The second half of month two has been a strange mix of rest and work. We had a host for the first time, which was a much-needed respite. This is the longest we’ve been in one place, and we couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful one!
In contrast to month one, our time in Nepal has focused on local ministries. Our hosts, M & M, are well-connected with both local and overseas workers in their area.The wife once told me that her husband discerns who he wants to work with by whether they ask him for money. In Nepal, white people are often seen as walking ATM’s, so if a new contact asks directly for funds, her husband knows that they are not interested in growing a discipleship relationship.
Visiting many different ministries has created a unique opportunity for me to collect stories. Below, you’ll read a short description of how we served in each of these places, along with a link to read the testimony of a key worker or Nepali national. I called this blog “Choose Your Own Adventure” because in many ways this month has felt like a sampler platter of ministry, but also because, in this blog, you get to choose which stories you want to read!
Abraham’s Children’s Home
Waiting for someone to fetch the rugby ball we accidentally tossed over the edge.
Half an hour outside the city, Abraham’s children’s home sits amid a terraced rice field. Abraham, a portly man in a suit vest, welcomed us in with a brilliant smile and open arms. Eleven orphaned boys live in his three-story home. While the boys reviewed for their quarterly exams, Abraham shared some of the boys’ history:
One boy’s parents died in the Nepali Civil War.
Another’s father lost his arms, and is unable to work.
Another’s parents died of HIV. They’ve had him tested three times but he is HIV free, which Abraham counts as a miracle.
Another has a father who is serving a life sentence for rape. His mother is catatonic and unable to take care of him. Abraham still visits his father in prison, showing him pictures of his son.
Another boy is fifteen and about two years behind in school. He has run away from the home six times, as far as India. Every time he is brought back, Abraham accepts him. “Jesus does not count our mistakes,” he told me. “So why should I?”
Once the boys finished, we spent time playing monkey-in-the-middle with a rugby ball, learning a board game that was a mix of air-hockey and pool, and teaching them a new version of the game Signs. After dinner, Abraham shared the incredible testimony and how he, a Brahmin (the highest caste in Nepal, composed of Hindu priests), had come to work with low-caste (previously Untouchable) children. We all wished we could have spent more time there, and were very sad to leave!
Click here to read Abraham’s Story —>
Refugee Camp & Jaibir
View overlooking the Refugee Camp
Just outside the city, a refugee camp overlooks the river. Established in the 1950’s, the camp has concrete buildings and two Buddhist temples. We toured a business and spoke with the owners, whose work focuses primarily on keeping their business running. This has grown increasingly more difficult in recent years because of government restrictions on employing refugees. While there, I learned these refugees cannot get citizenship; Nepal will not accept them, and China does not acknowledge them. In order to leave, they need travel papers—then, once they are established in the new country, they invite family members over one at a time.
Having come through Tibet on our way to Nepal, we had seen the oppression of the Tibetan people by the Chinese government. We understood why they had left. Moreover, we learned, China’s hand is too strong for Tibetan nationals to revolt, so they see the responsibility of freeing Tibet as belonging to their expat counterparts. That is a lot of pressure to live under!
The whole time we were talking about the business, one of the employees, Jaibir, sat quietly at the table with us, labelling products by hand. I asked for his story, so he told us how he went from fearful boy who feared retribution from his gods to a steadfast evangelist. Sharing is especially difficult with Tibetans since there is a high value on same-ness in the culture. Moreover, because they are refugees, they cling to religion and culture more than most. To follow Jesus is to reject not only your religion, but also your culture, heritage, and ultimately your country.
Click here to read Jaibir’s Story—>
After hearing Jiabir’s story, we all walked up to an overlook. From this spot we could not only see the city, but also the mountain behind it, which is one of the only unclimbed peaks left in the world. It is unclimbed because it is considered holy. Seeing the mountain overlooking the village really put spiritual oppression into perspective for me. We spent some time praying up there and worshipping before walking back down to the taxi.
The Cafe with Faith & Truman
Okay, so maybe more paint got on us than on the walls…
Down by the waterfront, cafe makes the best treats this side of the pacific ocean. The owners, Faith and Truman, needed some help repainting the walls. We spent two days washing, painting, and joking around with their boys. After we had finished, Faith and Truman treated us to burgers and paddle boarding on the lake. It was such a sweet mix of hard work and rest that left our team feeling refreshed, renewed, and blessed by the very people we had come to serve. (And the cafe doesn’t look half-bad, either!)
We had the opportunity to get to know Faith and Truman at a dinner they cooked us the night before we started painting. That night, they told us the story about how the Father took them from unbelieving rebels to on-fire workers.
You can click here to read Faith and Truman’s Story. —>
Trekking Company
We didn’t interact with this business, but rather with two of its employees.
The first worked with us while we painted. He has an affectionate, rough-housing relationship with Faith’s three boys, and it is clear they love him. Faith shared with me that he often calls them to go hang out, even though there is a significant age gap. Friendship is much more about like-mindedness than age. Our new friend is Hindu, but interested in the gospel.
The second employee, Lady, came to dinner one night to share her story and her 20+ years of experience living overseas. We grilled her with questions like, “Should we move overseas after we get married or wait a year in the states?”, and “You moved overseas with debt—how did that work?”.
Lady offered other advice about spiritual warfare and how to wage it, which will become a tangible reality during the next month as we enter festival season in the Hindu calendar. The stories Lady shared demonstrated God’s power over the supernatural, but also how much our authority as believers is rooted in our understanding of our identity as God’s children.
You can read Lady’s story here —>
Worship Fundraiser
Pastor Amadeus introducing the new members of the Worship Team.
Our final experience was a fundraiser for a worship night here in the city. Worship teams from all different churches come together once a month for a jam session. This event was a fundraiser for an event happening shortly after the Hindu festivals end. We ended up participating in the talent-show like event, which was led by Pastor Amadeus. (Personally, I don’t think it’s a coincidence that this fundraising event happened the night before the start of the festivals here in Nepal, nor do I think it’s a coincidence that the worship night will take place immediately following. God is bookending this festival with His glory!)
If you haven’t already, you can Read Pastor Amadeus’ story here (updates included!) —>
I hope you enjoyed the stories. Here is how you can be praying for me.
– Travel mercies as we travel to India on October 1.
– Physical protection. The area of India we are going can be dangerous for westerners.
– Team unity and spiritual covering as we walk into an intense spiritual situation with the upcoming festivals.
– Strength for me personally, as lately I have been feeling like I am at the end of my spiritual rope.
