It’s hard to believe the trek in the Himalayas only lasted a week. So much happened and I went through so many thoughts and emotions. I can’t share everything, but I did want to share a few of my favorite moments and lessons from the journey.
———————-
Lesson: True Hospitality
In a culture that has basically nothing, it was so amazing to see the people of the Chepang village give us so much more than they could probably afford. After 7 hours of trekking, they served us a snack of cookies and Mountain Dew (who would have guessed?!) before a delicious dinner. Then, as I mentioned in my last blog, they blessed us with gifts of flower necklaces and hand-woven bags at church the following morning. These people provided us with food and shelter each night. It was humbling but beautiful. As someone who is not strong in the gift of hospitality, I learned a lot from the Chepang.
Highlight: The Scenery
I love nature, and therefore the Himalayan foothills were a dream come true. So green. So beautiful. Clear rivers. Rocky waterfalls. Beautiful sunsets. The first day trekking along the river was just one amazed moment after another. For me, nature in this form is clear evidence of God. Only a creator could make something so beautiful.
Lesson: Importance of God’s Word
The Bible often talks about the importance of meditating on the Word of God. During the week, this lesson became a reality. When you are trekking up and down, it’s hard to keep up a good attitude. Sometimes it was hard to keep going. I don’t think I would have been able to get through it all without God’s Word. I often had to remind myself who God is – that he is good and worthy of praise. I had to remind myself that the Christian life is not easy – but it is worth it.
“Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy. How awesome is the Lord Most High, the great King over all the earth!” [Psalm 47:1-2]
“I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me – the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.” [Acts 20:24]
Highlight: Sameer
Sameer is the adopted 15-year old son of our host in Kathmandu. He actually started off a street kid in Nepal but after coming to Christ several years ago was adopted into a family where he has grown a lot. He went on our journey as our translator for the week. It was so much fun getting to know him. I don’t think we would have laughed as much without him. At times it was obvious that he was just a kid, swimming in the water or making goofy faces at us. But other times it was clear how mature he really was as he served us throughout the week. This kid is awesome!
[Photo credit: Jackelyn Mead]
Lesson: The Power of Prayer
One of the mountain villages we visited on our trek had a local witch doctor living nearby. Witch doctors are prominent in the hills and use their “powers” to take advantage of many villagers. They often use drums to call upon evil spirits to do their will. The local people wanted us to see the witch doctor drum – as a performance not as an act of demonic worship. However, as he performed it started to get weird. While I didn’t personally feel any evill presence, all I wanted to do was pray the entire time he was drumming. I knew God was needed there. After it was all over, we prayed over the witch doctor and his wife. Later a local pastor shared that the witch doctor had tried to call upon evil spirits but they did not come because the power of God was too strong in that place. It was just a good reminder that prayer is powerful, and our God is powerful.
“And he said to them, “This kind [of demon] cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”” [Mark 9:29]
Highlight: Nepali Worship
I am always amazed at how beautiful worship is around the world. It is different everywhere, but it is all a beautiful sound to praise the same God. It makes me excited to worship in heaven someday with every tribe, tongue and nation!
To hear some traditional Nepali worship, check out my teammate Jackelyn’s videos on her blog found here: Worship with the people of Manahari, Nepal
Lesson: I Am Not Here to Save the World – God is Already Doing It.
I shared about this in the last blog, but I think it was one of the most important lessons I learned. God is at work in many ways. He is raising up his own leaders around the world. My role is not to save the world, solve all the world’s problem. My role is to ask God where he wants me to join in.
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” [John 15:5]
Highlight: Pastor Mithun & Pastor Sham
It was such a blessing to get to know the local pastors. Pastor Mithun and Pastor Sham did the entire journey with us. They went our slow pace and selflessly carried our packs several times. They spent a week away from their own families to lead us. Neither spoke much English, so they were often quiet but by the end of our trek we saw them start to come out of their shells. It was fun to see them learn little phrases, like “Let’s Go” (we Americans can get distracted sometimes), or just go swimming with the rest of us. They were both amazing men of God.
[Photo credit: Jackelyn Mead]
———————-
These are just a few of the lessons and highlights. Hopefully you were able to get a better glimpse of what the week was like. It was challenging but fun and beautiful at the same time. I got to be myself and bond with my teammates all while trekking through the mountains of Nepal. 🙂
[Photo credit: Aviana Alvarado]
