INF7 7 days l a p e N in Travel Guide International Nepal Fellowship The Cottage, 22 Weoley Park Rd, Selly Oak, Birmingham B29 6QU United Kingdom T 0121 472 2425 E ukoffice@inf.org.uk Registered Charity No. 1047178 Begin Your Journey Here INF/UK is a Company Limited by Guarantee, Registered in England No. 3060972 2014 INF/UK All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the author, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review. Additional copies of this material are available from INF at the address above, or by downloading at www.inf.org/uk Some names and identifying details have been changed to protect the privacy of individuals. A Christian mission serving the physical and spiritual needs of Nepali people www.inf.org.uk
Your Journey to Fellowship 1 You enjoy holidays, and Nepal is an iconic destination. But most people who would like to visit this land of mountains and unfamiliar customs never get the chance. So we would like to invite you on a unique virtual journey through the country, with the opportunity to meet and learn from the thriving and growing Christian community as well as those they help and support. By the end of our seven day tour, we hope you will feel a connection with Nepali Christians and be inspired by them. Begin by reading the sections of this guide, How Does it Work? and The Itinerary. You will be directed to the other sections during the course of your journey.
2 How Does it Work? The Itinerary 3 The best way to travel is with friends, so why not ask the members of your home group or prayer group to travel with you? It s a great opportunity to share about the lives of Nepalis with people who are unfamiliar with INF. The pack consists of a poster to promote the experience, eight cards about places you will visit, and this travel guide. The trip will work best if there is an introductory meeting to explain how the journey works, and another, a week later, for people to share their experiences. You could even have a Nepali evening, with food and a Nepali-style time of worship. Alternatively, your small group could use one card each week over a period of seven weeks, or you could travel alone and simply use the cards yourself each day for a week. Some cards make reference to articles in this guide. They are on pages 6-12. You don t need to read them now. If you need any more cards or guides you can download them from www.inf.org.uk or contact the UK office [details are on the back of this guide]. The website also has some additional resources. Suggestions for an introductory meeting Share a meal together. There is a recipe for Dal Bhat at the end of this guide. Read James 2:1-13 Possible points for discussion might be: What judgements do we make about the relative value of people with different jobs, or from different backgrounds? Do you expect to be able to learn spiritual lessons from those who are materially poorer than you? How far, geographically, can you extend the idea of being a neighbour? Introduce the cards and explain how to use them. You might choose to work through the first card together so that people have a flavour of what is to come. Using the cards Read one card a day. They will take you on a journey through Nepal where you will meet a variety of people in different places, learning from the Nepali church as you go. Each card contains a Bible reference for you to look at, with a short reflection and a true story. The stories are real but some of the names have been changed. The cards also contain something to think
4 5 about, a short activity, a reflection, a prayer, and an opportunity to find out more. You might find it helpful to make notes as you go along so that you can share your thoughts with the group when you meet. Suggestions for a follow-up meeting Have a short time of prayer and worship Nepali style: Ask people to remove their shoes Have the men and women on different sides of the room Encourage those who are able to sit on the floor Sing two or three short choruses, repeating them at least three times, with volume and enthusiasm Call out a few prayer points and encourage people to pray aloud all together Is there anything about this that people in the group particularly enjoyed or found especially challenging? Discuss the contents of the cards and how people responded to the activities. Some questions you could ask are: Which days had the most impact on you and why? What lessons could we take from the Nepali church? What could it mean, practically, to be one in Christ with Nepali Christians? Read James 2:14-19 Watch the short film Client Faces [2 mins 20 sec] which can be found at http://inf.org/ video/client-faces or on the We Are INF DVD [copies are available from the UK office]. Encourage people to read the card Continuing Your Journey, and to use the response form.
