It's crazy how much of our ministry here is really just doing life with each other. Rita blesses us by cooking each meal with love and we bless her by grocery shopping, helping her cook, washing dishes and cleaning after each meal. Those of us who stay up late are learning to respect those who sleep early by keeping quiet after 9pm. Those who like to wake up early to work out are mindful of noise levels for those who sleep in. Because World Race policy doesn't allow any of us to go anywhere alone, we show love to one another by going places even when we don't want or need to go ourselves. Those of us who sleep in the living room pack away our belongings when we wake up so that it can transform into a common area during the day, while those who sleep in bedrooms offer up their space as a place to nap or rest. In addition to our daily ministry, we each have chores: sweeping, taking out the trash, cleaning the bathrooms, ordering drinking water when we run out.
We function together well.
But even more then that, we enjoy each other. Our two teams, while still distinctly different, compliment each other amazingly. Different parts of our personalities light up when paired with members of the other team. Runners have running partners, artists have art buddies, avid movie-watchers have movie night audiences, and souvenir-shoppers have shopping pals.
So this is what community living looks like.
Granted, we are not perfect at it, but it comes quite naturally when everyone is striving for it. It's remarkable, really: I don't have to push for my needs and wants because everyone else is watching out for them. I can freely care for others, knowing my squad-mates love me enough to care for me.
It is a beautiful thing.
We don't just do ministry, we live it.
PS. This month I have laughed harder with my team than I have ever laughed before.
PPS: Here are just a few of the in-between moments of our month in Nepal that I want to remember: bacon time at 11pm every night, Nerts tournaments, Silent Football games, the Gnomie/Pooh Bear kidnapping saga, WR confessions, digging deeper into the book of Ruth, secret pals, cheesy tank top shopping, bug zappers, walks to and from the church, flakes, kinder joys, and little bears, movie nights, Bubble tea, wiki wiki competitions, ab workouts, the sound of Nepalese worship songs, never-drying laundry, knock-off DVDs, buffalo jerky, hilarious photo booth pictures, learning how to cook curried potatoes and how to speak Nepali, the most incredible night sky I have ever seen, Alison impersonating an elephant so believably while ON an elephant that the elephant began to rear, machete-ing roosters for dinner, blowing bubbles from a plant, riding the river rapids downstream, showering from a bamboo spicket in the middle of the jungle, drinking water from a stream, plants that temporarily wilt at the touch of your fingertips, declarations into the darkness, breaking soul-ties.
And then of course there are the people: Reuben, Rita, Suraj, Pradi, Solomon and Santhi.
I will miss them so.
I do believe that the hardest part of each month may be the leaving.
