Rejoicing in "Failure"

"I used to think that when we are witnessing people always need to get saved and baptized in that moment. But if that is it, our ministry is so depressing, and we are failures. Now I have learned that in that depressiveness and in that failureness, we can rejoice!"

                                                                                                   ~quote by our Nepali friend and pastor 

Evangelism has never come naturally for me.  I don't really like talking to strangers in general, so striking up conversations with random people and then talking about spiritual things is always really tough.  But this past week in Manali has pushed me outside my comfort zone and allowed me to practice being bold as Paul exhorts us to be.  I was able to see that evangelism is not just throwing a message in someone's face and giving them the chance to take it or leave it. I found that if we actually made the effort to chat with the person we bought water from or the guy sitting two feet away in the coffee shop, hearing their story and sharing ours (at least bits and pieces) came pretty naturally.

Of course, the part of our story that came up the most frequently in Manali was simply our reason for being in India.  Pretty much everyone there is traveling and wants to know where you're going and where you've been.  And the fact that we came all the way from Kathmandu to spend a week in Manali was intriguing to many.  But what could we say other than the truth?  Time after time, we told people how we came to Manali because we heard there are a lots of Israelis there, and we wanted to have conversations with them about the Tanakh (Old Testament) and Hashem (Hebrew word used in reference to the God of Israel) because we believe firmly in both.  Most people found this funny, strange, or even crazy.  Israelis across the board were mystified by a group of Nepalis, Americans, Taiwanese, and even a Palestinian Jordanian that all professed to worship their God.  Even when it was only Chris and I talking to a guy named Or, he couldn't believe that we had actually come there just to talk to people like him about God.

Although it wasn't intentional, the strangeness of our purpose actually worked to our advantage.  People were interested in what we had to say because really, who rides a plane two hours and a bus fifteen hours just to talk to some Israelis in the middle of nowhere India about the Bible?

After sort of understanding why we came to India, most people we talked to would follow up by asking, "So what are you?" Though this question often seemed funny at the time, it's really pretty sad!  Just because we said we believe in the Old Testament and God's covenants with Israel, they thought we must be some new religion or sect.  Most argued that, despite our belief in Jesus as Messiah, we could not be Christians.   Christians don't believe Tanakh.  Christians kill Jews.  Christians believe Jesus nullified the promises made to the nation of Israel.  We heard all of these things!!  

This reflects some big issues in the Church.  We (Christians) worship a Jewish man who is King of the Jews and whose Father chose the Jewish people to be His firstborn nation.  More than half of our Bible is the Old Testament, which is not outdated but is actually the foundation for everything we read in the New Testament.  So what has Christianity become that a Jew can see no part of their religion in ours?

Explaining that we are in fact Christians and why made up the majority of several of our conversations.  Other times we mostly discussed why we believe there is only one truth (since most Israelis we met were of the belief that everyone has their own truth).  I wish I could say that our conversations led many to radical, life changing commitments to Jesus.  But they didn't, and we can't define success that way.  We spoke truth in love to many lost sheep of Israel (and to several Nepalis and Indians as well) and trust Holy Spirit to do the rest.  We rejoice in what looks like failure because maybe, just maybe one of them will think about what we said and humbly search the scriptures for themselves.  And surely that will lead them to the foot of the cross.

Josy <><

the whole India team 

  our evangelism team for the first two days

Kasol, another city we visited near Manali

one of the many stray dogs hanging out by the river 

P.S. Although it may sound like I was highly involved in all these conversations, I admit that I did more observing than speaking.  I still have so much to learn from our bold Nepali brothers and the others on the team!

Encountering Israelis in India

After flying into the Delhi airport, we took a 15 hour overnight semi-sleeper bus to the great city of Manali. I am prone to getting car sick so the ride was not comfortable at all (as we were driving through very windy roads way too quickly). I thought in my mind, "this trip better be worth it if I'm going to travel all the way to India!".

