Nepal was a wild ride to say the least.
I sat down with my girls the other day and asked them all how they saw the Lord move last month and what they loved. I was all over the place and wanted to know what they saw, experienced, loved, and maybe didn’t love so much, since I didn’t get to spend the month with them as planned.
So I thought I would share a few things my girls and I experienced and how the Lord moved.
- “We hiked 3 hours to a leper colony. While there we were able to lift up those who had been isolated from the community, deemed unclean, and were not allowed back in. I have heard and read about lepers. I never thought I would end up sitting in a leper colony with people who were never going to be able to leave again. It was like I had stepped back in time and had to realize this was happening right in front of me. I sat with a lady that was close to one hundred. I got to pray over her, love her, and encourage her. ” -Kayleigh
- “God gave me the courage to be bold and step out of my comfort zone and give a sermon for the first time to people I’ve never met when I was in the mountains having fellowship with a few of the church members there” -Brie
- “He showed me how to depend on him through all kinds of inconsistent circumstances. That it’s not my power and not a squad mates ability to comfort me, he showed me he’s my only refuge and only constant hope. No matter how overwhelmed I was with ministry, sickness, communication— God and I had such intimate moments and he gave me revelations of his power through healing, people getting saved, and unity within our team” -Lexi
- “When we went to temples, it gave me a new perspective and a tangible example of how other religions worship idols, when since we have the spirit in us, our bodies are our own temples. I’ve known this but Nepal gave me a new insight on it. Nepal helped me understand myself a little better by showing me in what environments are best for me. God showed me the power of prayer even when you don’t feel like your words have weight/meaning (prayer walks/temples). I was inspired by the few Christians in Nepal because of their faith when everything is against them” -Clarissa
- “I was so surprised by the selflessness and hospitality that the people of Nepal showed to us everywhere we went. Whenever we went into a house for a visit they would always bring out tea with crumpets. It was so delightful. They constantly showed me Jesus by always putting people before themselves and making us feel known and cared for” -Emily
- “I also admired the drive and passion that the Nepalese Christians had. They were so bold! Whenever they had the chance to worship and learn more about Jesus you could see the true passion they had for the Lord. They made my my desire for the Lord burn so much brighter” -Emily
- “Nepal was insane. Beautiful and so chaotic. It was jam packed and everyday was an adventure. The Lord blessed us so much with our ministry and all the different sights, places and people we got to have community with. I got the chance to see truly how faithful our God is. I got to see the purpose and point in being the church and encouraging one another. Nepal was heavy and dark. My heart broke for the people I became friends and family with. Being almost a month removed from living in Kathmandu, I realize the Lord broke my heart in so many ways for this country. Yet, in all of this darkness I saw the face of God in the people. I saw his heart in their hospitality and open spirits. Nepal was difficult but rewarding in my own spiritual life because I got to tap more into the way the Lord has created me. I struggled with loneliness, homesickness, and the feeling of belonging. Yet, even after being hospitalized and diagnosed for the second time with a bacterial infection… God was good. He placed me there for a reason. Looking back, I’m not sure where I’ll end up again… but my I did leave part of my heart in that place” -Grace
- “I took a trip back to Khatmandu on a 7 hour night bus with two girls that were sick. We left our teams in the village and arrived in Khatmandu on Christmas Eve. I was upset because we weren’t going to be with our teams on Christmas. We were later told we could leave the hospital and went back to our house. We found the two girls that helped cook for us there. They said they were all alone and didn’t have anything to do for Christmas. We then realized why God had us come all the way back. We spent Christmas with them. We got them gifts. We spent time with them laughing, and talking. We taught them how to make sugar cookies. We watched a Christmas movie together and had a sleepover. We were right where the Lord wanted us” -Kayleigh
- “I went to a village six hours away. On a Sunday afternoon I saw a couple of ladies peeling potatoes with weird utensils that I have never seen and they were taking roots off of cilantro. I knew this would be a safe place because they were Christians and could freely share anything with them. It was fun and I enjoyed spending time with them” -Emili
- “While trekking the Himalayas, we got to stop in an unreached village for a night. We broke up into four groups and went into different parts of the village. My group went to the one home of believers in the whole village. They were saved two years ago when another world race team visited them and shared the Gospel! They had a tiny little home with a very low ceiling and no lights, so we sat around a little fire where they prepared tea for us. They began to share with us that they face a lot of persecution from their neighbors and find themselves living in fear. Also, because they are older, they are incapable of reading their Bible due to the small print. They only get to read their Bible when their grandchildren come over and can read it to them. We got to encourage them with scripture, empower them to live out their faith with boldness, speak truth over their fears of persecution, and pray for a large-print Bible to come their way! It was a truly surreal and humbling experience.” -Anna
This is just a glimpse into what Nepal looked like. In a place where 98 percent of the country is Hindu, covered with idol worship, sacrifices, millions of gods, persecution and darkness all around. The Lord is still working and moving.
Be praying for this country, for the Lord to continue moving, and for hearts to continue to come to know Him. Be praying for those that are believers to continue to be encouraged, for peace and comfort as they live in this environment daily, for renewal, and for a continued desire for the Lord.
