Royal Robes

God's in the business of clothing the neglected and unexpected in royal robes.

I recently read the above quote in one of our Advent Celebration days and it completely sums up a lot of thoughts I've had lately in how great God is in extending His grace to us who have done nothing to deserve it.

A story that I think on constantly is found in Acts 3 where Peter heals the lame beggar who is daily carried and sat in front of Beautiful Gate. Peter’s response to the man’s plea for money was, “silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” Same as in all the healings Jesus preformed, it was a miracle that he stood up and began walking and leaping, praising God while doing so. The thing that I find myself thinking about though is verse 9 and 10 where it says, “All the people saw him walking and praising God. Then they knew that it was he who sat begging alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.”

Sitting at the gate is what he was known for. He was lame from birth and everyday he sat there to beg. He was a monument at the gate to the temple courts that everyone knew they would walk by to get inside. His presence was a daily fixture to the gate and all who knew the area at all knew him. That’s why verse 9 and 10 are so important! His healing was a big deal to the community and to all their unbelieving hearts. In the beginning of Acts it is all about the Spirit’s power through the people- and here is proof of the Spirit’s presence in their lives. No one could deny that the beggar was healed so they had to consider that it was Jesus’ work through humans themselves. 

When thinking about this story I think about all the influential people around my area of Kathmandu, that I daily see, who would make a huge difference in unbelievers lives if they were to come to Christ; People who are fixtures to the community and known for something specific. An individual that comes to mind is a Buddhist nun that sits on the side of the stupa each morning and evening. She is said to be over 100 years old. She daily gives blessings to all people who come to her and she is looked up to by the Buddhist community because of her high position, age and devotion to her religion. Think of the impact a nun, of her age, that people look up to would have if she was transformed into a Christ follower! Think about the confusion and wonder that other Buddhists would have as well as interest and curiosity in what she now believes. I desire for this woman to know the Lord not only because of the influence on other Buddhist people’s lives she would have, but for her own life! She would no longer have to work for her salvation. She could then find her many good deeds worthless in view of eternity and instead rest in her new belief of Jesus as Lord, the only possible way to heaven!

Another person that comes to mind from that story is my friend Rinku. He is an Indian man living in Nepal who was born lame. He sits each day shining shoes to provide for his blind wife and sweet six month old baby, who is without defect. Although people in the community don’t know Rinku like they do the nun, he can be seen every day sitting in the same exact spot working on shoes. My heart breaks for him because I see his hard work and sweet spirit and I desire for him to have understanding of God’s grace. The other day I was sitting and chatting with him and decided to have him clean my shoes, still dirty from monsoon season. As he was busy working away I was hit hard with emotions. I was holding back tears thinking about how much I desire for him to know the Lord. His happy-go-lucky spirit would be turned into unshakable joy that resides in the truth of Jesus Christ! He would have hope past his humble living, in day-to-day reliance of cleaning and repairing shoes, to instead eternal life in heaven. What brought me to tears, though, was thinking about the Acts 3 passage of the man in front of Beautiful Gate, who was once lame and then healed. This could be Rinku, he could one day be given a new body and be able to praise God by standing up and walking or jumping. As I began to picture this sight in heaven I pictured his wife there also- her first sight ever the face of Jesus! His salvation and transformation of heart on this earth would affect people for the gospel’s cause just as the lame beggar whose body was healed.

“Strengthen the weak hands,
 and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are fearful-hearted, ‘Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God; He will come and save you.’ Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb sing.” 

Isaiah 35:3-5

I am so humbled in thinking about how through Christ, after death, we are given unending life. It’s humbling also to think that nothing from our Earthly bodies will be with us, we will be made new! Rinku and his wife would be without defect and would have no worries or cares (Philippians 3:20-21). The old nun who has spent her life working for deliverance from this sinful life would truly be set free and made pure (1 John 3:2-3). Something I am learning though is… yes these people’s salvation would be a miracle, the nun and the Hindu man, I pray for that, but their salvation would be no more of a miracle than my own salvation. I was saved by my faith in God’s grace and it is the Spirit that miraculously brings me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, and He sets my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm (Psalms 40:2). The sin I’ve left behind, and battle with now, is conquered in Christ and by His Spirit. That same Spirit that has brought me out of the pit can also bring out any person of any situation!

