Streams of Living Water

Namaste! Ma yo hapttaa ali-ali Npali Sikchhu. (Greetings! This week I learned a little bit of Npali.)

Yes, in fact we all did. We spent three hours each morning, Monday through Friday, in language class. It was a good but challenging time.

This week has been full of many culture experiences. One that I was especially looking forward to was wash day. After trekking for 15 days and wearing the same clothes for 13 out of those 15 days, I definitely had some major washing to do to remove all that dirt and smell. So one day this week Natasha and I went with our youngest host sister to the local washing place. I was expecting to go somewhere in the middle of town where there would be a water spigot surrounded by concrete. I have seen these in other towns. And perhaps there would be one or two other people washing their clothes there, if any. I have also seen this in other towns. So, we embarked on this cultural experience and as we were walking I realized that we were not heading in the direction of the middle of town, but instead towards the edge. We were walking down the dirt road for about eight minutes and soon it ended and became steps. We started going down the steps and I saw just beyond the steps out a little ways, a river. Little did I know what I was getting myself into. We continued walking down the steps and soon I saw many people and buckets of clothes gathered around three spigots which were pouring a constant stream of water over a stone platform. I was relieved to know that we weren't going to wash our clothes in the river (although, I'm not ruling this possibility out for the remainder of outreach). But, it quickly came into my mind that it is quite busy, this might not be as quick as I thought it would be, and we might have an audience. As it turned out, two of the spigots are used for filling containers to take home to use for household needs and only one spigot is used for filling buckets to wash clothes. We filled our buckets and started washing off to the side of the stone platform, on the dirt, because the platform was quite full of people scrubbing their clothes. We actually only had a small audience of a couple children, and they were more interested in talking with our host sister. But, on one occasion I was trying to wring out my fleece and the woman next to me hanging her clothes to dry on some barbed wire saw me struggling a bit and decided to help me. She started to talk to me in Npali and I thought to myself, oh this is a perfect time to try out my newly learned language. Unfortunately all I could do was look at her in confusion, not understanding a word she was saying. I could not remember a single word, not even the phrase "I don't understand." But it was okay, we shared some smiles and laughs at our inability to communicate through speaking and I eventually remembered how to say thank you. I was thankful for her willingness to help. One thing that was especially neat about this experience was a quote that I saw above the water spouts taken from John 4:13-14. "J-sus said, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." May we pr-y that each person that comes to the water might one day come and find the living water.

Other cultural experiences that we had this week included going to the market to buy vegetables, fruit, and milk, and learning how to cook chapatis (flat bread), snicker momos, and dalbhat. Dalbhat is a traditional Npali meal consisting of rice, dal (lentil soup), and curry. Also, I have been learning that I tend to take water for granted. The water situation here in the city is not very good. Sometimes, the water does not run from the faucets in the house because the well is getting low. Many people in the surrounding area have already found that their wells have run dry. And to have water delivered to your home you need to call one month in advance. I didn't realize how much I depended on water. Please keep this matter in your pr-yers as it is difficult for many people in the city.

Saturday we enjoyed fellowship with our brothers and sisters. It was a moving time of worship once again. The songs of praise brought peace and refreshment to the mind and soul. He always knows our needs. Being in His presence is awesome.

This next month is going to be spent traveling to different villages. We will be doing some teaching at two different disc. training programs, and sharing at a two-day womens seminar. At the end of April we are planning on taking a three day retreat. Then we will return to our home base in KTM.

Praises:
Successfully completing language class
Learning new things
Finding rest and peace for our bodies and souls

Requests:
For travels
For teaching and sharing at the various programs
For physical health
For the people that come to the water, that they may find J-sus
For the water situation in the city
For the students and participants of the disc. training programs and womens seminar

All who are thirsty...
May you drink from His cup...
for "...whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst..."

Let us continue serving faithfully,

Jess

Trekking Experiences, week 2

Here are some of our trekking experiences from the second week. Some of us started breakfast with Tibetan bread with omelet in the middle-very delicious and this is a good way to start the hike. Then we stayed at this one hotel which is known for their momo’s-pretty much bread stuffed with; vegetable, potatoes, egg, and mixed, what ever you choose. Since after this experience having this momo, I got a momo and chowmein for supper a lot, very good combination.

One day we hiked up to this place called Kyanjin Gompa along the Langtang trail. We had lunch up there; it was fun to watch them prepare food on top of a stove. Then it started to snow and we walked back to the hotel and threw snowballs at each other along the way. Then we sat around the fire to warm up and watched the snowfall out the window and experienced a thunderstorm while snowing. This was when I had my first snickers momo-Amazing.

I experienced how they kill a chicken, defeather it, butcher it, and then cook here Npali style. This was my first time seeing this, now I know how to do that. One time while lunch was being made Austin and I climbed a waterfall and cooled off-this was lots of fun and very cold. This same day we got to the town and waited for a bus to take us to another village. We three guys sat on the top of the bus-awesome view and you had to hold on so you don’t fall off the bus.

When we arrived to one village we went to a Wednesday night meeting-this was fun to be a part of worship together, and the message was from Romans 12:1-2, then had tea and popcorn as a snack.

Then as we hiked, we pr-yed for some people, and later that night we met someone from another country and had a great conversation on religion. It was good to explain why I believe what I do to someone else. That night the village welcomed us in their greeting-this was fun, they put a white scarf on us and then danced in a circle. We joined in and had fun trying to learn the dance. These people are so nice to new people, I want to be like them and accept all people.

There are so many prayer temples built along the trails-they usually have water running through them to turn a wooden turbine-very simple and all they would have to do is make it so it could generate electricity. Some of these are used to make flour in the villages. We had dalbhat a traditional Npl meal with omelet-great combination.

