In Kathmandu, holiness smells like smoke and char.
Near the banks of the Bagmati River, ash floats on the wind. But it’s not just from the wood, nor from the wet straw sheltering its kindling under a veil of smoke. This is human ash. The remains of fathers and mothers, children and grandparents being burned in the shadow of the Hindu temple.
The smell of open pyres mingles with that of unwashed mourners, waiting corpses, and the dung of the sacred cows that wander freely across the temple complex. The Nepali don’t seem to notice. Their attention is fixed on one thing only–hope. The hope that performing last rites at the Pashupatinath Temple–one of the most sacred sites of the Hindu faith–might help their deceased transition peacefully into the next life. That washing the corpse in the holy waters of the Bagmati might cleanse their loved one’s karma. That sprinkling their ashes into the river might be the thing that finally allows them to escape the cycle of reincarnation.
They don’t seem to notice that the waters in which they place such hope are rife with raw sewage and industrial waste. Instead, amid a backdrop of chanting, idols, filth, and decay, they dip themselves into liquid death in a desperate gamble to find life.
But witnessing this scene are a few men who have found this life.
They’re part of a small group of Christians who have gathered in Kathmandu for a 2-day pastoral retreat. Thirty-two men representing 19 Nepali and 3 American churches are proof that God has not abandoned the people of Nepal.
These men shouldn’t exist. After all, until 1951, Christianity was illegal, not to mention socially suicidal. To this day, strict anti-conversion laws promise jail time for successful evangelism. And if you manage to evade the law, you certainly won’t evade the ostracism of the caste system. Yet these men not only exist, they are leaders in their respective churches, with three new church plants scheduled for 2026.
Christ is on the move in Nepal. And he’s inviting us to be a part of it.
Pastor Matthew has spent the last couple of days speaking, training, and equipping local pastors at their retreat. “Passing the baton” was foremost among the topics, and pastors are beginning to consider how they can develop leaders in the next generation, including children and young adults.
But foremost among their concerns is reaching their country with the gospel. They need your prayers.
Pray:
- That God would continue to raise up leaders among the Nepali Christians and that He would grow and mature these leaders in depth of knowledge and wisdom
- That there would be an open door for effective witness among their Hindu neighbors
- For the success of the three new church plants planned for 2026
- For continued freedom and safety for evangelists in Nepal
- For provision and perseverance in the face of hardship
These 19 Nepali pastors know the truth. The cleansing water the mourners crave does exist, and unlike the Bagmati, it brings life and healing to all who enter. The question is: who will tell the mourners in the river? If this group of Christians have their way, it will be them–and their children after them.
