2
1
Andy and Jenny
Saunders
Prayer Letter, May 2014
bmsworldmission.org/ajsaunders
Happy Nepali New Year! Today’s date is Baisakh
th
5 2071
‘Visitors are asked not to touch, scratch or hit the
exhibits in the museum.’ Sign in the Royal Palace,
Kathmandu.
We’ve been in Nepal nearly ten months now and
its beginning to feel more normal. We’ve got over
our initial euphoria, miss the UK more often and
are more realistic about those things that can be
challenging about living here. But we don’t go
round hitting museum exhibits yet. It’s good to feel
we know our way around, can converse with
people who speak slowly and have the normality of
going into work on Monday mornings.
Andy: My days at the Bible College begin with a
frantic 20 minute cycle, dodging pedestrians, tuk
tuks, buses, motor bikes, cows and pot holes.
Once I arrive though, the college is in a quiet area
of Kathmandu outside the ring road. I lead a
session on leadership with the staff on Monday
mornings, take a 3 hour lecture introducing the Old
Testament to first years on Tuesday and lead a
care group on Wednesday. It’s been a steep
learning curve; trying to get the right level of
English, introducing the students to a more
interactive style of learning in which they are
expected to think for themselves, coping without
internet for 2 months, getting to know the college
systems, etc.
There are 20 – 25 students and five faculty
members. After many years with just 2 staff this
means we are in a great position to develop the
college. The Principal is a great visionary and has
plans to buy land and build our own college, to
affiliate to the Asian Theological Association and to
offer a greater range of courses to increased
numbers of students. Do pray for solid growth
and continued good relationships as a team.
Jenny: I had no idea my work would be so varied.
In any given week a Counsellor Advisor (that’s me)
can be arranging books on a shelf one minute and
attending a meeting about mental health with
government officials the next. I’ve prepared
teaching material and taught some of it, travelled to
Pokhara and Nepalgunj, been on a clay therapy
course, met with a group who are passionate about
anti-trafficking and even done some
Counselling/Advising. Last month I found myself at
the last minute helping to conduct a job interview,
half of which was in Nepali! Elijah Counselling
Training Centre produces excellent Pastoral Care
courses. My role is to develop the counselling side
of the work. Bimala, my colleague, and I normally
have about one client each at the moment. I’d
love us to have more and to develop a
counselling service that has the best of Eastern
hospitality and Western professionalism.
We can tell how much you must all be praying. It
makes what could feel daunting into quite an
adventure. At the moment we’re only working part
time as the other half of the week is for language
study. We have an excellent language teacher and
some very patient friends
Things we asked you to pray for:
Tim and Katie: Christmas was very special
because Katie and Tim came for a fortnight. In the
second week Dave also joined us and asked Katie
to marry him on the first day of our trek. She said
4
3
yes! We’re delighted and will return to the UK for
th
the August 8 wedding. We’re also happy that Tim
has a degree and a job and seems well. You might
remember mention of a ‘picture’ someone had for
us at the Baptist assembly. It was of Katie and Tim
under the ‘tree’ of God’s sheltering love. We’ve
certainly seen the outworking of that and are so
very grateful to God and pray it will continue.
Church: We agonised over whether we should live
in a poorer area and whether we should go to a
Baptist Church. In fact we’re doing neither because
as our previous team leader put it; “It’s your
intention not your location that matters.” So in June
we move into a lovely little flat near our temporary
home. We worship at a Nepali Church called ‘Hope
Methodist.’ Andy has preached a few times to the
small young congregation (about 40, average age
25).Their enthusiastic worship is accompanied by a
drum and an out of tune guitar. We love it and
hope to be a steady, encouraging and
empowering influence there.
Friends: We’re slowly getting to know a mix of
Nepali, English, Hindu, Christian people. We don’t
have energy to be as hospitable as we’d like.
Andy doesn’t get to practise his Nepali much.
One Hindu friend is reading the Bible with us.
Rather than listing prayer requests we have
highlighted them in bold print above. Thank you so
much for your continued support.
Andy and Jenny
If you would like to
support Andy and
Jenny by prayer and
committed regular giving, visit
bmsworldmission.org/partners or call 01235
517617 for a 24:7 Partners leaflet.