Tract Evangelism Still Relevant in Nepal

I believe that tract evangelism is still relevant and effective in this age in Nepal. Considering the geopolitical and social aspects of the country, tract evangelism is still one of the effective methods to share the gospel with people of different faiths in the country. Working with international mission organizations like Operation Mobilization and Gospel for Asia has offered me an enriched experience of sharing the gospel through the tracts. From my own firsthand experience in the evangelistic ministry, I have seen and heard numerous stories about people being saved through reading the tracts.

Now, allow me to explain why the gospel packets or tracts are still one of the most effective tools to reach out and share the Good News of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Not all of them who hear or read the gospel message come to the saving knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, yet we have a good reason to believe that, if not many, a few people will and have come to faith through reading the short but pithy tracts.

I had the privilege of visiting some remote parts of the country with mission teams. I noticed, particularly, people reading the pamphlets and manifestos of political parties that were lying on the road for days or maybe months. In the next scenario, I saw an auto-rickshaw with a megaphone also distributing some politically motivated leaflets, manifestos, and pamphlets in the village. Once I came back to Kathmandu, I saw the same incidents reoccurring. This was not something new happening in the town, but I just happened to realize that it was happening that time. Those series of incidents had an enormous impact on my way of approaching tract evangelism.

I know many people, especially in urban areas, would refuse to hear the gospel from strangers. However, they tend to read the literature they discover on the road or handed out by even a perfect stranger. Although not all who hear or read the gospel message come to the saving knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, we have a good reason to believe that a few people will and have come to faith through reading the short but pithy tracts. In some cases, people came to believe Jesus as the One who he claimed to be—the living Son of God—by reading only some verses from the tracts. Those verses address their spiritual hunger and deep need inside their hearts in the given moment of their lives. That transforms their lives. We may be tempted to ask how on earth they would grow in spiritual maturity. There are churches and believers who are willing to walk with them in their spiritual journey. Growing into spiritual maturity is a lifelong process. Let alone this topic be left to discuss on a different day.

Once a man shared his testimony with me about how he encountered Jesus. He went to the local food mart to buy some salted peanuts. The shopkeeper put the salted peanuts into a piece of paper and handed it to him. [In Nepal, some local stores still use papers to pack things by wrapping the corners of papers]. While eating peanuts, he saw something written about life here and the afterlife. He started reading it. The message written in the paper touched and greatly moved his heart, and he became Christian.

The punch line is: Many people have access to the internet and gadgets in our country. Yet, many people in different parts of the country lack electricity or cannot afford internet access. Gospel tracts can be a useful tool to share Jesus with those people.