"For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities – His eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, beng understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse."
Romans 1:20
Being in the foothills of the Himalayan Mountains for over a week was definitely an unforgettable experience. We visited 3 different mountain villages and one church. Plans change as they usually do on The World Race so it was quite an adventure. We didn’t show the actual “Jesus Film” like we had originally thought but ended up showing several different films sharing with the Nepali people a new way of living through Jesus.
The scenery was gorgeous, and it did my heart so much good to be back in the mountains for a while. Several nights we were in a location where we could a roaring river below us, and it was just wonderful. The gracious people captured my heart. Hardworking and hospitable, it was an honor to be able to experience a bit of their culture. This has definitely been my favorite month of the race so far!
We were stared at a lot this month as white people are a rarity here. We had many opportunities to pray over some very precious men and women. Some of us girls even had a goat brought to our room for us to pray healing over! We got some exercise hiking up in the Himalayan foothills and even got to see China. We wanted to step over the border so badly!
Instead of turkey on Thanksgiving I got to eat a bite of a chicken heart right out of the coals of a fire (don’t worry; it was a one time thing!) On Thanksgiving I also had the TREAT of using a Western toilet instead of a squatty potty. So nice! The saying is true: You never know what you got ‘till it’s gone. Thanksgiving was also filled with a couple of epic dance parties, one in a vehicle and another around a fire. Our Nepali friends know how to have some fun! We also got to walk over the bridge where the world’s tallest rope swing is. They were all booked up!
Thanksgiving was fun and unique for sure, but it was also a hard day. I struggled with homesickness a lot that day. In the midst of the excitement and adventure there was this sadness that would come up throughout the day. I kept thinking about what my family was doing and all that I was missing out on. I guess it’s just one of the not-so-fun parts that come with this journey.
We ended our ministry by visiting a women’s center in Kathmandu. There we were able to share and talk with women who have been taken out of trafficking or who have been prevented from being trafficked. Only 1 out of a group of around 10 of the women was a Christian. We were able to share our faith with these beautiful women and tell them of the Hope that we have and even pray over them. It was definitely a wonderful way to end the month.
God has been faithful as always. I feel like I haven’t even begun to process all that’s happened this month, and now it’s time to move on to India in just a few short days. Your prayers were most appreciated over this past month. Our teams have been blessed by our time in Nepal. My team had a most amazing contact to work with: Rueben and his team were absolutely AMAZING, and we are very sad to leave them but know that the Lord will continue to use them and look forward to keeping in touch with them.
Love and blessings!
Jessica
