"Samuel, can we please ride on top of the bus today?"
We had asked Samuel (our translator) this question several times already this month and the answer was always "no, you are not Nepali, you can't" haha.
But today was different. He agreed! It is our last day with Samuel and his family and the bus we are loading will take us the 3 hours back to Kathmandu to meet up with the rest of our squad. After handing up all our packs we go to the back of the bus and climb up the ladder and make our way onto the top of the bus to sit with the other Nepalis because there are no seats left inside the bus. The roof rack is not comfortable to say the least, but it is definitely the most scenic view you can find. The road we are on is narrow and winds through the Himalayas. (If my computer hadn't died I would have posted my video… but maybe later) In several spots all you can see on the edge of the road is a huge drop off to the river below. Its definitely a little scary at times but well worth it!
As I rode through the mountains I thought about some of my favorites memories from the month…
The first thing I thought about was the compassion the Lord gave me for Bisnamayu (the lady I wrote about in an earlier blog) and the excitement I got when she was feeling well enough to make it church on our last Saturday there and how we sat there talking to each other each in our own language, but smiling all the while like old friends catching up on life as we waited for church to start.
Then I thought about the family we stayed with… Pastorbrother and how he would say Hallelujah every few minutes of our hike no matter how hard it got. and Samuel saying "I think you understand" after everything he told us or "thanks me" because he found it funny how much we told him thank you. and Muna teaching me Nepali words as we cut up vegetables and then laughing because I never could get the pronunciation right. And Dewaki and auntie (both deaf and mute) and how we learned to communicate with each other over the month. and of course, mom, grandma, grandpa, babu and sweetie. Too many memories with them to list them all.
Next I thought about the night the "screaming bug" flew in our room and we woke up the neighborhood with our frantic attempt to get him out, with no success until Samuel shows up in his lab coat and tells us "it is not dangerous I think" and calmly takes him outside (mind you, the bug is still screaming the whole time.) Hilarious!
And I can't forget the woman who told samuel that when I put my hand on her and prayed for her she felt a "coolness" in her body, the lady who had lost her mom that we were able to pray for. or the man the Lord gave Andrew a word about 7 months before coming here.
Nepal was a great month and one the Lord showed us much fruit 🙂
