Primitive living is not my thing. I appreciate and love modern conveniences because, predictably, they make everything more convenient and comfortable.
What comes to mind when imagining a visit to Nepal? I was looking forward to mountain views and cool, crisp temperatures to give me a respite from the endless sticky heat I've been enduring all year. I pictured myself in a city working with street kids and taking in the sights that any tourist might frequent.
Those expectations were totally shattered upon my arrival in a small Nepali village after a bumpy nine hour public bus ride from Kathmandu. The landscape at the homestead where we'd be staying was familiar; the flat plains covered in rows of corn could have easily been mistaken for my native Iowa. The air was hot and heavy with the weight of humidity. And tourist attractions? The only sight to be seen in this sleepy little village was apparently ME and my teammates who attracted stares, waves, and broken-English greetings from countless curious onlookers.
My first tour of the property made it clear that there was no escaping authentic village life this month. No short cuts to comfort. No western conveniences. Nights would be spent sleeping under a mosquito net on the cement floor of a classroom at the school where my team would work, clothes would be washed by hand after pumping water from a well, drinking water had to be boiled several times a day, and, much to my dismay, the only facilities were "squatty potties" in an outhouse without electricity. This place was the definition of roughing it to me.
The only thing that got me through the month of rough living conditions was the knowledge that there would be an end. I have an awesome loft apartment to go home to that is fully loaded with appliances and conveniences I've taken for granted for years. I don't have to go on living like a pioneer woman forever, but for most everyone else in that village, this is life. There's no other way to live besides the hard way.
A theme that has come up for me again and again during this trip is how spoiled I am. The sin of pride, often revealed as entitlement, has made itself evident especially in situations where I'm forced to go without things I think I deserve. Things like a bed. I've read that over half the world's population does not sleep on a bed. Ever. They don't get to go home to a comfortable place in six months like I do.
I like to consider myself fairly savvy and aware of what's going on in the world, which is why it's so hard to admit that I've been living selfishly and have allowed pride to creep in. Proverbs 11:2 says, "Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom."
My neighbors in the village live great lives and didn't even seem to know there are conveniences available to make things easier. Seeing people live so simply and love so fully was enough to make me reassess how I live and how I respond to others.
Village life was hard for me. I did not want to be there most of the time, but I'm glad I had the opportunity to recognize how flawed I am in this area. My pride has been a disgrace and it's not easy or "convenient" to rid my heart and mind of entitlement, selfishness, and pride, but it's wise. It is right. And it's time. Thank you, village life for making me uncomfortable enough on the outside to want to change some things on the inside!
