Running Only Towards Heaven Without Any Hesitation Shobhakar Ghimire
- País Nepal
- Fecha Septiembre 21, 2011
This past February, the 49th Overseas Visiting Group consisting of the gospel workers from North America and Europe visited Korea. During their stay in Korea, they had a deep and intense Bible study every day. Among them, there was Elder Shobhakar from the 5th Kathmandu Church, Nepal. The Nepal Zion continuously conveys the gracious fragrance of Zion to Heavenly Father and Mother and to all the members throughout the world. This reporter was in haste to meet him who was on the eve of his departure for Nepal, to feel the fervor for the gospel in Nepal. It was his fourth visit to Korea, and his last night in Mother’s country was getting deeper.
_Tomorrow, you are going back to Nepal. How do you feel now?
I am sad that I have to be apart from Mother. However, since Mother asked me to carry out the gospel mission faithfully, I have to go back and accomplish the mission entrusted to me by God. I’ve visited Korea several times. Whenever I visited, I deeply realized that I had not yet been fully following the sacrificial path of Father and Mother. God’s sacrifice is beyond our imagination and comprehension. So I have to work harder, and I think I have more things to do than what I have already done till now.
_It is always touching and gracious to hear the news from the Nepal Zion. We wonder how the gospel work in Nepal started.
The gospel in Nepal started as two Nepalese members who had received the truth in Korea returned to their country at the end of 1999. They led their family members and friends in Itahari to the truth, and the five members there who grew in faith moved to Kathmandu to preach the gospel. I was led to the truth at that time. In those days, the gospel conditions were so poor. However, Mother bestowed a lot of blessings on us, so that we could find many of our heavenly members in many regions of Nepal. Of course, we know that there are still so many souls we have to find through the power of the Holy Spirit given by Mother.
_In those days, what was the hardest thing about preaching the gospel?
Nepal is formally a Hindu country. There are very few Christians, and most Nepalese people do not know about Christianity well. So, no matter how hard we try to preach the Bible, it is hard for them to believe or understand the Word because it is so unfamiliar to them. Even the gospel workers were so lacking in the ability to preach that they did not know what to preach or how to preach. In this situation, we continuously saw or heard the news about disasters through television, newspapers and books. Whenever we heard the disastrous news, we thought we should quickly preach the way of salvation to people. Although we were small in number, we put our minds together and preached the Passover, the way to be saved from disasters. People started to show interest in the truth, and that was how our lost brothers and sisters were found one after another.
_Didn’t you say that Nepal has a strong Hindu tradition? It is very surprising that people there listen to the gospel and come to God.
Nepali people basically feel awe towards gods, and they show reverence for their gods by their natural behaviors. In other words, they are so religious; their religion is deeply infused into their culture and daily lives. So it takes time for them to understand God, but once they realize who the true God is and accept Him, it is just a matter of time for them to grow as great gospel workers. Mother complimented these Nepali members, saying that they are like “Noah.” Although they had followed Hinduism or Buddhism or any other religion, each of them changed into a good-natured person by obeying every word of God just as Noah did. Based on their deep faith which they have had since birth, they believe in Elohim with sincere hearts and follow Their words obediently. I think that is why God is giving them so much love.
_Alone in Kathmandu, Nepal, there are ten local Churches. How did the gospel work of the 5th Kathmandu Church start?
We branched out from the 1st Kathmandu Church in December, 2008. Our Zion is located in a very isolated area at the end of Kathmandu, which looks like a lump. This area is influenced by Buddhism strongly enough to be called a holy land of Buddhism. People here know nothing about God or the Bible. So we preached to them God’s promise to save His people from disasters, just as we did when the gospel first started in Nepal. People began to show interest in the truth. By studying the Bible steadily, they changed into the people of God and stood firm in the truth.
_You say that you were in a similar situation as you were in the early days of the gospel in Nepal. So, it must not have been so easy to manage the gospel work at the beginning.
At that time, the number of the 5th Kathmandu Church members was about 300, but none of them had studied the Bible properly. Since there were not gospel workers, I did not know what to do. With my weak faith, I sometimes wanted the Church in the vicinity to send us some gospel workers. However, I came to realize that the gospel is not something that can be accomplished with men’s help. So I continually prayed to Father and Mother to help us produce many gospel workers, and every Sabbath day I taught the Bible to the members as soon as a worship service finished, believing that Mother would help us. I carefully explained to them why we should keep the Sabbath day, what kind of blessings we would receive through the Third Day worship service, and much more. And if anyone had time to study the Bible, I rushed to get there to teach the Word. At first, about 15 members participated in the Bible study, but the number of those who wanted to learn the word of God gradually increased. Their hearts burned with fervor for the gospel in an instant, and they all became workers for God. By the grace of God, there are now over 1,000 members in the 5th Kathmandu Church.
_It is so amazing that such great results were achieved in a short period of time.
_What was a spiritual change in them?
