Ministry in Nepal is coming to a close. While I have internet, I wanted to type up a final description of our ending activities and thoughts…
Our contact has been treating these 3 World Race teams really well, showing us incredible hospitality in Kathmandu, Urlabari, and in the mountain villages. He ensures we are all fed with exceptional meals, usually consisting of rice, potatoes, cauliflower, puri (flat bread), apples/bananas, and eggs and curry or dal. The kitchen crew is usually a couple of guys who can create better meals over a campfire than most Americans can create in well equipped kitchens. So even when we’re in remote mountain villages, we are well taken care of. It made our last great adventure all that much better.
We were told to expect about a 6-7 hour drive up the mountains to reach a village, the name of which I cannot remember. We took a short 20-30 minute bus drive from Urlabari to Damak, then walked north through some streets and alleys until we reached a yard full of SUV’s. I thought we would be taking a bus to some far off location, but as it turns out, we’d be off-roading, climbing higher and higher all day. These SUV’s, manufactured by Mahindra, resembled Jeeps, one of which was about the size of a Suburban. It would normally seat 11, but we squeezed in 16! Imagine a diesel powered tin box of a 4×4 SUV with missing weatherstripping, a hole in the floor, way too many passengers, an overzealous 20-year old driver, and floral wall paper on the ceiling, climbing from 400ft elevation to 6500ft at a speed of less than 20mph on muddy rocky roads that end in sheer cliffs less than 5 feet from the edge of the vehicle. It was awesome! We made our way across waterways, through mountain villages and farming communities, until we reached out destination 13 hours later (we broke an axle and were slowed by less than optimal driving conditions, including one way dirt roads with semis and tractors battling for right-of-way). Some of us had the opportunity to ride on the roof, which was like riding a mechanical bull that may or may not end in death.
BUT, the reward was spectacular. All 3 teams spent the first night sleeping in a barn for sake of ease due our late arrival. The next morning, breakfast was cooking and the sun shone down through the separating clouds to reveal the icy Himalayan range from the east to the northwest. It was truly like something you see in the movies or in NatGeo magazines. We would spend a few days here getting to know the locals. After breakfast, the guys vacated the barn and pitched tents on the site where the church will be built. The land, which is a narrow flattened lot hugging the steep side of the mountain, is ready for foundation work, and that was the original intention of our coming, but after careful consideration, our host elected to give us other tasks in order to avoid upsetting the locals. You see, the people in the area are Buddhist and Hindu, and seeing a bunch of white Americans come in to impose their religion would send the wrong signal. He instead wants the locals to see Nepalese people building the church, sending an inviting message of care and love to the skeptics. So instead, we would pick up trash, do door-to-door evangelism (door-to-door is very loosely defined seems as how it requires a good hike to get from one door to another), and intermingle with more futbol players in a friendly match.
I got to play goal keeper in the futbol match, and after halftime, I was relieved and able to chat with some of the locals. Most of them know a little English, but even when they don’t, just a few words can go a long way. Scripture tells us that our kindness alone can be revealing of the Truth. We later had the opportunity to pick up the trash along the road. The people here don’t have a trash service, so if they don’t burn it in their yards, they simply (and most often) toss their rubbish to the side of the road. 2 of our nights in the village, we showed Christian films. Timing was impeccable because there was a local ‘circus’ happening in the village, which drew many of the mountain’s inhabitants into ‘town’. By circus, I mean there was a few stands selling food and offering gambling games of sorts. And of course, there was an abundant supply of alcohol. But after dark, people would flock to the sound of the movie and light of the big screen outside. It was super cold, but each night many people got to see local Nepalese movies about how Christ can change lives. There were a few disgruntled to have white Christian Americans present during the showing of the films, but hopefully the seeds planted are more powerful than the negative perception. Many of us got to share the Gospel with folks who have never heard it.
In short, the mission was a success, the views were spectacular, the food was exceptional, and the return trip was another adventure. This concludes our ministry in Nepal for the most part. The final few days of February are spent in Kathmandu, debriefing as individual teams and preparing for our trip to Africa. Next week, we’ll be in Uganda for a squad wide debrief, then we’ll move to Rwanda for ministry. I hope to post pictures and video links soon. Again, thank you all for your support. It is such a relief to be fully funded! Much love from the other side of the world.
