The Seekers and the A-Team’s joint ministry for the month of Nepal was encouragement. Two years ago, an intense earthquake hit Nepal, and destruction and chaos reigned. The Grace Family used to own a large tract of land in the city where they ran a large church for many Christians. When the earthquake hit, the church and the land was destroyed, and the many Christians that attended the church were forced to scatter across the city.
Two years later, these people were still separated due to extreme prejudice and persecution against Christians in Kathmandu. Troubles with landowners, builders, apartments owners, and water and electricty companies were expected by these people. Gresom told us they had to search really hard for an apartment for us to stay in, because people in the area knew they were Christian and refused to rent for them.
So our job was the travel across the city and seek out these scattered people to offer encouragement using messages from the Bible and our own testimonies. When I told this to my mom, she happily exclaimed that we were to be modern disciples. I could only laugh, because it felt so right! There we were, about to embark on a journey to encourage and spread the good news of Jesus to the scattered peoples and churches of Israel.
Generally, Papa would have us select four people per house or church, two from each team, to share short a Bible story and a testimony within five to ten minutes. Originally I was a tad confused, because five to ten minutes didn’t feel like a very long time to encourage people. But altogether we’d be speaking for 25 – 45 minutes.
And so we went, traveling by crowded bus by cramped bus (very cozy though) across the city, sometimes even outside of Kathmandu and into different districts, to find the houses and churches of the Christians we were to encourage on their walk with Christ through the shadowed valley.
Anyways, concerning the title of this blog, I had been sick since debrief. Once having gotten into the city, the pollution wrecked havoc with my voice and I lost it during our week-long debrief at our hostel. Fastforward two weeks into ministry, and I was coughing and wheezing badly enough to warrant a trip to the hospital (Sami told me I sounded like I smoked a pack a day since birth, do it was pretty bad). So I went, the doctor gave me Allegra (and I’m sort of just like what? I’ve never had allergies why are you giving me this?) and an inhaler for my wheezing. 2 days later it hadn’t gotten better so I go back, get an x-ray and blood test done because my teammates think it’s a respiratory infection, and the test come back negative and the doctor tells me it’s definitely allergies. I’m very bemused, because as I said I’ve never had allergies before, and when I ask her what I’m allergic to, she tells me it’s most likely the dust and smoke.
Now, for my readers who have never been to Kathmandu, 90% of the city is literally just dust and smoke. The air is always clouded becaue of the dust being stirred up by the pedestrians and buses, and incense is always burning. Air pollution is legendary. So I’m literally allergic to everything Nepal, which is hilarious to me because this is definitely one of the countries I’m planning on coming back to on day. Despite the pollution, it’s such a unique and enrapturing country.
Anyways, to sum it all up, I’m officially a disciple, I’m perpetually sick, and I’m allergic to an entire country. Sounds about right.
