Ryan Martin Fleming

I have recently returned home to Tulsa, OK after being in India/Nepal for two months and am forever grateful for the tremendous time I was able to experience.

My last month spent in Nepal was a precious blessing as I was able to live at the Shalom Youth Hostel in Pokhara, Nepal which hosted students (5-18 years old) that lived at the hostel in order to attend schooling. I taught guitar and art to the students and was able to join in the wonderful spirit these kids expressed. Basically, we had an incredible time playing games, singing silly songs, and even dancing to Nepali music on special occasions (yes they were entertained at my interpretation but hey, I tried.)

The Christian community in Pokhara made a special effort to welcome me into their church, their homes, and their lives as I felt an intense love from the Nepalis that I will forever hold close to my heart. I am praying right now if I should return to serve alongside these great friends I made. International Nepal Fellowship (www.inf.org) is doing some wonderful services in serving the nation of Nepal and I was able to see some of the impact they are having on this developing nation in the regards to medical care and social service needs.

Please continue to pray for Nepal as they face political turmoil and tension in trying to establish a solid government. The church in Nepal is alive and active and I hope to return back soon to be with the friends that I had made.

Here are some pictures of the students I was working with while staying at the Shalom Youth Hostile:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=359170&id=527200327&l=24b3953969

Well friends,

I made it back to Nepal safe and sound after many hours on a train through Northern India, taking a bus to the border, then a taxi back to wonderful Pokhara, Nepal. Neeraj Gautam met me at Gorakhpor Train Station in India to escort me back to Nepal safely and I am very appreciative of his efforts to look after my safety. Hats off to you buddy.

On a funny note, on the train ride to Gorakhpor Station, I was squirming to get comfortable on the top bed bunk and accidentally kicked someone in the head. To my fright, it was a military guard yielding a machine gun. He stared me down for a few seconds and I wish I knew how to say “Sorry, I am an idiot” in Hindi but alas I think I just swallowed in fear. To be honest, I was just hoping he wouldn’t hit me with the butt of his gun. My life was spared probably due to my smelly feet as a potent deterrent. Note to self: Do not kick people in the head that are holding weapons that can inflict bodily harm to me. Lesson learned.

I am teaching art to elementary school students at a local school nearby in the afternoons. Yesterday was my first day and I had the students draw their favorite animal next to their self portrait and their house. Oh the imaginations of these kiddos is awesome and I know that we are going to have a grand ole time creating all sorts of crazy things. My fav pic from yesterday was a young boy Laurin that drew a Lion with stripes (apparently he has knowledge of Ligers. Napoleon Dynamite would be proud.) The school is hosting a Christmas play next month and I am working on the backdrop to show the stable where Jesus was born. I am going to have the kids help me paint this enormous mural for the play and I know this will be uber cool as well.

In the evenings I will be teaching guitar lessons to kids that live at the youth hostile I am living at. The big three requests is to learn how to play like Eric Clapton, Joe Satriani, and Slash. Please pray for me as I have a lot of opportunities to love on these students and encourage them in their creative efforts and their faith in Jesus Christ. The kids here are tons of fun and I will post some pics shortly on facebook and include a link here to paint a fuller picture for you. Thanks again for all of your encouragement and prayer. Life is good. Praise God for opportunities for all of us to serve, wherever we are.

India Pics: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=336499&id=527200327&l=7d910349e3
Nepal Pics: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=336598&id=527200327&l=5756d111f9

Our veterinary doctor Paul and our group went out to a remote village yesterday to meet with a gentleman, Mr. S, that works closely with a persecuted muslim people group, the G people, here in Northen India. Mr. S was telling us at how the G people have been having a very hard time fighting off the Indian government of getting fair representation and basic rights the past 50 years. Mr. S told us that he needs a person to work alongside with him that understands Islam to act as a bridge to the G people to talk to them about Christ.

Our group vet is going out with the G people for the next few days and will be educating them on how to better care for their water buffalo and other animals that are essential for their livelihood. Please pray for Paul that he can be efficient on seeing so much cattle and be a loving representive of Christ to this nomadic tribe.

I am so excited to share with you a wonderful story that unfolded yesterday as I am Dehradun, India. I went to a bible study for Valley Bible Fellowship last night and the subject matter was analyzing the first 17 verses of Romans 1. There are many people involved with this ministry that were previously Hindus and Muslims and one one man shared his testimony of how he became a Christian after being a Muslim priest. I will call him Jim to protect his identity.

Jim was on a bus travelling from Nepal to India and the bus had stopped for a rest break. Jim was confronted by three Christians that were sharing the gospel with him and he felt compelled to argue their viewpoints on their faith since he was a devout Muslim priest. As it turned out, he let the time escape him and he missed his bus that contained all of his luggage. Frustrated, he was able to get on another bus that was a few hours behind where he would meet with his luggage at the destination.

