The first part of this adventurous testimony can be found here.
After an already adventurous trek further into the heart of Nepal, we arrived at a settlement at the peak only to have our vehicle stopped by young men at a questionable check point. Our local contact was hauled away. As dusk came upon us, our local contact reappeared with young men armed with rifles. We had trespassed into rebel territory. An unforgivable incursion. In a split second our goodwill mission turned into a hostage situation. An ominous chill gripped us. Danger lurked all around us.
As we were being escorted by weapon wielding youths, I noticed two rebels in conversation with our driver and cooks. “Good, they are being let go,” I thought to myself. They didn’t need to be caught up in this mess with us.
We reached the two-story rebel base.
A short walk later, we reached the two-story rebel base located on a high point. From there, they had a 360 degree view of the settlement just below.
Once we stepped inside, we were taken through the front room to a steep ladder with very narrow rungs. One armed rebel climbed ahead and disappeared through a small opening in the ceiling. His mate pointed his rifle at us and directed us to clamber up.
There was no escape route.
The top of the ladder led us to an attic. It was small, cramped and packed with their weapons cache and communication setup. There were four wooden bed frames with handwoven rice straw mats for mattress and thin linen covers. A very small window looked out to the front of the building. Clearly, there was no escape route.
Once all eight of us were holed up in that tiny space, one rebel remained. He sat at the top of the ladder with his gun close by his side. Sometime later, a young man came up to the attic. He was unarmed. If at first he seemed harmless, all that changed when the interrogation began.
We came here to disburse aid supplies.
Again and again, he bombarded us with the same question, “Why did you come here?” Our response was consistent. “We came here to disburse aid supplies and essential items to the tribal group who live here. We mean no harm.”
You will not get out of here alive!
He was not convinced and grew increasingly irritated when we refused to give him the answer he expected. Riled, he said in a raised voice, “You should not have come here! You will not get out of here alive!” and stormed off.
I had expected that. Here we are at their operations center and we’ve seen too much. There was no way we were ever walking out of this place free. We sat in silence. Even in this crisis, there was a certainty in the depths of our hearts that God wanted us to make this trip. The word impressed upon one of us was that the purpose of our journey was for one person. In His time, God would reveal who that person was.
We were where our Lord wanted us.
Being taken hostage was not what we had expected. Still, we knew, we were where our Lord wanted us. We felt rattled and yet strangely at peace at the same time. We prayed together. Not for freedom but for the Spirit to help us honor God in this situation.
A while later, the rebel who had escorted us to the base, entered the attic. “Dinner is ready. Come down and out to the back to eat.” Food was the last thing on our minds. “We are not hungry.”
“But your cooks prepared dinner for you.” At first we thought we heard him wrong. “Our cooks?” “Yes! They said it has been many hours since you all last ate.” “No, no, no,” we protested.
They are free to go... but they insisted on staying with you.
“There is a misunderstanding. They are not part of our group. We only hired them to be our porters and cooks. They are innocent. Please let them go,” we pleaded. “They are free to go. So is your driver. We told them but they insisted on staying with you.”
We could not comprehend. Why would they put their lives at risk by choosing to remain with us? We are mere strangers to them. They are just our hired hands. They have families waiting back home for their safe return. They are the sole breadwinners of their households.
“Quick! Come down now!” the rebel hustled us. “We are not hungry. You and your friends can have our dinner.” He walked away with a grin and called out for his comrades. We could hear the noise of feasting down below.
"You will all be executed by a firing squad."
As we were each lost in our own thoughts, our interrogator returned. “Tomorrow at noon, you will all be executed by a firing squad.” He delivered the news as a matter of fact. There was no emotion.
As he turned on his heels, we requested that he pass a message to our cooks and driver for us. We wanted them to know that they are free to leave us and return to their families in the morning. He stared at us, rather taken aback. His expression turned soft, just a little. Then he left us to ourselves.
All through the night, three armed rebels stayed with us in the attic. The one sitting by our only exit, remained on guard. Dozing while gripping his rifle.
The majestic Himalayan range encircled us.
As dawn broke, I requested permission for us women to use the outhouse. Consent was given. All five of us ladies were free to walk outside to the grounds. The garden was simply but beautifully landscaped. The majestic Himalayan range encircled us. The light of a new morning splintered, as it cut through the sky and glazed the curves and bends of the mountains.
It was hard to believe, here, in what looked like a slice of Shangri-la, that our lives would soon meet its end. In that moment, it was so clear to us, what was most important to be living for. It wasn’t ambition, achievements or accolades.
I knew so clearly there were two paths before me.
At that moment, I knew so clearly there were two paths before me. A life lived for myself or a life lived for God. I made a pledge to God. If I had another chance at life, I would not return to my life as it was. Instead, all of my life was to be his.
Getting back to the attic, we were told our cooks had prepared breakfast for us. They are still here!For the third time, we sent a message for them to return to their families. We were told they chose to stay even when knowing we were to be put to death. They were adamant to be allowed to bring our bodies down the mountain and inform our families. So our loved ones would not be left waiting and wondering about us. That they may have closure.
I have never known such sacrificial love.
Who are these people? I have never known such sacrificial love. We may choose to lay down our lives for our family and friends. But to risk our lives for strangers? They made a conscious decision to remain with us in danger. So, we who were strangers to them, would not die alone and abandoned.
Just as we concluded our morning worship and prayers, the rebel leader came up. It was the first time we were meeting him. He was barely 21 years old. Lean built, fair skinned, with shoulder length hair and well defined features. His name was Raj*.
