The work in Nepal is slow and steady, and unfortunately coming to a close. There’s a certain ease and peace to life where we live. I don’t know if it’s because I’m constantly surrounded by these splendid mountains, waking up to a hot cup of tea and sunrises veiled by the morning mists or just because things are simple here and not overcrowded with things to buy or do or places to go and see. There’s a tranquility I can’t quite qualify.
Our work of evangelism and handing out tracts and praying for people ended earlier this week as we’re finishing ministry by painting some of the church we’ve stayed at all month. Most of our time now is spent loving on the family that lives here, especially their two sons, Anata and Sumerpan, and our main translator Aashish (pronounced ah-sis).
Nepali evangelism resembled, in my opinion, street/tract evangelism in the States with the slight hurdle of the language barrier. Our contact earlier this month emphasized to us that we’re ‘sowing the seeds.’ There have been moments of deep hope and surprising joy for us. On our first day of ministry two of my teammates and I prayed for a woman’s wrist that’s been hurting for a while. She received healing that moment and was so surprised herself that she immediately turned around and motioned for us to pray for her back. Haha.
On another day of ministry we were heading out of the church and were no more than a hundred feet from the gate when a Hindu man approached us. He had a tumor about the size of a ping-pong ball on the side of his neck and without any translators (they were talking to our hosts) motioned for us to pray for him. Wait, what?! A sweet and tangible reminder that we carry the weighty presence of the Holy Spirit and it brings to life 2 Corinthians 2:14-16,
But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life.
I’ll share a bit of what the Spirit’s been teaching me personally this month. At both Training Camp and Launch, Adventures In Missions spoke of creating a culture of people on the Race, one that incorporated high preference, high consideration, high safety, high courage, and high honor. Undergirding these culture foundations is what I find to be a more essential cornerstone – a culture of life and death. For as long as I can remember I lived and functioned out of a mindset of right or wrong which filtered to my walk as a believer. I lived college believing that good and right theology is essential (and it is!) but it’s not central because Jesus is central. Jesus is perfect theology. Good and right theology is essential to bring life and speak life but it will forever remain a means to an end, the end being more intimacy with Jesus. I’m obviously not discrediting having good theology because good theology taught me that. Here’s an analogy:
Suppose you’re a sword fighter or better yet, you’re Zorro. You’ve trained countless hours, endless days, and many sleepless nights practicing and reiterating attacks, counterattacks, form, etc. Your goal of those years of studying is to be perfect in those areas. But when the moment comes to saving innocent lives or defending yourself against an enemy, your quest for perfection ends and actions life and death enter. Even if you misstep or thrust your weapon a little too high, your concern is for your life and others’ lives, never for perfection of form.
We live in a spiritual world where spiritual battles endlessly rage on. We've 'trained' and 'practiced' far too long. We've become obsessed with perfection when war is literally in our living room. Every time you speak, it's an act of war. Death and life are in the power of the tongue (Proverbs 18:21) and still we slander, gossip, and insult. Even if don’t speak obscenities or obvious death over people, not speaking life is as good as speaking death. Christ has put all things under our feet (Ephesians 1:22), already disarmed spiritual rulers and authorities through the cross (Colossians 2:15), and because we are created in His image and carry His Spirit, we have the power to give life to the dead and call into existence the things that do not exist (Romans 4:17). Cultivate and sprout forth life by the words you speak because you hold more power and authority than you could ever imagine and the Spirit’s just bursting to bring that out of you. Don’t say what you can’t do or what you will struggle with because Christ has already triumphed and opened doors for you, doors that will not be shut (Revelation 3:7). We quench the Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19) by our unwillingness to see opportunities as open doors and walking through them. Inaction when you hear the Lord speak is a subtle and clever form of disobedience. Speak to people not as they are, for we are all in process, but rather speak to them as who they can be, and more importantly, as who they will be – men and women of greater passionate, reckless, intimate love for Jesus. Every word of death puts chains on; every word of life breaks those chains. Are you speaking more life than death?
We are in Khokana until Monday when we head to our overseeing ministry house and grounds, Asha Nepal. We’ll be there with two or three other teams until our squad meets up and flies to Bangkok on the 31st where we’ll have our first debrief. Exciting, exciting times!
I love reading your comments and hearing about things going on with you. It’s a sweet reminder of life back home. Please email me, comment. Even if I can’t respond to all of them or as often as I’d like, I love knowing how life is for you. Three more weeks until my niece is born!