Upon arriving a few hours later than he had planned, he heard a radio report that stated that a bus had fallen over the cliffs in the Himalayas and all the passengers had died. His name was included among the dead since they had his ticket stub from the departure. Jim realized that he would have died if he would have continued on his planned journey and was in complete amazement that he was spared because of his argument with the Christians. Across the table from him there was a gentleman that asked him why he looked so shell shocked and Jim told him that he should have been on that bus that crashed. The gentleman was a Christian that he was talking to and he invited him over to his house to talk about the events and how they were part of God’s plan for him. Jim talked with this gentleman until 2am when it came to him that he must worship the Lord Christ that saved him from certain death that day.

Here is a little background on Jim. Jim grew up going to an Islamic school that prepared India’s brightest muslim youth for becoming Muslim priests. He had memorized the Quran in Urdu and Arabic and can recite any verses on call. Since his Road to Damascus experience, Jim has had a burden to tell devout muslims, especially priests, about the gospel of Christ being the true fulfillment of God’s will. Jim has had to move his wife and two children out of a village in India and has relocated to Dehradun this month, where he is called to outreach to the G people (the same group that Paul is working with this week.) Jim has been stabbed twice and poisoned in the past six months that has forced him to flee his previous village because he was converting high power Muslims because of his incredible knowledge of the Quran and the Bible. We are incredibly excited about connecting Jim with Mr. S so they can start talking about methods to lovingly reach the G people. God is at work and please pray for these exciting events that are unfolding as we serve in Northern India.

Our team left Nepal a few days ago to make it to Dehradun, India where we will be staying with Fritz and Christella (LEI missionaries.) Travelling through Gorokhpur Train Station for the second time proved itself to be rather disastrous, as this Indian Station is known for being one of the worst in India. We had a 6 hour layover here at the station and had to find a place for us to rest in a common area which made us a beggers target for the entire time. My heart breaks for the children here because it a lot of them are maimed and injured in order to become better beggers (much like Slumdogg Millionaire.) The rats, trash, and filth are everywhere at this station and Dr. Welch had one of his small bags stolen while we were bording the train.

Here are a few tips in case you travel by train in India in the future. If you are sleeping in a higher bunk, it is advisable not to kick a police officer in the head while he carries a machine gun. I feel my life was spared because of my white skin. Go ahead, it is ok to laugh. My 6 ft 2 inch frame was not the desired body type when the trains were designed. haha

Our team will be in Dehradun till the November 13th and there is a remote people group Dr. Welch will be working with in educating them on veterinary health of their animals that they use for survival. Christella and Fritz are involved in the local church here and we will be helping them with church activities.

My talk with Neeraj’s church in Nepal last week went really well as I encouraged them to serve the church body as a community and proclaim Christ as their source of power and strength. After the 13th I will be heading back to Nepal where I will be working with Neeraj on some church projects. Thank you for the prayers.

Well friends, the last week in Northern India/Nepal has been an absolute whirlwind. Being able to see the Taj Mahal and the Agra Fort was simply breathtaking and the enormity and beauty of these structures is something that must be experienced first hand. One of our contacts in New Delhi invited me to his dance studio where I was able to take two courses in modern dance, those being Bollywood and Hip Hop. I have talked to Neeraj and we will be making a video displaying these newly acquired skills. I wish you could have seen the looks on the peoples faces as I entered into the dance studio. Utterly priceless.

Our team left Delhi this past Saturday to arrive in Pokhra, Nepal Sunday night. This journey has been the hardest on my body and I was out for the count yesterday because of motion sickness. 31 hours of taxis, trains, and speeding through mountain passes disabled me from eating anything yesterday but I am recovering today. I will be curry ready by nighttime.

I have noticed a big change in culture since leaving Northern India and getting into Nepal. People are less aggressive and laid back here in Pokhra which is refreshing because I felt like a constant financial opportunity target the farther north we traveled in India. Every stop of travel was greeted with a multitude of people desiring to “help” us in our journey. I do not think badly about these people literally fighting for survival but it wears me out emotionally to constantly have to battle people ripping me off. It is a dog eat dog world over here like nothing I have ever seen but the opportunity to share Christ’s love for all people groups here is immense.

Being able to see the foothills of the Himalayas is breathtaking and I know my time here in Nepal will be wonderful for the people are warm hearted and welcoming. Being able to meet Neeraj Gautam’s wife last night was great as well. Our lovely Lucas is growing up…..sort of. haha. This saturday I will be helping out with a local church here talking to them about life in America and what it is like being an American teenager. I will keep you posted on how this goes.

