This month we lived at a school in Haripur in south Nepal. For ministry almost every day we would walk to a different village to tell people about Jesus. Some days it would be a 30-minute walk, other days it would be 2 hours or more. We would pass out little books telling the gospel in their Nepali language and our contact would translate what we said, because hardly anyone spoke English.
As we were leaving Nepal, I walked away with a lot of regrets. The greatest one is not taking advantage of every opportunity, whether it was walking to and from ministry or with my host family or with my team. I didn’t see the beauty of the village we were staying at. I didn’t realize how special of an opportunity we had until it was too late. I was too distracted with wondering why my team was the one that didn’t get to be in the Himalayan Mountains and go on hikes and adventures.
Towards the end of the month I learned that the town we were in and the surrounding areas were the forgotten part of Nepal. No one ever wants to visit the southern part, because there are no mountains and it’s pretty hot. It’s not what you picture when you think of Nepal, which is home to Mount Everest. After learning this I began to feel guilty. That’s exactly the way I felt, and it’s not okay. God hasn’t forgotten about that area or about the people that live there. They are still worthy in His eyes, and I wish I would have seen that sooner. I was too distracted by what I wanted out of Nepal and my expectations to see the ways God was moving.
I didn’t start to want to bond with my host family until about the last week. After spending time with them I saw how beautiful their hearts are. They are so passionate about the people of Nepal and in wanting them all to know Jesus. They taught me a lot about what it means to be a servant.
I can’t go back and change anything now. All I can do is focus on the good that came from this month like what God taught me and that I have a wonderful Nepali family now. In a way I am thankful for a month like this, because I know I don’t want it to happen again and I know how to prevent it if it starts to happen. I know the guilt and regrets of not taking advantage of every opportunity presented in front of me and I never want to experience that again. So please pray for me for the rest of this journey to remember Nepal and that I will wholeheartedly pursue every opportunity I have in front of me from now on.
