Shelbyville's mission team heading for Nepal includes Dr. Beth Meerdink, Renita Hill, Sheila Reed, Kayla and Maranda Kraft, the Rev. Drew Hayes (bottom row), Cayla Hargrove, Christy Rader, the Rev. Bryan Nerren, Rhonda Nerren, and Nikki Marion (top row). (T-G Photo by Sadie Fowler)

Two Shelbyville-based pastors, the Rev. Bryan Nerren of House of Prayer and the Rev. Drew Hayes of The People's Church, will leave for Nepal Monday; they will be followed by nine Bedford County women on Oct. 18, including Renita Hill, Sheila Reed, Kayla Kraft, Maranda Kraft, Cayla Hargrove, Christy Rader, Rhonda Nerren, Nikki Marion and Elizabeth Meerdink. This group will be joined by several other doctors, nurses, pastors and other missionaries making the October trip to Nepal.

"It is a significant missions opportunity that I believe may be the most exciting time of my life," said Hayes. "I am joining a team of 20 others who will do medical missions, train pastors and laypersons in ministry and teaching, and conduct the country's first-ever women's conference. My job will be to teach and preach to many hundred pastors and key laypersons."

While this is Hayes' first mission trip to Nepal, Nerren has made several trips over the last several years and it is a trip -- a country -- about which he is passionate. Nerren learned about Nepal from trip leader Glenn Shepherd, who is also the leader of International Prayer Ministries, a missions group that has targeted the unreached areas of Nepal and Thailand for many years.

A communist dictatorship and monarch that recently fell makes the trip especially important to the Christian missionary group as citizens of Nepal are experiencing a surge of religious freedom. "For the first time in generations, Christians are finally free to be open about their faith," said Hayes.

Working with the Christian Children's Education Fellowship of Nepal, the group leaving Oct. 8 will begin their trip with a conference in Dhahran, East Nepal, followed by a trip to India for a second conference. "We expect the team to lay hands on and send out over 500 new pastors in these conferences to start new churches," he said.

A third conference expected to exceed 1,000 Christians and twice as many Hindus will be held in Jiri, Nepal. Jiri is also the location of an international ladies conference, which will be attended by all of the women traveling from Shelbyville.

Donations for this trip may be made to House of Prayer Ministries by calling 685-0079 or The Peoples' Church at 680-4880.