[Sharing on the trip to Nepal]
In early June, we were sent to Nepal for the earthquake relief. We joined our local partner Leadership Training Department (LTD) and brought food aid to a remote village in Gorkha, located near the epicenter of the first earthquake on April 25. It was already midnight when we arrived. All ladies were arranged to stay in a temporary metal hut while the men were to sleep on the ground in a literally wall-less church. What an experience!
The congregation in this church has grown from several to over 80 families in just a few years. We could strongly feel the presence of God here even the church might appear to have nothing left (apart from a roof and a few pillars) after the quake. The most astonishing discovery was that this church has been pastored by a 22-year-old evangelist and his 17-year-old wife, who aren’t serving full-time as they have to work in a store on the mountain to earn their living. Life hasn’t been easy.
We reached out to 650 households in three villages with relief items such as rice and oil. Due to remote location and road blockage, this was only their second batch of post-quake food aid. Though many of them walked barefoot and lined up for hours under the scorching sun for the distribution, they still displayed radiant joy and thanksgiving!
It has been heartbreaking to see the villages left in ruins. There were a few remaining houses but all seemed to be falling apart. We walked passed a school but the classrooms were either destroyed or in complete chaos, leaving 500 children out of school. The broken blackboard that remained was striking, as it seemed to be declaring that the ruthless disaster could never kill the quest for knowledge.
Though many villages were destroyed, the love and support among villagers has been deeply touching. May we continue to walk side by side with the Nepalese on the road to recovery, and live out the spirit of “church without walls”.