Alma Hagen has written a very important book about the amazing story of the development of the church in the country of Nepal. In the course of fifty years the door to that country opened and the birth and growth of the church in which Alma and her husband Roy were involved is chronicled in this book. The land was a self styled Hindu Kingdom and missionaries not allowed so there were those who lived around its edges in India. Roy and Alma were among them and they committed themselves to the discipling of early national leaders and the provision of basic literature in the Nepali language. There were Nepalis living in north east India in the Darjeeling district and in Sikkim and from among these the Lord called those unto Himself who formed the vanguard of God’s work when the door began to open in that land. This book is an inspiring story of a missionary family and their adventures in the Himalayan Mountains. It is a most helpful revelation of missionary life as it really is- with all its joys, sorrows, challenges and laughter. The ways of God in mission are clearly revealed in this account. The small seed faithfully planted in faith in obedience to the Lord and the manner in which as this is watered in the face of adversity and blossoms into fruit which remains is evident. The use of sensible means, Bible training of nationals, Bible translation, the use of Christian literature and literacy work to aid the hermit nation of Nepal, and all in the expectation that God would open the door in due course. In 1951 there was no record of Christians in Nepal and fifty years later the growth has taken place to over half a million people who are Christians of whom some of suffered imprisonment and severe deprivation for their faith. This book has an engaging quality as it gives many anecdotes of “Hagen Happenings’ through the years, all help to bring texture, color and meaning to this thought provoking and inspiring account of God’s dealings with a missionary family.
