Hello from Nepal!
I have officially been on the field for 7 weeks and I haven’t written a blog yet. I feel like I should be in trouble for the latter half of that statement. I do like writing. Confession: I don’t really love blogging about my travels. There’s something that gets missed in between the words on this page and the street outside my window.
Because the reality is that you can’t see the pastel pinks of the painted apartments down the street. You can’t hear the butcher whacking away at a goat in his shop and then smell the effects of being in close proximity to a dozen dead goats and chickens. You weren’t here at 4 am when the entire city woke up and started clamoring in their kitchens and in the streets as they celebrate yet another Hindu festival.
I’m out here. And you aren’t. And, I struggle with how to help you be out here with me.
Last month I was in Bangalore, India. Currently, I’m in Kathmandu, Nepal. You should look Kathmandu up on a map. I can’t see Everest when I wake up in the morning. But, we are in a valley surrounded by the foothills of the Himalayas. Nepal has a better water system than India—the water won’t actually kill you if you drink it here. There aren’t as many wandering cows here as there were in India either. Mostly, my day is built around dodging stray dogs that frequently nap on the sidewalks.
My squad of 43 World Racers do ministry from Monday to Friday each week. We do things like prayer walking through the city and painting homes and orphanages. We play soccer and Frisbee weekly with the locals during the evening and buy lots of vegetables and fruit from small stands littered around our house.
It’s peak tourist season here and the temperature is more like Fall back home. I wear a sweatshirt and jeans most days and have been regretting my decision to leave my flannel back in the States. I ended up bungee jumping off a bridge last weekend. The bungee is the second tallest natural bungee in the world. And, yes, I was terrified to jump—535 feet is a long way to fall…
I do like life on the field. There’s still a sweet simplicity to living far away from the hurried American culture. My greatest battles out here have been to remain present and avoiding getting sick. The Lord has been so faithful to speak frequently and softly as I love on the people I’m surrounded by. Every day I wake up with the feeling of needing more of Him to supply more of me. And, somehow, that’s incredibly refreshing.
So, for now, that’s my blog. Simple, hopefully. And an update.
I try to email home as often as possible. If you’d like to get a weekly email from me, please let me know. Blogging clearly isn’t my strength in keeping up with friends and family.
Much love from the field,
Ash
