Chapter 13 from “Fully Equipped: Having What It Takes to Give Your All”
And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us. – Acts 16:9
It was March of 2012, and we were on Spring break at Baptist Bible Translator’s Institute in Bowie, Texas. The Lord had been working in my heart to reach the Tibetan people in Nepal. Now I would finally get to go see this unreached people group for myself! I was excited to be able to visit the land where I believed God was leading our family. The flight to get there would consist of three different plane rides. My first plane departed from Dallas, Texas and took me to Germany. From there I went to the United Arab Emirates, and finally to Kathmandu, Nepal. But let this be a lesson – life is not about the destination, but rather the journey getting there. On this nearly 30 hour journey, I met people from over twenty different countries, many of those in international airports!
I must confess that when I got off the plane for my layover in the Middle East, I felt quite intimidated. Seeing the Muslims in their full dress, including men in long robes, reminded me I was not in America anymore. In fact, there were prayer rooms with sandals lining the doorways. People were from all over the Middle East. Soon I found myself sitting and chatting to a man from Pakistan. He said I should come visit his home sometime… “a very beautiful place” he said. That was in spite of the fact he had moved his family to a different location because of recent bombings. I witnessed to a Muslim cleric who had attended college in California. I could sense some conviction as we spoke about spiritual things and he abruptly left, leaving behind his cup of coffee and a gift bag! I chased him down and was able to return it to him. Thankfully, I had some Arabic tracts with me to leave with these men I met.
Although the power of Satan is real, the power of God is greater!
I then went into a large room where long lines of souls awaited to board the planes. Several were actually bowing toward Mecca to say their prayers. There was a group of about 100 Indonesians taking their annual pilgrimage. How this tore my heart out. As I made my way around to witness to men and ladies from all over, I felt a sense of peace and confidence overtake me. I realized that though the power of Satan is real, the power of God is greater! It felt like I was conquering this territory for the glory of God! What an awesome experience it was during that six-hour layover!
An unexpected blessing
When our final plane approached Nepal, an announcement was made over the intercom that we would have to detour to Dhaka, Bangladesh to refuel because of poor visibility. I wish I could describe the giddy feeling that swept over me as I thought, “The Lord is interrupting everybody else’s plans so I can see Bangladesh after all… and at no extra charge to me!” Though our stay was brief to refuel the plane, it was a good feeling, knowing that my Father cares for the littlest of details when it comes to our desires. Finally, our plane was flying parallel to the massive Himalaya Mountains as we made our way to the airport in Kathmandu. I got my visa, and since no one was manning customs, I walked directly outside to find my missionary friend *John waiting for me. We embraced and loaded my stuff into a cab. I was immediately introduced to the crazy traffic of Kathmandu and the sight of “stray” monkeys roaming the dirty streets!
Lodging at a monastery
I was taken to a Buddhist monastery in Boudha where I would lodge in a guest room on the third floor. It was a simple room and had electricity at nighttime only. Since water also was rationed and available during the day, I made sure to shower and keep a pail of water on hand for after hours. I was so exhausted from the 29 hours of travel that I crashed on the twin-sized bed. A few hours later, my friend John came and woke me up and took me to his flat where his family lived. There we enjoyed a delicious lasagna supper his wife had made from scratch. Then they opened a suitcase full of food and candy given by a supporting church I had brought from Texas! They were so excited, as it was like a late Christmas! Afterward, Dawa, a Christian Tibetan friend, and his brother Pema came over. Pema was a monk at the monastery where I stayed, and oversaw the guest housing. We plotted our trip details on a map of the Langtang area. We were set to leave out early the next morning. Pema had another monk pick me up to take me back to my sleeping quarters. He arrived on a scooter and I jumped on the back. We whisked between the alleys and down the dark corridors back to the monastery. My first day in Nepal had been eventful and was coming to a close. But it was just the beginning.
Most people in Nepal speak two or three languages
The next would began at five o’clock in the morning. Awakened out of sleep by my friend John’s voice once again, we hurriedly grabbed my backpack and ran down the monastic staircase and hopped in the taxi. It was dark outside, and we had to make our way to the northwest part of the city to catch the 7:00 am bus. We navigated traffic successfully, and boarded the packed bus. I got to sit near the front and was right behind a Tibetan lady. I had seen pictures of their freckled sunburnt faces. Now I was actually seeing a Tibetan person in real life! I could hardly contain myself! The reality of the language barrier was settling in, for very few people spoke English. Most people there will speak two or three languages! Though Nepali is the trade language for the country, it is only the first language of half the population of nearly 30 million people! There are over 120 languages spoken in Nepal.
