Laymen Ministries Report From Nepal

The next day dogs are worshipped and offered goodies. The third day is the Day of the Cows, representing Laxmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity. The New Year’s Day, according to the Nepal Era, falls on November 9.

Brother Worship

The final event of Tihar is the Day of the Brothers on November 10. On this day sisters honor their brothers and pray to Yama, the god of death, for their brothers’ progress, prosperity, and longevity. We had the opportunity to video close up a sister practicing the ceremonial rites with her brothers on this day. While incense burns and fruit offerings are placed on little silver plates, the sister anoints her brothers’ heads with oil and flower petals. Then she paints a yellow line on their foreheads into which she presses flower petals—they must leave these honors on till evening.

Nepal has maintained years of Hindu tradition, and with a desire to retain this cultural perspective, evangelism and making converts to other religions is strictly prohibited. Over the last several years many people have been told to leave the country for disregarding this prohibition. Buddhists, Muslims, and Christians are given freedom to exercise their own faiths, but there are limits set on what they can and cannot do in sharing.

It is said that in Kathmandu there are more shrines and temples than homes, and after visiting, I think this is true. Oh! And then there are the holy men—who, by the way, love to pose for pictures, hoping to make a little money by doing so. One often finds these holy men at the temples dedicated to many gods, smoking hashish and blessing infertile women so they may conceive a child.

Health and Healing

In Nepal Laymen Ministries works with some of the highest caste people in the country. The doors have been opened to hold health screening seminars for the 1,600 member staff of the U.N. Compound. We also have a good relationship with the King of Nepal’s personal physician, who has offered to have us give health education for the King’s palace staff. What an opportunity to make friends with some of the highest caste people in Nepal!

Our workers are also conducting health classes with Nepali Adventist volunteers who are dedicated to working in Hindu villages, helping to bring a better way of life. Disease is very common among the village people and simple remedies and prevention improves their lot considerably.

While we were visiting with our workers, we decided to visit the foothills of the Himalayan mountains to conduct a spiritual retreat with the Adventist students. The small hotel where we stayed had rooms for $6 per night, and the view from the front door was spectacular. Just beyond the edge of the road a canyon dropped a couple thousand feet, and the rugged mountains were silhouetted in the distance. The students listened carefully as we shared faith building stories with them. We also discovered a Buddhist retreat that can be rented for very little money—a great place to hold meetings and health lectures with government workers!

Publishing Nepali

The Missionary "A" family have been overseeing the publishing of several spiritual books. Our full-time Nepali translator told me about translating The Ministry of Healing.

Even though he was not expecting payment for his work, he translated twelve hours a day, desiring to see this book in print as soon as possible. Day after day he sat with the English copy of the book, a cross reference dictionary, and note pad and pencil. After several days, the bottom of his hand was rubbed raw from his work—still he pressed on. Wrapping a cloth around his hand and little finger, he finally finished the translation. Funds are needed to print this and other books that are nearing completion. The Desire of Ages is in progress, as well other books and materials.

Laymen Ministries began sponsoring "K" while he worked on Ministry of Healing. We have also provided two new fast laptop computers to aid in this translation work. "K" was delighted to get the new computer, and is a very valuable worker of our team.

While we were video taping, I asked "K" to show me how he does his translation work. He is a very shy, quiet, mild mannered man, but when it comes to translating, his personality changes. He took out his books with careful deliberation, and with pencil in hand, he rolled up the sleeves on his light jacket as if he was going to fight someone. His nostrils flared as his breathing quickened—and he began translating. His wife told me, “He starts like this in the morning and will not even stop to eat!” We appreciate dedicated worker like this, and we thank those of you who help keep workers like "K" on our staff.

Burning Bodies

Smoke arose from the edge of the river. A Nepali man explained to me how they were burning the dead. A closer look revealed two alters with blazing wood and a shrouded human body on the top. Cremation beside the river is a common practice, and your family’s wealth determines where you may have your body burned. If poor, you are burned downstream, and if rich, upstream. I could not understand this since the ashes are scraped into the river to flow downstream to the famous Ghanges River in India. This means the poor folks get there first!
Along the banks of the river holy shrines dedicated to fertility gods are lined up, where holy men smoke marijuana and hashish, waiting to bless people, or to have their pictures taken. What a job!

An Angel Legacy

Bouddhanath. What a mouth full! High on a hill overlooking Kathmandu, with a magnificent view of the distant Himalayas, is a sacred Buddhist stupa (shrine) full of saffron clad monks turning prayer wheels. Monkeys watch the action as the sound of fluttering prayer flags fills the air.

The story goes thus: One of the gods in heaven, Indra by name, was enraged when his sleep was disturbed by the tinkling laugh of a little angel picking flowers beneath his window. Indra pronounced a curse on the angel, casting it to the valley of Kathmandu, trapped until she built the world’s largest stupa. The angel went to earth, born as a women who tended geese, and whose one aim was to build the stupa that would redeem her and send her back to heaven.

Through a series of events she persuaded a Tibetan king to giver her permission to build the stupa. The Bouddhanath stupa is dedicated to the goose girl and the Tibetan king.

Such legends run deep in the minds of many of the Nepali people. Many of these legends, interestingly enough, seem to have parallels with the Bible and Christian tradition.
Bouddhanath has also been known as the shrine of monkeys, as they are everywhere, and are always interested in a free handout!

Laymen Ministries Focus

Missionary "A" family and their staff have a threefold mission:

1) To oversee translation and publishing of Spirit of Prophecy books, none of which have ever been published in Nepal. Steps to Christ is printed; Ministry of Healing is ready to print. Christ’s Object Lessons is nearly ready. The Desire of Ages and The Great Controversy are being translated. The Lord has blessed with a good team of Nepali workers.


2) To train Nepali laymen as medical volunteers. Four successful training seminars have been conducted already. These workers go to Hindu villages to live and teach.


3) To hold health seminars with the highest caste of Hindus. Already the door has been opened to help educate the 1,600 member staff of the United Nations, and the staff of the King’s palace. These seminars are being scheduled for the early part of the year 2000.

Please pray for the continued success of these workers who are dedicating holy time in a country full of holy men—Nepal. A video will soon be available. Thank you for your support!

On the Day of Brothers, sisters honor their brothers in a special ceremony and pray for their prosperity and longevity.

Colorful shrines and temples to many, many gods appear everywhere in Nepal, and especially in Kathmandu.

Snake charmers and holy men--a common sight in Nepal. Both make their living by performing for the public in exchange for offerings. The holy men also offer blessings and prayers for those who are seeking help.

A spiritual retreat in the Himalaya foothills offered Laymen Ministries staff and their students a time of uplift and encouragement.

People pray at the many shrines and perform the duties assigned by the resident holymen.

Bouddhanath Stupa is one of Nepal's most famous shrines, where monkeys are as at home as holy men.

Prayer wheels come in many sizes, with prayers written around their circumference.