“Jesus is coming!”, exclaimed Ruth during their church service as the ground began to shake. The tremors continued hundreds times after that and over the followings days. Jesus did not return that morning, yet Nepal will remember the earthquake of April 25, 2015 as its strongest and most devastating in almost 100 years.
Yesterday our squad arrived in Katmandu. Originally we were scheduled to leave India on April 26th to begin our second debrief in Nepal before our ministry month here began. Our squad mentors had arrived from Greece and were waiting for us. Due to obvious safety and supply concerns all that changed. We entered into a time of uncertainty where the possibility of remaining in India another month became a reality. The idea of a completely different country not on our original route so last minute was out of the question. This was not ideal. We wanted to be helpful, we wanted to be sent where we were most needed, we needed a change of pace and scenery after a heavy month. In all honesty, partially we just wanted to continue on the journey we signed up for: 11 countries in 11 months. We did our best to remember that the World Race we chose to go on (and life itself) is about abandonment to God in all circumstances. On the Race you have (almost) no say over how you spend your time, the people that surround you, what you eat, where you lay your head at night…basically the only thing you have any control over is your attitude.
God knew when we left in January and picked this route that the earthquake would happen. My heart is filled with gratitude to Him that our squad of almost sixty people was not in Nepal during the earthquake. We like to explore during our debriefs and many of the historical buildings and temples in the tourist areas have been destroyed. I not only mourn the loss of lives in the country, but a part of me is deeply saddened by the loss of history. Yes, ultimately these were places of idol worship, but I still can find beauty in the creations of the human hand and joy in understanding another culture and its past to a greater extent. Again, it is a reminder to realign and surrender myself and my thinking to a sovereign and living God who is bringing all things to Himself (Ephesians 1:10, Colossians 1:20). Mark 13:1-2 says this about the about the end of times: “As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!’ ‘Do you see all these great buildings?’ replied Jesus. ‘Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”
Please hear me, I am not saying these are or are not the end times, only God knows that and I don’t consume myself with thoughts of it. But sooner or later, Jesus will return. My prayer for each of us is that we will continue listen for, ask, and submit to His will and call on and for our lives, for each day we do have on this earth. Just like those fallen temples, ultimately human achievement and glory is a pile of rubble if not submitted to the Creator of the this beautiful universe.
In my own merry-go-round circling the sun, I have experienced some earthquakes – emotional, spiritual, and physical (I live in California after all). We serve a God that shakes things up when needed. A God that because of His great love for us doesn’t leave us where we are comfortable, but desires all things to be aligned to who He is and His best for us. It took great suffering in life for me to fall to my knees and open my heart to Jesus, to realize the great and only truth, that we all need Him as our savior. There are many things I can wish had been very different, but ultimately I would never change the result, and for that I am eternally grateful. Hebrews 12:26-29 says: “At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, ‘Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.’ (see Haggai 2:6) The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.” (see Deuteronomy 4:24)
A seed must die in the ground for it to open up, take root, and blossom into something beautiful. We can trust that no matter how painful the process our heavenly Father is working all things out for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28). I’ll admit, it’s much easier said than done. That is why the bible tells us to take heart and not lose hope, to keep our eyes on the things above, the things that matter; to pray without ceasing, to pick up our cross and surrender our lives to Jesus and ask for His help in all things. Our forgetful and prideful human nature so easily forgets. These are things we have to do daily and hold fast to them as best we can. Things we have to do for each other. Things we have to do for the nation of Nepal. We have to hold fast to His promises, to intercede and remind each other of the Lord’s goodness in all things. In the end, God sent our squad to Nepal to do just that.
One of the my favorite scriptures remains Psalm 27:13-14: “I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord.” So let us take heart and believe, pray and trust that God is doing something beautiful. In Nepal, in you, and in me.
I leave you with some excerpts from Psalm 46, it’s beginning…and it’s end (though I encourage you to read the whole thing!). As well as a song that I have held fast to over the past month. Until next time. You are loved.
