A Review of Nepal: 2 Months Out

I haven’t known how to write or speak about Nepal for the past two months, which is slightly problematic since I have to write a 120 page thesis about it in the next few months. So bear with me as I stumble through these feelings and experiences to create a summary for you guys.  I thought I would be able to do several comments today, but as I type, I see that I am going to be long winded....so I’m going to do this one concept at a time. Hopefully, I’ll find more time soon to write about other qualities.

When I think of Nepal, one of the phrases that continues to come to mind is that Nepal is the place where the impossible becomes the possible. Now, you have to understand that I believe that God speaks destiny over people, both individuals and nations. I don’t know if I can prove it with chapter and verse, but I have this idea in my head that in Revelation 4:10, when John writes about the 24 elders bowing in perpetuity proclaiming “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God almighty, who was and is and is to come” that they are able to do this because each time they rise up from their face they see a new facet of the character of God and it evokes worship in their hearts. Those facets could be the different names of God or it could be the evidence of each of our lives and how God has redeemed and restored individual hearts on the earth since time began. So imagine with me in heaven, the 24 elders are kneeling on the ground and there is a huge video screen in front of them. They see a video of your life and how God has done amazing work in your life and they are moved to bow down and cry out, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come.” Then they raise up and see a video of my life, and they do it again. 6 billion people on the earth today, with billions who have gone on before us in history as well. Look at Jeremiah 1:5, which says, “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. And before you were born, I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.” If you combine the idea from Jeremiah, that God knew each one of us before we were born and spoke a destiny over our life and the idea from Revelation 4:10, where elders are praising God forever because of God causing our destinies to come to pass, then you end up with, at least in my brain, a thought that God can speak destiny over people and nations. I hope that wasn’t too convoluted of an explanation.

Nepal is a nation of hope!  I don’t know about you but in my life, I think there are a lot of dreams that God has for me to accomplish. My biggest challenge is believing Him when he says I can do it. Most of us struggle so much and listen to the enemy who lies to us all the time and we never become who we are supposed to be. So, I will say it again: Nepal is a nation of hope....they just don’t know it yet. (When I say they, I mean the majority. Many are awakening to their true purpose, even as I type.) 

How do I know this is true?  I saw it played out in my own life. When I was preparing to go to Nepal, I had a list of fears and “never” statements a mile long. I was so consumed with the lies of the enemy about the impossibilities of me surviving and thriving in Nepal. As a close to 300 lb middle aged woman, the idea of traveling to the trekking capital of the world was daunting to say the least. I was afraid of heart attacks, asthma attacks, any number of other health issues. I thought I would never be able to use a squatty potty. I thought I would die if I saw rats. The list continues. But God! In every situation that I had deemed impossible, he came through and it was possible. I walked longer and farther than I ever thought possible. I slept with rats running above my head on the rafters. I battled with a squatty potty and walked away a victor. I had a leech on me and didn’t loose my sanity, despite the flashbacks of “Stand by me” playing through my head. 

There was one day in particular, where I got to visit the small village of Kunchal. My friends Surendra and Rabina own some land and we climbed a hill to pray on top of their land. It was not an easy task, and with Surendra’s help, I was able to make it up that hill. Here’s a video from that hill.

Kunchal Video

I think this trip was about so many things, but for me especially, it was a time to see the impossible become possible. It’s really ironic, because I went hoping to see “miracles.” That’s what my research was about in some measure. I never saw “miracles.” Many people spoke about the miraculous happening all around me, but I never saw it. It was as if I was in a bubble, and God was shielding me from witnessing the “miraculous” and training my eyes to see the “impossible become possible.” Maybe what I was experiencing could be called “everyday miracles.”  Or maybe being in Nepal was an experience that showed me a reflection of my own heart, in which I believe that “miracles” only count if they are awesome feats of God. What if this trip was about redefining my perceptions of the miraculous? 

There’s a picture of a tree in Nepal that struck me as a symbol of Nepal. It’s a willow tree bent over. I think there is such a pervasive hopelessness. Nepal is beautiful nation that has endured much oppression due to Hinduism and Buddhism, as well as other tribal religions and witchcraft. But God is breaking into Nepal in magnificent ways. The statistics of salvation’s are incredible. It’s like witnessing Acts 2. The Gospel is going forth and changing peoples lives, releasing hope to the hopeless.

