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Pastor Meyer in India

by | Jan 10, 2025 | Global Missions

January 10-11, 2025

Unfortunately, the conference in Bhutan was unable to take place for a number of reasons, but mainly due to suppression of Christianity.

Last month, an elderly Christian woman in south Bhutan, near the border to India, was arrested after she wrote Bible verses on slips of paper and sent them to her neighbors. She was in jail for 40 days. Upon her release, the local authorities told her she needed to become either Buddhist (the majority religion of Bhutan) or Hindu. Since then, any time Yogen or Kamla (our husband and wife contacts in Bhutan) reached out to area pastors and lay people, the prospective participants expressed a fear to attend. Especially when they learned the speakers were foreigners. They did not want to become targets.

In lieu of a conference, then, they took us around sightseeing. This more leisurely day was welcome, certainly, but even greater was the conversation that took place that night. Yogen and Kamla run two hotels with restaurants. Their employees come from Buddhist and Hindu backgrounds, but they are on the cusp of faith. They each had some very deep theological questions and took advantage of having two pastors around to help point them to Jesus. That conversation could not have happened if we’d had the conference.

Saturday was a long day of travel. We left Thimphu at 6:30 am to drive to the airport an hour away in Paro. We flew to Delhi, where we had a five hour layover slowly turn into seven hours. We landed in Vijayawada at 10:30, then were driven to our final destination in Guntur. It was after midnight that we arrived, and were soon served a midnight supper.

This massive Buddha statue overlooks the city of Thimphu. Yogen said it was one of, if not the largest of such statues. It’s huge.
I don’t think they have OSHA here.
A scenic overlook with the big Buddha in view.
A famous fortress where notable battles occurred in defense of Bhutan.
Up in the mountains.
Snow-capped Himalayan mountains in the distance colliding with the clouds.
Mountainous roadside corn, anyone?
Lunch – red rice, dal, buckwheat pancakes, and pork with bamboo shoots. Excellent, and cooked by Kamla at their restaurant, Desi Bistro.
A main road in Thimphu.
A woman carrying her child, wrapped around her tightly. We saw several of these and few strollers.
Bhutan at night – notice the image on the mountain to the left.
That fortress I was telling you about. Very beautiful at night.
After a night of hard questions, tears, laughter, and deep thoughts, we had to get a group shot. Pray for these young women, each of them at a different stage of faith, but each of them wrestling with such questions as:
“My religion is Hindu, but I pray to Jesus, too. Will He listen to my prayers?”
“Why doesn’t God answer my prayers? Am I praying wrong?”
“What happens when I am forgiven but then I sin again? Will God forgive me?”
“Can I just keep on sinning?”
And more.
Boarding the plane in Paro. Check out this runway scenery!
More runway in Paro, complete with the Bhutan soccer team getting a group photo before boarding.
You can get married at the airport in Delhi. I mean, if you’re going to elope, why not do it pre-flight? Meet the love of your life on an airplane? Just get hitched when you land!
When we arrived in Guntur, they greeted us in a very Indian way, with garland flowers!
Midnight snack. We told them we weren’t hungry, but hospitality won the day. I’ve learned you eat when they tell you to!
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