Hey everyone, I am safe in Nepal! I got here about a week ago and so far it's been so awesome! We are staying up in the mountains in a village of Kathmandu. We are staying in a house with a great family! We get our food cooked for us, we have showers, and even beds to sleep in! They only have electricty for half of the time though and also have no heat. So it gets very cold here at nights, somewhere down in the 20's or 30's. So I have to fall asleep with many blankets, gloves, hats, and sweathshirts on! Please pray for perservance through the cold and that I would draw closer to Christ through the hard time! Know that I am so thankful to be here and so thankful and blessed to have your support, prayers, and love! It makes so much a difference in my life and encourages me so much for this race!
Here is a blog where I wrote about my time last month in Malawi Africa!
A life with Jesus….In Malawi Africa!
This month was a month of living to make a difference. We were in the country of Malawi where we would travel to remote villages in Africa. They were villages where many have probably never seen a white person or heard of the name of Jesus before…
When we entered the villages we normally would be welcomed by many people stopping and starring at us. Then by many children running to us and following us around all day. I literally felt like Jesus in many ways where my group and I would have groups of 20 to 40 children following us around through the village.
We would then stop and corners of the dirt road streets or stop under tree’s and start worshipping and preaching. Before I knew it there would be crowds of 50 to 60 people who come right off the streets to hear about the love, life, and hope of Jesus Christ. We would see chickens running around and donkeys pulling wagons full of crops and vegetables. I literally felt like I was in the gospels and living a life with Jesus!
Something that I learned this month was that I come most ALIVE when I get to talk and work with men in their teens or early adult years. I was so blessed to get to share the love of Jesus Christ that has changed and transformed my life with so many people this month.
Here is a group of young men that I got to talk with whom all accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior. There were many men who were drunk and who came right from the bars who wanted and yearned for a change within their hearts and souls. I was amazed after sharing my testimony (story) with them that they all raised their hands in wanting to pray to Christ to ask Jesus into their hearts to be their living life, hope, Lord, and Savior!
Two other guys who I met, one who also struggled with going to the bars and getting drunk a lot explained to me that he wanted a change in his life. He explained to me that he wanted to be different and that he wanted Jesus Christ. The day before without knowing it he told one of the pastors that he wanted to be a pastor and change his life forever. The next day I felt like God put it on my heart to give him a Bible and pray for the calling on this life. As the team prayed for him the Holy Spirit of God really touched his heart and many tears started flowing from within him.
same again.
The next Sunday him and his friends went around the village praying for people and the Lord did amazing and miraculous healings through them to heal many.
Another man that I met earlier within the month at the first village that we went through was also an alcoholic. He later explained to me that he was riding his bike on a road and he saw us preaching on a field and wanted to stop to see what it was about. I am not sure if he has ever heard of the true life and hope of Jesus before. As he sat there and listened to my and my teammate’s stories about how Christ has changed and saved our lives, he asked us to pray with him to receive Jesus and His Lord and Savior…..Thank you God!!!
Afterwards he explained to me that he had to go because he had a 20 kilometer bike ride to return to get home. I asked him if he would come to church on Sunday but he explained that it would be hard for him because he lived so far away but then agreed to come.
On Sunday as the church presented him with a Bible he stood up and explained how he gave his life to Christ. He admitted that night he still went to the bar again to get drunk. But he explained that something very different happened. He said he ordered drink after drink but for some odd reason couldn't get drunk. He explained how that night he prayed to God to help him stop smoking and drinking. That Sunday as he woke up for church he got on his bike to endure the long bike ride to church. He explained how he reached into his pocket to get his cigarettes to smoke, but they somehow were missing. He had no idea where they went and at that moment start weeping as he felt the power and presence of the Almighty and living God come upon him. He cried tears of love as he felt the true love of the Father and the true love of His Savior through the presence of God’s Holy Spirit speaking and touching his heart
. As he stood up in church that morning to tell how God has touched his life, he explained that even though it is a long ride, he is going to join the church because he is a changed man!
* Now just a few points about this man. This guy was probably in his mid 30’s and is a tough looking dude. He’s not the emotional type like me, he’s quiet, he’s tough,
yet he was radically encountered and changed by the living love and Spirit of God!
All we have to be is open, surrendered, and willing to accept the love and life of Christ into our hearts and let Him change us in ways that only He can!
This month was such a blessed month for me. It was hard because I lived in tents for two weeks during the Africa raining season which rains torrential downpour of rain hours through out each day. The month was also tough being away from family and friends during the Christmas season. But through the struggles and through growth God brought me closer to Him!
"We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not fail us because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us."
– Romans 5:3-5
This month was my favorite month of the race so far where I felt so blessed to be used by God in radical and REAL ways I n people’s lives…
Please know that I’m not writing this to brag or talk about myself, my hope in writing this is to share what the Lord is doing through my life and through your prayers for me. My biggest hope is to share these stories so that you also know that you can be used by God in the same ways that I am. You don’t have to go on a mission trip around the world, but right there in the city that you live in, the business that you work for, and the family that you have!
Know that you are your Father’s child and that you have been born with a great purpose and calling on your life. Remember who you belong to and who’s life and love is alive within you!
God Bless you all and the adventure and story that God is writing with you in your life!
Here are some pictures from the month and also a couple of songs that I have been listening to a lot that the Lord has really been speaking to me through!
If you would like to see the whole album from Malawi you can view it on my facebook page which is located at: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/set=a.10100987124441710.2624818.20910567&type=1&l=72dccde266
Thanks for reading this and thanks for being a part of this journey with me in Christ!
