Sonam and Rita Kabo have been back in Nepal dealing with the aftermath of the earthquake.   They experience after shocks every day, and are ministering to those in great need.  Recently they each sent updates and pictures of the area they are in.   See below for Rita’s Update on the women and children.  (If you would like to give to the Earthquake Relief  for Sonam and Rita to help others, please send check to BMI (address under “Giving” menu) but memo “Earthquake”.)

Update from Sonam: 

As Nehemiah’s heart was broken when he heard the news that the walls of Jerusalem were broken down, and he wept, mourned, fasted and prayed to God, our hearts are broken too.  When we see all the devastation and brokenness everywhere and in every person in Nepal due to a massive and destructive earthquake which hit on 25th April, we are sorrowful, but we trust in God, who can help us re-build again from the rubbles and ashes.

If you read our last update, you know that we were in the US when the earthquake hit.  As we came back to Nepal, we knew it well that there would be much relief works yet to be done after the earthquake. Even today, there are still multiple tremors taking place almost everyday in Kathmandu. Nonetheless, we have so many challenges and ministry opportunities as well in this nation of idols. 

The book of Acts Chapter 16 reminds us that how Paul and Silas were praising and singing to the Lord God despite their chains and imprisonment  in the jail and ultimately, how the Jailer’s whole household believed in the Lord Jesus Christ right after a violent earthquake hit the jail. No matter what and how dreadful circumstances we face in our lives in this world, nothing can stop us from worship and praising our Lord Jesus Christ the life giver and we have survived because of there is more ministry opportunity to be done in the rest of our lives.

Destruction Nearby

 Elim Church 

We are grateful to God that all our church people at Elim Church were safe and protected although some of our members’ houses had been damaged. Our main ministry building was fine and safe, but one of our school’s senior section buildings had to be demolished as per the government group of engineers (please see a separate report below written by Rita concerning the school). Our own house was also found to be well in its condition according to the engineers except its fens walls and some hair – line cracks of the house, which needed to be repaired soon. Thankfully, we have our house insurance and they will do the needful repair works as we have reported to the insurance company.

Further report says, more than 700 Christian brothers and sisters have died with the earthquake and countless house Church buildings also have been destroyed especially in the countryside. But in general, more than 8000 people are reported dead and about 14 thousand people have been injured severely and they are now under treatment in the different hospitals. Moreover, about more than 8 million people have been affected by this earthquake. About 335 old and main Hindu temples and Buddhist monasteries including many other tourists’ attraction buildings and places have been collapsed very badly. Also, more than 80 thousand houses and buildings have been destroyed in this earthquake. It was indeed a heart breaking and difficult to accept the reality situation that the people of Nepal are now facing. Although, many foreign countries and Churches around the world helping Nepal individually, organizationally, and sacrificially, the re-building Nepal process is still seems to be overwhelming and insufficient. Many non-Christians of Nepal now have a critical question in their hearts that why their millions of god and goddess did not protect their nation from such a massive and destructive earthquake?

Prayer Meeting with Christian Federation of Nepal President

We have a Church network called ‘Christian Federation of Nepal’ (CFN) a Christian voice to Nepal Government where all most all Christian top Pastors and leaders of Nepal are on its Board committee including both of us. We have organized a prayer meeting for the nation where we have the privilege to lead the meeting in various places in Kathmandu valley.

Also, CFN took the initiative to collect the funds for Nepal’s Prime Minister’s Relief fund to help the needy nationally. About more than 25 thousand US dollars was handed over to Prime Minister Sushil Koirala last week from the Nepalese Christian community for the relief works. Our own Church relief team was able to help with food and clothes mainly in two major earthquake affected districts – Dhading and Ramechaap.

Also, our main involvement now is to visit to several earthquake Pastors and believers in different districts with trauma counseling and prayers.

Please do continue to stay with us in prayer as we believe that our only hope is in Jesus Christ and Him alone. Most of our people now literally believe that our lives are like a mist and vapor – uncertainty in life. In the situation as such, we as Christian will rise up and shine forth without any hesitation and proclaim the good news of our Lord Jesus Christ who wants everyone to be saved eternally but not be perished. We believe that we now have more opportunity than ever before in the history of Christianity in Nepal and we are so much excited to see many souls to be saved and many new Churches to be planted everywhere in this nation of Nepal.

Nepal post earthquake reminds us to call back how we have begun our ministries:

In generous and faithful ministry partnership with BMI (Burnham Ministries International) Elim Ministry Nepal, which is a five-fold ministries – local church called Elim Worship church, Elim Kids Academy (Christian School), Vocational training center, Discipleship and Christian leadership training Center and Care and Counseling center have been functioning since the year 2002. In fact, we took the word, ’Elim’ from the Bible in Exodus 15:27 because we knew it was a place of abundance – a place from bitterness (Marah) to sweet water and shade (Elim).

 We are indeed very grateful to the BMI family for the privilege to serve the Lord Jesus Christ together with them till today, and we will continue it even in the future as long as God would keep us alive on this earth for His purpose.

Update from Rita Kabo Concerning the Christian School, Women and Children

Elim Kids Academy

As I looked out through the window of my School Principal’s office, I see tents sprawled all around the once empty plot of land, near the school. The mother is trying to clean the place inside her tent while her three children are sitting and playing. The temperature outside is very hot and so with the hand fan, the family is trying to keep themselves cool. These children should be in school, but since they have lost everything, there is no place for them to go or even send the children to school. They are surviving on relief on a day to day basis. A question comes in my mind-‘what will be their future and that of their children who should be going to school and studying?’

There are more than fifteen children in the tents that have been displaced from their village which was totally washed away by the landslide as an effect of the earthquake. One of the parents representing the tent-dwellers have approached me to let their children come and study in Elim Kids Academy. I would like to do so, but to provide free education to all these children would mean a lot of expenses for the school-it is not only the cost of monthly tuition fees but books, school uniforms, lunch etc. that needs to be considered. I’ll be meeting with the parents again to see what can be done.

The major earthquake that hit the country of Nepal on April 25 & May 12 left a lot of destruction. It affected individuals, families and institutions alike. Even our own school building and the compound walls have collapsed and needs to be re-build and demolished. After a month long of waiting after the devastation caused by the earth- quake, the school has resumed from today. As parents brought in their children to the school, there were fears and uncertainties in their faces and reluctantly left the children. The teachers have been prepared to receive the students as they were given some post earth- quake trauma counseling and Psycho-social counseling last week. Most of the students were happy to be back to school and meet with their friends and see their teachers.

We have an enormous responsibility to take care of these precious lives that the parents and guardians have entrusted to us. We need to re-build the broken walls and the put up a barricade for the old building that needs to be demolished. We have to purchase some indoor games and crafts for the students as we need to work to release them of their fears and use creative ways to bring them back to their normal self and routine. There is so much to be done and we cannot do it alone. Your prayers and contributions in all these will help us to cope with the challenges we have in hand and slowly and steadily work toward re-building the confidence of the children.  So, thank you for your partnership!

Rita Kabo, Principal, Elim Kids Academy

Pictures Around the School: