September 27th
There is something strange and exciting about waking up and having minimal knowledge about where you are, and literally no idea what will happen that day. Rajendra (a young man in the church) knocked on our door in the morning and said, "let's go." After making sure there were no bugs that wanted to eat us lurking in our mosquito nets, we quickly got ready and followed our new friend. Rajendra walked us through some back roads of the town towards the church.
Bardiya District is in the plain region of the country, which also happens to be the hottest region. Your clothes instantly stick to you the moment you step outside, so we are both Sweaty McSweaterson at all times. It's glorious. The dusty roads are and peppered with massive pot holes. The monsoon in August caused massive pieces of the road to break away, leaving sudden drop-offs at the roads edges. Nonetheless, people on cycle rickshaws, motorcycles, and ox-driven wooden carts, as well as water buffalo and all imaginable livestock criss cross the roads.
Everyday life in Gulariya
This man's roadside restaurant became our
breakfast joint. He makes a mean omelette!
The sides of the streets are lined with shops, fruit and vegetable stands, residents cook on open fires as well as burn garbage on the streets. We draw stares wherever we go, and occasionally a kid who is feeling brave will shout out, "where are you going?!", or "what is your name?!".
The tiny church building is on rented property, and is just about at maximum capacity with its forty or so members inside; some walk great distances in order to attend. There is no glass in the windows, and no toilet. We hope to develop callouses on certain areas of our anatomy, as there are no chairs, and we have not mastered how to sit on concrete floors for hours at a time. The ceiling fans that offer some relief from the oppressive heat work briefly until the power goes out.
The church building
Materially speaking, this place is stark by comparison, to be sure. However, being amongst the people that make up this church, it is quickly apparent that they are not "lacking" in things beyond the temporal. With only a drum and tambourine to accompany them, their worship is authentic and powerful. They take turns sharing testimonies of God's goodness in their lives in the midst of seemingly impossible circumstances. Their care of each other and of us is overwhelming. It is clear that there is much that we will learn here.
Some of of the ladies in the church
Saru (Kalu Ram's wife)
Church members
thanks for sharing Meg, this is so inspiring. Wish I was there with you!
ReplyDelete