Our entire week was devoted to witnessing to Israelis in Old Manali. There are basically two or three streets in Old Manali that are almost entirely occupied by Israelis. We found that the best approach to meeting people was splitting up into smaller groups and being bold at restaurants and coffee shops. We had many many conversations with Israelis as well as Indians, but instead of writing about each specific conversation, I want to write more about the beliefs and paradigms that I encountered while witnessing.

Though there were orthodox Jews in Manali, I only had conversations with "secular" Jews, meaning that most of them grew up in Jewish tradition but would say now that they do not believe in their God. Most that we encountered did not believe that the Tanakh is the word of God. Additionally, they are here exploring Hinduism and Buddhism! The most common paradigm is that there is only ONE God, but all the gods of all the religions are just different faces of the one God. This belief also goes along with this universalist idea that we all define what truth is in our own realities. There is not one truth. There is only what I say is true and what you say is true. Both are true, even though there may be conflicting beliefs.

I think that this type of paradigm is actually very self-centered and the Israelis that I met confirmed this. Extensive drug usage is rampant in Old Manali. Tobacco and marijuana are smoked openly. Cocaine, LSD, etc are all cheap and readily available. Some Israelis that I met gave me the inside scoop on this. They even invited me to an Israeli pyschodelic trance party. Literally the sole purpose of coming to Manali is to relax and to indulge in drugs.

What is so ironic is that the Israelis exhibit animosity towards their Jewishness, yet they all still congregate together. They want to escape from their culture and religion and travelling helps that. Most were totally shocked when we would say that we believed in Hashem, the God of Israel, and the covenants that He made with the people of Israel. When I brought up the issue of Jewish election, most were quick to dismiss their election as God's people by claiming that we are all the same, both Jew and Gentile. This is true in the sense of sin and human depravity, but not true in the sense of election and covenantal roles. And when discussing the issue of Moshiach and Yeshua, many told me that they do not believe in a real Moshiach. Actually, they do not want a Moshiach; they would rather have Moshiach as an idea and a symbol of hope.

In my mind, one of the strongest evidences of God's existence and His faithfulness is simply the existence of the people of Israel. What nation was delivered out of slavery and bondage like Israel was? For the sake of the righteous remnant, the people of Israel have survived years and years and years of persecution and near destruction. Even the modern Israeli understands the uniqueness of their history as a people, but what was most shocking to me was that they attributed their survival to their own strength and resilience as a pole rather than the hand of God.

Deuteronomy 4:23-40.

~Chris

Snapshots

There is so much being processed in my mind right now that writing a blog post has felt too daunting.  So I decided to post some snapshots of the last week or so. I may write more about some of these topics later.

1. Ministry Mamas

For the last three weeks, I have trekked, prayed, listened to teachings, and done evangelism with a team of 7-10 other believers.  But there has been one main distinction between me and my teammates. I'm the only girl!  And throughout this trip I've begun to see why.  It's because these guys (at least the married ones) have such awesome wives!  At first, from my ignorant perspective, I wondered why the women almost seemed disengaged from the ministry.  They don't come to the prayer room or Nepali church or on the ministry trips.  But I soon realized it's not because trekking is too physically demanding or because their husbands are more passionate than they are.  It's because raising kids in a third world country is a full time job, and it's HARD. I'm so impressed by these women who find ways to entertain and love on their kids in a world where (at least as far as I know) playgrounds, dance classes, tee ball, public pools, and events at the local library are not options.  I honestly have no idea how they do it!  A lot of it must just be trusting the Lord because so much of what we count on to keep kids safe in the U.S. is simply not present.  For example, these women can't buckle their kids into nice car seats in their minivan and head to a grocery store full of FDA approved items.  Instead, they have to pack them into a taxi, which likely has no seat belts and a reckless driver, and head to some form of grocery store where they hope all the food they buy will be safe and relatively healthy.  Yet despite all these challenges, their kids are happy, smart, grateful, and have amazing Bible knowledge.  I am constantly awed by their comments, my favorites being, "Superman isn't real, Daddy, but Jesus is, and he's really coming back (2 or 3 year old)," and, "We cried when our friends moved away, but we will see them again in the New Jerusalem (8 year old)."  So shout out to the three amazing mamas I've met in Nepal!  And of course to their husbands who are amazing fathers too!  