To summarize, I believe Nepal is a nation called to display the hope of God. Romans 15:13 says, “Now, may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”  This is my prayer for Nepal. I believe it’s God’s prayer for Nepal as well. I hope you’ll join me in praying hope over Nepal this week.

International Travel Tips

Here are some products I bought for this trip that I would recommend to others: 

Darn Tough Socks. Wool. Keep you warm, dry and cool. Protects against blisters. Lifetime guarantee. 

Crazy expensive but quite possibly worth every penny. Absorbs quickly. Drys even faster. Very compact. Best towel for traveling, hands down! Get the biggest size possible and it can become a lightweight blanket as well. 

Well, I am confident that this is super comfy for skinny people. As small as cabin space has become, there's no way a full figures person has room to use this to sleep. 

Great electricity converter. You can do 3 things at once. One of the ports is a USB, which allows you two other ports for other devices. 

Electricity is not stable in other countries. This allows you to read at night or go to the bathroom in the out house in the dark. 

Mosquito nets are super important. It's usually so hot you want to open the windows but you need one of these for protection. If you toss and turn like I do, get the one for a bigger bed. 

A good hiking shoe. These were a lifesaver for me!! I have very picky feet. These met all my demands. 

A waist belt for money and IDs. Helps keep money safe and less likely to be stolen. 

You never know if you will have access to clean water. So buy a Life Straw and then you can drink from any water source on your trip. 

I would also encourage world travelers to take the following items with them:

1. emergen-c ( sometimes it's hard to get Vitamin C. Also the stress of travel can weaken your immune system, this will help.)
2. Vit D sublinguals. 
3. Colodial silver
4. Elderberry syrup. These four are immune boosters. ☝️
5. Benadryl. Hard to find. Good for allergic reactions to be food and will help you sleep. 
6. Senna-natural laxative.
7. A handful of ziploc quart bags and garbage bags. 

That's all I can think of to recommend to you. Hope it helps you as you travel. 

10 days left in Nepal

😳😭🙀🙈😁🇺🇸😍

As is expected, I am feeling all the feels right now. Super excited to be home and super sad to be leaving. I think I have acclimated finally to life in Nepal but I am still very much an American who loves modern conveniences. 

It will be hard to say goodbye to this life. I have had some amazing times. Here are my top five favorite moments (no specific order):

1. Praying on the land in Kunchal to become a ministry training center. This was a day where I felt alive for the first time in a long time. God has been in the process of reminding me who I am and what his purpose for my life is, and interceding over the land/nation was one of those moments I will never forget. I climbed a hill and went walking through the village that day taking pictures of everyone. Got incredibly sunburned. It was a great day! 

2. Visiting Daman the first time. We went to Daman, which is a village about an hour away by bus from Palung. It is further up the mountain. It was rainy and cold, and felt like Fall. We prayed for/with some people from the church there who were sick. We ate dinner in the restaurant attached to their house. We were surrounded by Nepali's wearing thick wool scarves and shawls. It was perfect. The quintessential moment you hope for: huddling around a metal can full of hot coals. It had all the charm that village life in Nepal brings. 

3. After the end of our training on Monday, all the teachers and translators were given official Nepali scarves as a sign of honor. What a special moment! Then one of the ladies began to spontaneously sing a worship song Nepali style. Then other women got up and began to dance. Before I knew it, we were all up dancing Nepali style together at the end of the service. As the IHOP-KC song says, "Ain't no party like a Holy Ghost party, cause a Holy Ghost Party don't stop." 

