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By Sheila Lockwood
THE Himalayan region is renowned as a mecca for mountain climbing and trekking.
It is home to eight of the 14 highest summits in the world, including Mount
Everest. The terrain is mostly rugged, adding fuel to thrill-seekers’ ambitions.
Don Harrison, pastor of the Kamloops Vineyard Church, admits that the sense of
adventure was not lost on him when the opportunity came to spend three weeks in
Nepal working with the local pastors.
“I wanted to see what was happening with the churches there. I was also excited
to trek in the Himalayas. But when I got there, my heart was broken for the
people,” Harrison recalled.
The ‘mitra’ (meaning friendship and connection in Nepali) between the Canadian Vineyard
churches and the Himalayan churches began in the mid 1990s, when
singer/songwriter David Ruis crossed paths with Noel and Donna Isaacs. The
friendship brought an invitation for the Isaacs to spend time at the Winnipeg
Centre Vineyard.
In 1998, the couple planted the first Vineyard church in Nepal's capital city,
Kathmandu. Over the next few years, 11 more churches and two orphanages were
established throughout the vast Himalayan region.
The call to plant churches was challenging for the handful of Christians.
Christianity was not welcomed amongst the predominantly Hindu population, and
the geography made access to the villages extremely difficult. Some could only
be reached by hiking for several hours after a 12-hour jeep ride.
Even the church leaders were first generation Christians – with the exception of Noel, whose father and grandfather were pastors in India.
In 2005, Isaacs approached the Canadian Vineyard churches, asking for a team of
pastors to join him in Kathmandu to speak to the pastors there. Five churches
accepted the call, including the Kamloops Vineyard. The Canadians ventured into
the high mountain villages in an effort to include the pastors in the remotest
areas.
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One such church planter had accepted Christ at a worship conference when he saw
his blind friend healed. A missionary sponsored him through Bible school, and,
upon graduation, he returned to his roots in an isolated village. He taught
English to the young people – eventually sharing the gospel with them.
The love of Christ was evident in the indigenous pastors; but Noel knew they
would benefit from the education and resources that the Canadian pastors could
provide.
He envisioned a mobile Bible school for local pastors. The school would assemble
two or three times per year, at changing locations throughout Nepal and
northern India. The teaching would be provided by North American pastors.
Returning home, several team members developed a five-year curriculum to equip
the leaders of the churches. Pastor Harrison was eager to see the school go
ahead. He agreed to return for five more consecutive years, to teach and preach.
The original handful of Christians is multiplying, even though they are
sometimes persecuted. Recently, a young woman was crying in a service and
asking for forgiveness. She explained that whenever she went to church, her
mother beat her – so she had to lie in order to attend.
For similar reasons, the Kathmandu church doesn't have a public sign. Still,
people are coming to Christ.
A church in Gitang, India began with just one family. Today, an estimated 80
percent of the villagers are Christians.
“Christian faith offers them hope,” declared Harrison,“A God who loves them and wants to have a relationship with them draws them [to
Christ].”
This fall is Harrison's last official mission trip to Nepal. He continues to
lead his church in partnering with the Himalayan churches financially and
prayerfully.
For more information: himalayanvineyards.com
November 2010
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