We’ve been in Nepal for three weeks now! This month, we got new teams and it’s the first co-ed team I’ve been on this year. Our team, Kingdom Sojourners, consists of Joey, Erica, Mary, myself, Lennie, and Jake (team pic below). We only have six guys on our 30-person squad, so we’re pretty lucky to have two of the brothers. It’s been really nice getting to know one another, especially since I’ve never been on the same team as any of them, and also to get a different perspective from the guys during team times. We’ve learned that it really helps us to better understand one another by sharing our testimonies, and now I know what my teammates’ faith journeys look like. I am definitely looking forward to spending the next several months with these kingdom sojourners!
This month, we were able to partner with Iris Ministries in Kathmandu. We helped out with their homeless ministry two times a week. My main job was to serve hot tea as people came in, and even though most of them couldn’t speak English, I could tell that they were grateful for some tea and a hot meal of rice and potato curry. A lot of them also had a fun time guessing where I was from. My highlight of the week was when kids came in a couple of times with their moms. Just getting to silly dance with them and play with them made my day. Unfortunately, this past week was also their last week after six years at the same location since they couldn’t extend their lease. Please pray that they will find a new and even better location to hold services and continue to serve the community.
We also visited the children’s home a couple of times as part of the same ministry, where 25 kids live with two house moms. Imagine having 24 brothers and sisters! Most of them don’t have parents, and the kids range from 5-17 years old. It was neat to see them grow up in a place where they know that their Heavenly Father provides for them when their earthly fathers can’t. We taught conversational English, tutored, and led outdoor sports time. I connected the most with one of the older girls who is currently applying to nursing school, as she also helped me translate during homeless ministry. My prayer for her is to continue pursuing God whether she goes on to become a nurse or not, and to remember her identity as a co-heir of Christ.
To make this month extra special, I was lucky enough to celebrate my birthday in Nepal this year! We made cards in the morning to give to some of the girls at the children’s home. As I stood on our hostel rooftop that morning, I was in awe of how far God has brought me this year and gave Him all the praise and glory. My amazing team took me out to dinner that night and gave me my favorite things: Thai food, chocolate cake, more chocolate, and calligraphy pens to practice my new hobby. It was a pretty awesome day. Did I mention how breathtakingly beautiful Nepal is?
Thank you for all of your prayers and words of encouragement. A Nepal recap video is coming soon!
Rooftop Sunset
Team Kingdon Sojourners 🙂
Nepal Alleys
