When I sat down to write this blog I had already tried to put into words the work that is being done here and it was pretty hard to write it because there is no other way but to say that the Holy Spirit is here and working. I just wrote in my journal today that I feel like we have already done a months worth of ministry in just a few shorts day and in those days we have also gotten poured into more than we can imagine. I have decided to just simply tell you about a couple of my days here and how changes have been made for myself as well!
11-11-16
Its crazy that we have already been here for almost a week since this day and it was one of our first days seeing what the ministry is like here. Now trying to sum up what the ministries main focus would be working with the people in the slums especially children and they also focus on women. Of course they work with everyone and trying to show them the love the Lord has for them. We didn’t do a whole lot of outreach on that day since it was our first day and we were still getting settled so we ended up going to there main house where some people live and had an hour of quiet time. They then proceeded to keep only five of us back at the house to cook for dinner and I was one of the five. I really enjoy cooking now so it would be cool to see how they cook here. During the cooking time we got to talk to some of the girls that live there that help out with the ministry! They all have such beautiful souls and it was a crazy fun and awesome time to be with them! Some of them really have beautiful stories that show the redemption of the Lord! The rest of the group got to go to a slum and a lot of them say it was a very dark and heavy place to be in but I find joy in knowing that this ministry goes to the slums everyday. They work with kids on there english and just simply playing with them like any other child loves. After we had finished cooking one of the girls we had cooked with, Bintah (from India who works with the ministry) and Maggie (from Chicago who works for them also) took us to get a common street food called chopitay and it was so good, I will defiantly crave it when we leave Nepal. Then we proceeded to head back to our place where we met up with the others and hung out for about an hour before heading back to the house to eat. We had been told we would need a sermon, a testimony, and a special number so we came prepared to see what this night was all about. When we arrived there were about 40 people there sitting in the living room talking and laughing and you could just see the presence of the Lord in the place. It was a great night to say the least. We all went outside and ate the meal we had prepared and we also ate with our hands which does not bother me! Then we all made our way back inside to hear Brian speak, who is the main man in the ministry we work with. You know when you hear someone speak and they speak with the authority of God behind them? Yea that was Brian, you can see that He loves the Lord and is all about sharing His good news for us. After he finished talking we had a girl in our group give a testimony, then Rachel my teammate gave a sermon about mountains which is such a great topic because we are currently surrounded by the himalayas! After the great word she shared we listened to another squad mate sing a few songs, and with in the 2 hours we were there my heart was so full. I mean the Holy Spirit was so real and amazing in that place and I could feel how happy we all were when we left. I went to bed that night just full of joy and knowing that the presence of the Lord is here, also fell asleep to the noise of dogs barking but thats normal now.
11-14-16
There are some days on the race that you do a crazy amount of ministry that fills your heart and sometimes there are days that you have a lot of downtime but this day was a day full of God. All three teams that are here woke up early and headed out to the slums by 7. We were all tired but eager to see what this place would be like. We had to take a bus ride which was jammed with people yet again, don’t ride a bus here if you do not like people in your personal bubble because they fill them until you cant move. After we got off the bus you could slightly see what we were walking into. The slums here all sorta have the same flow, trash all around, tin houses with rocks and tires to weight down the roof, and just children and people all around. To get to this slum we had to walk over a small bridge to get to the main road of it and it is simply a sight that will make you think of how grateful you need to be about the small things. The people that live there are normal looking people you can just see the heaviness that they carry. We all walked down the road for awhile until we stopped outside a tin house. After a few minutes a guy from the ministry we work with came and unlocked it. We all entered into a dusty room with some drawings and colored pictures on the wall. They told us that some of us would stay and play with the children and the rest would go on a prayer walk. As much as I love kids I wanted to pray. We decided that we would just make a big loop around the river and come back. Now on prayer walks I try to pray for people I pass and ask God to bring divine appointments to us that we may talk to people who are hungry for the Lord. But