Wow, what a month this was. From start to finish, my time in Nepal felt like a roller coaster of emotion. I’ve found passions I didn’t think I had, and I made friends I never want to lose. I also had the best birthday this month! I’m gonna try to keep this blog from looking like a jumbled mess, but in reality thats what Race life sorta looks like, so here goes!
Our Ministry: We worked under Iris Ministries serving in a plethora of ways. We went on village outreach to Butwal, Nepal, we served in a Banquet House (soup kitchen), we went on street outreach and evangelism, we took intercessory prayer walks, we did free landscaping, we painted a house, and we served in the Freedom House (drug and alcohol rehabilitation center). We stayed with long-term missionaries from all over: South Africa, Switzerland, Australia, America, Sweden, and Norway.
My Favorite Part of the Month: Wow how can I choose a favorite?? Each part was special/memorable to me in its own way. Street outreach and the Freedom House will probably be what I hold closest to my heart.
We went out into the streets of Thamel, Kathmandu at night and hung out with the street kids and locals. Street outreach was totally Holy Spirit led, and he led us to some cool people and cool conversations. One night, I had an hour and a half conversation with a man about what real selfless love is. He said my love was too impractical for everyday life. I said the love within me was what gave me life. He also gave me the name “Kuesi” which means Joy. Another night, we were walking by an old woman sitting on the side of the street. I smiled at her as we walked by, and she literally grabbed my arm and yanked me down into a hug. The woman could not hear, but after praying for her 3 times, she was able to hear again. She then led us to her 97 year old mother who was sitting on the other side of the street. We took her and her mother out to eat, and her mother shared with us how no one cared about them. We were able to let her in on the good news about Jesus, who will always care about her.
Spending time with our guys at the Freedom House was definitely something I’ll never forget. That ministry just looked like living life with them day to day. We played volleyball with them, made pottery with them, did Bible study with them, and just loved on them. Their stories will weigh heavy on my heart forever, but the joy of seeing the ways the Lord is moving in their lives is so much greater than that! The Lord put so much on my heart to share with them. Through sharing life and stories and testimonies with each other, the Lord taught us about how He doesn’t bring guilt, shame, or condemnation, but how those are just tactics used by the devil to stop us from sharing His story of redemption. These guys have a powerful story of redemption given to them by a powerful redeemer.
Both of these ministries really opened my eyes to something I’m passionate about: loving people as the Lord reveals to them His freedom from addiction. Whether it was loving on the street kids who are addicted to sniffing glue or loving on our guys at the Freedom House, I’m blessed the Lord led me to these people and gave me the words to say to bring them a little piece of His freedom.
What was the food like?: I LOVE Asian food!!!!!!! Dal Bhat (lentil curry and rice), Samosas (triangular-ish fried potato curry balls), Momos (dumplings), Chow Mein (noodles), and Aloo Chow Mein (noodles with FRENCH FRIES in them) are some of my favorite Nepali classics.
Final Thoughts: Last thing to mention would be the village outreach in Butwal. We slept on the floor of a restaurant and spoke at church everyday. The first day we arrived, we went to visit a church. Upon arrival, we were told that each of us had to speak. Caught a little off guard, we each gave our first sermon which was only the beginning of totally winged sermons. The best part about totally winging a sermon is that you don’t have to worry about what you’re going to say, the Holy Spirit gives you the words 🙂 We sat through long church services in languages we didn’t understand, and ended our time each day by praying over people. We saw many healings in Butwal: deaf ears and blind eyes opened, legs growing, and sickness being cast out. It was a beautiful experience, and I’ll never forget how hungry the people here were for more of the Lord.
To conclude my blog about Nepal, LOTS of things happened! The Lord moved in so many ways! I felt such a wide range of emotions this month, but mostly just love! Thank you to everyone who has been praying, supporting, and loving me! You are just as much a part of the work the Lord is doing here as I am. I pray blessings, peace, and growth over all reading this!
Much love,
Hannah Grace
