Bagnas

Bagnas

This Saturday (Shanibaar in Nepali), I walked to a house church in Bagnas, a village about one hour’s walk from Tansen. The church was started when Meena, a young lady who cares for one of the missionary children, became a Christian. She heard the gospel from the missionaries she worked for and eventually gave her life to Jesus. Her family wasn’t happy with her at first, but soon they also converted. The family faced ostracism from the community for a time, but many others have now become Christians and others are at least accepting of their new faith. The small church (about 30-40 people) now meets in their house. Pastors from Tansen take turns preaching on Sundays.

The service was simple but really beautiful. The music was simple – a guitar and tambourine. Then they had a great time of prayer, with people sharing prayer requests and others praying for them. I was moved by their passion and love for the Lord. I wish I could learn each of their stories, as I am sure they all have an amazing testimony to how they heard and responded to the gospel and what it has meant to be a Christian in Nepal. There were lots of children present, and I just kept thinking how awesome it is to see the next generation of Nepalis growing up in Christ. The sermon was in Nepali, so I can’t really say much about it. With my Nepali lessons, I can pick out every fifth or sixth word, but not enough to put it all together. Still it was cool to listen and watch. I am going to try to find some time to study my Nepali/English song book and learn the words for Lord, Jesus, prayer, praise, salvation, cross, gospel, etc. I might even try to get my Nepali teacher to go over some Christian terms with me. He’s not a Christian, so it could lead to a good opportunity to share the gospel with him.

After the service, Meena and her family invited us for a “snack” in their house upstairs from the church. It was so-o-o-o-o-o-o-oooooo delicious (mito). They served some kind of roasted chick peas that were really nicely seasoned, fresh cucumber slices from their garden, fried potatoes, and beaten rice. I don’t know how the rice is made, and I’ve never eaten anything like it – it’s toasted, crunchy and yummy. It was so humbling to receive such warm hospitality from people I don’t even know!

The walk to Bagnas follows the ridge between Tansen and the highest point of the area where there is a radio tower (see photo). Compared to my last walk (death march, really), this was quite pleasant – a bit of uphill on the way, but mostly flat and downhill on the way back. Saturday was an absolutely beautiful day for a walk – crystal clear with the Himalayas visible on the horizon and cool (at least in the morning). The views over the Tansen valley were amazing. Along the way, there are several little communities (clusters of houses really), and everyone was out walking or just working or visiting outside their houses due to the Hindu festival this week, Dasai. We got lots of “hellos” and “namastes” (Nepali greeting). The children especially love to chat with foreigners and practice their English, “How are you?” “Where are you from?” (imagine this said in strong Nepali/Indian accent). Everyone paints their houses for Dasai, so it was really colorful and festive.

My traveling companions were two Australians – Graham and Elaine – and an English medical student, Kat. Graham is a surgeon, and Elaine (his wife) is a nurse. They retired with the specific goal of spending several months a year doing medical missionary work. Now they spend three months a year in Nepal and two to three months elsewhere (Africa, Papua New Guinea). They’ve been to Nepal several times already and know many people, including Meena and her family. Kat is finishing her last year of medical school and leaves Tansen this week. She is really lovely, and I’ve enjoyed getting to know her.