A full circle..

"You know the hopes of the helpless, surely you will hear their cries and comfort them. You will bring justice to the orphans and the oppressed so mere humans can no longer terrify them." Psalm 10:17

It is crazy to think that this is probably going to be my last blog and that this journey is coming to an end.

We have been exposed to a lot of injustices over the last few days. More so than what we have experienced the last 5 weeks. Last Wednesday morning we met Roshan at 7am to help him and Agape Ministry play futbol with some street kids. We went and picked up the kids and rode back on the bus with them. I was able to sit with a little boy who couldn’t have been older than 10. Many of them just wanted to hold our hands and be close to us. It shows you that they have had a lack of that attention in their childhood. Once all the kids arrived we went to the field to play futbol. There were about 20 kids that played with us. Three of those 20 kids seemed no older than 5 years old. As I looked at their torn up clothes, scars and bruises on their bodies, and their sweet and innocent smiles, the only thing I knew in that moment is I had to trust that God was going to bring justice to these boys lives. A lot of the boys were about 10-12 year olds and there were about 3 boys who were about 16 years old. The older boys are known as the “bosses.” They will be the ones to decide how to spend the money they get from begging and what to buy. No 16 year old should have to face the terrors that come with being a street child. Every night there are usually “territory fights” among the different groups of street children. There is a group of boys that we worked with that are all pretty young that stick together as a group. They told us that they wouldn’t sleep in the same place every night because the older boys could easily come and beat them up and rob them. Very rarely will you see a street child that is a girl. Most girls that are on the streets will dress like boys and keep their hair short because that is the only way they will survive on the streets. No child should have to sniff glue to escape the hurts of their lives. To look back at all these things and trust that God is going to bring justice to these lives is something that is hard for me to process. The only thing I had to hold onto in those moments was the justice of God and the promises He makes to the poor and oppressed.

Thursday night the girls met Brian from Agape Ministry to go to the dance bars in Thamel to minister to some girls. I have been battling a head cold this last week and I wasn’t going to go last night. I ended up fighting through it and went with them to the bars. I am so thankful I did. We met Brian at around 8:30pm and from there we did a prayer walk. We walked around Thamel praying for about 7 or 8 minutes and we passed about 10 dance bars. We finally went to one and walked in. When we sat down we had to call the girls over to us. We had 2 girls come sit down and we bought them a Coke and just talked and invested in them. Kyra and I sat down with Basnu. She is 17 years old and she dances because she has a brother in grade 2 she has to take care of since her parents died. She just found out that she is about 2 months pregnant. Basnu told us that her boyfriend left her because he wanted to see other girls. A 17 year old is taking care of herself, little brother and baby- I cant put words to what that does to my heart. As I sat there with her she was eager to hold our hands and just talk. Once again I was reminded of God’s justice and had to continue to preach the gospel to myself. He is faithful and his justice will come through for her.  It is so very overwhelming to think about a young girl trying to survive on her own in a culture that doesn’t care to pay attention to her.

As I go home, I have so much I want to take with me and not allow myself to forget. I don’t want to go home and feel like I am living a mundane life. I want to take hold of every moment and every opportunity like I did in Nepal. That is my biggest prayer request right now. I have a lot of opportunities and decisions to make as I go home as well. Pray that I seek out the choices that will most glorify God and how He can use me most.

This team. Oh this team. Please keep them in your prayers as we are all going to have a hard time adjusting and processing things. Its going to be so much harder because we will all be processing alone for the most part. I cant imagine this trip without any one of them. I ask too that you would pray for our leader, Sarah. She lives in Nepal and will head home for in about 3 weeks to see some family. Please pray that Jesus would continue to provide for her and show her exactly where He wants her. We will all leave eachother once we get to D.C. Please pray for our goodbyes- a lot of tears have already been shed.

And to you. I cant explain enough how simply incredible it has been to receive all the encouragements and prayers you have sent. I have been blown away by the body of Christ and how they respnd when they send their own into the world. Nothing can unite people the way Jesus does. He is so good.

I love you all and I am so eager to come home and share with you face to face all that God has done. This trip is now full circle and this season is at the end. Praise Jesus for all He has done. Praise Him for all He is going to do. 

Pokhara Pictures..

Blessed. So very blessed..

Friday morning Me, Anna, Tanner and Barret loaded on our bus at 6am for Pokhara. About an hour and a half into our trip we were stopped in traffic for about 1.5 hours because there was a landslide that needed to be cleared. Never thought I would say that. We arrived here around 4pm and got checked into our hotel. Before we headed to our first homes we rented motorcycles for the weekend to get around everywhere for a little cheaper and with a little more fun! Friday night Tanner and Anna went to Holy home while Barret and I headed to Paradise home. We did this trip to serve the parents and watch the kids while they went out for a date night. I never thought I would have been so blessed by a group of kids. We took lots of pictures (that will be posted when I get back to Thamel), laughed a lot, and I was taught a few new words in Nepali! Around 7:30pm we all gathered inside for fellowship. We sang worship songs together, mostly in Nepali so Barret and I just got to soak it in. As I looked around the room with about 12 kids singing at the top of their lungs and some closing their eyes in worship it was hard to keep it together. Jesus has revealed himself SO clearly to these kids. No matter what situation they have come from, they know Him & trust him. After worship, Barret talked about Matthew 5 and being a light to the world. The kids talked about how a lot of their friends at school are Hindu and Buddist and they can be a light to them.

