that line the road in that area. It was a surreal sight amidst the backdrop of honking horns, piles of trash, rotting dog carcasses, and droves of people. As I thought on the events that are tearing this country apart, the words of an old hymn came to mind:
This is my Father’s world, And let me ne’er forget;That though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet.This is my Father’s world,The battle is not done;Jesus who died shall be satisfied,And earth and heaven be one.
My friends, the Lord has been very gracious and very good these past ten months in Nepal. In reflecting upon what has transpired since Ricky and I first arrived in July, this is what I came up with:
123,410 pieces of Gospel material (42,710 Project Jagerna Scripture portions and 80,700 Gospel tracts) distributed
150,900 pieces of Gospel material printed
Open-air preaching and distributions in 14 of Nepal's 75 districts (that's more than 18% of the districts)
Open-air preaching at 67 spots in Kathmandu (in many, on more than one occasion)
Preaching and distribution in 9 of Kathmandu's suburbs
Complete circumnavigation of Kathmandu via Ring Road and the Arniko Highway with a large "Are You Ready?" cross
Also, Kathmandu served as a base for us to go out and preach in India, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Tibet, and Bangladesh. In these other countries, an additional 28,600 pieces of Gospel literature were distributed in the name of Jesus Christ
Last but not least, the Lord allowed us to bring in and lead six evangelism teams (4 from America, 1 from Pakistan, and 1 from India)
I list none of this to boast because I know what I am; only in the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ do I glory, by whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world (Galatians 6:14). But, I think I can boast in all of you who wed yourselves to this fruit through your fervent prayer, intercession, and financial support on our behalf. Thank-you, and I hope our paths cross back in America very soon.
Well, I must cease and desist. We have a lot of last-minute packing to do. Hopefully, we can get enough done to enjoy our last day in good ‘ole Kathmandu with all its trash, pollution, chaos, and bandhs. You gotta love it! I have posted a couple of videos below that highlight our last weeks of preaching in Nepal. Enjoy, and please ascribe to God alone all the glory.
For the Word of God and the Testimony of Jesus Christ,
The Boyd Family & Ricky Springer