Strange Birds open up Nepal
By JM Dr. Ngul Khan Pau
Nepal first opened its doors to the Gospel because of a missionary's love of exotic birds. Dr. & Mrs. Robert Fleming, were serving the Lord in India. Mrs. Bethel Fleming was a medical doctor, and her husband was a biology teacher in the Mussoorie Christian school there. Dr. Robert's hobby was ornithology since he loved the study of birds.
It happened that one of the princes from the royal family of Nepal came to India to study, attending the Mussoorie school. When he realized Dr. Fleming's deep interest in birds, the prince invited him to visit Nepal. “We have many beautiful birds in Nepal,” said the prince. “Why don't you come and study them?” I'm not permitted to go into Nepal,” Dr. Fleming said, “No missionaries are allowed.”
“Look,” said the prince. “I'll get permission! Come as my guest!” So he did. But Mrs. Fleming would not allow her husband to go without a medical doctor, in case he got sick there. She asked a medical missionary, Dr. Carl Taylor, to accompany her husband.
They, along with several others, went to Nepal in the summer and discovered birds no one knew existed. Dr. Fleming had a wonderful time studying them. Dr. Taylor was kept busy as well. As soon as the Nepalese people discovered that one of the missionaries was a medical doctor, they flocked to him by the hundreds.
When it came time for them to leave Nepal, the people pleaded, “Don't go, we need you.” “If you get permission for us, we'll be back,” they promised. That's how missionaries were first allowed to enter Nepal in 1953. Ten missions had workers on the borders of that country, praying and waiting to go in. They entered together under the United Mission to Nepal.
Nepal had a law that anyone who baptized a person would be sentenced to six years in prison. Yet the more the government tried to stop Christianity, the more it grew. Recently this law has been relaxed, giving more freedom. Fifty years ago, there were no Christians in Nepal. Today there are hundreds of thousands!
(Source: More to be desired than Gold by Christy Wilson)
