Beautiful Nepal… a wonderful country filled with mountains, rivers, greenery and peace.

There is a scene in the film The Ten Commandments. When Moses stretches out his staff, the sea parts into two, creating a path for the people to walk through. That event is also described in the Bible.

But even in the times we live in today, nature sometimes creates unbelievable scenes right before our eyes.

We have witnessed many disasters. But when we see shocking scenes of floodwaters rushing over mountains and sweeping away hundreds of lives before our very eyes, many questions arise in our minds—what should we believe and what should we not believe?

Many years ago, I travelled from Kathmandu to Pokhara for a programme production and broadcasting assignment. During that journey, I admired Nepal’s mountain roads and the beautiful rivers flowing at the foot of the mountains. That travel experience remains fresh in my memory even today.

While travelling along those roads built on mountain slopes, when I looked outside, I could see small rivers flowing through the valleys far below.

At that time, a question arose in my mind.

“Why have these roads been built so high? Wouldn’t it be an even more pleasant experience to travel along the banks of these beautiful rivers?”

But when I look back at those memories today, I realise how little we understand the power of nature.

Similar natural disasters may have occurred centuries or even thousands of years ago. Areas that once held water may have transformed into mountains and valleys over time.

We have seen the impact of tsunamis in video footage. At that time, seawater came towards the land from below and struck the people.

But this time… it was as though the skies had opened. The rain poured down. Water surged down from the mountains. The water that came from the skies turned people’s lives upside down.

It is heartbreaking to think that some parts of beautiful Nepal have fallen victim to the devastating force of nature.

My journey to Nepal ten years ago remains a beautiful experience in my memory.

Stopping the car on a mountain road, stepping outside, enjoying the cool breeze and sipping a hot cup of Green Tea… it was an indescribably beautiful feeling.

That experience also reminds me of another place. Sitting on the balcony of my room in Paris, looking at the Eiffel Tower while sipping Green Tea, I felt the same sense of wonder and tranquillity that I experienced in Nepal.

Today, some parts of Nepal may have been affected by disaster. But there are still many beautiful sides of Nepal. There are many pages yet to be read, many beauties yet to be seen, and many stories yet to be told.

When we hear the painful stories of the families who lost their loved ones in the disaster, our hearts become heavy.

We look upon the survivors with hope. Let us pray to God that the souls of those who lost their lives may rest in peace.

Let us pray to God that such a great tragedy never happens again in Nepal or anywhere else in the world.

May beautiful Nepal smile again…

May its mountains and rivers sing of its beauty once again…

And may smiles bloom once again on the faces of its people.... Francis Silvan Sabtham'sTV