Some members, after their first Pentecost service in Zion, came to me and said, “We should also preach the Word, shouldn’t we? We don’t know why, but we feel like we have to preach. You just teach us the Word, and we will preach.” I was so thankful to God. After realizing the Word, those with weak faith started to grow strong in faith. I felt like the blessings and grace, which had been accumulated till then, were bursting forth all at once through the Holy Spirit poured out at Pentecost.
_How do the members preach the gospel now?
All the members desire to bear much fruit and meet Father with enough faith. However, it is very difficult to make a living without working hard in Nepal. So the preaching of the gospel is carried out somewhat differently here than in other countries. I’ve heard that in Korea there are many members who can afford to preach the gospel even without jobs, and that in other countries there are also many self-supporting volunteers who are preaching the gospel full-time in different regions. However, that is impossible in Nepal. Yet the members are not discouraged; they preach early in the morning before going to work. When I see them devote themselves to preaching, I feel so grateful to God and to them as well. I always want to serve delicious food to those members who try their hardest to manage things both spiritually and physically, but I cannot afford to serve them well, and it makes my heart ache. However, none of them complain about it. Since they work for the gospel voluntarily, they come to Zion with joy every day. They say, “No matter what the situation, we will preach the gospel by all means possible.” Then I have no words to say to them except, “May you receive lots of blessings from Mother!”
_The gospel in Nepal is being accomplished swiftly, most likely because the members have such devotional faith. What do you think is it that moves their hearts?
That is, without a doubt, the love of Father and Mother! A long time ago, a young adult member of our Zion visited Korea. After returning from Korea, he said that when he talked to Mother about the 5th Kathmandu Church which had just branched out, Mother stood up and clapped Her hands and all the other members also gave a standing ovation. We were so surprised to hear him say that because we thought that no one would know about our Church since it had just started. We could feel how much Mother loves us and how much the members in Korea also love us, the Nepalese members.
In fact, the members here are in financial difficulty and most of them have not received much education. For this reason, they may feel small in front of the others. However, they gain strength through the words, “God accomplishes His great purposes through the weak,” and by saying “amen” they participate in the gospel work more diligently and joyfully. I find the love of Father and Mother when I see how a soul is led to the truth and grows into a gospel worker.
_Now that you have received so much love and blessing from Mother, what would you most like to tell the members when you go back to Nepal?
We may sometimes shrink back because of hindrance and persecution from people around us, and sometime we suffer from losing precious souls, but we have the hope for heaven. I want to tell them to run only towards the kingdom of heaven by always looking up to Father and Mother with the eyes of faith, instead of being bound by physical things—things right in front of them. Of course, they are now praying earnestly for the gospel and trying their hardest—they are such beautiful members. However, in order for us to enter the kingdom of heaven, our home, which is close at hand, we should put forth more strength and effort to open the way for the gospel wider. I truly hope that all the members including me will fulfill the Ten Talent Mission and go back to heaven together.
_Tomorrow, you are going back to Nepal. How do you feel now?
I am sad that I have to be apart from Mother. However, since Mother asked me to carry out the gospel mission faithfully, I have to go back and accomplish the mission entrusted to me by God. I’ve visited Korea several times. Whenever I visited, I deeply realized that I had not yet been fully following the sacrificial path of Father and Mother. God’s sacrifice is beyond our imagination and comprehension. So I have to work harder, and I think I have more things to do than what I have already done till now.
ⓒ 2011 WATV
_It is always touching and gracious to hear the news from the Nepal Zion. We wonder how the gospel work in Nepal started.
The gospel in Nepal started as two Nepalese members who had received the truth in Korea returned to their country at the end of 1999. They led their family members and friends in Itahari to the truth, and the five members there who grew in faith moved to Kathmandu to preach the gospel. I was led to the truth at that time. In those days, the gospel conditions were so poor. However, Mother bestowed a lot of blessings on us, so that we could find many of our heavenly members in many regions of Nepal. Of course, we know that there are still so many souls we have to find through the power of the Holy Spirit given by Mother.
_In those days, what was the hardest thing about preaching the gospel?
Nepal is formally a Hindu country. There are very few Christians, and most Nepalese people do not know about Christianity well. So, no matter how hard we try to preach the Bible, it is hard for them to believe or understand the Word because it is so unfamiliar to them. Even the gospel workers were so lacking in the ability to preach that they did not know what to preach or how to preach. In this situation, we continuously saw or heard the news about disasters through television, newspapers and books. Whenever we heard the disastrous news, we thought we should quickly preach the way of salvation to people. Although we were small in number, we put our minds together and preached the Passover, the way to be saved from disasters. People started to show interest in the truth, and that was how our lost brothers and sisters were found one after another.
_Didn’t you say that Nepal has a strong Hindu tradition? It is very surprising that people there listen to the gospel and come to God.
