Story Tag: Nepal

“How faithful God is!” Your support is an answer to prayer as Nepal faces second wave of COVID-19

“Corona came like a nightmare,” shares Jasmaya Ramtel*, a believer from west Nepal, voicing the thoughts of billions of people around the world. Nepal has been no exception when it comes to the devastation wrought by the pandemic.

The whole nation was shut down for almost a year when COVID-19 first emerged, but gradually, there was a decrease in new cases and people started to heave a sigh of relief, and go back to their daily lives. That was when the second wave arrived.

By April 2021, more than 8,000 people were being infected on a daily basis in Nepal. The country was thrust into economic recession, as lockdowns returned and businesses were forced to close. Many faced financial crisis.

Christian communities in Nepal have been particularly vulnerable, as most Christians in the country have low incomes. Many depend on agriculture or run small business for their livelihood, while others sustain their families through working as labourers. Nepal is a Hindu majority nation, and Christians frequently face persecution by their communities, which can also make it even more difficult for them to find work. The pandemic has only added to their struggles, and many are finding it difficult to manage two meals a day after losing their source of income in the lockdowns.

Jasmaya is one of them. She says, “I sell some food items in the streets to earn my living. Though I do not earn much from selling, I used to manage and sustain my life.

“But the second wave of COVID came like a nightmare to me and I had to stop my only source of income. I was worrying and wondering how I would survive now. I also kept praying God to provide for my needs.”

Thanks to your prayers and support, Open Doors local partners were able to be an answer to that prayer, providing her with vital food aid. She says, “How faithful God is! He answered my prayer and made provisions for me from your partners. I am thankful to God for providing the means of my livelihood in the time of crisis and food scarcity. I pray that God leads them to reach out to many helpless women like me with this beautiful act of serving. God bless you all.”

Reaching believers in Nepal was difficult for Open Doors partners, who had to deal with the challenges of both COVID restrictions and reaching isolated communities in the mountains. But one partner recalls the joy that was shared despite the challenges.

“Seeing their happiness, we feel all the efforts that we made in this tough situation were worth it. We thank God for His mercy upon us.”

More believers also shared their thankfulness at being provided with aid:

 

Saili KC, East Nepal*: “I need to have enough food for my baby”

I live with my husband. He is a daily wages worker. We are expecting a baby soon.

Due to this lockdown, my husband lost his job and we had to struggle financially. As I am pregnant, I need to have enough food for my baby to be in good health. But we were afraid as our food was very limited.

We prayed to God to look after us. Then we got groceries from Open Doors partners. We believe that it is a blessing from God. I give thanks to God and also to the Open Doors partners who helped and encouraged us in difficult times.

 

 

Mina Rai*, East Nepal: “Open Doors partners came with helping hands”

My husband left me and married another woman. So I am the only parent to my children. My husband doesn’t support me financially so the responsibility of the upbringing of my children is on me.

My only source of income is selling vegetables. Since I do not have money to rent a proper place for selling, I sell vegetables on the street. There is no regular flow of income. Sometimes, I earn a good income and sometimes I do not. Despite that, I was able to manage.

But the lockdown didn’t allow me to sell the vegetables, so it was difficult for us to meet our daily basic needs. In the meantime, Open Doors partners came with helping hands and provided us with groceries. I am very grateful to God and the people who help me and my family. This help has given me a great relief and hope. Thank you everyone.

 

 

Mita Gurung*, West Nepal: “Open Doors partners helped me in my toughest situation”

I have a husband and a son in my family. My husband is too old to work and he is physically weak, and my son is studying. So I am the only breadwinner in my family. I work in other homes; I wash dishes and clothes for them. Through that income I was managing to sustain my family. But I had to stop going for work because of the lockdown. I didn’t have a sufficient amount to fulfill our basic needs.

Despite that, we kept on praying for our God to fulfill our needs and our God has answered our prayers. Open Doors partners helped me in my toughest situation so I am very much thankful towards them.

