We made it to Nepal! It was beautiful flying over Mt.Everest and the Himalayas. The mountains and weather remind me of a little taste of home. Four days were spent in a hostel having some much needed reflection and debriefing. Now, we are at our home base for ministry which is a 4 story building in Kathmandu. Since it is all squad month all 50 some of us are sharing the space.
Our first day of ministry we met our contact and his family and they shared some amazing things. The first thing is how God showed up when their young son and some other family members were in an auto accident recently. They were praying over him in the hospital and he told us in his shy child voice that he had a vision of laying in a gold bed, in a gold room, with the word heaven written in white letters. He also told us that God showed him that Jesus and the Spirit were actually there on the tree and it was Him they crashed into and God was there commanding the angels what to do. Wow.
They believe and have seen that spending quiet intimate time with the Lord is not only fruitful but essential. It is a requirement for anyone that before leaving for the day we have this time in the secret place with Jesus.They call it ahmad (sp). It’s made up of the Hebrew letters ayin (eye), mem (water), and dalet (door). Quiet time in the presence of God brings revelation for us to see, fills us with the water of the Spirit and the Word, and opens the door to heaven on earth.
Our first day we went trekking to the top of a mountain where a Hindu temple sits. People go there to pray to a fertility god they believe will allow them to bear children. It broke my heart seeing these cute couples pray to a statue that pigeons, Gods own creation, were pecking off of. It’s sad that they feel they have to hike a mountain to get to their god when the God I know came all the way from heaven to get to us. And He continues to dwell with us and pursue us regardless of location. But, it says His word never returns void so what we spoke and prayed there will bear fruit.
Yesterday, we broke into groups and went into the slums. These were probably the worst living conditions I have ever seen and the smells in the air were putrid. We got to pray for and hug some people and sit with an 83 year old woman who shared bible verses with us in her language. It was encouraging that there was a small church right there in the slum. I’m so grateful to know with all my heart that this world as we know it will soon pass away and God will be revealed in all of His glory.
The word God gave me at debrief was vessel. It has been a constant reminder to me lately that I am a vessel of the Holy Spirit. I carry His light wherever I go and He can work through me as long as I submit to Him. I still don’t know exactly what ministry will look like this month; so far we have been going on a day by day basis which drives my planning self crazy. But, Jesus said don’t worry about tomorrow so it’s a good way to practice that. He is so good. In the midst of the unknown, in the midst of 50 people, in the midst of a foreign country, in the midst of internal struggles, in the midst of this beautiful but fallen world all around me…”my heart has heard you say “come and talk with me.” And my heart responds, “LORD, I am coming.”
Until next time…
