Reaching Nepal

Nathan and I are sitting in the Chicago airport waiting to fly to Nepal with a group of 8 college students. We are planning to take them backpacking in the mountains to encourage some believers there and distribute Bibles to people we come in contact with during our journey. Please pray for us as we lead and invest in these students for the next 3 weeks. God has given us a good group of students and we are excited to see them serve and grow through this trip. We are also really excited about going home. God has been so gracious in allowing Nepal to be our home the past few years and we miss it dearly. We are looking forward to seeing friends and just being in our country that we love so much. We would cherish your prayers while we are there.

On the way home, Nathan and I will be making an additional stop apart from the team and will be spending two weeks in Europe staying with some friends and sightseeing. Please ask God to use us to glorify Him wherever we are and whatever we are doing. We want to shine His light in Nepal, in Europe and wherever else we may be.

Sarah and I left on Saturday for what will turn out to be an exciting summer. We were in a supporting church in Virgina on Sunday morning. On Sunday night and Monday morning we took time to relax and tour the beautiful town of Harper’s Ferry, WV. This evening Sarah and I will be meeting a group of college student to prepare for a summer trip to Nepal. On Thursday, we will leave with 8 college students to do ministry in the mountains. It’s an exciting time for us. We have missed our home so much and look forward to being there soon.

Please pray for our trip. We have planned well and I trust it will be a wonderful time but if I have learned anything from Nepali culture it’s that everyday brings new surprises. I will try my best to put new updates on here when ever possible.

Sarah and I have now been married over one month. We are loving married life and the chance to walk through life together. As we have started this new journey, there have been many unanswered questions about what comes next: where shall we live, where will the money come from to go back to Nepal, what is our next step, and many more. For most of my life I have had the chance to walk in faith and trust Jesus for all things but now that I am married the challenge of walking by faith has gotten bigger and much more intimidating. Not only am I dependant on God for my own self but for my wife and one day a family.

Lately we have had many people question our way of life. They will say, “Why do things this way when you could go back to Nepal through a different avenue and everything would be provided.” I admit I have wondered this myself but what I have realized is that as Sarah and I have walk by faith, dependent on Him, He has always provided our needs. It’s true we don’t always know where we will stay, where provisions will come from, or what is around the next corner but it makes for a great adventure. I would not trade our life for anyone else’s.

Just in the last month God has poured out His blessings like never before. We didn’t know where we would live and then a church we had no connection with offered a free home for two months and a van to drive. We had ministry trips to make in Seattle and Montana and God provided places to stay, food to eat and even chances to see the sights. God has been burdening my heart to go to seminary and get my masters degree but with little money and a busy schedule it did not seem likely. Then my mission board said it would be okay to attend seminary for a year and still raise support. A seminary in Louisville, Kentucky offered a discount rate for Sarah and I to attend. And finally a group in Chattanooga have me a full tuition scholarship to cover the rest of my school expenses.? These are just a few of the ways God has blessed us during this season of our lives.

More than the physical blessing that He has given, I am amazed at the blessing that comes in stepping out and walking in faith. I often don’t do this well, but when I do, He never fails. He does not always provide in abundance as he has lately but He promises to never let His children go in want- “never begging for bread”.

“Thank you Lord for being You, for always providing when I trust that You will, and for allowing me to struggle and hurt so that my dependence on You can grow. ”

PS…I promise to soon post pictures from the wedding!