Dear Friends,
As I sit here looking out my window I can see the entire city of Kathmandu. Kara and I are so blessed to have an amazing view of the city from our window… it is especially amazing late at night with all of the city lights twinkling around us. Every year in October/November I write to let you know about the Hindu festival season coming up – but this year I thought instead of focusing on that I would let you know what the one true God of this universe has been up to lately. Because just as there are many people sacrificing to the idols of Hinduism tonight, there are many who are worshiping Jesus out in that great expanse of city as well.
Since returning from America this summer I have been spending a lot of unexpected/unplanned time in hospitals watching over precious Nepali children. First it was Mukti, our sweet little one that is now safe and sound living in Karuna Ghar. I wrote about her last month. Next it was a young man who is a drug user that I know from Thamel. His wife is 7 months pregnant and had been having some complications so he asked me to accompany them to the hospital. They were under the assumption that they would have to operate and have the baby immediately, but in the end the mother improved quickly and was sent home to wait a while longer. However, the profound thing that happened to me during it all was this: I know this young man well, but have only ever met his young wife one time. And even though I barely know her I was the only person that went to the hospital with this couple. I stood beside her bed in that emergency room holding her hand and giving her words of encouragement with the strongest sense of, “I should not be the one standing here!” The husband wasn't even allowed into the room. I thought, where was the girl's own mother, sister, or even a friend? Where were the people who surround her and love her? Where are the relatives eagerly awaiting the arrival of this new baby into the world? There was no one. Just me. An almost complete stranger standing beside the bed holding her hand and telling her it would be ok. And yet she did not complain. She was so excited just to have me there and even though she was in a lot of pain, she couldn't wipe the smile off of her face. This is truly an example of why God loves the poor.
Next, a young woman who sells small purses to tourists in Thamel called to tell me that her 3 year old son had been admitted to the hospital and that I needed to “come quick!” By the time I arrived I learned that he had already been there for 3 days. After 10 straight days of a fever over 100 degrees the mother was afraid and had brought him there. For those 3 days he had not spoken, was incoherent and acting as though he'd completely lost his mind, unable to recognize anyone around him. However, we must never forget that when the Spirit of the Living God is within us, we bring life wherever we go! As soon as I walked in and sat down beside the bed the little boy sat up suddenly, grabbed my hand, smiled and said…look mom a "bideshi" (foreign) girl has come to visit me today! All of the nurses came rushing in; all of the patients where coming to see… they asked me, do you know this boy? I told them, no…we just met five minutes ago. Apparently he would only scream and cry if anyone came near him – but somewhere when I arrived it registered in his spirit. Peace had come. Life had come. The evil had to flee! The boy had been diagnosed with Meningitis and was not expected to recover any of his normal mental functions at all. Today he has a CT Scan proving his mind is whole and he will be fine. The mother prayed and asked Jesus to come into her heart a few days later.
Jesus commands us throughout the gospels to lay hands on the sick and they will be made well. Every time I enter a hospital here my spirit just gets so excited! It's almost like when you walk in those doors that command becomes a whole lot easier to follow. You don't have to go anywhere to find the sick – they are all around you! In the bed next to this young boy was a young girl, maybe age 10-12. When they brought her in I knew immediately that an evil spirit had taken control of her body. She was beating herself against the walls, kicking, screaming… but every few moments she would pause just for a second and smile at me. In the middle of all the commotion I managed to pull the poor, weeping mother out of the room and told her a very VERY simplified version of how powerful our God is. I said: Sister…I know what has happened to your daughter. The doctors will not see this, but I have seen it many times. When you worship the Hindu gods sometimes a bad spirit can enter into your body, or your child's body. The only way to make it go away is to pray in the name of Jesus. I will pray for your daughter and she will be fine. The mother looked at me hopeful and sad she would be happy to receive prayer. My co-worker Gautam ended up coming to the hospital and praying over the little girl so that there could be a better full explanation in Nepali as to what was going on… The little girl was set free and also accepted Jesus as her savior!
So – day by day I am continuing to learn about God's love for these precious people. They are so simple, and yet so full of faith. They receive the love of God FULLY without thinking twice. The moment they believe for the first time, they believe with their entire hearts. They do not complain. They love me, even when I don't deserve to be the one on the receiving end of their love. They are often the ones who show Jesus to me – even though I continue to believe I'm the one bringing Jesus to them! Truly God loves to use the foolish things of this world to shame the wise.
In gratitude to Jesus,
and to His beloved poor,
-Brook