I am finding out more and more everyday how thankful I am that salvation is not based on doing good or having right morals. I’m thankful that it is the Spirit that gives life and releases the hold of my deserved death because of sin (Romans 8:1-2). The beginning quote, "God's in the business of clothing the neglected and unexpected in royal robes" is not just talking about those who have a hard time on this earth because of their physical needs or financial needs… To me it refers to all of the creation that has been chosen to bow down to the Lord in obedience! We are all undeserving of any royal robe.

My last thought in continuing with the thinking of “royal robes” is about how heaven is something that can never be imagined or understood through our earthly eyes. When thinking on my hope of Rinku’s salvation I begin to think of what his eyes would think of heaven. Like I said he would no longer have earthly pain, but something else that is mind-blowing is that in comparison to all the things that he has seen on this Earth, heaven would be magnificent, something he could never dream up or imagine because he has never seen nice things or lived in a home with walls other than tarp. Thinking on this I began to ponder what it would be like if the richest man in the world, who lived in a mansion on this earth and ate fancy dinners with expensive china, was a believer, what would his eyes think of heaven? This thought is new to me- I’ve never considered how for him it would be unimaginable. But it would, I have no doubt in my mind that the glory of God in heaven he would see would be the same amount of astonishing and mind-blowing that Rinku would experience! I don’t know what to expect in heaven because I have earthly eyes, but I know that the new life and royal robe that those who enter heaven will experience is something undreamed-of!  

-LauraLBrown 

“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.

For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.

We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies.

For in this hope we are saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.” 

Romans 8:18-25

Beauty Costs

I have been finding out more and more about myself and how I am not perfect! There are days that stack up and create a lull in my daily time with the Lord. There are times where I am stuck in sin and just don’t want to give it up unless it is on my own terms and in my own strength. Sin so easily finds me and waits for me to be lazy and self-indulgent.

A story that I love, about our time in Nepal, is one that has taught me a lot about how God cleans up our old selves and makes us new.

Within our third week of being here Bekah, Leah and I were making our way down the road where our apartment sits. As we were walking down the stone street I glanced into a store front and saw a stunning green stoned ring, I always tend to shop as I go :). Though we were headed to help friends pack their house up to move, we decided to stop and see what else this jeweler had in his shop. The case facing the road, in which all his stuff was displayed, was dusty and his merchandise was thrown around in no particular order. When you enter into his small shop all he has is a wooden bench with a red pillow top to sit. He has nothing on display in the glass cases, which take up two walls, other than dirt, and dust, and cockroach droppings.

Once we sat down with this overfriendly Nepali man we got suckered into staying, chatting, drinking tea, and looking at all his handcrafted jewelry. Leah was in love with the original ring that drew us into his store. She wanted it but the ring was dirty, too big and tarnished; so we asked if he could make a brand new one to look just like it with the same stone. The man insisted that she could buy that ring and he would fix it for her right there in the store while we were sitting on his bench. Doubtful that he could bring this ring to fit perfectly on Leah’s ring finger, as well as look good, we asked how much it would cost.

When we decided the ring made pretty again would be worth the price, the jeweler named, he immediately began to work. Within minutes of sitting there the ring was made new. He cut and fired the ring to be smaller and ran the blemished silver through a humble wheel that gave back its luster. 

After about fifteen minutes of recreating the ring that sat on display, unclean, the ring was made beautiful far further than our expectations! As soon as we saw how pretty it was and how perfectly it fit on her small hand, Bekah and I decided to each have a ring made to be similar to Leah’s. Not only that, but we have referred four people to that same little jewelry shop to check out his ornaments and get pieces made.

Mine, Leah's, Bekah's

So much can be learned from this story! My favorite thing, though, is how once Leah decided that she wanted the ring and the price was okay, even though it was not yet made beautiful, she trusted him and allowed him to carry on by fixing and fitting it to perfection. This parallels our heart that can be cleansed by Christ. We must count the cost (Luke 14:25-35) and then allow ourselves to full-heartedly commit to Him. Allowing Him take over and do the chiseling, the carving, the cleansing. No new heart is needed when the Lord is in control; just a dirty one that will soon be washed white as snow through the blood shed by Jesus.

In keeping with the theme of pieces of beauty… One of my favorite parables, to date, is the parable of the hidden treasure and the pearl (Mt. 13:44-45)! Check it out:

44) The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field.

When a man found it, he hid it again,

and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.

45) Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls.

When he found one of great value,

he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.

In verse 44 it is seen that a man found a hidden treasure! In 45 it is seen that a merchant searches for fine pearls! Both sold what they had for the other. Truth is Christ is the merchant and he searches us out having already given everything up buying us at a price… It is our turn to be as the man, find the treasure and sell everything we have.

I love that the Lord is the one who searches out. I love that we don’t have to do anything but count the cost and decide to allow the Lord to do the work! I love that my old, dark, sinful heart can be made clean, pure, beautiful immediately- just as Leah’s ring was right before our eyes.   

I have discovered a pearl of great price and it is worth everything I have.

-LauraLBrown

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1spkhp41ig4&feature=related

Masked Cultures

Here in Nepal when I smell dog poop on the street it takes me back to elementary school when I had the chore of feeding the dogs in the morning. It seemed to never fail that my shoe would make its way to find a smashed, ample, amount of poo on the bottom (sometimes not being found until midday of class). In the same way dog poop smell triggers my early memories of life, the smell of cheap vanilla perfume triggers the memories of my time spent in Thailand last summer. Here I don’t use perfume to mask my smells so I don’t really know what scent is going to be my reminder of this place. I’m positive I’ll have one, or many, that will bring me back and not let me forget my experiences here. Maybe the rare occasion I smell incense in America will trigger my thoughts of Nepal? Maybe even cow manure, or the smell of yeast that I smell so often from the rice beer being made in homes?

It’s crazy to think that I am already pondering what is going to be my reminders of this place when I leave! I’ve been here now for three swift months and I have only three more left of my term. I get sad thinking about how quick my remaining time here will pass. Bekah and Leah have felt the Lord clearly call them to stay here for six extra months. I am so excited for them and the many blessings that will be in store for them during that time! Despite my desire to stay and serve the people of Nepal, with those girls, I have found peace in returning home to finish school.

As for now my heart for this place is growing to be huge! And like I said, I love serving the people and yearn to tell them about the truth of the Most High God!  As I sit across from individuals and chat I often think, “this can’t really be my life.” I think about how the things I am seeing and doing are things that you can only read about in a magazine or text book from other people who saw and did them. Seeing everything from trucks full of goats, water buffalo on a lead rope, babies relieving themselves in the middle of the road, men carrying sofas by their heads and women breast feeding openly are all a daily occurrence; as well as experiencing people of all ethnic backgrounds and religions. No day is dull when we go out intentional.

We have had opportunities, in these last few months, to stumble across many people who were hungry for the word. People who were already questioning and got to hear answers, people who didn’t know they were going to question but, because they heard, are now, and people who haven’t ever paid a thought to Christianity and never will again. I’ve gotten to share in tea shops, jewelry stores, Tibetan homes, and even, in the oddest place yet, a sauna. God has been so faithful to provide opportunities for us to openly proclaim His name!

I have found, when sharing, there are two major differences of religions and Christianity...

First is that becoming a Christian is a choice someone must make. Buddhists, Hindus and Muslims are born into their beliefs. A Christian cannot be born into the family of God. Instead it is a personal decision that must come through conviction of sin and the realization of who God is.

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,”

And believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,

You will be saved.

For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified,

And it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved…

For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Romans 10:8-9, 13

A second thing that only born-again believers possess is the understanding that it is not works that allow entrance in heaven. The bible unmistakably states that to enter into the kingdom of God you must believe in the Son of God. People often gasp when I tell them that I deserve hell because I am a sinner. In all rightfulness hell is exactly what I deserve because God is holy and He is just; nothing good that I do or say is my salvation. Instead it is the blood shed by Jesus Christ on the cross and my faith in that that covers my sin. All I have to do is simply believe.  

For if, by the trespass of one man, death reigned through that one man,

how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace

and the gift of righteousness reign in life through one man, Jesus Christ!

Romans 5:17

My point that I want to make in this post is that evil is real. There is a battle being fought and we can’t pretend like it’s not here. Satan has twisted truth and created in people false beliefs so they wouldn’t be able to see the facts of Christ and His salvation. He has given all peoples idols to worship; he has placed temptations in our faces. Satan relishes in taking God’s glory through our false worship.

So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit,

And the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh.

They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.

