This morning in Nepal God was moving and his spirit was
stirring. God led me and my team through the connection of some other
missionary friends to volunteer with beautiful ministry called “The Banquet
House” ran by Iris here in Nepal. This ministry is wonderful, so spirit led
and operating as the hands and feet of Jesus to the sons and daughters of God
in Nepal. The Banquet House is the location where Iris Ministries Nepal serves
meals to the street children and homeless people near the capital, Kathmandu,
Nepal. As a team we all helped to prepare, cook and serve breakfast for a large
group of kids, women and men who live in the streets. They all came tired,
drunk, beaten & bruised, wounded, starving and thirsty through the doors of
the Banquet Hall this early morning and it was a bit of a heavy atmosphere to
be face to face with the poverty that is so present here in this country. The
heaviness began to lift as we partook in prayer with the ministry staff as we
prepared to serve these brothers and sisters. Also the atmosphere began to
shift as one of the students serving at Iris Ministries this summer brought out
his guitar and began to strum chords, erupting in worship to Jesus our King. As
the Spirit was invited into this banquet hall some of us began to get up and
dance and to have a blast embracing the freedom that Jesus gives us. I found
myself singing and praying and dancing with the children. My heart began to
move from a place of heavy weight to joyful flight as I used my breath to
glorify God and as my steps intertwined with some of the least of these who are
in desperate need of our Father’s unfailing love. As I scanned the outdoor
dining hall that we had set up about an hour ago I found it now completely full
of those who Jesus came to save – the lost and the lonely. I couldn’t help but
take a deep breath and grab a seat near one of the deedees (which means older
sister in Nepali). This sister had just walked in with her family, a man by her
side and her baby in arms – she caught my eye and I could see the relief in her
eyes to see a smile given to her and a hug given as she entered the banquet
hall. Her daughter was precious y’all. Words can’t describe her beauty, her
eyes twinkled and her skin glowed. As we sat together and listened & sang
to the worship music – both in our own languages I talked to the baby and had
the chance to lay hands on her and pray. I noticed that the child had cuts and
sores all over her and I couldn’t help but tear up at all that I was
witnessing. This beloved one of God smiled and acted as if she didn’t know the
cuts or sores were even there although they covered her from head to toe – I
began to feel the Lord say, “I love the untouchables and I adore my children.
With my touch, with my love healing is in reach for those who believe.” I
unashamedly began to directly touch the sores and wounds and let my prayers
spring forth like an overflowing fountain. I longed for this family and baby to
feel and know God’s love. Who knows if they understood me, who knows if they
even remember my name – all that truly matters to me and to Jesus is that they
remember him. I repeated the name of Jesus (Yeshu in Nepali) over and over
along with Amen and the mom smiled and nodded in return and said the words back
to me. It is moments like these that I know the love of Christ is alive and
well and dwells within us. My heart is dirty and evil without Jesus who lives
inside of me and it is definitely not me who wants to touch the hurt and needy
but it is his compassion that flows through us when we allow it to. It is
Christ in me that is longing to restore and heal his people and it is so
humbling to see God use us for his glory.
After this moment with this sweet lady I returned to dancing
with some of the children. There was one boy, Riquez, who I simply adored. He
was the best dancer and he was tearing it up out there – so naturally we became
besties. I noticed a few minutes after we had started dancing he walked outside
the gates of the banquet hall with some of the older men and it made me uneasy
so I followed him. As I walked out there my heart broke yet again to find him
begging for a hit of one of the older man’s cigarette or pot (I’m not sure
which one it was because they roll a lot of their own here so its hard to
tell). I couldn’t just sit by and watch this take place, but not knowing what
was okay to do in this type of situation I hesitated. In my mind all I could
imagine was that Riquez didn’t have a father, he didn’t have a godly man to
look up to, so he flocked to these men who were leading him in all the wrong
things, but he just longed to be grown up and accepted/included. My thoughts
and hesitations came to a halt and all I could do was respond out of God’s love
and I walked right up to Riquez and wrapped my arms around him saying “No
buddy, come back and dance, please come back, come with me.” Riquez proceeded
to ask me if I wanted to smoke and I shook my head repeating, “No sweet one,
Jesus loves you, come with me”. It was in this moment that the drunk older men who Riquez looked to for affirmation were beginning to surround me and approach
me in not the most comfortable of ways. I kindly and forcefully at the same time
said, “No, di (means sir in Nepali) stop” and walked away swiftly with Riquez
in my arms headed back towards the gates of the banquet hall. As we walked in
the worship music was wrapping up and the leader of the ministry was beginning
to have everyone come together to pray over the meal we were about to share as
one body. I sat back down on the dust covered cement ground and Riquez sat
right in front of me. I put my hands out, palms up and willingly Riquez placed
both of his tiny, scraped, smoke smelling hands in mine. As we began to pray
Nepali style (in Nepal everyone prays out loud all at once when they pray) I
grabbed this beloved one’s hands as tightly as I could and asked the spirit to
pray God’s heart over him. I prayed and prayed and my heart exploded for love
for this little one. As I prayed out loud Riquez pressed his forehead against
mine and I opened my eyes to see him praying as well. In this moment yet again
I know God was releasing a little bit of heaven on earth and I firmly believe I
could see God coating Riquez in the armor of Christ so that when faces the
trials and struggles of the streets he will be able to stand strong. As our
prayers came to a close Riquez lifted his head and looked me in the eyes – we
both said our amens and I said to him, “Yeshu loves you, Alleluia and Amen” and
responded “Yes, Alleluia and Amen”.
Our God is a God of hope. He is a God who is near to the
broken hearted and he binds up the wounds of the afflicted ones (Psalm 34:19).
The need here in Nepal for revival is real. The need for a Savior to come to
life in the streets is beyond crucial. My heart breaks and cries out asking God
to take back this nation, for is the Father of all. I hope and pray that you
will join me in these prayers. Our prayers move the heart of the Father (James
5:16) who loves us and his children all over the world. I know that at Iris
Ministries this morning God changed lives and touched hearts. I also know that
what I have experienced here today is only a fraction of the injustice, pain,
and suffering taking place around the world so we must beg God to raise up
laborers to send to the ends of the earth in Jesus’ name, for his is the only
one who can save and bring redemption in all things.
Please pray for Iris Ministries Nepal and the work they are
doing as the hands and feet of Jesus. Pray for my friend and brother Riquez.
Pray, Pray, Pray (1 Thessalonians 5:17) – not one uttered word or groan goes
unnoticed – that which we do for the least of these we do for our Heavenly
Father.
I am reminded of God’s promise and cling tightly to this today
–
“We are hard pressed on
every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not
abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body
the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.
For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so
that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at
work in us, but life is at work in you.”
-2 Corinthians 4:8-12
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