I am recently back home after visiting Nepal—teaching students in the College every morning (in English) and teaching lay church workers who had come together from all over the country in the afternoons (this had to be interpreted into Nepali).

Before I went I wrote and spoke to friends about where I was going and what I was going to do.

It was tremendous to have my local church behind me with their interest and prayers and I kept them up to date with a few letters from Katmandu.

It was heartening to have two people say that they wanted to journey with me in prayer for this visit. What a joy it was to sense there were others praying for me regarding specific features of this assignment!

One person wrote to me with some money saying, “I can’t go but you can. I can’t teach theology but you can. I am well paid and you are a volunteer—please accept this money to help you pay the expenses of the trip.”

The prayers, letters, money and cards were all visible expressions of the support of other key players in this TWB trip. This was no solo voyage. I told my Nepali students about the bevy of supporters who were supporting me in different ways and they were heartened to learn that people were remembering them and sharing in their learning and development.

One of the earliest theologians without borders once asked the rhetorical question, “Are all teachers?” (1 Cor. 12: 20)

Thank God that some have been appointed to be teachers but be grateful that others have been gifted to pray, encourage and give so that together we get the job done.

Join with me in challenging teachers to give at least a week of teaching and encouragement in a country like Nepal.

Encourage others that cannot go to gift the taxi fare to the airport, the airfare and visa costs or some much appreciated Air Miles.

I have a growing number of teachers expressing a desire to serve but who currently, are not being able to muster the funds for the airfare. Are you one of them? I’d love to hear from you.

I’d also love to hear from people who can give a fare and/or some Air Miles.

Dr Geoff Pound

Image: This was the view from the building where training was held every afternoon last week in Katmandu. Rice fields in the foreground that I had to walk through to get to the training centre. Marvelous mountains in the background. Different shades of green. A visual delight especially when I live in a dusty city surrounded by brown mountains and the sandy desert.