Let’s talk about an update on my time in Nepal. I’ve realized my blogs have mainly been about what we’re doing in the countries we’ve been in, and not much about what Jesus is doing in me and the community we’re serving. So let’s change that. This will be a longer blog, so buckle up!
Nepal was a place that I did not know I needed. I came to this country kicking and screaming. “We were supposed to be in Jordan at this time” were thoughts that kept coming to my mind. (We found out around month 4 that Jordan was removed from our route and replaced with Nepal because of the wars going on).
When we got to Nepal we spent one night as a squad in a hotel in Kathmandu before we had another travel day to Chitwan. Then once we got to Chitwan, my team and I got on another truck to the mountain. Our squad was split up into two teams for our time in Nepal. So there’s 10 of us on the mountain and 10 serving with the church in the city. After 10 days we would swap, so everyone gets to experience the same ministries.
(We were the first group sent up to the mountain! Jacob and Shua are missing, but did indeed join us)
We got to the mountain and I looked around at what we were working with. Truthfully not much, and I wasn’t too happy about it.
(These three pictures are what life on the mountain looked like!)
We had team time that evening and we all talked about how we were doing and feeling being in Nepal. Everyone on my team seemed to love it. There were comments of “I feel so at peace,” “I love it here,” “It’s beautiful,” “I love the culture,” etc. Then it got to me. I just broke down into tears, saying how much I hated it and how I was ready to get out of here. Am I being dramatic? Probably to the average reader. But I think at this point in the race, I’m tired, I miss my people, my comforts of life, so the most minor inconvenience seemed way more intense.
Let’s talk about it: Nepal has been HARD. I’ll say it. It’s 100 degrees outside and we’re hiking to villages daily to get to houses of strangers. The hikes are at a straight incline, I’m sleeping on the ground with bugs, my nose keeps bleeding because of the dust, to pee or poop we had to use a squaty potty (I’ll picture below), showers happened in a river, no phone service or Wi-Fi so you can’t speak to anyone back home. Etc.
(squatty potty)
(Us hiking to homes, and the views we got to see along the way)
(Morning prayer before heading out!)
I remember in Turkey thinking “Lord I’ve surrendered a lot to you on this trip. I’m not sure there’s much else I have to give.” …. Alot more, apparently. All materialistic things were stripped away from me within 24 hours and I came to find it the most life-giving time.
We arrived on the mountain on a Friday and had church service the following Saturday morning. I was still in a funk, as I sat in the back asking God why I was there and what He’s wanting to teach me. He told me to leave the service and go sit somewhere where I could hear His voice clearly. So I left and sat by the river. The lord said “Sarah this month is going to be hard for you. You can’t do it without me. You’re going to need to rely on me like never before. I will get you through this and it’s going to be okay. I’m teaching you how to be slow to speak and slow to anger. There are things I am refining in you, just be patient.“ Knowing there was purpose in what I was going through made it a lot more bearable. So I got one last cry out and told the Lord He was going to need to be my strength and joy in this season because I couldn’t do it alone.
(Saturday church service)
The days that followed were hard but The Lord gave me supernatural joy in the mundane. The river showers started to become something I looked forward to, I loved laying in my tent and hearing the sound of the water as I fell asleep. Oddly enough, I enjoyed sweating every hour of the day.
I’ll be writing a blog on what our days looked like on the mountain but I want this focus of this blog to be on Jesus! On Monday night our host told us “I need a hardcore group to do the hike tomorrow. It’s going to be far and intense. The other team will go to a local village.” There was something in my gut that wanted to say “my team will do it!!” But my self control kicked in and I knew I’d have to talk with my team about it before making that call. After discussing with the public, none of them wanted to do it lol. So I figured I also would stay with my team and not do it. That night during worship, the Lord brought it up again and asked me to go on the hard hike. I kept going back and forth. “Lord am I sure that’s you?” Crazy how when it’s something I don’t necessarily want to do I question if it’s God lol. He reassured me over and over He wanted me to do it. I said okay and I told the boys I’d be joining them the next day.
After breakfast a couple of my friends who had said they were joining made the decision to stay back and do the local hike. It was emotionally difficult to see people I was excited to hike with stay behind, especially knowing I’d be hiking without them. “Just keep your eyes on what the Lord told you Sarah,” I had to keep repeating to myself. He wanted me there so I was going to be okay. I had friends pray over me, and then off we went!
Honestly I wish I could show you guys video footage of what it looked like, but for now my words will have to do. The first hour wasn’t terrible, just hot and slightly inclined. The second one, though, we were on a straight incline for a solid hour. I was on all 4s using my arms to pull me up because it was so steep and if you took one wrong step to the left or right you were done for. Nerve-racking, I know. It’s a solid 100 degrees and I’m just praying for the Lord to be my strength, to guide my steps, to be the words that flow from my mouth, to be my words when we get to the house. I really just needed everything God is to flow through me. And HE DID. He showed UP. It was insane. The hike was intense but it was also so fun?! It was hard, but Jesus was my strength. I wanted to scream a couple times but the Lord reminded me of what He spoke while I was at the river.
(Mid way break in our hike!)
When we got to the house we met a Hindu man who shared his testimony. He told us he wasn’t interested in becoming a believer just yet because of issues he has with the church. He did mention he’s had other people come to his door step and share the gospel with him. He felt people who claim to be Christian aren’t walking it out, therefore what’s the difference in the way he lives?The Lord told me to share my testimony with him, so I did. I shared the full story and emphasized the time in my life where God kept sending people to pursue me and tell me about Him but I wasn’t open to it. I wanted to continue living for what the world says is fun. The conversation went well, and made me realize how much Jesus really loves and pursues us. He sent me up a sketchy mountain in the thick of the sun to share with this Hindu man, in a village, about whom Jesus is. He took care of me on the way up all to see one of his sons know him. That’s crazy?! Although that man didn’t accept Jesus, I know it’s a seed planted in his life. It took me 3 years of people telling me about Jesus, but it took Him showing up to me in a vision. And I’m confident God will show up for his son also.
(I was not as careful coming down, and I reaped the consequences.)
This is just a small sliver of what Jesus is teaching me right now. He’s been showing me about His provision and how He deeply cares for not only me but those around me. I could write a book on everything He’s doing in my heart right now but that’ll have to be for stories when I am back home. All I can say is I pray my passion for the Lord never runs dry. He is so so good. I needed to be brought to Nepal to reveal weaknesses that He wanted to show up in and I am so thankful for it. I’m getting to know the Lord on a more intimate level here, and I’ll end with this: the Jesus I thought I knew is not the Jesus He is. The God we serve is worthy of so much adoration and praise, my worship, my every breathe, He is my everything. Love that man, that’s all!
Now lets finish this blog off with some pictures! Nepal was difficult, but there was so much laughter that happened in the hard moments.
(I thought there was a water buffalo peeing outside my tent. It was a pleasant surprise to see it was just a teammate.)
(We did a safari elephant ride!)
(I am growing in confidence on being sensitive to the Holy Spirit when He asks me to speak in public about what He is doing in my life)
(There is something about being on a team with Amanda that brings out my inner 12 year old boy. Heres a pic of our nightly tickle fights after a long days work.)
Now my squad and I are in another part of South Asia to end our time on the race. I will be home in 4 short weeks and I can not believe this time is coming to an end. I still have so much to fill you guys in on! My mom joined me for a week of ministry at the beginning of this month, we are living all squad, I got a team change, and SO MUCH MORE. I cant wait to keep you guys updated, and hug your necks when Im back home!