But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

Galatians 5:16-18

Something that will always be burned in my mind, whether triggered by a scent or not, are the idols here. Idols of this world are real! Whether it be, like here, a stupa to walk around or a god house to enter in, or, like at home, money or sex. There is spiritual warfare everywhere and there is a battle to be fought! Think about it… If you believe in a true heaven and hell when you die there is no place for an inbetweener (someone who was almost a believer in God but wasn’t quite), so why should that place exist on Earth? If we aren’t serving God we are serving something else, evil. I recently listened to a David Platt sermon on spiritual warfare and he made a great point that our battle isn’t against flesh and blood (Eph. 6:12), and if it was we’d probably be able to fight it. So what would be the point of having to rely on the power of God?

Satan covers our eyes,

The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers,

so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ,

who is the image of God.

2 Corinthians 4:4

but it is God who probes our hearts and mind!

Bring to an end the violence of the wicked

and make the righteous secure-

you, the righteous God

who probes minds and hearts.

Psalm 7:9

I’m so so so thankful that God is supreme and all-knowing. He probes hearts and minds for goodness gracious!!! What other God can claim to do that? May we cast out the evil desires of our flesh and allow our lives to keep in step with the Spirit (Gal. 5:15).

Being here I have had a lot of time to think about the idols in my life that Satan is blinding me with; the things that keep me stuck in my flesh. I consider it one of the greatest blessings to grow up in a home where my parents taught me about Jesus! The problem is, when growing up in the Christian culture of America it is easy to wear blinders for years! Here I am thankful that I have been given fresh eyes to the sins I commit when I am comfortable.  

At home, in America, we all tend to be so blind to idols because our worship is different. Our worship is getting lost in the hustle and bustle of the day. It’s getting pushed around from activity to activity trying to look our best and carry the best composure and status with us. Our idols get shoved under a rug and are never spoken of. It makes me sick to think about the lost people in America who go through their life feeling that what they are doing is right. That feeling is the exact same thing as the people here who think that karma on earth, and their families worship for them, when they die, is what is going to be what sends them straight to heaven. It is all lies that Satan has blinded us with to keep our eyes from seeing our sin as well as from seeing God for who He truly is.

I ask that you will pray for the masked cultures of this world. Satan, in all nations, has a hold on salvation due to culture. Pray against the covering of people’s eyes in Nepal. Pray that God will probe minds and hearts as believers here tell the gospel. I ask that you also will pray, with me, for the salvation of people in America. Pray for your home town. That God will reveal idols and sin that is often disguised by fads, customs and duties.    

Our lives were created only for one thing, and that is honoring and glorifying God. May we be true to our life's purpose!

For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation

to all people.

It teaches us to say "no" to ungodliness and worldly passions,

and to live self-controlled,

upright and Godly lives in this present age,

while we wait for the blessed hope-

the appearing of glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,

who gave himself for us to redeem us

from all wickedness and to purify for himself

a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

Titus 2:11-14

 

-LauraLBrown

Since the children have flesh and blood,

he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break power

of him who holds the power of death-

that is, the devil-

and free those who all their lives were held in slavery

by their fear of death.

For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham's decendants.

For this reason he had to be made like them,

fully human in every way,

in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest

in service to God,

and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.

Because he himself suffered when he was tempted,

he is able to help those who are being tempted.

Hebrews 2:14-18

Muttered Truth

A job we do here in Kathmandu is teaching English every weekday in the morning. We’ve done it for a little over three weeks now and the students are amazing! Recently we broke our class into two levels and it has been great because we have been able to initiate deeper, meaningful, conversations.

We have been telling our students about the bakery that we get to help with and yesterday we took ChhiTo MiTho cookies to our classes. While I was handing out cookies to the lower level students, I had the idea that it could be a great opportunity to practice reading in English the scripture on the card. The verse is John 6:35:

“Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.’”

Our class is an hour and a half long and the first thirty minutes is set aside for strictly practicing conversation. Reading and explaining the verse was going to be the conversation that day, I thought. As I got into explaining the scripture I had to write it on the board. And after I wrote it on the board I had to keep writing definitions of the words in the verse. And as I was explaining definitions I had to tell more words to explain one word. And as I was telling these words I had to tell bible stories to back up what the words meant. As I told bible stories I had to tell more bible stories to back up those other bible stories. Needless to say we never got to the book work! And that’s okay :).

