Hello again, and as Nepali Christians say, “Jaimashi!”
When I sit down to write about all that has been happening here in Nepal these lasts months I am so blessed. I'm blessed to remember and to reflect, and I'm blessed to know that I also have a chance to share the stories of transformed lives and new commitments to Jesus with all of you! May 12 marked the 3 month anniversary of opening the doors of our new drug treatment center, Kripaa Sadan. Just last week Kara and I had the opportunity to stay out at the house with the boys because our pastor and other leaders, who are usually helping out, were out of town. I don't know if I realized how much of a blessing and encouragement it would be to me.
I generally spend about 10 hours per week out at the house leading devotions and spending time with the boys there. So, to be able to spend an entire week gave me a chance to see how everything runs more thoroughly, and to get a better feel for how the boys are truly doing emotionally, physically and spiritually. To be honest I didn't have very high expectations until the first night when 9pm rolled around and all of the boys gathered together for a time of prayer. We sat down for a short devotion and prayer requests and then the boys began to cry out to God. They shouted, they cried out, and they did it unashamedly! It was like nothing I've ever heard. Every single one of them is now filled with the Holy Spirit and they love to pray! I think I was trying to pray as well but was so shocked by the sound of all of their voices raised together in unison that I must have just sat there dumbstruck for quite some time silently. I was flooded with thoughts, and memories of all the time we have spent as WMF staff shedding tears, and pleading before the throne of God on their behalf, and now to have witnessed them taking on the battle for themselves just blessed me beyond what I would have dreamed. They are some of the most beautiful and beloved people in my life and I feel so confident after seeing their lives on a deeper lever this week, that our Father God is truly rebuilding the foundations of their lives beyond simply freedom from drugs. I feel now I can begin changing my prayers of protecting them long enough to get them through the initial stages of drug rehabilitation, into a new phase of prayer for their futures and the ways they are ready to step up and be used by God as a powerful force in this nation.
Some prayer requests that we have for the house include:
1. Please pray for those of the boys who have expressed an interest in going on to Bible School and becoming pastors. Two specifically are Jeebas Thapa and Saanu Lama. These two have both only been in the house 2 months and are already so entirely focused on Jesus that they can hardly stand to wait longer before being sent out to do the work of God.
2. Pray for healing of HIV and Hepatitis. This week we finished all of the HIV tests for those of the boys who had not been tested before and are awaiting the results. We also had CD4 counts taken in order to determine the advancement of the HIV virus in the blood of those who have already tested positive. All of the boys in the house have also tested positive for Hepatitis. I believe that this summer is going to be a time of healing, and of building such a solid foundation in the lives of these boys through it. So please continue to pray that the boys who catch the revelation of God and see their bodies healed through it! The names of the nine boys living in the house are: Saroj, Buddha, Bachhu, Sanu Lama, Sanu Tamang, Rajan, Indra, Jeebas, and Raju.
Last month we also witnessed the death of our “Jeto Daai” or “eldest brother” from the house. Madan Gurung was the first of the 10 boys to enter Kripaa Sadan. He was so feisty and strong in spirit, but his body was worn down so small from over 20 years of drug use in Thamel. Madan was doing very well in the house, and spoke the Word of God all day long, even taking the time to preach little mini-sermons to Kara, Maggie and I. We enjoyed his company so much. A couple of weeks ago Madan came down with a bad case of diarrhea which was dangerous because of his frail physical state and the fact that he had been living with HIV for many years. He was admitted to the hospital and on the fifth day I had the privilege of staying beside his bed with him alone for several hours. Madan just held my hand as he became more and more incoherent. All that he would tell me was the he knew he was going on to be with Jesus. The next morning during staff meeting we got a call that Madan had passed away and that his last words were, “Pravu, Pravu, Pravu…” Which means, “Lord, Lord, Lord…” We took his body to a beautiful mountainside and had a wonderful service in remembrance of our beloved Madan Daai. I'm so thankful that God called me to this place and allowed me to be a part of Madan's life. For so many years he was alone, living in addiction, sleeping in the street with no one to love him or care for him. But Jesus was there, and in the end of his life Madan had 3 beautiful months surrounded with love and joy, free of addiction, and now free of pain. Praise God!
I am also still having a wonderful time leading a servant team who has been with us serving in Nepal since February. We had an adventurous trip to Calcutta, India a couple of weeks ago where we got to visit WMF Calcutta staff Kristin Keen and Sarah Lance. During the trip Kara and I also got to visit one of the largest brothels in India, Sonagachi, where our Calcutta staff have focused their ministry. Thousands of Nepali girls are trafficked to India each year and are forced into the sex-trade, never even hoping to have a chance to return to their former lives in Nepal. Kristin and Sarah have befriend many Nepali girls in this specific brothel and so they asked Kara and I to come along with them one day so that we could speak with them in Nepali. It was such a beautiful time for us!! The girls' faces just lit up when they heard, “Namaste! Sanchaai Hunuhuncha?” “Hello, how are you?” in their native tongue. The servant team then also served in Mother Theresa's Missionary of Charity homes and learned many lessons from their time there.
In closing I want to ask each of you to begin praying for my trip home this summer. My pastor Ranjit Kunwar and his wife Sarah will be coming home with me to speak in my home church from June 30-July2. We will be holding a seminar on the work of the Holy Spirit and if any of you would like more information about the weekend, or would like to come and hear us please let me know!! You can email me at brook.birch@wordmadeflesh.com I plan to be home from June 24 until the end of July, so if any of you are around Hesston, or in the area give me a call 620-327-2274. I would love to talk to you!!
Pressing on in love and gratitude,
-Brook Birch