City on a hill
Lighthouse for the city
Home for the rejected
Rest for the weary
War room
All of these phrases describe my favorite ministry this month. This month was filled with multiple types of ministry. The first week in beautiful Nepal we had debrief, a week long time set aside to process our first month on the race. It was amazing!! At the end of debrief week we joined our ministry, The Agape Ministry International. During the first week with them we interceded on behalf of Nepal. We did prayer walks that turned into 10 mile hikes, prophetic cards and passed out bracelets for children’s day. It was a beautiful way to follow the Holy Spirit throughout Nepal and see what God is doing here. The next week we did cabin restaurant ministry and street kid ministry. This was a hard week for me, but we got to speak life, worth and love into the lives of woman who knew nothing other than pain, shame, loneliness! Street kid ministry involved going into the slums and playing with kids. This was amazing! I loved being able to play with these beautiful children and sing bible songs with them. The very little that they had broke my heart, but the joy in their laughter filled me right back up! We sang and danced and played and handed out candy and they probably ministered to us more than we did them, but regardless, it was amazing and so full of Jesus! The third week the squad broke out into groups and went to several different ministries. This was my FAVORITE thing. Me and 6 of my other squad mates ( all from different teams) felt the Lord call us to The Prayer Tower. As all fifty of us sat in a room and prayed and asked God where He wanted us, I felt so called to The Prayer Tower and I had no idea why. Well now I know!!
The Prayer Tower is a light in the dark. It is a place of peace and hope in the middle of confusion and rejection. Physically it is a red painted compound that is also a self sufficient farm, set high on a hill overlooking Kathmandu. It houses around twenty people with mental and physical disabilities that have been rejected from Hindu and Buddhist societies. Their societies said they were different and unwanted, but this place gave them a home and calls them children of God! Pastor Nryan had the vision for this place in 1971. He started with $1000 and has built up from there. He has had someone praying 24/7 for 17 years… yes… I repeat… 24/7 prayer for 17 years straight! This is why the compound is a light for the city. The presence of the Lord is so strong and has been prayed into every part of every building! We partnered with this beautiful ministry and it beautiful people to build a sidewalk the first day. As we cut down bushes and uprooted entangled vines, we saw God working in each of our hearts and uprooting things that weren’t of him. We jokingly named the ways in which we could use each garden tool in our spiritual lives. We used the shovels to uproot lies we believed and then we swept in truth with the broom. It was an amazing day full of manual labor, laughs, and freedom. As we returned home, we all had such joy. The next day we returned and were asked to stay over night in the guesthouse. The second day we continued to uproot vines and bushes and build another pathway for the people. When we weren’t working, we were praying. We prayed for each of our own lives, each other’s lives, Nepal as a country, and The Prayer Tower. The night of the second day we stayed up late praying and interceding for Nepal. The third day we created a drip system for the garden and painted. It was a fun filled day. That afternoon we drove/ hiked up a mountain where people go to pray to Buddhist and Hindu gods and prayed over it. The views were spectacular. We stayed a second night and enjoyed dinner with the family and then a church service. We prayed again late into the night. I think why I loved this place so much was because the central theme of their lives is Jesus. It didn’t matter what time of day, weather, health, or any other circumstances, there was always someone praying 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for 17 years straight. When you pray that much, things happen, prayers are answered, provision is seen and lives are changed. They went from one small building for $1000 to 4 buildings, a farm, a 4 story guest house and more in the making. The best part of all is the joy they have. They are a family. They weren’t born into the same family, but they were all adopted into Gods family and bonded over that. They cook, clean, exercise, worship, pray, and love together. It is a beautiful representation of Jesus and His heart for community. As usual the people I intend to help, help and teach me more about God. They embodied generosity, perseverance, love, hard work, and endurance. It was beyond beautiful. As we left Friday morning, we prayed for all of the people that lived there and I took photos… here are the beautiful faces that’s despite there disabilities, seek God with their all!!!
Please keep them in your prayers as they continue to follow God in obedience and rescue those that society deems as unworthy. They are the literal hands and feet of Jesus. They inspire me.
Thank you for reading this blog. We are officially leaving Nepal today and headed to Thailand! I am very excited. This coming month we will be living in an orphanage that houses 40 mountain village girls from the ages of 4-16. Please start praying for our ministry in Thailand and for all of the beautiful little girls. Please pray for me also and that God will help and guide me through this month. Orphan ministry is truly my heart and I know it is going to be difficult leaving these little ones in the end.
Thank you for your continued prayer and support!
Love,
Gabbie