There is one little girl that has totally stolen my heart. Her name is Alpha and she is 12 years old. She has been at the home for 5 years now. I don’t know her story but I don’t need to know it because Jesus does. She is INSANELY smart! She was teaching me Nepali and “quizzing” me on it as well. Her laugh when I pronounced something wrong was so sweet.

Habil, the oldest son in the house, brought Barret and I into the kitchen after fellowship to serve us a traditional Nepali dish, Dhal Bhat. It was the first homemade meal we have had since we have been here. It was delicious to say the least. Along with our dhal bhat we had FRESH mangos that we just ate with a spoon out of the skin. It was SO good!

When the parents came back, Barret and I got to sit and talk with the dad for a little while. It was a sweet time that I was richly blessed by. At around 8:30pm it was time for goodbyes. All the kids came running to us an giving us hugs. I don’t know if I have ever felt that much love in my life. We got on Barret’s bike to head back to the hotel. We may have gotten a little lost at first and it may have been pouring rain, but it was definitely a ride I will never forget. We walked into mine and anna’s room and the four of us just started laughing because Barret and I were soaked. Moments like these I will miss dearly.

In the afternoon we all then headed to Paradise home. Barret and Tanner played futbol with the boys and Anna & I did crafts with the girls. The craft we did was about dreaming and commiting your dreams to the Lord. We had some girls say they wanted to be nurses and teachers. Alpha (12) said she wanted to be a pastor and open a home like Paradise home one day. This melted my heart to say the least. We then had them write down a prayer for their dreams. Most of them included “Jesus, please listen to my dream.” These kids are yearning after Jesus more than I have seen some teenagers do so.

After saying goodbye to Paradise home we went to babysit at Bethany home. Bethany home has only been opened for 3 months. The parents were telling us that it has been very difficult to find time to be alone because they already have 12 kids. The kids of Bethany home are really little. Most of them are under the age of 5. There was a little boy, Samuel, who must have been 3 years old who stole my heart. Surprise, surprise. My favorite was when we were outside playing and he would run around then run straight for me and put his hands up for me to catch him. He melted my heart.

This afternoon we are headed to our last home, Beloved home, to spend time with the kids so the parents can go out. We are all having a blast with these kids and Jesus just continues to reveal to me how he wants me to be. Act with child like faith and enjoy Him in every moment. Who knew he would teach me so much through these children.

We are down to our final week here in Nepal. Satuday and Sunday we will be in debrief and Monday we will fly out. Just typing this makes me tear up. I have fallen in love with this country and with our team. I don’t know what I will do when I am home and don’t wake up to them every morning. Jesus has taught me so much through these people. Please pray that we will pour out all that we are during our final week and we will finish strong. Pray that Jesus will prepare our hearts to head home and try to get back into the swing of life.

Ma timilai maya gar chu. (I love you in Nepali)

-Emilee

The begining of the end..

We are down to our final 10 days in Nepal. I can't believe we are at this point so soon! These last 6 weeks have flown by for all of us. This time we have had in Nepal has been so sweet together. Jesus has and continues to teach us so much about the body of Christ and Himself.

Tomorrow Anna, Tanner, Barret and I will head back to Pokhara until Monday morning. We will leave tomorrow morning at 6:30am. When we get there we will checked in to a hotel and get settled in. From there, Barret and I will head to Holy home while Tanner and Anna head to Paradise home. We are giving the house parents a few hours to themselves to go eat dinner together and spend some time one on one. While we are at the houses with the kids we will play games, sing songs and just invest in them. I am so excited for this time with the kids.

Saturday morning we will head to Mike's (restraunt on the lake) to meet with Cassidy and Josh. I know Cassidy's mom, Barb, from back home. Her and her husband are missionaries here in Nepal with their 3 kids. I am excited to sit down with them and talk to them and how they process certain things that we too have been facing. Saturday afternoon Barret and Tanner will take the boys from 3 of the chidlrens  homes and put on a soccer camp with them. While they are with the boys, Anna and I are going to take time and do some crafts with the girls. We will then go to Holy home and have a bible study with the older girls. We are both so excited about our time with them and all Jesus has in store. Saturday night all four of us will head to Bethani Home. Bethani Home has only been running for 3 months. The kids there are all from outside villages and some don't know Nepali or English so it can be pretty difficult to communicate, even for the house parents. While we are at Bethani home, the house parents will go out for a date while we watch the kids. We are putting together and English Alphabet book to help teach them their letters.

Sunday night we will be at Beloved home to invest time in those kids while the parents get to have a night to themselves.

Monday morning we will head back here to Thamel. We will then go through our week and finish up some projects. On Saturday, we will go outside of Thamel for debrief time. On Sunday, we will come back and then Monday night we take our journey home.

If you would all just pray for our travels to Pokhara and our last days here in Nepal. Pray that Jesus would start showing us how we can use what we have learned here and home. I will try to update more once we get to Pokhara!

Love you all!  

Birthdays, The Future, & The face of a street child..