2. But I NEED It

Last week, our team had the opportunity to eat lunch at our Nepali trekking guide's house.  It was really eye opening for me to see a home lacking so many items that I would consider to be necessities.  We spent all our time in the living room/bedroom/guest room/nursery.  This room had cement walls and floors with some simple rugs and a few unframed pictures for decoration.  The bed was basically a piece of wood with blankets on it, and the couch/guest bed was the same.  A clothesline hung above the "couch," and a plastic cabinet sat in the corner by an old, out of tune guitar.  But what really baffled me was the one month old baby wrapped in a few blankets and sleeping on the bed with no crib, high chair, changing table, stroller, or wardrobe full of baby clothes in sight. It was interesting to realize that none of these items are actually necessary to adequately care for an infant.  Their baby seems perfectly content with nothing but loving parents and a soft blanket.  So why do we Americans "need" so much STUFF? 

3. Hinduism 101

Before we left for India, our team met with a local pastor to learn more about Hinduism and Buddhism.  This pastor was a Hindu priest before he encountered Jesus, so he had a lot to share with us.  What stood out the most was his explanation of the four primary ways Hindus believe in achieving salvation: karma, knowledge, devotion (prayer, etc.), and yoga.  I was very disturbed to learn about the origins of yoga and how "oum" (the sound I picture people making with their legs crossed and eyes closed while they meditate) is a way of making vibrations to connect with the three main Hindu gods, Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva (the destroyer).  Moral of the story? No yoga for me!  

4.  Poverty Round 4

I've seen people living in poverty.  Over the past six years, especially during my trips to Central/South America, I've served them, befriended them, and loved many of them... But I've also forgotten them.  I remember coming back from Peru disgusted with American luxury and promising myself I'd never forget the heart breaking sights, sounds, and smells of poverty.  But I did!!  And I was not reminded of such things until riding a taxi and then a bus from Dehli, India to Manali.  Look out the window, I saw areas where people basically live under plastic tarps with heaps of trash all around.  Down the street, a three or four year old girl lay curled up in a ball on the sidewalk, seemingly all alone.  By the bus stop, a teenage girl attempted to collect rupees as her young brother twirled a hula hoop and did back bends in the street.  I am ashamed at how easily I forgot such people when they were out of sight.  I want to care more, pray more, love more, and help more.  Even talking to our Nepali brothers, I realize that I (when compared to the masses around the world) am rich.  For them, having a car is an impossible expense and Chris and I have TWO!  I am so thankful for all that I have, but I pray for the Lord's grace, for "it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven." (Mat 19:23)

5. Jews on Drugs

I've recently been learning a lot about God's plan for Israel and how it is such an important part of the gospel.  I once heard a guy share that Israel is the name used most in the Bible, (even more than Jesus), so clearly, this nation is important to the Lord, and not just prior to Jesus' death and resurrection (If you don't believe me, start with Romans 11). At the heart of what I've learned are God's covenants with the nation of Israel, most (if not all) of which have not yet been fulfilled.  And they will not be fulfilled until Israel turns back to the Lord and worships their Messiah.  I used to wonder what it meant that the Jewish people have "broken their covenant" with God (see Deut 5:27 where they promise to obey all that God tells Moses).  From my perspective, it seemed like many Jews today are doing their best to keep the Law and seek the Lord. 

But then I came to Manali.  I think it's the strangest town I've ever been to.  It's a tiny village (basically just two streets) in India that's sort of in the middle of nowhere.  Yet for some reason, swarms of Israelis come here.  I'd guess that 3/4 of the tourists here are Israeli, most of whom have just finished their mandatory military service and are taking a few months or years to relax and travel.  Not so bad, right? 

