Nepal update below.
The first half of the month, my team and I served alongside a handful of different ministries. We went to a widows’ home (talked and prayed over them), childrens’ homes (singing, praying, playing with the orphans), visited schools (fed children, washed dishes and cleaned), went to a home that disciples young women (ages 12-31) after being rescued from brothels (encouraged them as well as heard a couple of their stories), we hiked to a leper colony who are considered “the untouchables” in the cast system (prayed for the lepers that lived there), we also went to buddhist and hindu temples (intercessory prayer walks to intercede on behalf of the followers of Buddha and/or other false gods).
^After serving at a school.
^Serving the children food.
^Singing, praying, and playing with the orphans.
^Praying in a leper community.
^Interceding at the temples.
The final half of the month, we went to villages in the Himalayas, we primarily did house visits, preaching and sharing the Good News to the people that lived in those areas.
Yes. It was hot. Yes. We didn’t have wifi. Yes. We were sleeping in a church with no air flow and bugs, frogs, lizards crawling around. Yes. We wore the same clothes for four days straight. Yes. It was smelly. Yes. We had to walk to get to the houses… sometimes short distances, sometimes what seemed like miles at a time, sometimes with pouring rain, sometimes with the scorching sun on our backs. But… guess what? All worth it for building Kingdom.
Throughout our short time there, two young adults gave their hearts to the Lord. Alongside that, we shared the Gospel with numerous amounts of people who have never even heard of the name of Jesus, and even though they didn’t all fully accept Christ, we know God used us to plant seeds – He is the one who does the growing.
The last ministry that our team served alongside was trekking ministry. We hiked for four days in the Himalayas. We hiked from house to house, going to visit people and share the Good News with them – share it with the unreached. Three people came to Christ during our time there. And along with that, numerous seeds were planted.
Many of the people we shared with were mothers and their children. The challenging thing was that when we asked what they thought about Jesus and the Good News, they liked it. They believed it. But you know their response as to why they couldn’t give their life to the Lord? “I am afraid. I am afraid that I will be kicked out of my house. If my husband doesn’t convert, then I can’t choose Jesus. My culture, my neighbors, my family, they will shame me. It is too much of a sacrifice.”
In America, this isn’t even remotely an issue. In America, “you be you and you do you” is what society deems as right. But here in Asia, generational living is the only right way. You live the way you do because of the cast you were born into, and you believe what you believe based on your families beliefs. Any change in that, and your world comes crashing down.
Please be praying for the Holy Spirit to continue to stir into the hearts that received the Good News this past month. That all of the challenges they would face would not be a fear anymore – that God will work it out for their own good, for those who love Him. That God would make a way for their hearts to open and to accept Christ. He is always knocking at their door.
Revelation 3:20 states, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with Me.”
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I want to share with you a story about our new brother in Christ, “M”.
Tuesday night, I asked the Lord to give me a vision, dream, or something – to highlight someone to me in the days to come as we continued house visits in the villages on the mountain.
He gave me: a young adult, male, and wearing all blue – it was a view of his back towards me.
On Wednesday, the 22 of May, when we went to go to house visits, I met “M”. His smile was so piercing and he was full of joy. He came to one of the houses we were at praying for healing over an elder man who had epilepsy. He came primarily because he wanted to practice his English as well as say hi. Whenever someone new comes into the area, it seems the entire village knows. So, I began to ask him many questions about his life and even got to ask what beliefs he had. He said he was Hindu. And me doing what I do best, went straight to hearing God ask me to get to continue pressing more into his soul. I pulled out my app Soularium and began using this tool I learned back in Ecuador to get “M” to open up more on his thoughts and beliefs. I could sense the stirring of the Spirit inside of his soul. I sensed that he was only a Hindu because of the family he was born into (his family has been Hindu for generations)… his cousins were Christian though, and they went to the only Christian church in that village. He also mentioned he has attended the church services before with his cousins. He enjoyed them, but didn’t believe nor did he practice Christianity. I sensed that he was hungry for more. After completing the Soularium, it was almost time to go to the next house visit, so I asked if he would come along with us.
He came.
When we got to the next house, the team and I shared the Good News to a couple of older men, one even that was an “untouchable” – typically they aren’t welcomed in any one’s home that isn’t in their cast. But since this was taking place at the village pastor’s home, the cast system doesn’t exist in Christianity – all are equal in the eyes of God.
