I'm going to
Nepal.
Yeah, that
country that sits between India and China. You know, the one in the Himalayas
with Mount Everest? South Asia? Yeah, that country. I'm going there for six
weeks.
I could sit
here and talk to you for hours about how I got to this point. I see so many clear
ways that God worked to bring me here—a place that I never imagined I’d ever
be. Really, I mean it. I was the most non-adventurous kid ever. Doing new
things terrified me. I was the nerd that sat on the front porch swing with a Walkman,
listening to classical music while my brothers played football. I was the kid
who went skiing in the Alps and hated
it. I was the one who refused to talk to strangers (because #strangerdanger,
duh) & would rather wet my pants than ask someone where the bathroom was.
So no, I never imagined that I'd be the one who would willingly go halfway
around the world by myself.
But yet, that's
exactly what I'm doing.
On June 8, I’ll
get on a plane and fly 8,000 miles to Kathmandu. Once I’m there, I’ll be on a
team that’s working with Tiny Hands International for six weeks. I get to explore the cities of Kathmandu and
Pokhara, among others. I’ll explore and see the culture, learn the language,
immerse myself in Nepali life.
I’ll visit the
Tiny Hands International projects. There are fifteen children’s homes where Nepali
house parents serve the forgotten and abandoned children of Nepal. They take in
street children and orphans, giving them a family and showing them Christ’s love. I'll get to visit those precious children
and I’ll get to teach them. I’ll see how God restores brokenness and turns
forgotten children into His children. (He hasn’t forgotten them.)
THI is also very
involved in anti-trafficking efforts; while I’m there I'll visit slums, street
children, and places associated with the sex industry. I’ll see things that
right now, as I’m here sitting on my floor in my dorm room, I can’t even
imagine. I’ll visit other NGO’s doing similar work. I’ll get to see the many
ways that Christ’s kingdom is being furthered in Nepal. I’ll see James 1:27 in
action. I'll talk to leaders who are already working in Nepal. We'll research these
issues and discuss why some things work and why other things don't work.
But this
journey doesn’t end when I fly back home on July 20. This whole trip is structured
around preparing me for the future that God has for me. The purpose is not
merely in these six weeks of ministry, it’s
so much more. This is just the beginning. The more I see where God is
leading, the more excited I get (and the more nervous I get, because let’s face
it—it’s not going to be easy.)
There is so
much I want to tell you about this. And more will come. But for now, will you pray
for me? I can’t get here on my own, I need your support. I need God’s strength
and I need your prayers. This isn’t just about me going to Nepal—this is Christ’s
kingdom being built, His church getting stronger and stronger. This is about
the kingdom. That means you. These
six weeks are going to be some of the toughest of my life. Everything I know
will be challenged—and though I’m okay with that, I’m not pretending it will always
be fun. I need your prayers, I need your support. I also happen to need close
to $5,000.
More
information will come soon about how you can give if you would like, but for
now—just pray for me? Pray for God to use me beyond my comfort zone. Pray that
his kingdom will be built and that the people I meet will see Christ’s love
through me. Pray that God will change my heart & give me humility to follow
Him. Pray for safety, pray for strength, pray for provision.
God is working,
and I can’t wait to see where He leads.
