Nepal

I don't even know wher to start. The smells, the sights, the heat, the people, the city lights at night, the temples, the prayer, the excitement. It has been overwhelming. I love the Nepali people and way of life. Just this afternoon I walked into a home of one of the girls we met on the streets of Kathmandu. Her house was on the third floor of a rickety building missing stairs and walls. Her home was smaller than my dorm room will be and five people live in it, cook in it, and clean in it. It made my heart break for the milionth time this week. Today we also went to a home for girls that have been rescued from the sex trade down into India. The home had 20 girls, some of them as young as 12. We sang songs and tried to communicate as well we could in our own native tongue. I can't imagine what they have already experienced at such a young age but how they still manage to find joy. All of these girls have been exposed to HIV and some of them even suffer from it, but the home is devoted to educating them and getting them back on their feet. The last week has been a blur. I can't even begin to explain how much this has changed me. My favorite thing to do is tell others about Christ and what he has done for me and them. Every day for the last week I've been able to share with many women in the outerlying villages of Kathmandu. Not all experiences were rewarding or encouraging to me. But that's not why I'm here. It's all about glorifying God and giving them the chance to accept his love and forgiveness. I'm ashamed to say that when I got here, sharing was the last thing I wanted to do. It's hard to walk up to someone, get to know them, and then just share what I believe with them. I came for the orphans, the poor, the lepers. And I've enjoyed loving on them through my actions. But I'm also learning to share my faith and it is so exciting. I may not see the harvest, but someone down the road will and can be encouraged by it. I have many stories but I have to run. Keep me in your prayers and all the people we have been able to talk with in the last week.