I’d be lying if I said this blog was easy to write. I’d be lying if I said I knew what to say. But why? All I wanted this blog to contain was a recap of my first week in Nepal. All I wanted was for my readers to know what my team and I were doing here.
The song One Thing Remains echoes lyrics through my headphones.
Higher than the mountains that I face
Stronger than the power of the grave
Constant through the trial and the change
One thing remains
This one thing remains
Your love never fails
It never gives up
It never runs out on me
Because on and on and on and on it goes
For it overwhelms and satisfies my soul
And I never ever have to be afraid
One thing remains
It’s amazing how you can hear the same song thousands of times and each time God wants to show you something different.
All I can think of at this moment are the women and children that live in this safe house with us. My team is partnered with Asha Nepal this month, an organization that works with women and children who’ve been victims of sex trafficking, sexual and physical abuse, child labor, and discrimination due to gender, caste, and HIV/AIDS.
These women and children are sweet and beautiful. They radiate joy from their faces and long for love. The boys flock to the men on my team and beg to play soccer. The girls crowd around us and beg to play with our hair. These women and children are precious children of God. These women and children have been used and abused. They’ve been mistreated and violated. They’ve been weak and people have failed them. They’ve been afraid and given up on.
Yet, there is freedom in the name Jesus, and they seek that everyday.
Just like the song says, God is higher and stronger than the past they’ve lived. God is the justice they’ve never been served. God is the fearless future that awaits them. God is the love they’ve never felt.
…and on and on and on and on it goes.
My prayer is that I’ll be able to love these children a fraction of what Jesus loves them, to see them the way He sees them, that my words won’t go void. I hope that my team and I make an impact, and that none of us, children included, will be the same when we leave.
