耶穌復活升天後，門徒和主的跟隨者醒覺要用文字 記錄基督的事蹟；福音書的作者便嘗試用不同的角度描述 耶穌基督。據說路加見過晚年的馬利亞，他有可能為馬利 亞作畫時，聽到她提及耶穌的童年往事。故此《路加福 音》對耶穌的童年事蹟和馬利亞的遭遇，有獨家而詳細的 記載。路加不單運用文字來傳遞真理，還親筆繪畫聖像， 作為「不識字者的聖經」，他實在是當時美學與符號學的 先驅。在八世紀的文獻中提及，路加繪畫了馬利亞抱著聖 子的聖像（ icon ）。一般人認為路加畫了三幅馬利亞的肖 像，畫面多為馬利亞用左臂抱著孩子，用右手指向耶穌。 這類聖像統稱為《示道之母》（ Hodegetria ），意思是她 指示通往的道路（One Who Shows the Way），引申主耶 穌是救贖的道路 7。根據14世紀的傳統，路加的其中一幅 作品用了拿撒勒聖家族的木桌為畫板，繪製了《羅馬民眾 圖》（Health of the Roman People），現存於馬傑奧爾聖 母大教堂（Basilica Papale di Santa Maria Maggiore）裡8。 據說現在大約有四十幅路加的藝術作品存留於世9。
2024 is the inauguration for the Nepal PEACE Project. RHCCC, through ACEM has committed resources for the next 5 years to the Nepal PEACE project. PEACE project is a global and wholistic mission plan following the acronym:
P – plant churches and make Jesus known to unreached people group.
E – equip servant leaders through continue discipleship training and spiritual growth.
A – assist the poor, the less privileged, and those in financial plights caused by natural calamities.
C – care for the sick, through community health education, providing resources for those who needs medical attention.
E – education for the next generation.
So how do we implement PEACE in Nepal?
Church Plant and Evangelism – In February 2024, our Lead Pastor (Pastor Ho-Ming) and Mission Pastor (Pastor Stephen Hsu) together with the team from RHCCC made a Field Visitation Trip to Nepal. We started with a two day conference and cast the vision to two local church partners in Nepal. About one hundred pastors and church leaders attended the conference. With the help of partnering churches, we recruited 14 Nepalese missionaries for this project.
Equipping the servant leaders
The missionaries were commissioned during the PEACE Conference and sent off to twelve towns and villages. These are the “person of PEACE” and their calling is to made Jesus known in their communities.
We have equipped the missionaries with digital devices so we can conduct regular discipleship training and coaching remotely from our home base. Through remote training, they shared their testimonies and challenges. We lift their concerns to the Lord as we prayed for one another. Not all of them are fluent in English, therefore God provided us with interpreters.
Assist the Poor
Urgent Earthquake Relief – On November 5th 2023, an earthquake of 5.7 magnitude struck Jajarkot, a remote district in the western province of Nepal. Over 150 lost their lives, many more sustained injuries and several thousands lost their homes. This is a lesser-known place, and but their suffering are no lesser. Because they are not in the radar of many international organizations and news agencies. They suffered without help. With winter fast approaching, RHCCC dispatched an immediate rescue plan to help the less privileged. Three relief programs were sent off at different times. In total, 550 families received the food distribution program which had sustained them through the winter months. The government has given the approval to supply building materials for one hundred families. This will go towards repairing the damages caused by the earthquake.
Two nursing mothers with their toddlers came begging for the supplies. They came late and panicked when they found that their names were not in the registry. God did not forget those with needs. The last two bags of rice were given to them. This provision came because there were villagers that only took the
blankets leaving the bags of rice for them. The two mothers went away with joy, one carrying two toddlers and the other mother with two bags of rice. For my God shall supply all their needs according to His glorious riches that is in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19
A months after our February FVT, we sent food supply to Pastor Kesap’s village. He was grateful that God led us to his lesser known village and remember their needs.
Long term sustainable project
A large population in Nepal live in poverty with an extremely high unemployment rate. Nepal has a population of 30 million, and more than 5.5 million Nepalese take up employment outside of their own country, usually in low paying jobs. As foreign workers they are often exploited and separated from their families, while earning a paltry income.
For the long term, the Nepal PEACE Project envisage with the help of partner churches to implement hydroponics and aquaponics system in the area where our missionaries are serving. 75 % of the land in Nepal is covered by mountain. Good fertile flat land is scarce and often owned by wealthy landowners. The poor usually ends up as farm labourers for the landowners and travel as far as India to work on farms. Even if some farmers have their own land, their small plots will sustain them for 6 months out of the 9 months growing season. Hence, they resort to working in India as farm-hand or manual labourers. Hydroponics system needs a small plot size that easily fits in the terraced plots on the mountain in Nepal. There is a good supply of water, sunlight, and human effort everywhere. The system design is modular, easily assembled and replicated. The plan to make this a sustainable social enterprise; we will provide the initial capital to start up the project so that eventually, this enterprise will be able sustain on its own and support these ministries in the future. Insert is a typical small scale aquaponics system.
Care for the Sick
We will train our missionaries in community health evangelism. Again, we saw this as a providence of God. Through the connection with a partnering church, God sent us a Nepali trainer representing CHE (Community Healthy Evangelism.) He will train the missionaries in Community Health, and they will in turn transfer such valuable knowledge to their respective communities. This will enable the villagers to live in a healthy lifestyle and at the same time an opportunity the make Jesus known to them. Living healthy and wholesome lifestyles reduces risks of sickness.
Educate the Next Generation
We have started a hostel, called “Shanti Ghira” meaning “PEACE Home.” It is a hostel for the less privileged teenage girls from a district where human trafficking is rampant. Their families live in remote mountain area, and it can two hours each way for them to walk to school as such, many of the teenage girls lack basic education and ended up working in the sex trade as prostitutes. at a very young age. The hostel is supervised by our missionaries, and they will have to opportunity to hear the gospel. The school is only a half hour walk from the hostel and a local church is next door. This again is truly God’s providence.
