First breath from sleep: fresh, cold mountain air fills my lungs. My waking thought is that this is what life is about: experiencing God’s glory in His creation, both the physical world we live in and the people that He created to inhabit it. To stand in awe of His Majesty and Might.
So Graham, Chris, and I groggily rise from our beds, hastily throw our clothes on, and rush out the door hoping that we don’t miss it:
Sunrise over the Annapurna Circuit of the Himalayas. As our small group of seven intrepid life lovers take in the sun-soaked, snow-capped peaks, we are breathless, almost silent save for the mandatory selfies and panoramas.
This is IT, the Crown of the World.
This is Nepal.
I was thrilled to hear I would be doing ministry in Nepal when I signed up for the Race. I dreamed of mountains regularly, not mention the chance to meet Buddhist monks, get a khukuri, eat momo, meet trekkers, etc. all while breathing fresher air than I did in India(you tricked me there Kathmandu). Little did I know that the ministry I was in and the people I met there would be the reason I wanted to stay, not the biggest mountains in the world.
Month two of my journey was spent working with some of the most sincere and heartfelt believers I’ve ever had the good fortune to work with. Brian and his team gave us all a breath of fresh air when it comes to what ministry looks like. We started each day with an hour of AMAD, which was a simple hour of being still with the Lord and meditating on His word.
Yeah, easier said than done.
But truly it became a mainstay in our squad and will hopefully stick with me for the rest of my life. It put us in the right place to humble ourselves so that we could serve others well, and completely join in with what He was doing.
And God is doing a LOT in Nepal.
Nepal was my first experience with bar ministry, which was a very difficult thing to see. It’s quite hidden and not really discussed by the majority if Nepali people, but we visited a section of shops on a main road in which 90% were a front for prostitution. In one “restaurant” we met some women that sold themselves; many of them are forced into it by someone else, but some of these women do it because it’s the most money they could ever make.
You might be wondering how much it is to purchase one of these girls for an hour, huh? I’ve been told that in America women make hundreds on dollars, but in Nepal these women cost 50 rupees an hour. That is roughly $0.50 USD. For HALF A DOLLAR, you too can own a woman for an hour!
It was appalling, anger-inducing, depressing; unjust.
But then you saw the hope in their eyes that someone was coming to them to spend time with them, to learn their names. To show them that not all men are there to use their bodies, that there are people who remember that they exist.
It floored me, it helped me see women, my sisters, every girl I’ve ever known, in a different light. How precious they are to our Father; how every one of them is a Beloved Daughter and that He desperately wants ALL of us to know Him.
Of course we did other ministries: played with more kids, prayed for healing over the sick, told people about the redeeming love of Jesus, painted houses, shared life with the destitute in the slums, worshipped together, built an altar to The Lord on top of a hill(the funny thing being that what they consider hills in Nepal are like the size of our Appalachian mountains), and generally spent time together in the presence of God and tried to learn as much as we could from these people.
Which brings me to one of my favorite people I met in Nepal:
George. George is probably a couple of miracles away from sainthood, though he would down play it. He has true humility and is probably the most tender-hearted man I have ever met. The passion he has for both his brothers and sisters, and for the lost is nearly limitless. He seeks The Lord in all things, and sees His goodness in all people. He loves unconditionally. His story is inspiring as well. He is from India, but was severely beaten for his faith in Jesus; to the point of nerve damage in his body and to his brain. Yet he continued to preach the message of Love, and then brought his gigantic heart to Nepal love on the lost there. And while he is physically hurt and needs healing, he doesn’t need spiritual healing. In fact, I believe his soul is strengthened by his injuries, because he understands his complete reliance on God’s sovereignty. Therefore he seeks it always. He indirectly taught me about being a loving man, and how to be humble before all so that they may be elevated. I would encourage all of you to pray for my brother, that God would be glorified through him whether that means the healing of his body or for his continued ministry.
Be in prayer for all of Brian’s ministry, for all nine countries he is present in. They desire to see great change come and for justice and mercy to reign in Nepal, and outward to every nation.
All in all Nepal was unforgettable. A place I will return to, because I left a piece of my heart in it. And there is much work to be done there.
Until next time,
Kyle
