Leaving on Monday - 1/18

On Monday afternoon I'll be leaving for Nepal. While I've been to Nepal several times on visitations and CLC Mission Helper Trips in 2011 and 2014, this trip is going to be special for several reasons as I will be privileged to see first hand what the Lord has been accomplishing since He brought the Bhitrakoti family and the CLC together back in 2007. 

The three weeks I will spend in Nepal will take me to many familiar faces and places as I visit and work with pastors of the HCLCN. These pastors and those they have been called to serve have benefited from the truth of God's saving word as they have grown in their faith and understanding of God's word as Raju, along with his father JB and brother Rajan have been faithfully training these men to be faithful preachers of the Word of God! This is part of the reason for this CLC visit to Nepal; to be on hand for the graduation and ordination of many of these men as Lutheran Pastors of the HCLCN. These men have faithfully attended training seminars for the past seven years! The Lord has certainly blessed this effort to prepare shepherds for this portion of His Nepali flock!

Raju and Immanuel Lutheran Seminary Classmates-May 2015

As many of you may know, Pastor Raju spent three years in the U.S. attending Immanuel Lutheran Seminary. 

His graduation was moved up a few weeks in the Spring of 2015 so he could return to Nepal to offer assistance and leadership to the earthquake relief efforts that have continued to this day. Ever since the news hit the airwaves and internet on April 25th, I have wanted to be in Nepal with our brothers and sisters. I knew that my presence would have slowed the relief efforts rather than being of assistance so the CLC Board of Missions made the decision to hold off on a visitation. Over the past nine months I have received weekly updates on the relief efforts which we have had the privilege of offering our financial assistance. While I am in Nepal I am looking forward to making the long treks necessary to visit the villages that

received the most damage. Three village congregations that we are in fellowship with were within 10 kms of the epicenter and were virtually destroyed. Over the past several months, after much frustration with the rains of the monsoon season and a shortage of needed building materials, much progress has been made and several church buildings, homes, and farm buildings have been rebuilt or repaired. I am very much looking forward to visiting these villages to rejoice in God's provision and care with our brothers and sisters Christ as we dedicate these new church buildings to the Lord and His kingdom!

As outlined in a recent CLC Bd of Missions video, our number one priority in the foreign fields where we are privileged to work, is to train men to be faithful preachers and teachers of the Word of God. This was also the goal of facilitating Raju's three years at our seminary. Now that Raju has received this thorough training in the Word, he is now ready to begin training other men for the ministry back in Nepal. While in Nepal, I will have the privilege of being on hand for the dedication and inauguration of new Himalayan Bible Institute where, we pray, the Lord will bless this effort to train many men to carry the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the throngs of people who are lost for eternity in worship of idols. It is going to be a wonderful day to see this next step forward in Nepal.

And finally, it is going be a great privilege and honor for me to officiate the wedding of my dear friends and brother and sister in Christ, Raju and Sanju on January 31st. They are excited and thankful for your prayers. It's also going to be fun to have Rob and Kate Sauers and Peter Evensen on hand for the wedding as well. Rob (Raju's seminary classmate) will be preaching for the wedding. And Missionary Peter Evensen (of India) will be teaching at the pastoral training seminar the day before the graduation/ordination ceremony. I'm looking forward to spending time and working together with these brothers in Christ and fellow servants of the Lord.

With God's blessings, all of this will be accomplished during the fifteen days that I will actually be in Nepal. Your prayers for:

• Beth and the kids along with the congregation I am privileged to serve
• safe and uneventful travel
• good health and stamina
• faithfulness to the Word
• wisdom, love, and compassion
• guidance in planning and schedules
• good weather
• blessings upon the marriage of Raju and Sanju
• blessings upon the newly ordained pastors of the HCLCN and those they are called to serve and reach out to with the Gospel
• blessing upon the new Himalayan Bible Institute 
• for those who have not heard the Gospel in Nepal; that they be led to repent and believe in all that our Savior has done for sinners like us! 

I hope to keep this blog updated fairly consistently throughout the trip, but often times we are in places where the internet just isn't available. Please check back often or subscribe by email at the top left side of this page. 

Thank you for your prayers!