Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
We have been blown away by the awesome kick-off to our holiday season here in Nepal. We miss our family, friends, and American traditions so much, but we are finding ways to be grateful and to celebrate while living far away from home.
We wanted to update everyone on some recent events …
- Today, we head to rural mountain villages near Khokana, Nepal. We will be hiking about eight hours a day, handing out tracts, and speaking with people that have never heard the name of Jesus before. While this is intimidating, we also expectantly hope that God will show up in amazing ways. Will you pray for us?
- I am getting pretty adept at doing laundry by hand. We found Tide here (oh, glorious smell of home!!), and my forearms are definitely showing the effects of labor-intensive chores. It's been a neat way to find contentment in being able to care for my husband by providing him with (sort of) clean clothes. EVERYTHING here takes more time than at home, and we savor the slower pace of life as a gift. Even laundry is a communal activity here, and the women at Asha Nepal have enjoyed giving me tips and laughing at my funny way of doing things.
- We were invited to the US Ambassador's home here in Kathmandu for a Thanksgiving reception. It was quite interesting to see his home! They had a play with precious children, and after the Ambassador's speech, we gorged ourselves on mini-pumpkin pies and tiny turkey sandwhiches. It was a taste of home, and we were truly thankful.
- Jack has been working LONG days improving the website for Asha Nepal. We have loved our time here – helping the children with their homework, building relationships with the women, supporting their IT needs, seeing the Himalayas on the horizon, and learning about daily life for the Nepali people have made for a rich month so far.
- In a week, we'll have a debrief with our entire squad (the 50 of us that were sent out together). We are expecting a time of worship, restoration, and to be challenged spiritually. Will you pray for us?
- We head to INDIA the first week of December. We are anxiously awaiting more details on what our exact location and ministry reponsibilities will be. Stay tuned!
- We both have nasty sinus infections (ick!), and we finally self-diagnosed the need for antibiotics. We are SO thankful for Where There is No Doctor, which gave us recommended antibiotics in the right dosages. So I wrote a "prescription" on a torn peice of notebook paper, signed my own name, and took it to the pharmacy. They nodded seriously at this official paperwork and gave us 180 tablets of Penicillin for $5. Huzzah!
- I am falling in love with public transit. Our main mode of transportation looks like riding Micro-Buses ("micros"), rickey van-like structures which are built to hold about 12 but usually contain at least 20 people. I remember months ago reading this blog post on public transit and how the principles in it resonated with me, though at the time I used my trusty Honda to get around. Sometimes, I still miss my car – the convenience of it, how I could control the smell and temperature inside it, how I could blast my music … but, more often than not, I feel in most in tune with the throbbing pulse of Kathmandu when I am crammed in a micro, speeding too fast and weaving between countless vehicles on a narrow, bumpy road, staring out the window in facination as the city sweeps past me.
God continues to call to us … "Come deeper, my children. Come deeper." We love the Race, but it is hard. We constantly have to give up our own wants and priorities. Living in crazy-close quarters with our team – sharing meals, ministry responsibilities, finances, daily life – we confront the things about us that aren't so pretty. There are even days when we can live in an amazing new place, and let ministry opportunities pass us by out of fatigue, or apathy, or rebellion. But during those times, God's insistent whisper calls us back to him … calling us to go deeper. To live every day to the fullest. To not miss ANY opportunity – becuase this is the center of his will for us. And it's sweeter here than anywhere else.
We are so THANKFUL for all of you that support us – with your friendship, your encouraging words, your financial support, your prayers … there are a thousand ways you have urged us on and challenged us. It's becuase of YOU, dear friends, that we are able to take part in this amazing journey. When we count our blessings, you are at the top. THANK YOU.