“M” came and sat in the room my team and I were in. He was there. He was listening. Shortly after Shelby had shared the Good News, the man that was older in the room randomly just got up and left. But “M” stayed. We began asking him questions – his thoughts, concerns, comments, what he thought about what was just shared to him – the greatest story ever told.
He liked it. He wanted to accept Christ. But. His family is Hindu.
Initially, he said that if his family would accept Christ, then he will too. But then we shared that if he wanted to give his life to the Lord, we believe that God will also transform his family. But, first and foremost, this is a decision he needed to make for himself.
So, we let him think over it.
He said okay. He also said that the first thing he is going to do is go home and share the Good News with his own family.
He was ready to accept Christ.
I had the privilege to guide him in a prayer to give his life to Christ.
That day, he left a changed man. That day, we gained another brother in Christ. And I believe that his family will come to know Jesus Christ as well.
Remember that I asked the Lord to show me something? Yeah, “M” is a young adult, male, and was wearing all blue.
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I titled this blog, “The Biggest Miracle of All,” because this month I witnessed the biggest miracle of all – salvation – not only once, but twice.
I’ve mentioned in my past blogs of how much I desire to see miracles, healings, demons being cast out, walking out in the prophetic, but… herein lies the most important and biggest miracle of all – “M” experiencing salvation.
Sharing the Good News and people receiving Christ is what we as Christians should be striving for. To see lives change. To share the Light of Who lives inside of us. A Light that can’t be contained and should be shared with all people. Of all nations.
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This month was Team Torch’s first month as a new team together. First time doing team-times together, doing ministry together, eating together, praying together, singing together, and living what we believe together. And it was… beautiful.
***If you want to hear about how God is working inside of me personally… continue reading.
As most of you already know, coming on this Race, I wanted nothing more than to get close to God. Seek His presence. Spend time with Him. Seek His higher gifts. Become His best friend. My eyes, set on Him. And I didn’t want anything or anyone to get in the way of that. I came because I wanted change in my life. Not just typical change, but radical change. That God that I said I believed in – I wanted to know Him.
I mean, if I don’t know Him, then what’s the point of any of this?
That being said, the first four months, that is what I did. I pressed in. And I pressed in hard. To this point, I have learned so much about my Father. I have learned what it means to walk boldly, to live in obedience, how to share the Gospel, how to choose love each day.
And it’s only a sliver of what I hope to gain with Him in this lifetime.
Coming into debrief in Nepal, I sensed something was going to change.
And, yup, certainly it did.
I was asked to be a team leader for this next leg of the race.
Uncertain if this is what God wanted for me, I sat and asked Him what He thought, what decision I was supposed to make, and if this is what was next for me.
I knew that saying ‘yes’ would mean that I would not only continue to press into the Father by myself like I originally intended, but I would now have the responsibility to be pouring into others and leading them to be even closer to the Shepherd.
If I am honest, I never intended to be in a position of any sort on my WR experience. But, sometimes God has other plans. I came to press into the Father, whatever it takes. And now, I see that pressing into others and leading them into closer intimacy with the Father, it is also pressing into the Father. For, He has called us to be disciples that make disciples. And loving others, is also loving the Father.
I suppose it is just a different way of looking at it then I originally had thought.
One of my dear friends, Brittany shared this thought with me on what should be my focus and purpose this next leg:
“Imagine you are walking up a mountain, representing your pursuit of God, and you are quite a ways ahead of the others you’re doing life with. Two things you don’t do.
1. You don’t go backwards.
2. And you don’t stop your forward movement up the mountain.
They will learn from your footprints as you continue your trek – the imprints of your constant pursuit of God through every season and terrain, showing them that there’s more, and encouraging them to continue on in their own pursuit of God and His holiness.”
I say this so that you can be in prayer for me. Praying that God gives me strength, wisdom, love, joy, peace, understanding as I lead this team in the next half of the Race. Praying that I continue to press into the Father each day, spending time with Him and growing closer in Him. And that when Nikki, Shelby, Kylie, Whitney, Courtney get done with the World Race, they continue to run the race of life that is set before them. They run having a sold and firm foundation in Christ, the solid Rock. That they don’t go back to old ways or lifestyles, but continue to press into the Lord and live a life after His own heart, no matter what road is up ahead. To live a life in pursuit of the Father, walking in holiness.
‘As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”‘ 1 Peter 1:14-16.
***Thank you for all the support and prayers. God bless you.
Soli Deo Gloria
SZ
