Here I am in Nepal! Our squad has moved on from the serene peaceful hills of Manipur, India, to the smoggy frenzy of Kathmandu, Nepal. Kathmandu is a valley surrounded by mountains. It is a melting pot; cultural runoff has seeped into the city from surrounding areas – mostly religious culture. One of the first people I met here asked me what I was doing here; upon finding out that I was a Christian he said “me too, Jesus is tattooed on my chest! On the other side is Buddha, and I’m going to pray to Shiva at his temple.” Worshipping deities is as natural here as greed is to Wallstreet. We have visited 3 different temples, praying for individuals and for truth and love to set people free.
This month our squad is stacked like sardines in a four story house in Kathmandu. I suppose you could say I am learning a little bit about what it means to live in community. Living elbow to elbow with 53 other people is quite a bit more difficult than I thought it would be. The struggle is real. The sanctification is real. I believe that I am an extrovert, or at least I was before I came on this trip. After taking a poll, 4 out of 5 of my squad mates assumed that I was an introvert. I am learning to embrace this community even when I don’t feel like it, and it is awesome.
Our host here has been teaching us what evangelism looks like in Kathmandu. This past Friday he sent us out on a “treasure hunt,” in which we ask the Lord for a word, feeling, or picture, and then go and seek out whatever we get. Upon finding the “treasure,” we listen to what the Lord wants to say to them. I figured that I should climb a tree. After a long hike we found massive tree and after I had climbed it, I hopped down into the center of a group of high school boys. The only one that could speak English turned out to be the only Christian in his group of friends.
I was able to encourage him and pray for him and his friends. He invited me to his home to have tea and cookies with his family. What a blessing.
