When was the last time you invited a stranger into your home?
Our second day in Kathmandu, Derek and I were walking all over Kathmandu doing logistical things for the squad. Mainly looking for a hotel for the entire squad, so we can have our final debrief in Kathmandu. To a certain degree it is a tad frustrating and takes a ton of patience as we hop from one hotel to the next hoping that they meet our needs. Finding a place for 42 people that are on a $8/person/night budget during prime tourist season in Nepal is easier said than done….but it is do-able.
After a day of moderate success, finding a couple options to choose between, we were relieve and ready to be done for the day. On our journey back to our current hotel, we were bombarded by similar pleas from people for us to buy some sort of trinick – they range from beads, chess sets, wood wind instruments, tiger balm, etc. you name it and someone is bound to try to sell it to you. Before I knew it we were walking with determination to get back but Derek managed to talk to this one guy for a solid ten minutes while dodging all the street obstacles of taxis, potholes, and motorcycles driving at you. It is a real feat to hold a steady conversation on the streets in Kathmandu, especially in Thamel district – tourist part of the city.
We get to our turn off for our hotel and needed to wrap up the conversation. The guy knew we were Christians from prior part of the conversation and we asked him if we could pray for him. The guy is Christian-Hindu; as in he knew Jesus had healed his leg once so he believed in Him but also worshipped other Hindu gods. To our surprise the guy was adamant that we couldn’t pray for him on the street but he wanted us to go to his room later to pray. Not really sure what he meant by “his room”, we agreed to meet up with him later that evening to see what would happen.
As the meet up time neared, I honestly got slightly nervous. Here it is 7pm, meeting up with a guy that was trying to sell us hindu prayer beads and tiger balm, that desired to take us to “his room,” Maybe we would wind up in a Hindu prayer temple, a random alley way, or who knows. The entire time I was praying for this man eternity, and for the words to say no matter where we ended up after the walk.
About 10 minutes later into our walk with this man, he hung a left hand turn through a hobbit hole in a building. No joke, this road had normal alley ways and side streets and this guy choose the dark hobbit hole that was maybe wide enough for two people to walk side by side and no taller than 5’6” as I hunched down not to hit my head. I have also decided that this city wasn’t designed for anyone taller than 6 feet as I don’t fit very well in local buses or taxis. This hobbit hole opened up to an apartment courtyard area with some people hanging out and seemed like the most authentic Nepalese living I have ever seen.
A couple steps later he turns through an even smaller doorway. Inside this area was dark, dirty, random stuff everywhere and the room size was maybe 6ft by 20ft, with the classic 5 foot ceiling. He guided us to a narrow staircase, and we ascended to the third floor which happened to be the bedroom in the house. Literally it was a double, maybe a queen size bed that took up the entire room and his family was hanging out on it. They were very welcoming as everyone was comfortably hanging out until dad brought home two white men to come chill.
We squeezed up on the bed and dove into conversation. Doing our best to remember how to pronounce Nepalese names and discover whom could speak English. Thankfully his kids were really good at it and did some translating for us so we could talk some to their grandfather and aunt. It was an incredible time just getting to know them, swapping stories and joining in their evening family time. While all this was going on the man that brought us over kept going in and out of the room to get other things done. He literally just made us comfy, went off to make some awesome milk tea, and did some preparations for the dinner.
After an hour or so of hanging out, most of it was in the dark because of a power outage. We were chilling on the bed talking by the light from a cell phone before a candle was lit. This man’s hospitality was very humbling and the night was still young.
We went up to the 4th floor to have dinner in the kitchen which had a single bed to sit on and a 2 burner stove. Let’s just say his daughter created a delicious real Nepalese dinner of white rice, spicy spinach, daal, and chicken. After this delicious meal, hearing this man’s heart for his home village (currently trying to raise funds to fix the local school which was severely damaged in a flood in 2012), he finally allowed us to pray for him! The man had liver pain, so we prayed for healing, discernment, and for God to show himself through this pain. He did say the pain went away after we prayed for him, and I believe he was healed that night! Glory to God!
(Photo from Google, but our food looked very similar)
After reflecting on that night, deciding it was definitely a top 5 cultural experience on the race and a night I hope to never forget. Lessons were learned as we were graciously welcomed into the life of a local, of a person whom I typically overlook on the street because he is trying to sell me something I honestly have no desire to ever purchase from anyone. It spurred on questions like:
When was the last time I invited a stranger into my home?
Am I hesitant to invite a stranger over because I fear the loss of possession?
What am I holding on to tighter than inviting someone into my life, to share in a meal?
Was his act of faith to invite strangers into his home less because there wasn’t anything “worth” stealing. Eric, “he had nothing to lose besides dirty junk, and plus you told him you were a Christian.” Yes I believe that this man could see Jesus in Derek and I, which would put someone at ease to invite them into your home. At the end of the day, we are 2 white American tourist that this guy sees daily and yet he choose to invite us into his life. He valued us equal to his own family, the people whom he loves and provides for daily.
Do I close off my heart to someone once it gets too personal? Do I fear the threat of being robbed if I extend a loving hand to invite a stranger in for a meal? So much could go wrong, they could take my TV, swipe my personal electronics on the way to the bathroom, or scope out the place to return in the future. Am I placing more worth in earthly treasures, rather than loving on someone and extending the grace that Jesus GIVES me daily and FREELY!
I understand there is multiple ways to love on someone, to show them you care and I would encourage you to embrace all sorts of way to do that effectively. Do not close off the option of inviting someone into your home. Instead of asking that new family you talked to after church out to lunch, try inviting them over to your home? Next time you meet someone throughout the day, extend an invitation to your home.
Please use discernment, and listen to the Holy Spirit or your “gut” feeling before asking someone over. Also do not hide behind fear of the unknown!
Be Bold in inviting others into your home and fostering a new friendship.
Be Intentional to pray about whom you should invite.
The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. Above all, lover each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administrating God’s grace in it’s various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.
1 Peter 4:7-11
G42 Support update…$1,552 out of $6,000 that needs to be raised to pay! Check out my World Race Home page to learn how to donate! http://ericcash.theworldrace.org/ Thanks!
