from kathmandu

Patan Durbar Square in Kathmandu, Nepal

Greetings from Kathmandu, Nepal in the name of the Great God and our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.  Surely, He cometh quickly: This is the blessed hope of the believer (Titus 2:13).

It’s late, and I have to leave for Bangladesh in the morning, so this update will be brief.  Please pray for me and the team over the next week or so.  There are plenty of Scripture portions to distribute on the streets of Dhaka, and there will be security risks.  Pray for our boldness and our safety.  Remember, Bangladesh is a Muslim country, and distributing the Bible and/or Gospel tracts is illegal.  Notwithstanding, however, the masses are hungry for the hope that only the Lord can offer.  The next few days should hold real adventure for the Word of God and the Testimony of Jesus Christ.  Please lift up Jon and Tony who will be traveling in from South Dakota and the Harris’ who are coming in form Thailand.  Pray also for the national believers and the long-term laborers that we will be partnering with in Dhaka.  Friends, I cannot emphasize too strongly that your prayer cover over the coming days is of real importance.  So, help us God.  I look forward to updating you from the field.

My travels thus far have been good and busy.  Coming through Delhi allowed me to share the Gospel with several on those chaotic streets.  And, my arrival in Kathmandu brought back many memories.  Since last Sunday, I have been laboring diligently with Bishnu Shrestha, my national partner, in the work of Project Jagerna.  By God’s grace, we completed translation of the Epistle of Romans, and today, an order was placed at the printing press for 45,000 John/Romans editions in Nepali; 5,000 John/Romans editions in English; and 16,000 Gospel tracts.  All praise to the Lord for providing the funds for such a printing!  Thanks also to many of you for your contributions to Project Jagerna. The more funds the Lord provides, the more we can continue to print.  Droves of people are without the Word in Nepal and all of South Asia, so we can never print and distribute enough.  When I return from Bangladesh on February 17th, we will have our distribution work cut out for us.

Working with Brother Bishnu on Translation for Project Jagerna

Please also pray for us as we are trying to obtain a suitable, safe, and affordable storage facility for all these materials.  Right now, we have no place to put them, even for a short amount of time, and a base here in Kathmandu for supplying local pastors and believers is desperately needed.  The will of the Lord be done.

Nepal, my friends, is a country of problems.  Load-shedding means many hours each week without electricity.  Lines for gasoline make the fuel problems in 1970’s America look like a minor inconvenience, and FPGM’s motorcycle is on empty.  Everything seems to be getting more expensive, and as usual, there is political unrest.  Nonetheless, such instability creates an open door for the Gospel; pray that this door remains open.  Pray also that the Lord will continue to provide for our financial needs.  Already, for various reasons, I have been forced to spend a lot more money here than anticipated.  But alas, one cannot put a price on the proclamation of the Gospel.

Yesterday was an incredibly clear day here in Kathmandu, and the Himalayas dominated the skyline in a way I have never seen before.  The majesty of these immense and jagged peaks brought a passage of Scripture to mind:  “Fo lo, he that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, The LORD, The God of hosts, is his name (Amos 4:13).  Sadly, many here worship and serve the creation more than the Creator.  That’s why we must boldly proclaim repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 20:21): even if such is illegal, invites persecution, is expensive, or results in real sacrifice.

Well, I better go.  There is so much more I could write, but the hour is late.  Much lies ahead, and I greatly look forward to sharing more updates from the front lines.  Pray for my family back home; I miss them terribly.  Also, pray for my national partner here in Nepal.  Bishnu is a real blessing, and a lot of what has been accomplished with regard to Project Jagerna can be attributed to the Lord working through him.  For Bishnu, there are risks and sacrifices that I may never know.

Grace, mercy, and peace be with you all.

Respectfully yours in the Truth of the Holy Bible,

Jesse Boyd