Yesterday(July 19th) was Barret’s birthday. We got to celebrate Nepali style and we had a blast doing it! As a team we went and got an awesome breakfast at Soma Café in Jamsekiel chowk (pronounced choke). A chowk is an intersection. In the afternoon we surprised him by going rock climbing! It was so sketchy and I am pretty sure the ropes were 100 climbs over safety requirment. We all were safe though and had a blast! After, we got to get a little dressed up and went to dinner at Summit Hotel- they have ice cubes and we were all SO excited about cold water! To end the night, we went back to Sarah’s flat, sang happy birthday, ate cheesecake, opened presents and played “Murder in the dark.” I love this team so very much. I can’t imagine my life without them in it.

Yesterday afternoon we were able to talk to John a little bit about what our last 3 weeks were going to look like and where we wanted to serve. I can hardly believe we are already at this point in the trip. Part of my time I will be going to Pokhara (July 27th-30th) with Anna, Tanner and Barret. While we are there we will be babysitting the kids of each children’s home there for one night to give the parents a night to themselves. The 4 of us will be planning the parents night. While they are out we will be at the homes with the kids and the parents helper. Anna and I are going to take some time each night we are there to sit down with the older girls of each home and talk to them about things they are struggling with and how to find Jesus through it. My heart is for young girls and I am so very excited to have this time with them. Over the Saturday that we are there we will also being doing a futbol camp with the boys from ALL 4 homes in Pokhara. Tanner and Barret will take the older boys while Anna and I have the sweet little ones. During the days we will be going to the Dream Center land and help mow and do some yard work there. We are so excited about going back to Pokhara and all Jesus is going to show us!

I will also be helping paint a mural in two of the children’s homes in Kathmandu. There is a small team of us that will be going house hunting for the teachers that just recently moved to Nepal as well. I am so excited to be at the point to dive in and serve with Tiny Hands. It will give me a taste of what could be my future….

Today was SO very exciting and possibly life changing. We each got to sit down with John and Mike (Mike is the chairman of THI) and talk about a future with Tiny Hands. They asked me if I would be interested in working with Tiny Hands here in Nepal full time. Of course my answer was absolutely! I talked about how I have just fallen in love with the people of Nepal, the culture, and the awkward charm the miss-matched buildings have. Nothing matches here and I absolutely love it. John proceeded to ask me if I could build the best life I could think of for myself what it would consist of. I want to use my life to set captives free whether they are bound by the hopeless religion of Hinduism, addicted to the streets and drugs as children, or enslaved in trafficking. I want to take all that I am and use it to further the Kingdom. So, as of right now the plan is to come home, finish school and become and advocate for Tiny Hands. Being an advocate would consist of throwing product parties, speaking at different places and events and really just getting the word out of the work Tiny Hands is doing. When I finish school there is a very big possibility that I would move to Nepal and work for Tiny Hands full time. Wait… is this real life?!!? YES YES YES! Jesus is continuing to BLOW ME AWAY!!

Over the last four weeks we have walked a lot and to different places. Each time we walk somewhere we either see someone on the side of the road begging, or confronted by a street child who needs food. Even after four weeks, every time I see one of these two people my heart breaks like it did the first time. I feel so helpless and that I can do nothing for them right now. The face of a street child is something I will never get used to. I will never be able to build an immunity to that. In those moments it is so hard to not ask God “why?” It has been possibly the hardest thing for me to process over this trip. I feel like there is never closure over these issues. Those sweet boys on the street are sniffing glue to get high to escape this world and their pain for just a little while. If only they knew that Jesus is real, and that there is a bigger plan for their lives. The fact that they could give the streets up and find true freedom in Jesus. I want to come back to Nepal and go across the world and bring the hope of Jesus to kids like these; to adults bound by a religion, to girls enslaved by men. Can you imagine how those lives would change? To take a broken life and restore it with the hope of Jesus would be something beautiful to watch.

Jesus is teaching me so much about my personal freedom and all He is setting me free of. I am excited to take this season and be able to pour into other people who are yearning for the same freedom I am experiencing.

Prayer Requests:

-Talks that Anna & I are preparing for the girls in the homes in Pokhara

-School plans for when I come home: what school and choosing a major

-My future with THI and that doors would open

-These sweet boys we keep running into on the streets: that we would be given a chance to tell them about Jesus

One Thousands Gifts..

1. I am thankful for misquito nets to sleep with.
2. I am thankful that Jesus commands me to not worry about tomorrow.
3. I am thankful for unity among believers.

4. I am thankful for God's faithfulness.
5. I am thankful for new friends.
6. I am thankful for malaria medicince.
7. I am thankful that when I don't understand things, I know that Jesus does.
8. I am thankful for showers.
9. I am thankful for elephant rides.
10. I am thankful for laughter.
11. I am thankful for motorcycle rides around Pokhara and the amazing views Jesus gives us.

12. I am thankful for new friendships that Jesus is the center of.
13. I am thankful that when Jesus calls us to do hard things, he shows up.
14. I am thankful for the unending encouragment I am recieving from home.
15. I am thankful for my family who keeps believing in all my crazy dreams.
16. I am thankful that we didn't lose our luggage yesterday when our trunk opened.
17. I am thankful for this group of girls Jesus placed me with.

