Himalayas

Recently, I had the incredible privilege and honor to spend a month in the Himalayas. It was absolutely wild. It was so different from my life at home, that coming home it almost just feels like a dream. But the whole thing was entirely God orchestrated. My heart feels so free and at peace in ways I truthfully don’t think I knew were possible. I don’t really know where to start or what to say with this post, although I definitely have more concentrated aspects of the trip that I want to write future posts about. This might just be word vomiting and updating the world or whoever cares to read this. But let me just start by saying that my heart is in complete awe of the love of Jesus.

During that month, my team and I spent two weeks trekking to a remote village in the Himalayas. That was the hardest thing I have ever done. It was so physically challenging and really tested me mentally and emotionally. We took a couple planes, spent a couple nights in rather remote and uncomfortable shacks or buildings in small villages, and then trekked three whole days to get to this far away village so we could share the love of Jesus, their creator, with them. It was such a growing experience. It grew my faith for one thing. And it showed me just how worthy Jesus is. Going through wildly uncomfortable situations to get to share my faith with people is truly an honor and one hundred percent worth every nervous night sleeping in a shack with spiders or feeling sick from the food.

We laughed through an awful lot of uncomfortable situations. We dealt with spiders and flies and sickness. But we also got to see unbelievable views, fall asleep on a rooftop looking at the Milky Way, and meet beautiful and hospitable people there.

When we got to the village we got to see some really incredible stuff. We saw nine people give their lives to Jesus and many more hear about him and be supernaturally healed. We saw a man receive healing from tremors in his body. When we saw him the next day he said he had worked in the field for the first time in fifteen years because Jesus had healed so much of the pain and shaking in his body. We saw a young couple, so stoked about following Jesus, that they threw idols they had in their home off a mountainside because they only wanted to follow Jesus. We saw back, arm, leg, and stomach pain leave in the name of Jesus. And we got to tell people who had never heard of Jesus that he loves them and died for them and knows them deeply and intimately.

We got to share with people who worship thirty-three million gods that they are loved by one God who deeply wants a relationship with them. Guys, there is nothing like that.

I spent the last semester in school leading up to going on this trip, constantly hearing that the Bible is a myth. It was often referred to as outdated and restricting. Academia often frowns on it and sees it as close-minded and ignorant. And to take a five day journey to one of the most remote parts of the Himalayas and see these people choose to follow Jesus and receive healing from the Holy Spirit is so enlightening. They have no reason to try to make us feel better. They have no agenda. They just genuinely experience the love of Jesus. It’s so simple, and so real.

I guess my purpose with this is that He is so worth it. I’ve seen Christ move in wild ways, and I know there are even greater things to come. I’ve seen intercession bring movement in the midst of darkness. I’ve witnessed anxiety and fear completely fall off of me and people around me, things that most people would accept will always be a struggle. And I eventually want to go more into that to share the freedom Christ brings with all of you, but I’ll wait for that.

This is real.

Jesus is alive.

And he is worthy of our whole yes.

That’s all for now. Stay tuned for more to come.