Nepal: home to the shortest man and tallest mountain. It is also the land of great World Racer expectations. Since Nepal is home to the famous Mount Everest and well known Himalaya mountains, we assumed it would be a refreshment from India’s crowded cities and littered streets. We were picturing beautiful snow-capped mountains and fresh mountain air. We were wrong.
Once again, our expectations were let down. The streets of Kathmandu are chaotic and if there were snow-capped mountains in the distance, we RARELY, if ever, saw them because of the smog. It was so bad that is was hard to see planes taking off and landing even though we were only about 13 km from the airport. Most of us experienced cold-like symptoms and were told it was because we were “polluted” by the air quality.
To make matters worse, spiritual warfare was intense at the beginning of the month. Cody and I had many horrible and unneeded arguments. I also struggled with contentment and comparison. Team Entrusted partnered with team Braveheart this month. We all lived and ministered together. Having 14 people walking around and evangelizing together proved to be a struggle. It appeared we intimidated people to whom we were evangelizing. Honestly, those first 10 days are the only time I’ve wanted to go home. Thankfully, this is a story of redemption.
I realized the depression and anxiety I was feeling was a result of spiritual warfare. I shared my emotional struggle with our team and we prayed. Doug suggested I grieve having to say goodbye to my new family in India. Then Cody and I took the weekend off. We came back Monday and I was ready to view Nepal through refreshed eyes. I asked the Lord to show me Nepal through His eyes.
It began with Him giving me an appreciation for all the brick homes. (It was a refreshment from all the cement buildings of India.) Then I began to notice the beautiful Asian faces of the Nepalese. As we began to interact more with the church we were a part of I realized how dedicated believers are here. They are committed to caring for each other and spreading the gospel. In a predominately Hindu and Buddhist culture, many Christian converts are turned away and shamed by their families. As a result, they take their faith and the Great Commission seriously.
The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of harvest to send our laborers into His harvest.
Luke 10:2
Nepal is ripe for the harvest. 0.5% of the population are Christian. 75% of the remaining population have never even heard the name of Jesus! We have currently been to South Africa, Swaziland, and India. Nepal has been the most open to the gospel. The Nepalese are hungry for hope. This hunger opens the door to varying ministries. We’ve had some amazing ministry opportunities this month. Pretty much everything that comes to mind when you think “missionary”, we’ve done this month. We have:
Trekked through villages praying and evangelizing
Gone into outdoor brick factories to help work and tell people about Jesus
Preached at church
Given seminars to a growing church
Taken part in church-planting and house fellowship
Gone to a remote village to share the gospel with unreached people
Preached on riverbanks and hills
Marched in a Resurrection Sunday parade
Led my (Stephanie) first person to the Lord
All of this in just one month! These are experiences we will NEVER forget. They have stretched and transformed the way we look at ministry. We have learned that ministry is intentional. Sometimes we have to intentionally seek ministry opportunities. You must be bold about stepping out and trying new things and speaking to new people. This is a change that we will carry back to America with us.
Please pray that God’s Kingdom would continue to grow in Nepal. Pray that God would fill more people, like our contact, with visions only He can bring to pass. Pray that He sends laborers into the harvest. God is on the move in Nepal! 