18. I am thankful that 3 years ago my trip to Nepal fell through.
19. I am thankful for banana porridge.
20. I am thankful for this country and these amazing people I get to experience every day.
21. I am thankful for all of you who have sent me here.

"Give thanks to the Lord for He is good. His faithful love endures forever!" Psalm 107:1

Cheers to Laughs and Monsoons..

Jamashi! 

We have finally arrived in Pokhara! We got here on Tuesday afternoon and what a trip it was. It started with our bus arrived an hour and a half late, and finally getting on the road 3 hours late. Ke Garne? (What to do?) The trip here was gorgeous. I didn't want to sleep because the view was constantly changing as we drove through the mountains of Nepal. I was listening to worship music for a little while on our drive just watch out the window, Jesus was so there with us. I have these moments when His creation just completely takes me aback and I get overwhelmed with what He has given us. Once we got here on Tuesday we visited the Bethany Home. Bethany home started about 3 months ago and they now have 10 kids! Most of them are from outside villages where Nepali wasn't spoken so some of the kids can't communicate. These children were precious, just like every other house. It was exciting to see how much Tiny Hands in making a difference in Nepal for the least of these.

Yesterday (Wednesday), we woke up around 4:30am and went on a hike. We hiked to the top of Sarangkot and the view was breathtaking- even when it was cloudy. Hopefully we will be able to hike it again before we leave Pokhara and get a view with no clouds since the Himalaya's are in view on a clear day. Later in the day we visisted Paradise Childrens Home. We started playing outside with the kids as a monsoon downpour started. Most of the girls ran inside to stay dry but all the boys stayed outside to play soccer. Every once in a while I would go outside and watch the boys play, it was pure joy on each one of their faces- even the guys on the team! The down pour didn't effect them at all, if anything it probably made it more fun. As we were getting ready to leave, the kids got buckets of water and started to help our guys clean off the mud on their arms and legs. Watching these young boys learn how to serve was something incredible to experience.

After many laughs and hugs we left Paradise home and headed for Holy Home. As we were walking another monsoon down pour hit so all the girls rushed into the guys backpacks to steal their rainjackets so we wouldn't get too soaked. When we arrived at Holy home the guys stayed outside and played in the rain with those boys too. All the girls went inside, drank tea, and played "Calling all Vegetables" with the sweet Nepali girls. We laughed so hard and our lips became sore very quickly. In the game each person is a vegetable and when you call to eachother you cant show your teeth. The girls loved it and it was so sweet to hear the boys laughing outside as well when we were inside.

Today, we are hopefully going to get to go para-gliding. I am quite nervous since I don't do heights very well and I am not necessarily the most adventurous spirit. Someone very dear to me though told me to not say no to anything on this trip, so I am partially doing it for them as well. We will also be headed to the Dream Center land, I really encourage y'all to go to TinyHandsInternational.org and check out what they are doing here in Pokhara with the land- its some VERY exciting stuff!

I wish I could describe to you what I am experiencing with this team. I would have never guessed that these people would become my family so quickly. We are down to three and a half weeks till we come back home. Every time I say or think that I just can't believe we are this far into the trip. God has been so very good to us through all of the things we have experienced. Thank you for all your encouragments and messages I have recieved.

Please continue to pray for the team as we try to figure out where Jesus would have us serve for our last three weeks here. Pray that we would recieve it with open hands. Also, pray for our hearts as we are processing alot and seeing alot of things happen here.

View from our hike- not even from the top!

"Chains be broken, lives be healed." -Hillsong United

Here am I Jesus..

Today I got to experience first hand the bondage of the Hindu religion and culture. Over the last week we have been taking Nepali language lessons. They have been hard, but we have laughed a lot at each other and ourselves through these lessons. Our Nepali teacher, Deepa, is a hindu. Today as we were learning the different words and names for mom (aamaa) and dad (baa) and everyone else is our families, she started talking to us about her family and story. Her Nepali accent is so sweet to listen to. She has two kids, a son who is 18 and a daughter who is 20. She teaches Nepali lessons to pay to put them through college since she doesn’t have a husband. Back in 2001 a major conflict arose in Nepal between the government and Maoist group (Maoists are basically the bad guys). In 2001 the Queen and King were killed and the entire country went into an up roar over who was going to take over. During this time, the Maoists attacked several times in several cities. In an explosion triggered by the Maoists, Deepa lost her husband. In the Hindu culture, a widow is considered bad luck. After she lost her husband her friends stopped talking to her. She is not allowed to wear red, and if she does people will start accusing her and thinking bad things of her. She is not allowed to wear necklaces or big bangle bracelets. After her husband died, her kids also had to eat separately from the other kids at school. A lot of times her children were also made fun of by students and teachers as well.

Hearing all of this I wanted to cry. There was no hope in her eyes. She just kept repeating “but I don’t care. I don’t listen to them.” The lies that this country believes, is hopeless. The way this culture allows people to be treated is unthinkable.

This city needs Jesus. This country needs Jesus. This world needs Jesus.

I am excited to see that Jesus is sending me to tell this world of his love and hope that we find in Him. I am in awe that Jesus is allowing me to be part of his plan to further the kingdom. He is including all of us in His plan.

