My Third Missionary Trip:

Phase One - Kathmandu

Our plane landed late Saturday night and a tired trio, Don Mills, Margaret White, and myself (Bob White) gathered our things and headed through customs.  After a fifty hour trip from the USA to Nepal we were ready for a hotel, any hotel.  We were greeted by many friends and escorted to nearby lodging.  After visiting for a while we went to bed.

The next morning we attended the Baneshwor congregation where I spoke on  Three Important Questions.  Most congregations in Nepal meet only once on Sunday so that evening Don and Maggie went to one congregation while I attended another.  Don and I each spoke at our respective locations.  We went to bed ready to travel in the morning.

Phase Two - East Nepal

We arrived early at the bus station where we boarded our transportation and headed to East Nepal.  Our travel took around fifteen hours to get to our first stop.  Traveling with us was Sher Bahadur Karki and his son Tulsi who would function as our interpreter.  While en route we were delayed three hours because of a traffic fatality involving a pedestrian.  Since we were delayed, Sher Bahadur got out and handed out tracts and talked with people.  I was depressed at this point because I had lost my passport in Kathmandu.

Around half-way through the trip several intoxicated young men boarded the bus. One of them noticed me and decided to become my friend.

“Where are you headed?” he asked.”

To Jhapa, “I replied.

“No. No. This is Nepal, not Japan.  Where are you headed?”

“Jhapa.”

“No.  This is not Japan.  Where are you headed?” 

“In that case, I don’t know where I’m headed.”

“I will take you to Mount Everest.”

“I cannot go.  I have lost my passport.”

“You have lost your passport?  I help you.”

“If you want to help, give me 100 rupees.” (About one day’s wages at that time)

“Okay.” (The man reached into his pocket for the money)

“No I cannot take your money.”

At this point Brother Karki was becoming agitated at the man for bothering me.  He tried to make the man go away but he would not.  I told Brother Karki that I would handle it.  (Tempers were beginning to build)  Later the drunkard went away and Brother Karki took the seat next to me to prevent the man returning.  Brother Karki was agitated and I told him he should . not be angry.  This man was the very man Christ had sent us to teach (I meant this generically, of course).  Later I noticed Brother Karki had moved.  It turned out that he was in the back of the bus studying with the man who had been drinking.  I guess he took my comment seriously.

When we arrived in eastern Nepal, we conducted a two day meeting for the local church where one person was baptized.  We continued to another location where we held a meeting that lasted around four days.  There we baptized six more.  We visited the Bhutan refuge camp and preached in several villages.  In all, probably 500 or more Hindus heard the gospel of Christ for the first time.

Phase Three - West Nepal

After our work in east Nepal was completed, we headed to west Nepal.  The trip is long and hard (Around 24 hours by bus) so we stopped half way there in Naryangadh and spent the night.  The next day we continued our trip and arrived that  evening  in Kohalpur.  The following morning we began a twelve day meeting with the church.  It was around 100 degrees  each day and we met in a manger (how appropriate).  We taught six hours a day in the heat.  I didn’t mind it so much except that the manger was absolutely infested with small spiders, one of the few things I fear in life.  They were constantly falling on me, an experience I did not find pleasant.

While we were there, the communist rebels came in and shut down the town for three days for street meetings.  Because of this, we had to remain at the house for safety reasons.  In spite of this difficulty, our meeting continued and several were baptized into Christ.  Finally our time there was finished and it was time to return to Kathmandu.

We were waiting on the bus that Saturday morning (dreading the 12 – 15 hour trip) but it never came.  Later we learned that the king and his family had been murdered and that the country was shut down.  This was a serious problem.  By Monday the buses began to run again and we headed to Kathmandu but the new king died while we were in route and again the country. was closed down.

Phase Four - Kathmandu

We were in serious trouble.  The buses were not allowed to enter Kathmandu and there was no place to stay.  We finally got permission from the police and army to enter Kathmandu since we were tourists but we would have to walk.  They failed to explain there was a curfew and that the army and police had orders to shoot on sight anyone violating the curfew.  We traveled around 8 kilometers before we found a place that had room.  Several times the army or police drove by, guns extended from their vehicles.  Everyone ran but us because we did not know to run.  They probably spared us because we were not Nepali.

The next day was to start a two day meeting in Kathmandu.  We had secured a large room for the meeting but now we could not use it.  We met in Brother Karki’s house and there we studied with those few that could get there.  We had been given bad information about when the curfew would again go into effect and ended out at the wrong time.  We had just left when the police showed up and beat four of the people we had been teaching and arrested another.  The next morning I slipped out and went to visit the ones that had been beaten to encourage . them.  In spite of all the problems and frustrations, we still baptized two precious souls into Christ.  Several others wanted to be baptized but were hindered by the curfew.  I have received word that at least two have been baptized in Nepal since our departure.  In all, thirteen were baptized while we were there working.

That Friday morning we arrived at the airport and left the country.  The entire trip had been physically and emotionally challenging.  For me it was not so bad.  But for Don and Maggie it must have been traumatic.  I am proud of the hard work they did and of the endurance they demonstrated to complete their mission.  They are to be commended.  I hope this difficult experience will not discourage them from further mission work.  This was just a tough and dangerous time.  It is not always that bad.  But one thing is for sure.  There are now at least fifteen people worshipping the Lord who previously worshipped rocks and sticks.  This makes all the difficult times worthwhile.