March 2003
Kathmandu, Nepal

Dear Friends,

This letter is written at a time when the word “change” is on the lips, hearts, and minds of those of us living and working with the United Mission to Nepal. As we all know, while change can be good and necessary, it can also be uncertain and threatening.

Things are changing here in Nepal. On the one hand, they are looking up. Not only is the weather taking a turn for the warmer, but the ceasefire called by the government and the Maoists seems to be holding. People are still skeptical, but at least they have a glimmer of hope now. We continue to pray for peace as talks take place and those affected by the seven-year conflict struggle to get their lives back together. The losses to individuals and the country as a whole have been tremendous. It feels almost awkward to say that our family has been blessed with safety and good health since returning to Nepal in June 2002. Sometimes we feel so fortunate, so sheltered, so blessed beyond measure. No matter how hard we try to reach out, no matter how hard we try to empathize, the truth is that we have the choice to be here or to leave, and our Nepali neighbors do not. We often struggle with this reality, particularly as the country—and the United Mission to Nepal—have been forced to weather the storm of change.

Besides these physical changes seen through the eyes of a child-turned-adult, there is a major transition in the making: the impending handover of the hospital by UMN to a Nepali organization or entity of some kind. Not much is clear yet, but the wheels of change are turning, and by 2005 UMN will no longer operate Tansen Hospital. Although this change has been anticipated for decades, it is a difficult and scary prospect, especially for the Nepali staff involved.

Luckily some things in Tansen are constant. The work of the hospital continues to benefit the poor and sick, and the community health program continues to teach people how to prevent illness and improve their quality of life. The need for doctors, hospital administrators, and support personnel remains, as the workload never seems to get any lighter. This is because the hospital has a great reputation, and people come from as far away as India and up to several days walk in search of care—“Jesus care,” as the Tansen staff call it. The motto of Tansen Hospital is written on the front gate: “We Serve, Jesus Heals.” I am happy to say that this philosophy hasn’t changed either. The holistic care people find at Tansen hospital is modeled by Jesus himself, as he ministered to physical, mental, and spiritual needs of those around Him.

The video Andy shot and the stories I collected for the Friends of Tansen magazine I edited, illustrate the great witness of this place and of those who serve here. As I bumped into Nepali Christian staff whom I knew 30 years ago, I was reminded that even as the missionaries come and go, these faithful servants have remained. Their dedication to the mission and vision of the hospital is unprecedented.

Please join us in praying for the future of mission projects like Tansen Hospital. Pray for those responsible for planning the change process within UMN, and for those whom the change will affect. And most of all, lift up the country as a whole as it faces the possibility of a political change that will bring long-awaited peace. And while you are praying for Nepal, pray for your own country too. We all need peace.

While in Tansen this last visit I spent half my time telling my son how things “used to be.” At one point Christopher said, “Mom, you really are stuck on that ‘used to be’ stuff.”

He’s right. It’s time to make a few changes. And may our God, the Unchanging One, lead us in making them.

Yours in Christ,

Ellen & Andy Collins,
Christopher & Jonathan

The 2003 Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study, p. 166