Wrong!  These people that God has chosen and desperately loves are here in Manali doing little besides smoking, drinking, and doing drugs.  It's truly heartbreaking.  Though God has preserved their people through generations of persecution and hatred, they see no need for Him and instead seek to find peace in the religions of the area and in their own selves.  Here in Manali, it's easy to see how the Jewish people truly have forsaken their promise to heed the words God gave Moses on Mount Sinai.  I'm saddened to see such depravity, but I'm also somehow thankful.  Because "through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to" me, a Gentile (Romans 11:11). And in this gratefulness, I will keep witnessing to and praying for these lost sheep of Israel because the Lord has chosen them and because when this nation finally turns to Jesus, "what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?" Romans 11:15).

Check out pictures on my Facebook! The wifi is too slow to upload them on here today.

Josy <><

Even in My Weakness

Typically, the way of evangelism in America is a multi-year process involving relationship and building of trust. I cannot say that I have "preached the Gospel" to many people in my life. And I think that's sad. It's sad that straight-up evangelism isn't a more common thing in America. Perhaps it's not even a common thing anywhere. The fear of evangelism for me and maybe others is a confidence issue. What will they think of me? What if I don't have the words to accurately describe the Gospel? This fear makes me so aware of my own weakness.

Through prayer and teaching this week, I feel like I am going to explode. My heart's desire is to simply understand the scriptures in a consistent way so that my heart would believe and have faith in God. Yet I often feel that I am battling my pre-conceived notions and assumptions. Being here has made me more hungry for the Word. I hope that we all re-assess what we believe and ensure that the scriptures are our foundation. We must receive the Word at face value and not attempt to twist it or interpret it in a way that fits with our perspective. It has to be the opposite. We have to be willing to re-work our beliefs and faith simply because it is in accordance with scripture.

This process takes great humility. Perhaps what strikes me the most about being here is the humility. We are all weak and broken men trying to live out a life that is worthy of the Gospel. We are well acquainted with our weakness and our need for grace. We are familiar with our degenerate and wicked hearts. We need the Spirit to help us and give us strength. There is no boasting, no comparison. Our hope is the cross alone. What a beautiful place to be. I can let go of my self-righteousness and humble myself to receive the mercy of God and take Him at His word. He crushes our pride, our self-righteousness, and our strength. We become more and more aware of our wickedness and depravity and how unlike God we are. This is the way of the cross.

~Chris

The Gospel in the Himalayan Mountains

Trekking in the Himalayan mountains was breathtaking. It was a once in a lifetime experience. I still do no have the words to describe the majesty of those mountains. One of the things that is unique about trekking is that the whole guest house thing allows you to connect with a lot of different people. In each guest house, there is typically only one dining area, which makes conversation very easy. There are lots of opportunities for witnessing in this context. Here are some highlights from our trip.

On our first day, we stopped at a guest house for lunch, where we met a woman named Heather. She actually might read this which would be awesome. Josy and I  were able to talk with her and get to know her. What is interesting is that we basically trekked the same route (though her final destination was Annapurna Base Camp) so over the next three or four nights, we encountered Heather again and again! She says she grew up in the Methodist Church and believes in Jesus but hasn't been to church in many years. We pray that her heart would be stirred and that she would truly put in faith in the blood of Jesus!

At Tadapani, I talked about the Gospel to a Belgium man named Mark. I felt bold at the time and felt that I might as well try. I shared about the global flood as well as the end of the age. He did not want to hear it but I still gave a witness. One thing that I've been learning here is that being a faithful witness simply means declaring the truth. It is not our job or responsibility to save any soul; it is the Spirit's. When we faithfully give witness to the Gospel, hearts either will be softened towards repentance or hardened. Either way, our job is to be faithful.

