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God is at Work
Based near Kathmandu in Nepal, Niranjan and Sonu are an amazing example of the wonderful partners Bright Hope World is privileged to work with. Although sometimes the title “partner” sounds too formal, because Niranjan and Sonu are first and foremost our friends.
After the devastating earthquake that hit Nepal in 2015, Niranjan and Sonu were very active in their local communities not just providing relief, but also quickly transitioning into thinking about job creation for those whose livelihoods had been shattered by the disaster. Late last year, I was fortunate enough to spend some quality time with Niranjan and Sonu to catch up on what they are doing and provide them with some encouragement and support. I am delighted to report they are doing well…in fact they are thriving!
Niranjan and I travelled to meet a church planter who received support from Niranjan to extend a fish farm in the local community. As we crowded into a local church, I soon realised that most of the people now attending the church were the fruit of this pastor’s labour in his community. The community saw him living as a local fisherman among the people, and so he was able to win their friendship and respect, and share the gospel with them.
The example of this fisherman showed me again why I love the values of Bright Hope World. We don’t focus on just supporting a pastor’s salary, but we work with local leaders like Niranjan, who in turn can support a church planter to be a leading fisherman in his community. And in the words of the Bible – this man really had become a fisher of men.
On this trip I was constantly challenged by the way that Niranjan and Sonu live within their own community. Everything they do is aimed at sharing the love of Jesus Christ. Even at Niranjan’s local gym, he has a specific strategy for how to share Jesus’ love with his fellow gym goers while sitting in a steamy sauna.
As we start this New Year, we thank you for your partnership and your friendship. Through the stories of our partners this year, may you too be encouraged to live a life of love in your own communities. Who knows maybe you too might be challenged to buy a fishing rod or join a gym!
James Rees-Thomas
India and Nepal Partnership Facilitator
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Bright Hope News
On the last weekend of January the entire Bright Hope World team met up at the Bridge Valley Camp near Nelson for our annual ‘Gathering’.
As so many of us travel through the year, this is the only chance we have to come together to talk about issues, enjoy each other’s company and share about the realities of what we do and what our partners are going through.
We tend to focus our concerns on our partners but what we often find at our team event is a group of people full of joy, but also struggling to balance normal work commitments alongside Bright Hope World roles.
So if you know a Bright Hope World Partnership Facilitator, please do encourage them. They are fantastic people who love God and want to serve the poor. They are hardworking, lovely folk, but they – like all of us – do need encouragement and maybe even a little recognition for what they do.
Life Change Story – Nakoli School, Zambia
Prayer and Praise
Nakoli Community School in Kabwe, Zambia has been a Bright Hope World partner since 2008 and is run in partnership with a local church as a way to provide good education and Christian input into young lives.
There are many children in Kabwe whose guardians and parents are so poor that it is impossible to send their children to school. The children are keen to learn but have little or no opportunity to excel. Nakoli Community School was established by OM Zambia to provide these children with an education.
Isaac is one of the teachers at Nakoli, and is currently teaching Grade 6. When he first started teaching this grade, he noticed Victor among the students. Victor was stubborn, rude and at times very naughty. He only came to school when he felt like it, sometimes only twice a week. He came to school without bathing and often complained of losing his exercise books, pens and pencils.
Many teachers may have simply found Victor to be a nuisance or a distraction, but Isaac’s interest is not just teaching, but also the students themselves.
At Nakoli they have a devotion time every morning with a scripture verse for the week. Isaac began to pray for Victor. He prayed that God would change him and can now testify that God is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20).
Victor has improved in behaviour and performance. In 2016 his end of term results were so high that he received an award as one of the top five students in Grade 6. His parents are also excited about the change they see in him. To God be the glory!
Read more about Nakoli Community School (ZAM25) here.
We greatly appreciate your prayers for us and our partners.
- Pray for Niranjan and Sonu and the other church planters in Nepal, that God will strengthen them and provide continued wisdom and guidance.
- Pray for Isaac and the other teachers at Nakoli Community School as they seek to share God’s love with the children there.
- Pray For Victor, that God might continue to work in his life and he would continue to excel in his work and grow in his faith.
- Pray for our partnership facilitators as they plan travel for the year ahead and work closely with our partners to set budgets and grapple with local issues. Please pray also for safe travel for our team this year.
- Praise for an inspiring and encouraging team gathering in Nelson a few weeks ago.
Bright Hope World, PO Box 8928, Christchurch 8440, New Zealand
Phone: (03) 341 0933 Fax: (03) 341 3363
www.brighthopeworld.com
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