WordMadeFlesh's aim is to serve the poor from a place of solidarity - entering into simplicity for the sake of love. So I joined them, and it was quite the learning experience. My team lived in the capitol - a busy city called Katmandu. We moved into two tiny rooms, and slept our days living with poor Nepali families. We ate what they eat - Dahl Baht - on nearly a daily basis. (Rice, lentils) and drank hundreds of steaming milk tea in tiny glasses. WMF is also very relationally based, so most of our time was spent seemingly "sitting around." I learned to just BE and the power of enjoying people by entering into their lives and having time to love them. I began to experience a level of "neighborhood" I never imagined, in the tiny alley we called home. Funny how much everybody there knew us and all of our comings and goings in such a short time.
We learned to live on a shoe string budget - sharing money as a community and living with alot less than we ever imagined we needed. Water and power was a major shortage in Katmandu, so we also learned to live by candlelight, bathe once in a great while, and do laundry by hand.
My community was 4 other girls who also signed up for servant team, and we met in the LA airport. Turns out by the end of the trip we had become a close community, and emmensly enjoyed the fun and learning experiences we shared.
I also had the priveledge of serving alongside and learning from the full time
WMF staff. WMF has a home for girls and widows, which are both run by Nepalese. I spent time every week at the widow's home - helping out any way I could... It was alot of fun serving with them washing dishes or baking zuchini bread to have with afternoon teatime. At the girls home, it always felt like a big family - where I always felt like I could be me and was deeply loved.
We had alot of adventures together as a Servant Team. We trekked the foothills of the Himalayans, rode on top of buses, and usually had each other in stitches. We had an empire of inside jokes built by the end of 4 months!
Our team learned the language together with a amazing Nepali. Classes were mostly mixed with humor and from emmersion all of us reached a pretty sweet level of communication.
I also had the honor of joining a prayer group outside WMF. This little community was made up of people serving Jesus in Nepal. We met weekly for worship and studied the Sermon on the Mt. then the book of Revelation. God truly provided these people to be my well in desert and I grew emmensly from their company!
EndTimes is a subject God began to burn into my heart after my Cambodia internship. God used the time I lived in Cambodia to birth a deep longing in my heart for the coming kingdom of God, and the restoration Jesus will bring upon His return. Ive given my life to the study of His coming and the preparation of the church to stand triumpant through the tribulation. I believe this was a key part of why God called me back to Nepal - to witness, and to encourage the church with news of His coming, and call it forth in prayer. My favorite place to pray in Nepal was my rooftop. I caught some glorious sunrises and sunsets perched up there. I could even see the stars, undimmed by the city lights around me when I would retreat up there late nights.
My main means of serving in Nepal was at a gov. institution for abandoned children. Volunteering there was truly an amazing experience. I spent time in the room for 1-2 year olds, and each of them soon became like sons and daughters. Rocking, singing, laughing, and loving was not only my gift to Nepal - it was something God used to pour into me and fill me with JOY. God also gave me a heart to adopt in my future, which Im really excited about.
I feel like in general God put more of His heart for the poor into me. Just being with them on a daily basis was a huge part of it - hanging out with kids on the street or laughing with the old lady who sold corn on the corner... every relationship taught me that God sees and loves the poor. Really there is no separation between us, dollar signs and color of skin do not divide. We all have red blood, we all came from dust. We all long for love, and we were all designed to worship Jesus forever. They are my brothers and sisters, my own family. He emmensly blessed me with the amazing relationships I had. My nepali family has become very dear to me and there were tears at our parting. They even shared that two of them are now desiring to give their hearts to Jesus! I know this was onlythe work of God revealing Jesus to them. They will always be in my heart and prayers...
I became more convinced that ever of our Lord being the true answer to all things!! Jesus is not only the way to reconciliation with God, He is also the one who will ultimantly end poverty and injustice at His return. Volunteering to serve the poor alongside Hindus, Buddhists, and various faiths - I began to see the dramatic difference between a Christian and unbeliever's work for justice. Our service does not look the same because only believers offer Jesus to the poor. He is the only sustainable answer to their suffering. Any other answer sells the poor short of the kingdom of heaven. Simply sitting with them or giving them a meal does to not heal the heart. Jesus longs to restore their hearts as one day He will restore the earth at His return. The more I felt this, the more my heart broke for the poor.
Nepal is a pretty unstable place politically, thats nothing new. With the dramatic shifts taking place the past year, it was quite the experience being in the capitol. We usually saw protests and often walked through them. Sometimes it got so bad, traffic was blocked and nobody went anywhere. Even in the midst of radicals bombing and the persecution against Christians increasing I saw the Nepali church standing strong. I know that even though Nepal was formerly a Hindu kingdom, religious "tolerance" is not the answer Nepal needs. Religious freedom to choose yes, but all religions are not equal and Jesus is the truth. Only Jesus can cleanse the heart and liberate, only Jesus is peace because He is coming again to restore all things! I am not offended to say this because I know Him, and love Him! Meanwhile I am confident the Nepali church will stand triumphant in the face of any fire because of the Holy Spirit that indwells them.
Nepal is a land of extravagent worshippers. My prayer was that God would raise up a mighty shout from that nation, a glorious worship song! O that one day every heart would turn from the chains of Hinduism - a religion that requires - to
the grace of Jesus that liberates, enables, and brings freedom! My prayer is that the Holy Spirit would breathe on every Nepali and reveal LIGHT - outpouring the overwhelming affections of God to their hearts!!! May they know that Jesus went unto death to have them as His own, and He is jealous for their hearts today!
Personally, this trip was amazing. In retrospect I think that my Cambodia internship was a fire that tested and purified me - and Nepal revealed and built on that solid foundation God put in me. I know who I am, I know who God is too. (Not completely, Im on a journey - but I can say there's a long way Ive come so far already!) It was a time I learned more and more how to REST - rest meaning total agreement with Him. When we walk outside Him, or linger in fear, doubt, and sin... it causes so much inner traffic. But true rest is agreement with Jesus. Agreement with Him, His love for me, His peace, His ways---> then to be a vessell of that love to the oppressed!
What does this trip mean for my future? Well, unexpectedly I feel that my time in Nepal is complete at least for now. I never dreamed I would say that about a land I once imaged growing old in. But this was the season God gave me to serve there - and although I still carry a heart for the nations, He's redirected me. I know God desires me to step into a consecrated season of preparation. Although college and this internship grew me, I know the next step is to get into community of prayer. God has things in mind for my future that will require iron in my soul, and a much more firm foundation of scriptures. I also deeply deeply feel a hunger for the kingdom of God - something He must work in me a thousand times over before He can do it through me. So Im joining an established House of Prayer so I will have a community to walk alongside me as I emmerse myself in the scriptures as a lifestyle next few years. Of course I will continue to serve the poor around me in this coming season, the poor are not just in Asia. I just know the main strength of my life in coming years must be given to prayer. These foundations will continue to solidify to stand in the times coming, and I am excited and confident in the grip of His emmense love for me!
THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART TO EVERYONE WHO JOINED ME IN THIS TRIP BY GIVING, PRAYERS, AND WALKING WITH ME. I pray God gives it all back to you in full measure. Love you all. - H
So this week at my home church we've been having vacation Bible school! Im helping out by teaching the missions class, and my mom is working with me which is awesome. Every day we take a "voyage" to a different country, and learn about the missionaries there! I've been dressing up like each people group and its great fun. We also made our room pretty sweet with a giant "ship" made out of a refridgerator box! All aboard Mateys!
