Just Keep Moving

The Village

Well I don’t even know where to begin with these past two weeks!  They have been the most stretching and crazy weeks I have ever experienced. In a nutshell we have been living in different villages in the Himalayas teaching the JDx program to different church leaders and hiking to different communities in the mountains to pray and to get to know the people. The people have loved the program and really seem to grasp what we are teaching. I guess the best way to describe what we have been doing is to give the general gist of what a visit to a village looked like. We begin by getting on a bus, which is the probably the hardest and scariest part of the entire journey. Everyone gets packed into the bus, 60 people on a 30-person bus and if there is no room inside, you get on the roof. I got the pleasure of riding on the top. It had a nice breeze and was generally comfortable, until the chickens started dying because of heat exhaustion and then you looked over the side and expects to see a road but see nothing because the ground is hundreds of feet down. The other transportation option is motorcycle, and that is your choice ride. Amongst our team we have rotated getting on the bus and riding on the motorcycle with our translator. That is a little glimpse into our transportation situation; it was scary but so much fun at the same time. Anyway after we get to a village, we get situated and begin teaching the following day. Each village has opened their arms willingly. The people open their homes, guesthouses, and offices to provide a place for us to live in. The villagers then provide pillows, blankets, and basically everything we need to function. The thing that stands out to me most are that the Nepali people offer everything they have, even though they don’t even know us. It has been such a blessing and I have met some awesome people. When class begins, we normally have about 25-30 students per session and teach over a period of 3 days, each team member teaching a different value. After the teaching is over we head into the mountains to go to the different communities and take part in fellowship and swallowship (eating a meal together) and then if they ask for prayer we pray for them. The hikes normally take about 3 hours and they are beautiful. The Himalayan Mountains are amazing! I have to say we have had some amazing times in the community getting to know the people. We have prayed for numerous needs and the most interesting one I got to pray for was a buffalo. I have to say I have never prayed for a buffalo before, but what made it all worth it was the people and how they thanked me after for praying for their animal. It showed me how even the things that might seem unusual for us can speak volumes to someone else. Lesson learned: Do not under estimate what God can do through praying for a buffalo. After visiting villages for a couple of days we then begin packing up to head to the next area. That is a general gist of how the past couple of weeks have gone.

In more detailed terms, we have also gotten to experience a villager’s life as well. We got to sleep on mats, bathe in rivers or a bucket shower (whichever you prefer), get water out of tap to wash dishes, difficult bathroom situations, hand washing clothes and just learn to live on what you need, rather than what you want or think you need.  It has been really tough, but good at the same time. Without Internet or electricity you really learn to appreciate your team members and the little things that you take for granted at home. The one thing I became really appreciative over these past weeks was how my mom used to take care of me when I got sick. Due to the new foods and different lifestyle we have been living I got a bad stomach bug. That was probably one of the hardest times cause all you want is to be home, but you can’t. Needless to say, I got better, but am that much more thankful for being home when you are sick. Other than that the hiking and outdoor activities are something you do regularly and when you find yourself inside, you earnestly desire to be outside again.

One of our hikes

I think the most exhilarating thing I experienced was on our day off at the Last Resort. To get to this place you cross over a suspension bridge and as we crossed I learned of their multiple activities they offer such as bungee jumping.  I then learned it was the third highest in the world, now how could I pass that up? Shortly after I found myself in a briefing for bungee and then getting in line to jump. I was the last person in my group to go, so I got to watch every person go before me. I don’t know if that was a good thing or bad, but anyhow my turn finally arrived. I got all strapped in and then looked at the jumping ledge. Before you step on there was a sign that said, “brain behind.” It made me laugh and honestly all fear left and I was just super excited. Then next thing I knew I was walking to the ledge taking a breathe and then all I heard was the wind and my voice echoing as I was yelling very loudly. It was the best experience and I would totally do it again. After the jump our team just spent time relaxing and eating food that did not consist of noodles or rice. It was the first meal we had in a month that didn’t include those items. It was a wonderful day at the resort.

God has been doing amazing things in our team. I really believe the people here are teaching us more than we are teaching them. I have learned so much about who I am as a person and things I want to change. I love the people here, the love they show, and how they live. I really hope one day I can return and visit again! Please keep our team in your prayers as we are heading to our next destination, this one will be more permanent as we are going to stay there until we head back to South Africa. Thank-you again for the prayers!