Thinking on my time in Nepal, it was my best and worst month all in one.
The Good:
1. Western Comfort & Nepalese Culture
When we first got to Nepal we stayed in Katmandu. Katmandu is the capital of Nepal and within Katmandu we stayed in Thamel. Thamel is a tourist neighborhood filled with a variety of restaurants, endless shopping options from handcrafts, clothes, cashmere, tea and pretty much anything you could possibly need in the event you decided to come to Nepal with nothing but the shirt on your back. As Nepal is home to Mt. Everest, camping, winter and trekking gear can be found everywhere as well as western stores such as Nike, Adidas and North Face, to name a few. Interestingly despite the mix of western comforts the Nepalese culture was still very evident.
2. Prayer Walks
We did a prayer walk at the below Hindu temple and another prayer walk at a Buddist Stupa.
Swayambhunath Temple: Pictured above, this is a Hindu Temple.
Fun Fact: Monkeys casually walk around the temple as people feed them.
Boudhanath Stupa:This is a buddhist Stupa
Fun Fact: Actor Steven Seagal is buddhist and has donated large sums of money towards Buddhist study and practice. He has visited Nepal many times. In 1997, he was recognized as the reincarnation of a buddhist master.
3. Ministry
For ministry we would normally hike anywhere from 15 minutes to 40 minutes to someone’s home where we would sing songs and share encouraging words and then we’d hike back home. It was a pleasure and a honor to be invited into peoples home and they were all very hospitable. We were almost always greeted with tea and the tea was delicious!
4. The beauty
Nepal is filled with scenic sights. From hosting Mount Everest (which I was able to fly over and take a few pictures) to the Himalayas, it’s mountainous terrain and greenery truly is beautiful to see. Here are a few pictures of some of the beautiful sights in Nepal. (The below pictures have been taken by one of the best photographers on our squad, Adriana Ernst. Adriana is on team, NKOTB whom we served with in Nepal)
The Bad
1. The Heat
The majority of the above pictures were taken in Chitwan, national park. As beautiful as Chitwan is the heat was practically unbearable. The temperatures were on a regular 100 degrees with a heat index of 120 degrees. As much as I liked to say that’s an exaggeration, it’s not. Taking a bucket shower almost felt pointless. You would bathe and in 5 minutes be covered in sweat. Sweat was just a way of life in Chitwan
2. High adventure ministry
For most, high adventure ministry sounds exciting. Yes, I can say I did trekking ministry where we would do evangelism in remote areas reached by hiking, but the hiking was never ending. We trekked the Himalayas for 3 days and walked a total of 26 miles. For a girl who doesn’t exercise it was rough! I may be smiling in the below pictures and by no means was I miserable the entire time but let’s just say I probably wouldn’t do it again.
Fun fact: I looked up the difference between trekking and hiking online and having seen the definition, we only trekked!
“The main difference between the two is that hiking is mainly a leisure activity which is done by walking on well-made trails and man-made roads. However, trekking is more rigorous, and a more challenging activity. It tests one’s physical ability, endurance, and even their mental or psychological capacity.”
The Ugly
1. Leeches
We went to Nepal in the beginning of their rainy season and it certainly rained while we trekked. This made the already difficult trail that much more difficult. Being careful not to slip on moss so you don’t slip and hit your head on the rocks or being careful you don’t slip and fall off a cliff, were actual concerns worthy of the bad list. However what took the Himalayan trekk to another level was the presence of leeches. As we walked leeches were on the prowl. I personally remember having to take breaks because of the slight pinch I’d feel on my foot which usually meant a leech was on me. Seeing constant blood on my foot as well as blood on the feet of my fellow team mates was pretty disgusting. As we were heading back home on the bus I would drift off to sleep and would wake up with a jump. I was dreaming of leeches! For this reason, due to my jumpy demeanor after the leeches encounter. Leeches by themselves have made it under the heading of Ugly.
As a Whole..
Nepal was different and provided me with some experiences that I know for a fact, I will never experience again. Living in a village where there is no electricity and the people live off the land, might not have been comfortable but it was a unique experience that many will never have. While hiking for over 3 hours to arrive at the home of a witch doctor was not enjoyable, we spoke to a witch doctor! He was most respectful and listened to us share the gospel and though he didn’t make a decision, it was a good reminder to me how God can use anyone, from anywhere in the world, just to chase you down and share the fact that he loves you.
So on one hand, Nepal was the most physically exhausting month yet, on the other hand, had we not pushed ourselves into physical exhaustion we would’ve missed out on all the beauty that surrounded us.
Mt. Everest (As seen from a plane window)
