Month 3 in Nepal came to a close two weeks ago and I am so thankful for the chance to be there. Apart from the dance bars, ministry varied greatly so I’ll just run through a couple noteworthy stories.
- Find a Man of Peace: We packed our sleeping bags and tents and set off towards a mountaintop village in hopes of finding a “man of peace.” We had water and snacks but no place to stay or anyway to summit the mountain besides hiking (it was 15 miles uphill). Fortunately, God totally provided! Around mile 3, a hauling truck came by with the back empty and they agreed to pile us in and take us to the top. We rode along beautiful twisting roads overlooking the snow-peaked Himalayas as the sun set. When we arrived at our destination, two of our team leaders spoke with a hotel manager who agreed to put up fourteen of us in their basement conference room! The rest of us camped on a plateau overlooking the valley of Kathmandu and I was blown away. While we were taking in the view, an elderly gentleman came towards us leaning heavily on his cane. He asked if we could pray for his hand because he had lost most of his motor skills, and we prayed. We prayed for over an hour as the sun dropped below the horizon and the temperatures plummeted. We huddled in blankets and jackets and we kept praying. He began to open his rigid hand and his stiff forearm muscles relaxed, but that was the extent of the progress we witnessed. We know God is healer and we know He has his own timeline as well. The man hurried us over to his relatives to introduce us, and when we left him, he was deeply encouraged. I think God gave him exactly what he needed.
- Transgender Prostitution: Something very sad that we experienced in Kathmandu, but is by no means limited to this city, was hateful homophobia and discrimination towards the LGTB community. Our ministry host, Bryan, witnessed several transgender people in the city being taunted and mocked. Homophobia is not uncommon in Nepal and arguably has a strong hold on the masses. While there is extensive theological debate on the matter, I know my Jesus did not walk in condemnation and neither do we. After Bryan saw this prejudice, he was fired up. We spent hours discussing what God says about our identities as his children and then that next Friday night, we went to the district where many transgenders prostitute themselves. Because there is so much overt discrimination towards the LGBT community in Nepal, many have been driven into isolation and sell themselves to make a living. Bryan explained to us that they stay within a very limited space, a couple blocks radius, and I noticed they never walk alone. Even when approaching potential customers, they go in pairs. Some people still laugh and say crude comments. There was so much hurt and rejection. These people live in ostracization. Bryan referenced John 8 with the story of the woman caught in adultery brought before Jesus. The woman had been caught in sin before her community and they anxiously pressed her towards Jesus, pointing out her flaw in shame, demanding her punishment. Jesus’ response stunned the crowd, and he dismissed them by saying only the one who had never sinned may throw the first stone. When they had all left in defeat, Jesus asked the woman, “Where are your accusers? Does even one of them condemn you?” She responded, “no, Lord.” and Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” This is profound because just as we are sinners, we are not to condemn others for their sins. Jesus told his audience all sins are equally heartbreaking to God and anyone who has sinned cannot sit in a place of judgment. The prostitutes in Kathmandu are some of many who have been battered at the feet of judgment and condemnation. This is not Jesus’ heart. We are called to more than to live by the convenient simplicity of hate. Needless to say, that night was difficult, especially taking place on the same as the dance bar I had visited one week prior.
Please pray for Nepal! Pray for the tourists and locals and their heart. Let’s revitalize a culture of love that moves beyond our scope or immediate community.
P.S. To close month 3, my team Kaleidoscope and I were told that I would be moving to another team. Kaleidoscope took a hit last month as our teammate JJ also left. The amazing Brittni Wisner used her fantastic gift with words and tells the story in her blog if you’d like to hear more details. Brittni, Emily, Esther and Meagan are now a new team called Heliocentric. I love those super cool ladies and I am praying for them this month. Their placement is in a village where Christians are heavily persecuted and they will be dealing with heavy stories. If you would also keep them in your prayers we would be super grateful! My new team is called the Good News Team, or the News Team for short. Tyler, our team leader, loves to say, “News Team, assemble!”
Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to read about my time in Nepal. God bless!
