Sunday was our last day at our ministry site in Nawalparasi. Our team has now transitioned back to Katmandu where we will be for a few days working at Asha, Nepal before flying out for Nairobi, Kenya on Sunday.
I know many of you have been praying that my last week would improve. Well, I guess the dark is always darkest before the dawn. Thursday we had an off-day and planned to go see one of my teammate, Becca’s, cousin as he is in Pokhara, Nepal and works for a paragliding company. He was going to hook us up. We took the 3 hour trip to find out unfortunately he was sick and in bed and it was overcast so we couldn’t go paragliding. We were all a bit bummed, but had a great time in Pokhara making lemonade out of lemons. Who can be all that disappointed when I found a bakery serving apple pie. So good!
We returned that night and Friday around noon, Emily, the pastor, and I tried to return to the little girl’s house to see her mom and bring some food. Unfortunately, mom was not home and so we left the food with the kids who were incredibly skittish. It was awkward and a bit hard. I had not been feeling well all day and so returned home and took a nap. It was the beginning of the end as I slept around 20 of the next 24 hours as I came down with the stomach flu. In the end, Cody, Emily and I all battled it and we couldn’t help but laugh as it was a bit indicative of our time in Nepal spending our last full days laying in bed sick.
But, Sunday was a day of cool things for me. The other team was being picked up by a van and then coming to get us. They were supposed to be picked up around 6am and arrive around 10am. Instead, they were picked up at 9:30am, so we ended up with a bunch of extra time to kill.
I was hoping to replace some of the pictures I had lost when my hard drive died so headed out into the community to take pictures. I felt like a local celebrity in some ways. Being white in a place where there are no white people certainly draws attention as I constantly had people waving me down and inviting me to sit and have tea. I politely refused as what I really wanted was to get a picture of the little girl, potentially see her mom, and take a picture of her home. God must chuckle sometimes at my small plans.
As I drew close to her home, another little girl came running out after me and handed me 3 oranges. Cool side note, oranges in India and Nepal are slightly smaller and green not orange. But, they are delicious and a real treat. I was surprised and said thank you as she ran back off. Not more than 30 seconds later, she dashed back out with 3 more. I was quickly trying to shove them into my pockets so I could take a picture of my orange-fairy.
Taking out my camera can always be entertaining as within minutes, I had 2 more oranges, a handful of flowers and a group of around 20 kids begging to have their pictures taken along with their parents. Cameras are so cool as the kids get to see themselves immediately which for many is one of the few times. It is hilarious to me to watch their faces. After about 5 minutes of this, the little girl from my previous blog shyly walks up and gets into the outside of one picture. Victory! Yep, my vision is still too small. After a while, I figured I needed to head back so others would not become worried. Plus, the kids were a bit overwhelming.
I then felt like the Pied Piper as I headed back on the narrow dirt path with 3 kids draped on each arm, kids on bikes ahead and behind and kids on foot running from in front and behind. It was a fun moment as every villager came out to stare at the commotion I was creating. Pretty soon, I guy on a motorcycle pulls up with another gentlemen with a megaphone behind him. They were inviting people in the village to a ceremonial dance starting in 15 minutes and I was “personally invited”. It was cute and then we continued on. The kids asked where we were going. I replied, “Back to where I am living.” They responded, “Oh, back to the church.” It is a reminder of how we may not realize the impact we are having, but even the small children knew why we were in the village.
We arrived at the church and I expected the children to drift away as they usually do. Not that day, they came in with me as I told the others about the dance. Emily said she would go with me so we headed out. We arrived to be giving VIP seating, plastic chairs, and the kids gathered around. The noon start time progressed to 12:20, then 12:30. About this time, the little girl reappeared. She had gone back home after the pictures and she came over to us and crawled up onto my lap. Made my month!! I had biscuits in my pocket for her family so pulled them out and she and the other kids snacked on them while we continued to wait.
Eventually, we gave up as over an hour had passed and nothing had started. The other team was due to arrive shortly so I headed back to the church. A group of about 10 followed. When I got to the church, I pulled out Emily’s guitar and had a little praise and worship time with the kids. Too funny as it was more like me giving a concert, but the kids were so engaged it was cute.
The other team arrived and the kids quickly scattered as the pastor sent them home. The girl who gave me oranges, her best friend, and the girl from my earlier blog were the only ones who remained. I eventually walked them back to the city square where a few of the moms were patiently waiting. The orange girl burst into tears and it was so hard to leave.
Eventually, I headed back to church with a heart bursting with joy at the things God has shown me and the chance to love on these little ones. But, my time wasn’t over. I sat down around the table where there were some snacks so we could have a little prayer and ending time and I turn to see the little girl from my blog standing in the church door. I invited her in and she plopped back down on my lap and sat patiently eating oranges through the remainder of my time. I was able to pray for her and tell her again that I thought she was beautiful and that she is loved by God and by me.
We loaded up and had to head out and yet heart was lighter. God showed up in a cool way in that I got to love on some kids one more time before I left. I got to see that God is work in that community even when I am unaware. I am yet again so thankful for God’s timing that meant that the other team was picked up 3 ½ hours late to give me the time with the village kids. My heart is still heavy as if it were possible to adopt that little girl, I’d leave the race and take her home with me now. But, God is a big God with a big plan and the cool thing is that on my last day she walked into a church for the first time. My prayer is that it will be the 1st of many and that God will do mighty things in and through her.
She did eventually smile once the camera was away. A beautiful girls whose name means fountain in Nepali.
