Below is a letter written by the pastor of one of our church partners in Nepal.
Peace, Grace, and warmest loving greetings in God’s most precious Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, from the Himalayan Mountains of Nepal.
These days, as people are worrying and fearing, and as many are dispersing one place to another place, we pray to God, “Lord Have Mercy your People.” Now is the time to raise our voice together to the Lord.
Nepal is a high-risk country for the Coronavirus; last week we prayed from the top of a high hill for God to release the world from the spread of this virus. In these days Nepal is on lockdown, and we don’t know for how long! To avoid infection by COVID-19, people are staying at home and hardly seeing one another. We are staying home as well, and are spending much time in prayer with our flock. Some have returned to their villages. For this crucial moment, we have to spend time in prayer with God.
“Go, my people, enter your rooms
and shut the doors behind you;
hide yourselves for a little while
until his wrath has passed by.
See, the Lord is coming out of his dwelling
to punish the people of the earth for their sins.
The earth will disclose the blood shed on it;
the earth will conceal its slain no longer.”
Isaiah 26:20-21
The transportation, main offices, airlines, main shopping centers, schools, and colleges are all closed down. At least a half-million people have left this city to return to their villages. The number of people diagnosed with COVID-19 is increasing every day.
We are constantly praying for those who are affected by this virus and are suffering from the disease around the world. We are praying to God for healing through our cry unto the Lord.
Please lift us up in your prayers, that we may glorify His name through our prayers. At this moment the Nepalese people are facing many challenges. More than 70% of the country’s population are working as day-laborers in the cities. More than 75% of the people in our churches are working in construction, factories, and other industries as day-laborers. Most have lost their jobs but still have to pay for rent, their children’s educations, and their daily foodstuffs.
The laborers are asking the government to consider some relief but as of yet, there has been no decision released.
How can we help these brothers and sisters in the faith? All we ask is that you donate a moment of your time to pray for these men and women at this crucial time. Please raise your hands for these people.
Once again thank you so much, may God Bless you.
“…for the Joy of the LORD is your strength.”Neh. 8:10
In Him for Christ,
An Anglican Pastor in Nepal**
**We have not used the pastor’s name in order to protect his identity.
If you would like to donate financial resources as well as time in prayer to our Christian family in Nepal, ARDF has set up a dedicated COVID-19 Fund that will be dispursed directly to the churches they serve in the most affected regions.