Pastoral Conference and Final Days

With only one more day in Nepal the emotions are all over the place. There is a sense of sadness that we are leaving so soon with so much left undone. And there is the joyful anticipation of family and home that is just a few days away.

Today Chad and I met with 18 of the 22 pastors of Himalayan CLC of Nepal at rented room in a very nice hotel that is under repair. Four pastors were unable to attend due to illness, field work that needed their immediate attention on their farm, and illness among church members. The dedication of these men is incredible. Some of these pastors hiked anywhere from 2-8 hours down a mountain and then another few hours to catch a bus that would take them another 6-12 hours to Kathmandu. Their return trips will take longer because uphill hiking and walking is slower and much more difficult. I know a few Mission Helpers (myself included) who can testify to that! Praise the Lord for giving these men such love for His Word, dedication to their training, and love for the souls they serve and those they are trying to reach with the Gospel.

Chad led a study on preaching that was well taught and well received by those in attendance. I had the opportunity to discuss the programs and opportunities that the Lord has given to the HCLC-N as we discussed the goals and programs of the CLC foreign missions program. The HCLC-N is eager to train pastors for the work and hope to start a pastoral training college or seminary sometime in the not too distant future. They have already started an orphanage with seven children in Kathmandu. There are many, many children (who have been orphaned during the 10+ year civil war) living on the streets in Kathmandu after child traffickers abandoned them. It is a very sad situation. The Bhitrokoti family was moved by compassion and have begun taking them into their home. With the help of others they have rented a house that is now functioning as an orphanage. Praise the Lord for the compassionate hearts that He has given to this family!

The other eight mission helpers did some sigh-seeing around the Kathmandu valley today. They witnessed first hand the darkness of Buddhism and Hinduism that so dominates this land when they visited the famous monkey temple. I will try to encourage one of them to share their experiences on the blog.

Tomorrow (Monday) we do a little shopping to find a gifts for family and friends. We also plan to all chip in and buy something nice for our hosts and for the orphans they are caring for.

On Tuesday we head to the airport at 12:00 noon and head home.

Thank you for your many prayers!

In Christ,
Pastor Ohlmann