Class flew by because I was sharing stories from the bible, in really simple form, for the entire hour and a half. I’m almost positive they thought I was a crazy person standing up there because I just kept getting excited and would share more and more the more we talked about it!

My favorite thing of yesterday’s experience was hearing the Tibetan students read off the verse from the board! It was beautiful!! They tend to be shy in their reading but knowing that they were muttering truth, whether they know it or not, under their breath was music to my ears!

Because of the new business cards ChhiTo MiTho has, I have actually gotten to experience non-believers read off the John 6:35 verse on multiple occasions! The verse on the card makes for great conversation and shows immediately that we are a Christian business. I love handing it to someone, seeing them examine it and read a direct quote from Jesus! It is the perfect discussion starter to The Word.

In class, as we talked about the meaning of the verse written on the board a monk copied it down into his notebook. Not something I asked him to do but because of his desire to know the vocabulary he marked it down. The neatest thing to see were the wheels turning in his head… as he wrote the verse, and as I told stories, he began to ask questions. My FAVORITE question he asked that proved to me his interest in this Jesus guy was, “where is Jesus now?”    

Here is where the “crazy person” in me came out… I got to explain Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection all while answering the monks question of “where is Jesus?” I was beside myself excited to explain how Jesus rose from the grave and is living!

It is because of His perfect life and obedience to death on the cross as well as His ability to rise from the dead that I have hope! Because of this truth I can rise from the dead I deserve, because of my sin, and live eternally with God in heaven.

I am so thankful that I got to spend my class time sharing the “where” abouts of Jesus! Not only that but I turned his question into a lesson for the day, we practiced question words. I got to answer all the who, what, when, where, how questions of the good news!

God is so good how He works all the time. I am humbled and thankful to be used by Him! Standing up, yesterday, and teaching these things gave me a renewed thankfulness that I serve a God who is living!     It was such a great reminder for myself that Jesus is alive, Acts 1:3:

“After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive…”

Unlike any other gods my God is a God that is active and booming. Praise be to Him!

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuiness of your faith- of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire- may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls."

1 Peter 1:3-9

  

ChhiTo MiTho updated their labels for the cookies as well as just got business cards for the first time.

Our English class 

(We celebrated Father's Day with a little too much exctiment. :))

-LauraLBrown

Moments of Impact

“My theory is about moments, moments of impact.  My theory is that these… flashes of high impact actually end up defining who we are.” –The Vow.

I love how in the movie The Vow, “moments of impact” is a theme. The main character, Leo, sees a girl for the first time in a parking lot. When he sees her he has an inside conflict of whether or not to go up and make a move or stay back and just watch. He, in his mind, is saying the above quote, which basically means… why not- this could turn out to be something good.

The “moment of impact” quote has stirred in my brain since I’ve been in Kathmandu. Obviously not because it’s biblical or theologically deep but, to me, it is just reminder of… why not go for it? Why not walk up to that person and get their name? Why not sit down and the first thing in your conversation you have with someone be about something greater and more powerful than “how are you”? To me it is about doing something even if you make a fool of yourself.

What I’m referring to is the moments that you get to share the gospel!

Recently a friend of mine lost his grandmother. She passed away of a sudden heart attack early in the morning. A question that loomed in my friend's head was, “did she really know Jesus?” He had seen her earlier in the month and had a long gospel centered conversation with her. I think it’d be alright to speak for him and say that he is thankful for that conversation! He is thankful that she got to hear the truth of The Word not long before she died! I can also speak for him and say that his urgency to get The Word of God out has been amplified by the reminder that we don’t have long on this earth. There is absolutely no promise that we are going to be here tomorrow.

With his newly reminded urgency, my urgency to share was spiked!

For me, there has been a young monk who stands down near the stupa every day, in the exact same spot, in the exact same position holding a bowl. He is different than the other monks; I noticed that the first time I saw him. He wears clothes of a brighter red and orange than the others. His skin is darker and his eyes are deeper. His face tends to remain down cast as he stands, but most people still walk by and acknowledge him. Something inside of me was intrigued the first time I saw him. I remember feeling a strong heavy heart for that boy and thinking I want him so bad to know the Truth of the Lord.

As us girls began to get into a regular routine of walking around the stupa to go places, I began to figure out the monk’s patterns of standing there. He tended to be there early in the morning until early afternoon. Same spot. Some days he would not be there and inside I would be bummed because I longed for some kind of interaction with this young monk. Every time I saw him my heart cried out to the Father for him. I couldn’t help but hurt and lift him up.

