Where do I even begin?Nepal has been one jam packed month. We started out with our second debrief all together for one week in Kathmandu. It was so awesome. I got to celebrate my birthday with my world race family and even had the chance to FaceTime my family back home. It was a week full of awesome sessions to help us go deeper and encourage us to keep on doing this awesome thing that God has us doing. Also during debrief we closed a chapter with our first teams and started a new chapter with all new teams. I’m now on an all girls team and even though I’m going to miss my old team I’m super excited to do life with these 6 amazing women of God these next few months. During debrief we have the opportunity to sign up for one on ones with each of the leadership. I chose to sign up for all of them and am so thankful for all that they poured into me and for their encouragement. I experienced freedom and peace from the Lord that was exactly what I needed to start this new season of the race. As I had time to reflect on the race so far, I can see growth in myself both spiritually and emotionally. Sometimes we have no idea why God takes us through the things we go through but now that I’m at the half way point of this awesome experience, I can see that God has had his hand on every hard and easy thing I’ve been through in the last 5 months.
When we found out what we were going to be doing for ministry this month, I was kind of nervous because I had become so comfortable with my old team and now we were starting fresh with a brand new team. But once again, all my stressing was a big waste because we actually got to spend most of this month with two other teams. One was the team Julia is on and the other was he team Dylan was on along with some of my other friends from the squad. This month we didn’t really have one set ministry. This month we were working with a WR well known host named Reubin Rai. He and his family welcomed our three teams into their home and life for a month with open arms. We started out at an orphanage that we went to for two days. There we had the chance to hangout with some awesome kids who had lost one or more parents in the earthquake last year. We got to teach them songs, act out bible stories and teach them a bible verse. We also got to pray over them and the women that live with them. It was a hard two days for me. My heart broke for these precious children. But I know that even though I couldn’t take them home with me or solve all their problems, God had me there for a reason. I also had the chance to talk about it with my team leader and she reminded me that it’s okay that my heart is broken for them. That is just a little bit of how God’s heart breaks for his children and that it’s actually really cool that I could experience that feeling.
After spending a few days in Kathmandu, we took a 17 hour bus ride to a town called Urlabari. There our host Reubin had another orphanage that he is in the process of building still. When we arrived we had a few days of rest there until we were joined by the squad leaders and then joined by the other two teams. The orphanage was sort of in the middle of some surrounding fields so we found ourselves hanging out on thenfront porch a lot just chattin and getting to know each other. I think it was my favourite part of being there. Once everyone got there, we started to help with some of the construction at the orphanage. We helped carry bricks up to the 4th floor of the orphanage and help pass buckets of sand for cement.
We then set out to for a trekking adventure into the Himalayas. We went to Reubin’s parents house in a little village on a mountain called Dunge Dungie. To get there we hiked through the mountains for 4 hours. Ok so it doesn’t seem like a long time but wen you have a pack on and you’re legit hiking up steep mountains and along trails that are narrow and on the edge of a cliff it’s pretty crazy. Also, I had a personal trainer before coming on the race which was awesome but when I started he race physical activity wasn’t really a thing unless we walked to and from ministry like we did in Rwanda. So yes it was pretty physically exhausting but I know that I couldn’t have and didn’t do it on my own strength. The only way I made it up there was by God’s strength. When we arrived, we set up our tents and made it out home for a few days as much as possible. We also got to hangout around a camp fire to stay warm because yes.. When you’re in Nepal in January it’s cold and when you’re in the mountains it’s even colder. There we worked on building the foundation of some rooms they were expanding on to the school. Now you might be thinking, oh that’s easy! But when you don’t have any real tools or the right materials, it’s actually really hard physical work. During these few days I experienced a really low point of my race experience. I questioned why God would bring me out to the middle of nowhere where it was freezing cold and there was no power or running water and we were legit camping. But after some much needed time with the Lord and another good talk with my TL and bff RaeLynn I realized that even though I wasn’t neasisarily happy with where I was, I was there for a reason and I made the decision to follow and be wrecked by God and this is just a part of the refining process that the Lord is taking me through. So after the Lord changed my heart, I was able to fully experience this awesome adventure for all it was worth. The rest of the week was actually pretty great. Yes, it was difficult trying to be a part of my new team when I was there with two other teams but I really enjoyed being with Zsquad.5 this month. When we went back to the orphanage, we took another route. Instead of hiking through the mountains, he took us through the river route. We crossed the river 12 times but it only took us 2.5 hours to get back. And I’m so excited to announce that I was the first one to arrive back at out destination. Yep. You read it right! I was following our hosts wife who is this little firecracker of a woman and we were legit running at some points. And I actually really enjoyed it. Just taking a quick moment to look around me and absorb the unexplainable beauty of God’s creation around me was like I was in a dream. We then went back to the orphanage to rest and then headed back to Kathmandu the next day which only took us 12 hours this time. There we re-packed all our stuff back into our packs that we didn’t want to carry through the mountains and then we met the rest of the squad in Thamel for our last Leadership Development Weekend with our original squad leaders. We stayed in a hotel/hostel that was right in the middle of the city which was super convenient for us all to hangout and catch up with family back home. We also met some YWAM teams which was super cool to hear about some of their experiences. We had a few sessions of worship and one where we talked about all the good times we’ve had with our amazing squad leaders. I didn’t think it would be something that would make me sad but I was genuinely sad to say bye to them. I know we’ll be seeing them at all the debriefs but its just not the same! It’s been awesome to have them help us become the awesome people we all are today.
This month I’ve learned that this experience is awesome because I have 44 other amazing people to walk through it with but at the same time it’s my journey with the Lord and as much as I love being around people this is will my race. This is still between me and God. My alone time with the lord is way more important that I thought and I’m learning that God is so good because every time I try to do life all on my own, he’s waiting for me to come running to him. I cant pour into others around me if I’m not getting filled up myself. So this month my goal is to fight for my alone time. Making it the start of each day is my goal. I’m also realizing that now we’re on the down slope of the race. And I didn’t want to believe it but your thoughts automatically go to what we’re going to do after the race but God is telling me to be present. Before we know it I’ll be back home wishing I was still on the race with all these amazing people that are constantly pouring into me and calling me higher. This month I’m going to live life to the fullest and embrace every experience that I have. I’m going to radiate God’s love more than I ever have before because that’s was I’m here to do.
Thankyou for your continued prayer and support. You may not realize how awesome it is to stop and think that there are so many people constantly lifting you up in prayer. God is so good and even though life can be really hard sometimes.. He’s the only one that is always there when you need him.
I love you all!
Month 6 here I come!
Xo
