Love without Words - May 13, 2008

Leprosy is something I've tried to visualize for many years as I've read about the miracles. Today was finally the day I'd been looking forward to for years. As we hiked a couple miles through the rain to reach the leper colony, I tried to prepare myself for what I was going to see. I didn't want to arrive in such shock that all I could do was stare at the deformities of their hands and feet. I didn't want to just sit in awkward silence with them. I wanted them to know I cared. a lot! The first few people I talked to proved to be difficult conversations. I don't speak Nepali and they didn't speak English. Any comment required a lot of hand motions and most of the time what we said in English and them in Nepali, had nothing to do with eachother. Language barriers are really difficult for me to accept. There had to be a different way to appoach this. I wanted to touch them. For them to know that I didn't judge or fear them. After all, each of these lepers had been sent to this camp away from their families because everyone believed God was juding them for their sin and they didn't want to catch it.

Paige and I decided to go back and sit with one of the ladies. If the silence wanted to be awkward, so be it. But it turned out to be an experience I'll never forget. I reached out for her hand and gave her a hand massage with lotion. I did this for probably fifteen minutes. The childish joy in her eyes made the hike completely worth it. When I finished she just kept rubbing her hands together, one against the other. I wondered how long it had been since her hands had been that soft. I still couldn't communicate with her in words, but that doesn't mean we didn't communicate. we shared pictures with her and just held her close. Everyday I think, "this was the happiest day of my life" but I think today really was. I learned that sometimes words get in the way. When we couldn't talk, we had to love. I probably won't forget the knobby hand I held, but even more, I'll remember her joy.

Freedom of prayer - July 14, 2008

Today was another street ministry day meaning we drove into a village far from Kathmandu and shared Jesus with the people. Something about sharing what I believe exhausts me more than anything else I know. I think it is because I care so much for these people. I want them to see the passion in my eyes, be convinced by my story, and accept the peace that I get to experience everyday. The village today was much more rural than some have been and the crowd was tiny. We went through our program of dance and puppets and drama and then spread out to share with the few we could. Nothing really seemed to come of it but it was still an opportunity to talk with the Nepali people. After a couple of hours we decided to try again in another part of the village instead of just leaving. We did a shortened version of the program near the entrance of the village gates. Just enough to attract their attention. Then we once again reached out to the villagers. My group was blessed with one of the three translators. We ended up finding a Christian woman and we were invited to her house for tea. With permission of the team leaders and the company of the translator we walked the short distance to her home. It was tiny. Literally. I couldn't stand up in it. We drank water and even ate the food she placed in front of us. We are now all praying that we don't get sick, but even if I do, it was worth it. To spend 20 minutes in her life. Before we left we asked if we could pray for her and her family. She got very quiet, looked around her small business ( a two table restaraunt) and ushered us into the back room. We sat at one table and prayed in English and them at another in Nepali. Normally we would have prayed together and with the translator. But afterwards she explained to us that if her neighbors knew she was Christian she would lose all of her customers. It suprised me. The sacrifice that Christianity means to those living in a Hindu nation. I'll be praying for her and her village. God is starting to do amazing things in Nepal. But the Nepali people have an extra dose of faith I hope to learn from in the next two weeks.

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.