Nepal Outreach

Nepal was one of the most life-changing experiences I’ve ever had. Hey, this is Isaiah! Thanks for opening up my blog. I hope you enjoy it!

I was bursting with excitement during the last week of our DTS lecture phase, counting down the days until we set out on our 2.5-month outreach to Nepal. Honestly, I didn’t know much about Nepal—just that Mount Everest was there. That fact alone was both awe-inspiring and a little intimidating. To prepare myself physically for what lay ahead, I tackled the Incline in Manitou Springs—a brutal 3,000-step hike—four times before leaving. Little did I realize, those steps were just a warm-up compared to the physical and spiritual mountains I would face in Nepal.

When my team and I arrived in Nepal in December 2023, our excitement was through the roof! As soon as we stepped outside the airport, we were hit with the vibrant chaos of Kathmandu—sounds of motorbikes whizzing past, the pungent smell of diesel filling the air, and a whirlwind of sights and smells that immediately told us we were in a completely different world.

Just trying to find our transportation turned into an adventure of its own. I had random guys trying to persuade me to pay for a ride, but I chose to ignore them and stayed close behind our team leader, knowing full well that I was the kind of guy who could easily get lost in a foreign land.

In the days that followed, we met so many incredible people and took a tour of the bustling city. After a few days of preparation and cultural immersion, we finally headed into the mountains.

We were planning to trek to a village where we would serve, as they worked tirelessly to further establish themselves, so they would never have to rely on sexually exploiting themselves for income ever again. Apparently, in the early 2000s, they were the most common place in Nepal where people would go to buy women. Thankfully, due to past missions, they've been able to stop that evil, and we were going to go help further the kingdom of God there.

Day one of our seven-day trek was nothing short of breathtaking. We set out with hearts full of excitement, eager to embrace the journey ahead. The trail stretched before us, and for nearly five hours, we moved together, sharing laughs, encouragement, and the thrill of adventure. A quick break to snack and catch our breath, and then back on the path, climbing higher into the mountains.

When we finally reached our humble tea house for the night, I felt an overwhelming sense of awe. I remember thinking, This is the greatest thing I’ve ever done. I could live like this forever—each step taken for the Lord, each bead of sweat poured out for Jesus. My heart was full of happiness, gratitude, and a fiery passion.

By day five, many of my teammates were struggling—one with a painful knee, another coughing uncontrollably, and another battling a high fever that left him weak and exhausted. The mood shifted from joyful anticipation to quiet discouragement. We were worn out, physically and emotionally. I was still feeling okay, but the thought of pressing on with everyone in such rough shape gnawed at me.

There was talk of turning back — of abandoning the mountains. After all the effort, the sacrifices, the prayers, turning around felt like a betrayal of everything we had committed to. It seemed like a waste of time, a failure to finish what we started.

On day six, after a discussion with our outreach leaders and YWAM leadership, we made the difficult choice to descend. The walk down was heavy, silent, contemplative, filled with unspoken disappointment. But amidst the sadness, there was a glimmer of hope—because as we lowered in elevation, the air grew clearer, and one by one, everyone began to feel better. The mountain had challenged us in ways we never anticipated, teaching us lessons of perseverance, trust, and surrender.

After the disappointment of having to turn back from the mountains, we took time to process and debrief. In that quiet reflection, we saw how God had been teaching us so much through the trek. Sometimes, things don’t go according to our plans, but even in the setbacks, His lessons are awesome. It seemed that everyone learned something powerful from that experience.

Soon after, we had the opportunity to serve at another destination, singing Christmas carols to the local community. What started as a simple act of sharing joy quickly turned into one of the most vibrant celebrations I’ve ever witnessed. To the Nepali Christians, this was one of their biggest festivities—a ten-day-long celebration filled with singing, dancing, and feasting on dal bhat, a traditional dish.

We didn’t expect the long hours of dancing and singing—yet, as we practiced and joined in, we found ourselves getting down with the Nepalis. We even learned some of their songs and, in return, shared a few of our own. The atmosphere was alive with joy, unity, and worship.

Eventually, we had the chance to host a Christmas Eve service, which was a special moment for all of us. We also did arts and crafts with the kids, and it was both fun and meaningful to see their smiles and creativity.

Along with the celebration, we knew it was important to address a serious issue. We held a "Good Touch, Bad Touch" lesson with a translator for the children. In a country where child sex trafficking and exploitation are major problems, these kids needed to know how to recognize danger and stay safe. It was a heavy but necessary responsibility, and we felt privileged to be able to speak the truth and provide them with some tools for protection.

We continued our outreach in a new city called Pokhara, and honestly, it was one of my favorite times. We partnered with a local church and school there, and I had the opportunity to preach at one of the services. I already had a sermon prepared, but I sensed the Lord whisper in my spirit, "Write a new sermon. I will give you the message." It was a risky decision, but I chose to trust Him.

I spent about two hours on the roof, reading my Bible and praying, giving God space to speak to me. Eventually, I felt I had received all He wanted to share for that moment. Nervously, I walked to the room where I’d be preaching. My message was about how Jesus can never take second place and how He is the central piece of all Scripture—His Lordship, His role as the Savior, and His Gospel.

I received a lot of positive feedback afterward. I took a moment to thank God for the message and also apologized if I had missed anything or could have done any better. God speaks to His children, but it’s easy to misinterpret, misapply, or misunderstand what He’s saying. Still, I was grateful to have been used by Him in that moment.

During our time there, we also met many incredible people and helped paint a building used for various ministries. It was a meaningful, impactful few weeks filled with growth, connection, and service.

We ended our outreach with a powerful story of redemption. We stayed in a church near many unreached villages, giving out SD cards loaded with the gospel and other Christian content. Each day, we did treks to different villages, sharing about Jesus and His love. Because we were further from the main cities, there was more freedom to do this—unlike in more populated areas where we could have faced arrest. We also used a translator to share Bible stories of Jesus that we had memorized.

One story from that week stands out. My outreach leader and I went to a village that seemed abandoned. We couldn’t find anyone except an old lady, but we couldn’t communicate with her due to social barriers. Confused, we prayed and waited for the Lord to lead us. Suddenly, I saw what felt like a spiritual blue road, as if I were looking at a map app. Without hesitation, we followed this direction and walked to the center of the village. To our surprise, about forty people were gathered there, sitting and eating. Some kids played with a flat ball, and they looked at us with curiosity—two white guys far from home.

I took the opportunity to preach the gospel openly, sharing about the kingdom of God. I also shared stories of Jesus and handed out SD cards with the Bible on them. I had a personal conversation with the father of a family who was Hindu. He told me he wanted to believe, but he felt he had to wait until his parents passed away because it would be shameful not to perform traditional Hindu funerals. I tried to persuade him, but I could see he was still willing. I left the gospel with him, praying he would stay true to his word.

That village alone, we handed out about seven SD cards with the gospel, and I hope those seeds will lead to many coming to Jesus. That moment was one of the greatest experiences of my life—seeing God's Spirit move in such a tangible way, in a place so far from home and any church.

God is still in the business of saving souls and reaching lost nations, and I got to witness many mighty works of God on this trip. I will never forget the lessons I've learned there and the fierce love for Jesus that the Nepali Christians had in them. It was like I've already said, a life-changing experience!