Nepal 2019 MId-Trip UPdate

Dear Friends,
I have been in Nepal for 2 weeks and have less than a week before I leave. It has been a fruitful time. Some of the highlights:

1. Biblical Leadership Class: I taught for the Nepal Theological Academy MDiv Students a 10-session, 40 hour class where we studied scripture to develop a Biblical model of leadership, using the Sketches of Leadership tools I developed in my IVCF days. I so enjoyed getting to know the students in the class! Pictured above, the 1 woman and 9 men are training to become pastors and are already serving as lay leaders in their churches. In our penultimate session, students presented their own real life case studies they had prepared as a course assignment, following the models of case studies I presented in class. It was an excellent discussion of the real challenges in leadership development in the (relatively young and rapidly growing) Nepali church.
2. Pokhara IFES Staff and Alumni Conference: The conference overall was a success, and I so enjoyed the engagement level of the staff and alumni in the five sessions I led. These were all university graduates, many pursuing or having completed advanced degrees, and the focus on Shepherding and Servant leadership and having a missionary mindset in our places of work or campuses really resonated. The sessions I led were done in English, without the need for translation with these very sharp folks, who I sincerely hope I will see again at next year's conference.
3. Daniel, who is in the picture below, is my host at the student dorm in Kathmandu, where I have spent most of my days. He was in the class I taught last June, and he was in Lisa's preaching class two years ago. He serves as staff for the seminary and he looks after folks like me. I eat most of my meals with him and I've heard much about his family (who are rural farmers living on about $300/year income + the food they grow to consume themselves) and the church where he will preach all summer (while working in the rice fields all week). He's very bright (was my top student last year) and has many prospects, and has such a servant's heart.  
4. Ahead, March 2-6: I leave in an hour to go with Sharad Lama to Surkhet, The difference in Surkhet will be that the group is students, not alumni, and will need translation, though they all will have some facility in English. I have been told to expect it to be much warmer there, though more remote/rural.

Prayer Requests and Update

1. Thanksgiving: It has warmed up a little bit, and though I have been sick with a cold, it was short lived and I was back up to 90% in about 36 hours, improving quickly after my class prayed for me, at the lowest point of my illness a week ago. 
2. I will be preaching in Surkhet in a few hours, by the end of your evening if you are reading this on Friday night. I have a simple message from Mark 5 about the healings of the woman with the flow of blood and Jairus' daughter, one meant to be encouraging to a rural church population seeking a touch of God in their life.
3. Continue to Pray for Nepal: The church in Nepal is growing, and with that growth has come added scrutiny from the government and persecution from locals who are not pleased to see it. Please pray for the persecuted church worldwide, and in Nepal as well. It is often costly to be a believer here.

Needs Update
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In Jesus,
Rich Lamb

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