Hello from Vietnam!!
I am going to spend some time talking about some last thoughts about Nepal. It’s crazy that we have already been in Vietnam for a week already!
I just want to recap on Nepal and what the Lord taught me there.
I truly cannot express the love I had for that countryl. God really taught me how artistic He is. He has made EVERYTHING so beautiful! The people, the mountains, the landscape, literally everything.
I remember at Training Camp (which seems like so long ago now that I think about it) they talked about praying to the Lord about finding our “one” in every country while we were on the Race. I prayed a lot before we got to Nepal about finding my one, and the Lord provided beautifully.
One morning we were waiting for our pastor to come and get our team for church. All of the sudden this spunky man walks up to us and says, “Hello! I am Bipin!” Immediately I thought to myself, “This guy is going to have an impact on my life”. And boy did he. I have never seen someone worship and praise God all day long during random times. Bipin LOVES Jesus. He truly radiates that love with everything in him.
As we walked to the church I was talking to Bipin about our travels and about things we were hoping to do while we were in Nepal. I told him that we wanted to go bungee jumping and that after church we were planning on going to Thamel to book a trip to go. He very enthusiastically said, “No! I am a travel agent. You don’t go to Thamel, you go through me! I will get you a great deal!” I was excited about this because he also offered to go with us. So we booked our trip with him and went a few days later!
On the bus ride to bungee, we stopped at a place for tea. Bipin bought all of us tea. I felt the nudge at this point to ask him if he would mind me doing an interview with him to hear his story and hear how he became a Christian in a place like Nepal where Hinduism and Buddhism are dominant religions. He was so thrilled and agreed right away.
We went bungee jumping and seriously had so much fun with Bipin. He was terrified to go bungee jumping, but ended up doing it anyway for the first time and totally killed it. This man makes me laugh and feel more loved than anyone I’ve ever met. He’s just one of those people, when you talk to him you know he is loving you and pouring into you with everything he has. It’s quite beautiful!
On the way back from bungee jumping, I sat next to Bipin for the 4 hour bus ride and just got to talk with him about his passions and his dreams. Bipin literally has like, 8 different jobs. He also asked me about my family, and asked my parent’s and brother’s names. I told him about how much I adore my brother and how I pray specifically for him every day. Bipin asked to see a picture of Josh and he told me how handsome he thought he was and he prayed over Josh in that moment and told me he would be praying for my family “David and Teresa, and especially Joshua.” It meant so much to me. He told me that the Lord told him that He has amazing plans for Josh. He told me he would remember Josh’s name always because he and Sarah (his wife) had adopted a little boy named Joshua a couple years back. They loved him very much, but the mother ended up taking him back. It ended up being a good thing in the end. But he still loves Joshua very much, and he said he would never forget Josh’s name because of that. I really got to know a lot about where his heart is, and how much love he has in his heart for the people of Nepal, but also people all over the world. The Lord made Bipin so incredibly special. I feel like I can’t even put him into words.
A few days after bungee jumping, Bipin and I went into Thamel to do our little brief interview. I’m hoping to post it below and hoping that it works.
Some things that Bipin didn’t touch on in his interview is that he is 37 years old. He has a wife named Sarah, and a daughter who is 10 years old named Priscilla.
Bipin has always been a very hard worker. In just 7th grade he started selling things to friends to make money. He has always had an interest in business. He went to school for business and was a political leader in his school, he worked in a printing company for awhile, he worked at a Cafe, he managed a radio station, and he was a street vendor. He had so many dreams, and because of that, he had many jobs because he just had so many things he wanted to do.
Currently, Bipin is an interpreter, a travel agent, pastor, he works at a media company, is working on his own ministry, is going to school for Mass Communication and journalism and is currently working on his masters degree. He has a heart to get his PHD. He also has a dream of writing a book one day. This man has so many passions and desires. He is living them out and really has the drive to make them a reality one day.
Something that Bipin shared with me that really hit me was “Nepal takes care of foreigners. We feel it is our duty.” Nepali people really did take care of us so well. They would go out of their way to serve us well, and make sure we are taken care of. It makes me think about America and the amount that we do not take care of our foreign brothers and sisters. Or just that we don’t welcome them like we should.
He has committed his life to Nepal until he is at least forty, and then he has dreams to move to Florida. He feels that the Lord has called him to America, which for me would be AWESOME! I would love to have him back in the States.
Currently Bipin’s family has generously taken in 3 boys and 2 girls, as well as his wife, daughter and niece. Lots of people in the house, but they are blessing them all so well.
There are so many things I have written down about Bipin I could go on and on. The point I am trying to make is that the Lord is so good in His timing and his provision in bringing me my “one”. I have such a beautiful spiritual connection with Bipin that I know is God-ordained. We have formed such an awesome friendship in the short time I was able to spend with him, and I know that we will be life-long friends.
Half of our squad went to the mountains for ministry, and the other half went to the “jungle” and Bipin ended up going with the group that went to the jungle. As I was getting ready for bed in my tent one night, I got a call from Bipin from my team leaders phone. He had called to tell me that he missed me, and that he was praying for me, and that he appreciated me and my friendship. It’s things like that that just make you praise God for the people he so intentionally and beautifully places in our lives because He knows we need them. It’s such a blessing.
The night before we were leaving, I was able to meet up with Bipin and his wife Sarah to have some coffee and chat before we had to say goodbye. I honestly had such a hard time saying goodbye that night. It was hard to know that I wouldn’t be seeing him for a while. But I know one day again our paths will cross again. I’m excited for that day.
Another one of my favorite things about Bipin is he says “FIRE” randomly very often! Haha. He says that the Holy Spirit is so alive and it brings FIRE. He also says that when the Holy Spirit comes over him, he just will randomly meow. That’s his sound for that. Did I mention how much he makes me laugh??? He’s the best!
Prayer requests:
-Please be praying for our team unity! We just completed our first week in Vietnam and we are loving it so far! Now that we are not in all squad month anymore, we are trying to get back into the groove of things being back to just being a team.
-Please also be praying for a growth in my intimacy with the Lord. I really want to continue to grow in my relationship with Jesus!
-Please also be praying for our ministry this month! It is difficult this month being in a closed country. Please be praying for some unspoken prayers until I’m able to update you further!
Preview picture of my next blog:
I love you guys so much!!
Love and peace,
Keeley