Finally, on our second day, S* ran into a French Jew named Jonathan, while he was filling up on water. S* immediately recognized that he was Jewish and began witnessing to him. Jonathan was headed the same direction we were so we looked forward to talking more with him. When we arrived at our guest house, Jonathan was nowhere to be found. The next morning, the group decided to hike to Poon Hill, despite the cloudiness  (which obstructs the view of the mountains). Once we reached the top of Poon Hill, not only did the clouds clear out, but we also saw Jonathan there too! We then had a longer conversation about his worldview and beliefs as well as our faith in the God of Israel. Assuming that our time with him was over, we hiked along to our next stop. When we arrived, Jonathan was actually sitting outside at a different guest house. He waved at us. Then, around dinner time, Jonathan walked down to our guest house to talk with us more about what we believe. He was so intrigued and curious that he left for dinner and came back for several more hours of discussion. He says he took 10 years to stop believing in God and that now he believes in formulating his own truth. We shared with him the irrevocable calling of the Jewish people, God's covenant with Abraham, the time of Jacob's trouble, and the hope of the Messiah. We pray that the Holy Spirit would encounter his heart as he treks these mountains in search of peace. We pray that he finds the God of Israel, Hashem. 

~Chris

No Turning Back

I will start this post by promising that I am not going to exaggerate. Parts of this story will probably sound dramatic, but I'm going to describe trekking as I experienced it, and during the trip, I felt A LOT of strong emotions.  I'm going to focus on what I personally learned from the trek, but make sure you read Chris' trekking posts as well to hear more about what we did as far as ministry and evangelism. 

Our trekking adventure began last Tuesday with a 7am bus from Kathmandu to a town called Pokhara. Now normally I have no problems with bus rides, but as I mentioned in my last post, Nepal is hot, and air conditioned vehicles are few and far between.  The other challenge on such a long ride was restroom breaks.  The bus made three stops, but I really have to be desperate to force myself to use a squatty potty (which in my opinion is even worse than a port-a-potty because the smell is closer to your face), so I pretty much held it the whole way.  

But otherwise, the bus ride was uneventful.  I spent most of the time looking out the window and wondering what life would have been like if I'd been born in one of the little shacks we drove by, most of which had piles of rocks and rubber tires holding down the tin roof and marshy rice fields all around.  To be raised in such a place would provide little access to the gospel.  Seeing so many people, many of whom likely have no address or birth certificate, let alone nearby church, gave me a feeling of responsibility.  I have received a gift that I don't deserve (the gospel), and I need to be more active about sharing it.

Anyway, after the long drive, we arrived in Nayapul and started the trek.  The first thirty minutes were thrilling as I took in the new and gorgeous scenery, but after hearing that a river crossing was ahead (which I knew meant swinging bridges, which are pretty much my worst fear), my mind filled with dread.  Combined with a headache, I struggled to enjoy the trip instead of imagining our guide having to drag me across the bridge.  Thankfully, the first bridge we came to wasn't that bad. The "ropes" were metal cables, and though it did sway when you walked on it, it was bearable. 

What was not bearable was the rain.  I'm not a rain person at all, and when the monsoon hit that first afternoon, I knew it was going to be a tough week.  I'd expected the rain, but I'd also underestimated it.  Despite an ankle length poncho AND an umbrella, I arrived at our first hostel soaked.  And emotional.  This was day one out of five.  What had I gotten myself into? 

To top off the day, our hotel had no power.  Chris and I each had a bed with a sheet but the single light bulb in our room did not work, and the bathroom (shared by all guests) had no light or toilet paper.  I learned quickly that our Nepali guide had a different definition of a "normal" hotel room.  Of course, the hotel did have its perks...especially the little drum that our Nepali friends used to entertain us for at least an hour with their traditional songs and dancing.  So though it looked rough, it really wasn't too bad.

Day two was by far the hardest day of the trek.  With my damp clothes from the night before strapped to my pack, I began the 3,000 steps.  Surprisingly, I think going up all those stairs was actually the best part of the day.  The village we'd just left became small in the distance, and my legs felt decent (thank God for all the mountains I climbed in VA that helped prepare me).  But then, we stopped for lunch, and it took almost two hours for our food to come and us to eat.  And as we ate, dark clouds started to roll in.  Which could only mean one thing. Monsoon was coming.

We tried to pick up the pace, but we still had three or four hours of "Nepali flat" trekking to go.  We thought that meant we were done with the uphill for the day, but we soon learned that Nepali flat is still uphill...just not quite as steep.  So the steps continued.

