Month 2 has been amazing so far; Nepal has stolen my heart! Coming into this month, I knew absolutely nothing about Nepal except that it’s the country that’s home to Mt. Everest. I probably couldn’t have even pointed it out on a map then, but now it’s completely different, now it’s a place I want everyone to visit and fall in love with just as I did. In the couple of weeks since arriving here from India, I’ve been able to see Nepal’s incredible beauty and meet its wonderful people.
A view of the valley.
A view of the city at sunset.
I mean, is this even real…it’s so beautiful.
A view of the sunset from our rooftop.
View of the city from a Buddhist temple on top of a mountain that is overrun with hundreds of monkeys.
During this 11 month journey, AIM tries to have one month where a whole squad can be united and working together at a mission site. That was this month for my squad. So that means that all 44 of us descended upon Kathmandu, Nepal to do ministry together, to live together, and to experience community to the absolute fullest! So statistically, 1 house, 44 people, 7 bedrooms, 5 toilets, 4 showers, and 1 washing machine, imagine that! Even though the living conditions may not be ideal, hands down the coolest part about this month is that we are all partnered with the same organization; it’s called Agape International! We’ve done lots of different things while we’ve been here; visited the slums multiple times, gone to an orphanage, painted and painted and painted, did lots of intercession, went into bars and talked with prostitutes, worked in women’s ministry, worked in youth ministry, worked with street kids, fed the needy, and lots more! It’s been a growing and stretching month and I can’t wait to see what’s to come next month in Thailand!! (Spoiler Alert, my team will be in Pattaya, Thailand next month. Prayers going out before us for that city would be greatly appreciated!)
H-squad 44 strong (+ a few of our coaches and mentors!)
Mountain Ministry, literally from the top of a mountain!
Above you’ve heard about some of the amazing ministries that we’ve been able to be a part of and you’ve seen some of the magnificent scenery that we see daily, but sadly that’s not all of Nepal. As are many Asian countries, Nepal is plagued by prostitution and human trafficking, specifically of children. As smaller teams we’ve been able to go into some of these bars where women work and just sit and talk with them. Below is a picture of some of the women that we met just two weeks ago and even though we’re smiling, it was hard to be there. It was hard to hear their stories.
It was hard to hear that these woman could be bought for 60 rupees an hour, even harder to comprehend that the price of a Sprite was 90 rupees. To put that into perspective in dollars, the conversion rate is about $1 to 98 rupees. So 60 rupees is roughly 60 cents in America. It’s utterly heartbreaking and I would think unbelievable except that there are bars on every street corner and down every alley. Words can’t express the darkness and heaviness that bar possessed, the overwhelming feeling of death. But we know this isn’t the end, so even though it was hard being in there, even though it was harder to leave after we tried to love on them and share the truth about Jesus, even though I left feeling a deep deep sense of inequality in the world, I believe the words of Paul that I know to be true…
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
2 Corinthians 4:16-18
This month has been filled with high and low points, none of which I would change because I love when the Lord uses the unexpected to amaze you and draw you closer to Him. And that’s exactly how this month has been for me. He has cultivated a love in 20 days for a place that I know nothing about. I keep thinking, this place is too beautiful not to be made by the hands of the Creator. I love this place and I know that He loves it even more. There is hope for Nepal, there is hope for these women!
Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Ephesians 3:20-21
