Currently my squad is living and doing ministry all together here in Kathmandu. We are doing various ministries that include prayer walks, soccer ministry, and working with women and children at risk. Next week, we will split into two groups to go into villages throughout the area. Here is a short story from our debrief time last week:
After 3 different planes and a short bus trip, we had finally made it to our hostel that our squad would be in for a few days of debrief. Debriefs are times that the whole squad gets together to reflect on all that God has done throughout the month, attend sessions taught by our leaders, and to relax together to prepare for the next months. After settling into the room and finishing my overdue finances, I was itching to explore the streets of Thamel. I went out with two girls from my squad and we had a great time just walking through the narrow streets, dodging cars and mud as we shared with each other what God had been teaching us and what we had been struggling with. After a while, one girl had to leave for dinner with her team. The other girl, Klancy, and I stayed behind in a shop that caught our eye.
The shop was full of colorful pants and jackets. I entered the changing room to try on a pair of pants and as I did so, I heard Klancy asking the shop owner about his religion and beliefs. I thought to myself, “There goes Klancy, never afraid to open up conversations with those around her,” and laughed to myself. Klancy has such a heart for people and boldly enters conversations with those around her about God and/or offering prayer. I figured that I would just leave the changing room and sit on the sidelines as I listened to their conversation, which was intriguing to me. As I joined the conversation, the owner was very open to sharing his beliefs. As he talked, I got the feeling that he didn’t really believe in Hinduism, but related to it as it is what he grew up in. He stated many things that he disagreed with, but seemed to be searching for something that made better sense to him. Klancy asked if we could share with him what we believed. His response was, “Sure. Please do.”
The conversation wasn’t long, but it provided time for us to find similarities and to share why what we believe is different. While I don’t know exactly what he took away from that conversation, I know that we were able to take the opportunity to learn where he was coming from and to share with him some answers to questions he had asked. Having had this conversation, we had built up a good rapport with him so he shared about his family. He pulled out his phone to show us pictures of his daughter and son who live in the U.S. His son is in the military and his daughter works as a nurse. He also shared with us about his wife and her battle with cancer in her throat and their hope to visit their children now that she is doing better. It was nearing the time to go and I felt the Lord asking me to pray for him. I was expecting that Klancy would ask, so I hesitated and kept on with the conversation. As we were getting ready to go, I asked him if we could pray for his family and his upcoming visa interview to go to the U.S. He was surprised and stated that we were so nice and gave his blessing for us to pray. I stumbled through a short prayer and was getting ready to shake his hand and leave. When he looked up, there were tears in his eyes, and he repeatedly told us how kind we were and to come back for tea sometime.
I’m not sure what touched that man’s heart that day, but I know that it had nothing to do with me and the few words that I said. I’m not sure why, but God used us two exhausted girls who were just out for a stroll that day to plant a seed and to just show him Christ’s love. I can’t say for sure if or when he’ll choose a relationship with Christ, but I know that he’s searching and will be praying for others to enter those conversations with him.
As we left the store, we reflected on our time there. Klancy would normally be the first person to ask to pray, but because she didn’t, God walked with me out of my comfort zone and had me do it. I’ve been working on learning to hear him and following through, even when it’s uncomfortable, and that’s just one of many ways during the last month that he’s been growing me. We had left the hostel with no intentions or thoughts of “doing ministry.” But that night and in many moments since, I’ve been reminded that ministry is not constrained to a time or a given task to do.
Some of the most meaningful and beautiful moments of ministry come in little interruptions and in the people that you pass by every day. I don’t want to forget that. I want to take each and every opportunity to love those around me and to take God and ministry out of this box that I tend to put them in. I challenge myself to remember that over these next months and I encourage you to do the same. As you go through your days, who is God putting in your path and how can you show them his love?
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