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The gospel of the Kingdom in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal

I received this trip report from Lynley Watson (New Zealand) regarding her recent teaching trip to Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal. The gospel of the Kingdom is being sown in these Asian countries, and I want to share the good news with you. Here is her report:

On 24^th Oct 25 I left NZ travelling via Singapore to the Island of Cebu in the Philippines. Here I attended the wedding of one of a family of 5 girls I had supported for 24 years. It’s been a joy, as the girls were born into a very poor family, and 2 of them are now teachers. One is a nurse and the youngest two will be graduating nurses; one this year and the youngest in 2026. Doubly joyful for me was that I had introduced the bride Angel, the second oldest, to a young Kiwi builder Brent who was working on renovations on my house in NZ last year. After communicating online for six months Brent travelled to the Philippines last April and they got engaged. First time I’ve been a successful matchmaker!

I left Cebu on the 29^th Sept, a day before a big and quite damaging earthquake struck, with its centre near Cebu. I realised when I got to Colombo, Sri Lanka and read the news the next day how close I had been to experiencing this damaging event. I was joined in Colombo by Pastors Sanjeev from Nepal and Ruata from Bangladesh , who are both propagating Stephen’s teaching in their countries. We had a blessed time sharing, eating and fellowshipping with the Sri Lankan community.

In Colombo I ran a pastors conference for two days, starting on the Day of Atonement. It was attended by around 50 pastors, some of them having travelled a long way from Hatton and Muttur, two villages where I taught the basics of Restoration of All Things in May this year. Being 76 years old and with very dodgy knees, has meant that it is just too hard going to them, so they came to me. Contrary to the missionaries of old, I stayed in a very nice resort right on the beach, got picked up and dropped off at reception every day and was royally looked after.

I’ve done 15 teaching visits to firstly Myanmar, then Nepal and more recently Sri Lanka since 2010 so I felt a little comfort was well due for perhaps my last trip to Asia in this old body!

The message of Restoration of all Things was received with enthusiasm, specially as I had already laid the foundation on two previous visits and also had available as handouts 6 tracts translated and printed into Sinhalese and Tamil, the two prominent languages. The pastors are eager for more translations of Stephen’s teaching, so translation work is top priority. It’s quite an experience teaching with two translators as I did in April but this time I just had a Sinhalese translator.

Pastor Reynolds, my translator, was awesome, though I gave him a challenge as I sped through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, giving a big picture overview of where we have come from and where we are heading.

Jerushalayim was a big challenge as they have all been raised to pray for Jerusalem in the Middle East. Some conversations at the end of the first day were fiery, but I couldn’t understand them, however I felt the heat. I expected some to not show on the 2^nd day, but all returned and God had done a work in their hearts overnight. As I asked them to do, they went away imitating Bereans, to study the scriptures and see if what I said was true. I prayed that night that their ears and eyes would be opened and their hearts would receive, and they did and on the 2^nd day they were gracious and eager to receive more.

On the Sunday when I preached to the local church congregation, I brought the message ‘Who is Your Mother? Sarah or Hagar?’ Everyone repented of their ignorance in praying for that bloodthirsty city in the Middle East and lifted their hopes and prayers to the New Jerusalem coming down from heaven.

I have felt a shift in my message in the past few months from focusing on overcomers to looking to the church. I haven’t been to church in NZ for many years, but prior to my trip I went 3 times in a month. Firstly, because my son is being saved, and where do you take someone who lives remotely from you. Whilst In Auckland I went with him to a packed-out Pentecostal Church full of 600 worshipping young people. I couldn’t fault the milk of the message they bought or their zeal for evangelism and pastoral care.

Then in my hometown I took my sister-in-law, just saved, to a local community church where she is now being nurtured with love and healing, whilst getting supplementary understanding from me. She has no Christian background but was previously in a cult.

Both in NZ and Sri Lanka I have felt a shift in that God who called us out to mature and grow in the knowledge and understanding of His glorious plan for humanity (thank God for Stephens teaching) is beginning to call us back to share the true Gospel. Though many of us had to leave the churches we were in to follow the revelation we received with Stephen’s teaching, it was nonetheless in these very communities that we had received nurture and fellowship.

Moreover, in light of the chaos of the times, I have noticed that some Christians previously deaf now have ears to hear, especially in light of the challenges of events in the Middle East. At some point we have to prepare the church for the coming New Age, not just overcomers, and I believe that time is now.

I got an open door at the airport with a lady in a café and am sending her Stephens booklets and again with the taxi driver who transported me to Colombo airport. He is in a Calvary Chapel congregation in Colombo, but is eager to receive the translated tracts and is meeting Pastor Rajan next week.

So look for the open doors wherever you are and ignore the echoes of past rejection, being sure that you really have forgiven all hurts from your past and have a clean heart. You may be surprised and find that God is opening doors for your calling that has for so long seemed on hold. I hope and pray that this is true for many of you.

With Blessings and Love,

Lynley

Wanganui, NZ