Over the next week, a series of posts from a recent trip to Nepal will be shared. This trip was in partnership with a nonprofit and the work they do there to rescue girls from sex trafficking. Thank you to all our team supporters, our family, friends, churches, and workplaces, for making this adventure possible for the team!
Lynn’s arm reached out the van’s window in hopes of catching the mountain rain covering our journey up the Nepali hills. Amy rested her body against the firm metal side of the van and let the cool mountain air flush over her skin.
Weary, we are feeling like the skins of the sweet mangos that have been scooped clean. Right when we are questioning what we might have left to offer for the last leg, the Lord in His miraculous timing offers a time of rest in a bumpy and rickety van up the hills of Nepal. The bright green trees are in rich contrast to the prickly ones of the city.
Come to me and I will give you rest…all you who are tired and weary.
Lynn later tells us of God showing her a billboard along the way. It read “Go I Got It”, when in reality it read, Go! Get it. But letting the supernatural be your natural, the perspective changes and direction is all the clearer.
So we’ve dusted ourselves off. Taken a breath and jumped into the last few days with gusto. Angie was honored for her birthday by her girls – team, translators, and the 15 new young friends she taught for the day. They adorned her with pink flower chains and bright yellow and deep purple bouquets. Her hands couldn’t contain all the precious small gifts she received before her teachings. What fun to honor the lives of others!
In addition to teaching, I think all of us really appreciated visiting the local office this morning. The staff there has a contagious passion for what they are doing and we were given much insight to the struggles and hopes of the program.
To complete the day our translators surprised Angie with a birthday cake. A true treat in Nepal. Lynn was disappointed there wasn’t ice cream to pair with it. Angie joked they cleaned the hotel out of it during their last visit two years ago. I told her that could be truer than not…
We turned in early because tomorrow brings our last day with our new friends. We will even visit a second group in the afternoon who are graduates of the program and are back home. What a testament to this program that those who were helped by it are helping others in their own communities. When we asked this group of girls yesterday what their names are and what do they want to do in the future, the majority said to work for this passionate organization. To me, that confirmed it all. They have felt the love, seen the love, and want to share it with others. The power of dreams, the power of leadership, the power of God’s direction can truly change the world. What an honor to be a small part of it.
We have much to share upon our return home! Thank you for being with us in prayer on this adventure.
Here is a psalm dear to my heart and one that we felt was for the girls as well. Psalm 71:
“I run for dear life to GOD, I’ll never live to regret it. Do what you do so well: get me out of this mess and up on my feet. Put your ear to the ground and listen, give me space for salvation. Be a guest room where I can retreat; you said your door was always open! You’re my salvation—my vast, granite fortress.
My God, free me from the grip of Wicked, from the clutch of Bad and Bully. You keep me going when times are tough— my bedrock, GOD, since my childhood. I’ve hung on you from the day of my birth, the day you took me from the cradle; I’ll never run out of praise. Many gasp in alarm when they see me, but you take me in stride.
Just as each day brims with your beauty, my mouth brims with praise. But don’t turn me out to pasture when I’m old or put me on the shelf when I can’t pull my weight. My enemies are talking behind my back, watching for their chance to knife me. The gossip is: “God has abandoned him. Pounce on him now; no one will help him.”
God, don’t just watch from the sidelines. Come on! Run to my side! My accusers—make them lose face. Those out to get me—make them look Like idiots, while I stretch out, reaching for you, and daily add praise to praise. I’ll write the book on your righteousness, talk up your salvation the livelong day, never run out of good things to write or say. I come in the power of the Lord GOD, I post signs marking his right-of-way.
You got me when I was an unformed youth, God, and taught me everything I know. Now I’m telling the world your wonders; I’ll keep at it until I’m old and gray. God, don’t walk off and leave me until I get out the news Of your strong right arm to this world, news of your power to the world yet to come, Your famous and righteous ways, O God. God, you’ve done it all! Who is quite like you?
You, who made me stare trouble in the face, Turn me around; Now let me look life in the face. I’ve been to the bottom; Bring me up, streaming with honors; turn to me, be tender to me, And I’ll take up the lute and thank you to the tune of your faithfulness, God. I’ll make music for you on a harp, Holy One of Israel. When I open up in song to you, I let out lungsful of praise, my rescued life a song. All day long I’m chanting about you and your righteous ways, While those who tried to do me in slink off looking ashamed.”
