Greeting
Greetings family from Kathmandu, Nepal. I miss you guys dearly and I know the Lord has been breaking chains and building you up as sisters and brothers in the faith. I first want to say that I have had to take quite some time grieving this departure from you all. Most of you may not have known, but this Bible study was my baby and when the Lord asked me to walk away from it, I knew that He was calling me to permanent separation, not just a break as we all originally thought. It was interesting because I have lost many people in my life and this left like a death in the family.
I was reminded by my awesome support system that just like Paul, I was called to plant, support for a short time, and then leave. This was not the Lord punishing me or Him being anything less then gracious. I was reminded that the Father takes us from glory to glory. Although in 2 Corinthians, Paul is talking about the glory of the old covenant into the glory into the new covenant, it’s interesting because the Greek word for both ‘glory‘ is the same word. WAIT, how was the old covenant glorious? It seems to me as if it was a list of rules that no one could completely manage, so why does Paul call it ‘glory’? BECAUSE EVERYTHING THAT GOD DOES IS GOOD. Once I came to the realization that this was a good thing and a God thing, I was able to hold loosely to what I thought was “mine” to nurture and develop.
Update from the field
As we know, the Father is always at work, so here is a short update on what He has been doing in me and the girls. We have traveled from China through Shanghai, Xian, Xining, and Tibet into Nepal, to Kathmandu and Pokhara. We have seen people be healed, people come to know the Father and have also been able to encourage people that are apart of the “secret church”. We have shared the love of Christ with many in Buddhist and Hindu nations and it’s been way more difficult then I actually expected. In the regions that I’ve traveled to (China, India and Nepal) their religion is also a huge part of their culture so those who are not Buddhist or Hindu still function as one because it’s such a part of the country’s culture. We are in Nepal during the biggest festival of the year; it is a Hindu festival called “Dashain”. We have seen and felt spirits and demonic forces like no other being here during this time. Nepali people are so kind and generous that we have been invited to multiple goat sacrifices and even was offered blood and sacrificed goat. My faith has been tested and I have had to wrestle with being culturally appropriate and abiding by my Christian principles and morals. We leave for India in 5 days and honestly I’m excited but a little nervous about the pollution and congestion of the second most populated country. So, please keep me and the team in your prayers!
My Encouragement to you
My dear sisters and brothers, I encourage you to stay steadfast and unmovable (1 Corinthians 15:58) in your walk. I have been keeping in contact with a couple of people from the group and was made aware that people are struggling with depression, anxiety, and even suicidal thoughts. The enemy would want nothing more then to divide what the Lord has put together by making people feel isolated and alone. Well, we will not have it!! Thanks so much for your honesty and vulnerability with one another. We are to carry each other‘s burdens (Galatians 6:2) and please know that even though I am not with you, I have been fighting with and for you. Continue to open up to one another and reach out to check on your sisters and brothers. Doing life with someone means just that: that I hear from and see you outside of Tuesday night Bible study. Ladies, I implore you to represent yourselves as sisters in the Lord in public so that the world may see what that looks like and in private. Men, I implore you to be BOLD and men of integrity that are consistent in your public and private lives. Sisters and brothers, the enemy is at work but we know how the story ends: THE VICTORY IS WON. Your depression, low esteem and anything else keeping you from pursuing the Father is DEFEATED. Easier said then done, trust me I know, but it is still truth. Truth is not subjective. I will contine to pray and fight with you. If you have any personal prayer request please feel free to reach out. As you lay your heads down at night, please keep me in your prayers that the Lord will continue to give me strength to fight daily. Not only for His people, but for my team and against carnal thinking and ways.
Hope in Christ
This is not an attempt to try to fix your problem or situation. It’s ok not to be ok. The Lord does amazing things in our valleys. Storms in our lives can be used for the Father to reveal Himself to you, bring us to a place of repentance, demonstrate His love, or even to equip us for the work of the Father. My prayer is that even in these valleys we cling to the Lord and we remember that our hope is in Him and Him alone. Biblical hope is the confident expectation of what God has promised and its strength in His faithfulness. Remember my dear friends, put your hope in God (Psalms 42:5), be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer(Romans 12:12). I love you all!!!!
Final Greetings
I pray that upon my arrival in the States, I will be able to visit you all. The plan is to move out of Houston so I may not be with you longterm but to God be the glory. I think of you all very often and I pray that the Lord is using this Bible study to radically transform lives within you and the African American community.
