Make time for tea

06/11/2008

BMS workers Katrina and Martin Butterworth, along with their daughters Ruth and Esther, live in Kathmandu, Nepal. Katrina is the medical co-ordinator for United Mission to Nepal (UMN) and Martin has a portfolio of roles, including assisting a BMS church partner.

Here, Martin reflects on the death of a friend and elder of their church.

Last Friday evening I received an unexpected phone call from the pastor of our church. It was a brief call because he had a lot of people to contact; one of the church leaders had suddenly died.

RK was 32 years old and, despite needing a wheelchair to get around, was in good health. In fact, he was known for the vast distances he travelled by wheelchair around the city, visiting various church members and fellowship groups.

Last Wednesday at our fellowship he was in fine form. On Friday afternoon he phoned our pastor to share a Bible passage he'd just read – Exodus 6: 2-8.

RK leading prayer at the Butterworths' church

On Friday evening he was in the teashop he helped run at the family home. He made tea for two neighbours and was chatting as usual when he suddenly fell over. He had passed away.

Friends remember RK at his funeral

The next day the weekly worship service became a funeral, with messages emphasising that RK was alive with Christ and not needing the wheelchair.

Everyone is shocked and struggling to understand why such a young and committed friend should be taken from us without warning.

After the service we all proceeded to RK's family home for a short service. He'd often invited me to visit for "tea and chat" but I'd never been able to make time as it’s three miles out of town on a badly maintained road.

Now, I was very aware that he'd travelled this road, not exactly flat, in a wheelchair almost every day and me, with my good legs and bicycle, hadn't found time to visit. It also explains why his wheelchair was always breaking down!

Incidentally, it’s been the Hindu festival of Tihar (Dipawali) this week with the noise of endless Chinese fireworks. For the first time I can remember it wasn't even mentioned at church. Our thoughts are elsewhere.

To find out more about working overseas in places such as Nepal, click here

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