The Life of a Refugee

The war in Somalia was getting worse and worse by the day. Somalia had even been declared as the most unsafe country in the world. For decades, the political parties had been fighting and trying to come into rule but it had become completely out of control. Innocent people were being robbed, kidnapped, and killed for no reason at all. That was why Nasira decided she had to leave. She had already lost too much. Her husband had been kidnapped 1 year ago because of his wealth and physical strength. One of the political groups took all his money and forced him to fight with them. There was no way he could escape and come back home. Her eldest son had been shot dead while walking to school 6 months ago. He just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, but it took his life. And now, just a few days ago, the same political group that kidnapped her husband had kidnapped her second eldest son too. The pain in losing yet another family member was too great. Kidnapped or killed, she was permanently losing them and would probably never see them again. But at least now her husband and son may be together, despite their horrid circumstances. But it was too much. Nasira couldn’t bare the thought of losing anyone else in her family. She still had three girls and two sons and knew she had to get them out of Somalia. And what is life when you’re constantly worrying about your safety? They weren’t living meaningful lives when they were constantly watching their backs and fearing the worst. After all, it had become a country where the worst was a daily norm. So she made the decision, as hard, yet easy, as it was. It was time to leave. But this in itself was more difficult than imagined. She prayed to Allah, the Muslim god, that she could find a trustworthy smuggler. Hiring a smuggler was the only way they could escape the dangerous country. She had heard from a friend of a smuggler who was supposed to be a good one. Yet it was nearly impossible to know because once Somali people escape the country, all communication is cut off. A smuggler was also very expensive to hire, but thank God her husband had had a good job and saved lots of money, and his kidnappers didn’t know where the money was hidden. So the plans were settled. There was no other choice if she wanted to save her children’s lives and live without fear. So Nasira hired the smuggler who promised to take them to Europe, gathered all the hidden cash to help start their new lives, and packed all the suitcases for herself and her children.

The next morning Nasira woke her five children quite early. She told them to get dressed because they were going to take a little trip. She couldn’t tell them the truth, because she new they’d refuse to leave their friends, school, and life here. Luckily they did as she said. They were all ready and out the door before the sun even rose. Nasira looked back one last time, hardly able to bare the thought that she might never see this home again, both the physical house and the country. She would probably never get her son or husband back, and didn’t even have a way to let them know that she was leaving the country. This wasn’t the life she had wanted, but she had no other choice. They met the smuggler and started their journey. He seemed nice and trustworthy. Fortunately the children were too tired to ask too many questions. And she said goodbye to the life she loved yet hated, and to the hope of her entire family ever being together again. She entered a new life where she would be called a “Somali refugee”. At the same time she felt a deep relief at the thought of not having to live in fear any more that another one of her children would be kidnapped or killed, and loved the possibility of a more hopeful future.

The smuggler had arranged everything. They just followed behind him and did everything he said. It would take about a week to get to Europe because of taking multiple flights and layovers. They first flew from Somali to Dubai. They stayed in a cheap hotel for one night and the next day got on a plane to Mumbai. Here they stayed for 2 nights. The smuggler came and went, and they even had a chance to see a little of India. Then they flew from Mumbai to Kathmandu. They were to stay 2 nights again, and then fly from Kathmandu to Europe, but he hadn’t said which country yet. They were starting to get excited to finally arrive in Europe! They had heard that the education was much better than Somalia’s and they could also find jobs that paid well. So far they had enjoyed seeing some other countries, but they were ready to settle into their new lives. While they were in Mumbai, the children had asked Nasira when they were going back to Somalia. She had decided she couldn’t lie to them anymore and told them the truth. They all showed mixed emotions, but were mostly angry with her for taking them away. But after a day they had accepted it and even started seeing it in a positive light. Now they were looking forward to tomorrow’s flight to Europe.

