Here is another update from Nepal. These missionaries visited an orphanage, a recovery home for sex trafficking victims, and a leper colony (yes they stil exist) where they let Jesus love these people through their own hearts, minds, and bodies. These kids are truly being used as the hands and feet of Christ.
It has been a few very heavy days for the Nepal team. It might be hard for you to image your very energetic teenagers asking to go to bed early but God has really broken their hearts and they are tired. I am so thankful they are being challenged, torn, and worn down because it means that God is really burdening their hearts for the people and children of Nepal. Two days ago we spent the day at an orphanage in Kathmandu building relationships and loving on the children. We were challenged as we learned the founder of the orphanage, Bishnu was kicked out of his Hindu home at the age of 14 for converting to Christianity. He shared with us that through living on the streets God gave him a vision to minister to the boys and girls of the street. Almost 20 years later this dream became a reality and Morning Star Children’s Charity was formed. Our students jumped right into building relationship and began painting each others nails, teaching them our stomp routine and their little boys schooled our guys in soccer. Our students were just there for one day but the love they shared will forever make a difference in their lives.
The following day we visited Shanta girls and the
Peace Rehabilitation Center. Outside of Kathmandu lies a safe house for girls and women to have been abused or involved in sex-trafficking. Our team was absolutely overwhelmed to learn that arranged marriages begin in India and Nepal at eight years
old. Shanta herself was married off at the age of 12. And after breaking free and becoming a Christian she felt God calling her to make a difference in these young girls lives. She has dedicated her life to giving girls hope, counseling a safe home full of love where they can be rehabilitated to go back into society. As Shanta spoke about the 25 thousand prostitutes living in Thamel (the neighborhood of Kathmandu where we are staying) you could hear everyone draw a sharp breath. There were tears as Shanta challenged our students to think about the needs of the world. She asked them “My children, now that you know about the needs of the world what is the vision that God is giving you? Are you called to minister to those to society sees as garbage?” It was a very powerful time. You could see the girls hearts breaking as they loved on Santa’s girls imagining how different their childhoods must have been. Santa teaches the girls useful life skills like jewelry making, and knitting so that they can be put back into society with useful skills. Our team spent almost all their money buying bracelets, necklaces and earrings and I know when they wear them at home they will never forget that day at Shantas.
Although they were tired, God’s work doesn’t stop and today we were able to trek out to a leper colony to love the unlovable. With modern medicine leprosy is able to be treated, however in Nepal when you contract leprosy you are an outcast and now allowed to return to your home. You could see the pain in our student’s eyes as they listened to these lepers vent in Nepali about how hard it was for them to never see their grandchildren. The Nepali government gives them some rice, $5 a month and 2 pairs of clothes a year to live off of. Then they are forgotten, families ripped apart and now they just have pictures to remind them of a normal life.
It was new and different, our students spent the afternoon rubbing amputated limbs, passing out cookies and sometimes just sitting next to them in silence. The presence of another human who loves them made them smile and despite the fact that we live on opposite sides of the world we became best friends. As our final act, before we left, we had a gathering in their small church praying to our Father for healing, peace, comfort, and an overwhelming sense of God’s presence to linger there long after we leave.
As our students are overwhelmed with the needs and burdens of the people in Nepal. We are holding fast to the fact that our God is powerful, he is everywhere and he loves the unlovable. He loves those people the world casts out like garbage even more than we do. We are privileged to be serving a great, loving God here in Nepal. Our presence is temporary, but His presence is eternal and in that we rest.
Find more like this: Nepal mission trip, Royal Servants , lepercolony, ministry,sextrafficking
By Bethany Hammond
I am the co-leader for the Nepal mission trip along with my husband Job. I am serious about triathlons, coffee, Jamba Juice, Rainbow flip flops, and I always carry Burt’s Bees chap stick in my pocket. Follow Bethany Hammond on Twitter or Facebook
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