As part of our ministry around Kothe, we trek around the mountains, (drenched in our American sweat from the humidity) to surrounding villages to do home fellowships. During home fellowships, our host will give us some info about the people and village we are in, perhaps a little of their story, then we sing a couple songs, share something
out of the bible and what it means to us (translated through our host) and then close by praying for the people we are visiting Nepali style (aka everyone praying all at once out loud). One of our first home fellowships we did was about a 40 minute bus ride up and around the mountain across the bridge from where we are staying. Also, what I call mountain, our host calls a hill… Let’s be real, I’m from Nebraska. These Himalayan foothills are gargantuan compared to our Sandhills and seem even bigger when hiking them. I digress. From where the bus stopped we had another 30 minute trek to the village. This particular trek was not as difficult as some we had done but it started raining on us; we are here during their rainy season. We arrived at the first home, dripping from the usual rain and sweat combo. The house was small made of mostly wood strides and dirt/clay, walls and floors. There was a dirt “porch” with a wood and corrigated metal over-hang which we were told, numerous time, to be sure not to break since we were tall. Never, “watch your heads”, always “don’t break anything”. #tootallfornepal
When we arrived, we were welcomed in to sit on straw mats they put down for us on the dirt floor. As our host chatted with the people that lived in the house, more people continued to trickle in. By the time we started, there was probably about twenty people crammed into the little 10ft by 5ft house. We began singing a Nepali song, “Dhanya bad Yeshoo” (thank you Jesus) that our host had taught us and then they continued to sing a couple others. When they had finished, they asked if we wanted to sing a song in English for them. Immediately it was like someone turned a switch off in my brain. I felt like Ralphie from A Christmas Story when he is on Santa’s lap and completely blanks on everything. “Song? What is song? Do I know song?” Now I love to worship, I love singing, and I probably know a hundred songs that we could have sung in that moment. But alas, my brain Ralphied and I couldn’t think of a single one. After a while of us trying way harder than should have been necessary to come up with a song with a room full of Nepali people staring at us probably wondering what was wrong with the Americans, someone finally said, “Amazing Grace?” A song! Ah-ha! We do know one…. sort of. We sang the first first and then just stopped, realizing none of us could think if what came next. The struggle was real. It was ridiculous…ly funny; all we could do was laugh at our own awkwardness.
Thankfully they didn’t ask for any more songs and our host opened it up for us to share with them. Ephesians 2:19-20 came to mind and I shared it with them through our host, who translated.
“Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members if the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone.”
How true this is and how relevant it finally felt. Reading it aloud to them it totally clicked. Here we are, 6 Americans, foreigners and strangers in this land yet the moment that we stepped into their home we were no longer so. As we sang songs of worship together, it hit me that we were brought together by the same God. Although we speak in two different languages, we are united as one in the spirit of Christ, our cornerstone. No longer were we strangers to one another but fellow citizens in the household of God. How blessed we are to be here and share in His presence with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.
