A year ago today, a massive, devastating earthquake shook
Nepal to the core. I remember that day, the unanswered questions and the pain that immediately gripped my heart. It was the day that I realized how deeply I was already in love with this place. I hadn’t been there yet, hadn’t seen its mountains, tasted its milk
tea or heard the constant horns of taxis—but I knew my heart was already in
Nepal. I knew, because my heart broke at the knowledge of what an earthquake would do to this already poor country. [You can read my thoughts from that day here.]
My love for Nepal has only been strengthened and solidified over the past year. I now can say that I've been there-- I've met Nepali people who are so resilient, who have such joy even through deep pain and horrific events. I've eaten so much rice and curried chicken that I now actually enjoy spicy foods (pretty sure that one's a miracle). I've smelled the Bagmati river and walked the streets of Thamel. I've sat on those streets and looked into the eyes of real people, heard stories of real women rescued from a life of trafficking, seen real monkeys intimidate people and steal their food.
Today I look back and see the faithfulness
of God through the past 12 months. I’m not about to pretend that it’s been easy—they’ve
been some of the most impossibly hard, darkest yet beautiful, growth-filled
months of my life. But I see where I was a year ago, and I’m overwhelmed by how
gracious my Father has been—because I’m not the same person.
Now, a year later, I’ve seen how this country has played a
major part in my story. Without Nepal, I have no idea where or who I’d be. I
don’t know how to communicate and share my love of this place with you, except
to share this video. The sounds of taxis and laughter are so much more powerful
than my words could be. The faces of people who endured an earthquake, who are
building Jesus’ kingdom, who need the gospel, they say so much more than a few
paragraphs that I’m struggling to write.
There's a small country tucked among the Himalayas called Nepal, and it's my favorite
place in this entire world. And I’m hoping that, just maybe, this video makes
you fall in love with Nepal a bit too.