The smuggler had gone out for dinner but said he would come back to the hotel before nighttime. It was late and he still wasn’t back. But they had come to trust him and even made friends with him, so they knew he’d come back. They went to sleep after packing their bags for the morning flight. The next day they woke up early, but still the smuggler wasn’t there. They waited and were getting anxious that they would miss their flight, but still he never came. They waited a few hours, and a few more hours. He never showed. They thought maybe he had meant the next day instead, and so they didn’t lose their hope quite yet. At the same time, they couldn’t help but let the thoughts creep in that the smuggler had permanently left. He still didn’t come the next night either. And the next morning he still wasn’t there. That’s when Nasira realized her worst fear. The smuggler had gone. And he wasn’t coming back. Oh, the tears that fell from her eyes. But at least they still had money and their passports. They were out of Somalia, so they could still get plane tickets on their own and fly to Europe. But when she frantically searched for their passports, she couldn’t find them. She couldn’t believe it: the smuggler had also taken her family’s passports and about ¾ of their cash. Now the tears really poured. She and her children were stuck in a foreign country with no way of leaving and only a little money to last them a few days. Even worse, their identities had been stolen. What were they supposed to do now? They all just sat there. Nasira wept uncontrollably. She had only been trying to find a better and safer life for her family, and now they were stuck in a foreign land with no identities, money, or guidance.

The next day, Nasira decided she had to gain control of herself. She had to be the strong one in the family so her children wouldn’t realize how bad the situation really was. She remembered that the United Nations (UN) supposedly helped refugees. But would Nepal have a UN? It’s such a small, poor country. She asked around, in the very little English she knew, and found that there was. But how would she get there? They could hardly afford a taxi and the public transportation was too much to handle. She decided on the taxi and they all piled in to head to the UN. They walked in, suitcases in hand, tears in their eyes, and explained to them what had happened and that they needed help. Nasira shared her story about her husband and two sons who she had lost to Somali’s war and how she just wanted to protect her remaining family. When they had left Somalia, they had changed from Somali citizens to refugee status. And now in Nepal, they had changed from refugee status to illegal immigrant status according to Nepali government. Without their passports, they were illegal and Nepal didn’t want them there. Luckily though the UN had power in the country and was able to slide some help to refugees. Nasira was warned though- this wasn’t going to be easy. Nepal doesn’t give them any rights and it would take time to be resettled to a country where they are given rights, so she must be patient. But at least for now they were much safer than they were in Somalia. Nasira wanted to know what they meant by it taking time. Oh at least a year, they said. And what did they mean by no rights? They said that refugees were not allowed to work or earn money. The kids could go to school if they were able to find a school that would take them, although it’d be difficult since they don’t know Nepali language and aren’t sure when they’ll be resettled. The UN would provide them financial support to live on and a flat (apartment) to live in until they are resettled. Nasira was so grateful to them. This was far from what she imagined would happen one week ago, but at least they weren’t living in fear now.

So then they did all that they could. They found a small basic flat that could hold the 6 of them and just waited. The life of waiting was far from pleasant. They missed going to school, working, hanging out with friends. They knew no one, other than some other Somali refugees they had met whose smugglers also left them high and dry. The Nepalis seemed to hate that they were around, which probably came from American movies that portray black people as bad and dangerous people. So they spent their time cooking meals, wandering around the city, and trying to learn some English and Nepali so they could communicate with others.

A year passed and there was still no word on resettlement. They hadn’t even been accepted by a foreign embassy yet. This was going to take a lot longer than they thought. Nasira hated that her children weren’t learning, especially because they had so much potential. They had learned quite a bit of English the past year in Nepal, so she thought it’d be okay to enroll them in an English-speaking school until they were resettled. She searched and searched and finally found a school that would take them in. All the children were tested and placed in grades. But the results were not as expected. Because they knew only some English, they would have to enter earlier grades and relearn everything in English. So her oldest daughter, who was 15, would be put in grade 6 because of her language skills rather than grade 9 because of her age. It was like that for each child. Nasira knew it’d be difficult for the child’s emotional well-being, both because it is embarrassing when you’re older than your classmates and because you can’t connect as well. But there was no other choice. So they all enrolled and started school. The children complained about going back grades and not knowing anyone, but it turned out alright. The Nepali children surprisingly treated them nicely and even took a liking to them. They were able to still play football (soccer) which they loved in Somali and had even taken up the new sport of basketball. After awhile there were some more Somali refugees that joined and even some Pakistani refugees. They made friends and started a new “normal” life, as they must since they’d be in Nepal longer than anticipated.

