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October 14, 2000
Dear Friends,
I have now finished the four-month Nepali language crash course
and have started working for the United Mission to Nepal (UMN).
UMN is a large ecumenical Christian development organization that
was one of the first to be
invited into Nepal when foreign organizations were allowed in
in the early 1950s. It has about 2000 employees, some 200 of which
are expatriates like myself. UMN works in four main areas: rural
development, education, industry and energy, and health (my area).
The Health Services Department has four hospitals, five community
health projects, and specialized projects in nutrition, AIDS,
mental health, oral health, tuberculosis, and medicine supply.
I am an advisor in planning and evaluation to the department and
the projects.
The next few years will be very challenging ones. Each project
requires outside funding, and nearly all of them currently have
expatriates in prominent positions. Our goal is for all projects
to be managed by Nepalis and ultimately taken over as Nepali organizations.
My experience in India, working with the Emmanuel Hospital Association,
an Indian mission association, will be helpful in this regard.
Since there is now terrorist activity in our field areas, a potential
adverse change in foreign policy, visa insecurities, and difficulty
in getting long-term mission personnel, it is likely that UMN
expatriates will be fewer in coming years. So, there is some urgency
in preparing our Nepali colleagues. I ask for your prayers in
giving me wisdom and discernment to absorb this complex situation
and to know God’s will.
Let me share with you some of the challenge. Nepal is about one-third
"Terai" (plains), one-third mountains and one-third
very high mountains. If you can find a map of Nepal that shows
its roads, you’ll find very few: one runs the length of the
Terai and another goes up to Kathmandu and to Pokara, and that
is it. Kathmandu, the capital city, cut off from the rest of the
country for 15 days during the monsoons. Only one way in and out.
There are airstrips scattered around the country, but most people
walk. Two of our four hospitals are inaccessible by road—one
is a five-hour walk from the nearest road, the other a two-day
walk. Our four hospitals provide 20-25 percent of all hospital
inpatient and outpatient care in Nepal. Less than 500 beds, more
than 22 million people. What strikes me as challenging in comparison
with other developing countries is the access problem: the mountains.
For example, the government health system is based on a series
of health posts and sub-health posts, but the system is dependent
upon supervision of the health post staff, which requires enormously
dedicated supervisory staff willing to walk for hours and hours
over a period of days to make their rounds. Of course the more
senior government district officials have horses—I was fortunate
enough to borrow one on one of my journeys into the mountains—beats
walking!
I would like to share with you the story of my friend Sham and
his wife Sujatta and their two children. Sham is in charge of
the resource center at UMN. After he and his wife became Christians
several years ago, they no longer went home during the Dasain
festival holidays. "Dasain" means "ten days"
and is the major festival period, when everyone goes to their
home village to receive "thika" from their oldest relative.
Thika is the red mark in the middle of the forehead, which is
placed as a god’s blessing. Sham and his wife couldn’t
go home because they would be forced to take "thika"
and also forced to eat meat that was sacrificed to the gods. So
for years they did not go home at that time. But this year, they
were invited home with the understanding that they would not have
to take "thika." So they went. And when they got there,
without even asking, a special goat was set aside for them and
cooked—it had not been sacrificed to the gods. When Sham
shared this story he wept with joy. I wept with him—and realized
how little I have had to sacrifice for my faith.
Before 1990, it was illegal to convert to Christianity or to
convert others and many Nepali Christians have spent months or
years in prison for their faith. Since democracy came in 1990,
the law has changed. Now, the law states that one can practice
the religion of his forefathers, which then means he can’t
convert. In fact, however, persecution is less, and Christians
have not been imprisoned, but neither have churches been allowed
to register as organizations. As part of UMN’s agreement
with the government, we are not allowed to engage in any evangelistic
activities, although we can attend church.
I want to thank all of you who have encouraged, prayed and supported
me through the process of writing the book on urban health. You
will be happy to know that Urban Health and Development—A
Practical Manual for use in Developing Countries is on its way
to the printer (or wherever it goes after one edits the proofs!)
It will be coming out early next year! Thank you so much! I must
admit I am very glad that that is over! It was a real challenge,
especially since I was homeless for much of the time!
Answers to prayer: The general agreement
between UMN and the government has been signed. Passed my Nepali
oral proficiency exam! Household goods arrived intact except dining
room table a bit damaged.
Matters of praise: Lovely flat to
live in; delightful holiday in Pokara trekking in the Annapurnas
for a few days.
Matters of prayer: Me on a scooter;
migraine headaches will lessen; agreement between health services
department and government.
In His Love,
Dr. Beverley Booth
The 2000 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p.149
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