A Short Report: My Visit to Himalayan Kingdom
Feb 25-March 8, 2015.
Recently, I had the privilege of visiting Bhutan and Nepal. Trip up to Kathmandu was by land. I went to Kolkata by train and stayed there for three days visiting 24 Pargana (Sunderban Islands), particularly to Achintay Nagar and Ramganga to conduct communication workshop for the gospel workers. From Kolkata, I travelled in a mini bus along with 13 students from Sunnydale Academy, USA. They came to conduct health lectures and story time program in the Island district of West Bengal. It took almost five hours to reach our destination. Roads were good up to the mainland, since there was a newly built bridge to cross over the river. From then onwards there were no proper roads except the brick laid path and our mini van (to which we were transferred from the mini bus) had to wait until the carts and other vehicles from opposite side to pass wherever it occurred.
Sunnydale Academy students en-act a play for the children in Pather Pratima SDA school in Sunderban Islands
Sunnydale students teach stories Sabbath School program at Park Street Church, Kolkotta Divine hour speaker Z Williams
These students came to have a new experience in India, under the leadership of Mr. and Mrs. Curtis. They stayed in the main hall of the church in their tents, most of the time without electricity, having limited generator facility, with a single toilet facility for all of them for 10-12days. They ate rice, dhal curry, potato fry and chapatti (common man’s food) prepared by the church members. During the day they engaged in training themselves with health materials along with translators. India is blessed to have these young people to revive the health of the villagers in this territory which consists of many Islands. Some of them had to take ferry to reach their destination.
I stayed with them only a day and returned to Kolkata, for the week end program was conducted by the Amazing facts group of India in Park street Church. Vesper speaker was Bro Charles and Sabbath service was led by Z Williams, director of the amazing facts, India. Saturday evening I continued my journey to Bhutan boarder, Jaigon town, where we have a few Bhutanese churches in the border where our gospel workers are penetrating to Bhutan kingdom, which is a Buddhist country with their own disciplined life. No gospel preaching is allowed in the kingdom, if any caught, will be put in the prison indefinitely. Still some of the gospel workers went there in person and made friends with people and gave Bible study. As a result, we have a few Bhutanese members. I had one-day meeting with the gospel workers and visited the monastery five kilometer inside the Bhutan Kingdom.
Friends pose before the monastery, T P Kurian before the monastery, Prayer hall
Bhutan monastery Bhutanese Gospel workers In the Church Jaigon
Ramdhal Church Song Service, Welcome by the Sabbath school leader, Pr. Robin mission report
Pr. Umesh Pokeral, section president: feature talk , Another group meets in a house - Himalayan mountain range from the Plane
On the next day I proceeded to Nepal, through Silguri and Phani Tanki border to Nepal. The trip to Itahari was slow because the bus would stop for everybody on the road. By the time we reached Itahari it was three o’clock in the afternoon. On the next day we had gospel workers’ meeting in Itahari Seventh-day Adventist church. Including my host pastor, Robin, there were 23 people. On 5th March pastor Robin took me to a newly constructed church near Bihar boarder. The members came and we had a prayer meeting together. After the motor cycle ride, we rested for a while. Then he took me along the hilly area crossing the reserve forest. There we visited a lone member beyond the forest. The trip was tedious because the road was filled with boulders from the river bed. By the time we returned, it was six o’clock in the evening. Pastor Robin received a phone call to visit a Hindu family, with two Adventist children. So we went and conducted a prayer meeting there. Next day we proceeded to the Ramandhal church on the way to Kathmandu. It was a lovely small church with members crowded to the full capacity.
The church pastor, Mr.Silas, supported by lay men’s ministry, was instrumental in building 30 churches in that vicinity. We spent the Sabbath there, then proceeded to Kathmandu by the shortest route by bus. That bus ride was a breath taking experience because the journey to the heights through the dangerous upward hair pin curves was quite fearsome. By the grace of God, we reached Kathmandu by 9:30 pm. There I learned that the airport was closed for the past four days due to the accident taken place by Turkish plane. With a lot of misapprehension and prayer I spent the night because my flight back was scheduled for the next morning. It was amazing that by morning, all the way was cleared and the flight started as normal! I thanked the Almighty God for His timely intervention to help me take my flight back home at the scheduled time. I want to thank God who was with me throughout my mission trip of 12 days and brought me safely back home as scheduled before I left home. Our God is wonderful!!!!!
T P Kurian,
Communication Director, Southern Asia Division