The One

Jesus asked, “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbours, saying to them, “REJOICE with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost. I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance. ” Luke 15:4-7

This scripture has become a cornerstone of importance for me in this nation, which of course, is filled with the “one” that Jesus talked about here. The Father has every intention of finding them all.

When I was befriending the sister I shared about in my last email update, (could you tell I was a little excited lol???) I learned a lot of things about her life. Her husband is a wicked mean alcoholic, and she is constantly abused. He sent her to Saudi Arabia to make money for the family as a domesticated slave, which also then forced her to separate from her two children. I have met a few people who have shared the horrors of being sent to Saudi Arabia, which is becoming more common here, and they are all heartbreaking. Then all her money was stolen and the job was lost. It took some time to get her back to Nepal, and she is currently still bound to the husband, because as I have shared, being single is a death sentence here. As we shared stories together, I learned that she had NEVER heard about Jesus. All of this created the deep sadness I saw on her life, but God had better things for her in mind.

What she shared with me was sacred, because there was no real reason to open up and honour me with her heartbreaking story. I believe God brought her there that day and tugged at my heart and hers as well, and that a divine moment resulting in her salvation was a treasure for both of us. Not only that, but think of “all that rejoicing in heaven” that we read about above. To be honest, I did not sleep a wink that night after all that God did that day, because I could not stop rejoicing.

The best way to get the word out in a place closed to the gospel is through word of mouth. There have been a few covert studies done here indicating that the underground church is growing rapidly and predominantly through people experiencing miracles. When I first learned this I was a bit overwhelmed because seeing miracles is not my everyday normal Christian experience, (as much as I think it should be) rather more like a treasure that I keep in my box labeled “incredible notable miracles that I have prayed for and seen” that help me remember that He is our healer and the God of the impossible.

I have prayed and seen several of them while here in Nepal however, and learning of these studies made me realise that this is an important way that “the news about Jesus spread” then, and still now, in the places that have never even heard his name. When I think of that word NEVER, I am undone. That is why I was so overjoyed not just about her salvation but also about the banana miracle, because that child’s entire family is a Buddhist/Hindu mixture and have only recently begun coming to fellowship.

“Yet the news about Him spread all the more so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed, but Jesus often withdrew to lonely places to pray.” Luke 5:15-18

The mother of this little boy who received the banana miracle came to church with her children, because of Khumar whom I wrote about a few blogs ago on my first trip here. He is the one who received immediate healing of alcohol addiction, and still to this day has not had a drop of alcohol. I have been to visit him in his home, and continue to see that he will carry the gospel far and wide in this country. Khumar is also the one whose son was delivered of demonic oppression and violence against the family. Two major miracles encouraged him to give attention to this God who we claimed was the true God. This mother heard about what happened to him, and decided to make an effort to also learn about this Jesus whom Khumar now loves. Incidentally, they all travel over 30 minutes to descend to our little prayer room in the city. “The news about him spread.”

One of her other little boys (age 7), the brother of the banana miracle boy, has been curious about me from the start. He likes to pinch my skin, especially on my elbows, and stare at the whiteness of me as he strokes my arms. I am quite used to this behaviour everywhere I go. I certainly stand out. On this special day, he came to me three times on his own, and pulled my hands onto his head to non-verbally ask me to pray for him. One time, he made me feel a bump on his head, which I assume pained him. Of course, he can’t understand a word I say, no one can, because I pray without an interpreter most of the time. But I know that He was feeling what we all have felt when Jesus manifests His presence (as they promise to do in John 14:21) with the love that overwhelms us, heals us and makes us whole. The first time I ever saw him, I loved him. I can’t wait for more chances to hug, pray and love on him in the future. What if “the news about Him spread” through THIS child?

Being in a Hindu nation that resists Christianity has certainly caused me to reflect on how God is working here that may be different than how he is working in other places. I have been stretched to believe Him for more than I could ask or imagine, and to consider the possibilities that present themselves in each and every interaction. Going after “the one sheep” could potentially save entire villages as the news about him spreads.

So maybe you will rejoice a little longer over our new sister, and banana miracles, and all the other things I share and pray with me that this nation will see and know that God is the only one who loves them. All the gods they worship have offered them nothing but heartbreak and disillusionment, because they are not real. I am thankful for the promise of His love, His desire to be in relationship with us, and for His kindness as I pray that “news about Him spreads” in this nation where most have never even heard his name.