4. Visiting Daman the second time. Andrea, Paul and myself decided to take a spontaneous vacation for a day at the Panoramic Everest Resort in Daman. From this resort, you can see all the Ana Purna mountains and the Himalayas including Mt Everest. The night we checked in, it felt like we were the only three people at the resort. We stood on the patio and began to spontaneously sing worship songs to Jesus. And then it was too cold so we went inside. The next morning we woke up at 6:30 to go see the mountains. #miraclesdohappen. Right before leaving, I went to wash my face. I narrowly escaped being attacked (over exaggerating) by a leech. Oh, the stories I could tell you. Then the owner of the resort offered us a ride back to Kathmandu in his keep which is 36284663828 times better than riding the bus. He even had air conditioning. 🙌

(This isn't a picture I took. My phone was dead. I took pics on my real camera but they aren't easy to upload to the blog so I am using someone else's photo.) 

5. This has to be an accumulation of every moment in Palung. "Working" in "my office". 

My "office" is the blue chair behind me. I would sit in that chair for hours praying, writing notes, writing what would become these blogs, etc... Oh how I loved my time in Palung. I love Ama and Bua (and the whole G family). They have welcomed me and cared for me like one of their own. 

I could have easily talked about buying dill at the fabric store or my obsession with Nepali fabrics and thus my now extensive Kurta/Soral collection. I could have talked about the girls Jo & Scarlett from the prayer room who I have loved spending time with. Jo took me to Patan to see the Hindu temples. 

During these last 10 days, I will be meeting with the Anthropology department at Tribuvhan University. I will also be finishing my interviews with the people at GHOP and one more man that is tied to the story in Kunchal. I didn't go to Pokhara because I have bronchitis again. I am trying to rest so that I can come back to the States healthy and whole. 

Please pray for my health to be restored and for these last 10 days to be spent well and to end well. I can honestly say I hope to come back here someday...the villages are amazing, people-amazing, scenery-amazing. 

My transition to America also needs quite a bit of prayer. After 2 weeks in the states, I jump back into working at Faith Community Church and finishing my summer classes and then beginning the Fall semester. On top of that I have to write my thesis, transcribe all these interviews, publish an article, etc...On top of the pace change, is the spiritual climate change, the health challenges, the reverse jet lag, etc. If you have been praying for me this whole time, please continue to pray throughout August. I will keep sending updates as I debrief myself about this experience. 

Love you all!

The G Family

***Names have been changed.***

Approximately 25 years ago, there were no Christians in the villages of Palung or Kunchal (probably all of Nepal). There are still many villages that are completely unreaches. The majority of people in Nepal are Hindu or Buddhist, there are even some who still practice black magic that is associated with tribal witch doctors. 

So before the G family knew the name of Jesus, there was one man, named Bono (because he looks like U2's Bono), who was a Christian. He met Jesus while living in Bhutan. He didn't meet them until later. 

In the early 90's there were 3 young men from Kunchal: Sam, Harry and Bob. Harry and Bob went to Kathmandu and heard the gospel and gave their life to Christ. They came back and shared the gospel with Sam and he accepted Christ too. The three young men were kicked out of their homes and had no income and very little education. They all lived together and began using their home as a church. They invited people every Saturday. The first week, there were 5 new believers. Harry became the pastor of that church and continues to be their lead pastor. After a few years, Sam went to YWAM. He eventually became staff and taught in the School of Biblical Studies for 11 years. During his first few years there, he heard that a family in Palung with his same last name had become Christians. Turns out that Bono had prayed for the dad to be healed and he was, so the whole family got saved. Sam came to meet them and eventually Sam married the oldest daughter Rhonda. They have the same last name but are generations apart. For several years, the G family would walk from Palung on Saturdays for 2 hours to go to church in Kunchal. Several people from Kunchal would walk 2 hours to Palung on Tuesday mornings to worship and pray before the girls went to school. There was another village about 7 hours walking distance that had Christians and they would take turns walking there each week to have fellowship with those Christians too. 7 hours, up and down mountains, crossing the same river 24 times (because it's curvy)!! 

Rhonda's dad, Bua, eventually became the preacher in Palung. Today, Sandy, Rhonda's little sister, lives in Kunchal in Sam's old house taking care of 5 orphans. Sam and Rhonda live in Kathmandu with their kids and train pastors and leaders in the church all over Nepal. Sam still teaches YWAM schools occasionally in Pokhara. Rhonda is passionate about women's ministry. 

In the 2008 earthquake many of their homes were destroyed. Rhonda's parents now live above the church. 

