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Youngstown Metro Church mission team works in Nepal
By LINDA M. LINONIS
YOUNGSTOWN
An Adventures in Missions trip to Nepal proved to be a learning and faith experience for five members of Youngstown Metro Church, 810 Wick Ave.
Pastor Andrew Chamberlin, Jon Clark, Alyssa Perry, Nathan Stauffer and Jeff Worona went on the mission trip July 11-19 to the landlocked country in Southeast Asia located in the Himalayas, where the dominant religion is Hinduism. Pastor Chamberlin and Clark recently reflected on the trip.
The 7,000-mile journey took about 46 hours on three flights to get the mission team to Kathmandu, where they stayed at a Christian hostel. They went after the April 25 earthquake in Nepal that was followed by a major aftershock May 12. Other aftershocks have since occurred.
The team arrived late July 11 and didn’t see the city until the next day, when they went to a local church and explored a bit. The group went to the Bakery Cafe, which is known for its quality food, efficient service and staff members who are deaf and mute.
“It’s a gorgeous country,” Pastor Chamberlin said. “It’s a shock to the senses because the life and environment are so different.”
He continued that the developing country does not have some of the conveniences that the team, as Americans, often takes for granted. The pastor said Ohioans complain about potholes but the earthquake destroyed or heaved up many roads and streets there, making them challenging to traverse.
Clark said team members spent time “distributing toys, participating in soccer games and talking to the people.”
Some of the mission team’s work included rebuilding homes and visiting areas affected by the earthquake where they provided medicine and food assistance.
That was the “tangible” help, the pastor pointed out. “The relational aspect involved playing soccer, sharing meals and talking to people with help of an interpreter,” he said. The schools use English, so that aids in communicating.
Chamberlin said the team was in Duwakot village, where work focused on building corrugated aluminum structures for housing. The shelters are single-family dwellings. “They’re a two-year solution to the housing issue,” Chamberlin said.
Clark noted that they came across a family still searching for their children, who had been buried under rubble by the earthquake. “It was shocking to see them still looking,” he said, adding there was no sign of rescue or assistance in areas hit by the quake. “The devastation is much more,” Pastor Chamberlin said, referring to seeing it firsthand. “It’s difficult to maneuver because of uneven ground and roads and debris.”
In spite of the devastation, the team members said a “sense of community” is shown and shared by the Nepalis. “Tangible goods aren’t as important to them as relationships,” Pastor Chamberlin said. “Being with the people reveals their character.”
He continued that the people seem to be “sensitive to Christians and the faith and Gospel message.” The pastor said the Evangelical Church is the “fastest growing” in Nepal, where people seem to be “open and receptive.” He’s witnessed people “making professions” and “coming to Christ for salvation.”
“The trip made my own faith stronger,” Clark said. “We saw how the people came together in tragedy. The close-knit community stayed close.”
Pastor Chamberlin said the mission trip has motivated him to start thinking about and developing ways to help. “We have so many resources here,” he said. “I want to figure out ways to help there.” Clark added that a visit to an orphanage revealed that it took $1,700 American dollars monthly to provide food, clothing, shelter and schooling. “It doesn’t take that much of what we have here to make a big difference there,” Clark said.
The pastor said the trip revealed Clark’s “communication ability.” Clark said the trip showed him he could “persevere” in challenging circumstances. He also had a chance to preach as did Chamberlin.
Clark, a self-described “big guy,” said he lost about 20 pounds and eating food with curry three times a day was challenging. He said activities, including climbing a distance of three-fourths of a mile up uneven temple steps to the top, resulted in “a payoff that was so worth it.” That also describes the team’s view of the challenging trip.