I have never seen anyone talk to this monk, only put money in his bowl, bow a little bit and walk away. I wasn’t sure if I was allowed to say anything? I have talked to other monks, but like I said something with him was just different.

One day as I walked past I made eye contact with him and flashed a big smile. He returned one back showing his white teeth in contrast to his dark skin. I was excited! It may be cheesy to say, but I couldn’t wait to walk by and smile again.

The next time I saw him and made eye contact, he was out of his usual position standing on the steps of the monastery because of the rain. He waved at me, FIRST, and smiled like we were old friends. Though I was still trying to observe others and how they interacted with him, I began to get the feeling that one day my heart is going to be so heavy, that if I don’t share with him I would be disobedient. All I could think was… there will be a day when this monk is no longer living and I don’t have a clue when that will be. I must seize the opportunity when it arises. I will not let nerves of sharing with him get the best of me. With the same motivation Leo had in The Vow to do something huge in a quick moment’s notice, I knew would be my encounter with him. It would have to be complete faith pushing me to talk to him.  

With that, my mindset when walking by him changed from I’m going to smile and wave to I have to talk to him. I began to pray that the Lord would press that hard on my heart when I saw him. It’s so ironic though how I prayed for that pressure to come and I stopped seeing him around. For a week and a half or so there was no sight of him anywhere and I began to worry! Have I lost my chance? Have I wasted the time I felt for him and didn’t share?

Saturday morning I woke up and went running. I told God that if I saw him I would share. I made that commitment and asked for him to be there. I just knew it had to be done. As I ran by the stupa I searched for him and saw him nowhere. I made a full circle and ran back by just to make sure I didn’t miss him earlier. Still, no sign of him.

Sunday I woke up way earlier than I was supposed to and decided to run again. As I made my way down to the usual path, I was headed towards the stupa and chickened out. I was running to see if he was there and completely stopped in my tracks and turned around in the other direction. In my mind I thought, “I can’t do it, I don’t want to share today, I just want to run and get home.” When I made my way back towards our apartment I couldn’t help but be curious and see if he was down there. I haven’t seen him in weeks, so he probably wouldn’t be anyway.

When I turned the corner to where I could see his spot near the monastery, I immediately looked in that direction. I did not see him but he saw me coming. He was conveniently not in his usual place but instead he was standing on the steps where he first waved.

I walked up to him and fumbled through words asking his name and telling him mine. I immediately told him how I am a believer in The Most High God and have been praying for him. His face lit up and he wanted to hear more. Because his English wasn’t great he called his friend to come translate. Two minutes later a man walked up, and to my surprise he said, “Let’s go get tea!”

I found myself in an outer body experience walking into a small tea shop near the monastery with this monk and his English speaking friend. They were so kind. They treated me to tea and we sat down and had great conversation. They were genuinely interested in my life as I was theirs. I got to share with them the Truth of the Word from the beginning of time to Christ’s death and resurrection. They both sat intrigued with the stories and miracles Jesus preformed in his time here on Earth. It was the young monk’s first time ever to hear any story from The Word of God.

What happens next is what drives me to write and tell you about this experience! I asked the monk what he was doing the rest of the day and he said he was planning to visit friends because the next day he is traveling back home to India!!! He was only here for a short time to raise money to build a stupa in India.

The whole time I have been in Nepal, which is one month, he has been there. I had a heavy heart for him and had a wide open opportunity to share with him the day before he left Kathmandu! I can’t believe that I crossed paths with him, that day, at that time! I can’t believe he called his friend, who had flawless English, to come and translate the gospel into his own language! I can’t believe I got to share with him the name of Jesus Christ for the first time!   

I cannot convey to you the excitement that I have for how God works!! Never would I have thought that the day I got to share would be the last day I would ever get to see him. I am so thankful that I was able to be obedient and he got to hear about the Savior the day before he left for his country.

     

Through this experience I have been humbled. I have been reminded that there is absolutely no guarantee of tomorrow. I can’t take for granted the time I have with someone. And I can’t keep waiting for “tomorrow” to be the day I finally decide to do something big that will make an eternal impact. If I didn’t go running and make myself available to crossing paths with him, he never would have heard from me that day. My heart would still be heavy and I always would wonder what happened to that monk I so strongly desired to share with.

