Key people: Niranjan and Sonu Adhikary
We are not currently providing any funding to Ray of Hope. The last funding was for relief after the earthquakes in April 2015 and a report was provided at the time. I have therefore written this report as a general update on Ray of Hope and Niranjan and Sonu – suffice to say it is incredibly encouraging.
The last year has been a hard time for Niranjan and Sonu as they had to cope through the initial earthquakes and the impact that has had on their own family. While their house was undamaged they lived outside in a field with thousands of others doing likewise around the city. Understandably, 
people were too scared to be three or four floors up when the ground was moving so much. This has taken its toll on children and Niranjan said his own daughter was very fearful.
Interestingly the damage in Kathmandu is not as extensive as I would have expected nor in Pokhara which is nearer the epicentre. Old areas of Kathmandu have been damaged but there was not as much damage as the international community was led to believe. It was very interesting to speak with Niranjan and to find out why he was reluctant to take significant funding from us at a time of crisis. He said that the initial help we could provide was useful for immediate needs but he said so many NGOs and church organisations were using the earthquake as a means to generate funds. He recalled the story of going to meet one Christian man who was living in a tent and Niranjan was going to help him with some basic needs. It turned out that the man had a house that was totally fine and was well-off financially.
Apparently this level of deception is rife in Nepal and it shows again why it is so important to partner with reputable local people who understand the circumstances. It is so reassuring to have a partner like Niranjan that encourages us to stop providing funding – you would be hard pressed to find this in many NGOs around the globe. It is also a reminder to us in the West to always consider how we can best provide relief in times of disaster. There are no doubt immediate needs that must be met but as an organisation we are always careful to ensure we partner with reputable people and manage the expectations of donors. The generosity of people in a time of crisis is wonderful but we cannot push our desire to help on those who are on the ground and must work through the real life issues.
Resouce Centre
About 10 years ago BHW provided some initial assistance to Ray of Hope to begin a resource centre (a type of micro-loan facility). This has had a huge impact on the ministry in Nepal. Niranjan has used it to provide loans for pastors and church planters to start businesses that can help them be self-sustaining, and also to provide funding for others to start their own businesses. The results are nothing short of astounding. The resource centre now provides around US$600 per month profit which is used to invest back in new projects.
Poultry Farm
The poultry farm that BHW assisted with initial funding has now expanded to two sites of 1,500 chickens each. This helps to protect against the risk of a disease outbreak hitting all the chickens. They currently generate around US$3,150 profit per month from the poultry farm (this fluctuates depending on time of year).
Clothing Business
Additionally Niranjan has just started a clothing import business from Bangladesh. They are currently generating about US$5,000 to $6,000 profit per month through this and cannot keep up with demand. The selling costs are kept to a minimum through providing commission to local church women who sell the garments door to door.
The amazing thing is that Niranjan has released so many people to be involved in these projects that he does not have to spend all his time doing it and he can focus on the wider ministry and building up the Nepalese church. He is a strong voice in the Nepalese church but often faces opposition because his view of ministry is so different to many of the churches who simply seek support from abroad. It was saddening to hear that there is much corruption and lack of love even amongst Christians.
I met Pastor Som in Pokhara. Som met Niranjan in Pokhara when Niranjan was teaching his bible training course. As a result Som joined the course and once completed he then took the trainer’s course and now teaches other students in Pokhara. (The Resource Centre profits pay for around 500 students a year to be provided with foundational biblical training – from intensive live-in courses to less formal courses run all throughout Nepal. Students pay a nominal 100 rupee fee and the Resource Centre funds the rest of the book costs.)
Pastor Som became a follower of Christ because his mother was mentally unwell and no one could help her. A Hindu woman told the family to take her to a Christian lady! They took her along and she was healed. Pastor Som’s family then became followers of Christ.
Pastor Som was attending a local church in Pokhara when he completed the training. Subsequently Niranjan provided him and his community with some funding from the Resource Centre to start fish farms. These farms are cages that float in Lake Pokhara and are tended by the local community. This 
has turned into a thriving business for the fishing community who used to have only a small fish farm prior to Ray of Hope helping them. As Pastor Som started this initiative with his community he also planted a new church amongst the community where there were very few Christians. I attended a service and there was probably about 50 people in this thriving church community of fishermen. It was wonderful to see Pastor Som working full time as a fisherman, leading the church and having such a significant role in his community – best of all, he doesn't require a salary from the “outside” because he is self-sufficient and works hard. He is proving that it is possible to change communities through the gospel and church planting, and doing it in a sustainable fashion.
I also met another man who is being trained by one of Niranjan’s disciples in Pokhara. He grew up Hindu and his father was a Hindu priest. To cut a long story short, he met a Jehovah’s Witness who introduced him to Jesus. He was amazed but it was not till later that he learned about the trinity and then actually gave his life to Christ. In the meantime he told his father (the Hindu priest) that he had to come to church and find out about Jesus. He came along and told his son he never experienced power like it and had to know this Jesus. He gave his life to the Lord and destroyed most of his Hindu worship material although he held on to some. Later in his life his son told him he had to get rid of it all, before he died he got rid of it all and was free. These stories are happening everywhere.
The biggest issue is the growing persecution of the church. The new constitution is meant to support freedom of religion but it is also anti Christian-conversion. Pastors are being arrested and it is difficult days. And yet the church continues to grow!
1) Praise for the 500 students taught each year and the church continuing to grow in Nepal
2) Praise for the business success that is generating funds for the church of Nepal
3) Prayer for future business plans – a gym, and a house to provide free lodging for women who become followers of Christ and then are rejected from their families
4) Prayer for the state of the Nepalese government and the growing persecution against Christians
No further funding is required from us at this stage but we will continue to maintain our relationship with Niranjan and Sonu and stay close to them in the years to come.