Observations on the Christian church in Nepal

     The Sabbath is on Saturday for all religions here. Since I've been here, I have been attending a nondenominational church with my host family.  Church services last for two hours.  Before you enter, shoes are left scattered outside.  Women sit on the left, men on the right.  We sit cross legged elbow to elbow in a large empty room with six noisy ceiling fans which circulate air from the open, unscreened windows.  The praise band consists of a guitar player, a drummer, a violinist, 4 backup singers, and on occasion, a keyboardist.  We stand for the first half hour to sing songs praising God.   This is nothing like church services back home.  These people sing from a deep inside of them. I get caught up listening to them sing in heavily accented English.  About half of the songs are sung in English and I recognize all of them, most of the songs are by Christian praise artists such as Chris Tomlin.
     The next part of the service consists of personal testimonies.  During these tear filled testimonies, it is eye opening for me to see how much these people have given up for their choice of faith and how overjoyed they are now with their choice.  When a person leaves another religion (Hindu, Muslim) they face shunning from their community and even their families.  They are kicked out of their homes, and in the villages, they are banned from the villages.  It is truly a sacrifice to become a Christian here.  They face social and economic hardships from this decision to become a Christian.  The need for fellowship-to connect with other believers-is essential here.  I never understood the importance of fellowship until I came here.  It is an essential lifeline providing connections and support for the believers here.  The church is truly a family.  They support each other and take care of each others needs.
     After testimonies, the sermon is preached.  People follow along in their very worn, well read bibles.  I was impacted by the condition of their worn bibles...the handprints worn into the leather, the tattered pages.  It speaks volumes.   Prayer follows the sermon.  Nepali style prayer means everybody prays out loud at the same time.  This was quite unnerving to me at first, but I have grown accustomed to it and now it seems comforting.  After the two hour service, people leave for each others homes to share a meal.
     Communion services are essentially the same as those in the States.  The main difference is that the bread they use here is roti-which is a cross between flatbread and a tortilla. I haven't participated yet because I still haven't mastered the art of tearing off a small piece of roti while using only my right hand.  In this culture, the left hand is considered unclean. It cannot be used for eating, greeting, or giving presents.  I am still practising this skill.  The next time you eat a quesadilla, try tearing off a 1/4 x1/4 inch square piece using only your right hand and you'll see my dilemma. Any suggestions would be appreciated!
    The church in Asia is vibrant and emotional, unlike anything I have ever experienced.  With their lives drastically changed, these people are living their faith outwardly in all aspects and enduring the trials which result from their choice of faith.  My experience here with the church has changed my perspective of worship.  I have seen a church truly alive and I have been changed after meeting these Christians.
    On another note, the Nepali government is in the process of writing a new constitution.  The Christians here are concerned that the new constitution would prohibit their religion.  This is a very real possibility if the Hindu extremists can get enough support.  If this happens, the Christians in Nepal would be forced to go underground, meeting secretly in homes.  Please pray about this.