A piece of scripture that has spoken greatly to me this week is Jeremiah 20:9

But if I say, ‘I will not mention his word

or speak anymore in his name,’

 his word is in my heart like a fire,

a fire shut up in my bones.

I am weary of holding it in;

Indeed I cannot.

May The Word of God not be like a fire shut up in our bones. Instead may we be bold and ready to burst out its truths on everyone we meet. A good reminder is that we serve “the righteous God who probes minds and hearts” (Ps. 7:9). It is not our job to save people. It is God’s. He amazingly chooses to use us sinners who believe in Him to be His vessels for teaching the truth. So my job is simply to tell. He will take care of the rest.

For that I am thankful and I desire to be used.

“A moment of impact whose potential for change is far beyond what we could have predicted brings some together, and others spinning off into untold adventures… You can’t control how they’re going to affect you… you have to wait for the next collision.” –The Vow

-LauraLBrown

Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains.

Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

Ephesians 6:19-20

Promises

A few days ago there was a Hindu festival taking place at the Buddhist stupa. The stupa is- well I don't know much how to explain it- It is a massive structure where people go to worship. Not only do they worship it but the idols and gods that surround the structure. Many karmic practices take place there. 

Leah and I took our cameras to the stupa, which is in close walking distance from our apartment, to capture photos of the people at the festival! Boy were there people. We'd heard there would be many; I don't think I'd be taking it lightly to say a couple thousand. People PACKED everywhere! Shoulder to shoulder we made our way around taking in the sights, sounds and smells (usual for Kathmandu).

The crowded stupa

Beautiful Nepali Hindu woman

Tibetan Buddhist women

Nepali children

As we walked around we were not really sure at all how to pray or what to even say. The weight of darkness was felt overwhelmingly. The battle of how exactly do we go about prayer to what exactly is our role here? 

We made our way back to our apartment not long after being there... Our hearts were SO heavy. We sat on the balcony of the 4th floor overlooking some of the city and the stupa. To our eyes- we could see God's glory radiating from every aspect of the view. We asked ourselves how anyone could miss the beauty of His creation? How could people give praise to anything other than God when the most beautiful mountain ranges in the world surround them, in a valley, with a big sky painted blue and puffs of clouds blowing above? Truth is, their eyes are numb to it. I see God's glory because I know God.

One of my favorite stories I've got to hear Bekah tell a few times is about an encounter with God she had over a span of time in her life. This story fits so well into what happened next in our day....

Bekah's told how as a child she felt like God was her Daddy. How sometimes she'd lay in bed and feel as if God was wrapping her up in His big strong arms. She said as she got older she realized God is not only her Daddy but her Friend. When she needed comfort most, during trying times, He was there to put His hand on her back and show her peace. But my favorite of all of Bekah's meetings with God was when she realized He is not only Daddy and Friend, but He is Lover! She said there was an evening she was outside, alone, looking into the dark night sky talking to God. It was just Him and her chatting. When a lightning show took place in front of her eyes, just for her- no one else around! She felt as if God was showing off only for her to see- just like a lover shows off for the one he loves. He is our Lover- God shows off for those He loves!

That day as us three girls sat on the balcony of the fourth floor lifting up the people of Nepal, God proved to us that He is our Lover! He showed out in a big way by showing us one of His greatest promises He gave to the earth- Genesis 9:12-13:

And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come. I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth."

The neatest thing about the story is that no rain had fallen at all that day! It was as if God was not only wrapping us up in His arms and putting His hand on our back, but he was showing out for us... Promising us that He will not destroy all of life on earth again. Instead He has bigger plans. Plans for all the nations to proclaim His name in one voice! Plans to get glory from every nation, tribe, people and language. Revelation 7:9-17:

...Salvation belongs to our God,

who sits on the throne,

and to the Lamb...

Amen!

Praise and glory

and wisdom and thanks and honor

and power and strength

be to our God for ever and ever.

Amen!

...they are before the throne of God

and serve him day and night in his temple;

and he who sits on the throne

will shelter them with his presence.

Never again will they hunger;

never again will they thirst.

The sun will not beat down on them,

nor any scorching heat.

For the Lamb at the center of the throne

will be their Shepherd;

he will lead them to springs of living water.

And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.



 Beautifully said.

-LauraLBrown