It has been less than two months since a 7.8-magnitude earthquake devastated the lives of hundreds of thousands of families in Nepal, yet stories from Nepal no longer show up as headline news in the media. Still, the Church of the Nazarene continues to respond.

 

To date, the church in Nepal has distributed more than 25 tons of relief aid, including food, water filters, tents, and tarps to communities in need. 

 

“We are very much concerned for the people living in the dust, in the slums, in a miserable state,” said Pastor Dili, the district superintendent and Nazarene Compassionate Ministries coordinator in Nepal. “We are with the people. We work with them because our heart is there. We share the pain they have.”

 

As the World Food Programme and government of Nepal take on large-scale food distribution projects, the Nazarene church in Nepal is shifting from relief work to recovery efforts. 

 

“We go to the people, where the people are badly affected,” Dili said. “There will be many, but we select a few places where we can … operate the programs that affect, that impact, people for the long-term.”

 

The most immediate priority is to help families rebuild their homes. The church’s response team, which includes pastors, NCM staff, and volunteers, is currently working with communities to identify households to work with, determining a model of low-cost housing, and procuring supplies. Reconstruction will begin once the current monsoon season ends.

 

The church will also expand its already successful child-focused community development model. It begins by creating child development centers (CDCs) that meet the educational, physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of at-risk children. There are currently 13 church-based CDCs in Nepal. 

 

The model then builds on holistic child development programs to work with the families of children who attend the CDCs. Families are offered opportunities to take steps on a path out of poverty through activities such as self-help groups that equip women to save money and build small businesses, nutrition education classes, backyard gardens that help create food security, and life skills training workshops.

 

Church leaders in Nepal say they are committed to helping families and communities in the earthquake recovery process for years to come. 

 

“We are the church,” Dili said. “We never leave.” 

  

 

Pray 

Pray for vulnerable children and families as they walk the long road to recovery. Pray for our church leaders and members in Nepal as they minister to those in need.

 

Your donations to the Nepal Earthquake Response fund will be used to support long-term recovery efforts.

 

For online donations, visit ncm.org. 

 

To send donations by mail, find your country below:

 

In the U.S., make checks payable to "General Treasurer" and send them to: 

Global Treasury Services

Church of the Nazarene

P.O. Box 843116

Kansas City, MO 64184-3116

Be sure to put ACM1549 in the Memo area.

 

In Canada, make checks payable to "Church of the Nazarene Canada" and send them to:

Church of the Nazarene Canada

20 Regan Road, Unit 9

Brampton, Ontario L7A 1C3

Be sure to put ACM1549 in the Memo area.

 

In Germany, send your donation to Helping Hands Germany:

Helping Hands e.V. - Gelnhausen, Germany

IBAN DE56 5075 0094 0000 022394

SWIFT-BIC HELADEF1GEL

 

For any other country, give through your local church or district, designating your gift to "NCM Nepal Earthquake Response.”

 

To stay updated on news from Nepal, visit ncm.org/nepal. 

 

(cover photo by Steve Jeter)