Greetings everyone!
Well to start off the New Year, January 18th marked the completion of my first contract under Word Made Flesh! However I have (obviously) decided to renew my contract for another 3 years!! And I'm so glad to be full of peace and joy in resigning as a sign that God is not yet calling me out of Nepal at this time. So pray with me for guidance, and new creative ideas to flow forth as I step into my new contract. My responsibilities will be the same with the exception of the role as Servant Team Coordinator. I am very excited to watch God bringing new people in and expanding our staff base as we have 3 new potential staff members coming in sometime in the next year!
News from Kripaa Sadan is good. At the start of the new year 2 of the men who had been living there for quite some time, completed their stay with us and have moved home to their wives and children. Pray for Ashok and Anil as they continue to live out the life that God has begun in them through Kripaa Sadan – that they would stand strong and confident in all that they have learned and become.
We began fellowship with the boys in Thamel again in early December. So far 17 have accepted Jesus Christ as their savior! And from those 17, two boys Kamal, and Sunil have decided to take the step to enter Kripaa Sadan. Kamal is especially a miracle case in my mind. WMF Nepal staff have known Kamal for nearly 9 years now. There have been times when we have been able to help him a lot, and times when it's been virtually impossible. I remember even a year and a half ago when at one point I was sure that Kamal was in his last stages of life. He had so completely destroyed the veins running throughout his body from many years of IV drug use that he was shooting into veins in his neck. For several years he complained of badly untreated infections and abscesses in his legs to the point of hardly being able to walk. Last year when we were holding fellowship for the boys Kamal was faithfully attending, however at the time we opened Kripaa Sadan he was arrested and was kept in jail for 3 months. By the time he got back out all slots were filled and he no longer had a chance at staying. Last month when we began fellowship again, Kamal was the first one standing outside waiting every time. After one week he left the street and began living at home with his family. He brought them to church, and continued to come to fellowship for the next three weeks! This past Wednesday Kamal entered Kripaa. Yesterday I stopped in to see the boys on my way home and Kamal, Sunil and the others were outside sitting around a fire sharing stories. Kamal was laughing and looked completely relaxed and at home. He seems completely confident and nothing about his stature appears to be coming from someone withdrawing from hard drugs! Praise GOD for the truth of the gospel and for the fact that IT REALLY DOES WORK 🙂 And in the end we need nothing else…just truth, love and the blood of Jesus.
We also have some wonderful testimonies coming from the now “senior” group of boys in Kripaa who have been there 11 months now. As we are working at preparing them for life on the outside we decided to send them out in groups to do evangelism. I think it's so important for them to know that not only does God reside and protect them within the walls of Kripaa Sadan, but He is alive, present and working EVERYWHERE – and that they have nothing to fear! So last week they went out and I ran into one group of them walking through Thamel. They were beaming and telling everyone in sight about Jesus and giving them information about our church. As we got in a bus to head home together one boy, Buddha, told me that now he can see that he has truly been set free! He told me that every time that he had walked those same streets, for so many years he lived in complete and total fear of the police. With so many memories of beatings, and theft and injustice in his heart, that was always the most difficult thing to bear. But that day he had walked head held high, with total peace in his heart past the police post in the center of Thamel! I was so so so proud of the change in him and for his heart seeking after Jesus. And then to make a great story even better after telling me this he asked me if there would be any way to pull some strings because ALL of the boys had decided that they wanted to go straight to one of the largest jails in Kathmandu to tell people about their saviour and what He has done for them!
In our children's home, Karuna Ghar, our director Gautam Rai is planning to be leaving sometime in the next few weeks to travel back home to his own village. We received news that there were two little girls that had lost their family and who needed a home. So we have decided to bring them home to be with us!! We think that these will be the last 2 girls to come into Karuna Ghar as the house is filling up fast (with the addition of 2 new babies being born to staff members Jamuna Rai and Sakuntala Magar within the next 2 months as well!) There will be at least 6 days of walking to places so remote there are not even roads leading to them…so pray for protection and that Gautam, and others travelling with him, would simply be able to enjoy the BEAUTY of this magnificent country. Pray also for the girls as they begin their new lives with us, and with Jesus!
Love and Grace.
-Brook