No expectations. Even when told ahead of time what our "plan" is I have learned that it is always going to change. Our last week in Nepal was going to be spent traveling to another village where we would share the gospel by showing the Jesus Film. We were told it would be a 7-hour bus ride into the mountains. This 7-hour bus ride turned into a 13-hour jeep ride and so much better than I could have ever hoped for.
We began all crammed into three jeeps, bouncing around inside, all of us hitting our heads and I hanging out the window attempting to get pictures and videos of our travels. After stopping for breakfast I had my hopes set on riding on top; Getting to be out in the open as we climbed up the mountain, among the clouds and plenty of leg room. Tyler jumped at the chance to be on top and without any hesitation I joined him… sitting on top of the backpacks and supplies trying to shimmy our way into a perfect spot so we wouldn't fall off the side, and the jeeps pulled away.
About an hour into the ride we came to a stop… the jeep in front had broken an axel. Of course there are no extra parts and we are three hours away from the nearest repair shop, so… we wait. All of us racers pile out of the cars and hang out on the side of a mountain. We play games, build a fire, explore, Samson even climbed higher to "touch a cloud." Only through Gods power and six months on the race can I be at a place of such flexibility. To no longer care about timelines or troubles but instead make the most of the situation at hand. Could there be a better place to have to sit and rest? As far as I could see tall trees, mountains, the suns light shining through the clouds and hitting different angles perfectly, small homes spread across the landscape and my favorite… mountain goats.
About three hours later the jeep was fixed, and as if we had just been waiting in line at Disney for Rockin’ Roller Coaster, Tyler and I were back on top and excited for the ride. Not near as smooth as a roller coaster but just as thrilling, we rocked from side to side, taking sharp turns which put us on the edge of our seats and other times tightly holding on as the jeep swayed left to right attempting to crawl through the mud. The whole time both of us in amazement that we were actually on top of a jeep, in Nepal, traveling to spread the gospel to those who had never heard before.
After lunch the rain came down… My stubborn self borrowed a raincoat and climbed back on top. How grateful I am that I did. We ended up finishing the rest of our journey on top of that jeep, cold and wet but amongst the stars. The rain had given way for a clear night sky full of bright stars. Fires from people’s homes were seen as small stars on the mountainside. I was surrounded by bits of light and was reminded of His greatness, His glory.
Samson, a man on my team, once told the squad that as God told Abraham his children would be like the stars in the sky, and as Paul says in Philippians we are to be the light of the world… A starry night is a reminder of how in a world of darkness we, Gods children, are the stars, shining bright and declaring Gods glory.
That night I was blessed to literally be part of the stars.
We arrived around 11 that evening. Feet frozen and noses red, all the racers huddled around a small fire to eat our rice and noodles before heading to bed. That night we would all be sleeping together, sleeping bags laid over hay and snuggled closely to keep warm. I felt like 101 Dalmatians after a long trek through the cold. We had made it, safe, warm and worn out. That night I slept straight through, no need for dreams. I’ve been blessed to live them this month.
