American Missionaries Narrowly Escape Nepal Disaster That Swallowed 40 Christians

Faith Facts

• More than 40 Church of Christ members are missing after a catastrophic glacier collapse triggered deadly floods along the Nepal-Tibet border, killing at least 1,010 people
• An Alabama mission team escaped the disaster by just 30 minutes when police turned them back before a bridge was swept away by muddy floodwaters
• Despite the tragedy, Christian youth who lost family members traveled for hours on damaged roads to attend a faith camp, demonstrating unwavering commitment to Christ

More than 40 members of Churches of Christ are among the 4,600 people missing after a tidal wave of muddy water, earth and rock devastated communities along the Nepal-Tibet border. A team of church members from Nepal and Alabama could easily have been among them.

“We missed it by 30 minutes,” Jerry Ross said in a message from Nepal.

The associate minister for the East Colbert Church of Christ in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and a small team of fellow Christians were headed to the city of Dhading Besi on August 26 to host a gospel meeting. Before they crossed a bridge over the Trishuli River, a police officer stopped them, warned of rising floodwaters and “forced us to take shelter in a safer place,” Nepali minister Pramod Dhakal said.

“In a while, the connecting bridge to Dhading Besi was swallowed by the rising flood.”

“If the police hadn’t turned us around, we would have been swept away with a bridge or caught on the wrong side of the bridge, unable to get back,” Ross added.

The collapse of a high-altitude glacier near the China-Nepal border initiated an avalanche of ice and rock that dammed river channels and created a tsunami of mud, boulder and water along the banks of the Trishuli, the World Meteorological Organization reported. At least 1,010 people died, the Nepali government estimated. China reported additional deaths on the Tibet side of the border.

The missing church members worked at a hydropower facility along the river, said Krishna Oli, a Nepali minister who accompanied Dhakal and the Alabama Christians on their aborted trip. Nepal, a landlocked country that borders India to the south and China to the north, is home to the Himalayas and Mount Everest, the highest mountain on earth.

The floods destroyed roads and bridges across Nepal’s rugged terrain, cutting access to rural communities, including the hard-hit Rasuwa District. Oli made contact with Karpo Lama, a preacher in the affected region.

“He reported that the situation is becoming very difficult due to severe food shortages,” Oli said.

“All the roads are blocked because of the catastrophic floods, making it extremely difficult to bring essential supplies into the affected areas.”

Nepali church members Sanjaya Thapa and Markus Tamang are making their way to the Rasuwa District, Dhakal said. “They have started walking on foot on a Himalayan trail … which will take two days,” the minister said.

“They will go around and visit seven churches as much as possible to know the actual scenario and needs of relief and rebuilding. … Please pray for the safety of two brothers who dared to travel on foot caring for affected brethren.”

One Kingdom, a Louisiana-based ministry associated with Churches of Christ, works with Dhakal and Oli and is collecting funds to assist in relief efforts. The Nepali minister oversee Nepal Bible College in the capital, Kathmandu.

After escaping the floodwaters, the mission team continued its work. Oli reported four baptisms. The church members from Alabama made the prayerful decision to carry on with a Christian youth camp in Pokhara, a popular tourist town known for its scenic views of the Himalayas.

About 85 youths from flood-affected areas attended the camp, Dhakal said. With multiple bridges washed out, the youths had to take long routes, changing buses multiple times, to reach the event. Some lost relatives in the floods, the minister said, but “they were committed to attending the youth camp in Pokhara.”

As they begin the long process of relief and recovery, the ministers asked for prayers and support. “This tragedy has brought an even greater burden for prayer, pastoral care, encouragement and practical assistance to affected churches, families, and communities,” said Oli, who referenced Psalm 147:3, “He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.”

“In the midst of suffering and uncertainty, the ministry continues to trust God, serve his people, proclaim his Word and encourage believers to remain faithful to Christ.”

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