I met the G family through my friend Amanda. She lives in Kathmandu and works with a House of Prayer missions base that hosts ex-pats who want to do missions while centered in 24/7 prayer. The HOP is ran by Charlie and Jasmine, a newly married couple. They have two sons Richard and Oscar, both under 3 years. When Amanda first came to Nepal a few months after the earthquake, she worked with a ministry that Charlie and Jasmine were affiliated with. Eventually, Amanda met the G family and lived with them for the first year of her life. She is now connecting the G family to the HOP so that they can partner together since they both love Jesus, train pastors, and run Children's homes. I will share more about the HOP later.

I will be traveling to Pokhara on the 19th with Sam and Rhonda. 

-------------

I came back to the city earlier than expected because of tooth pain again. I have a dentist appointment today. We will go back to the villages on Friday. I will preach on Saturday and then we are hosting a conference fire new believers on Sunday and Monday. I will share there too. Please keep these in your prayers. I will be preaching on being an overcomer, the character of God and intercession over those 3 days. Then we come back and quickly turn around and head to Pokhara. A couple of physical prayer requests: I am super dizzy I think because of blood pressure meds. I have tried to stop taking them but that complicates things. I am going to see if I can get a lower dose of pills or something. Obviously, the tooth issue too. My hip has started hurting again as well. I am also breaking out in a rash on my hands. I think it's from eating so much rice. These are all tolerable/survivable but when Jesus can heal, why not ask for that! Will you join me? 

I am really enjoying myself here despite all of the hardships, but I am looking forward to being home too. I miss you all very much. I know I will miss Nepal like crazy! Maybe God will allow me to return one day! See most of you in 2.5 weeks!! 

Family

***This will be a very long post. It's very descriptive of the villages and what daily life there looks like. *** 

Kunchal is a dreamy village that conjures images of a sleepy monastic village with rice farmers. Palung is virtually the same, with less rice fields. It also feels a bit more agricultural and less mystical mountain retreat than Kunchal. Kunchal is probably my favorite, but I have deeper connections in Palung.

As an outsider, it has great appeal for it has a romantic retreat in the mountains quality. You can sit on the roof and stare at the clouds covering the pine tree laden mountains. As your eyes descend down the mountain, you begin to make out man made plateaus, where farmers plant crops of corn, cabbage, other potatoes, rice or vegetables. Each plateau is maybe two rows deep and approximately 35-40 feet long. The rice fields are at the bottom, where the ground levels out and becomes flat. The plots are sectioned out and the beds are sunken in, so that they can be flooded at the right time. There are raised walking paths around each plot.

 

Women in bright reds and pinks dot the fields as they are picking weeds, digging new rows or harvesting plants depending on the time of the year. Women carry huge baskets from a strap on their forehead which holds weeds or harvested crops. They feed the weeds to their cows or goats instead of bringing the animals out to graze. Other women have babies tied to their backs supported by a sheet around their shoulders. The baby stays there while the women work in the fields. Each building houses multiple families. In front of each building you will find chickens or ducks wandering freely, dogs napping, or a few goats/cattle tied up.

 

Approximately every 20-30 feet in town, you will find a water fountain. This is attached to a well that is fed by the mountain rivers. This is the town shower, dish washing station, etc. If you are wealthy, you have facilities in your house--usually two separate rooms: a squatty potty in one and a shower/washing machine or washing basin in another. You also have pipes that will fill water tanks on the top of your house so that you can have running water from faucets. But again, that is only if you are wealthy...so the majority of people use the water fountains in the middle of town to shower, wash dishes, clothes, etc. 

The lowest floor in a home is ground level and is usually a root cellar, storage area or possibly a barn for animals. Thick wooden stairs connect you to the next level which has 2-3 bedrooms, each with multiple beds/persons. Another set of stairs leads you to the top floor which is the kitchen and shower. There is a place to hang clothes to dry and a place for growing plants on the rooftop garden. The beds are usually slightly bigger than a twin but not quite a full size. They have plywood covered with 2-3 thick blankets instead of a mattress. Some places you will find mattresses, but not many. Most houses are brick with a tin roof, but some are white stucco with brightly painted windows and doors.

