There was a squad of 55 radical Jesus loving people who began to do ministry within the Kathmandu Valley. These are a few stories:
On Wednesdays, the whole squad would gather on a soccer field at 8:00 in the morning to play with the street kids. We would play soccer, have chicken races with the kids on our backs, take silly pictures, etc. Afterwards, Agape ministry we were with would provide them with lunch and water. We would share a Bible story, sing some songs with them, and then we would depart.
The street kids that attend are all boys; there are no street girls because the girls are sold off or forced to work. Most of these boys arrive high from huffing glue to dull their hunger pangs, have snotty and runny noses from the glue fumes; are covered in dust and dirt, have torn clothes, and live in small gangs for protection.
Agape ministry has education classes for them on Mondays through Fridays; except for on Wednesdays when we play soccer. It was a wonderful opportunity for us to join them in reaching out to these young boys through soccer, and most importantly to have been able to share the love of God with them. By doing these outreaches, several boys were also taken to the hospital and given medical treatment for their injuries or ailments. By simply reaching out to the children, great things can happen.
On one of our days of ministry, I got the opportunity to go out and minister to women at risk. My group did not find any cabin restaurants where the young service girls work, but we did find and get to minister to two special women. First, we stopped at a small shop where a lady was sowing. This lady makes custom handmade saris and small traditional Nepali change purses. We stopped by her store to chat with her. It turns out she had never heard of Jesus, so we told her all about Him. This lady comes from Pokhara, Nepal. She now lives in Kathmandu with her son while her husband remains in her hometown for work. She would like to be able to reunite with her husband, go to school for fashion design, and would like to own her own boutique. We prayed for her, encouraged her, and gave her the book of John with our personal notes written to her in the front.
After visiting her store, we went to a small restaurant. The owner of this place is 24 years old, and had recently returned to Nepal after living in Dubai with her aunt and uncle. This young girl has no family as both of her parents are passed away. She told us she often feels very lonely at night and cries herself to sleep. We asked her if she knew Jesus; she had also never heard of Him. We told her that God loves her deeply, and that she never has to feel alone again because He is always with us. We chatted about her future aspirations of starting a larger restaurant on a plot of land that she owns. She will do so once she receives the funds. She also shared that her main source of income is not this small restaurant she has, but is her nighttime business. This lady supplies girls in Thamel (the touristy part of Kathmandu), and receives payment for each one. We asked her how that made her feel; she responded that she does not feel guilty or responsible for what happens to these girls because she gives them the option not to do this job. She said it is the girls’ own choice so she is not responsible. However she knows that it is not right. We got to tell her how precious and valuable each person is, and that everyone deserves a chance to live freely, and to not be sold as an object. At the end, we prayed for her. We also got her contact information, and our ministry hosts will be keeping in touch with her, and will continue to share God’s love with her. For if she is set free, many girls in Thamel will be freed also. She would have a huge impact for the Kingdom of God. So please join us in praying for her.
This month was a stretching month for me, as most of our outreach was evangelizing on the streets. This was something new for me, and is not one of my gifts. However, I learned a lot, I enjoyed talking with people, sharing God’s love with them, and praying for them. It was a great experience overall, and I grew a lot bolder.
