Yesterday we left our ministry at Asha Nepal to head into to town to rest a few days before heading to Africa. Yesterday I left my new family. Tears, heartbreak…the hardest month to leave yet.
I think the hardest person to say goodbye to was Papa. I gave him a picture of me and him and some chocolates, and he was so proud. He was showing everybody the picture and telling him how I presented him with the chocolates. I got to spend an hour or so just sitting with him before we left. He kept calling me his daughter, his baby, and telling me how much he loved me. He kept telling me how he didn’t want me to forget him. I told him that I would never forget him. He kept saying how he was an old man that was going to die soon and he didn’t want me to forget him. I kept saying don’t worry I won’t forget you, and I will see you in heaven. He then said something in Nepali where Mama translated to say that he wasn’t sure if he was going to heaven because he had never been baptized. Now he’s a believer so I’m confident he’ll be in heaven, but he had never been baptized. So Jess kind of jokingly said, “Can we baptize him now?” And Mama responded with a “Yes!”. So I went and got a bucket, put a little water in it. And I baptized him. Yes I baptized Papa. I was crying, he was crying. It was a very emotional time. After he had been baptized he kept telling me how he was going to meet me in heaven. We both cried many tears saying goodbye. Mama said that I was his adopted daughter, and she had never seen him have this kind of attachment to a racer before. I am so blessed to get to pour love on him – I know it wasn’t my love I was giving him, but the love of Christ.
God opened up a new world of love to me this month. Not just in saying goodbye to him, but to all the women and children as well. I have never loved like I did this month. I have never poured my heart into ministry as much as I did this month. I can’t imagine never going back there, it is my home. It hurt so bad to leave there, but it was totally worth it. Every ounce of love I poured out on those children, women, and one old man I want to stay there. I want that love to be used to bring the Kingdom to that place. I already ache in missing them, but I know it’s not the last time I’ll see them. If not here on earth then definitely in heaven.
