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| Nepali boys display a snake |
As I began my morning walk today it was if the Lord was in my steps propelling me forward, behind my back gently urging me upward with his kind and gently guiding hand. As I traversed the steep south-facing ridge above our house my breathing seemed lighter, my senses felt sharper. I walk this same route almost daily, but today felt different; It was almost as if I was reawakening from a recent slumber.
As I walk I notice how crisp the air seems, how close the town nestled on a plateau several hundred feet below my meandering path, appears against the dark green background of the surrounding forested hills and bright-blue morning sky. I take in the beauty of the intricately delicate flowers, just beginning their Spring bloom, that line the trail’s edge. My ears straining to discern the individual contributions of several varieties of mountain song-birds, each fulfilling their intended duties (part) in an amazing, seemingly orchestrated, cacophony of praise to their creator. My heart joins in agreement as I pass through their pine and rhododendron- covered forest home that makes up the normal path of my early morning exercise jaunt. And as I crest the ridge I am met by a cool north breeze rushing down from the nearby Himalayas. I drink it all in, the majestic snow-covered peaks, some nearly 26,000 feet high and a mere 40 miles away, reach high into the northern sky, contrasting starkly against the deep blue hue of the heavens beyond into Tibet. Today they stand so clear, so vivid, that I feel I could almost reach out and touch them! God, what an amazing world you have created!
It has been a while since our last “Snippets” (just over six weeks), and as you could probably tell from the tenor of the last missive, or at least from the circumstances mentioned therein (e.g. sicknesses, water shortages and battles with the rats), life was feeling a bit overwhelming for us all. Today, as I was walking, I realized that we had slowly slipped into a bit of a fog of living UNDER those circumstances. Over the past month, although the circumstances have not changed significantly enough to warrant natural heart change (although we THINK we finally won against the rats!), God has begun to return signs of life and hope to the Beine family currently residing in Tansen, Nepal. May we share with you a few of the circumstances (through short story form) that he is using to accomplish this?
You might remember me writing in July about a nasty incident that occurred when the brakes failed on a jeep coming down the hill outside the hospital causing it to crash through the hospital wall! Just a few minutes earlier there were 20 or so people waiting by the gate right where the jeep crashed. That same morning, however, the guard had let them in five minutes earlier, so 10 o'clock when the jeep came through the wall there was no one there. There are many different possible scenarios of a speeding vehicle careening down the hill in one of Tansen's busiest intersections, but a scenario without a number of serious injuries or deaths is difficult to imagine. Yet like a miracle, a femur fracture on one of the jeep’s passengers was the most serious personal injury. One of the employees of the hospital on her way to work was one of the first people coming to the scene of the accident. She heard one of the men shout: "He saved us all, Jesus saved us all." Another man asked, "which Jesus?" and he was told "The Jesus on the hospital sign"! The nearby Tansen Mission Hospital sign reads “We Serve, Jesus Heals!”
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| The morning sun hits the nearby Himalayas: You can almost reach out and touch them! |
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| The jeep accident |
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| The new wall |
The wall is now fixed and the fresh paint serves as a reminder to us all that although the evil one wants to kill, destroy and ruin, God has placed His angels on the walls around Tansen Mission Hospital. Join us in praying for the many patients who we touch daily who need to come to know this God that cares so much for them!
Our Continuing Adoption Journey
Two years ago we told you about baby Tamang, a baby girl abandoned here at the hospital. We were asked (and were ready) to adopt her, but US regulations and the inability to get papers for her  |
| two of the three neglected children |
made it impossible. In the end, after a month living in the corner of the nurse’s station, by God’s grace she was adopted to a Nepali family living in western Nepal. And last year three local children were found in a miserable state, dirty, malnourished and full of worms. Their father was an alcoholic and wasn’t caring for them and their mother had been working abroad and the family hadn’t heard from her in three years. They were admitted to the nutrition rehab center in Tansen while the father tried, unsuccessfully to rehab. He said he couldn’t care for all three and wanted to give up the two younger children. We were asked if we might be
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| A happy (and healthy) reunited family |
willing to consider adopting them, but unfortunately, or so we thought at the time, the US government has made it impossible for Americans to adopt here due to much abuse in then adoption system. As a result the father and children were taken in by a Nepali family in the church. Then a few months ago, to everyone’s surprise, the mother returned home. Having now slowly gotten to know the kids again, they have moved to a small mud house and once again live together as a family. The kids are happy and energetic and the mom has said that her husband has now stopped drinking and that he makes money so they all have food to eat. So, we can see God’s hand in all of this.
Has thou no scar?
Hast thou no scar?
No hidden scar on foot, or side, or hand?
I hear thee sung as mighty in the land;
I hear them hail thy bright, ascendant star.
Hast thou no scar?
Hast thou no wound?
Yet I was wounded by the archers; spent,
Leaned Me against a tree to die; and rent
By ravening beasts that compassed Me, I swooned.
Hast thou no wound?
No wound? No scar?
Yet, as the Master shall the servant be,
And piercèd are the feet that follow Me.
But thine are whole; can he have followed far
Who hast no wound or scar?
No hidden scar on foot, or side, or hand?
I hear thee sung as mighty in the land;
I hear them hail thy bright, ascendant star.
Hast thou no scar?
Hast thou no wound?
Yet I was wounded by the archers; spent,
Leaned Me against a tree to die; and rent
By ravening beasts that compassed Me, I swooned.
Hast thou no wound?
No wound? No scar?
Yet, as the Master shall the servant be,
And piercèd are the feet that follow Me.
But thine are whole; can he have followed far
Who hast no wound or scar?
This is a poem that I read years ago by early missionary pioneer to India Amy Carmichael. We are currently reading a book where this poem was again featured. Over the past few months, although we still face various physical, cultural and personal challenges, God has reminded us that he is enough for us. And we have certainly grown through the circumstances and we are content to discover his presence (and provision) in the midst of our difficulties, rather than asking him to take them away. We were recently “comparing notes” with another American doctor who splits his year between his home country and serving at a remote hospital here in Nepal. He commented how difficult it is to go back and forth because he sees (and personally experiences) so much suffering here, while the church in our homeland mainly seeks entertainment, comfort and safety and seems to be so devoid of any theology of suffering. We sometimes share the same struggle of trying to reconcile our two very different worlds. I just finished reading the book of Matthew and it is clear that if we follow him as his disciples we will suffer (See Matthew 24:9). And Paul makes the bold assertion:
"For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ,
not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake."
Philippians 1:29
So, hast thou no scar?
Having said that, we have one current circumstance that, although it is causing us to grow tremendously in our maturity communication and faith, we would like to ask you to join us in praying about. We have now had our first (several actually) tastes of the age-old turbulent adolescent struggle known as “teenage.” And although we are experiencing what is probably a normal level of male teenage hormones, peer influence, defiance, uncertainty of beliefs, etc., (you seasoned parents are probably laughing at us about now), this is OUR first teenager so it feels perplexing and overwhelming at times. Please join us in praying for our oldest, that we would have patience and wisdom in walking with him through it, and that the Lord would make himself real to Nick in his good timing.
Okay, that gives you plenty to be praying for.
Dave (for all)
P.S. here are a few pictures from the past month
P.S. here are a few pictures from the past month
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| Now THAT is a rat! |
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| Josh and mom at church |
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| Girls from the local ethnic Magar tribe along the trail during y morning walk |
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| Nick playing guitar during worship |
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