Tasted a dream after a year of anticipation! I realized once I signed up for the World Race, that my last month will be spent in the Nepal! Realizing plans do change on the race, I held back about being stoked for the opportunity to see the Himalayan Mountains up close and personal.
Once our plane touch downed in the Nepal though my adventure, outdoor, thrill seeking self went a blaze! Walking the streets of Kathmandu that are lined with knock off outdoor apparel stores, your excitement builds. The thoughts of what mountain I would conquer if I only buy this one fake jacket, or acquire another pair of hiking pants; the outdoor visions seemed endless. Constantly telling myself, Eric you don’t NEED anything else and have all the gear to take on any trek. Then you walk by all of the tour guide places that show you the incredible mountain views that you can feast your eyes upon if you sign up to trek with them. The temptation is real! Nepal is an outdoor haven.
My team is doing Unsung Heros this month. Our main objective is seeking God’s will and finding people that are currently advancing the Kingdom of God in Nepal that the World Race could partner with in the future. Our quest lead us to Pokhara….trekking capital of Nepal! With the Annapurna mountain range looming overhead just 20-30 miles away. All around town you get amazing views of mountains that soar easily over 24,600 feet and are covered in snow! Just begging you to come closer or climb a local hill to get a better view of the mountains!
Then it happened, a divine conversation! We went to IHOP (International House of Prayer) one Saturday evening in Pokhara and had an incredible time worshipping Jesus, praying, and meeting other Christians in the area. At the end of the night I found myself in conversation with a Nepalese pastor, Keshab, who has a heart to share the Gospel to remote villages. Immediately he took me over to a map of Nepal and started pointing out villages where he has sent out disciples, and places he desires to go preach the Gospel. The more he pointed out villages, the closer they were to the foot of mountains. Immediately my heart was on fire and I wanted to go on one of these treks with this man!
Throughout the conversation with Keshab; I was asking God to reveal to me if this is what He desired for me – to go on a 4 to 5 day trek to share the Gospel. To me it seemed right but I desired some clarity. I kept asking Keshab, about his ministry, his church, and effective ways to share the Gospel with Hindu people. Sure enough his answers were filled with scripture….and a ton of it was scripture that I have been memorizing or meditating on for awhile. By the end of the conversation Keshab summed it up like this,
“Eric, if you go with me on this trek you will see God move in incredible ways, people will come to know Jesus, people will be physically healed, and Jesus name will be praised. All I ask is that you be BOLD and INTENTIONAL and you will see the hand of God move!”
I was committed, this is the trek that God was currently calling me too!
The day of the trek was upon us and I was stoked! All my stuff was packed up, and there was a solid plan to reach remote villages. Armed with the Word of God, desire to reach the unreach, and hundreds of Nepalese tracks to pass out to people!
Obstacles arose, plans began to change rapidly, and a heart check was desperately needed. Upon reaching the entrance to the Annapurna National park an unforeseen financial obstacle arose; and Keshab felt like the plans needed to be adjusted! There will be a blog on the financial side of the issue, but first let me address my heart issue. His new plan was to go back to Pokhara and the next day go to other remote villages that were not in the Annapurna National park, reach a larger remote audience by showing the Jesus film, preach the Gospel, and heal the sick!
I know it is an awesome alternative plan; but in my heart I was part way crushed. Here is snippet from my journal that night, to remind me of how I felt:
I longed to see the mountains up close and personal. Saw value in reaching mountain villages. Lost focused on the true reason to spend 4 days with Keshab. To share the Gospel to many people, not use him as a good excuse to trek for days on an Unsung Hero month. I desire to see lives forever changed by the Gospel and I know that will happen now. My selfish desires have been removed.
During the moment of making a tough decision, I was focused on my own selfish desire to see mountains up close and lost sight for the reason for the trek to begin with. Thankfully I trusted and respected Keshab for his desire to do God’s will. He had a perspective that I couldn’t see because I was blinded by my own sin. Keshab said,
“We are out here to do God’s work, to glorify Him and that will be better accomplished with the alternative plan. As a follower of Christ you have to be willing to let God pull your reins in whatever direction, even if it is different from our original plans.”
Bam! That was the heart check I needed in the moment! Who is holding the reins in my life? Me or God.
Allow yourself to take time and check your heart throughout your day and weeks. To not overcome every obstacle because that is what society infuses in us….it might be God trying to turn your reins.