Beloved, be strong and courageous. GO into all the world and preach the goods news to all creation. In your school. In your job. In Nepal. In Atlanta. In Peachtree city & Tyrone.  

I want to live my life courageously. To not think about what I will miss out on when I am sent to another place. I don’t want to live my life for myself anymore.

Here am I Jesus, all of me. 

Pictures :)

First monsoon downpour. SO FUN!

The team :) (L-R) Austin, Anna, Me, Barret, Matthew, Taylor, Kyra, Hannah, & Tanner

Crosspointers will appriciate that we are a chaco group :)

This is Tanner. He reminds me SO much of my big brother, Kyle! 

The team with Sarah on our hike yesterday!

Either way, God is still GOOD..

Good morning from Nepal! It is about 7:10am here and we are getting ready to head to breakfast then to an international church.

Friday night the group split up and all the girls had a sleepover at Sarah's house while all the guys stayed back for a "guys night." We had so much fun together. We went for dinner at a nicer hotel where the water was actually cold, didn't have an after taste AND we had ice cubes. Being here makes you realize all the small things you take for granted back at home, like Chick Fil A ice cubes. These girls are absolutely amazing. There is alot going on around me and in my life and I could not have asked to be placed with a better group of girls. They are constantly encouraging me and praying for me. After dinner, we went back to Sarah's and had some girl talk. We then made s'mores over candles. TNI- This is Nepal. We shared stories and laughed alot. I can't imagine my life without these people in it anymore- its crazy how Jesus can do that.

Saturday morning we went and got some breakfast at this awesome place by Sarah's house. Their french toast actually tasted like french toast!! Another thing I have taken for granted at home- mama's french toast! MMM!!! After breakfast, we met back up with the guys at our hotel and went to the American club to celebrate 4th of July- a bit late, but it was celebrated! We met a few new people and played some pretty intense games of "Mafia"- which I am now addicted to. To end our time at the club, we played some frisbee. Around 5 o'clock we headed back to the hotel and hung out. We went to an awesome italian place for dinner and then just hung out and talked as a team. I know I keep saying this, but I am so blessed to be here with this team. They are all so very encouraging and couldn't have been placed in my life at a better time. Here are some things you could be praying for us about:

-- On tuesday morning (your monday night) we will be traveling to Phokara which is about a 7 hour bus ride. Pray for safety and easy travels and no one gets sick!
-- Next week we will be in Phokara and Chitwan for the week- pray for our interactions with the children there and that we will be used through language barriers. Also, this is when we go to the border, pray that Jesus moves our hearts and trafficking becomes even more real to us.
-- Personally, I have some stuff going on and that I will continue to learn and believe that either way things play out, God is good. Pray that these things wouldnt become a distraction on this trip.
-- Pray that I continue to pour out all of me every day and that I take in every moment I have.
-- When we come home from Phokara is when we decided how we want to serve in Nepal for our last  3 weeks. Pray that Jesus will start revealing to us where He wants us and how He wants to use us for this last leg of the trip.

Love you all so very much!

"Only God can move mountains, but faith and prayer move the heart of God." 

Be Thou My Vision..

Every day I am falling more and more in love with the people and children of Nepal. I wish I could bring each of you to Nepal with me so you could experience the culture and chaos. There is no one reason why I love it so much. I just do.

Yesterday we had a discussion with Jon (THI President) about sex trafficking and the sex industry in Nepal. As most of you know, this is where my heart is and what I want to do with the rest of my life. Every year 10,000 girls will cross over the border of Nepal into India to be sold into sex trafficking. She will be promised a marriage or a job, but she is decieved and usually beaten, raped, and then sold. The average age of these girls are 14-15 years old.

Tiny Hands has a border monitoring ministry. They have 13 stations arcoss the border of Nepal. They have trained Nepali women and men running to stations to look for girls who may be trafficked. Though there are police on each border crossing, they are not looking for signs of trafficking taking place. Even if they were, they are easily bribed to ignore it by the traffickers. The Tiny Hands workers are allowed to stop men and women to ask them questions and look for "red flags" in their answers. If they find that a girl is being trafficked into India they will hand the man over to the police (which sometimes take care of it, and other times the trafficker escapes) and then Tiny Hands will take the girl to one of their safe homes to interview her on exactly how she got to the border with this man, educate her about trafficking and what happens, and she also hears the gospel.

These stations are so critical because the girls that Tiny Hands have intercepted, the majority of them have not been raped or put in a brothel yet. If you can get the girls before they cross the border, you can usually prevent the process from happening all together. And that is a HUGE praise! Nepal is a trafficking source. There are not brothels in Nepal where girls are held against their own will there. You will usually find massage parlors or dance clubs that are linked to the sex industry here in Nepal- very rarely a brothel. Most of the time how trafficking works, girls are brought from a poor country and brought to a rich country to make the most money off of her. That is why girls are taken from Nepal (poor country) and brought to India( rich country).

Part of the culture here is to blame the victim. Though we all know that none of the events of being trafficked are a girls fault, she would be blamed for what happened. All of this is linked to deep spiritual roots in Hinduism.

