Jaimasi!
This is how Christians greet each other in Nepal, and it means ‘Praise the Lord’ which I so deeply love as a greeting, so I wanna hold on to this one 🙂
I would like to begin by sharing with you a bit of what my heart is behind each of my posts, and behind why I’m even doing the World Race for that matter. And that is simply (while actually quite profoundly) to bring glory to Jesus and more Kingdom on earth.
I never want the words I say or the pictures I share to be glorifying to myself. Ever.
I am just a vessel. That’s it. There is nothing special or different about me that makes me any more capable than anyone else, I am just giving the Lord space in my heart and life to make Himself known through me and to use my many weaknesses as a way to reveal His immense strength. And the World Race is a way for me to learn how to do that better and has given me a way to share that journey with each of you. The things Jesus is doing in and through me are not anything of myself and are nothing to elevate my abilities or to boost my ego or anything of the sort, because I am nothing and have nothing without Him.
When praying on this, Jesus showed me myself as a packing box that is used to deliver things to people. There was nothing special about the box I was – in fact, I had some wear and damage from being thrown around from the happenings of life, including many dents and tears. I didn’t have any fancy colors or designs or ribbons, I was just a brown box among thousands of others. But then Jesus pointed at the box that was me, picked me up, and said, “Yep, this is the one, I want to use her to carry these gifts that I will put inside of her to share with other people, and to tell those people where those gifts came from.”
And that’s what makes the difference. It’s not about me. That box wasn’t attractive or appealing in the least, but it’s what is inside that matters, those things Jesus is filling me with. Granted, my box still has some messy stuff inside from being used by others in life, but as Jesus continues to fill my box with more and more of Himself, He is also helping me remove that leftover mess and make me whole and clean in Him again. And it’s totally and completely of Jesus. I believe that is the most beautiful thing to offer to anyone. And that is what my desire for people to see is – Jesus in me.
My prayer is that with each thing I share, you will see the Lord. You will see Him working. You will learn more about His character. And you will desire to experience more of who He is and want more of Him. He is the reason I’m here. Thank you for journeying with me thus far, I’m excited to share the rest of it with you!
With that being said, I’d love to tell you what Jesus is up to in Pokhara, Nepal!
My wonderful team of 6 ladies arrived in Pokhara on November 10 after having our squad debrief in Kathmandu, and we were immediately blown away by the beauty of this place. We are surrounded by mountains – and not just any mountains…the Himalayas! – and the view from our housing consists of rice fields that touch a lake that touch the mountains…I mean wow. It really is a dream. Creation is a way that I feel more deeply connected to God, so it has been wonderful being immersed in so much of it. Besides the natural beauty that surrounds us, one of the first things I noticed was all the Chinese words I saw all over the place, it is literally on almost every sign! It makes sense considering how close we are to China, but man I was pumped up because I just love China. Thank you, Jesus!
This month, we have beds, ‘normal’ toilets, and warm showers (most days), and we cook our own food. And we have substituted our Indian chai tea out for masala milk tea, which I actually happen to like even more, so I’m super happy about that. There is also a YWAM team here which has been so fun and such a blessing as we have partnered with them and many great relationships have formed. It has been really cool to be doing so much life with my team day in and day out. The community that is growing and being cultivated is beautiful, and has only just begun! It is painful at times and a bit trying when figuring out how to make a decision that 6 girls agree on, but man am I thankful for them and that we get to figure it all out together while pushing each other to be more fully who Jesus created us to be. I am thankful for their spirits, for their grace, and for their love. I’m excited to keep learning from and being challenged by them.
This month has been really powerful and enjoyable for me personally. Every day looks different and life is focused solely on being led by the Spirit. Something about me is that I am not a big planner and I don’t really like schedules or routines, I like to go with the flow and mix things up and just see what happens, so that has been awesome! It can definitely be difficult as far as being on a team and having to figure things out and get things done, but for me personally, I’m loving it. I have also really been craving and trying to learn how to live a Spirit led life, so being surrounded by that environment this month has been so enriching for my spiritual growth. I’m so thankful to have this opportunity early on in the race so that it will be an evident part of my remaining months, and the rest of my life.
We are partnered with a ministry here who is involved in many areas in the city, so every day looking different also pertains to ministry. I have loved getting to see how clearly God is at work in Pokhara and the favor that He has on this place. Fun fact: Christianity is spreading the most rapidly in Nepal than in any other country based on per capita. Yeah, God hallelujah! I just see the Spirit’s fire catching and spreading throughout this whole country and extending beyond its borders into other countries. It’s exciting stuff.
Our first weekend here, due to the Lord’s favor, we were able to be a part of a ‘new age’ type conference which was such an incredible opportunity to share Jesus’s love with people who are searching for truth. In addition, about 80% of the people were Chinese! So while I had already accepted the fact that I most likely wouldn’t be using Mandarin this whole year, I was suddenly thrown into a whole weekend of getting to talk to people in Chinese and share Jesus with them…what?! It was insane, and such a gift. Thank you, Jesus, for preparing me for such a time as this without me even realizing it. Wow. Many people experienced the Spirit that weekend and were touched by the love of Jesus. Glory!
Some other aspects of the ministry include going into bars and slums, selling handicrafts made by local women, raising up local leaders, and helping women from the bars find opportunities elsewhere. The relationships that have been formed through this ministry are beautiful, and the Lord is using them to change lives and to bring daughters and sons home to Him. I am in awe of how He is moving.
One way we were able to love on some of the local ladies was through having a ‘beauty day’! Our desire was to just saturate them with Jesus’s love and for them to feel so valued and beautiful – because that is what each one of us is in the eyes of our Father, we just don’t always realize it or feel like it. It was one of my most favorite days! We made flower crowns that we wore all day, painted nails, did hair and makeup, washed feet, drew henna, chatted, danced, ate snacks, and drank tea. Everyone felt and looked like princesses! It was such a beautiful way to love.
I’m amazed by this place and these people, and that we get to be a little part of the big work that God is doing here. Through it all, Jesus is revealing a lot to me about Himself and myself and how to make less of a distance between the two. We have had powerful nights of worship and prayer and are being awakened to the power of the Spirit. It’s tough. It’s humbling. Jesus is inviting me to new heights and new depths with Him – I have no idea what that will look like and will have no control, which makes me in my flesh nervous, but I’m so ready for it, which makes me really excited. Because I know that through the unknown and the discomfort and the struggles comes a bigger faith, more trust, and more dependence on my King leading me. And I am certain that the place He is leading me is so much better than where I’m at now. I can’t wait. More of you, Lord.
Thank you for all the love and prayers. They are felt and I believe they are a big part of the Lord’s favor that is continuing to overflow, so thank you thank you thank you! Continue to keep my team and my squad and I in your prayers. You are so appreciated!
To God alone be the glory
Love you all xox