Almost every meal is dal bhat: rice with a lentil soup and maybe some sag (veggies). On special occasions you can order mo-mo's from the restaurant. They are dumplings filled with meat. My favorite are buff mo-mo's (Buffalo (water buffalo)) and they have a side dish called Aloo Jeera which is potatoes with cumin and cilantro...amazing!!! But only from certain restaurants.

Down the road is the school house that houses kids from K-10. Most kids don't get that much education before having to work to help the family. There are 2-5 stores in town: a pharmacy, a convenience store, a restaurant, a repair shop for vehicles and a tailor.

During the summer, it is the rainy season and you can anticipate a gentle shower 2-3 times a day for about 30 minutes. Depending on the severity of the rain, the women will keep on farming. Nepali women are very modest (men too) and wear kurtas (shirts) that hang down to their knees. They were sorals (pants) that are very loose and super comfy. They usually wear a scarf around their neck, covering their head or surrounding their waist like a belt. Kids and teachers wear uniforms to school.

The roads have a lot of traffic on them. Motorcycles carrying at least two people, mopeds, 3 wheeled covered golf carts called "autos", mini-buses, large buses, large trucks, taxis in small cars like a Honda Fit, and many, many pedestrians. Pedestrians walk on the left side of the road. Since the villages are in the mountains, the roads are very curvy and every vehicle honks its horn to announce itself at each corner. Sometimes they honk just to say hi, sometimes it means hurry up, sometimes it means scoot over so I can pass you. There is a lot of honking going on. I thought PA was bad with honking. I was wrong. Trucks and cars are highly decorated and painted with bright primary colors and usually with lots of images of gods or the mountains. Many of them tout that Buddha was born in Nepal. Trucks are also very likely to have the flags of other nations painted on their trucks. I think this has something to do with soccer, but I am not sure. I've seen USA, UK, Austrailia, NZ and Brazilian flags...and others that I don't know what they are. Many vehicles also carry the Adidas or Nike logos on them. Some of the horns play songs, which I personally enjoy and it reminds me of my childhood and our family friend Uncle Louie who used to have a horn that play La Cucaracha on it or the Dukes of Hazard song.

 

It is interesting to watch how affection is displayed in Nepal. Men are affectionate with men and women with women, but you never see men and women being affectionate. It is very common for men to hold their guy friends in very intimate ways, which for an American is uncomfortable. (This is not a value statement, but a description of the majority of Americans views on homosexuality.) But the men aren't gay here, nor are the women. I'm not saying that there aren't any homosexuals, I am sure that there are, but I am saying that just because you see two men holding each other, it doesn't mean that they are gay. You will never see men without their shirt, or any other form of nudity unless they are showering at the public shower.

Nepal was never colonized. There are many tribes, each with their own religion, language, calendar, etc. India is aggressive and domineering politically, religiously, and socially. China less so than India. They are the two closest neighbors and super powers. India owns all of Nepal's rivers. Here are some photo's that I captured of people that are pretty fantastic, if I say so myself.

I hope you've enjoyed reading about the villages as much as I have enjoyed staying there. I am in Kathmandu until July 7th and then will go back to the villages until approximately July 16th. Then I will return to Kathmandu for a few days before traveling to Pokhara to visit a YWAM base there. Then I will return to Kathmandu around the 24th and stay there until I return to the USA on July 31st.

I was able to get a lot of great interviews done last week while in the villages. I hope to connect with people more and go to a deeper level yet. Please continue to pray for the ability for me to talk with people and to know how to ask questions in the right way to get deep answers. Thanks again for your prayers. You will likely hear from me again around the 17th.

PS: I called this blog entry family, because the people of Palung have begun to call me daughter. They have become my Nepali family. Below (1st picture) is Rhonda and Sam and myself, (2nd picture) is Bua (dad), Sandy, Ama (mom) and myself. Sandy's sister, Rhonda and her husband Sam have also become like family. I will be traveling to Pokhara with them.

There is a stirring

Since coming back to Kathmandu, things have been much easier. I have not been sick with breathing problems or digestive problems at all. I have a small cough but that is easily manageable. 

