“I only nearly went off the side of a mountain a couple of times,” says Mark Taylor, International Ministry Director, who recently travelled for the first time to Nepal. Mark experienced an up-close view of the Himalayan mountains and villages by motorbike. “As I rode everywhere through the hills, you’d smell the incense burning long before reaching the village.” Mark and Sean MacKenzie, Ministry Specialist (South Asia), share their thoughts on the Hindu culture in Nepal.

Roadside temples

Sean says: “All you have to do is step off the road and you’ll come to a courtyard like this. Apartments where people are living. And in the middle of the courtyard as you can see is the temple, the worship centre, for this particular neighbourhood and it’s a busy place.”

“You have your dragons protecting the doorway into the building, the temple. People come here every day and have their puja or worship time and are worshipping these gods… pieces of stone and statues. These are the people that we have a heart for, to give them a chance to hear and give them a chance to respond and to get to know Jesus, and to find a new way of life and life fullness here and forever.”

Spirits in the air

“The culture is pervasively Hindu. And everywhere you go you are reminded of that. You sense it spiritually in the air,” says Mark. “There’s this abject devotion to these inanimate objects — whether it’s those temples or small stones in middle of road that they put pink stuff on. Everywhere you go, you realise these people are highly superstitious. You can see children being taught and taken along to the temple.”

“I was fascinated by the number of schools everywhere: private schools, advanced college of education. Knowledge is their salvation. They firmly believe the only way to succeed is to get education.”

Sean adds: “You have to remember that this is a Hindu culture where hope is not really a big part of the Hindu character. Hinduism has a large part of Karma attached to it which means your future is already mapped out which means that there’s not point to helping anyone else or hope that there is a change in place. Karma means it is all set.”

Serving the community by radio

Aafno FM listeners“And this is the people: the mountain and village people that the Aafno FM radio stations are established to serve. Community radio serving these people in the mountain districts. And we wanted to give you an idea of what it’s like out here. Remember to pray for the country of Nepal, but especially for our service to the communities in the name of the Lord.”