These people of Nepal are in such need of Jesus. We have been learning alot about the Hindu religion with is the main religion in Nepal. When I walk around and see people wearing the "third eye" on their forehead, it breaks my heart. There is no hope in this religion. These people need Jesus so badly, pray that as our team walks around we won't just stick out because we are Americans, but that the people of Nepal will see something different in us, and we will show them Jesus.

The work that Tiny Hands is doing for the kingdom is incredible. I am so thankful to be part of and so thankful y'all enabled me to do this work. I wouldn't be here with out you and I am so grateful. This trip is changing my life.

Our wonderful and protective guys! (Austin, Barret, Matthew,  Tanner)

Sweet Nepali boy in a childrens home- rescued off the street. 

God's Goodness..

It has been a few days since my last update. Sunday night I started fevering pretty badly. All day yesterday I was in bed. It was super discouraging because I couldn't be with the team or do anything. When I tried to get up I felt extremely dizzy, weak and naucious. I litterally couldn't go anywhere. I was a bit overwhelmed. I really started missing home because I hate being sick without my mom being there. But when I tell you this team is amazing, they are AMAZING! I was prayed over twice, some of the guys took our broken fan and gave me their's to keep me cool. They went to the market and got me some cold water. The girls came and checked on me and soaked a shirt to cool down my back. Sarah trekked through Thamel to find me anti-nausea medicine. 

We are reading a book about some of the attributes of God. The first one is about His goodness. It was in such perfect timing that we read this. One of my favorite quotes was this, " Ultimately, God isn't good because he does good things for us. And God isn't good because of something in us. God is good because of something in him. He can be nothing else. Both God and his choices remain good, even when they may not feel or look particularaly good to you." God isn't good or not good based on our circumstances. Even yesterday when I was sick, He was still good. Our circumstances don't determine the goodness of God. Just like we are sin, God is good. ALL THE TIME. I am so blown away by that. 

Last night I didn't fever. Last night was also the first night I slept all the way through the night without waking up. I woke up this morning feeling 10x better. I am not naucious at all, not so weak, and can actually walk around without feeling like I'm going to hurl or fall over. God is so good. 

I know alot of you were praying for me through that yesterday and I want you to know that Jesus heard you. I am so blown away by his goodness right now I could dance. Maybe I should? ;) I love each one of you very much & I am so very thankful for you! 

And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is make perfect is weakness. Most gladly, therefore, I will boast about my weakness, that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore, I am well content wtih my weaknesses, with insults, with distress, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weakm the I am strong." -2 Cor. 12:9-10

Finally a team..

Yesterday was the first day we all became super comfortable around each other. It was an awesome day with everyone! I absolutely love it here and so thankful that God chose this team for me to be with on this journey. We are constantly checking on each other to make sure we are feeling okay, and making sure everyone is staying hydrated. The guys on the team, Tanner, Barrett, Austin and Matthew, have been so good about watching over the girls- especially when we are walking at night. Though the city is chaotic and a lot is going on around you- I love this atmosphere.

We got to experience our first visit outside of Thamel yesterday. Dhubar square is an area that is built up by temples where people still worship. In the Hindu culture there is also a “living goddess.” She is chosen from a certain family and put through tests to see if she is qualified for the role. Once she is chosen she is brought to Dhubar square where she will live. Her feet may never touch the ground so she has to be carried everywhere. After she hits puberty she will be released of her duties as goddess and expected to go back and live as a normal person. After you are a goddess, being accepted back into society is a very hard road.

Nepali language lessons are very interesting. Yesterday we learned more sentence structures and future tense. It was super intense and by the end of the hour we were all extremely lost. Our favorite sentence translates to.. “I ate water and sat on it.” That was Austin’s attempt to say “I will drink water.”

It is now 6:20am here in Thamel (at the time my internet isn’t working so this will be posted at a later hour). Today we will be attending our first church service and also be spending some time at our first children’s home. I am excited to see how this culture encounters God.

This trip is turning out to be so much more than I expected. I adore this country and my team. Sarah, our leader, is so incredible and such a great example. Though she is the leader she is encouraging and never looking down on us when we are trying to figure out how things work here. We all decided that she is one of the most hardcore people we ever met.. You kind of have to be when you live in Nepal.

Here are some prayer requests for these next few days:

-      -----We met a team from Azusa Pacific University.  They will be heading home in about a week. Pray for their debriefing time and their travels back home.

-       -----Pray for our interactions with the kids today on our first trip to the children’s home.

-       -----Ask that Jesus would continue to open our eyes to this culture and allow our hearts to be broken for these people.

-       -----As a team, we would grow closer together and continue to encourage each other. 

A taste of Kathmandu..

The view from our hotel roof.. Crazy mountains here- even on cloudy days! 

Me and Anna- the Nepali tea is AMAZING! They will teach us how to make it before we leave so I will glady make you some when I come home :)

WE FOUND A WALMART! We laughed so hard. Then, Nepali people laughed at us laughing. 

My room mate Taylor- The things we do for internet when we are desperate!

Our toilet has decided to stop working. We keep trying to fix it. Pray that it starts flushing!! 

Taste and see that the LORD is good..

