Earlier this month I wrote a story about an encounter while lost on a run that led to a friendship with a young woman and her sister. A young woman who was curious about Jesus, and her sister who was very sick. I asked for prayer over the situation and so I wanted to give an update on how things have been since then.
It brought each of us on the team joy to build a friendship with the young woman, Pramila. We were able to visit her several times and enjoy conversation over tea. She is a beautiful woman both inside and out, especially in her commitment to her sick sister, Urmula. Two weeks ago she joined us for church and the whole church body was able to pray over her family. I got to watch God move throughout each encounter we had with her and each prayer we lifted up for her. It left me feeling so encouraged and so hopeful.
Right before leaving Nepal, we found out that Urmula was admitted to the hospital with breathing problems and needed to be on life support. Several of my teammates were able to go to the hospital to be a comfort and support for Pramila. She seemed very alone and struggled with fear of losing her sister. It was hard to face leaving Nepal with our new friend whom we had come to love dearly in such a state.
While sitting in the airport waiting for our delayed flight we got the news that Urmula passed away. She had recently been losing the will to fight due to the physical pain she experienced 24/7 from her illness. She finally gave up.
It made it that much harder to leave Nepal. To leave Pramila to go through the pain of losing her sister on her own. I wish we could be there for her. I am comforted in knowing that while I am now thousands of miles away from Pramila on a completely different continent, that God is still there with her. And God is faithful. His love never fails.
