Holmes Family to Nepal
Donation protected
Photo Credit: Steve Willis
*Due to the fragile nature of starting a business in a country with conversion laws and impending punishment for missionaries whose lives are devoted to seeing conversions, we have chosen to not give the details of the business we plan to start in this video. We are thankful for the viewer's understanding in this matter.*
We are the Holmes Family. For those of you who don't know us, we have been in full-time ministry the last 8 years, and foreign missionaries beginning in 2014. Our journey to this place has been a unique one hence the reason for this gofundme. The video above will cover things in detail, however here are some facts about our journey.
We are Christians who are devoted to preaching the Gospel to "the Jew first and also to the gentile..." as Paul says in Romans 1:16. A long journey ensued for us to come to this place of becoming missionaries to Israeli's–ethnic Israel– and it was a journey steeped in the Scriptures, washed in the water of the Word. As we went deeper in the Lord's heart for His people, the only response we found was to sell everything and become a living witness of the Gospel to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
After spending sometime in Israel in 2014-2015, we were led to Kathmandu Nepal. Surprisingly, 30,000 Israeli's travel to Kathmandu every year to backpack. In what is commonly called the Israeli Backpacking Phenomenom (http://www.amazon.com/Israeli-Backpackers-Their-Society-Studies/dp/0791464970). Approximately 90% of Israeli Soldiers who finish their cumpulsory terms of service in the Israeli Defence Force embark shortly thereafter on world backpacking excursions. A popular destination is Kathmandu, Nepal.
In this unique context, many arrive at leisure, on vacation, processing the reality of what it means to be a Jew. With the majority being secular, non-religious Israeli's, they typically do not believe in the God of the Bible.
God has called our family to labor in this backpacking district of Kathmandu seeking to call the Firstborn of God back to their covenant that God made with them, while also seeking to show them through the Torah, and Scriptures that Jesus is indeed the promised Jewish Messiah of Israel. This is not an easy task.
After meeting with several lawyers in Nepal, and doing as much research as limited resources allow, we believe the best visa option to stay in the country is to obtain a Business Visa. In order to start this business visa, the government requires you to possess $10,000 USD in a Nepali bank account. Once they receive the proof that you have this money, and are indeed serious about the business, they grant the visa. After this process begins the government requires your business to meet a goal of $50,000 within the first two years. This goal is met through paying salaries, business expenditure (i.e. equipment, vehicles, product) sales, and real-estate payment.
To accomplish this we need to meet our goal of $50,000 which will expedite our mission as well as bring the period of government surveillance to an end. This business is secondary as the only reason we are starting this business to is remain in Nepal long-term to plant a church/training center that is doing active ministry to the Jew first.
This is what God has called our family to do, and by His will His Gospel will run swiftly and be glorified in Kathmandu. Please pray for us as the times in Nepal have recently shifted. With a new constitution the government has made anti-conversion laws. In effect, they have made missionaries illegal, and we can be arrested and persecuted for doing evengelism.
Nepal is also currently recognized as the fastest growing Christian church in the world which provides a very unique context to do ministry in, especially with new laws permitting persecution.
We believe the Lord has allowed this so as to see a clear presentation of the Gospel go forth before the eyes of Israeli's in Nepal. If Nepali Christians, who once worshiped 330,000 gods are willing to suffer persecution for the God of Israel, a true witness of the Gospel can be proclaimed even in the face of death. May we be found worthy of such a situation! May Jesus be glorified and may the Lamb receive the reward of His suffering!
*Due to the fragile nature of starting a business in a country with conversion laws and impending punishment for missionaries whose lives are devoted to seeing conversions, we have chosen to not give the details of the business we plan to start in this video. We are thankful for the viewer's understanding in this matter.*
We are the Holmes Family. For those of you who don't know us, we have been in full-time ministry the last 8 years, and foreign missionaries beginning in 2014. Our journey to this place has been a unique one hence the reason for this gofundme. The video above will cover things in detail, however here are some facts about our journey.
We are Christians who are devoted to preaching the Gospel to "the Jew first and also to the gentile..." as Paul says in Romans 1:16. A long journey ensued for us to come to this place of becoming missionaries to Israeli's–ethnic Israel– and it was a journey steeped in the Scriptures, washed in the water of the Word. As we went deeper in the Lord's heart for His people, the only response we found was to sell everything and become a living witness of the Gospel to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
After spending sometime in Israel in 2014-2015, we were led to Kathmandu Nepal. Surprisingly, 30,000 Israeli's travel to Kathmandu every year to backpack. In what is commonly called the Israeli Backpacking Phenomenom (http://www.amazon.com/Israeli-Backpackers-Their-Society-Studies/dp/0791464970). Approximately 90% of Israeli Soldiers who finish their cumpulsory terms of service in the Israeli Defence Force embark shortly thereafter on world backpacking excursions. A popular destination is Kathmandu, Nepal.
In this unique context, many arrive at leisure, on vacation, processing the reality of what it means to be a Jew. With the majority being secular, non-religious Israeli's, they typically do not believe in the God of the Bible.
God has called our family to labor in this backpacking district of Kathmandu seeking to call the Firstborn of God back to their covenant that God made with them, while also seeking to show them through the Torah, and Scriptures that Jesus is indeed the promised Jewish Messiah of Israel. This is not an easy task.
After meeting with several lawyers in Nepal, and doing as much research as limited resources allow, we believe the best visa option to stay in the country is to obtain a Business Visa. In order to start this business visa, the government requires you to possess $10,000 USD in a Nepali bank account. Once they receive the proof that you have this money, and are indeed serious about the business, they grant the visa. After this process begins the government requires your business to meet a goal of $50,000 within the first two years. This goal is met through paying salaries, business expenditure (i.e. equipment, vehicles, product) sales, and real-estate payment.
To accomplish this we need to meet our goal of $50,000 which will expedite our mission as well as bring the period of government surveillance to an end. This business is secondary as the only reason we are starting this business to is remain in Nepal long-term to plant a church/training center that is doing active ministry to the Jew first.
This is what God has called our family to do, and by His will His Gospel will run swiftly and be glorified in Kathmandu. Please pray for us as the times in Nepal have recently shifted. With a new constitution the government has made anti-conversion laws. In effect, they have made missionaries illegal, and we can be arrested and persecuted for doing evengelism.
Nepal is also currently recognized as the fastest growing Christian church in the world which provides a very unique context to do ministry in, especially with new laws permitting persecution.
We believe the Lord has allowed this so as to see a clear presentation of the Gospel go forth before the eyes of Israeli's in Nepal. If Nepali Christians, who once worshiped 330,000 gods are willing to suffer persecution for the God of Israel, a true witness of the Gospel can be proclaimed even in the face of death. May we be found worthy of such a situation! May Jesus be glorified and may the Lamb receive the reward of His suffering!
Organizer
Stephen Holmes
Organizer
Dallas, TX