And just like that, month 6 is over. My time in Albania was stretching yet so so good. I really loved Albania. I had to go grab one last Dr. Pepper before I left. If you ever get a chance, you should go to Albania. You won’t regret it!
My squad and I hit the ground in Kathmandu, Nepal last Tuesday. Once we were there we all began to learn of the terrorist attack that happened at the Instanbul Airport. The scary thing is, we were there, in the exact terminal, 8 hours prior to the attacks. I have never felt the Lord’s protection so near. After talking with a few of my teammates, it seems a few of us, myself included, kept having weird thoughts while in the airport about how easy it could be for something bad to happen. I found myself praying throughout our time there for protection. It’s weird and amazing how the Lord uses the Holy Spirit inside of us to prompt us to pray for things that we don’t even know are about to happen. Praise Him we were all safe! My heart goes out to the friends and families of those who were lost. Jesus, Come.
Soooo, about Nepal. My team and I started our time here by hiking through the Himalayas for 4 days. NO BIG DEAL. We hiked somewhere between 6-11 hours each day. It is monsoon season here, so it rained on us for most of the hike. I would say a good portion of our hike was uphill and through small streams. I know you’re thinking “Wow Jodi, you are so cool and tough!” but friends, I would have to beg to differ. Please know it was the hardest thing I have ever done physically. I will never ever complain about how hard the Insanity workouts are again! EVER!
During the hike, I had to reach out to God and beg for His strength more than I can ever remember. There was no choice to quit. No one could carry me. No one was going to carry my pack for me. I had to do it. Maybe you’re thinking this all sounds a bit dramatic. But I guarantee you I have never been pushed so much physically in my entire life. I felt the Lord surround me on all sides so many times. My feet and muscles were achy, my spirit was weary, I was completely exhausted, but the Lord gave me the strength to push on. I wanted to complain and sit down but He continued to give me the strength to push through. He really is such a faithful God, in the big things and in the little things. He is a faithful protector, a constant provider, a really good friend and shoulder to lean on. I am in constant awe of how He takes care of us.
Let me tell you a little secret about the Himalayas. There are leeches, folks. EVERYWHERE!! Big ones, small ones. Does it matter?!?! One day in particular we were about 30 minutes from arriving to the house we were staying at for the night. We were so tired and getting to the point of exhaustion. It was like the leeches knew we were weary and they came out in full force. They were falling from the trees. They were on our arms, legs, feet…everywhere. One of my teammates had one on his neck. At one point, I kept feeling something scratching my stomach and realized I had one just feasting on me. They are slimy and hard to get off. AND once they’re off, they will not die. We were constantly asking each other “Hey, do I have a leech on my ____________?” As if that wasn’t enough, we walked up to a herd of horses being moved down a trail. As I was walking behind one of them, it stops and pooped right in front of me. At that point, we just all had to start laughing. I mean, you can’t make this stuff up. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry! I think at that point I was doing a little bit of both. If I didn’t have my teammates there laughing hysterically I think I would have just bawled. Between the 6 of us we fell approximately 70 times throughout the 4 days. If I had the time, I could write an entire blog about everything funny that happened on that hike. It was so so hard and extremely exhausting, but we just had to keep choosing joy. I will say, it was worth it!
The purpose of our hike was to meet up with fellow believers in the villages we passed and to prayer walk and we hiked. One morning we had the chance to sit with a Nepali family of believers, eat some donut like things for breakfast and drink some delicious coffee. I continue to be amazed by how welcoming and hospital the Nepali people are. There are people in these villages risking everything to carry the name of Jesus to the people here. I am forever encouraged by that.
The hike was grueling but every now and then I would look up and see the absolute beauty that was surrounding me and think “I can’t believe this is my life!!”. I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to do that. Jesus really shows up out in His creation, that’s for sure.
For the remainder of the month, my team and I will be serving in a village called Jiri. You should Google it. You won’t be disappointed. We will join our host, Sam, and help him do various things at his church. I can already tell you now that I will never ever forget my month in Nepal. I am excited to see what else the Lord has in store!
Namaste!!!
