About Mustang; Lo:
Mustang (also known as the former Kingdom of Lo) was once an independent kingdom and at the end of the 18th century, the kingdom was annexed by Nepal. This is a Buddhist kingdom founded in 1380 and is very rich in Buddhist culture. It is bordered to Tibet in the altituted between 3400-4000m (11,100-13,120ft) above sea level.
Lo is the culturally and linguistically Tibetan northern (Upper Mustang) two-thirds of Mustang District and the people are called Lowas while the southern (Lower Mustang) third is called Thak, the homeland of Thakali people who speak a different language and have a synthesis of Tibetan and Nepalese culture.
Again Upper Mustang, the northern part is divided into two parts namely Lo-Tsoduen and Baragaun. The Lo-Tsoduen and Baragaunle have their own Lowa-Baragaunle language which is a dialect of Tibetan Language. The five villages of the Baragaun speak the Seke languages and they are known as 5 Seke villages namely; Tangbe, Tetang, Tsuksang, Tsele and Gyakar. Seke language is also considered to be the dialect of the lowas and Tibetan Languages. Total population of lowa speaker lowa people is around 15,000 according to the census of 2010.
About Lowa Christians:
Before 18 years, Mustang was a very remote and backward place, there was no transportation, communication and education facilities like now. Most of the people were economically very backward. There were only the Government Schools in the villages with no quality education and no Boarding Schools at all. People were not aware about the value of education. Poor families even don't send their children to the Government School.
At that very time of need of education for Upper Mustang, Missionaries from India, Europe and UK recruited around 35 children from Upper Mustang and ministered in the education sector by establishing Good Shepherd School and Hostel in Pokhara in the years 1996 and early 1997.
Later on, many children were brought form the Tsosharwa resettlement camp who have lost their homes and fields due to flooding in the Tsosher Village in Upper Mustang and had moved down to the camp near Dulegaunda. So, through the request from the Leader of the camp who was also a monk to help their children on the education sector, additional children were also brought in the year 1998. Afterwards, many other Missionary Schools were opened in the cities of Nepal for Lowa children.
From the beginning, the missionaries have been very open about the fact that they were Christians and that they will raise the children brought to them as if they were their own. They believe that everyone should know the Good News and have the freedom to choose. They have been praying for all the Lowas and are very amazed about what the Lord has done. Today, Lowa Christians have been an amazing testamonies to the rest of the world and are facing lots of challenges from their community for being the first transition as a believer .
After long years, lowa christian fellowship was started in 2013 at kathamandu. There around 15-20 believers gathered. Later in 2014, lowa fellowship was also started in Pokhara. According to 2019, the count of lowa christian around worldwide is 45-50.
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16
Thanks!
