So we just wrapped up our ministry in Nepal on February 27 and arrived in Brasov, Romania on March 1 for team Debriefs before heading off
to our ministry cites. In my free time
this week I have been reflecting on the incredible experiences I have had over
the past month. Nepal has captured my
heart with its eclectic ambiance, unique culture, breathtaking landscapes and
welcoming natives. I have been taken
away by the magnificence of God’s creation.
Our team was extremely blessed last month with the opportunity to visit
three different cities throughout Nepal.
For the first week we stayed in Gothatar, which is located in the valley
about thirty minutes outside of Kathmandu.
The architecture is unlike anything I have ever seen before. The homes are placed sporadically throughout
the city connected by winding roads and dirt paths. There is no concept of “the nice part of
town” or “the slums”. Many of the houses
are considerable in size and stand three to four stories high, while others are
simple single room homes or shacks with flimsy tin roofs and tree stem
bases. The nicer homes are typically
made of concrete or stone and decorated in various colors such as blue, orange,
green and pink. What I find particularly
interesting is how one side of the house will be decked out in beautiful
railings, windows and decor, while the other side will be a vertical concrete
slab. From one angle, the house is
welcoming and enticing, while the other side is ordinary and monotonous. I’m pretty sure that I could find a deeper
meaning in that somewhere, but I’ll refrain for now. J I really wish that I could box up all my
experiences and send them to you as a souvenir.
Unfortunately, that would cost a lot of money and still wouldn’t do it
justice. So I suppose for now, pictures
will have to do.
In our third week of ministry, we stayed at a girl’s home in
Pokhara, Nepal. As we were driving
through the city for the first time, we got a glimpse of the AnaPurna mountain
range. I don’t think I have ever
literally had my breath taken away until now.
At first I thought it might have been the motion sickness surfacing
after the nauseating bus ride, but I’m pretty sure it was the mountains. Seriously, the next nine months better step
up, because this will be one hard act to follow!
When we arrived to the girl’s home, one of the first things
we did was travel down to an ice-cold mountainous stream that flows from one
side of Pokhara to the other. This is
the primary source of water for the community.
Every Friday, the children and housemother hike about twenty minutes
down to this stream to wash clothes and take baths. The oldest girl at the home, Rita, is
nineteen and speaks almost fluent English.
I asked her about the river and how often they would visit. They typically will only go once a week,
unless there is an absence of rain. In
that case, they have to fetch water for the home every single day. I can’t imagine having to do that. Definitely gives me a new appreciation for a
never-ending supply of running water.
These are a few pictures from our time by the river.
In Nepal, Saturday is the Sabbath for Christians. Our team got the chance to go to church with
the girls. I laugh because one of the
necessities on the race is to enter every situation with absolutely no
expectations. Unfortunately, this is not
only improbable; it’s down right difficult!
I had expectations of what church was going to be like in Pokhra. In Chitwan, we attended church in a tree
house-literally, a tree house-so I suppose my expectations were along those
same lines. So we arrive to church and
head through the gate, and we are absolutely blown away by both the size of the
church and the number of people in attendance.
I couldn’t believe that a church of this magnitude existed in such a
small town in the midst of a predominately Hindu culture, especially since
Christianity has only been legal for a few years. What a blessing! When God moves, he moves.
Church in Chitwan, aka: The Treehouse
Church in Pokhara, aka: The Awesomeness!
For two of the days we were in Pokhara, my team hiked up
Panchase Mountain, which is 7,500ft high.
We pushed ourselves and tested our limits. In hindsight, I can’t believe that our team
made it to the top. It was definitely by
the strength and power of God, because none of us (with exception of Scott)
have ever done anything like that before.
We were struggling and in pain, but the trip was definitely worth
it. We had an incredible view of some of
the largest mountains in the world. The
pictures of the hike don’t do the mountains justice, but the view from the top
of that mountain is permanently ingrained in my mind forever. A few of my other teammates have detailed
blogs of our trekking experience if you would like to hear more about it, you
can access their blogs here: MY TEAM.
