A few weeks ago, I was praying at our debrief in South Africa, and I heard the Holy Spirit whisper to me, “Nepal will be your favorite month.”
I was a bit taken aback at the time, but after being here for about two weeks, I have to say that I absolutely do love this country. Why? Here are ten reasons why I love Nepal:
10. The clothes – Indian-style pants are so comfy! (kinda like wearing sweatpants all day) And they’re real cheap – you can buy wool booties, a hat, and gloves for under $5 USD!
9. Pancakes at every meal, especially dinner!
8. Nepal has absolutely the kindest people – they will do anything to serve you and welcome you into their country. This woman saw us and wouldn’t let us walk by her home, beckoning us to join her and her family for tea, cookies, and coke. She served us cup after cup of tea and threw cookies into our lap until we were stuffed to the brim!
7. There is always a pot of tea brewing – and I absolutely love the Masala spice they put into it
6. One word: Roofdecks. The best invention ever. Great for early morning prayer times as well as sunset worship sets
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5. The cutest children in the world. Seriously.
4. The many people who have never heard the name of Jesus before – it’s truly an honor to be one of the first to share Jesus’ love with someone.
3. The most beautiful mountains. Seven of the world’s highest mountains are in Nepal. This photo was taken on our drive from Kathmandu to our ministry site in Hetauda. Man, do I love the mountains.
2. The way the Nepalese people respond to your questions – shaking your head from side to side means either “yes,” “ok,” or “all right” – or perhaps a combination of all three of these. It’s hilarious.
1. Asian noodles and vegetable curries. There’s really nothing better! In fact, I got a recipe from our host family for the potato and cauliflower curry that they serve us at least once/day because we love it so much:
Cauli Ra Aloo Ko Tarkari (Cauliflower and Potato Curry)
- 1 head cauliflower (cut)
- 3 potatoes (cubed)
- 1 chili chopped (or 1 teaspoon chili powder)
- ½ cup diced tomatoes
- ½ cup peas
- 2 tablespoon oil
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon curry
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- salt and pepper (to taste)
Instructions:
1. Fry potatoes in oil over medium heat until lightly browned and cooked halfway (about ten minutes)
2. When potato is half done, add cauliflower and sautee for about five minutes
3. Add tomatoes, peas, chili and all the spices. Simmer for ten minutes, then add salt and pepper to taste
4. Serve hot with rice or roti (flat bread)
Here is our fabulous chef and his kids standing in front of the meal that they served our team when we arrived in Kathmandu!
The beauty of this recipe is that you can use really any vegetables and it will still taste delicious – we have eaten this curry cooked with zucchini, green beans, onions, etc.
I have to admit that in all the other months thusfar I have counted down the days until we have to leave. But Nepal has literally blown my socks off. But when it is frigid outside – you gotta keep those wool socks on! 😉