Soon we entered what our guide called "the jungle."  It was similar to a forest, but perhaps a bit more tropical.  About thirty minutes in, the rain came.  We had just donned our rain gear when it started coming down hard.  If in the States it rains cats and dogs, it was raining horses and water buffalo with no signs of letting up.  And with the rain came the leeches.

The uphill trail soon flooded as rain gushed down the mountain, and suddenly leeches were everywhere.  Most of us had never seen leeches, and one of the other Americans appropriately described them as "inchworms with suction cup faces."  They're small, and they move just like inchworms, but they're much more terrifying since their life goal is to latch onto your skin with their three teeth, release a blood thinning agent into your bloodstream, and then suck! 

Emotionally, the leeches were too much for me.  Every time I saw one crawling up my boot, I freaked out until Chris rushed over to apply the salt that would knock them off. Those three hours were brutal.  The rain never let up, soaking through my thick boots and leaving my feet swimming in what I prayed was not a pool of leeches.  The trail became a slippery waterfall, and every time we stopped to check for leeches, more came out from who knows where.  On top of all that, the trail was covered in mule poop, which mixed with all the water and became even more disgusting. And our legs got really tired from all the stairs. And our next village was nowhere in sight.  

My mind became completely overtaken by thoughts of misery.   "Why didn't I stay home with the other women?"  "Why did I think trekking in monsoon would be no big deal?" "I just want to go home!!"  I started trying to figure out if there was any possible way for me to quit and go home. 

But as I cried, looked for leeches, balanced my umbrella and walking stick, kept walking, and tried not to slip, a song came to mind.

     "I have decided to follow Jesus.

      I have decided to follow Jesus.

      I have decided to follow Jesus.

      No turning back, no turning back."

And oddly enough, as I started to think about the lyrics, one of the guys in front of my started singing that very song, totally unprompted!  I realized the Holy Spirit was highlighting an important lesson.  No matter how miserable I was, turning back was not an option.  I could not hike back by myself, and even if I could, I would not be able to get a ride back to Pokhara on my own.  It didn't matter if I was tired and wanted to quit.  The only thing to do was keep going forward, even though I was convinced that I could not survive three more days.  

I think in the future, it will be equally hard to follow Jesus, even more so actually.  Right now, it's not so bad.  There is some dying to self, but I've experienced no real persecution or danger.  But Jesus speaks of perilous times in the latter days.  So do the prophets.  And in those times, turning back WILL BE an option. In fact, Jesus says in Matthew 24:12 that "because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold."  People who cannot stand the pressure will turn away.  "But he who endures to the end shall be saved (vs 13)."  

I'm glad the trek had no option to quit because of it had, I probably would have.  Instead, I was able to see that I could endure after all.  In fact, each day got better and better.  Hiking felt easier.  We got up earlier and beat the rain most of the remaining days.  The clouds cleared some, and we got to see some amazing mountain views.  And we had awesome conversations with some other trekkers who needed to hear the gospel (see Chris' post coming soon).  We even survived the jeep ride down the hill where our driver drove through waist high water that had transformed the road into the top of a waterfall.  It was tough, but we endured.  All ten of us.  Even me, the only female in the group. 

In retrospect, the trek was equally fun and miserable, but it is the misery that I think will stand out most in my memory.  And I think that may be a good thing.  Because down the road, when things get tough and I want to quit on Jesus, I will remember this trek and how I survived after all.  And how following Jesus means no turning back.  Holy Spirit, give me strength to endure til the end.

Josy <><

     

  

Trekking Notes in the Annapurna

Trekking Notes: Ghorepani Poon Hill

Trekking is similar to backpacking but a little bit different. Guest houses are available all along the trail. These houses provide shelter and food. Below are my trail notes from this past week. I will be writing more soon about our experiences and conversations on the trail!