He had heard us singing and was curious about the song. We told him it was a devotional song to our God. I felt a prompting in my spirit. I asked if he would like to know the meaning of the song. He nodded and came and sat with us.
We shared the message of a God of love.
Ben*, our group leader, reached out for the song sheet for the song that speaks of the light of the world (Here I Am To Worship). Together, we shared the message of a God of love through the song.
The Lord who left His heavenly glory and came down to the world to be with us. A God who willingly chose a life of poverty and suffering to deliver us from sin and death. It was then I noticed, he was wearing a crucifix pendant.
"Why are you wearing that?” I asked. “A good friend gave it to me as a gift when he heard I was going to join the rebel movement. My friend goes to a church.” “Do you know what that symbol means?” “No. But my friend said it will keep me safe. There must be some truth to it. I have been in many battles and I am still here.”
Ben and I shared about the greatest gift exchange that occurred on the cross. A God who willingly laid down His life for the forgiveness of our sins. That we may be reconciled with God, enjoy a relationship with Him and have eternal lives.
Would you like to open your heart and let Jesus in?
“Raj, would you like to open your heart and let Jesus in to live in your heart?” Ben and I asked.
“I don’t think your God can forgive me. I have killed many people. I have blood on my hands. I have no choice. It is the only way I know how to get justice for my people.”
“Jesus forgives if you believe in what He has done for you at the cross,” Ben assured him. “I will still have to go to battles and kill. Can He forgive me then?” “I don’t know the answer to that. What I do know is, He will be with you on the battlefield and He will guide you on what to do,” I reassured him.
Raj stayed silent. We could see he was pondering over all we had shared. “Yes, I want your Jesus to live in my heart,” he said. All eight of us gathered around him and prayed for him. He thanked us and prepared to leave for his shift at another mountain.
“I won’t see you all when I return at 3pm.” Of course, we’ll all be dead by then. We bid our farewells and he left. Then we prayed and we waited. 12pm passed. Nothing. All was quiet. Not a stirring.
At 1pm, our interrogator rushed into the attic and started rambling excitedly. His face all lit up! Our Nepali was basic and we couldn’t make out what he was saying. We asked him to slow down.
Words we had not expected to hear.
He then spoke the words we had not expected to hear. “You are free to go! The order came from our Commander at the next mountain. We believe you. We believe you made an innocent mistake in entering into our territory.” A miracle! No one walked away alive from such an encroachment.
As we we were leaving the base, our interrogator requested us to pray for him and his mates. “But we pray to a different God from yours. Is that O.K.?” I inquired. “Yes. We can see you are different. We were watching you. It must be your God.” They gathered around us and we prayed for them with much joy in our hearts.
Our driver and cooks were waiting for us by the vehicle. Relief written over their faces. They were a model of courageous loyalty unlike any I had ever witnessed before. Nor since.
The rebels heard rumors of trouble looming.
The rebels heard rumors of trouble looming. They rode along with us to the mid point. Shielding us with their bodies and arms, to protect us from harm. From there, we were advised, for our safety, it was better to trek down the mountain. They appealed to our cooks cum porters to guide us safely back. Our driver waved us off with a wide smile.
By evening, we were back with our host family in the village. What a story we had for them!
Four months after my return... I packed away my secure and comfortable life and left for the mission field.
Four months after my return, I resigned from my regional leadership role at the company I was attached to. I packed away my secure and comfortable life and left for the mission field. A whole new season of adventure awaited me in the days ahead.
*Note: names have been changed to protect privacy
Epilogue:
What can we do to help the people of Nepal?
As the world moves on to the next news headlines, the question remains, what can we do to help the people of Nepal rebuild their lives from the ruins of the August flooding tragedy.
For decades, Nepalis have warmly welcomed and hosted tourists and trekkers. Risking life and limb for acclaim chasers and glory hounds. How are we going to show up for them now?
The global mission I am engaged with, Alongsiders, is a grassroots youth discipleship movement that equips youths to walk alongside vulnerable children. Sadly, we lost a few youth in the glacial collapse and devastating floods in Nepal.
Our team on the ground rushed to distribute aid and essential items, traversing difficult routes to reach hard to get to places. The rescue and disaster relief phase is now over.
Our team is now focused on helping youth and children, their families, and communities.
In partnership with other organizations, our team is now focused on helping youth and children, their families, and communities, to recover from the trauma. That they may find the resolve and strength to start over again. That they may once again find hope in their hearts for their future. Recovery and healing will be a long journey ahead.
Extend help and support to one person or one family.
Even if you extend help and support to one person or one family, it matters. It makes a difference. Seek out and connect with credible organizations on the ground in Nepal. Every act of kindness creates a life transforming, ripple effect.
Originally published on Meera's Love Always Prevails Substack.
A nomad at heart, Meera Mahadevan comes alive experiencing a diversity of cultures. A published author, she is passionate about the power of words to breathe life. Her childhood years were enriched by growing up in a multilingual, multicultural society in Southeast Asia. This setting, coupled with being raised in an extended family that blended interfaith and intercultural marriages, profoundly shaped her and cultivated in her an openness in embracing diversity and creating spaces for differences. After over a decade in marketing and management consultancy industries, she trained as an accredited Life and Executive Coach before shifting to frontier missions. She has been engaged with missions organizations with work spanning from Europe, East Africa, South Asia, South East Asia to South Pacific and is now a trained Spiritual Director and a spiritual companion to mission workers. Meera's writing can be found at: https://lovealwaysprevails.substack.com.
