It is Saturday evening right now. The past 24 hours have been a great joy. Last evening I went to a restaurant with all of the kids from the orphanage. We (MTI) treated them to a rare night out, a party for the kids. When Dev and Maya from the orphanage picked me up, she told me that the girls had been deciding all day on what dress to wear, how their hair will look, and more. The day before all of the kids had been looking at the menu online to decide what they were going to order. It was like Christmas to them, as they rarely get to go out to a restaurant. We met the kids at the restaurant and they were so excited! They had pizza, hamburgers, Momo’s (the Nepal national dish, kind of like potstickers), ice cream, soda, and more. I truly was filled with joy as I observed the joy in all of them, smiling, laughing, and eating. (They took home several boxes and bags of leftovers and Dev told me they were eaten before morning!). It was an unforgettable evening with these wonderful children! The photos are from during and after the dinner.
Then, today I preached at the church of Pastor Satis Thapa. It was about a 30-45 minute drive from the hotel. The service began at 11 and finished at about 1:30. The time of worship through music and prayer was rich. Their worship music group consists of young people, mainly in their teens and they are very talented. I preached a sermon and Pastor Satis translated, doing a great job. The message was followed by a sweet time of communion. I was able to interact and pray with many of the congregation and then I was given a lunch after which I was driven back to the hotel. What a wonderful 24 hours! Tomorrow I will begin the 2-day seminar for 50 pastors at Satis’ church.
Thanks for the prayers. I’m feeling great and relishing this time with everyone.
David