Nepali people basically feel awe towards gods, and they show reverence for their gods by their natural behaviors. In other words, they are so religious; their religion is deeply infused into their culture and daily lives. So it takes time for them to understand God, but once they realize who the true God is and accept Him, it is just a matter of time for them to grow as great gospel workers. Mother complimented these Nepali members, saying that they are like “Noah.” Although they had followed Hinduism or Buddhism or any other religion, each of them changed into a good-natured person by obeying every word of God just as Noah did. Based on their deep faith which they have had since birth, they believe in Elohim with sincere hearts and follow Their words obediently. I think that is why God is giving them so much love.
_Alone in Kathmandu, Nepal, there are ten local Churches. How did the gospel work of the 5th Kathmandu Church start?
We branched out from the 1st Kathmandu Church in December, 2008. Our Zion is located in a very isolated area at the end of Kathmandu, which looks like a lump. This area is influenced by Buddhism strongly enough to be called a holy land of Buddhism. People here know nothing about God or the Bible. So we preached to them God’s promise to save His people from disasters, just as we did when the gospel first started in Nepal. People began to show interest in the truth. By studying the Bible steadily, they changed into the people of God and stood firm in the truth.
_You say that you were in a similar situation as you were in the early days of the gospel in Nepal. So, it must not have been so easy to manage the gospel work at the beginning.
At that time, the number of the 5th Kathmandu Church members was about 300, but none of them had studied the Bible properly. Since there were not gospel workers, I did not know what to do. With my weak faith, I sometimes wanted the Church in the vicinity to send us some gospel workers. However, I came to realize that the gospel is not something that can be accomplished with men’s help. So I continually prayed to Father and Mother to help us produce many gospel workers, and every Sabbath day I taught the Bible to the members as soon as a worship service finished, believing that Mother would help us. I carefully explained to them why we should keep the Sabbath day, what kind of blessings we would receive through the Third Day worship service, and much more. And if anyone had time to study the Bible, I rushed to get there to teach the Word. At first, about 15 members participated in the Bible study, but the number of those who wanted to learn the word of God gradually increased. Their hearts burned with fervor for the gospel in an instant, and they all became workers for God. By the grace of God, there are now over 1,000 members in the 5th Kathmandu Church.
_It is so amazing that such great results were achieved in a short period of time.
ⓒ 2011 WATV
_What was a spiritual change in them?
Some members, after their first Pentecost service in Zion, came to me and said, “We should also preach the Word, shouldn’t we? We don’t know why, but we feel like we have to preach. You just teach us the Word, and we will preach.” I was so thankful to God. After realizing the Word, those with weak faith started to grow strong in faith. I felt like the blessings and grace, which had been accumulated till then, were bursting forth all at once through the Holy Spirit poured out at Pentecost.
_How do the members preach the gospel now?
All the members desire to bear much fruit and meet Father with enough faith. However, it is very difficult to make a living without working hard in Nepal. So the preaching of the gospel is carried out somewhat differently here than in other countries. I’ve heard that in Korea there are many members who can afford to preach the gospel even without jobs, and that in other countries there are also many self-supporting volunteers who are preaching the gospel full-time in different regions. However, that is impossible in Nepal. Yet the members are not discouraged; they preach early in the morning before going to work. When I see them devote themselves to preaching, I feel so grateful to God and to them as well. I always want to serve delicious food to those members who try their hardest to manage things both spiritually and physically, but I cannot afford to serve them well, and it makes my heart ache. However, none of them complain about it. Since they work for the gospel voluntarily, they come to Zion with joy every day. They say, “No matter what the situation, we will preach the gospel by all means possible.” Then I have no words to say to them except, “May you receive lots of blessings from Mother!”
_The gospel in Nepal is being accomplished swiftly, most likely because the members have such devotional faith. What do you think is it that moves their hearts?
That is, without a doubt, the love of Father and Mother! A long time ago, a young adult member of our Zion visited Korea. After returning from Korea, he said that when he talked to Mother about the 5th Kathmandu Church which had just branched out, Mother stood up and clapped Her hands and all the other members also gave a standing ovation. We were so surprised to hear him say that because we thought that no one would know about our Church since it had just started. We could feel how much Mother loves us and how much the members in Korea also love us, the Nepalese members.
In fact, the members here are in financial difficulty and most of them have not received much education. For this reason, they may feel small in front of the others. However, they gain strength through the words, “God accomplishes His great purposes through the weak,” and by saying “amen” they participate in the gospel work more diligently and joyfully. I find the love of Father and Mother when I see how a soul is led to the truth and grows into a gospel worker.
_Now that you have received so much love and blessing from Mother, what would you most like to tell the members when you go back to Nepal?
We may sometimes shrink back because of hindrance and persecution from people around us, and sometime we suffer from losing precious souls, but we have the hope for heaven. I want to tell them to run only towards the kingdom of heaven by always looking up to Father and Mother with the eyes of faith, instead of being bound by physical things—things right in front of them. Of course, they are now praying earnestly for the gospel and trying their hardest—they are such beautiful members. However, in order for us to enter the kingdom of heaven, our home, which is close at hand, we should put forth more strength and effort to open the way for the gospel wider. I truly hope that all the members including me will fulfill the Ten Talent Mission and go back to heaven together.