We serve in a village south of Kathmandu this month. From our home we have a clear view (on clear days) of the Himalayas. It is a stunningly beautiful country with warm and welcoming people. There is one big lack in Nepal. Only 1.4% of the population is Christian. The country is dominated by Hindus and Buddhists. As a result we rarely meet other Christians when we are out doing ministry. Our ministry consists of hiking around (not much of a burden since that is what most of the world comes here for) and handing out tracts to the people we meet. We have a translator (named Aashish) with us who can answer people’s questions, if any should arise. Mostly we are communicating God’s love and joy through smiles and laughter. I thought we would not meet another Christian (outside of Church service) in our whole trip. Fortunately I was mistaken.
Her name is Don Kumari. She is 66 years old ad she lives at the bottom of a valley an hour and a half from our house. We met her on the road and she invited us in to pray and fellowship with her. She has been a Christian for 15 years (which is a remarkably long time for a Nepali – Nepal was a closed/Hindu country until recently). She lost her husband 7 years ago. She still tries to make it to church, although she seldom does. It occurred to me just how blessed I was to be surrounded by Christian community both abroad and at home. She seemed very pleased and excited that we had come by. Aside from her family, we might be the only believers she has seen or will see for a while. When we were done praying for her and her family I asked if she could pray for my wife and I. She gladly obliged. Who would know more about how to pray for a long lasting marriage than a woman who had been married for most of her life? Who would know more about how to pray for a Godly marriage than a woman who had diligently maintained her faith, with almost no one around her who shared her faith? She told us that she has been praying for her community for the last four years and only one person had come to know the Lord. Maybe we could be an answer to that prayer. Maybe we could spread Truth in a way that she had been unable. Maybe we could serve her by being a blessing to her community. Whatever our purpose there it gave me a new perspective and a new drive to share God’s truth with as many people as I could find.
As we left her home she grabbed a 5-gallon water jug to walk the half a mile or so to the nearest source of water. What a remarkable woman and what a blessing to have met her and to be blessed by her prayers for my marriage. When I think that life has gotten a little too lonely, to rough, when I think that God is ignoring my prayers, or when I begin to believe it is pointless praying for the same things, I will think of Don Kumari.
(View from the house)