Our bus made its way up the foothills of the Himalayas and soon we were sweeping back and forth along the perilous mountainside. We soon overlooked the capital city of three million people and vanished into the many valleys and peaks northward. We ascended higher and higher, passing farmers, children, and animals. We drove through many small villages and numerous makeshift houses that dotted the landscape. Then we stopped in a town where we took a break. There were actually people riding on top of our bus! We went into a restaurant where you can sit anywhere – even across the table from other diners! Everyone ate the same food which included rice with lentil soup on top (called daal bhat), vegetables in separate metal bowls, and a small portion of meat. Since it was customary to eat with their hands, I dove right in taking in the full experience getting my hands messy with the hot wet rice!
Surviving the bus ride
After traveling by bus for about nine hours, we had come as far as the road would take us. At one stretch on the road, the road was so narrow and twisted so sharply, we were literally at a crawling speed tenuously riding the edge of the cliff! I prayed hard, and one of the Tibetans accompanying us vomited. When we arrived safely I felt like giving the driver a hug! I was both relieved and thrilled to be alive! (See the above video for footage of the drive.)
Now we were to go on foot. The four of us: John, Dawa, Pema, and I, crossed the long suspension walking bridge in Syabrubesi and started the long hike into the mountains. We each had a heavy backpack holding our essentials. It was difficult as the air was getting thinner from the high altitude and I was not in shape and a few pounds overweight!
The Guest House
After a few hours, we found a Tibetan guest house which was basically a couple extra rooms that was family owned and rented for the night. They asked us if we wanted a hot shower or a cold shower. I told them I wanted a hot shower. Several minutes later I had to smile to myself when a girl handed me a 5 gallon bucket with warm water that had just been heated over the fire! She pointed me to a small room made of concrete blocks which would be my shower room. Scooping water out to bathe was a new challenge that I would learn to master. After cleaning up, our group gathered in the kitchen/dining area where the host family prepared food over an adobe stove. We sat around the fire and sipped our hot tea. Exhausted, we ate our delicious food, had devotions, then hit the hay for much needed sleep.
To see more pictures from treks in the Himalayas that I have linked with Proverbs in three languages, go here.
“We are unreached too!”
The next day proved more strenuous yet, as we would hike for about twelve hours and only stopping to break for meals. We made it to Qenji about 12,000 ft. above sea level. At night, John and I sat for about two hours witnessing to a couple from Germany. They had many questions about our faith in God and we took turns telling stories how God had answered our prayers. Later, I received an email from one of the German travelers saying, “I know you are missionaries to Tibetans, but we are unreached too!”
On our final day in Langtang, we passed a field of farmers where a man held a wooden plow and trailed his oxen. In the distance behind him was a lady holding a basket, broadcasting the seed. This was a perfect illustration of the Seed and the Sower. Sadly, there are few willing sowers to reach the Tibetan people. But a greater challenge yet is the fact that there is so little Seed available to be sown. Many Tibetan languages are so different and have little or no translation of the Bible in their dialect yet!
After taking many pictures with the backdrop of the snow-capped Himalayan mountains, we made our way back down the mountain. We gazed at the myriad of colorful prayer flags that the people draped outside their homes. They believe these written prayers blowing in the wind will appease the evil spirits and bring a blessing on their crops. Prayer wheels and prayers inscribed on stones reminded us of the superstitions that dominated the lives of these precious people.
When we got back to civilization, we arranged to take a Land Rover back down the mountain. This was such a relief, as the large buses hugged the steep sides of the mountain roads. At one turn, there had been wash-outs making the bus rock back and forth. Then there was barely enough room to pass other on-coming vehicles. I had asked the Lord to put his hand on the side of the bus and protect us! Now we were enjoying our ride downward in a much smaller, and more reliable vehicle. I began to think that I might actually survive my survey trip after all!
Plowing the fields with oxen
The four of us laughed and retold the stories of our expedition as we proceeded downward. At one point, our driver let us get out where a man was plowing his rice field. He waved for me to come join him. So I took off my socks and shoes, rolled up my pant legs and ventured into the mud up to my calves. He gave me the reigns to his plow, and I held on for dear life as the oxen pulled the wooden plow and me along with it!
Now when you encounter new circumstances, you can either embrace the moment along with the differences and challenges; or you can complain and choose to be miserable. I highly recommend the first option! I fully expected things to be different in Nepal than America and knew it was not all going to be suited to my taste and comforts. But I could and would choose to still enjoy myself!
When we finally made it back to the city, we four guys celebrated by going to Pizza Hut! After that we got some ice cream. The guys teased me mercilessly about my overuse of the word “Wow!”, for that was my continual response of the endless views of the mountains and rivers and every new experience… “Wow!”
Indeed, my affection for this land and people was growing. Yet I had only been there for five days! I had the privilege of attending the church service and hearing Brother John teach a Bible class in Nepali. I sang a song with Dawa’s guitar and preached with him interpreting into the Nepali language. I spoke from the Psalms that teach us how God is a Father to the fatherless. It was my desire to encourage this young group, as some of the believers there had grown up in a children’s home and were distant from their biological parents. Most were the only Christian in their entire family!
My true highlight was still yet to occur!