Waiting was the hardest. And it was difficult to keep hope alive. Nasira felt strong for the first two years, but then it just got hard. She wasn’t able to work and financially support the family. She got tired of being dependent on the UN and just wanted to have her own independent life. She also missed her friends and even more her husband and other sons. It was difficult for her to learn English or Nepali so the only people she interacted with were other Somali women who had similar smuggling stories. She was glad that her children were in school again, yet ached at the thought of these schools being worse than Somalia’s. The education just wasn’t as good, so what would happen when they moved to another country? Would they be too far behind to ever go to college or get a good job? She was also concerned about their maturity and social interactions since they were all in grades with students much younger than them. And what about when her children finished these schools but couldn’t work? Would they become too used to not doing anything that they’d become lazy? She was concerned that once they move to another country and are allowed to work, that they wouldn’t have the motivation or discipline to work every day. She also struggled with depression and hopelessness, as did many of her Somali refugee friends. When the smuggler had robbed her of promises, passports, and money, he had also robbed her of her hope of a bright future. Her life in Nepal, because of the government, was miserable. And it didn’t look like it was going to change any time soon. But she had to hold on and remain hopeful for her children. And after all, at least they were in a safer country without that daily fear of being kidnapped or killed. And at least most of her family was still together. She often wondered about her husband and son and if they were still alive. Maybe one day the war would end and they could all go back home and be reunited. It was hopes like this that she clung onto. And the joy in her children that also gave her heart enough joy to make it through each day.

After 5 years, Nasira and her children had finally been accepted by the Canadian embassy! They were all so exited, relieved, and filled with a new hope! Finally their lives would move on. They could have a better education, go to college, and work again. They could become independent and financially support themselves. She would feel purposeful again. So they began the steps to resettlement- medical checks, UNHCR meetings, interviews to make sure they weren’t terrorists, along with many other meetings. But even after being accepted, they knew it’d still be awhile. It took nearly a year after acceptance because, of course, of the Nepali government. Since they are seen as illegal immigrants Nepal charges them $6 per day as a “visa charge”. With 6 family members over 5 years, that bill is just impossible to pay! Many of Nasira’s days were spent at government offices begging for this fee to be waived. Eventually the officials were kind enough to waive the fees and soon a plane ticket was booked! After 1 year of acceptance and 6 years in Nepal, Nasira and her family finally had the promise of being resettled to a country that would recognize them as they are- refugees, not illegal immigrants. Nasira and her children, who were 6 years older now, were filled with so much more hope again. The waiting period was finally over, the waiting period that had turned into 6 years. They would finally go to a place with better education and work opportunities, but even better, no war and a safe place to live. Nasira’s heart was overjoyed and her eyes were filled with tears. But unlike 6 years ago and the years since, they were not sad, hopeless, depressed tears. They were excited, joyful, hopeful tears for the more meaningful and purposeful life to come for her and her beloved children.

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This story is a compilation of numerous stories that I’ve had through conversations with Somali refugees in Nepal. They have had such unfortunate circumstances when all they were trying to do is save their families and get away from war. Somali refugees started coming to Nepal (always by lying and cheating smugglers) since 2006. The UN also supports about 300 refugees from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Myanmar (Burma). The urban refugees and asylum-seekers from these countries are considered “illegal” and “un-recognized” by the Nepali government. The government doesn’t want them here, despite these people either being abandoned here (like in the case of this story) or just trying to stay alive by escaping from their warring home country. The UNHCR (United Nations Higher Commission for Refugees) works to provide these “un-recognized” refugees with their basic needs of shelter, food, education, and medical needs. But as mentioned before, they are not allowed to work or make a living on their own. The UNHCR also works to help them resettle to another country where they are able to work and are eventually independent from the UN. Hopefully in the next several years most of them will be resettled to the U.S, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Denmark, Netherlands, U.K., and Norway in which they will be able to live independent and purposeful lives.

Nepal also holds refugees from Tibet and Bhutan. The Tibetan refugees have been coming directly to Nepal since 1950s because of the Chinese insurgency into their land. Many stay in Kathmandu and many transit to India or another country. There are about 22,000 Tibetan refugees living in Nepal with around 900 new arrivals each year. Even though many Nepalis are pro-“Free Tibet”, Nepal has agreed to not allow “Free Tibet” movements in Nepal against Chinese authorities.

The Bhutanese refugees came to Nepal in the 1990s when Bhutan kicked them out because they have Nepali genetics and are not recognized as Bhutanese. There are around 68,000 Bhutanese refugees in Nepal that reside in seven refugee camps in Eastern Nepal. Since 2007, 46,000 Bhutanese refugees have been resettled to other countries and many are currently in the same process.

Nepal has become a refuge for Tibetans, Bhutanese, Somalis, Afghanis, Pakistanis, and Myanmese. The level of quality of living is different for each of these groups, but none of them receive what they deserve. It is truly unfortunate to be born into a warring country while holding personal peace values and just wanting safety and protection for your family. While I have hopes for the refugees from each of these places to be resettled into a country where they are given more rights and opportunities, my ultimate hope is that the world will become a place of peace so no one will even need to seek refuge from their countries.


The statistics from this blog post came from UNHCR Nepal. For more information and other personal refugee stories, check out these websites:
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1936578,00.html
http://www.unhcr.org/pages/49e487856.html
http://www.bartamaha.com/?p=17998

“The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.” –Deuteronomy 33:27

“My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. My shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and savior- from violent people you save me.” -2 Samuel 22:3

“Blessed are all who take refuge in Him.” –Psalm 2:12b

“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” –Psalm 18:2

What’s Their Story?

I quickly walked pass an elderly couple sitting on the side of the road begging for money. I went into a nearby canteen (kitchen) to grab some lunch. As I sat there, I observed this couple. They were probably in their 50s, although they appeared older than they probably actually were. The lady seemed weak and supported herself by leaning against her husband. Her arms were medically wrapped and her hair was very short, which is very unusual for Nepal. They were dressed in very dirty clothes that probably hadn’t been washed for weeks. They reached out their hands to every passer-by and were so grateful to anyone who gave them money. The lady could hardly move and looked so miserable. Her husband was taking care of her while begging for money. After they had collected enough money, the husband went to a nearby shop and brought them back each a glass bottle of Coca-Cola. Wow, that’s real healthy, I thought. They probably haven’t eaten all day and a coke is what’s going into their bellies, especially the belly of a sick woman. Then again, can they afford anything that is even close to healthy? As I watched them, so many thoughts filled my mind. First were the initial thoughts that I can’t even seem to control coming into my brain. Go earn your money instead of begging for other people’s earned money. And don’t extend an extra hand towards me just because I’m white! I was ashamed that I had even thought these. I don’t know their story, so who am I to judge? Especially as a Christian, it is not my job to judge no matter how others appear to me. Then I began to think about what their story might be. What brought them to this point of sitting on the side of the road, wrapped in bandages, begging for money? Maybe the lady has cancer and they spent all their money to help her, but now the bills are overwhelming them. Maybe she was injured in a bus accident but they only had enough income for daily food and rent. Maybe their parents were beggars and they were never taught how to make money in a different manner, nor did anyone ever offer to teach them how. Maybe they are Dalits (untouchable caste) and aren’t able to get a job because of their caste. Maybe their children moved to far-off countries for better lives while leaving their parents to tend for themselves, forgetting to send them money as they are supposed to in this culture. Maybe they are faking it, as there are some people who beg because it’s “free money”. Do I not give them money because it encourages their begging? Do I give them money, trusting that they really need it? I could give them fruit, or pray for them, but surely I cannot judge them. After all, I don't know what brought them to this place. I do not know their story.

Update!

It’s nearly been a month since I last blogged, my apologies! So for this blog I’d like to bring you up-to-date on my life here.

First, teaching is going well. I didn’t start teaching until about a month after the new school year started though because of school chaos! The teacher retention rate is very low here because teaching is seen as a beginner job, not a life-long career. Many of our teachers quit which meant the first month of school we were still hiring teachers, constantly changing schedules, and things I couldn’t believe were happening while school was in session. Instead of teaching my classes, I was doing odds and ends and substitute teaching, if you can even call it that. It was more of me being notified with a moment’s notice that a class needed a teacher, so I should go teach them. “Just teach them something,” they’d say. Ahh, what??? I need more of a notice than that! So I’m glad that this chaotic period is over because for me it was nerve-racking, boring, and felt purposeless. But now I have my classes again and am enjoying it. I will be with my students for 5 more weeks to complete the first term. Then I’ll have one week in Nepal and one week in Pennsylvania (for MCC Re-entry) before coming home! I can’t believe this year is about over, which stirs so many emotions, thoughts, and reflections… but I’ll save that for another blog post.

Second, my mom and sister came to visit for a week! Oh, it was soooo wonderful! I have missed having close relationships around, so this was such a blessing! We spent time in Kathmandu, both as tourists and showing them my life here- Elim School, church, boss, co-workers, students, refugees, host family, etc. We even played a way fun game of basketball! Then we went to Pokhara, such a beautiful getaway city on a lake, in which we hiked, got a blind massage, had an early morning boat ride, and watched the sunset over the Himalaya Mountains. However, Denise and Mom probably came the worst week possible – Nepal’s government was due out for a Constitution (which was FAR from happening) so people protested with bandhs (nationwide strikes that shut down everything). But would they have known? So we made the best of it and used the legs God gave us!! It was also fun being the “tour guide”. Sometimes you don’t realize how well you’ve come to know a place until someone new comes. So, it was an absolutely wonderful week spent with dear relationships… plus I also had the bonus of hot showers, A/C, sitting toilets, comfortable beds, and non-Nepal food! What a week of being spoiled!

Third, I am now a student at Kathmandu University School of Art! Because of Nepal’s visa rules, I needed to get a student visa. So 2 days a week I go to KUArt for pottery/sculpture and photography classes for ½ days and then go back to Elim for ½ days. So far I’m enjoying the art classes! They are Nepali style though (laid-back time, unorganized, no real teaching), which is an adjustment but it’s still very enjoyable.

That’s all for now! I hope you all are enjoying the summer. Take care!

Christianity on the Other Side of the World

(Jesus in Yogi position)

One of the reasons I love traveling is to see how people view life differently than me, which is often represented through religions. In Nepal, I am surrounded by religions other than my own. The country primarily follows Hinduism (80%), then Buddhism (10%), Islam (4.5%), Christianity (0.5%), and other (5%). However, it’s not just the non-Christians that perceive Christianity differently than me. Even Nepali Christians perceive things differently than me. I’m not saying that these differences are right or wrong, but I would like to share with you some of these differences.

First, how non-Christians view Christianity. The people of this land were originally Hindu and Buddhist, and only heard about Christianity through evangelists from Western countries. Most Christians are 1st or 2nd generation here, which has caused a lot of breaks in the families and also causes struggles of bringing something “new” into a culture of many religious traditions. So how is Christianity viewed by these people who have never experienced it before?

1)Many people see Christianity as a religion that is only for the poor. And understandably, because Christians do aim to not exclude, feed, and clothe the poor. However, the caste system is huge in Nepal, showing favoritism only for those in higher castes, so people do not want to support a religion that even acknowledges the “untouchables” and lower castes.

2)Many people see Christians as money-givers and willingly become Christian because they think they’ll be given money. Understandably, because there are many Christian organizations (including the one I am serving with) that give money and volunteers to help causes such as education, rural development, food security, human-trafficking, AIDS/HIV, etc. They also know that many Western cultures, which often happen to be the wealthier and developed countries, are Christian. So they associate Christianity as wealth, and even convert to Christianity in hopes that they will overcome their poverty.

3)Many people see Christianity as not just a foreign religion, but also a foreign culture. It is difficult to separate a religion from a culture because many times a culture is based around religious rituals, traditions, and beliefs. For example, imagine a Hindu coming to you and trying to convert you to Hinduism (which wouldn’t happen because they only believe in being born Hindu, not converting to). You would probably have a hard time figuring out what parts of your culture would need to be replaced with Hindu rituals and which are okay to keep, such as wearing a sari or Western clothes, building a Hindi temple for Jesus, and using cremation for the deceased. It would be hard to separate the Hindu religion from the Hindi culture, as we often associate a religion with a culture. So it is hard for a Nepali to believe that he/she can become Christian without giving up his/her culture.

4)Hindus sometimes convert to Christianity because they find it easy to accept another god. There are hundreds of gods in Hinduism, nearly a god for anything! So they are used to hearing about different gods, their purposes, and how to properly worship them. So when they hear about Christianity, it is easy for them to say, “Yes, I accept this God and now I am Christian.” However, they don’t realize that this also means rejecting all other idols, which is ALL of the Hindu gods. I’ve actually talked with quite a few people who say that they are believers and followers of all religions. But obviously they are not true followers because in Christianity you can only follow God. I’ve also heard of some parents telling their children that they don’t care which religion they follow, as long as they follow a religion.

(ladies worshipping at a leadership conference)

Second, how Christians view Christianity. As mentioned in my Easter blog, there are still a lot of Christians in Nepal despite them being a minority. In Kathmandu alone I have heard of a lot of different churches. Even in the rural mountainous areas, there are Christians and churches. In fact it’s not unusual to hear about Christians who walk a full day through the mountains to reach a church, attend a conference, meet other Christians, or evangelize. So how is Christianity viewed by these Christians?

1)Christians here are united. Churches all work together. Pastors will travel to far destinations on rough roads to lead a conference for training Christian leaders. Easter books and DVDs were funded and sent to Christians ALL over Nepal. When a Christian meets another Christian they are immediately excited and very welcoming to one another. It’s like there is this giant web connecting all the Christians together in Nepal… always providing support, helping however possible, and uniting for the cause of Christ.

2)Christians are a minority. But as just mentioned, this seems to have united them more. I’ve come to believe that when a group is a minority, they unite together for a common purpose. But when a group is a majority, they divide from that original common purpose. It honestly saddens me how divided Christianity has become in the U.S. People put so much energy into fighting over “something small” which results in a divided church. Whereas those “something smalls” are the least of the worries to Nepali Christians who are instead putting their energy into fighting for the recognition of Christmas, or to have a burial ground for their dead to distinguish them from the Hindu’s cremations, or to proclaim to others that Christ has risen from the dead. Whether we’re a majority or a minority, where should Christians’ energy be going?

3)Christianity in Nepal is evangelism-based. Because they are the minorities and want to share the love of Christ with others, church messages often are based around evangelism. Also in result of this, Christians tend to not be afraid to declare to people of other religions that they are Christian and then share the Word of God with them. They are often very confident and humbly proud to be a Christian.

4)Because of the focus on evangelism, there are fewer discussions that dig deeper into Christianity and having a personal relationship with God. It is talked about, but not necessarily how to do it. There is also less historical information about different books of the Bible and the history of Christianity. Maybe that is because the pastors have not studied it (many have become pastors because they are passionate and natural leaders, rather than having professional biblical training), or maybe it’s because they would rather talk about evangelism. This is my experience with the churches here, which I honestly miss with church back home. Although considering how many churches there are here, I don’t want to conclude this for all Christians in Nepal. It is only based on my experience.

5)Demons are believed to be the cause of illnesses and diseases. Because Nepal is an undeveloped 3rd world country, there isn’t knowledge about sicknesses like we have in the States. So when someone is physically or mentally sick, it is often blamed on a demon. For example, I was with a group when a girl had a seizure and instead of helping her they started shouting for the demons to leave her. Now, I’m not saying that there aren’t demons and they don’t cause problems. But I am saying that because of limited knowledge in this 3rd world country, often a demon is blamed when a person has a sickness or disease that needs medical attention.

6)Church leaders often meet with leaders of another church. The church I attend has a group of ten churches that meet together every couple of weeks. I think it’s great to see the churches working together, rather than being in competition. Also, only a few churches in Nepal actually claim themselves as a certain denomination. Most churches just say they are Christian and wonder why they need a specification past that.

7)Christians greet each other with “Jaimasi” which means “Praise Messiah”. The official greeting of Nepal is “Namaste”, which actually translates to “I greet the god in you”. This is Hindu and Christians don’t believe having a god within us or being a god ourselves. So Christians say “Jaimasi” instead whenever greeting one another.

8)Churches are flexible, although Nepali people in general have to be flexible. Because of not having electricity for the majority of the day, it makes anything for church difficult. As part of the worship band, we are constantly planning practice around when there’s electricity, which proves to be difficult as we’re also planning it around each other’s work schedules and getting home before dark. As far as Saturday (church day) goes, we just hope there’s electricity! If there’s not, the pastor can’t use a microphone. The band can’t use amps or plug-ins for power, which usually leaves only an acoustic guitar and the leader belting out the song words. The projector can’t work to show the lyrics to the songs. It just makes a church service difficult! Yet Christians come, adjust to having no song words and not being able to hear the entire sermon, and still worship and fellowship together. The electric frustrations do not hinder them from worshipping God.

Non-Christians and Christians view Christianity in Nepal differently than we do in the U.S. No matter the differences though, we must all learn from one another, walk this walk together, and work collectively for the glory of God.

(ladies praying)

Engapli

Nepali + English = Engapli

I will share with you how Nepali people typically speak English… and why it can be humorous!

•‘V’ does not exist in the Nepali language, so they find it difficult to pronounce. Most end up substituting it as a ‘W’. Therefore, when someone quotes the Bible saying, “I am the VINE and you are the branches,” it actually comes out as, “I am the WINE and you are the branches.” Uhhh… I don’t think God would claim Himself as wine.

•They have a difficult time pronouncing the difference between ‘J’ and ‘Z’ because in the Nepali language they combine these two sounds for a letter. So when teachers excitedly tell students that they will be taking a field trip to the ZOO, it sounds like, “We are going to the JEW! Are you excited to go see the JEW?!” Yikes….

