Kathmandu Christmas

United Mission to Nepal staff and families celebrate Christmas

The government of Nepal established a public holiday since the declaration of secularism on May 18, 2006 after the people's revolution. Before that, Nepal was officially regarded as a Hindu nation.

In Nepal people welcome Christmas with warmth and have their own way of celebrating the occasion. Nepalese Christians go to Church and celebrate Christmas along with their family and friends. However, in the present time in Nepal the non-Christian communities also celebrate Christmas, marking the festival with enthusiasm.

Santa Claus, clad in red attire with his sleigh and reindeer along with a bundle of gifts for the well behaved children is a common perception about Christmas. People may differ in their opinions‚ but will agree on one thing — it’s a day representing a beautiful feeling, forgetting all despair. In children’s homes, children of all ages celebrate with ecstatic jubilation. On asking the children about the day’s celebration they had their own innocent views. For most of them Christmas denoted dancing and singing‚ for others it was a festival of foreigners while the rest believed it was special because of Santa Claus, as he takes care of children and provides gifts

In various restaurants, different dishes are prepared and a cake is set to be cut. olunteers from foreign lands make their native dishes whereas Nepalese cook Nepali food. Later‚ everybody rejoices with singing and dancing.

For different people Christmas holds diverse meanings‚ but in the end it is all about good cheer!

Agnes, Grace, Francis and myself enjoyed meeting people and we were happy to see how Nepalese people celebrate the Christmas festival. This will always be an opportunity for many to hear the good news about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Let’s thank God for enabling churches to successfully conduct “open air meetings” during the celebrations.

Battling HIV in Nepal

The World AIDS day on 01 Dec 2010 was celebrated globally and in Nepal people living with HIV raised their voices to call for governments to increase availability of anti-retroviral medication to remote areas. The celebrations were conducted in various parts of the districts of Nepal. There are encouraging signs in Nepal that its bid to contain AIDS is paying off because there is a decline in the development of new infections.

Micah Network and United Mission to Nepal organized one event in Kathmandu - 400 Christians attended this event in Patan Church. The UNAIDS country representative Dr. Marlyn Borromeo attended the function and emphasized the need to ensure universal access and human rights.

The Christian leaders encouraged people to ensure that they love, care for and provide spiritual support to those infected and affected. During the function a child infected by HIV shared the story on the challenges he has faced in school and in the community when one of his parent died of AIDS. The churches in Nepal will continue to reach the infected and affected and HIV response will be in the priority list of the health policy of the government of Nepal.

 

 

Joel addressing United Mission to Nepal staff during World AIDS day

 

Please pray that:

-         The government of Nepal will address issues raised by children affected by AIDS

-         God will strengthen and bless the families who take care of children orphaned by AIDS

-         Communities may continue to understand that there is a need to generate awareness about AIDS so that Nepal too succeeds in the global endeavor to prevent the spread of the disease