The End is Only the Beginning
Sadly, my trip has come to an end. It’s hard to believe that this is my last update! Time has flown by and I can’t believe I’ll be back at home in less than a week. It seems like just a few weeks ago I was packing up and getting ready to leave on this amazing adventure. I appreciate all of the encouragement you have shown me throughout this trip. It’s been a blessing to hear from all of you and to know that you’ve been keeping my team in your thoughts and prayers. I don’t even know where to begin processing everything that I have seen and done in India and Nepal. I have so many amazing memories and stories, I’ve made friendships that will last a lifetime, and most of all, God has taken me so much deeper in my relationship with Him. I’ve always known that I’ve had leadership qualities, but I often let other people lead and take charge and instead I would stand to the side and observe. These past three months God has been telling me the word lion. To me, lions seem calm and collected most of the time, but they have a mighty roar. God has used this trip as an opportunity for me to not just stand by quietly on the side, but to open up and roar. He wants me use the gifts He has given me and He doesn’t want me to wait for someone else to take charge. He wants me to be bold and courageous. God has also used these three months to show me how trustworthy He is. I’ve always known what it means to trust God, but He definitely gave me opportunities where I had to choose to let go of my own thoughts and open my hands so that I could fully trust Him.
This past week has been a bit of an emotional roller coaster for all of us. We had our last days at the morning and afternoon slums we have been visiting every day for the past two months. It’s so crazy to look back to day one and see how our relationships with the kids have grown. I had the hardest time leaving these two little girls, Tamannack and Garimasumam. From the beginning they both came running up on either side of me and grabbed my hands. We would sing, dance, and play hand clapping games together. They would both try and sit on my lap while watching the bible skit. On the last morning they ran up to me like normal and as we were walking they started singing “Father Abraham” and I don’t know why, but it just brought tears to my eyes. Hearing them sing this song made me realize how much of an impact we had on them just by taking a few hours out of our morning to pour into them. We went to another dance bar last Thursday night and we had the opportunity to talk with one of the women and get to know more about her story and how she came to work at the dance bar. We ended up getting her number and we were able to meet her for lunch on Monday. She shared her full life story with us and we all cried as she shared how broken and hopeless she was. With our translator, we were able to share the hope, love and redemption of Jesus with her and she received it so well. We got her connected with the women’s center and we were able to get her out of the dance bar and she will be starting English classes and cooking and beauty skills. It was amazing to see how much restored hope she had for her future and she got so excited to start learning cosmetology. We also had our last day at the women’s center this week. It turns out that our last day was also their last day and we actually got to throw them a little graduation party. While it was bittersweet, it was so special to be able to finish out our ministry with them and celebrate their dedication and desire to learn English. We played heads up seven up and gestures (which was hilarious) and then we had biriyani and cake. It was such a great way to finish out our ministry.
Sunday morning, myself and a few people on my team woke up at 4:30 in the morning and had the opportunity to go on a flight over the Himalayas and to see Mt. Everest! It was incredible. I know I already posted on social media, but I wanted to include it in my update because it was such an amazing moment. While I was looking out my window just marveling at the gorgeous view, the song “No One Higher” by North Point came on my playlist and I was hit with so much emotion. The lyrics sing:
The song talks about the beauty and the splendor of God’s creation and how there is no end to the beauty that God has painted in this world. I realized that while I do live in Colorado, and I’m beyond lucky to wake up and see the beautiful Rockies every morning, there’s something even more incredible about seeing the Himalayas and realizing how much beauty there is on earth and how God can take something I’ve seen every day of my life at home and open my eyes to an even more wonderful perspective. The song then says that there is nothing higher or greater than our God. Seeing Everest and then realizing that it is the highest point on this earth, I immediately felt so tiny in comparison. But instead of feeling insignificant, I was comforted by the thought of being so small. Knowing that the God who created the massive mountains and the vast oceans and the entire universe cares enough to uniquely make tiny, little me is breathtaking. I have a purpose on this earth and I can find peace in knowing that God loves me more than He loves any other creation. God is so good. Plus, it was earth day and what better way to celebrate the earth than to see one of the world’s greatest wonders!
Thank you for your continued prayers and encouragement throughout my trip. This trip has been just incredible. There have been so many highs and low. I’ve seen and done so much and I’ve made so many memories from learning to eat with our hands and learning how to lead worship/play the guitar, to walking hand-in-hand with kids in the slums and sounding out the alphabet with the women at the women’s center. I’ve built so many lifelong friendships and I’ve seen God move in mighty ways. God is doing amazing things in India and Nepal and I can only imagine what else He has in store for these countries and for the world. I can’t express how grateful I am for all of the support that you have shown me. Your prayers and encouragement have made such an impact not only on my life, but on my teammates lives as well as the people we’ve been ministering to. Your support means the world to me. Let me know if you would like to get breakfast or lunch or coffee when I get back to Colorado, I would love to talk with you! Thank you so much for your sweet thoughts and encouragement.
With love,
~ Hannah