Then on Saturday, had noodle soup for breakfast very good, then walked to a meeting place and worshiped together. Then went back to someone’s house and had Tibetan tea with popcorn, I liked the popcorn much better then the tea, the tea had lots of salt and buttery taste.

The hightest elevation we were at was Kyanjin Gompa: 3730 meters, then walked down to 2465m over couple days, from here got a bus and went to another spot to hike two days there. Overall the week went well and I think we all could say we are happy to finish trekking. It was challenging physically and mentally, sometimes the body is tired and the spirit wants to keep moving.

I want to say thank you for all your pr-yers, while trekking-no one injured anything or got too sick not to walk-praise the Lord. Continue to pr-y for unity among the team, clear communication, God will continue to draw all of us closer to Him.

Kush

My Father really surprised me!

I never ever would have dreamed that I would go trekking in the Himalaya Mountains! My Father really surprised me! It is so crazy for me to think that even though I had no idea I would do this, He always knew. Even when I was a baby, He knew that someday I would trek in the Himalayas for two weeks.

The first day of the trip was spent riding a bus to where we would begin the trek. Monday we hiked 14,200.5 feet. One day we descended 6,000 feet. The highest altitude we got to was 14,000 feet above sea level.

The scenery we saw truly was beautiful. Words cannot even describe the beauty. What an amazing Creator we have!

We had a guide, G_pal, and a porter, R_jan, during the trek. They were very helpful and always smiling and singing. They were a lot of fun. We really enjoyed trekking with them.

During the days we would trek, and during the nights we stayed in lodges. Several of the lodges had fireplaces. It was so nice sitting by the fire in the evenings, relaxing and enjoying each other's company. We got to meet people from all over the world, which was interesting. It was fun looking around and seeing people from so many different countries all in one place. Unfortunately, quite a few of the people we met are trying to find fulfillment in drinking and smoking. Sadly, they are only harming themselves. Those things will only bring them temporary satisfaction and afterwards they are worse off than before. There is truly only One who can completely satisfy.

One day we trekked to a point on the top of a mountain where we could see the border of T.bet and we pra.yed for the people of T.bet and for the different requests. That day we met a man with only one leg who was trekking. I was really impressed. It is challenging enough with two legs, I cannot even imagine doing it with only one leg! The first Thursday of trekking we had lunch at a brother's house. He has been a part of the Family for two months. We pr.a.yed for his son who sometimes suffers from memory loss. That night we also stayed at a brother's lodge. We got to hear his story that evening. The next day was a day of rest, but we ended up not really resting. We got to help fight a forest fire! We hiked to the top of a mountain and then we used bamboo to sweep the trail to create a break so that the fire would not be able to continue going up. Then, the army came and took over from there.

We were blessed by this experience, I am thankful that our Father gave us this opportunity. My Father was there, helping me, the whole trek. He helped me to have fun, and He gave me the strength I needed each day. It was definitely Him, because I myself would not have been able to do it. I did not have the strength in me, but I am so thankful He gave me the strength I needed. I am also so thankful for the strength and safety He gave all of us. PTL!

It is my Father who arms me with strength

and makes my way perfect.

He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;

he enables me to stand on the heights.

You broaden the path beneath me,

so that my ankles do not turn.

Ps. 18:32-33, 36

Praises:

The safety and strength He gave us

The unique opportunity He gave us to trek in the Himalayas

The beauty we saw

Please be patient as we trek, we will write again to you in 15 days or so...

Greetings from Npl. We are now making our home in KTM, the capital city of Npl. The last few days we spent in India were days filled with lots of stuff to do yet they were energizing.

On Saturday I went with two of my friends, Stephen and Dinesh, to another town to help out with a children's min. that God has led them to start. It was a long day but it was so fulfilling. I helped some of the kids learn English by telling them how to spell words. Something as simple as spelling words for me, meant a world to the kids. Afterwards we visited a former PTL pastor who I had played bass with when we first came and that was really energizing as well. Just getting out into the community was so powerful, something that we didn't get to do as much as we would have liked.

Since it was our last week we got many invitations to spend the evening with people from our church. Some of the testimonies of faith that we heard were so encouraging. At sister Lizzie's house we ate a nice dinner and then sat and talked for a couple hours. She shared with us her testimony and her life. Wow, she lives with such faith. Everything she has, it seems, she has because she prayed for it and trusted God for it. The TV, camera. cell phone, a sister to live with and walk in faith with. She has so little, in the worlds eyes that is, but spiritually she is so wealthy. After her day job she visits families all evening and shares with them, believers and non-believers alike. She has so many stories about how she had nothing and God provided for her. It really challenged me, do I really need all the stuff that I have? Maybe all the stuff that I have is getting in the way of me really trusting in God for what I need. It's just so appealing to live a lifestyle like sister Lizzie. But it takes giving something up, our possessions. Am I willing to give everything I have to God and step out in faith, letting God provide for me?? These are some of the thoughts that have been passing through my mind lately.

We left India Thursday march 5. God was definitely with us as we traveled. When we checked in our luggage our combined weight was 25 kg over the allowed weight. The worker told us that we would have to pay a fee for having too much weight. There wasn't anything to do but pay for it so we asked him where we had to pay for it and as he was talking to another worker he came back and said don't worry about it, you don't have to pay it, but just so you know, you are 25 kg over and that would cost around $60. God got us through the first part and the entire way without much difficulty at all.

We will be going on a two week pr-yer trek starting this Sunday. It is a little earlier in our stay than we thought but out of shape or not we will go.

Praises:

Safe travels

Not having to pay the fee

Getting to know some of the people here

Our rooms are right across the hall from each other so as a team we will have more opportunity to bond.

Requests:

Our trekking experience.

That He will point us in the right direction and guide us in all that we do during our 4 and a half months here in Npl.

Peace.

Austin