6 The Nation of Nepal 7 The Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal is a country of mountains and highlands in the Himalayan region between India and China [Tibet]. It has eight of the ten highest mountains in the world, the most famous being Everest which Nepalis call Sagarmatha, goddess of the sky, and which stands a staggering 8,848 metres [29,029 feet] above sea level. Nepali time is 5 hours and 45 minutes ahead of GMT. The capital, Kathmandu, is a modern, rapidly growing city, but most of the rest of the country is very poor. Nepal currently ranks 157 out of 187 countries in the United Nations Human Development Index. Nepal used to be the world s only Hindu kingdom until 2008 when the hereditary monarchy was replaced by a republic, following years of civil unrest by Maoist rebels. Elections took place in 2013 to form a government to create a full constitution. According to the World Bank, the population of Nepal is 27.47 million people [2012] but about 2.8 million Nepalis live outside of the country. Nepal is the only nation with a non-quadrilateral flag. The two triangles symbolize the Himalaya Mountains and represent the two major religions, Hinduism [81%] and Buddhism [11%]. Lumbini, Nepal, is the birthplace of the Buddha, and a place of pilgrimage for many devout Buddhists. People in Nepal do not greet one another with a handshake, but instead put their palms together and bow their forehead and say, Namaste [directly translated as I salute the God in you ]. This is the same greeting used throughout India. Christians in Nepal greet each other with the phrase, Jai Masih, which means, victory to the Messiah.
8 Hinduism 9 Historically, Nepali society has been structured around the Hindu caste system with Brahmins, the priestly caste, at the top, and Sudras, the labourers, at the bottom. Below even the Sudras come the Dalits, or untouchables. There is no movement between castes the caste you are born into is the caste you die in. It has been said that if you think you understand Hinduism, then you clearly haven t. Hindu beliefs and practice vary greatly amongst its adherents but there are some general principles which most would agree to. Most Hindus believe in a Supreme Being, but also worship thousands of deities which they believe emanate from it Hindus believe that existence is a cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, referred to as samsara [reincarnation] How a person is reincarnated is dependent on karma, the law that every action has consequences either in this life or in a future life The main Hindu scriptures are the Vedas. They do not mention the word Hindu but many talk about dharma, which might be translated as code of conduct, law, or duty Hindus celebrate many holy days, the most well-known being the Festival of Lights, Diwali. In Nepal, this festival is known as Laxmi Puja and is part of the longer festival of Tihar The main Hindu festival in Nepal is the autumn festival, Dashain [pronounced doss eye ] which lasts for 10 days. Schools and offices are closed and families get together to celebrate. Animals are sacrificed to celebrate the goddess Durga s victory over evil. On the day of Dasami, everyone puts on new clothes and goes to honour senior family members who give them a large red tika of red paste on their foreheads. During the remaining days of Dashain, families and friends get together for feasts where blessings are given and gifts exchanged Another favourite is the spring festival of Holi [Festival of Colours], in honour of Krishna. Participants chase each other, throwing powder paint or spraying coloured water
10 Visiting a Nepali Church If you are looking for a church you may not recognise it. Most Nepali churches do not yet have their own buildings. It may be a rented building or flat, perhaps a dilapidated old structure in need of repair. When you arrive, leave your shoes outside the door before going inside. Sit with men on one side and women and children on the other, on the worn carpet on the floor, unless you happen to be in the capital, Kathmandu, where you are more likely to have chairs. There is not much structure to the service. It varies from week to week. There will be a time of open praise and worship. You will be expected to participate in the communal praying, as well as the singing, and the service could be two or three hours long. There is a good chance that there will be people present who have not yet responded to the gospel. Christians often bring family and friends to church. This is probably at least part of the explanation of why the church in Nepal has grown so rapidly. In 1952, when the borders opened, the first church was formed with 29 believers. Now there are churches in every one of the 75 districts of Nepal. 11
12 Recipe for Dal Bhat The typical food for most Nepali people is Dal Bhat which is eaten twice a day. This recipe will feed four people. 1. Wash lentils and soak for 10 minutes, then drain. Ingredients: 2. Add drained lentils to fresh water and bring to the boil. 2 cups Basmati or long grain rice 3. Add spices. 1½ cups lentils [any kind] 4. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 20 to 30 minutes until lentils are soft and the consistency is similar to porridge. 4 to 5 cups of water ½ tsp turmeric 1 tsp garlic, minced 6 tbsp clarified butter [ghee] 5. In a small pan heat the butter and fry the onions, chillies and garlic. 3/4 cup sliced onions 6. Stir into the lentils towards the end of their cooking time and season to taste. 2 chillies [according to preference] 7. Serve with boiled rice.