Expelled From Nepal, "Letting Goods and Kindred Go" -- Nomads Again

The memory is still tender, so first I will just give you my journal entries of our last days in Nepal. (In parentheses I'll explain a few things you wouldn't know.) Then in a separate blog I'll put the articles published about this happening, including being accused of being CIA agents.

6-3-76: It was yesterday that Dick told us as a group that visas are not being renewed and that the government plans to terminate our SIL work in Nepal. Dick and David [SIL director and administrator respectively for our Nepal branch of about 100 workers in close to 30 language groups] see the Vice-Chancellor today at 12 while we fast and pray. We were prepared that the plane would be refused, but not everything. Our visas all expire on August 28 -- 3 months to end a life-time work. Last night we gathered for prayer at Hugoniot's. My heart was low as we prayed--until the Lord showed me a picture of Him with us all, Tharus too, gathered around Him in worship. He will do it, without us, or with, but HE will do it.

2:30 p.m.: I didn't sleep much last night and was was up early about 4-5 a.m. John 16:20: "Your sorrow shall be turned to joy." The word was given: 3 months maximum, out by the end of August. No appeals. It's unreal. Am really in a state of shock, and exhaustion. We prayed and sang from 11 to 2, knowing God's plans are far larger than ours. So many thoughts swimming in my head. Dick cried as we prayed for him. Bill and I had just heard a message (by Bob Mumford) about running to meet the bulldozer. God's will is goodness.

Christian activity, and for our Christian witness, we are called to suffer for His Name....leaving my lovely Nepali and Tharu brothers and sisters here.

6-4-76: June 2, Daily Light from Exodus 12:11: "Up! Be gone! This is no more your land and home. This world is not our home; we are looking forward to our everlasting home in heaven." Somehow it seems like years since yesterday. It was just yesterday that Bill shared Christ with Damda, and He received Him. Bill has also shared Him with our dear malidai (faithful gardener, shopper, and general handyman for five years) and with our landlord this morning.

At long last the restraints are lifted and we can shout His praise. (We were not allowed to share our faith with anyone and "no proselytizing." That was part of the agreement SIL had. We knew that God's Word would be enough without our spoken words). This morning I went over and helped EBE (another mission organization) pack up their book exhibition as they too were told to leave. Mr. Sharma told us that the country is in a crisis now.

6-6-76: Thank you, Lord, for everything. Yesterday morning we had a meeting at TU (Tribuhuvan University, with whom we had the agreement to study and analyze the languages of Nepal) to discuss close-up details. When they announced no on could return to their village, my heart broke. I got out of the room before the tears spilled. My emotions have caught up with the reality, but not the truth of His control. It will come. He is Lord of lords and King of kings.

We had a good meeting last night at Shepherd's. Today Bill took Damda to Ganeshwar, (the Nepali church), where he took communion, after a warning and exhortation from Bill. He fully considers himself a Christian. May God work it though and through.

I still haven't been able to write letters. Tears are always close to the surface. Isaiah 55 has been a lovely promise. At tonight's meeting it's Bill's turn to speak. What a time! He will speak on forgiveness.

Such a turmoil in selling all our stuff. Just doesn't seem real or possible. Wish we could leave it all somehow. It's a strange feeling. I don't feel we've got as much time as it seems.

6-13-76: What a week. But for His goodness and faithfulness--impossible. We've sold nearly everything, and then had 500 rupees stolen, plus some of our stuff.

Nepali people of course want to argue and bargain till I've burst into tears. They don't believe in fixed prices. It's demoralizing to live in an empty house. Jon and Jenny have been better.

Bill and I had a good exit interview with Dick, though plans keep changing. First I was to go to the Philippines and wait one month for Bill. Now I'll fly with Nancy (Watters) and Sandy (Gordon) to London with our 8 kids and we will hopefully stay with friends Ron and Sue Trudinger a bit.

Then we'll fly on to Oklahoma to be with Bill's folks, and our prayer group there with Dow and Lois. Maybe we'll wait for Bill there. We move out to TU in 2 weeks. Bill will stay there and hopefully Kissan will come too. They're checking through Mark now. John 14-21 has been my reading and feasting this week--so much of His death and life in this all, and then Jesus' question: "Lovest thou me more than these?" More tears.

6-21-76: For the next few weeks I'm being trained to take Joan's place burning plates for our Ricoh offset press. (We had set up an around the clock printing of Scripture as it was being finished.) Am thankful to have this part in the work. Such good lessons on possessions and friendship and LOVE.

6-30: Thoroughly enjoying doing the Ricoh press. Feel so privileged to be a part of what's going on, so exciting to know He's going to bless abundantly His Word as it goes forth. So tired--hours long--to 10 every evening. Bill finished checking Mark today. Yet there are moments of real encouragement, knowing people are praying. The joy of promise outweighs all sorrow.

7-5-76: Such long days, but not long enough. Nights to midnight now. Good night out with Dick and Edie, and Dave and Nancy last Friday. Everyone is working hard and are tired. Jon's been uptight, feeling our tiredness. Forgive me, Lord, and heal us all.

7-14: Time is going so quickly. Days continue long, and yet the thrill of being part of god's place in this just keeps increasing in my heart. I praise Him for this encouragement. I'm now training Maria and Marlena (single women because all the women with kids were to leave first--men and single women stayed til the end) to take my Ricoh job when we leave. Everyone is obviously under pressure these days and everyone is obviously being kept and upheld by the power of God. It's exciting and a joyful thing to behold.

The book of Mark is almost photo-ready and we hope to see it off the press by the end of the week, and I hope to take one with us when we go. The kids have been so good lately too. I took Jon to see the Biola King's Players two nights ago and it left him really thinking.

7-17: Tharu Mark is done!!!!! Praise God. Soon His Word will sound to every village. God is faithful. Things are getting busier and busier. My last night was good and I felt encouraged to believe Him for His care on this trip--a removal of fear.

Many are so tired and wearing down and on edge (now many working round the clock to print translations). But it's Glory to love each other in spite of these things, and see His blessing in each other's lives. As Roma, a dear friend said, "It's been worth 15 years with Wycliffe to be here this last month." She echoes the cry of my heart too.

The next blog entry will be July 23, from England. I would not see Bill again until the middle of next month. This I didn't know since communication was not instant like these days. Even getting a phone connection out of the country was often impossible. Letters were the only way we communicated and those often took three weeks.

This quote by Bilbo Baggins, in The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien, expresses my heart then and all the years to come, here on earth, and beyond: "The greatest adventure is what lies ahead." 

Song: Matt Redman, "It is Well with My Soul" -- I love the new verses he has written in. Weeping may come for a night, but joy comes in the morning: It Is Well with My Soul

This poem by Amy Carmichael, in Roses from Briers, expresses my heart (with most of the thee and thou words changed to you):

You have not THAT, My child, but you have ME;
And am not I alone enough for thee?
I know it all, know how your heart was set
Upon this joy which is not given yet.

I know it all: but from your brier shall blow
a rose for others. If it were not so
I would have told you. Come, then, say to me:
My Lord, my Love, I am content with Thee.

Here is the last photo that I have of our SIL/Wycliffe group taken in 1975. We represented many different countries. Bill and I are in the first two rows, second from the left end, surrounded by friends who served, suffered, and loved with us.