The Power of Persistence
The Power of Persistence
Zoe Sandvig
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While visiting a prison in Nepal, Dinesh Neupane met a man on death row who was weeping because his children would be homeless after his execution. Dinesh assured the prisoner he would take care of his family.
Then Dinesh began noticing many other children—not homeless, but actually living in prison with their parents because they had nowhere else to go. So he decided to do something.
Officially Dinesh—who had left his successful career as a lawyer to found Prison Fellowship Nepal in 1990—was forbidden to share the Gospel message with prisoners in this predominantly Hindu nation. But that didn’t keep Dinesh and his Prison Fellowship volunteers from sharing Christ through their actions. And therein lies a story of turmoil and resilience, side by side.
Sandwiched between China and India, Nepal is defined by the Himalayas, Hinduism, and political strife. In 1996, Maoist insurgents sought to bring down the Nepalese monarchy, igniting a civil war. Thirteen thousand Nepalese lost their lives in the conflict. Yet in the midst of bloodshed and crisis, a remnant of God’s people were reaching out to bring hope to prisoners and their families.
After Dinesh promised the death-row prisoner he would take care of his children—and after realizing the number of children forced to live in prison with their parents—he and PF Nepal volunteers built two Peace Loving Children’s Homes—in Kathmandu and Pokhara—to care for them.
Today, PF Nepal provides spiritual, emotional, and educational support for more than 30 children. Every morning, the children gather for a formal inspection before heading off to school, where they are viewed as normal members of society, not outcasts. In the afternoons, they return to the homes for additional educational and spiritual guidance.
“I have a real role to play the father, because I love them. I care for them and so I have a big concern for their future,” Dinesh said. “One day I hope they will be doctors, engineers, and good preachers and good evangelists, and then after maybe they will carry on the Prison Fellowship ministry.”