I just felt like I had to pray that the Holy Spirit would just fall on these people. I felt that I had to try and smile and say Namaste to everyone I passed and also just allow my heart to break for these people just like it breaks for my Father. Sometimes its not about the crazy things that happen but where your heart is and believe that if not today but that someday God will reveal himself to everyone there. After we walked around for about half an hour we headed back to the tin house and we waited for the others to finish up with the children then we headed back. We got back by 11 and all made lunch with our team and rested until it was time to go on a hike. Now I am not a hiker so I was nervous, also my asthma does not like it here. But we all set out to hike up to a fertility temple and pray over it. We had to yet again take a bus and then get into a small car which was packed and crazy. It was about a 30 minute drive on both transportations and we then started walking, now this wasn’t a hike that I was expecting and I was so happy about that. We walked up a hill and quite a few steps and then we hit the half way point and it wasn’t that bad. We decided we were gonna sing some worship songs before walking up a giant stair case that reached the temple. Now where we were singing was a magnificent view of some valleys here in Nepal, it was breath taking and we were singing to our Heavenly Father? Sometimes I forget how amazing we have it until moments like that!! After we worshiped we headed up and when we got to the temple the views and the place was amazing. As I was walking up those last stairs I was just praying that God would reveal himself through people at the temple and just by the views He surly was. I mean we were looking at such a beautiful creation that I could only think how people cant just see the majesty that is God through it. I am so blessed to get to see the beautiful places of this earth and be with people who only want the world to see the splendor of Him. That was a blessed day.
11-16-16
On this day we woke up early yet again to go to the slums to be with the children. We got to a different slum and got to meet the children and bring them to a room like the last one and sing songs and play some simple games with them. The whole time my team and I were always holding a child and trying to walk around a cramped room playing games. Now I have worked with children for years and it was so hard for me. I know that I cant just fix the living conditions of these families here but I knew that I wasn’t in the mindset of we were going to do a positive thing. I know that the slums will be where I struggle the most and so I have to have grace with myself in that area. After about an hour there we sent the kids away with a simple snack and left. We decided with Maggie and Rhubina (another ministry working) that we would do a prayer walk around for just awhile. Now we already know that Maggie is a strong women and bold in her words so it was crazy when she simply told a man that was looking at us that we were here to spread the good news of Jesus Christ. We all made our way to where the man was standing and she told him about Christ. Now the man didn’t just give his life to Christ but Maggie said that she hopes he keeps coming into contact with things that push him towards Christ. And as that was going on another man was listening and then Rhubina told Him about Christ. Now yet again He didn’t just give his life to Christ but he did let us pray for him which is a huge step in the middle of a busy bridge that we were standing on. Now in just one day I know that I am ready to be bold. After that we headed back and got ready for a women bible study at the main house and it was amazing. We were with Ruth, who is Brian’s wife and you can see how much she loves the Lord as well. We had to again bring a special word and testimony and the word was done by Hillarie my teammate. It was about being bold and it was defiantly a pattern of the day. We all enjoyed tea and a time to be just girls and be vulnerable with each other and after that we headed back. At about 5 that night we headed out to New Life Church for a youth gathering. It was incredible. I have been to some places back at home that carry the Holy Spirit in such a way but in just a small gathering room that we were in did I see the Holy Spirit so relevant in the atmosphere. It was a time to just be with people of this generation and know that we were not alone even in a foreign country. The place was popping with music and just the love of God! We then heard a sermon from a preacher who was visiting from the Philippians and wow was she powerful. She of course talked about being bold for Christ and wanting to go deeper with the Lord. She defiantly went off the way the day had been going and it was so amazing to see it be a theme for the day. After we left I processed how to be more bold for the Lord and I cant wait to see how that happens here!
These are just three days of doing life here in Nepal in the week we have been here. I cant wait to see how things go from here on out! I know that the Lord has some big plans for this place! I cant wait to see how myself and my team step out in boldness in the last two weeks here and its crazy how fast the time is going here, but Im ready for what will happen!