Day 1: We took a bus from Kathmandu to Pokhara, the second city in Nepal. Most backpackers travel to Pokhara to begin trekking. We stayed in a hostel named Golden Holiday. There was a hot shower and the rooms were very clean. The bus ride to Pokhara was about 8 hours with traffic. The road was bumpy, but it was definitely a scenic drive.

Day 2: After breakfast, we took a van to Nayupul. The van ride was incredibly scenic but bumpy (common theme here). The elevation gain was also very intense. We could see clouds right next to us. We started the trek and passed Birethanti. We meandered along a river and slowly went up in elevation. It began to pour for several hours. We continued hiking through the rain until we reached Tikhedhunga. We stayed at a guest house. You basically have a bed and that's it. There are toilets outside and a communal place to eat. The guest houses along the trail are very inexpensive and provide all that you truly need for the night. (Hike time: 4 to 4.5 hours)

Day 3: Due to the rain, our things did not dry very well. We attached clothing to our packs to dry while we hiked, which worked fairly well. After leaving Tikhedhunga, we ascended step after step after step. We hiked for about 3 hours before lunch at Banthanti. We started the second three hour section. But unfortunately, it started to pour for a few hours. We hiked through a forest area and leeches were a major issue! This was one of the most difficult experiences of my life. They are so disgusting! I had many on my shoes, two on my ankles, and one that bit my left ankle! We had salt bags that we used to peel them off of our shoes and skin. We then finally arrived at Ghorepani. (Hike time: 6 to 6.5 hours)

Day 4: Before breakfast, we took about a 2 hour round trip hike to the top of Poon Hill (I believe the elevation is at least 3000 meters). The clouds moved and we were able to see Annapurna and the surrounding mountains. It was absolutely astounding. The trail to Poon Hill was a side hike so we walled back to our guest house. We hiked towards Tarapani, but it started to rain. All throughout the day, we battled drizzling and rain. We decided to skip lunch so we actually hiked 5 hours nonstop! And we finally had a shower to clean ourselves after a few days. (Hike time: 2 hours to poon hill, 5 hours)

Day 5: In Tadapani, we had a short time of fellowship with everyone since it was Saturday. We left Tadapani and hiked for about 3 hours. The leeches were not as bad today and it was mostly downhill. It did start to rain the last hour of our hike. We arrived at Ghandruk and had a late lunch. We are nearing the end of our trek, but I think I have just hit my groove. We also had some fellowship and Bible study together at the guest house. (Hike time: 3 hours).

Day 6: We walked around Ghandruk to enjoy the mountains around us. After breakfast, we hiked about 1 hour to Kimche. Instead of trekking maybe 5 or 6 more hours to Nayapul, we took a jeep to Pokhara. This jeep ride was absurd. I feared for my life several times. At one point, we crossed a waterfall that had waist-deep water. We are staying overnight in Pokhara and will be heading back to Kathmandu tomorrow morning.

~Chris

Our First Couple of Days

I'm losing track of time. I'm getting used to living here, commuting to Thamel, eating Nepali food, anticipating the weather, etc. I'm getting used to it and it's very enjoyable. Every day feels long because there seems to be something new each day that shapes my perspective and experience in Nepal.

The church that Edut Yeshua mainly partners with a local Nepali pastor. We went to his church on Saturday (about 20 people) and though I couldn't understand any of the language, there was a real sense of joy during worship. S* exhorted the group from Psalm 2 and H* spoke on continuing to follow the narrow path. On Sunday and Monday, we all attended a prayer summit, which was a local gathering of several Nepali ministries. One of those ministries was Gethsemane House of Prayer, headed by my friend from New Jersey, Clement and his wife, Jenny. During the Monday morning session, J* gave one of the clearest messages I have ever heard on the issue of Israel, God's faithfulness to His covenants, and the role of the Gentiles in the controversy of Zion. I also need to mention our two young Nepali brothers, A* and R*. They have been crucial to our time and we are indebted to them. They have travelled with us, eaten with us, taught us about Nepali culture, prayed and worshipped with us.

