Merry Christmas!
It has been quite the whirlwind for us the last couple of weeks. We wrapped up our ministry in Kathmandu and said good-bye to our friends at Asha Nepal. It was a joy and an honor to serve them this month – they are doing the incredible work of redeeming lives of women and children caught in the vicious cycle of human trafficking. It was richly rewarding to be part of their story during the sunny November days that passed too quickly.
Jack served Asha Nepal primarily by assisting them with their IT needs. I was able to teach a Health & Hygigne class to the rescued women that live there, and it in remember what a joy it is for me to connect with women around the world and talk with them about how they are empowered to keep their loved ones healthy. I am so grateful for the training and practice I recevied during my time at Living Water – another organization doing life-changing work that is close to our hearts.
Nepal found its way into our affections. The bustling city life around Kathmandu, the tentative smiles of the people, the tasty daal baht (rice with lentil curry), the breathtaking Himalayas & the way God is moving powerfully through them – we found much to love there.
Below you'll find a video about Asha Nepal made by our friend Sarah, who worked along beside us all month. She is truly gifted, and we pray Asha can use this as a resource to spread the word about what they are doing. It's worth your time to watch, I promise!
We now live in "the bush" of India, doing a lot of evangelism. Rural village life has it's challenges – no running water, limited electricity, sleeping on the stone floor of an open-air church, the neverending curious stares of local villagers, no internet to connect with home.
Oh, but God is moving here, and in amazing ways.
We visit individual houses and explain who we are and why we're in the middle-of-nowhere-India.
Many, so many people have
never
heard
of Jesus.
Growing up in the Bible belt, it's hard to believe there are still people for whom this is true. But they exist; we meet them every day now. And they are hungry for the truth. We do our best to give a brief overview of the entire Bible and God's story of love and redemption for the world (no easy task). We desperately want them to have hope, to seize life in Christ – I hear the intensity, the edge in our voices when we talk of our savior.
Becuase here, heaven and hell battle every day.
It's awkward in a strange and (sometimes) hostile culture. It's easy to feel not qualified. It's easy to get tired and frustrated. By the heat. The incessant mosquitoes. The communication challenges.
But we push ahead.
Becuase here, heaven and hell battle every day.
I watch conflicting emotions flash across Indian faces as our translator quietly explains that left to their own devices, they will never know joy, freedom, eternal life. That there is hope for them. That they must claim it for themselves. That there once was a man named Jesus, who was not just a man.
A baby born a long time ago in a rural village – but not just a baby.
A king, a savior, a spotless lamb.
That there once was a man named Jesus, who still lives, who can live inside them and make it all worthwhile.
As our translator whispers truth, I beg God to open their hearts. Every time they say yes, my heart leaps.
Every time they say no, I swallow a lump in my throat.
Becuase here, heaven and hell battle every day.
In four days, we've seen over twenty people come to genuine faith in Jesus.
We've prayed over hundreds of people; some have even experienced miraculous healing (stories to come).
So as much as I miss home, friends, family, comfort during my favorite time of year … in spite of the genuine pain of homesickness…
All I want for Christmas … is for them to know my savior.
Becuase unto us a savior is born … and us includes the people of Nepal and India.
The awesome video Sarah made about Asha Nepal:
