By Valerie Steenkamp
In southern Nepal, near the Indian border, we met Mira (not her real name), where she lives with her two adult children. Her children are both dumb, and her daughter, Rama (not her real name), is also severely mentally handicapped. Many years ago, Mira and her husband started coming to church. They were very poor and lived in a little shack on someone else’s property. To survive and care for their children, they made and sold rice wine.
After some time, the Lord touched their hearts, and they were convicted to stop making rice wine as a living and rather use the little money they had to buy their first two goats. Their little farming endeavour quickly grew, and they could buy more goats. Unfortunately, Mira’s husband passed away and she had to take care of the family on her own. But the Lord poured out His grace on the little family, and her farming business grew from strength to strength. Today she owns 21 goats and five water buffaloes. She purchased land, built a lovely home, and has three rice paddies.
What really touched me was Rama and her lovely smile. She cannot hear, talk, read, or write. However, she attends every weekday church activity and the church service on Sunday. She arrives on her own, is always punctual, and is never late. She sits through every meeting without disturbing anyone. If you meet her in the village, you’ll immediately see and hear that she is mentally challenged. However, the Lord sends her to His people and brings a calmness over her. What a joy it was to visit this family and see and hear about God’s favour and goodness.
