Nepal,
I’m sad to have left you, well really, I’m sad to have left the continent of Asia. I have met the best humans in the world in both India and Nepal. In all honesty though, Nepal was pretty hard for quite a few reasons! A lot of it was spent sick, but not my normal kind of sick. I had a bacteria infection in stomach and/or a parasite in my intestines… though it went away over time with a lot of antibiotics, making me weak and tired during the day. I lost two teammates right before any ministry began, causing me to distance myself from others, but in a way that ended up being great for my coping! I witnessed awful poverty in slums, which was difficult for everyone. I dealt with some returning anxiety and OCD due to the copious personal issues that God continually dug out of my heart for me to work through. I felt a lot of heart break with the news that my parents were no longer able to come on the parent vision trip that’s happening in Nicaragua this week, so now I won’t see them until June. I could go on but I’d rather not dwell on the “bad”, I want to now address all the good, especially that of which came from the hard times! There truly were a lot of lessons to come out of every circumstance. Living in Nepal showed me how to have a healthy balance in my life. If I’m needing a mental health day, I should take it, or else my physical health will also be greatly effected! Since I know myself pretty well, I feel very in tune with my mind, body and spirit, so when one is off it’s almost as if they all are. Finding this balance allowed me to heal and to help others, as well! I also got to do my absolute DREAM ministry here- go read my “buying women” blog if you haven’t already to get a glimpse of the impact working with women in the sex industry had on me. Overall, Nepal, you were a very reflective and introspective country for me. I’m not used to focusing on myself, so it was a challenge but it was worth it! I feel like I can now healthily love others well, not because I feel like I have to, but because I want since I am now able to love myself well. Along with all of that, Nepal, you also gave me some of the best adventures! White water rafting through the Himalayan mountains, paragliding in Pokhara, hiking the tallest peak in Kathmandu and riding elephants through the jungles of Chitwan National Park! So , Nepal, you brought a lot of underlying things to the surface, and it has forever shaped me. Thank you for all the lessons learned and memories made. Asia, I’ll treasure you forever, and you can count on seeing me again!
Much love, Lissie
