Nepal is such a beautiful place – full of beautiful people and new experiences. It has also been a time of change! This month our alumni squad leaders are leaving which means new squad leaders, team leaders and new teams – a time of sad goodbyes and new beginnings! In the midst of all of this change, God is still doing amazing things here in Nepal. We have hooked up with an amazing ministry that is feeding those who live on the street, teaching discipleship programs for new believers and connecting with ministry helping with preventing exploitation. I sense, Nepal is on the verge of a big breakthrough.
I have been asked to be a squad leader so my time in Nepal has included training and meeting my new team members. Some of our time has been spent supporting the team accomplish their goals and deepening community with the teams. This last week has been full of family dinners, team activities and honestly just laughing a lot. At the same time, God is continuing to teach me about being still and resting in His peace. This has actually been reinforced by the city we are staying in. While I loved my time in Kathmandu, it is a busy city full of people and busy streets. Pokhara is much different. Situated by a lake, it has the feel of a small peaceful town – exactly what I needed.
Still is defined as the absences of movement or sound. In the bible, it means to quiet down, release or let go. I have been learning to be quiet before the Lord – without worship songs playing in the background or talking – just truly listening to the Lord in silence. It is resting in the Lord without distractions and being fully focused on Him. I am learning to let go of my way of doing things, my expectations and just following the leading of the Lord.
Oh, how I want time to slow down because I am pretty much at the half way point of this journey! Where has the time gone, it is crazy how quickly it has passed. However, I am really trying to take in every moment I can while I am here. Looking back over the past 5 months, I am so thankful for the many small things like riding a bus across a country or getting a home cooked meal. I am also thankful for all the new friends I have met and learning about the cultures of each country we have visited while sharing the love of God. I am especially thankful for learning more about the love of God and truly learning to trust God in every area of my life. I am so grateful for everything the Lord has been doing and the amazing opportunities that I have been able to partake in.
One quick testimony: A few weeks ago, a teammate and I spent some time ministering to a young man about God. In fact, we spent about 2 hours with him, sharing God’s love for him and what the Lord had done in our lives. At that time, he did not make a decision to accept the Lord. However, a week after he left the hostel, we learned that he had accepted Jesus into his life! God is so good – some sow, some reap – all for the glory of God.
