Earthquake Update

Jeff Leighton and I recently had the privilege to travel to Nepal to be with our Himalayan Region Vineyard family. The purpose of my trip was twofold: 1) to report on the earthquake recovery and rebuilding efforts, and 2) to be together and celebrate God’s goodness and presence in a conference right at the epicentre of the first earthquake.

Here are two videos, that are well worth the watch.

The Himalayan Region Vineyards are just getting to the finishing stages of the main rebuilding and recovery effort. The team has been tireless and has done an amazing job at responding to needs in appropriate ways. It’s quite amazing what’s been accomplished in the past 18 months. This video gives a brief overview of the work (also detailed below) and offers four 2 minute stories of recovery.

The village of Nareshwahr, in the District of Gorkha was host to two big events in the past 18 months – it was the epicentre of the first earthquake and it was the host to 500 guests from across the Himalayan Region Vineyards who converged to celebrate God’s goodness, and look to the future together. It was a significant undertaking, many people travelling days and spending up to one month’s salary just to get there – just to be together. It was also a significant in that it marked the end of the recovery phase right at the earthquake’s epicentre. Mountains were moved once more. You’ll get an inside look at some of the sights and sounds of our powerful time together in this video:

An overview of the Relief, Recovery and Rebuilding efforts since April 2015:

424 Homes Built or Subsidized.

54 – Provided 100% material & construction.
40 – Provided 100% of materials.
150 – Subsidized 25 – 50% of materials.
180 – Subsidized 5 – 15% of materials.
Subsidies were determined based on need.

Over 217 lots cleared

Cleared of rubble in preparation for rebuilding.

9 Church Buildings Constructed.

2 other church buildings subsidized (providing building materials the congregation couldn’t afford – non-Vineyard friend communities).

Started or Upgraded 36 Businesses

For the urban poor in Kathmandu. This was the creative response to the housing crisis in central Kathmandu where there are no affordable safe houses. These businesses will increase the capacity of our people there to secure more affordable housing for themselves.

Bikka Land Purchased

11 families in a high mountain village now have land who were previously squatting on government land. They are low caste, and didn’t have anywhere to rebuild their homes.

Kids Helping Kids

Completed one Children’s Playground, one more is planned.
Funded by some Canadian Vineyard Kids!

Supplies

Recently, distributed over 217 sleeping bags.
Throughout the past 18 months over 7,400 rice bags delivered.
360 Tarps, 50 tents, 60 pots, pans and various and sundries numbering in the 100’s.
600 Blankets.

Medical

Health and hygiene packets have been designed, packaged and delivered all over the region. Special attention has been given to packages designed specifically for women.
5 medical outreaches including minor operations and treatment of illness’ to over 2,000 people.
19 People provided with hospital care.

Road Built

5 km (3 mile) road built to the epicentre village where we have a church.

Pastoral Care

Trauma counselling has been a huge part of the pastoral work across the region. Our team has been nothing short of amazing in the amount of care and healing they have brought to body, soul, mind and spirit. The toll on our care givers has been great, but the fruit is overwhelming.

Gathered 500 people from all over the Himalayas to celebrate the goodness of God at the Gorkha conference.

Over 35% of all funds used to date have gone to families and people outside of our church communities – to our “neighbours”.

44 People have been baptized in the earthquake zone.

Over 21,000 people impacted through the HRV efforts in over 30 Villages in 12 Districts.

There is one more major need – rebuilding the condemned buildings of the Kathmandu Vineyard – the main hub for the Himalayan Region Vineyard Churches. Demolition will begin in January. Stay tuned for more information and opportunities to be involved.

It’s been over a month since the earth shook Nepal to it’s core. Over 8,500 people died and 18,000 were injured. Over 1/2 a million homes were destroyed leaving over 3 million people homeless. The tarp settlements that have sprung up around the city and the daily aftershocks remind us that things are not right. Scenes of the devastation remain etched into survivor’s minds, while the images fade from the headlines. Schools are back in session now which marks a large-scale move towards a return to normal. However, the government estimates that over 32,000 schools are destroyed. This leaves students studying under tarps or in tents – a far cry from normal. We are supplying tents for some village schools as well as offering bursaries to some of the hardest hit families for tuition fees which are due now.

