This week, our squad has divided up into ten different ministries throughout Kathmandu, Nepal. I was tasked along with four of my squadmates to write a book of testimonies of twenty-five different people who have been touched by the ministry that we have been working with this month. After we finish, the book with be published in Nepal to serve as an encouragement and inspiration for others serving God moving forward. As I’m wrapping up my chapters, I thought I would share the first story.
Chapter 1: Big Hands, Not Big Heads
“Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but TO SERVE, and TO GIVE his life as a ransom for many.” – Matthew 20:26-28 (NIV)
Namrata grew up in a rural agricultural village in the district of Sindhupalchowk, north of Kathmandu. Sindhupalchowk contains some of Nepal’s highest concentrations of Hindus. In fact, the district’s name includes the Persian word “Hindu” which derives from the Sanskrit word “Sindhu” used to name the Indus River (and is still used as the river’s name locally). Being the only believer in the mountain, Namrata would walk four hours up and down the mountain to attend church.
Yet, walking four hours wasn’t Namrata’s only obstacle. Namrata suffered from hip problems that affected her ability to walk. Her walking could be described like that of a camel, awkward in gait. In spite of this obstacle, Namrata still chose to walk.
As she attended that church, she accepted Jesus. She became so passionate that the pastor reached out to Brother Brian to see if she could attend his mentoring program.
For nine months, she stayed at Agape interning to be a leader. Like most Nepali women, she was quiet, and sat in the back of the congregation—soaking everything in. She was quick to listen and very obedient.
Being from a small mountain village, Namrata was unfamiliar with much of the technology available in Kathmandu. After Brian’s wife Ruth Reshma mentioned that he could see anything in the world through his computer, she began to shower in her clothes so that he could not see.
Namrata took on all the projects made available to her at the Women’s Center. She learned English, how to make candles, how to cut hair, how to work with computers, and a variety of other things, but she gravitated towards tailoring. She served alongside Agape in the slums with the street children and took part in their outreach programs until she graduated and went back to her village.
One month later, the pastor called Brian back amazed by Namrata’s transformation. She had gone from a typical Nepali girl sitting in the back of the church to a servant leader. She was proactive in taking on roles in the church. She had her hands in everything: youth, women’s ministry, widows. She cleaned the floor and cooked food for the orphans. She arrived early to church each week to make sure things were ready. She did everything.
At that time they were building a church. Namrata offered the contractors tea and snacks, and through her, they all accepted Jesus. They even asked to stop getting paid to build the church and began tithing to the church.
The pastor was amazed by Namrata’s work ethic. Having sent others from his church to study theology, many came back expecting high positions in the church, but Namrata came back from Agape with a servant heart, not a big head.
Later, Namrata went out boldly with the church team and pioneered a church in her own village.She also started her own tailoring shop so she could sustain her ministry, much like Paul maintained a tent making ministry to support his own ministry.
Namrata started as the only Christian in her village, but now she is a blessing to her village and her family.