I have just arrived in New Delhi, India and will be in the northern india/nepal region from Oct. 20-Dec. 16. Tomorrow I will be going to see the Taj Mahal before we take a train up to Pokhara, Nepal to connect with Neeraj Gautam who works with International Nepal Fellowship. (www.inf.org)

I will spend a week in Nepal and then shadow John Taylor as he visits various sites in Northern India that have missionary contacts with Literacy and Evangelism International (www.literacyevangelism.org). After touring through Northern India, I will be spending the month of November and the first half of December in Pokhra, Nepal. In Nepal, I will be giving guitar lessons and working with Neeraj’s church youth group. I will be giving blog updates frequently to let you know stories and personal reflections.

India is definitely a different world that I am used to and the food thus far is incredible. I already smell like curry and I am totally fine with that. Thank you for your prayers.

For the month of September, I am working for Lone Tree Bible Ranch in Capitan, NM, which is settled right in the mountain valley of Lincoln Nat’l Forest. I have been doing various physical labor jobs for the ranch and have had a great time to be away from a lot of city distractions. My time serving the retreat and student groups that come through here have been wonderful. When groups come in, I am usually stationed at “The Alpine Tower,” which is a large climbing structure with all sorts of challenging ways to climb to the top. Learning proper belaying techniques, new knots, and quality time to encourage those who desire to push their limits of fear and physical stamina.

I am living in a caboose that has been converted into a lodge (major cool) and enjoy hikes into the foothills where quality prayer and meditation time happen frequently. Being able to stare out into nature, not hear any road/white noise, and give time to God to ponder my journey and direction has been incredible. Time to sort through all of my thoughts while painting a wall, mowing, or cleaning toilets has been fruitful for my inner well being (Thanks Brother Lawrence.)

Time for my mind to slow down and process life is the most important aspect of my stay here. The mountain air is good for everyone.

Here is a link to view pictures of Lone Tree Bible Ranch:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=315222&id=527200327&l=df36c34579

My friends,

It has now been a week since I have returned from Rwanda to help run a Christian Soccer camp for the orpans of the 1994 genocide.  I have had a hard time summarizing my experience to people because of how amazing my time was to live and serve with the local Rwandan coaches and counselors.

The campers arrived on the first day of soccer camp with an incredible excitement and passion to pursue Jesus Christ and play their hearts out on the  soccer pitch.  God was ever present with this camp as kids gave their testimonies of a desire to move ahead from their past history and start afresh with hope and healing. 

Being able to hear stories of Rwandans forgiving people that murdered family members and taking steps to move forward from the genocide is nothing short of the power of God at work in this country.  President Paul Kagame has made statements that the only way this country can heal is through forgiveness and also by the power of God. 

I hope to return to serve with Kids Across Africa- Rwanda next year to help support the amazing works of God that are already taking place in East Africa.  Please let me know if you would be interested in supporting this cause that is spiritually investing in the lives of the youth in Rwanda.  I will be working with this ministry to help strategize, recruit, and financially bless Kids Across Africa going into 2010.

below is the camp video link from 2009.  Please watch this video to get a feel of the vision of Kids Across Africa- Rwanda:

http://vimeo.com/6156365

pictures:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=295459&id=527200327&l=ecded1ceaa

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=295470&id=527200327&l=aaab123cd2

Camp website
www.kidsacrossafrica.org

For the month of June I have been volunteering with Fellowship Church in Lowell, AR under the supervision of Matt Newman, Jarrett McLelland, and Nick Roland.  This month has been a blessing to explore youth ministry with these men and be able to spend some great time with the youth in their program.  Fellowship runs an intensive senior high discipleship training called “Antioch” in order to train leaders to lead cell groups for elemtary and middle school students.

There have been wonderful opportunities to see the passion of these dedicated teenagers in the Antioch program.  Not only are they pursuing an in depth study of Colossians and “The Pursuit of God” by A.W. Tozer, but they are given communitry outreach events and opportunities within the church to gain valuable leadership training.  I have been working with the worship band by helping them with musical arrangement and private lessons for those students interested in learning guitar. 

Every Thursday this summer, Fellowship is offering “Trek Splash,” which is an event that targets high school youth that are interested in going to Beaver Lake and bringing their friends.  Jarrett McLelland desires to build a lake ministry around this concept of simply bringing kids out on the boat, teaching them to Wakeboard/Ski, etc., and developing spiritual relationships.  There has been wonderful fellowship strengthened through this and I know that God is working through this gathering to draw people closer to him.

I just found out last week that I am able to help out Kids Across America-Rwanda for the last two weeks of July. I will be joining up with the Kanakuk leadership team to assist in organizing soccer drills for the 150 youth that will be attending the camp.  I have been getting very excited lately to go to Rwanda because of the desperate need for Christian leadership in a country where 60% of the population is under 24 years of age.

Please pray that I arrive with a humble heart to serve these people.  The goal of this trip is to coach the local soccer coaches in order for them to reproduce this camp across the country.   There is an emphasis on combining the gospel of Christ in how that relates to playing the game of soccer and basic life application.