We made it to Nepal! And there are two new things we need to talk about:
1. Team Change.
During our first week here in Nepal, our teams shifted so that we have an opportunity to do ministry with new people from our squad. Our new team [Team Legacy] is made up of Mike, Chandler, Preston, Kaysha, Courtney, and both of us. The seven of us are missing our old teams little, but we are also extremely excited about this new team, and cannot wait to dive into all that God has for us as Team Legacy!
2. ATL (Ask the Lord) Month
This is our first “Ask the Lord” month of the World Race. I know that sounds funny, so let us explain: Each month of the Race is usually setup in a way that our team makes contact with a ministry host in the country, travels to meet them, and does ministry alongside them for the entirety of the month. But “ATL” months are a little different. There are no ministry hosts.
During our time in Nepal, we have no set ministry like we have had in other countries. It is up to us as a team to pray and ask the Lord where we need to go and what we need to do. As a team, we don’t want to separate “ministry time” from our “off time”. One of the things we have been reminded of on the Race is that ministry is life, and life is ministry. God is teaching us to be interruptible on a day to day basis, and be willing to minister to those around us no matter the environment or time of day.
With that said, our team took the first few days here in Nepal to really think and pray about where God was leading us this month. Nepal is an interesting place. It’s a big place. There is so much to see, so much to do, and so many people to interact with. Backpackers and trekkers come from all over the world to hike in the Himalayan mountains (especially Everest). So many people here are searching for something, thinking that nature will give them answers to their questions or fill that void in their lives. Those are the people we want to reach. Because we have that answer they are looking for! It’s a little ironic that the first hostel we stayed in here was named “Wander Thirst”. It brings to mind the encounter that Jesus had with the woman at the well:
“But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
John 4:14
With so many people here hungry and thirsty for something more in life, our team felt that ministry on the trail was where God was leading us. However, we also wanted to interact with the locals. It is sad to say, but 96.7% of Nepalese people have never heard the gospel. There are so many people groups here that are unreached and need to hear the of the love God has for them. As a result of this, our team has chosen to hike into the Tsum Valley region of Nepal.
Here is a short video to further explain our upcoming journey:
After much prayer and planning, Team Legacy is ready to step forward into what God has called us to do here in Nepal. We leave for this journey in 3 days, and we crave your prayers and support!
If you would like to help support us financially in this journey there are two ways you can do that:
- DONATING: Because this trek is going to cost us more than our monthly World Race budget can sustain, we are raising this additional support through PayPal. The link you can use to donate is [ paypal.me/michaelspickett ] Michael is our team leader, and all funds donated are going towards the $2,300 we still need to raise for this trek.
- T-SHIRTS: It’s something we never did for our initial fundraising for the World Race, but our team has made t-shirts that you can purchase here: https://www.bonfire.com/team-legacy-journey-nepal/
The 3rd and most important way you can support us in this is by praying for us. Prayer has already been, and will continue to be, a huge part in all of this. Please be praying for physical strength for our team, mental and spiritual endurance, and an overall spirit of unity. Also, please pray for the people of the Tsum Valley that we will be ministering to, and the international backpackers that we will meet along the trail.
***We cannot overstate how thankful we are for each and every one of you who read our blog, support us financially, and continue to pray for us. The legacy that we leave here in Nepal doesn’t reflect our faithfulness, but your faithfulness as well. And in the end it all points to God and gives Him glory, which is why it is going to be a legacy that lasts.
Thank you. Stay tuned for updates on our #legacyjourneynepal
