The tiny, landlocked, former- Himalayan kingdom of Nepal has an estimated 1.2 million Muslims. Five years ago there was only one known Muslim who had come to faith in Christ and no Christian workers were working among Nepal's Muslims, who are known locally as the Musalmaans. But this has changed.
Testimony from Musalmaans of Nepal
Ali (not his real name) was born in a remote Muslim farming village, but as he grew up he became discontented with Islam. He rejected any thought of Hinduism after being treated unkindly by his Hindu neighbours. At the age of 12 he heard John 3:16 on the radio and decided that Jesus was the God that he wanted to follow. Ali's desire to learn and improve his lifestyle caused him to move to India and then on to Thailand in search of work opportunities. In Thailand he met some Christians who helped him become an active disciple. Ali returned to Nepal, and on Christmas Eve 1998 he was able to share with his family the story of the first Christmas and of God's great love and sacrifice. That night 15 people, including many of his family and some neighbours, came to know the Lord.
Hostility among Musalmaans of Nepal
God continues to work among the Musalmaans of Nepal, even during the recent years of escalating Maoist hostility, the massacre of the Nepali royal family and political instability. There are now around 50 believers from a Muslim background in Nepal, and two small fellowships have been formed. The team working among them has grown to five full-time workers - including Ali and four of the first converts from his ministry. Despite the beginnings of harvest over the past five years among Muslims in this country, there remains an even greater harvest to be reaped, with over one million Musalmaans who are yet to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Nepal Flag
Map of Nepal
Christians ministering to Muslims in Nepal face daily challenges. The Muslims are spread out across the nation, from east to west across the southern plains bordering with India; there are also many groups in the northern hills. This makes both evangelism and discipleship a challenge for the small number of workers. Travel is difficult owing to the state of the roads - if there are any roads at all. Maoist bandits attack vehicles at night, and travel is delayed by the numerous roadside police checks. It can take workers up to 20 hours to reach some of the new believers in more remote areas.
Pray for the Muslims in Nepal
* Praise God for His work in Ali's life and in the two small fellowships which have begun among former Musalmanns in Nepal.
* Pray for God to continue to draw the Muslims of Nepal to Himself.
* Pray for wisdom for the Christian workers as they continue their evangelisation of the Musalmaans.
* Pray for God to give the Christian workers creative methods and the right resources for discipling the new believers.
* Pray for the Christian workers to know God's protection as they travel.
* Pray for the raising up of additional workers called to reach out to the Musalmaans.
* Pray for the work of Build International who are working in Nepal.
Background on Nepal (World Factbook)
In 1951, the Nepalese monarch ended the century-old system of rule by hereditary premiers and instituted a cabinet system of government. Reforms in 1990 established a multiparty democracy within the framework of a constitutional monarchy. A Maoist insurgency, launched in 1996, has gained traction and is threatening to bring down the regime, especially after a negotiated cease-fire between the Maoists and government forces broke down in August 2003.
In 2001, the crown prince massacred ten members of the royal family, including the king and queen, and then took his own life. In October 2002, the new king dismissed the prime minister and his cabinet for "incompetence" after they dissolved the parliament and were subsequently unable to hold elections because of the ongoing insurgency. While stopping short of reestablishing parliament, the king in June 2004 reinstated the most recently elected prime minister who formed a four-party coalition government.
Citing dissatisfaction with the government's lack of progress in addressing the Maoist insurgency and corruption, the king in February 2005 dissolved the government, declared a state of emergency, imprisoned party leaders, and assumed power. The king's government subsequently released party leaders and officially ended the state of emergency in May 2005, but the monarch retained absolute power until April 2006. After nearly three months of mass protests organized by the seven-party opposition and the Maoists, the king allowed parliament to reconvene on 28 April 2006. The monarchy has now left Nepal and the palace is a museum.
Following a November 2006 peace accord between the government and the Maoists, an interim constitution was promulgated and the Maoists were allowed to enter parliament in January 2007. The prime minister's resignation in June 2010 ushered in seven months of political gridlock until Jhala Nath KHANAL was elected as replacement in February 2011. His pressing tasks are to conclude the drafting of a new constitution by the late May 2011 deadline and to determine the future of the former Maoist combatants.
Economy of Nepal
Nepal is among the poorest and least developed countries in the world with almost one-third of its population living below the poverty line. Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy, providing a livelihood for three-fourths of the population and accounting for 38% of GDP. Industrial activity mainly involves the processing of agricultural produce including jute, sugarcane, tobacco, and grain. Security concerns relating to the Maoist conflict have led to a decrease in tourism, a key source of foreign exchange. Nepal has considerable scope for exploiting its potential in hydropower and tourism, areas of recent foreign investment interest.
About Nepal
Population: 29,391,883 (July 2011 est.) World rank #41
Life Expectancy at Birth: 66.16 years. World rank #164
Ethnic groups: Chhettri 15.5%, Brahman-Hill 12.5%, Magar 7%, Tharu 6.6%, Tamang 5.5%, Newar 5.4%, Muslim 4.2%, Kami 3.9%, Yadav 3.9%, other 32.7%, unspecified 2.8%
Religions: Hindu 80.6%, Buddhist 10.7%, Muslim 4.2%, Kirant 3.6%, other 0.9%
note: only official Hindu state in the worldLanguages: Nepali 47.8%, Maithali 12.1%, Bhojpuri 7.4%, Tharu (Dagaura/Rana) 5.8%, Tamang 5.1%, Newar 3.6%, Magar 3.3%, Awadhi 2.4%, other 10%, unspecified 2.5%
note: many in government and business also speak EnglishLiteracy: 48.6% -- male: 62.7%, female: 34.9%
School life expectancy: 9 years
Sights and Sounds - Video
Too far west is east from Takayuki Akachi on Vimeo.
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Pray for Nepal:
* pray for a breaking of pride and prejducie to the Gospel amongst Nepalis
* pray for the leaders of every people in Nepal to be reached for the Gospel
* pray for each Hindu caste and religious minority to eb reached in sensitive manners
THESE MESSAGE TO ALL MUSLIMS AND NON-MUSLIMS
THERE IS NO GOD BUT ALLAH. AND ALLAH HAS NO IMAGE.
THE TRUTH IS WE CANNOT BE THE IMAGE OF GOD IN ANY CASE, HE IS GREATER AND ABOVE THEN OUR IMAGINATION.
HUMAN MIND IS NOT CAPABLE TO THINK WHAT HE CAN BE OR WHAT HE CANNOT BE.
OUR GOD HAS NO IMAGE.
OUR GOD IS GOD OF ALL UNIVERSE AND ALL THAT HE CREATES
GOD IS UNCREATED THE CREATED THINGS IS NOT GOD
BELIVEVE IT OR NOT.
SURELY UNBELIEVERS WILL REJECT IT AND THOSE WHO BELIEVES THEY WILL NOT REJECT.