"As you get out of bed in the morning, be aware of my presence with you. You may not be thinking clearly yet, but I am. Your early morning thoughts tend to be anxioous ones until you get connected with me. The true question is not whether you can cope with whatever happens, but whether you and I together can handle anything that occurs. It is this you-and-I factor that gives you confident to face the day cheerfully." -Jesus Calling 

This morning, I woke up super excited to blog about all we did yesterday! I woke up and looked outside, it was raining so we got to open up the windows and its so cool outside. Such a relief from the hot sun we have been facing since we have been here. I turned on some worship music and just have had some time with Jesus. As I read my Jesus Calling this morning the very first line said 'be aware of my presence with you.' We always know that Jesus is with us, not necessarily feeling it though. In a place like Thamel (pronounce Tom-El --part of kathmandu we are staying in) sometimes you forget that even though this place is dark and in need of Jesus, He is here. And these are His people. And His city. In His presence there is a peace that we find. In this midst of this chaotic city, Jesus is peace.

 Last night, we were all feeling the chaos getting to us. We just needed time to worship and re-focus though it has only been a few days since we left home. We all met on the roof and put on some worship music last night and just laid there in silence, listening, singing, and worshiping. We were up there for about 40 minutes and it was so refreshing. I laid in bed last night with a peace about being here and how Jesus is going to use me. He gave me a peace about being away from home, and though I miss my family more than ever, I am okay. Going into this trip, my prayer was to take everyday and live here in Nepal in that moment. Jesus is teaching me how to do this.. and I have a feeling its because you all have been praying for me. So thank you for that.. Jesus is using you and your faithfulness greatly.

When we got here we were talked to about the people we will encounter on the streets- especially the children. What we dont think about most of the time is that sometimes our helping hurts the poor. Most tourist that come to Nepal will see a street child and give him food or money. Thinking they did something good, it ended up hurting the child. The child will usually turn around a sell the food or take the money and go buy glue. As children, they will start sniffing glue and by the time they are an adult they are addicted to hard core drugs like heroine.These children become addicted to the streets. Though its not a good life, they are given more food (usually more than what we eat in one day) and things are handed to them. There have been children that have been taken off the streets and end up going back to it because its an addictive thing here-- alot like gambling. Here, drugs are very easy to get to, multiple people on our team have already been asked multiple times if they would like to but marijuina or other drugs. Its very in your face here. That being said, though we have encountered street children we are encouraged to not give them food or money unless we feel strongly encouraged to by the Lord.

Yesterday we started our language classes.. Nepali is not the easiest language to learn, but SO fun when you have a passion behind it. We also did a scavenger hunt around the city, and got lost and found our way back again! Last night we then went to Jon, THI president's, house and met another group here and played some games. Today, we will start learning some songs for the Children's homes that we start visiting on Saturday.

Its about 7am here so it is time to start the day! Going to go get breakfast and some INCREDIBLE Nepali tea. Goodnight to all of you back home :)

Its 4am and I am wide awake..

Here are some pictures of the places we have seen so far and our very humble hotel. :) 

Officially Begun..

Today we finally arrive in Kathmandu. What a journey- 20+ hours of travel, then arriving in the morning and having to stay awake all day to try to beat jet lag. When we first arrived we came to the hotel and got all checked in. Then Sarah took us around Kathmandu and we got to experience some pretty crazy things right away. Walking on the road while motorcylces and cars are driving everywhere honking and barely missing your feet as you walk, that is something I have never experienced in the U.S. We then walked to a Buddist temple and it is nicknames "monkey temple" because there are monkeys everywhere. We really were just exposed to the poverty of Nepal and we started to talk about some issues this country faces. We also got to go to Tiny Hands offices. There we met the president, Jon and some of the Nepali staff. We came back to the hotel and were told that we were supposed to split up into small groups and go explore Kathmandu on our own. I went out with anna and austin.. we got lost. We thought we knew where we were going but evedently not. Finally, we gave up and turned around and tried to find our way back home-- and we made it! During that time I was a little anxious being in a new place and purposly not knowing where I was going but it was so good and so fun.

Our team is really starting to grow close together and it is exciting to watch. I cant wait to see what happens with us at the end of this time.

We were told today that we will leave for Pokrah on July 9th and be there for four days. While we are there we will explore the land that will be the dream center and some of the childrens homes there. I have been told its the most beautiful place on earth!

While we are in Pokrah we will also have oppurtunities to go para-sailing, on a safari, ride elephants, and rent motorcycles to drive around. Though I refuse to drive in this country, I will ride and try not to freak out.

Tomorrow we will be meeting Jon for breakfast, starting our Nepali language class, our study we are doing together and a scavanger hunt in Kathmandu. How exciting this journey is!

Please pray for my heart.. there have been a few times I have caught myself getting homesick and I dont want to allow Satan to use that as an attack. I want to use all that I am while I am here and not worry aobut what is to come and people back home. Pray for our team and that we will start bonding and growing closer together and to Jesus. Pray that we will rely on Him daily to be our strength and respond to what He is trying to teach us.

Love you all & Goodnight from KTM :)

Here I am Jesus, Send me.

14.5 hours in a plane, we are in Doha, Qatar! Praise the LORD.

