Towering mountains. Roaring rivers. Thundering waterfalls. Colorful sunsets. Sparkling stars.
This month I have been in a perpetual state of awe. Surrounded by the beauty of Nepal, I can only marvel at the incredible displays of God’s splendor and power in His Creation.
The river in our village, Kothe, Nepal
When we arrived at our ministry site for the month, my team jetted around the property like kids on Christmas morning. “I can’t believe we get to live here for 2 ½ weeks!” was repeated over and over as we surveyed our living arrangements. The church we are partnering with is in a small village nestled in the mountains of Nepal. A pretty river, sometimes carrying white water rafters, rushes past just below us. A thirty second walk down a well-trod path from the church and our family’s house brings you to a swinging cable footbridge across the river. We have frequented the small, rocky stretch of beach on the other side this month. It’s a great place for Quiet Times, reading the Word and journaling.
On our last day of ministry, we hiked straight up a mountain for two long hours, and we were rewarded with this lovely view of the snow-capped Himalayas.
One ministry I was blessed to be a part of this month was an overnight Christian youth meeting in a tiny village at the top of a mountain. The gathering is apparently held every year for the youth in the area we’re staying in. Youth come to teach and learn together. Last year’s theme was sharing the Gospel with others. This year was all about how to teach children’s Sunday School classes. In Nepali Christian churches, the youth from age 13 and up who are still unmarried are responsible for teaching the younger children in the church Bible stories before or after each service.
Sunset at the youth event
Two other teammates and I piled into a Jeep-like vehicle with about 20 Nepali youth, overnight packs in tow, to get to the top of a tall mountain. The program went well during the two days we spent there, and we had a lot of fun building relationships with the youth from several villages. My favorite moments from those two days, however, had nothing to do with the program itself. They were the moments we stood in awe of the spectacular views of nature around us. We snuck away for half on hour our first afternoon to hike to a higher elevation, where we got a gorgeous perspective of the mountain range and setting sun. The three of us stood for a few minutes, soaking in the beauty of the moment and singing praise songs to the One who made it possible.
My teammate Tina Meyer was able to capture this “city on a hill” photo
Later that night I shivered in the cool mountain air outside, staring out at the outlines of the dark mountaintops before us. Sparkling lights sprinkled along each one, mirroring the stars shining above. The only other light shining was from the bright, almost full moon. All I could think while looking out was the verse in Matthew that says “a city on a hill cannot be hidden.” Those words will forever hold a deeper meaning to me now.
Sunrise in the mountains of Nepal
As a Graydon girl, I’ve always enjoyed being in “the great outdoors.” It has truly been a blessing to be surrounded by such incredible beauty here in Nepal, and to praise the Creator for it all month long!
What blessings of beauty will you see in nature today? Keep your eyes open for sunsets and flowers and Fall colors and rainbows; our heavenly Father delights in giving His children gifts like these every day!
