We had hiked 1 km to the bus stop to head back to Kathmandu.
I was drenched in sweat from the 100 degree weather and super irritated at life
in general…ready to get on the bus and start the decent back to the city. As
our men loaded our bags on the bus, a passenger on the bus began talking to me.
He asked what we were doing and what organization we were with. After a few
minutes, he found out that we were missionaries and requested that one of us
speak to him during the ride. He said that he was thirsty for the truth and he
wanted to know if Jesus really was the way.
I had heard about past racers experiencing times when they
went to a country to specifically touch 1 person. I remember asking myself if
this was my “1 person” encounter?
We finally filed onto the bus and took our seats. Samara
took a seat next to me and we got comfortable for the 13 hour drive ahead. I
had forgotten about the man until he came up and asked who he could speak to
about Jesus. Nobody stepped up, so I asked him if he could sit next to Samara
and I and talk. He jumped at the chance and took a seat immediately.
He explained why he had so much interest in Christianity
with a part of his own story. He had served in the Nepal Air Force for years
until he was hit by a bullet that got lodged in his spinal cord. In that moment
of being hit, he prayed to Allah, Buddha, his Hindu Gods and Jesus asking for
someone to save him. He trusted that one of them was the true God and he was
willing to trust in any because he didn’t know which one was truly real. That
day, he had surgery to remove the bullet and ended up making a full recovery
without any complications.
That same day, he set out to find the god who had healed
him. He had grown up in the Hindu religion, but he had remembered seeing Christians
throughout his life who had fully devoted themselves to God. When he was told
that we were Christian missionaries, he decided to take his opportunity and
find out more about this Jesus man.
Samara told him about the gospel, from the beginning to the
end, including the fall of man, Jewish law, the sacrifice of Christ, His grace
and the abolishment of the law. He was mesmerized. He said that it touched his
heart that this perfect man would give his life for all men, including him, who
was naturally full of sin and imperfect.
I explained to him that with Christ, you get a relationship
with a living, breathing God. He was amazed that this son of God wanted to have
a relationship with him and was fully capable of healing, forgiving, and
restoring unlike the gods he had always heard about and worshipped.
He asked several more questions and then asked us to show
him the way to Christ. He wanted to know what to do to have a relationship with
him. After we explained that he just needed to ask and reassured him that we
believed we were on that bus with him to be Jesus-with-skin-on to him, he was
satisfied with our answers.
He thanked us repeatedly, told us we were angels sent to
tell him about Christ, and we all exchanged email addresses. I’m looking
forward to hearing from him and seeing how things are going as he continues to
search or in this possible new decision he’s made to follow Christ.
I realized on that bus that sometimes we’re sent to the most
ambiguous places in this world to talk to 1 person. Just 1. God cares about the
1 person. God calls 1 person at a time. That night, we were called to be Jesus
to 1 man.
As difficult as our month seemed to be at times, I believe
that the night on the bus was a true God encounter.
And I love that even in my brokenness and distance from God,
He chose me to show another His grace and mercy. How gracious of a God we
serve! It overwhelms me!
