Page 28 - Presbyterian Connection, Spring 2024

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PRESBYTERIAN
SPRING 2024
presbyterian.ca
Connection
INTERNATIONAL
Serving in Nepal
Support for the Near East School of Theology
The 2023 NEST Commencement with President Dr. George Sabra at centre.
Lora with staff from the UMN.
By the Rev. Ian Ross-McDonald, General Secretary, and Lily Ko, International Ministries
When the Rev. Lora Nafziger, her husband, Mitch Rhodes, and two of their four children left Chicago on January 2, they were begin- ning a new and exciting ministry in Kathmandu, Nepal. This adven- ture had begun nine months prior to the trip when the PCC received an invitation from Dhana Lama, Executive Director of the United Mission to Nepal (UMN), ask- ing the PCC to appoint the Rev. Lora Nafziger as Staff Support and Counselling Advisor at UMN Headquarters in Kathmandu for a three-year term.
Since July 2023, Lora and her family had been busily prepar- ing for the years ahead. Two of their sons decided to remain in North America, one at university in British Columbia and the other at high school in Indiana. Mean- while, Lora, Mitch and their two youngest sons had been packing and participating in medical and psychosocial screening as well as robust orientation to help pre- pare them for a new context.
Lora grew up outside Stratford, Ont. Educated as a Mennonite
pastor, Lora and her family have been living in Goshen, Indiana, for the last 13 years. During this time, Lora has been working with the Assembly Mennonite Church. Meanwhile, Lora’s husband, Mitch, a teacher, is from the Unit- ed States.
While working with the UMN, Lora will help provide spiritual and emotional support to expatri- ate UMN staff, their families, as well as key Nepali staff. She will encourage UMN Christian staff in the habits of prayer, Bible study and Christian fellowship, and she will plan retreats. Lora will also serve as a counsellor and visit the sick and their families. In addi- tion, Lora will support expatriates through transition and preparation for return to their home country.
The United Mission
to Nepal (UMN)
UMN serves the poorest in Nepal and seeks to address the root causes of poverty in the coun- try. Established in 1954, UMN is a cooperative effort between the people of Nepal and faith-based organizations from about 20 countries. Multicultural teams of Nepali nationals and expatriate staff work with local partners to provide programs and support that leads to healthy, strong and empowered individuals, families and communities.
The UMN must work closely with the Nepali government, and it must negotiate with the gov- ernment every few years to de- termine the kind of work UMN is allowed to do, the areas where it may work, and the way in which
Lora, Mitch and Nepali teachers.
funding can be allocated.
The UMN receives funding
from international organizations, churches and individuals from about 20 countries and 16 de- nominations. In addition to the PCC, the other international part- ners are: the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, the Church of Scotland, Presbyterian Church World Mis- sion (USA), the Evangelical Lu- theran Church in America, Bread for the World (Protestant Devel- opment Service, Germany) and the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Mission.
A unique partnership:
PCC and Mennonite Church USA
The PCC always conducts inter- national work in partnership. Usu- ally, our sole partner in any area is the receiving church/organiza- tion that has requested mission personnel and support from the PCC. Occasionally, the PCC has partnered with other denomina- tions to support mission staff. Our most recent similar partner- ship was with the United Church of Canada from 2017 to 2021, when we worked together to sup- port David McIntosh, who was working with the Korean Christian Church in Japan. In the case of UMN initiatives, the PCC is work- ing with the Mennonite Mission Network of the Mennonite Church USA.
PCC mission staff write blogs to update the church on their work. Visit pccweb.ca/missionblog to keep current on what Lora and other mission staff are doing on our behalf with treasured par tners.
PHOTO CREDIT: NEST
The PCC has a long and impor- tant relationship with the Near East School of Theology (NEST) in Beirut, Lebanon. Lebanon faces many challenges and in- stabilities—politically, financially, economically, socially and in terms of ecumenical and inter- faith relations. It’s been a difficult and complicated environment for NEST to function in with wars in the region and a devalued cur- rency. When NEST took on a spe- cial project to update their library system, the PCC decided to help.
The NEST library is home to roughly 60,000 volumes, 80 pe- riodicals and a unique holding of manuscripts, archives and rare books. Most of the texts are in English, but impor tant works in Arabic, Armenian, Syriac and
other languages line the packed shelves. The subjects of Theol- ogy, Church History, Missiology, Philosophy and History com- prise the backbone of the NEST library and support its aim to fa- cilitate and nurture the study of the Protestant faith and heritage in the Middle East.
In October, the Rev. Ian Ross- McDonald, General Secretary of the Life and Mission Agency, vis- ited NEST and spoke at Chapel. He met with President Dr. George Sabra to discuss ways to fur ther strengthen the relations between NEST and the PCC. One of the outcomes of those meetings was a commitment by the PCC to provide USD $8,000 a year for three years from 2023–2025 for the library system.
The NEST library. PHOTO CREDIT: IAN FRASER