safe haven

"Namas Dei"

Greetings from the lovely city of Kathmandu, Nepal! I have finally arrived my destination and I am so excited that I'm sweating my head off! The weather is definitely not as we expected it to be; it is piping hot! Lucky for me, I get to wear these long punjaves (the native Nepalese dress consisting of pants and really "warm" material) the entire time I am here!!! YES!

But in all seriousness, God has already squeezed me. The first day we arrived and walked through some of the countryside where our team is staying; I was so in awe of the beautiful sites and the wonderful people who seemed so content in their homes and their lives and their love for one another. Yet traveling through the city yesterday, I felt frustrated, angry, sad for the people, and selfish because I wanted nothing more than to get back on a plane to my home in California. I would've even "settled" for the lovely Spring season found in Perth, Australia right now, where I could be sitting on the beach or something to that extent. As our team worshipping last night, I couldn't help but weep - weep for my attitude, weep for my feelings of lonliness, but most importantly, weep as God showed me just how much He loves the people of Nepal.

These next 8 weeks are not going to be easy. There is nothing comfortable here, beside the friends that I am with, the one bottle of Pepsi that I had with dinner last night, and the top bunk that I sleep in every night (and even that is not as comfortable to me as it can be due to the humidity that leaves me stuck to my sleeping bag). But with every season of our lives there is something that God wants to teach us - about Him, about ourselves and about this needy world that longs to hear of His hope and His love. This is why I am here in the beautiful, extravagant, desperate country of Nepal! Now if only I can remind myself of this every moment I am feeling the weight of it all... with your prayer and support I know that I will thrive and we will see God's name and His character revealed in these people and this country!

And please write me... I would appreciate all the support and letters especially being so far from you all. I love you heaps and miss you with everything in me! Be blessed and chat with you again soon!

Yours always,
Miriam S. Dumlao

posted by miriam @ 3:59 AM scribble here : 1 comments

I'M LEAVING ON A JETPLANE!

Eight weeks in Nepal: about 38 of us Discipleship Training School Staff and Students are leaving on Sunday, Sept. 25, 2005 @ 4:40pm (that is Saturday @ 1:40am for all of you fine California people back home) to spend 5 weeks in the beautiful Kathmandu valley. We are going to play with street kids, help in orphanages and talk to whomever at any given moment of the day, all to tell each person we come in contact with that Jesus Christ has died for them and has given them life and love. From there, we will do the sort of the same thing, but we will be trekking up some mountains (some of you may know them as the Himilayas... ok, so only the base parts of them, but STILL!) and staying in some villages while we're there. It makes me a bit nervous... what will we eat and where will we sleep? Then, on the last week there, we will hike down the mountains and spend some time in the Kathmandu valley before our team splits up to tell the world about Jesus even more! 12 of us, including myself, will head to Bangkok, Thailand where we will be teaching English to University students for about 3 weeks! The rest of the team will come back to Western Australia to minister in our city of Perth, neighboring cities such as Albany, Geraldton & Bunbury... working with high schools, jr. highs, maybe even aboriginal colonies...

"... The time is coming and is already here when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for anyone who will worship him that way." John 4:23

God is calling us to worship Him in truth, with everything in us, no matter what the cost, no matter when the time period, no matter where the location. Am I really willing to go? I don't always feel like I am... but I will do it despite myself because I don't live for myself, but I'm dead and He lives through me.

I'm a bit scared, I'm very excited but more than anything, I am anticipating God rock my world with the experiences, the people and the places that I am stepping into!

AND HERE I GO!

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Love you all so much, I already miss you all so much... so don't be afraid to keep in touch. I will constantly be checking my email and my myspace! ROCK ON! -Miriam S. D.

posted by miriam @ 10:06 AM scribble here : 0 comments