There’s not much to say about a day that changed your life. Or are there so many words that not any could truly suffice? For the sake of my family and friends, as well as my supporters, I am going to try. But y’all are gonna have to hang with me. These past few days have put us all through the ringer. We have been tested physically, emotionally, and spiritually. We have been gripped by fear, comforted by the Spirit, and have clung so tightly to our community.
When our squad departed Monday for the village of Melchour, Nepal, to aid in rebuilding and recovering from the major earthquake that ravaged this beautiful country on April 25th, we had no idea what we would face. We knew that this region was the most affected of any region in all of Nepal, but beyond that fact, we had no clue what was in store. But trusting, in faith…we departed.
Around 5:15pm, we arrived along the major road at the top of a mountain at the foothills of the Himalayas, and were instructed to follow our contact and descend the mountain down a dirt path. After about 30 minutes of meandering through Nepali farmland and homes, we arrived at a small clearing above terraced farmland, mostly corn. And immediately we saw that there was work to be done. The church that sat along this terrace was reduced to a pile of rubble, yet another casualty of the April 25th quake. So we set up camp, and prepared to get to work first thing the next morning.
And work, we did! We hit the ground running the next morning clearing the rubble and preparing to rebuild. And after a few hours of moving rocks, we took a break for a delicious Nepali lunch, prepared by the locals in this beautiful community.
As we finished up lunch, I rested in my hammock with my squadmate and dear friend, Kelley. We were just sitting there, enjoying the shade, and the incredible view of the Himalayas, when our world literally shook.
Everyone will tell this part of the story differently. Everyone had a different perspective. (we were all seated/standing in different areas along the terrace with totally different viewpoints of what was infront of us) But here’s my side of the story.
Initially, it felt like a huge gust of wind, stronger than any wind I’ve ever experienced in my entire life. I glanced to my right, and realized that this was no wind. The ground was moving. This was an earthquake. Not an aftershock. Not a tremor. A full-blown earthquake. Kelley and I nosedived out of the hammock to the ground. (although is anywhere truly safe at a time like this?) We just knew we had to get out of that hammock. As we waited for what seemed like eternity, but in reality was only about 5-7 seconds, we prayed. It was the only response we knew. And once the ground settled, our squad leader, Dustin Mick, called for immediate evacuation of our hillside campsite. (the risk of landslides was great, as we watched one happen just to the left of our site, bringing down one of the homes in the village)
We immediately packed our belongings and began the ascent back up the mountain to where we had been dropped off, with no concrete plan. Just to get to high/flat ground. And I was in the lead group, along with one of our squad leaders, Kaylaynn. When we finally arrived at the top, we had a divine appointment with a Nepali man who led us to a World Food Programme tent city that was being built on incredibly safe ground. What a beautiful picture of God’s provision! They welcomed us with open arms, and allowed us to stay there until we could assure safe travel back to our hosts in Kathmandu.
We spent the next day and a half at these tents, and truthfully acted as the Spirit led. Some of us stayed at the tents the entire time and prayed, interceding for the Nepali people, the relief workers, and our squad. Others immediately rushed to the village several kilometers away to see if and/or how they could help. And still others played with and entertained the children in the community near the compound. It was incredible to see the body of Christ in action. P squad rising to the occasion for the umpteenth time. (couldn’t be prouder to call these people my family)
We had the distinct pleasure of serving, praying for, and rendering aid to the Nepali people in this devastated province of Sindhupalchok. There has been so much resilience and so much hope in these people, and we have all been humbled and challenged to see Jesus working even amidst destruction.
This morning, the vast majority of our squad awoke at 5AM to take a short walk to a lookout point to enjoy the sunrise before departing at 8AM. I found this to be incredibly poignant, considering the van accident involving 2 of our teams that was just 3 weeks ago happened while they were returning from a lookout outside of Bangalore where they had left to see the sunrise. The Lord redeems all things. We know this to be true, and we hold fast to the Father, even when the ground beneath us literally shakes. Even amidst tragedy, pain, destruction, and suffering, as a squad we are so hopeful. And we are hopeful for one reason, and one reason only.
The God we serve is big. And He is good. And He is still on the throne. That’s it.
Our contact arranged for two buses to pick us up and return us to the safety of Kathmandu this morning. Our entire squad is together, safe, and currently processing emotionally and spiritually from all that has happened over the course of the last few days. Please continue to pray for us, but more importantly, for Nepal. There is still great, great need. If you’d like to know more about how to help, please shoot me an email! ([email protected]) I would love to refer you to worthy organizations who need so much support during this time of rebuilding.