Bringing encouraging words at Chhampi

It is in this context that we work and pray. It is into the heart of this backdrop of devastation and trauma that we follow Jesus, who of course, is already there. Rubble is being cleared, food is being delivered, relief supplies are being trekked into remote villages, shelters are being built, comfort is being given, prayers are being prayed, redevelopment plans are being formed. Armed with all these gifts, we are witnessing the rebirth of hope – we are like midwives who get to witness the comfort and relief that our presence and our actions bring to those in desperate need. Brick by brick, we’re seeing lives restored as we tend to the long-term process of setting things right.

Here are a few recent highlights of this:

Tipling:

A few days ago 70 people hiked down from Tipling, one of the remote mountain villages only accessible by foot, to where the road abruptly ends due to a landslide. They made the return two-day trek carrying 110, 30 kg (66 lb) bags of rice, 3 bags of Dahl (lentils), 40 tarps and 30 blankets and a 110 kg (242 lb.) tent. This was the first large-scale aid that has reached this high mountain village. Most of the helicopters (including the one we rent) cannot carry this kind of weight, so they do what they have always done – trek by foot. This story is replicated throughout many of the far-flung and inaccessible villages affected by the earthquakes.

Hover over the images to view captions, click on the images to see full picture.

: A large Tent ready to be delivered

: 3,300 kg of rice trekked in

: 2 days of trekking to reach Tipling

Gorkha:

Two days ago the village elders met to plan the construction of the 4 km road into the village of Nareshwar. They met in our church building, the very place many had previously declared they would never set foot inside. These same people are now working together with the Vineyard for the good of the whole village. Nareshwar is Raju’s home village – his family still live there. Before he became a Christian, he was the village bully. When he moved away, he met Jesus and his transformation began. He eventually became one of the pastors at the Kathmandu Vineyard. The church in Nareshwar began largely because of the witness of the former village bully’s dramatic transformation into a strong, caring and loving man. Raju was, miraculously, the first one to reach Nareshwar after the earthquake with supplies and word from the outside. Many villagers met him with tearful gratitude. The village bully had become an agent of blessing.

Hover over the images to view captions, click on the images to see full picture.

: The village elders meet at the Vineyard

: The excavator building the road

: 4 km of road will make the village accessible

Chhampi:

The church building is coming along well.

Hover over the images to view captions, click on the images to see full picture.

: Clearing the site

: Framing going up

: The new Chhampi Vineyard church site

Remember the Poor:

The Kathmandu Vineyard has always reached out to the poorest of the poor in the city – the squatters who live beside the fetid river in makeshift shelters on land nobody else will inhabit. Amidst all the post-earthquake activity, we’ve recently been challenged not to neglect them – our friends. Even though they didn’t lose their homes in the earthquakes (they didn’t have any to begin with), they still need care and we are eager to heed the instruction in Galatians 4:1 not to forget them.

It’s a Long-term Process:

If you haven’t already done so, please check out our Strategic Plan. In short, it documents our philosophy and three-stage plan of relief, recovery and rebuilding. The effects of this earthquake will be felt for years to come and rebuilding will last just as long. We are in it for the long-haul. In a few of the villages we are working in, there are no other agencies active. The need is great and we’ve set ambitious targets, but we need partners to accomplish this task. The rebuilding efforts will begin in earnest after the monsoon season is over in the Fall. Please help us spread the word. If you have not already contributed financially, please consider it. Or perhaps you know of someone else who would be interested in joining with us.

Thanks for spreading the word and joining with us as we rebuild lives, brick by brick.

Note: due to on-the-ground security reasons, we’ve temporarily disabled the Himalayan Region website.