bombs, monsoon and more– i live a CRAZY life!
First of all, I want to qualify this message before anyone freaks out about the bombs thing– I AM OK.. I PROMISE!! However, i think I have had the craziest weekend of my life… which is funny to say because I’ve had some crazy things happen in my life before.
I don’t know if you guys saw it on the news, but last night there was bombings in kathmandu where I live.. so I wanted to write this blog to everyone who may have seen that on CNN and worried about me. At about 5:00 last night several bombs went off throughout the city of Kathmandu. Several of these bombs went off at bus stations and one was detonated in a microbus, which is the form of transportation around here. Praise the Lord we were all at a house fellowship that we have on Sunday nights so my team and my other “m” friends were all safe. (I only currently have one team mate here, so we meet with a group of “m”s” from another company for house fellowship on Sunday nights. We recieved a phone call from the other companies supervisors of teh bombs and that they and shut the roads of the city down with military checkpoints, so I couldn’t get across town to my house so I spent the night at my friends. So we were all safe and sound and were able to just pray for the injured. Please pray for MY PEOPLE that I am coming to love so much here. Those that died probablly died without ever hearing of the name of Jesus. That is why I am here.
Pray for this country. They are in such political turomoil and just again.. need the hope of Jesus. They are not sure which faction is responsible for the bombings, but say it has something to do with the upcoming elections. you can read more about the story on www.nepalnews.com. Don’t worry– we are taking precautions, and for now I will no longer be riding in microbus’s. Please pray for the injured and the families of those that lost loved ones. Luckily the capital did not stay shut down, this has been known to happen where you cannot leave your home for days. I was able to return home today.. although there is a traffic bundh (which means no transportation) today starting at 3:00 by the moaist (communist) party.
ok.. i know this is long, but I have to tell you about my other adventures. First of all thank you so much for your prayers for me during this time of my grandmothers homecoming. It was very difficult for me, but my team of “m” friends have defionatly surronded me and comforted me when i needed it. So Saturday, the day i found out about my grandmother, my teammate nathan took me to lunch and then we went to his girlfriend/finance’s house where they took me to a tibetan cultural dance event to get me out of the house so I would not be alone grieving. SO I was in my Sunday dress for this little shindig. We left the dance at around 10:00 and poor nathan had to hike for a while to find us a taxi in the monsoon rain. So when the taxi came, I was walking down the steps, slipped and bounced down about 20 stairs in the mud. I was ok, just cut some and bruised, muddy and wet. SO I was like.. hmm.. lord how could this day get anyworse… well we got to sarah’s house to pick up her things and were locked out becuz the landlords had changd the locks.. so we were standing in the monsoon rain for like 30 minutes, in my sunday best.. hehehe.. i looked great. Then nathan and I had to hike back to get a taxi to come back home. There were no taxis to be found, because there is currently no petrol (gas) in the valley right now…. so it’s harder to find. So we were looking for a taxi and walking on this road. Well.. the road due to the monsoons literally became a river. So here I was in my sunday skirt wading through water with human feces floating in it up to my knees. That’s when I realized I either had to laugh or to cry. So I chose the option to laugh with nathan until i cried from laughing so hard. I wish you could have seen me. I was covered in mud, wet on every part of my body, and looked like a drowned rat. This road even had mini rapids like the hiwassee in it! Whew.. God defionatly did not call me to a normal life huh!
so that was my weekend. I am at home now.. not sure if I will have language lessons or not because of the bundh.. but we shall see.. wonder what God has in store for me this week? Thanks for your prayers– pray for this country to be set free in Christ.
JENN: I LOVE HEARING ABOUT YOUR ADVENTURES! I AM SO THANKFUL THAT YOU WERE WITH YOUR “M” FRIENDS WHEN THE BOMBINGS WERE HAPPENING THERE. WE WILL PRAY FOR THE PEOPLE THERE AND THE TURMOIL THAT THEY ARE IN. I THANK GOD THAT YOU WERE SAFE! YOU DO LIVE A CRAZY LIFE! YOU ARE A VERY VERY SPECIAL PERSON AND TO BE HONEST I CAN PICTURE YOU NOW IN THE MONSOON RIVER! I STILL REMEMBER THE ADVENTURES THAT TJ HAS EXPERIENCED WITH YOU. HA! HA! TODAY IS LABOR DAY AND WE ARE ALL HOME. I PLAN TO BE PRAYFULLY PRAYING FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY AROUND 11AM THIS MORNING. GOD BLESS YOU! MOMMA ELLIS
Oh Jenn,
I know how much you revel in adventure, but the thought of this makes me want to just hug you and never let you go. You bring new meaning to the pharse crossing over the Jordan river. I am praying for the Nep people and you. I am also thank God for keeping you safe! My mom is so right, I hope you know how special you are and God has chosen you! I bet God is reminding you of just how far has carried you! You are my mind so often. Thanks for posting the news story, you know I use to watch all the time, and need to again! The victory has been won! I’m glad Nathan and Sarah are there. You have no idea how much of an encouragement you are, and it is not just because you are an “M” it is because you are you! Praying for good health.
Jenn,
I am praising God right now for His providential care and for ordering your steps in such a way that you were with friends who were comforting you in your time of sadness. He kept you safe and ministered to you at the same time. Isn’t He awesome!
When I read about the bombs going off, I thought of them as a physical picture of the spiritual warfare that is going on in Nepal and was reminded that I need to be praying for Your People instead of just you.
It also reminded me of the story in Daniel 10, when the Lord left the battle and came to Daniel in his time of sorrow to comfort and to strengthen him. It says:
16: And behold, one in the likeness of the sons of men touched my lips. Then I opened my mouth and spoke. I said to him who stood before me, O my lord, by reason of the vision, sorrows and pains have come upon me, and I retain no strength.
17: For how can my lord’s servant [who is so feeble] talk with this my lord? For now no strength remains in me, nor is there any breath left in me.
18:Then there touched me again one whose appearance was like that of a man, and he strengthened me.
19: And he said, O man greatly beloved, fear not! Peace be to you! Be strong, yes, be strong. And when he had spoken to me, I was strengthened and said, Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.
Our Lord, the Captain of the Hosts, is not only fighting the battle in the spiritual realm for you and the people of Nep, but He is so touched by your need for comfort and strength right now that He will leave the battle and come to your side and hold you close. In the words of someone I’ve grown to love and respect, “GLORY”!
I’m praying that God will give you wisdom and discernment about when and where you should go during this time of political unrest. If you feel a hesitation in your spirit, please follow the Lord’s prompting.
Jenn, you are a paint brush in the hand of the Master, and you are painting a beautiful picture of His love and His salvation to people that have no hope. On the canvas before YOUR eyes, the painting may look like a jumbled mixture of strokes that represent the struggles of living in difficult circumstances in a foreign country and the heartache of missing your family and friends. But oh, the masterpiece that God is painting! On HIS canvas, He sees the multitudes of lost souls whose lives will be changed and secured for eternity because you were willing to be obedient and to endure.
May you feel His comfort and His strength today.
Love,
Sandra
Dearest Jenn,
The LORD is holding you in HIS heart and so am I. I am so very sorry about the homegoing of your grandmother….. know HE is already welcoming her to her new home…
I love you
Ann
Wow! I’ll tell you what WOW!
You are constantly in my thoughts and prayers! Especially about your Grandmother.
Love you, Leah