I’ve been back for about a week and a half now and even though I am getting pretty adjusted to the American life again, it was not that easy for me when I first arrived home. I haven’t wrote anything in a while because quite honestly, I’m not sure how to sum up everything in a blog post or even how to put my experiences and findings in words, nor did I want to.
But nevertheless, here I am writing again. This month I experienced so many different things; what happiness is in another culture, sharing one bathroom with 15 people, how the locals treat children, what it felt like to pull leeches off mine and other peoples’ legs, taking cold bucket showers (almost) everyday, and so much more. Over the month, we went to a mothers homes, worked at a center for slum children, met with men and women at rehab centers, prayed for people at a lepers village, saw various Buddhist temples, visited many different villages, and, my personal favorite, trekked in the Himalayas.
During these experiences, I learned so much about the gifts of my teammates, how hospitable the respectful the people are, and what it means to be a Christian. I must’ve known I was going to have struggles putting what I learned into words when I wrote one of my first blogs since at the beginning of the trip, I wrote out things I wanted to learn and questions I wanted to find answers to. Well…I found them out.
1) How do the people of Nepal love God?
Only a little over 1% of Nepal is Christian with a majority of the religion being either Buddhist or Hindu. But even with such a small percentage, they love so well. Evangelism is illegal there which goes to show the strength of those who love God. That even though they could be thrown in jail or even killed for being Christian, they still pursue His Name and continue to praise Him in all ways. Something we as Americans take for granted: our freedom. The American church is so silent in this country except for on Sunday mornings. When really, we have the freedom to be the loudest(respectfully) everyday and every time of the year. The people of Nepal love God in such a trusting and sacrificial way that is more than just a concern for how they appear to others on the outside.
2) letting go of fears that get in the way of me taking action
3) stepping out in my faith and my personality
These two questions kind of go together from what had happened on this trip. I am usually an adventurous person when I’m being pushed a little by other people to do something. But on this trip, I wanted to stand up right away when opportunities arised. As time went on during the weeks, I kept looking for things that I usually wouldn’t do; stuff like trying really weird foods, picking up freaky animals, jumping off cliffs, those kinds of things. But very soon, I realized something God was showing me was stepping out in faith. When someone needed to pray over a group, I would do it. When the people wanted hands laid on them while praying for healing, mine would be on their shoulder. When a church needed a speaker, I would preach. I learned to not hold back from saying things or being open because if me being uncomfortable meant someone felt loved, heard, or cared for, then that was worth so much more.
4) how to be comfortably uncomfortable
Being in a tiny room to sleep with 10 other girls, riding an hour on a local bus that is supposed to fit 60 but they squeeze in 100, sharing one bathroom with 15, wearing the same three dirty shirts, 2 pants, and 1 pair of shorts, and being in 110 degree weather everyday, you have to quickly learn how to handle it all. At the beginning at first, everything was kind of fun (besides the bathroom situation) but quickly grew old. But the thing about that is if you get annoyed at everything and let things be miserable for you, that is how it will be because it wasn’t like the rooms would get any bigger or the bathrooms would multiply. Once I became “okay” with everything and chose to accept it as it was usually, it all became very bearable.
5) how to love like Christ does
Something I learned is loving like Christ does is awkward and uncomfortable…until its not. At first my body would shake when I chose to pray and I would stutter my words, or I wouldn’t be the first to share my stories. But as I did it more, it’s almost like I couldn’t stop. It became natural. I would find myself praying in my head for the old man who was sitting on my back while I was standing in the bus or for the woman grabbing my shoulders to get up a stair. To love like Christ does doesn’t need to be awkward or uncomfortable, it’s just another way of living. It’s giving up a seat on the bus for someone, its letting someone go before you to eat, its letting someone drink your last bit of water, its telling that person you miss them. You don’t need to do anything specific to love as Christ does; you don’t need to get up early to read the Bible, you don’t need to go to church every Sunday, you don’t need to be perfect to be a Christian. Just as a child imitates their parents and the people they are around, you will start to imitate how Christ lives the more you set yourself around the things that will move you forward in life and your walk with Him.
Leaving Nepal and my team was a lot more hard and emotional for me than I was expecting. As my team got closer, we all shared stories of how we chose the World Race and how we specifically chose Nepal. I fully believe that God put this team together and it all worked out in such a bigger way and plan. Never in my life have I experiences so many people of different homes, personalities, and interests come together so beautifully and smoothly. I could say so much about them but really it all comes down to that now, I have a new family.
Wow.
I am so grateful for this journey and what I have been able to witness in other people and in myself and I couldn’t have done this without you all. From the donations, thoughts, prayers, and encouragements, I am truly thankful from the bottom of my heart.
Thank you my team, thank you new family, thank you old family, thank you Nepal. I hope to see you again soon.
I guess I did know how to put this in words.
Kae
