Light in the Darkness

Hey guys! So here’s the Nepal update I promised (with a week left in Nepal lol). So far this has been my favorite country and it has everything to do with our host family and ministry. Because our host is a pastor, we’re at church at least three times a week. On Saturdays we have our normal service, Sunday we go to prophetic ministry, and Wednesdays we have a worship night. We’ve gotten to know the community there really well and they are such a good representation of how the body of Christ was designed to function. Being a part of such a family centered culture fills my heart so much. So many people here will try to strike up a conversation with me without even being able to speak the same language and it’s so fun and silly learning how to communicate without words.

We’ve also had the chance every week to go out into town and evangelize. It’s hard to see how much darkness there is here but I’ve seen so much openness in the hearts of these people and it’s clear they’re searching for something more. We’ve had some really good conversations with people in our time here and seeing a lot of seeds being planted.

Something I really didn’t like in India and Nepal is how much staring and attention we got as white people in Asia. It made me uncomfortable feeling like I was constantly being watched and I was scared of messing up. I didn’t want people to look at me. But the Lord didn’t call me halfway across the world to be invisible. There’s a verse in Matthew that has been sticking out to my team recently and it keeps popping up again and again. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16). As followers, we are called to stand out and be an example of how Jesus lived and loved. It’s a privilege to get to be a representation of Jesus and shine His light in such a dark place. The other day, we were having team time out on our porch and we were about to start our worship and prayer time, something we’ve been trying to incorporate into our ministry days. I had suggested that we move up to the roof because a) it was getting a little cold in the shade and b) there was a group of young boys watching us through the gate. One of my teammates suggested it might be good for them to see what we were doing and that we should stay. So I went and got my sweater and we worshiped with a small audience of tween boys. I haven’t seen them since but I hope that the Lord gave them a small glimpse of His face through our off tune speaker worship.

As we start our last week of ministry in Nepal, I’m getting really excited for swazi and seeing the rest of the squad and my parents (hi mom and dad!) but I’m also beginning to mourn this beautiful country. I have no idea when or if I’m going to see these people again but I’m praying that the Lord brings me back sometime soon. If I’m being honest, I’m probably not going to be writing another blog until we’re in Africa so get excited to hear allll about life in Eswatini!