“The longing of my heart is to make known my glorious Redeemer to those who have never heard.”– William Burns
Being on the World Race was challenging and growing and eye-opening; at times it felt like nothing could be harder, and at times I never felt more alive. Through my journey on the WR I decided that I wanted to take the limits off. I wanted to go on a journey through the Father’s heart and tear down all the walls I had unknowingly built around Him. I know there is more.
Many of you know my passion for Nepal and how much my time there impacted me.
In Nepal, I began to see the people there through His eyes like I had never seen before. In the beginning, I was homesick and kinda miserable. But I asked God to change my heart and that I would be able to see all that He was doing in Nepal. And like I had asked, one day, something changed. And from that point on, He began giving me a glimpse of His heart. Passion and compassion started to overtake me. I saw miracles happen there–not because I was searching for them but because I simply opened myself to see what God was already doing there. Before I knew it, I had fallen in love with the people and the nation.
Leaving, I knew that I was called back…while away, God began stirring in my heart an even deeper desire to see unreached people hear the gospel. Never has my heart broken more for a people than for the Nepalis.
Through out the rest of my race, Nepal was ever on my heart and mind. Not a day went by that I didn’t think or pray for that nation.
“The great Pioneer Missionaries all had ‘inverted homesickness’ this passion to call that country their home which was most in need of the Gospel. In this passion all other passions died; before this vision all other visions faded; this call drowned all other voices.” – Samuel Zwemer
I guess you could say I had an inverted homesickness. And day by day the desire to reach the many unreached in the Himalayas, grew.
“Untold millions are still untold.”– John Wesley
I keep saying to myself…that I just want to be a small part of the great things God is doing in the nations. I don’t want to miss something…to go after whats second best in my life. Because what I have found to be best—the One worthy of all my devotion—is Jesus Christ. Therefore I will follow where He leads. I want to live my life completely surrendered to Him. I want to give Him a resounding YES!
I didn’t expect to be going back so soon, but God has His own timing (honestly, it works for me!).
Even as I returned here to America, I felt the call. GO.
And I look at my truly empty bank account and say “But how?”
And Jesus says, GO
And I look at all the things I would be leaving behind and say “But what about all this?”
And Jesus says, GO
And I listen to what everyone is saying and I say, “But what about them?”
And Jesus says, GO
“Radical obedience to Christ is not easy… It’s not comfort, not health, not wealth, and not prosperity in this world. Radical obedience to Christ risks losing all these things. But in the end, such risk finds its reward in Christ. And He is more than enough for us.” – David Platt, Radical
I think I am just beginning to understand now what radical obedience means. It means getting on that plane with only a backpack (again) and small change in my pocket, not knowing exactly what to expect. This may seem foolish in the eyes of many…but I have never been so sure of anything in my life. Sometimes God asks us to do crazy things in the eyes of this world, for His glory.
“Care more than some think is wise. Risk more than some think is safe. Dream more than some think is practical. Expect more than some think is possible. I was called not to comfort or success but to obedience… There is no joy outside of knowing Jesus and serving him.” –Karen Watson, missionary to Iraq
And even though this is crazy and out there and scary and exciting…no matter what emotion I am feeling about it, I know that His presence goes before me and is with me.
I have been restless in my soul for a very long time. Yes, I have an amazing life…but this restlessness, this longing, first led me to the World Race. And then the World Race undeniably shaped and influenced the dreams that I have for my life now. They’re still taking form, but the crazy ideas He’s putting in my head and heart makes me so excited that this is the life I get to live with Him.
Now that I am back, I realize that the “American Dream” is still not enough for me. I have a blessed life here in the States—but its not for me right now.
Now, I not only offer up my year, but I say “Here God, You can have my life, wherever You may lead me”.
So in conclusion…I AM GOING BACK TO NEPAL!!
I have the amazing opportunity to go to a 3 week leadership training with 21 Project and Ekballo Project, followed by a 2 week trip to Nepal with Ekballo to work with long-term missionaries in relief work. It begins July 13th and extends to August 16th (soon!). My desire is to stay beyond those 2 weeks and continue to partner with my contacts in Nepal.
But I need your help to get there…
I always imagined myself having a career and a healthy paycheck, being independent. But mission work often doesn’t come with a paycheck—and that’s hard for me, having no income. On the race I said that I would never support raise again because it was such a hard process for me. And here I am again, support raising—I kinda just have to laugh at that. (God has a sense of humor!)
I cannot proceed with this opportunity, this training that I have prayerfully considered and that I strongly feel is the next chapter the Lord is calling me into–without the support of the Church. My prayer is that you will see this as an opportunity to build the Kingdom in Nepal–you are not just sending me on a trip to Nepal, you are investing in the Nepali people and the ministries already established there.
So to all my faithful supporters out there whose love and generosity has gotten me through so much…I ask that you prayerfully consider not just supporting me, but partnering with me once again as I step into a life of missions. I’m literally gushing with appreciation to all of you. Thank you, thank you, thank you for how you have cheered me on in my last journey. I can’t tell you how much it means that you all are reading this, that you are caring, and sharing in what I am trying to do. It means the world.
You can find out more details and donate here to my fund here:
>>>https://grouprev.com/gabrielletonepal
Blessings!
(Since I am no longer on the WR, I will soon be moving to another blog which is currently under construction)
And I will end with one more quote because I reallyyy love quotes:
“Nothing so clears the vision and lifts up the life, as a decision to move forward in what you know to be entirely the will of the Lord.”–John G. Paton, 1824-1907, Pioneer Missionary to New Hebrides
