By Keia Blair
I recently had the opportunity to go on a 10-mile hike in the Himalayan mountains to a village to do ministry.
While this hike was far from easy, it was so worth it. Throughout the journey, I learned that there is nothing better than bear-crawling my way up a mountain to share the love of Christ with these Nepali people.
My team and the other team we were with repeated “We can do hard things” over and over and over again. If it wasn’t for the support of the people around me and the strength that God gave me, I’m not sure that I would have made it back up that mountain.
Ministry that day was powerful. The presence of the Lord was so evident, and it was a sweet moment to worship and praise Jesus with these Nepali believers in a place where that is so looked down upon.
On this journey, I learned that this is the way that several Nepali pastors do ministry. These Nepali pastors hike up and down this mountain several times a week to do ministry. If that is not dedication, then I don’t know what is. These pastors hike miles and miles a day just to share the love of Jesus with believers. That is sweet.
The whole hike, I just kept asking myself how these Nepali pastors do this so often. It wasn’t until after the hike that I understood. They have such a strong love and heart for Christ that they will do whatever it takes to share his love with people who have no other means of receiving it. Without their dedication and heart for ministry and Jesus, these people would be unreached and unable to hear and experience the love of Christ.
That day, I learned that if they can do this hike each day to share the love of Jesus, I can share the love of Jesus with every person everywhere I go, that no ministry will ever be as hard as what these men have to do. I learned what it looks like to be dedicated. I learned what it looks like to completely and fully give your life to Christ and be fully dedicated to sharing his love, no matter what that means.
These Nepali pastors inspire me. They encourage me. And they make me love the Lord so much more. I see Jesus working so strongly in Nepal, and there isn’t a day that that isn’t evident to me.
Oh my heart.
Keia Blair is a Seymour native who attends Cincinnati Christian University. During her nine-month mission trip around the world, she will submit a series of blogs that will appear in The Tribune. Send comments to [email protected].