•They seem to find it difficult to hear the difference between vowel sounds sometimes. So for example, I was teaching my class some terms and asked them if they knew what a ‘BEACH’ was. A boy answered, “Yes! It’s a female dog!” Oh my! Needless to say, we had a discussion on vowel sounds after that.

•Along with the vowel sound difficulties, we were talking about wild animals one day when a boy kept saying the word ‘BEAR’ as ‘BEER’. Again we talked about the vowel sounds and I encouraged him to master the difference between the two before openly talking about how much he likes bears in public.

•Nepali people have a difficult time distinguishing the difference between ‘sh’ and ‘s’. Often they will just resort to the “s” sound. When I receive text messages, sometimes it takes me way too long to decipher what is being said! Often the text-er will say “C” in place of “SHE”, so a text might say something like, “C is cmg 2” meaning “She is coming too”.

•Along with text messaging abbreviations come word combinations I’ve never seen before. Such as “4M” meaning “FROM”! Often a text is a puzzle in itself!

•‘Th’ and ‘D’ sound very similar to Nepali people so they often interchange them. They will say “DAY” for “THEY” and “DAH” for “THE”. I often wonder if they’re trying to learn how to talk ganster…

•A lot of people around the world pronounce “Z” as “Zed” instead of “Zee”, including Nepal. The end of the U.S. alphabet song rhymes with “Zee”: “W, X, Y, and Zee. Now I know my ABC’s. Next time won’t you sing with me.” But it is different here: “W, X, Y, and Zed. Do you like sugar on bread? If not, it’s time you go to bed.”

•My name is a foreign name to Nepali people. So when they hear my name, they try to connect it to something familiar. Well, the closest Nepali word that ‘KELSEY’ sounds like is the word ‘KHASI’… which humorously means ‘GOAT MEAT’. Lovely connection, isn’t it? My host sister has enjoyed calling me “Kelsey-ko massu” instead of “Khasi-ko massu” which, instead of “Goat meat,” means “Kelsey meat”. Needless to say, I’ve gotten used to the strange looks when I introduce myself!

A Nepali Easter

I met my friends at the bus stop early Easter morning. Quickly we jumped on a micro bus and 45 min later were crossing the Bagmati River into Patan. Many Christian churches had gathered in Thapatali and were marching to St. Xavier's grounds in Jawalakhel. We spotted that the end of the line had just crossed the river. As we drove along it seemed the line of marchers was never-ending. I couldn't beleive how many Christians were proudly marching along this public road in a Hindu country. Each church had a sign proclaiming that Christ had risen! Jesus came to save us all! Different groups had brought guitars and hand drums to play while others were singing and dancing about their risen Lord. About 10 min later, we got off the micro near the front of the line to enter the grounds where we would have an Easter service. All the Christian churches in Kathmandu and Patan joined together on Easter day to have a joint service to celebrate Christ's resurrection. At first I thought this wouldn't be so many people. After all, only .5% of Nepal's population are Christian. However when you consider how many people are just in Kathmandu, aproximately 4 million, you realize that .5% is still a LOT of people (apx. 20,000). We gathered in the grounds... all the Christian churches coming together to celebrate our Lord. Immediately tears came to my eyes. I was just so moved to see all the Christians coming together for one cause... the unity between the Christians and churches here is incredible, exactly as God would want it. I was even more moved by the faith of the Nepali Christians... they aren't just Christians, but they are Christians who are proud to call themselves Christians, proud to procaim that their Lord is Jesus Christ. We sang songs for nearly 2 hours then a message was preached. All the while I just was fighting back tears in my eyes. What is my faith compared to the faith of these people? They are minorities in this country, minorities that are condemned for their beliefs, kicked out of their families, and permanently hated by many. Yet they aren't afraid to proclaim Christ as their Lord. They are people who willingly share about their religion to nonbelievers, not afraid to tell them about the Truth. But I am not a minority in my home country. I haven't been truly condomned for my beliefs. I haven't been kicked out of my family. I haven't been permanently hated by many because of my faith. And yet I still hesitate to share my faith with a nonbeliever. What kind of faith do I have? Yes, I proclaim God as my Savior and am living my life for Him... but am I willing to proclaim it even to those who hate my religion? Am I willing to risk losing everything I have for God? Am I willing to march down public roads of a Hindu country telling them that they are wrong and I know the Truth? I felt so blessed by this Easter in Nepal... to see those following Christ as minorities that are not afraid to stand up for their Savior. As I was reminded of how grateful I am to have a loving Savior that died so I would live, I was also reminded of how grateful I am for His followers that are willing to give up everything they have... for Him. "Could it be any clearer? Our old way of life was nailed to the Cross with Christ... You are dead to sin and alive to God! That's what Jesus did... Throw yourselves wholeheartedly and full-time... You're living in the freedom of God." -Romans 6.6,11,13

