I don’t think I could make a single negative comment about our hosts from our month in Nepal. Everything they did was with a purpose, and that purpose always was to further God’s kingdom in Kathmandu. They did that through several different arms of outreach that we got to witness first-hand, but they also demonstrated that in how they cared for our team. One of the first things he said to us after we arrived in his home was something to the effect of, “I know you’ve been away from home for a while now, and away from your families. I want you to know that, during this month, you are a part of our family. Make yourself at home.” Now, I haven’t struggled with homesickness yet, but regardless, I appreciated it more than he knew.
We lived on the ground floor of his home for two weeks, in bedrooms off of the room that functioned as their home church, as well as their family room. His whole family lived together, and each one of them welcomed us in the same way. We were not in the way. We were not a burden. We were family. I haven’t felt that way on the Race yet.
Family Devotions
I think the most impactful part of staying with this family was seeing the unity that they had through Christ, and how they kept Him at the center of everything that they did. This was evident all throughout their lives, but it showed most through their intentional time together in the Word each evening. After dinner (which we all ate together, as well), they would clear the plates and prepare for their nightly Bible study. At first, I wasn’t sure if this was just happening because we were there, but it soon became clear that this was just a part of their culture. They loved being together. They loved spending time with the Lord together. And they loved, more than anything, having the opportunity to invite people into that. Seeing this whole dynamic made me, and several others on my team, think about how this could, and should, carry into our own families, now and in the future.
The Orphanages
Our first two days of ministry involved a lot of children. If you’ve spent any time around me at all, you know that this is my favorite kind of ministry. I love kids, even though they are often exhausting and obnoxious. Both places that we visited have a heart to reach Hindu children with the Gospel, and several of the older kids were among those that went with us to the Bible school retreat in the mountains that I mentioned in my last post.
Our hosts did not start these places, but they operate in more of a partnership that has been going for several years. They provide prayer and teaching and training and some finances, but the largest struggle that both places are facing is in the latter. Money is tight, and a couple major donors recently ended their partnerships that were keeping both places running. I asked where money was coming from now, and was only told that God was providing just enough to get by at the moment, but more would be needed in the near future to provide for all of their needs.
Though we were not able to help in this regard, we were able to provide encouragement and a day of fun for the kids there. Some members of my team even got to teach the older kids, several of whom were new believers, how to study the Scripture for the first time. Our hosts told us that that type of teaching was a major focus of their partnership, further demonstrating their desire to spread God’s kingdom in this city. At first glance, it seemed as though our hosts were spread very thin with all of their connections, but the more time I spent with them and the more places they took us to, the more I realized that each partnership was done with much intentionality and prayer.
Home Visits
Both in Kathmandu and when we were in the mountain villages, we got the chance to visit the homes of believers connected with our host’s churches. The purpose of these visits was always to provide encouragement to the families, and often to share our testimonies or a short message with their communities. Many of the visits were to rural churches, and we met one pastor who treks four hours each way through the mountains to get to his church two times a week. The areas that these people lived were absolutely gorgeous, but that was often overshadowed by the difficulty of their situations.
Just as in other countries where we did similar ministry, we encountered incredible hospitality from each family we spent time with. We were welcomed in, fed, and prayed over, and I often thought that we were the ones being ministered to instead of the other way around. Over these meals we got to hear incredible testimonies from pastors who overcame incredible adversity and many trials to start churches in their communities, and to grow their small congregations of believers. Each person we talked to was an inspiration to me.
Just as with the orphanages, our host’s connections with these rural congregations was very intentional and aligned with their mission to bring the Gospel to their country. They provided teachings, training, and some finances when they were able. They partnered with them in encouragement and prayer, and with their heavy rotation of World Race teams, they are able to keep this ministry running throughout the year.
Bible School
This was where we spent a majority of our time in Nepal – ten days camping on a mountainside and teaching new believers about the Gospel. We could see the Himalayas from the doors of our tents, and we had miles of hiking trails to explore on our off time. It was unreal. We woke up at six in the morning every day for devotion and worship, and ended every day with more time in the Word and debriefing each day. I loved every minute of it.
Our hosts regularly bring students to their home in the mountains for Bible School retreats, which are weeklong deep dives into the Word, and what it looks like to truly follow after God with our whole lives. Our responsibility this week was to teach the classes on the topics of Discipleship, the Gospel, and How to Read the Scriptures. It was a learning opportunity on both ends – the students got to explore the Scriptures in a new way, but most of us had never taught like this before, so we learned together.
This was the coolest part of our hosts ministry for me. Their entire family was involved and working together for a single purpose, and it was one of the most inspiring events that I have ever been a part of. The whole family was one of the most inspiring groups of people I have ever met, and if I were to go back and visit one of my hosts from the Race up until this point, it would be them without question.
