How can I go back to Germany leaving my heart in the mountains and hills of Nepal?

(In remembrance of Renate Riek who went to be with the Lord on  March 10th, 2015.)

Renate's smiling face; resting in the presence of God now

I really do not remember the place where I first met Renate.  Probably it might be in Delhi or in Nepal. Renate gave up her government job in Germany, and came to Nepal for about eleven years ago.  Having realized a need in the Western part of Nepal, She spent almost five years in Humla supporting local women and children together with the local NGO. Humla is considered one of the most remote and isolated parts in Nepal, reachable only by foot or small aircraft which irregularly land in the district. She lived and worked in the southern part of Simikot (district headquarter) of Humla.

In spite of her cultural and language barrier, she picked up a very polite Nepali language.  She learnt Nepali fluently in couple of years of time. Having based in Kathmandu, she was involved in non-formal education and nutrition for women and children in Humla, and non-formal education among Nepali women migrants in Ladakh, India. On the top of this, she loved Jesus deeply and this motived her to share the gospel to the people. 

Not only with non-formal education, Renate had a great love for the street children. She helped INDRENI (an NGO that works for the street children in Pokhara) in different ways.  Besides, she facilitated to Sunday-school teachers so that they could be able to guide those tiny hearts in the ways of the Lord.

Renate's very close family in Humla! 

The son enjoys reading the story booklet that was composed by her. 

The mother is preparing chapati for Renate.

I had a privilege to work with her in producing a series of the pictorial Bible stories.  The stories were linguistically simple and dialectally easy. She desperately wanted to have good sketches for her stories.  For her, good sketches meant that it communicates the biblical text to readers easily. Having no background of drawing and painting, she decided to make sketches for those biblical stories by her own hand.  And she did it.  Now she could have more nepali-oriented pictures understood by Nepalis mountain people.God’s love would not keep her in Germany. I vividly remember a part of her email when she was about to finish her work in Humla:

 “…Regarding my future: everything is in the hand of God….I know that the Humla project I was involved in does not need my support and input anymore.  I know that by the end of 2011, I will hand it over to my Humli colleagues.  I also do know that my heart is still in Nepal with the Humla church and mission…we could work together. To be honest: Sometimes I worry.  Of course if nothing comes of the work in Nepal, I could always go back to Germany to work.  But how can I go back leaving my heart in the mountains and hills of Nepal?  So, if your thoughts are in the mountains, please pray for your Didee (sister) also.  Please pray that God will send me back to Nepal.”  She wrote this just before she has to go to Germany for a medical check-up.

I did not get to talk to Renate Didee while she was away for medical check-up.  Once she came to Nepalgunj during my internship and shared her burden for the Humlis (people from Humla).  Thiru and I were honoured to have her in our wedding. Her humility and simplicity challenged and blessed us a lot. Now, she is rejoicing in the Lord’s presence.  During her last days, she even talked to her pastor and prepared about her funeral service. She chose the biblical text (from the book of Revelation 21) and a Nepali song that she wanted the church to sing in her funeral. What a blessed legacy she has laid during her life on the earth!