This month I chose to abandon anxiety. In (maybe somewhat reckless) celebration, I jumped off a beautiful mountain in Pokhara. But no worries. I had a parachute and a highly-trained paraglider attached to me. But it was a huge leap for somebody terrified of heights! Shortly after, I began running a fever. The next few days were filled with a lot of fever, sleep, and dehydration.
Unfortunately, when you’re left alone in a 4 story house all day, homesickness starts to creep in. I didn’t have access to any of my normal sick foods. My teammates loved me SO well, but nothing beats having your mom take care of you, even as an adult. And I had a whole lot of quiet time to think about allll the things I was missing here in Nepal and back home. My mom, my queen size bed, and Chick-fil-A, just to name a few. (If anyone can overnight me some nuggets, it would probably definitely not benefit my ability to share the gospel, but it would make my heart really happy!)
*If you haven’t read my last blog, now would be the time. I talked about how God saw a little girl who was hurting and, because he cares that much, sought after her to let her know she was seen*
So, fast forward to just a few minutes ago when an American man and his daughter came into a coffee shop to grab a milkshake. I heard him mention Indiana, so I perked up and went over. Greg’s family is from there, so it was a neat connection. What he later revealed, though, was nothing short of God.
There, 8,000 miles from home, sat a Nashville police officer named Adam.
Let me pause and introduce you to one of my very best friends, Ally. She happens to be the coolest person I know. And… a cop in Nashville!!
P.S. She just got a really cool award because she has a heart of gold and shines Christ’s light always, even through all her heavy gear. Trust me, I tried it on. That’s no easy feat! So if you see her, please give her the biggest hug for me!
Anyway, as it turns out, Adam’s best friend trained Ally in the Academy last year. And there we were, sitting in a tiny coffee shop in Kathmandu together. God had gifted me with a special piece of home, right in the midst of being homesick.
Here’s the thing y’all. I knew what I was signing up for. I chose to abandon my family and friends and comforts to know God more intimately than ever before and take the gospel to the ends of the earth. I knew it would mean hard days and harder nights. God knows I knew. He asked that of me. And he could just as easily remind me that I’m simply following in obedience. But instead he sends sweet little reminders that he not only sees the hurting, but he cares. Only God could know how much a man named Adam would stir my heart.
I want to encourage you to stop looking at life as a series of coincidences and start seeing those moments as divine encounters with the Father. He is always trying to woo you, so don’t be so caught up in the chaos that you miss it.
Thank y’all for all of the encouragement on the bad days and the good! I couldn’t do this without y’all! This week my team and I went into slums to hang out with kids and spent time in brothels with women bound by unfortunate circumstances. As I process through this and work on sharing our experiences, please be praying for our squad and all the people we encountered! God is fervently chasing after their hearts, and I’m thankful to be a vessel in that!
I’m quickly approaching my FINAL (wooo!) financial deadline! In 2 short months, I need to raise roughly $4,250. Please be in prayer that I will meet that earlier rather than later, and please prayerfully consider partnering with me. Every single amount helps, and it’s all helping to make my Race and stories like these possible.
