Nepali Village Style Baptisms

Last Wednesday we took a trip to a small village in north Nepal. It took 7 hours to get there, The last three hours were on a mountain road that required the use of four-wheel drive on our host’s used SUV they were able to purchase the day before. Our way was often obstructed by groups of workers who were making the road passable even in monsoon season. The village we visited has a small church of thirty believers many of whom walk several hours to come to church service. It’s a church that Sudip supports, and they wanted him there as they baptized new members. So we all went to join in the celebration--the four of us plus a driver who is a member of the church here in Kathmandu.

The village is situated on the side of a mountain. It has seven shops and restaurants that surround the road as it winds through the mountains. Deep below the village the Tama Koshi River winds its way from the Mount Gaurishankar a 7134m high mountain. From where we stayed five minutes up a very steep trail from the road, when the clouds cleared you could see the snow-capped giant and other lesser peaks

We stayed in the house of the pastor and his wife. For a village house it was very nice, and quite clean. The five of us slept on the ground floor. The first night Amanda was kept awake by the sounds of mice chasing and squealing to each other above her bed. The second night Sudip was awakened by something crawling over his chest.’

Late in the evening after we arrived our hosts invited us to what Americans would call the third story. The ceilings are made slate or other stone, so having the fire close to the ceiling is a benefit. We were served a typical Nepali meal of Dahl Baat—lots of rice served with greens, a pickle sauce(it’s hard to explain), and a curry (potatoes that night). We were served the typical Nepali fashion. We as guests were served, and the rest of the family watched us. They would eat what was left after we had eaten. Our hostess was a very good cook.

The next day was the day of the baptisms, and to celebrate they killed and prepared a goat from their little herd. That took a few hours that morning. At which time Sudip enjoyed the pleasures of drinking with a leaf from a spring that came out of the side of the mountain.

Eight believers were baptized in a tributary river closer to the village. Sudip asked each one before he baptized them, “Are you willing to be persecuted for your faith.” The next morning one of the older men came to Sudip. His son, who was a Hindu, had been upset at the baptism. He said was going to kick is father out of the village. This is the type of sacrifice that Christians here make. Yet they give their hearts to Christ. After the baptisms as the believers sat in the small upper room of the church building singing songs and praying to God, we could feel their sincerity. Thy knew God in ways that westerners rarely taste. They were passionate about God and his Kingdom. The next morning we returned to the noise and business of Kathmandu.

The trip taught us many things. We learned of the need for physical and mental strength just to be with the villagers (the steep trails are tiring, and sleeping under a herd of mice is scary). We learned that Christianity is growing even in the villages.