The civil war has been more active than ever this year, with 12,000 killed since the beginning of the war. Some very good recent news is that the Maoists have just called a three month ceasefire, which could translate to safer access in remote areas and no road closures. However, the army has not reciprocated, which may force the Maoists to cancel it. The political parties seem ready to fill the void in fighting by increasing agitation; they may start calling general strikes as they have in the past. They seem to be heading for a showdown with the king, as they are demanding a republic, that is, no monarchy at all, and a very radical call in today's situation.
The Maoists also continue their mass kidnappings of 1,000 to 2,000 students and teachers a week for forced education. We have heard disturbing news that the police are again grilling church leaders in Kathmandu and recently in Pokhara on where they are getting their money, how they spend it, how much they pay people to convert; the same silly questions they used to ask in the 1980s. The king may be pursuing a policy of aggressive Hinduism as a way to drum up support, as he is not getting a lot of support in other areas. Please pray for the church as it faces an unpleasant road ahead.
Things have been very busy in Green Pasture Hospital in Pokhara where we work. Ling and I have been here since 1995 with the church. I am a reconstructive surgeon, correcting deformities of leprosy and other disabled people. Ling is a general practitioner and helps poor women start small businesses. The hospital has been over capacity for months now, with many patients coming in from all over Nepal. It is tremendously rewarding to work here, seeing young folk who have never walked before rising up and walking and useless hands being made to work again. Watching a teenager walk for the first time is a wonderful sight as the joy lights up their face. Assistance from Canadians through Presbyterians Sharing and Something Extra keeps our poor fund running so that we are able to give care to the really poor.
Our son Jono, 12, has had a difficult time settling in Kathmandu. His best friend has left, his hostel is closed and he is now about the only kid in the school not living with his parents. We are praying that this transitional phase will not last too long and we will have God given wisdom to support him through this maturing process. He accidentally rode into the middle of a riot this week on the way home from school, which he thought was "kind of cool." Daniel, 10, has somehow adjusted to having no boys his age and is, let's say, tolerating hanging out with girls. Christina, 6, is very happy to be back and is busily planning her birthday party.
Our thanks goes out to all the Presbyerians who regularly pray for us and support both us and our patients through their generous giving.
Helping the lame walk
Raj Kumar, 21, was dragging himself on his hands and backside through the Pokhara campus one day, as he had every day of his life. He had been born with bilateral severe club feet with some muscle weakness and had never been able to walk. On this day he happened to cross paths with a community rehabilitation worker from another city, who immediately recognized the potential in this young man and brought him down to us. I fused his feet in a corrected position some months ago and he is just up this last week walking with crutches. He would vote for this being even better than sliced bread. This episode did point out to us our need to publicize our services more widely, for if an educated young man in our own city didn't know of the help we could offer him, what of all those out in the villages? As such our relationships with community groups and churches as well as our outreach camps are so important to our overall impact here.
Our patients are overwhelmed by the love and prayers of staff and friends at Green Pastures. While here they have heard of the Lord who made the lame to walk, and have come to know this Healer in their own experience and hearts.
You know you're a missionary when:
- You can't answer the question, "Where are you from?"
- You have a passport, but no driver's licence.
- You watch National Geographic specials and recognize someone.
- You watch nature documentaries and think about how good that would be if it were fried.
- You sort your friends by continent.
