Himalayan Region Update

As 2013 has come to a close and we are well into 2014, I reflect on the past year and how God has moved and shown up in the Himalayan Region Vineyard (HRV) churches (HRV churches are located throughout Nepal and in Nepali speaking areas of India). It’s been an exciting year and wanted to share with you what God has done, is doing and what we’re looking forward too.

The churches that are in India that are part of HRV are:

  1. Siliguri Metaonia Vineyard, Pastor Ben and Rachana
  2. Darjeeling Vineyard, Pastor Anil Sitlang
  3. Pedong Vineyard, Pastor Ruben Gurung
  4. Namchi Vineyard, Pastor Silas and Sarita Rai
  5. Gitang Vineyard, Pastor Mikma and Angela Lepcha
  6. Farek Singtam Vineyard, overseer Gadup and Furmit Lepcha
  7. Mongmu Vineyard, Ong Tshering and dawa Lepcha
  8. Dhary Gaon Vineyard, overseer Bijay Rai
  9. Gayzing tikjuk Vineyard, overseer Phurba and NS Subba
  10. Mukrung Vineyard, J B Rai and J B rai

Our HRV churches in Nepal are:

  1. Kathmandu Vineyard with Pastor Noel Isaacs and Pastor Raju Rana
  2. Kotgoan Vineyard with Pastor Madan
  3. Chhampi Vineyard with Overseer Uddav thapa
  4. Gatlang Vineyard with Overseer Pram BK
  5. Nessing Vineyard with Overseer Kuni Prsad
  6. Gorkha Vineyard with Pastor Paul

We’re really excited to share about our new church plants!:

  1. Gangtok vineyard with pastor Silas and the Team.
  2. Kalmpoong Vineyard, with overseer Maken and Siliguri Vineyard (Already a number of people have started gathering)
  3. Possible Chruch plant next year at Pokhara, Nepal.

Overseers that are going to be Ordained as Pastors on this Aprill gathering  are Uddav Thapa from Champi, Sukra Tamang and Suren Rai from Namchi, JB Rai from Ferek Vineyard and Pram BJ from Goatlang.

Ministry/Outreach

Church service.For those of you who have a part of our story or have been able to spend time with us in Nepal or India, you know that outreach and ministry is where our hearts are.  Each ministry is run or headed up by either one of our partners or HRV churches.

“Ministry” can be a very vague term at times so to give you an idea of what we mean when we say “ministry” I’ve included some examples of the areas we work in.

  • Orphanages
  • Street Kids
  • Safe housing for girls at risk
  • Food Hamper at river bed areas
  • Mobile Bible School
  • Skill training schools for single moms
  • Ministry to the blind
  • Run a school for slum kids
  • Run an English school for children
  • Micro businesses
  • Medical outreach
  • Worship ministry
  • Short term housing for the needy
  • Rehab drop in (drug addicts)
  • Pension program for old old widows.

Looking back over the history of our church, it’s very clear to be that we are in a very strong and healthy place.  In 2013 alone our churches have grown by 25% with new believers! There are leadership teams in place, house groups, baptisms, we have a political voice in our own communities, and we have a growing body of believers. The youth are passionate and seeking ways to grow closer with God such as staying up all night to pray for the country and other youth. There is more going on then just our normal weekly gatherings; there is a passion for more of God and a passion to see His Kingdom come.

What 2014 will bring:

Mitthu Didi in the Vineyard courtyard.With every new year, we eagerly await to see where the Lord is leading us. While we know that every day new and exciting things come up and remind us of His goodness, but here is a taste of what we’re looking forward too.

  • School of Justice (SOJ): The SOJ from Winnipeg, Canada is coming in April for one month. Our overseers and interns will join them to do a month long daily study and outreach to the poorest areas around Kathmandu and throughout Nepal. The students and all the HRV pastors will be traveling to Gorkha for the opening ceremony of the new church building.
  • There will be two Mobile Bible Schools, one in Kathmandu, one in India. We are excited to have Pastor Danny Mullins from Gilbert Arizona Vineyard and pastor Andy Wood from Winnipeg Vineyard here to teach on Immanuel prayer and o the book of Genesis. Also John Rademaker from Winnipeg will be visiting and mentoring our pastors on one-to-one basis.
  • All of our HRV churches are going to be doing a 40day fast and prayer. The focus of this time will be asking for the gift of healing. We long to see God move and heal those in our communities as well as those from other Vineyard churches who have asked for our prayers.
  • We are excited to be taking two medical teams; one in the summer and one in he fall, to the remote areas of Nepal. We are going to be providing free health check ups and medicine to over a 1000 people.
  • This past October there was the Asia Vineyard Summit in Bangalore, India. It was a time of fellowship, ministry and praise and we are excited to be apart of the planning meetings happening in Kathmandu for the conference coming in 2016.
  • Personally I’m looking forward to seeing all of your faces in Kathmandu!
  • Looking forward to Vineyard Himalayan women’s conference, which is happening by the end of the January 2015 in Pokhara.

Names of church’s where there is an incomplete church building project:

(All these churches have buildings however they are all still being worked on. I am sharing this as partnership means “ doing together what none of us can do alone” our budget functions like this. 3% goes to Central HRV fund. 30% goes to Compassion Fund. 30% goes to Pastoral Staff support fund and 37 % goes to Admin Fund. So your partnership is welcomes in these bigger needs of HRV)

  • Silguiri Vineyard, India
  • Namchi Vineyard, India
  • Gitang Vineyard, India
  • Darjeeling Vineyard, India
  • Champi Vineyard, Nepal

I would like to send out a special thanks to Pastor Todd and Lisa Brousseau for allowing their daughter Shauna to join us over the course of six months. She was able to help us in the church as a secretary and helping plan the upcoming SOJ trip. Thanks to BLT Vineyard Community for praying for her and our family while she is with us.

While this newsletter is a lot of facts and figures we must remember that there’s more at work then we know. God has been strengthening us from the inside out and that has been especially clear to us this past year. None of this would have been possible without you and your continued partnership. To me partnership is doing together what none of us can do alone, which is also humbly learning from one another. We have been blessed, encouraged and our passion reignited to see His Kingdom come, because of our friendship.

We are encouraged by you and how you actively join our story. If you feel as though you are able to walk along side us as we do ministry or finish our incomplete building projects, we would love to hear from you! If you or your community of believers have encouraging words to pass onto myself and my fellow pastors in HRV I will make sure they are passed along them. We pray for you regularly and are so blessed to have you in our lives.

 

Blessings, Noel Isaacs

Director/Senior Pastor – Himalayan Region Vineyard Churches.

Photos by Matthew Sawatsky

One thought on “Himalayan Region Update

Comments are closed.