 

 

Ramita Dhungana*, East Nepal: “We were worried about how to feed our children”

I live with my husband and children. I work as a helper in a private school. I was managing to run the family from the income I earned from that work. But due to the pandemic and lockdown, the school where I work was closed. We had food which would only last for a few days. We were worried about how to feed our children after that.

Though we worried, we kept our faith in God. Then one day, I got a call from the Open Doors partner and got good news that they were providing groceries. I was so glad to hear that and gave thanks to God. It has also increased my faith to keep my hope on God. Thanks to Open Doors partners for helping my family.

 

Kailash Majhi*, Central Nepal: “This blessing has strengthened our faith in God.”

I am a daily wages worker and I am the only breadwinner in the family. As lockdown was imposed because of the pandemic, there was no work for me. I was worried and distressed thinking about how to provide food for my family.

But my wife encouraged me and said that we should keep our hope and faith in God. So we prayed continuously and God miraculously provided for our needs through Open Doors partners. I am thankful to God and also to the people who helped my family. This blessing has strengthened our faith in God.

The Church in majority-Hindu Nepal is one of the fastest growing globally, despite increased pressure on its members.

For one Nepalese woman, becoming a Christian meant enduring her husband’s pressure to abandon her new faith. She refused, and over time some of her relatives have become Christian, too.

For a widow in ill health who shares a small house with her daughter and grandchildren, prayers that were followed by healing led her to become Christian.

The names of such women have to be protected – yet if it is still not entirely safe to be an open Christian in Nepal, it also is becoming less lonely. Nepal’s Christian population is the 12^th fastest growing in the world, according to the World Christian Database.

“We estimate that Nepal is 4.25% Christian,” database co-director Gina Zurlo told the Christian Post.

“In some countries, fast growth rates of Christians are due to migration. In other countries, high birth rates may contribute more. But in Nepal, the main factor for growth is conversion from other religions,” she said.

As recently as 1951 the government census reported there to be no Christians in the country. In  1961 it counted 458 Christians among a population of just over 10 million.

“One of the main catalysts for such growth in numbers has been the widespread offer of prayer for sick people and the resulting healings,” said Rolf Zeegers, persecution analyst with Open Doors’ World Watch Research.”

‘Destroy Nepalese culture’

Another reason for the increase: Christians have reached out to those at the bottom of the society, living in poverty and in remote areas where there is a lack of education and health services, wrote Rock Ronald Rozario for UCANews.

It has caused an itch with Hindu religious groups and government officials who say the Church is manipulating people, luring them to the Christian faith through offers of financial support and other incentives, he said.

As most converts come from a Hindu background, “state media and government officials see this growth as dangerous and think Christian faith will destroy Nepalese culture,” Zeegers said.

Nepal’s Constitution guarantees religious freedom, but its religion law forbids forcing Hindus to convert. “The very unspecific wording of this law is used by police to punish Christians for even mentioning the name of Jesus in public. Hindu radicals who attack Christians also justify their actions by saying they were only enforcing the law,” Zeegers said.

In 2018, a new criminal code came into effect, criminalizing religious conversion and giving offense to religious feelings. It drew sharp criticism from MPs and rights activists who said the law was curtailing religious freedom even further.

Nepal’s Christians experienced an increase in pressure in their private lives, as members of their church, and citizens of Nepal last year, mostly coming from radical Hindus, said the country report by Open Doors. “Violence … also increased with high numbers of churches damaged, Christians arrested, Christians physically harassed and Christians forced to leave their homes,” it said.

Zeegers said he did not expect an improvement in the situation any time soon. “Due to the current political chaos and the growing strength of Hindu radicalism, influenced by a similar movement in neighbouring India, Christians in Nepal are likely to face increasing levels of persecution in the future.”

Nepal is 34^th on the World Watch List of the 50 countries where it is most difficult to live as a Christian.