Brother John took me to meet my first Amdo Tibetan. (Amdo is a region in Tibet and is the group that the Dalai Lama is from.) He was a language helper to Brother John, and he welcomed us to sit in his little room. He was quite friendly and told us how he had come to teach Mandarin Chinese in the University.
After that, we made our way through the tiny shops that lined the narrow streets. I was introduced to Wangchup, a rare Tibetan Dolpo believer. He had been led to the Lord years ago by a Christian he had met in a restaurant. He loves the Lord and even had some Tibetan literature in his small shop. He showed it to me and it looked like a story about the life and Gospel of Jesus Christ. Then he proceeded to tell me that many of the words are unintelligible, coming across as an insult to Tibetans. For instance, the word for God is another word for “Buddha”. The word for sin means “bad karma”. So in the minds of Tibetans, it’s propaganda for another sect of Buddhism. Especially disturbing is the suggestion that this “Buddha God” had a son. Buddha had never been married, so how was that possible?
“Did I just have my Macedonian vision?”
Wangchup pleaded with us to pray that somebody would come help translate the Christian terms properly so his people could have an intelligible Bible and reach them with the Gospel. As we walked away, I thought, “Did I just have my Macedonian Vision?” For essentially, he was pleading, “Come over and help us.”
Soon after, I read the verse in Proverbs 3:27, “Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.” Indeed, this was the reason God had us preparing to work with unreached peoples at Baptist Bible Translator’s Institute. God had revealed where we might reach Tibetans – in Nepal! Plus, we had Brother John’s family to work alongside.
I remember standing on the roof of the monastery where I was staying. Early in the morning, I could hear the sounds of deep gargled voices reciting Tibetan Buddhist mantras. As the fog began to lift, the people were starting to move about – some ladies sweeping the pavement below and motorcycles making their way between the buildings on the narrow lanes. Overlooking the Stupa and flats of several old buildings, I pondered what my future held in seeking to make a difference in this religious, but spiritually barren area of the world. Indeed, the incense, prayer flags, prayer beads, and spinning prayer wheels remind me that there is not a need for more religion and rituals. The Buddhist people are kind and hospitable, speaking much about peace and goodness. They want to abandon evil and do good. I thought, “What do I have to offer that they don’t already have?”
On the other hand, the underlying roots of Tibetan Buddhist practices are demonic which permeate the people’s lives with fear. Festivals are regularly held to appease deities and bring cleansing to the people. They know they have done wrong and seek to atone for it. Politically, the Tibetan people have been oppressed for over sixty years by China. At least twenty-two ethnic Tibetan groups have fled for refuge here in this neighboring country. But the people remain without hope and will continue as long as the majority of the 100 Tibetan groups speaking over sixty different languages have very little Bible translated into their languages.
“To reach Tibetans is like going into a cave and robbing a lioness of her whelps.” – Hudson Taylor, Missionary to China
I wondered if I may be able to come back – and if I do, how can I make a difference? Many missionaries have already given their lives to reach these people and some have been killed. Hudson Taylor stated over a hundred years ago, that “to reach Tibetans is like going into a cave and robbing a lioness of her whelps.” Outsiders are forbidden in most Tibetan areas, but God still wants someone to go. But the Lord had opened a door to reach them in Nepal!
Officially on deputation!
When I arrived back to Texas on Tuesday, March 26th, 2012, I had clear direction ahead of me. The very next evening, I was scheduled to conclude a mission’s conference in the area. That weekend, our family was in another conference. Both churches took us on for support! We were officially on deputation!
Months later, my wife Jamie went with my cousin Janelle to visit Nepal. This was helpful for her to get to know the missionary family and learn a little about the country firsthand. This also allowed her to know how to pack for our family to live in Nepal.
*For security purposes, I have used the name of John to refer to my missionary friend who assisted me on my survey trip. Click here to see some pictures and video clips from this trip.
About the author:
Luke graduated from Crown College of the Bible in 2003. He married Jamie in July of 2006. God has blessed them with five children. Together they had the privilege of serving in the pastorate of a Baptist Church in Florida from 2007-2011.
In August of 2011, our family began our journey to serve the Lord as labourers among Unreached People Groups in Asia. We prepared ourselves at Baptist Bible Translator’s Institute in Bowie, Texas. During that time, God directed our path to work among the Tibetan people in the country of Nepal.
In February of 2014, we moved to Kathmandu, Nepal and experienced God’s work of grace and protection upon our family. We had the privilege to serve at the Crown Nepal Bible College. Teaching classes and preaching at youth conferences was a great opportunity for our family. We also were able to assist in outreaches to villages of the Tamang and Gurung people.
In 2021, we moved to Tampa, Florida. We currently are serving in our home church Southside Baptist Church and teach in the Christian Academy. Luke continues his writing ministry (www.pilgrimoftruth.com) and video messages on his YouTube channel (Pilgrim of Truth). His goal is to aid believers in making Christ known to the world. He continues to seek to assist churches in America. His heart’s desire is to help meet the needs of the unreached people groups in the world.