A Look into Nepali Behaviors

One of the reasons I wanted to live in a foreign culture after SAS was because I wanted to dig into a culture and understand it on a deeper level. As this isn’t possible when visiting a foreign country for a week, I chose to live in a foreign country for a year. However, even after being here for 8 months, I have come to realize that I will never fully understand the culture and keep on making culture mistakes. In this blog post, though, I want to share with you what I have discovered about the Nepali culture after 8 months time.

Nepali people’s top priority when it comes to interactions and behavior is to 1) always be kind, and 2) always show respect to those older than you. So it makes it easy to meet new people as you’ll rarely find a person who shows rudeness towards you. People are generally friendly with one another and do not show judgments. Therefore, it is an enjoyable time to be around Nepali people because they surround us with a welcoming spirit. Nepalis, as mentioned, also show respect to others. They bow to the feet of their elders when entering their home and they ask permission to do anything from their teachers and parents. Because of these two priorities, Nepali interactions are typically enjoyable.

However, as every culture has its good and bad, Nepal does too. And the bad actually is in result of the good. When a person must always show kindness to another, they will hold back from sharing true feelings or thoughts. They don’t want to be rude to that person, so instead they will go to another friend or relative and share their thoughts. This creates lots of lying, dishonesty, and distrust in the culture. I honestly have never been around so much lying in my life, and I have realized it’s because they are trying to save face and keep a good relationship. Although I would argue that a relationship where there’s no honesty and talking behind backs is not a real relationship. Also in result of this, Nepalis approach conflict indirectly. They will send someone else to talk out the problem rather than go themselves. If they are talking directly to you, they will discuss the problem in a very indirect way, or complain about something that isn’t even the issue, hoping that the other person will pick up on what the problem actually is.

Nepalis loooove to talk. Sometimes I think they have forgotten to breathe! Because of this, they will often take great interest in foreigners and ask many questions. I also enjoy it in Nepali friendships when I personally am not feeling so talkative and just want to listen to the other, and they hand that right to me, naturally! However, often they will end up just talking from their own view. Sometimes I have struggled with this because I feel I don’t get a chance to say anything or give my input because I don’t like to interrupt. But the Nepali style is to just talk over each other! So there may be 2 or 3 people talking at the same time! Often too, in the case of conflict, they are stern on standing their ground and not really listening to what the others are saying. Everyone wants to win, therefore no one wins (maybe this is why there’s still hardly an intact government). It also results in a lot of talk, and little action. Again, just look at all the government rules that have not been implemented.

Nepalis are much more laid-back than Americans. They are people-oriented, not time-oriented, so they will do what they are doing until they feel it is finished. It is nice to be able to enjoy a friend and know it’s okay if you’re late to your next appointment. You also don’t even need to make an appointment to go to a friend’s house. You’re welcome to just stop by whenever you want, without an appointment and even without an invitation! However, again this has its downside. It seems if you make plans, there’s about a 25% chance they will go through. They also will change plans but not notify anyone about the changes. It has resulted in very low commitment levels, including jobs. It is not unusual for teachers to be an hour late to their own class, not show up to school because they want to go to their friend’s house, or end their term just a few months in the middle of the school year. This makes it difficult for institutions and even society to grow.

Overall, I enjoy the Nepali culture’s welcoming attitude but I won’t lie in saying that there are some things that drive me crazy! But this will happen anywhere. Even in my own American culture, there are things that drive me crazy. With each culture, there are great characteristics that make it unique. There are also bad characteristics that hold it back. So these are my 8 month conclusions from observations, interactions, and discussions with Nepalis and foreigners.



As for me, the school year at Elim has started after the New Year of 2068. Although this week isn’t what you may expect for the first week of school- such as half the students missing, many teachers missing, not teaching classes yet, interviewing teachers the day before school starts and hiring them during the first week… Maybe this falls into the “laid-back” and “noncommittal” aspects of Nepal : ) So, I hope you all are well!