Nepal has been exactly what I imagined from The World Race.
Adventure. Mountains. Good good food. Yetis.
Well I haven’t seen the yeti yet. But I did find a sweet book that I would have bought if I hadn’t already brought 7 with me from the States. The title… “My Quest for the Yeti. Confronting the Himalayas Deepest Mystery”
I know what you are thinking, “Why didn’t he buy that book!?!”
While you wonder about my non-purchase I will tell you what life is like here.
…
Our adventure began with countless hours on buses that were stinky, crowded and had wheels popping off (literally). The redeeming part of those 20ish hours on buses is that they were playing music. What songs you say? Oh you know, the usual… Justin Bieber singing Baby and Eenie Meenie. Nelly with Ride Wid Me and Oh Nelly. Flo Rida’s Apple Bottom Jeans. Shaggy with It Wasn’t Me. 50 Cent’s In Da Club. and our favorite of the buses – THE MACARENA! And yes, I danced to every single song in my seat (which was a metal bar covered by the tiniest cushion my legs had the unpleasure of touching).
We get to the mountains and begin our hike. 15 minutes in our contact, Ruben tells us that we are half way through! He lied. We hiked for 5 and a half hours. I am not even kidding — there were several times where if I lost my footing on the less-than-a-foot-wide-muddy-trail, I would have fallen at least 40 feet and been maimed or worse. But even with 32 pounds on my back and clothes dripping with sweat, I made it with no injuries! Praise the LORD that none of us got seriously injured, seriously I think it is miracle.
We got to Ruben’s village and stayed at his parents’ house which was the coolest hut/bungalo in the middle of nowhere. Had bunches of bananas for breakfast with whatever goodies the parents cooked us.
All the guys body rafted the raging river which poured from the mountains and showered there too after playing football (soccer) with the locals on a field of dreams where I again praise the LORD that no injuries occurred because it was unbelievably jagged and uneven ground. I almost scored low right on the keeper but missed wide by a foot. But I did out-run a guy after juking around him. Seems my football skill has increased since leaving the States like I presumed they would.
We prayed over a school that Ruben’s ministry is building for the village children. It is about a third complete I’d say. We later visited one of the churches that his Dad used to pastor. We sang a worship song and prayed there as well. After doing other house visits and evangelizing to some locals who worship idols we went back home and began packing up.
Oh! One night a snake crawled under my Team Leader’s sleeping pad. It somehow jumped out the window and slithered between this corn husk wall that I was sleeping against. I moved my bed after that.
By the way, our fresh water came from a natural spring that we got to by following the most peaceful winding creek under the canopy of the jungle. Once I can, I will upload all the pics. Wifi is not my friend.
We left the mountains after our ministry was done there and we actually hiked all the way down in 3 and a half hours. Beast mode. I did almost fall down the mountain because the earth crumbled under me. But I escaped with a hurt/twisted knee that still kind of hurts when I bend it.
After the mountains we headed for an Elephant Safari. Yes. I rode an elephant and spotted several Deer and a huge Rhino. It wasn’t a White Rhino though, sorry ‘White Rhino Coffee.’ Didn’t spot any tigers.
We rode in a private van back to Kathmandu and saw some packs fall off the top. We got to see some people white water rafting the river as we re-tied the packs down.
Back in Kathmandu we went to church which is held on Saturdays and I shared my testimony. We worshiped and prayed over people. It was wonderful.
Back at the house we have been trying to watch the Lord of the Rings Saga with those who have not been blessed yet by the films. We are going with the extended editions which has proven hard to get through with so many distractions. The distractions being a crazy fun game Joel and Alison created, Squalf. Think disc golf smashed with putt-putt through the hallways of a house, into the bucket we use to flush toilets. Yours truly made the inaugural putt. But I haven’t made one since. Stats as of today have Joel with 6, Mike with 4, Derek and I tied with 1 and Alison/Angelique/Carm/Jessie at the bottom with 0. It is a highly competitive and crazy prideful game that all would enjoy.
On Sunday we helped with Bible distribution. People from all over Nepal come to where I am staying to get Bibles. This place is the only location that supplies Bibles in the entire country. Some powerful stuff is starting right here. It was really encouraging picking out Bibles for some believers and praying for them.
The next couple weeks before September include teaching the Bible College students how to blog, email, use Word documents, etc. and we are also cooking bfast, lunch and dinner for them each day. So we will get super busy starting tomorrow and will have several long days.
I am ready and excited for what this “hectic week” will bring. Not worried or tired really either.
This is also the first post that actually has an account of my days. I’m learning how to blog each day, so please bear with me. I leave you with the words of Scott Stapp in his raspy rendition of “Soar, Marlins, Soar” which I encourage you to check out below on youtube… “WITH A LITTLE FAITH AND LUCK, YOU’LL SOOOOAARR!”
This is my life in Nepal.