The flight wasnt half as bad as I was expecting and I am so very thankful for that. I had alot of time to pray for loved ones back home that I started to miss. I also got to read a letter from my sweet sister that helped bring a touch of home to me. It's a little after 9pm here and we get on our next flight to get to Kathmandu at 1am and will arrive around 8:30am. The flight will only be able 5 hours-- that sounds like nothing after being on a plane for 14.5 hours.

The team is incredible. So much more than I could have ever expected. I adore each one of them and I am so excited to watch our friendships grow and see what Jesus does with them. Some of us were talking and there is no way that anything but JESUS could unite a group of people like this.

We recieved a packet upon arrival in Houston yesterday... or this morning??..or whenever it was. I am totally thrown off by times I am trying not to figure it out. I read through that packet on the plane and I found out for for 7 days, we as a team will be with a language tutor for one hour each day. I am SO very excited about this. The Nepali language is so interesting and I am excited to dive into it! We will also be traveling around the country alot and learning much about all the issues that face Nepal. Alot of these will be about children, women, and the heartbreaking issue of sex trafficking.

Every so often I feel a little overwhelmed and feel like maybe I went too deep into something I cant handle by coming here. But, Jesus is good, and keeps reaffirming me on why I am here and how good its going to be. I am praying that this trip will expose me to enough that I will come home and not be able to help but to do something about this issue. Atlanta is number one in the nation for trafficking and top 3 in the entire WORLD. Something has to be done, and I feel as though if I dont step up, then who will?

It is so encouraging to be here with 9 students all my age, all of us sharing the same passion and all fueled by the same thing. Jesus is good. I always struggled with trying to figure out why Jesus chose me to be born in the U.S. Why am I not a child in Nepal desperate for food, or a mother in Haiti who survived a terrifying earthquake that took my husband? I may never know this answer. But, I do know that Jesus is calling me to use the blessings He is giving me and the resources that are at my exposure to fight for these children and women. I want to spend my life doing this. And I am praying that at the end of this journey in Nepal, Jesus will have shown me exactly how He wants me to do pursue this.

Love you all so very much. Your prayers have reached me & have been with me.

All to You, I surrender.

There is no place that I would rather be… than here At your feet laying down everything// All to you, I Surrender…. Everything, Every part of me. All to you, I Surrender…. All of my dreams, All of me.// If worship's like perfume, I'll pour Mine out on you. For there is none deserving of my Love like you. So take my hand and draw me into you. I want to be swept away, lost in love for you.// No turning back, I've made up my mind. I'm giving all of my life this time// You're love makes it worth it. You're love makes it worth it all.// -Kim Walker, I Surrender


That song is my prayer for this trip. That Jesus would draw me into his loving arms, and I would truly surrender all of me and pour everything I have out in these 6 weeks. I am heading to the airport around 12:30 this afternoon. There, I will meet with Anna and Austin. Then we are off! First stop will be Houston, TX where we will meet up with the rest of the team, then from there going to Qatar, and finally, Nepal! I am so very excited to see all Jesus has in store for this trip. Please pray for our hearts. Leaving our families and close friends isn't the easiest thing in the world and Satan uses it as an easy attack. 


His love makes it worth it all. Praise Jesus we have something to live for. 


See you in 6 weeks!
~Emilee 

Be still, there is a Healer.

We are now down to just 7 days before I leave and I can hardly believe it. This is a place where I have longed to be for the last 3 years, and as always, God is faithful, and He brought me here. Since the time has gotten closer to leave, there has been a little more nervousness. Through every small detail I worry about Jesus always shows up- either in a song, His word, or through another believer. A few nights ago Satan was really attacking me and I got to extremely fearful. In that same moment Anna (a fellow visionteamer) texted me and crazy things were going on in her life and feeling the same way. In that we were just able to pray over eachother and reconfirm for eachother that this is where Jesus wants us and He is going to do mighty things in and through us. He has provided so much for us and he has remained faithful through this entire process, and I have no doubt He is going to show up in even bigger ways when we arrive in Nepal. These lyrics by Chris Tomlin just resonate in my head for the majority of the day..

"Be still, there is a healer. His love is deeper than the sea.  His mercy is unfailing. His arms a fortress for the weak. I lift my hands to believe again. You are my refuge you and my strength. As I pour out my heart these things I remember ..You are faithful God forever."

One specific prayer request would be the traveling side of this journey:
I get really nervous traveling and being in airports- I dont mind flying at all but I hate going through securtity and making sure I am at the right place at the right time. Sounds silly, I know ;)

So excited about this next season in my life, and I am so excited to make you all part of it.

One Month..

Today marks the one month countdown till I leave. Just 31 days. I am so ready to be there.

Yesterday I recieved my trip itinerary:

Atlanta --> Houston = 2 hours & 14 minutes
Layover: 3 hours & 44 minutes
Houston--> Qatar= 14 hours & 35 minutes
Layover: 5 hours & 55 minutes
Qatar-->Nepal= 4 hours & 40 minutes

In total it will take me 2 days to get to Nepal. I will leave at 3:45pm on June 25th and arrive at 8:35am on June 27th. And for all of you who have never looked at a map to find Qatar like myself- it is near Saudi Arabia.

I get very antsy in an airplane. So that is a huge prayer request that God would just give me rest as we travel.

Thank you for taking part in this journey with me. I can not wait to see all God has in store for me and my team as we are there. Love you all.