On Saturday morning, we normally have a time of worship in the prayer room. Children from the children's home come and worship with us. This Saturday, we moved the whole service to the slums. Clem (the leader of the prayer house) spoke on the story of Jesus washing the disciples feet. Probably much like the ancient Israeli culture, in Nepali culture the feet are disgusting. It is highly offensive to show someone the bottom of your feet. Everyone wears flip flops here, and they are taken off in the entry way and never worn inside. Feet are the dirtiest place on your body here. So Clem felt like God wanted to not just teach about foot washing, but to actually do it. The people were stunned. It was, at first, the ex-pats and a few of the orphans from the kids home who began washing people's feet. As we took turns, a few people from the slums began to wash other people's feet. I was able to get down and wash some feet at the beginning of the service. Maybe it was Gods grace, but none of my feet were super gross. One lady, whose feet I washed, was also blind. I prayed that God would heal her. I was very hopeful, but it didn't happen that day. I have decided that I want to fast and pray and see if she will be healed the next time I pray for her. The feet washing ceremony was really beautiful. 

On Tuesday morning, I will head back to Palung and Kunchal. I am hoping to be there for 2 weeks or more. I may have a small break in that time where I come back to the city. I will not have access to wifi there, so you won't here from me unless I come back to the city. 

Please cover this time in prayer and pray for super productive conversations,interviews, and clarified vision on what specific questions to ask. Also, visiting a Nepali dentist tomorrow. Hear great things, praying for a great experience !!!

Heaven on Earth

Flooded Rice Fields

In a town, a quiet village...everyday, like the one before. Little town, full of little people waking up to say: J' Masee. Sun sai chai?

Well, this isn't exactly a small village in France where Belle is found daydreaming, but if Asia has a counterpart, this might be it. Kunchal is the second village I visited this week and it's everything you hoped it would be. I feel a bit like Anne of Green Gables when she starts rambling poetically about how amazing and romantic a place could be. I think there are dreams hidden in our hearts that we don't even know ourselves and this one was mine. To see the rice flooded fields in Asia, stair stepped glory.

Houses above the rice fields

Grandparents

In this village, there is a children's home. There are many orphans here. Some parents died during the earthquake, some died of natural causes and others just abandon their children because of poverty.

Kids from the Children's Home

We were in Kunchal (Coon-Chal) just one day. The previous two days, we were in Palung. Palung (Pa-loong)reminded me of Lubbock in a strange way. As we walked the dirt roads in between fields, listening to the crickets chirp at night, it felt like home. 

Fields in Palung. Cabbage, potatoes, and other roots

It's true: Everybody does have a water buffalo.

One of the nicer buildings in the area.

Women do the majority of the agricultural labor here.

Luckily, it's much cooler in the villages.

Girls coming home from school.

Baby Sandwich on the motorcycle.

My time in the villages was amazing. It was so beautiful! Much less chaotic. The people were incredibly friendly and generous. We stayed with Ama and Bua (Mom and Dad) of friends who work in the city. They are pastors in the village. They took me to meet many people in their church so that I could record testimonies of how people have been saved in Palung. Miraculous stories each one. 

I would really  like to return to the village and spend the rest of my time there speaking with the same families and going deeper into their stories. I really need to hire a translator who can go with me for a few weeks to the village. This has been the most challenging part of my trip is not feeling independent in my research. 

As for my health: my lungs and stomach seem to have finally adjusted to life in Nepal. Being in the village helped tremendously. Over the next few days, I have some papers to write for class this summer and some laundry to catch up on, in hopes of returning to the village.  I have had a tailor make me multiple Nepali styled outfits. 

Here is one of the outfits. Sorry this picture is so much smaller than the others.

Please be praying for a steady interpreter and deepening relationships with the locals. Please continue to pray for my health. With about 5 weeks left in this journey, we are officially at the halfway point. The rest of my time will go quickly. The villages were definitely a turning point in this adventure. I don't know that I would wish Kathmandu on my worst enemy, but the villages of Nepal (that I've seen) are worth every struggle thus far. 

I will talk with you more soon!