By the Rev. Loren Fox

For those congregations who will be participating in the Diocesan collection for Nepal this month, this letter from the Dean of Nepal adds a personal insight to what is happening on the ground there.

The Deanery of Nepal
It has been a week since the 7.8 magnitude quake hit Nepal. Today, the churches in Nepal meet to worship (Saturday is a rest day in Nepal, also the day churches meet to worship), but it will never be the same again. Many have lost their loved ones, friends, colleagues, classmates, and fellow acquaintances. Today also marks the last day for Search and Rescue, and all buried will be presumed dead.

For the Anglican Church in Nepal and our Diocese, today is a very sad day as we mourn the death of 78 Anglican members in the district of Dhading. (The number could rise, as many are still buried under the rubble.) We have just received a report of the death toll, and that 13 of our church buildings in 14 villages of the Dhading district are destroyed, and 30,000 villagers are displaced, affecting more than 5,000 families. They are without shelter, food and aid. Many are having to brave the cold wet nights in the open due to the monsoon. Some woke up only to find their young children dead from the cold.

The people in the mountains are cut off from aid and supply due to severe damage to the roads and mountain tracks. We thank God for brave souls like young Pastor Beg who trekked the mountains in the last 4 days, despite knowing the dangers, to check on the well-being of his Tamang people. The death toll has gone beyond 6,200 as of this morning, with more than 20,000 injured, and many more thousands are still unaccounted for. Let’s unite our hearts to pray for God’s mercy for Nepal and let’s extend our help in whatever ways we can reach those who are badly needing the shelters, food and supplies.

Rev. Lewis Lew
(Dean of Nepal)
2 May 2015