Tanning beside the pool, reading in front of the fireplace, napping on the sofa, listening to waves crash, binge-watching shows on Netflix, – no matter what it looks like, we all enjoy a time of rest and relaxation.
This week was filled with a different kind of R&R- rescue and restore.
We are working with Agape Ministries here in Kathmandu, Nepal. Their vision is to rescue and restore women and children at risk. Our ministry host believes that pure religion is to take care of women and children, so even if we do other things, that should also be part of our agenda. He based his mission statement on the following two verses:
God in His holy dwelling is a father of the fatherless and a champion of widows. {Psalm 68:5}
Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained by the world. {James 1:27}
He has expanded orphans to at-risk children and widows to women who need a helping hand, whether they are widowed, divorced, or single. Practically, this looks like convincing women who have fallen victim to sex trafficking to leave their line of work and come learn new skills at their women’s center. It also looks like meeting street children, forming a relationship with them, and moving them in with a loving family from one of many local churches.
On Tuesday, my team and another team went to the “cabin restaurants.” These restaurants are dimly lit with private cubicles around the small tables. Customers order drinks and receive time with the waitress, however they want that to look like. We sat in a small café down the road and interceded as the first group went into a restaurant to talk to the girls there. After a while, we swapped places, and my group went into a different restaurant. The point of these exchanges is to set up a follow up date (getting coffee, going to the park, etc.) and to form friendships with the girls so that we can get them the help they need. My group was able to talk to two girls who work in the restaurant. (My next blog post will go into detail about our day at the cabin restaurants.)
During the rest of the week, we visited different slums and spent time with the children. We sang songs, told Bible stories, played games, and handed out candy. The parents use these children to beg for money on the streets during the day, so most of them do not go to school. They cannot sit down or pay attention for more than just a few minutes, so we have to quickly shift between activities. The staff visits these slums regularly, and they keep a watch out for kids who spend their time living on the streets instead of at home. When they do find out that a child does not have parents, they form a relationship with the child to convince him that there is better out there than living on the streets. (Many of these kids enjoy the chaos and lawlessness of being on the streets.) When the child agrees, the staff prays about whether to place the child in an orphanage, a community home, or with a church family. Our ministry host even adopted a couple of these children many years ago before his ministry grew. One of those boys is now a youth pastor in Denmark. The Lord is moving in big ways through both the children being rescued and the children who are just hearing about Jesus.
Acting out the parable of the lost sheep.
The hand game crosses cultures. Our hands were moving so fast that the camera couldn’t even catch it.
I was able to give this cutie a bracelet I still had from last week.
We told the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. I was getting kids to act it out as I told the story.
The world can be a dark place, but we carry within us the light of Jesus. We should be able to change the atmosphere of a room by simply stepping into it. My prayer is that my squad radiates joy and love, that we bring a little sunshine to all the dark places we visit, and that everyone who sees will catch a glimpse of Jesus.
