(Cover photo by Reuters) Page shot of Bible distribution in Nepal

Ministry weighs in over Nepal's upcoming elections

The hope for a lasting peace surrounds Nepal's upcoming polls, slated for April 10, reports MNN.

At that time, voters will choose to build a constituent assembly from thousands of candidates. This is a key component of the peace deal between the government and the Maoists that ended a decade-long communist insurgency.

The resulting assembly is expected to draft the country's new constitution and ratify the possibility of abolishment of the monarchy. 1997 was the last time general election voting was held in Nepal. The insurgencies since then, the massacre of the royal family in 2001, and other issues forced the king to take emergency control for a time.

With the coming election, the possibility of politically-related violence is significant.

Bible Pathway Ministries' Karen Hawkins says their partner in Nepal is aware of the potential for unrest, but his focus is unchanged. "He is a graduate of a Bible school in India that we've had a longstanding relationship with. While there, he learned about Bible Pathway, and he contacted us a couple of years ago and asked for Bible Pathway and Bibles to be used in Nepal. He then went back to his homeland, and he's been planting churches."

Resource shipments have been sent to him, and they are used in his Bible school. He's training future church leaders, but the school, while spirit-rich, is resource-poor. Keeping the doors open is a challenge, and providing materials for the students is equally difficult.

Tuition payments often come in the form of rice, beans or other food stuffs that keep the student body fed. Any disruption can have impact on the students. Travel restrictions or safety issues can disrupt studies as well as personal evangelism and outreach.

As the election approaches, Hawkins urges prayer. "He just keeps saying, 'We're trusting God, we're praying.' He just started a 40-day fast, and he's asking that people around the world for one day out of that 40 days to pray for Nepal and the Christian outreach and for the Bible school."

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[03/12/2008]

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