I would say I have the best luck on buses, but I know that it’s solely Jesus. Here are so cool encounters I had on the public buses while in Nepal.
My Nepali Mother
I sat and talked with this woman for about 45 minutes on the way back from ministry one day. We talked and talked and she told me all about her family and her two kids. Her son is 30 and is a doctor in Kathmandu and she also has a daughter, I believe she said she was in her 20’s. She said that She could be my Nepali mother has she was right around my Mom’s age. She actually gave me a necklace for my mom, though she was speaking something about omens, however that was still a really sweet moment! My heart wanted to burst, I love my mom so much and it was so sweet that Jesus let me feel so loved by a mother figure.
So here in Nepal, it is a closed country, so we are allowed to be Christians, but we are not allowed to openly evangelize. So, to start talking about religion without going against the law, I love asking questions about Nepali culture because their culture and Hindu/Buddhist religion are so intertwined. So I asked my Nepali mom about her red dot on her forehead and she said that the dot on the hairline represents if your married, while the dot on the forehead is given when you go to a place of worship. So we just started talking more about culture and she ended up telling me that she believes in ceba and then asked me what I believed. After receiving an affirming look from two squadmates, I shared about how I believed in Jesus and told her about a small bit of the gospel. I asked her if she had heard of Jesus and she said she had a Bible. The convo ended when she had to get off the bus and I told her to look into Jesus. I still pray for that woman weekly.
13 Year Old Boy
This young boy was with his mom and and the three of us were squeezed into two seats. We talked for a few minutes and he told me about his family. His mother didn’t speak English, but he said he was glad he could practice his English with me because he learned English in school. I attempted to ask him some cultural questions, but his English wasn’t good enough for him to understand. They ended up getting up and I slide in toward the window: when a young woman sat down next to me, leading to my next conversation.
30 Year Old Woman (3year old son)
A woman sat down next to me now that the young boy and his mom got up and we started talking. Her English was really awesome and it was so cool to hear her story. She is married with an adorable three year old son! I shared about my family and we showed each other pictures, which was so incredibly fun! She shared part of her life story which was so cool. She is a scientific researcher (I can’t remember what they are researching to be honest) and she studied in England for five years…that’s why her English was soooo good!
She mentioned that she had heard me asking the young boy questions about their culture and such and she began answering my questions. I got to ask her about what she believes and she shared that she was Hindu. We talked about the temples on the city and many things about her religion, though I never got to share the truth of Jesus, it was such an awesome conversation that really touched my heart and made me love Nepal a little more.
21 year old girl (lived In village)
Another time we were on public transportation I was sitting next to a 21 year old girl. We began talking and she shared how she came from a village about 6 hours away from Kathmandu. She came to the city for a good education, as that can be very limited in the villages. We sat and talked about life, I told her my sister was 22 years old and she said that she had a sister who was 18, so that was so sweet.
Over our time here in Nepal these little conversations filled my heart with wide smiles because I’m reminded of home without being homesick. I’m realizing just how many missed opportunities I had in my life to get to know people and show the world that someone cares. I can’t make up for those and I certainly won’t condemn myself for that, but moving forward, let’s actually LIVE IN THE MOMENT! I know people say it all the time, but what if we actually talked to the people around us instead of putting our headphones in and blocking the world out. Let’s show some hospitality and pursue people, even if it’s just for a bus ride, or at the grocery store. I want to challenge you all to talk to a stranger in the next week. You don’t have to go evangelizing or sharing Jesus (I mean if you do, that’s amazing!) but just show the world that someone cares. If you’re on a train, ask someone where they are off too? If you’re at school, talk to someone in the lunch line and ask them about their morning classes? Let’s live in the moment, be with the people we were placed with in them at moment and care for others has Jesus cares for us. Jesus puts us in certain situations because we all have a purpose, in that very moment and in life as a whol. It may seem like these 30 second to 15 minute conversations aren’t doing anything, but Jesus is always working, he is always doing things for our good and the good of others. So go out! And talk to people!!!!! Just share love and joy!!! Make people feel heard and cared for!!! I dare you!
