November 10, 2012
Where the Spirit Moves Freely A Visit to the Slum Church
We had to go off-roading to find this house of worship. Over 1,000 families live in this impoverished community. The most polluted river meanders around their dwelling place; sheets of metal on the roofs are secured with large rocks and old, discarded tires to hold them in place. Nothing could have prepared the eyes for poverty like this. The dust is far thicker because of the unpaved roads — and one can only imagine what happens during monsoon season.
The Slum Church — that is its real name — is very well-maintained, with laminate flooring and ceiling fans. But the most striking thing about the church is its congregants. Fourteen voices filled the choir, and when they began singing “How Great Thou Art” in Nepali, eyes flooded with tears of joy. So Spirit-filled and anointed — these people have little to nothing, yet they are true, humble examples of what it means to be called Christian. We left them with a suitcase full of medicine and were off to our next assignment.
We had to go off roading to find this house of worship; over 1,000 families live in this undesirable community. The most polluted river meanders around their dwelling place; sheets of metal on the roofs secured with large rocks and old discarded tires to keep it in place. I have never witness poverty like this. The dust is much thicker because of the unpaved roads and you can only image what happens during the Monsoon season. The Slum Church (that is the real name) is very well maintained with laminate flooring and ceiling fans but the most interesting thing about the church, the congregants. I counted 14 in the choir and when they started singing “How Great Thou Are” in Nepali my eyes flooded with tears of joy. So spirit filled and anointed, these people have little to nothing but are true humble examples of what we call Christians. We left them with a suitcase filled with medicine and were off to our next assignment.
The President
An invitation arrived from the President of Nepal — and, believe it or not, there were now 18 of us in the van. Traffic delayed the group by a couple of hours, and the President had been called into an emergency meeting. The Palace was heavily guarded and modest in size, yet the garden made a grand impression — neat rows of colorful flowers standing at attention as if to greet every visitor. The festoon of this floral garden filled the air with the sweet fragrance of fall, its colors of orange, magenta, and gold perfectly matched the Palace.
The Chief Of Police
The group was received by Naraine Koivola, Secretary to the President and Administrator of Foreign Affairs. Mr. Koivola escorted everyone to a private meeting room on the second floor, its ceiling adorned with bright, vibrant orange flowers and what appeared to be real gold. Served Nepali tea and delicate cookies, the group shared stories with this kind gentleman for over an hour. A prayer was offered before leaving — along with a box of See’s Candy for the President. The day continued with yet another divine appointment.
From the Palace to the office of the Chief of Police — Rabindra Pratap Shah was equally cordial, though he too was called into a meeting before the visit could unfold fully. Before excusing himself, he graciously received prayer from the team. God showed great favor that day; on the ride back to the hotel, the group quietly held these encounters close and gave glory to their Creator.
