{"id":11544,"date":"2020-05-13T14:47:49","date_gmt":"2020-05-13T20:47:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/?p=11544"},"modified":"2020-05-13T14:47:49","modified_gmt":"2020-05-13T20:47:49","slug":"nepal-update-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/en\/news\/nepal-update-2\/","title":{"rendered":"COVID-19 Nepal Update"},"content":{"rendered":"

Another yearly meeting that received emergency funds from us last week is Evangelical Friends Church-Nepal. The president of its executive committee, Pastor Amen Thapa, sent this report on Thursday, May 7.\u00a0 We share it with you so that you have a better feel for the situation in Nepal and the ways in which the donations we have been receiving for our emergency fund are being used.<\/p>\n

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\"\"Pastor Amen writes\u2026<\/p>\n

\u201cLet me share a few challenges\u00a0and opportunities during lockdown. As we are in lockdown, again yesterday Nepal\u2019s government extended it 11 days.<\/p>\n

Challenges:<\/p>\n

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  1. At this moment our pastors and believers are in basic need. The church is viewed like a foreign mission; instead of getting relief we are expected to provide it.<\/li>\n
  2. In cities like Kathmandu, most of those who are living in rental houses are not getting relief packages from the government because the landlords are required to sign forms. The landlords are not willing to sign because they will be taxed by the local government for this aid. So we are not allowed to receive\u00a0relief.<\/li>\n
  3. Some do not have citizenship, so they are not allowed to receive\u00a0relief packages.<\/li>\n
  4. Those of us who rent our homes and rent space for our churches are facing difficulty to pay rent as we are not gathering in the church. There is no offering, no tithe because of no job and no business. Though the government has made a decree not to take house rent for at least one month, we cannot claim it, otherwise the landlords will ask us to leave the house. This happened with one of our families.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Opportunities:<\/p>\n

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    1. The online worship services are a blessing to many people. When we were having regular fellowship in the church I pastor a maximum of 150 people listened to the word of God and prayed.\u00a0 But now, because of the online services, there are more people watching and attending (minimum of 1,000) both inside and outside of the country. They are excited for these opportunities. They call us and thank us for the services.<\/li>\n
    2. More people are getting a chance to hear the gospel. A girl who experienced demon possession spoke to her relatives to go to our church in Nuwakot and at least three families came to the Lord. So when the lockdown is over there will be one more church planted.<\/li>\n
    3. This is a season of spiritual growth\u00a0for our believers. They are reading the Bible and spending more time in fasting and prayer. They have no excuses to say, \u201cI am busy, no time to read the Bible, etc.\u201d<\/li>\n
    4. We are learning to extend helping hands to those who are critically poor and needy. We are learning to share whatever\u00a0we have with those who have nothing to eat.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      We will use the emergency funds from EFM to help our pastors\/evangelists and believers to buy groceries and address other basic needs. There is no income source right now. Some of us were receiving\u00a0partial support from the churches, but that is not applicable at the moment.<\/p>\n

      We appreciate your prayer, care, and concern.\u201d<\/p>\n

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      Please continue to hold our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world in your prayers. They are praying for us as well.<\/p>\n

      Your fellow servant in Christ,<\/p>\n

      \"\"<\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

      Dan Cammack<\/p>\n

      Executive Director<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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