1 God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging….
10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
11 The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Calling All Prayer Warriors!
- Please pray for Nepal. That our squad would truly be a blessing during our time here in whatever way God sees fit. People are hurting and the nation is filled with rescue and relief workers from all over the world. It is a prime time to plant sees of love, to share and be an example of the living hope of Jesus. I am so humbled that God has chosen us to be His hands and feet here. Our squad mentors who went through the earthquake shared this beautiful story of hearing Nepalese Christians worshipping in the fields shortly after the shaking ceased. My prayer is that we would be as the church in Acts 4:31: “After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.” Please also pray for our safety, health and protection mentally, emotionally, spiritually and physically as a squad. There is a lack of water in the country so there are some health concerns in terms of cleanliness, bathroom sanitation etc.
- Yes, I finally blogged! I hope to get back to some emails soon too. Thank you all for your continued patience, grace, love, support, encouragement, prayers, and messages you have sent my way. Please know that even though I may not have responded, they make all difference on the inevitable days when the Race is hard. For those of you that know me balancing all the little aspects of life hasn’t always been my forte, especially on the Race where you are fighting to be present for what is before you, have very little down time, and even less internet. My heart is bent towards authenticity, and processing my feelings and what is happening on (virtual) paper and posting it online is very stretching and takes a lot out of me. I really need prayer that God guide and teach me how to walk this all out as I love communicating with you all and truly miss and love you oh so dearly.
- Meet my new team, Nahar! It means Radiant in Greek and has so many other beautiful meanings (hopefully more on this in a separate post). I see so much of God in these mighty women. Please pray for unity, growth, depth, joy and boldness for us. That we would run after the Father’s heart separately and together. For an overflow and a depth of understanding of the Lord’s love so we can pour it out on others. I am in desperate need of a greater revelation of this.
- I am floored by the financial support I have received. Thank you to all of you (including you anonymous angels!) It has increased my faith and continually confirms that God has called me to this. That being said, I am still raising support to stay on the field! I have a little under $5000 to go before the final deadline on July 1st. Please pray for this provision. Praise God there are no longer any credit or debit card fees to make a donation online, see more details how below under Practical Info.
- The World Race offers a Parent Vision Trip this July where we are able to invite our parents to a week on the field to participate in ministry with us, for us to meet God in fresh and new ways as a family. I would love my mother to be able to come from Italy. It just so happens that this trip will take place in Thailand. For those of you who know anything about my personal story, Thailand holds deep significance, and in many ways has represented incredible pain and loss for my family. I know the Lord wants to use this amazing opportunity to begin a fresh season for us all and rewrite our stories into something even more beautiful, to redeem and bring much needed joy and restoration. Please pray for my mother Nina to be able to come. Finances could be a hinderance and I would like to help her raise funds for this specifically. You cannot donate through this site for that so I will be creating a separate Venmo account for that. More details to come in the next post. Please pray if you feel called to support this trip specifically and you are welcome to message me if you do (click contact on the upper left tab or email me at [email protected]). I know it would do much to show her the goodness and generosity of Christ. Thank you all so so much!
PRACTICAL INFO:
The World Race is an 11 month mission to 11 countries around the world. It is intensive discipleship program of serving and caring for the underserved and underprivileged practically, and through it bringing the restorative hope of God’s love to the many tribes and nations.
You can follow along on my journey and support me at Rose.TheWorldRace.org Please subscribe on the left side of the home page. Feel free to comment at any time and/or message me if you have questions.
On the left side you can make an online tax-deductible donation by clicking “Support Me” and/or become monthly supporters. This is the easiest way as there are no longer any extra fees. You are also welcome to send checks. Be sure to indicate the purpose of your gift on your check: “Rose Sirna Jan15 Rte4”
You can send tax-deductible checks to:
Adventures In Missions
P.O. Box 742570
Atlanta, GA 30374-2570