I would never say this as if I believed it, but deep down, I think I had this belief that going to a foreign country would suddenly make my devotional life with God drastically different. The truth is, we still need to be disciplined about our devotions and our prayer time. It doesn't matter where we are. It's still hard! I've been learning so much about the Scriptures especially concerning Israel from the brothers here. I think the biggest struggle that I am facing is that I feel inadequate or perhaps not ready. I still feel like I don't understand so many things. I feel like I'm not mature enough in Christ. I'm weak and unworthy, so I ask God for grace! I repent of my own ways and ask that God would give me grace and strength to simply give Him my everything.

We are currently preparing to trek the Ghodephani Poon Hill circuit in the Annapurna region, which should take us about 5 days to complete (7 total days of travel). I am excited beyond measure! We leave tomorrow to Pokhara. Stay tuned!

~Chris

Then and Now

Although many aspects of life in Nepal are very new for Chris, there are plenty of things here that, to me, feel familiar.  My time in Peru and Honduras is now six years behind me, but even so, Kathmandu brings back many memories of my time in those two countries.  This city is bigger than Huancayo, Peru and Ojojona, Honduras, but the overcrowded microbuses, stray dogs, weird smells in the streets, bugs in the bathroom, terrifying taxi rides, and roosters waking me up at 5am are much the same.  It seems that all these things, though often shocking at first (at least for Americans), can become fairly normal once you spend enough time getting used to them. 

However, Nepal also has qualities that I have never experienced before.  For example, I've never been so hot in my life!  I've dealt with pretty severe heat and humidity (i.e.:Taiwan), but since I left the airport a few days ago, I haven't been in a single building or vehicle with air conditioning, meaning that there's no respite from the heat. It's hot when you walk around the city, when you ride taxis, when you eat at a restaurant, and when you sleep.  This is a challenge I definitely underestimated.  Besides the constant discomfort, being hot makes everything harder.  Walking around is more tiring, staying awake while praying takes more effort, AND I have to drink a lot more water which makes me have to pee all the time, which wouldn't be a huge deal except that finding a decent bathroom is always a struggle (sorry if that's t.mi.)!

Another new experience for me is monsoon, which is perhaps the one break in the heat, at least for this time of year.  I've been to countries with rainy seasons, but never during their peaks.  Right now, monsoon is going strong in Nepal, and yesterday I got to experience it firsthand.  It rained...well poured actually...from about 9am to 3pm, nonstop.  My Northface rain jacket was not as effective as I'd hoped, and I got soaked as we tromped around through muddy, puddle covered streets which often have no sidewalks.  But like the heat, the rain is something that the people here just learn to live with. 

A third major difference is that Nepal is not a Christian country.  Stepping off the plane, I was greeted by a large statue with a sign welcoming me to the land of Buddha as well as a Hindu idol.  Walking around the city streets, there is a frequent tinkling sound which occurs whenever people make offerings to their idols, and temples are everywhere.  This adds a whole new element to Christianity and missions here.  Many of the Nepali brothers and sisters we've met have been rejected by their families for choosing to follow Jesus, a cost that I cannot even imagine. The other day, a local pastor shared that not a single family member came to his wedding last year because they did not support his decision to follow Jesus and marry a Christian woman! Of course, I've heard stories of these types of things, but it's very different to meet people who have actually experienced such rejection. 

Despite noting similarities and differences, I did not come here intending to compare Nepal to other countries I have been to.  But I think that as God continues to shape my view on ministry, it is helpful to consider my past experiences serving abroad as well as the present one.  I'm starting to see lifestyle patterns, both frustrations and endearing quirks, that seem to occur in many developing countries (i.e.: not flushing your toilet paper, unreliable electricity/internet, and buildings painted with bright colors), yet I'm also finding that many of my perspectives are different now that I'm six years more mature in the Lord.  To sum it all up, I guess I'm just thankful for the foundation that God built in my heart that year after high school as well as for how that trip prepared me for this one.  And at the same time,  I'm excited to see what new things I will experience and learn as God builds upon that foundation during in this time in Nepal. How blessed I am to have a perfect Shepherd directing my path!

Josy <><