Refugee Stories

Here are pieces that some of my Somalian refugee students wrote about their life as a refugee. As they escaped from Somalia’s war zone, they were deceived and lied to and settled in Nepal rather than a developed European country where they would’ve had many more opportunities. Here you will hear them talk about how they are feeling after their previous 4 years in Nepal.

Nepali Life

Living in Nepal is the hardest life I have ever faced. It’s like a jail without doors and I mean by that I am one of the people who has been stuck here for almost four years. In these four years I try to run away from here but I could not so I think about how to survive here if I can’t run. So I tried to start to understand their culture and to understand what is allowed and what is not allowed. So when I start to do that I start to feel 20% that I can live here. Then I start to have friends from this country so I thought that I can live 40% in this place. Then I start to learn their language and start to learn any language that I can communicate with their people here. So I learn Nepali mixed with Hindi language and English. So I think now I can live here for 60% and I think that enough to survive and live in a place you never hear about.

True Story

Love is a word with four letters. We heard it from kids, adult, older people, and also in stories, magazines, newspapers. There are different types of love: loving a mother, loving a teacher, loving a friend, etc. But today I will talk about a different type of love. The kind of love we shortly see because we believe that love is in our heart since we were born. We didn’t need words or action to express. It is a love for a place or for a land you grew up in. I think you know what I’m talking about. It’s the most purse love for our country.
In May 1991 I was born in east Africa in a country called Somalia. Growing up in the most dangerous neighborhood in the world. Since I was born I saw that country in a war for so many reasons and we have see so many presidents for the country but in each and every president we see the country destroyed and in a mess. But the best part is that people were keeping hope and keep living with faith. In December 2006 my mother felt that place is not safe anymore. So she told us to start packing. To leave home was weird. We never think about leaving a place where we have friends, family, and childhood memories. But my mother was searching for a fresh start and a better place, but ended up being refugees. People keep asking us about our country and when they know that we are from the most dangerous country in the world they are surprised and automatically ask other questions that come to their mind, “are you glad you left the country?” Our answer is always no. People look at our faces. They think we are joking but the truth is yes, there is a war. There are people dying everyday, and there are no rules over there, but no matter what happened, one day i will because no one can replace a country or a family. Great moments come from great opportunities. So we have the great moments and we are looking forward for the great opportunity. No matter how bad my country deceived me, I will back for her.

Family

My family contains nine members and they are my lovely mother and my great father, five brothers, and one sister.
Living with my family was everything to me. I count my blessings every day. The most important thing I learned in my family was to help each other all the time. My mother always taught us to care for everyone’s feelings so te others will care for us also. What I leared was how to love yourself is the way you will learn to love the people around you. On the otherhand, my father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person: he believed in me. In my free time I was playing with my brothers especially my young brother, so we were always having quarrel and peace in the same time. My sister is my biggest inspiration in my life. She took care of me and my young brother, even if she went out shopping she brought me a gift every time she got time. She liked to make me the happiest one in the home.
But sometimes if you got angry you thought you hated your family and you don’t want to live with them. But as you leave home and see the need to stay connected you realize you would do anything to return to your family. The love of a family is life’s greatest blessing there is beauty all around you, when you are with your parents.
When i came to Nepal I missed everything, especially my sister’s advice. I call her everyday just to hear her voice and my mother’s voice- I also miss my young brothers’ quarrel. In my conclusion is that family means putting your arms around each other and being with your parents.
One day I hope I will spend more time with my family, talk to them, listen to them, and giving 100% of my time to them, weeping with them, and telling more people to do it.

Amazing Grace

I squished myself into the microvan amidst the many wet Nepalis. I couldn’t believe it was pouring down rain in the middle of January during the dry season! I had stopped carrying my umbrella 2 months ago, so I was glad my winter coat had a hood that would keep me dry until I made it home. We drove through Maharajgunj and I squeezed out of the micro and back into the pouring down rain. I walked the 15 minute walk to my house as quickly as I could, jumping over the many muddy potholes. The alley up to my house is the worse, as it is right beside a construction warehouse that is constantly muddying up the alley. Covered knee high in cold water and mud, at least I would be inside my dry house soon. I arrived to the house gate. There was a padlock on the outside. Great. That means my family is out and I don’t have a key for the lock. They said they would be here when I came home, but instead I am locked outside in the freezing cold rain. I call them. No answer. Call again. No answer. Call again. Finally an answer. They say they are in Chakrapat, only a 5 minute drive away, and on their way to let me in. Good. I wait as the rain pours down on me. There’s no shelter around the house or even half a dry spot. But they said they’re on their way so I won’t be waiting long. But long it is. The cold water was seeping through my jacket and was now getting on my clothes. I walked back out of the muddy alley and got under the roof of a nearby café. Waiting. Soaked. Waiting. Cold. Freeeeezing cold. I could feel my sickness getting worse and was trying to avoid getting too angry. All I wanted at this moment was to be dry, warm, and feel at home. I was tired of being disrespected and my needs forgotten. This moment just added to those feelings. But the anger isn’t what was overtaking me; it was the feeling of not even being cared for. My mind went round and round about the cultural differences I was forced to get used to. I had been distracted by my own thoughts and avoiding the cold rain, that I hadn’t looked too much around me.

For some reason all of a sudden I looked up and straight ahead of me on the other side of the alley was a breath-taking site. The shack on the other side of the alley used large metal scraps for its siding. On two of the pieces read: “AMAZING” and “GRACE”. Wow. This site seemed so out of place… this is a Hindu country with so few Christians, especially in Basundhara where I live. Who knows this song? Who knows and worships the same God that I do? Who decided to write it on metal scraps? And who would want to build their shack with it? But more than the whos and whys was the message behind it, that I would have never learned if I hadn’t been locked out in the rain. Despite the pouring down rain and cold, I have God’s amazing grace. Despite not having a place to feel at home, I have God’s amazing grace. Despite my anger from cultural issues, I have God’s amazing grace. My life is far from perfect and I’m constantly grasping on to God’s grace to save me. When I am feeling lonely, it is God’s grace and presence that comfort me. When I need confidence with my work at school, it is God’s grace that strengthens me. My life is only through God’s grace. The ironic thing is that I had walked this alley hundreds of times, but the only way I would ever notice this message of amazing grace was by being locked out in the cold rain. I’m often reminded of God’s grace when I am soaked and chilled to the bone, needing comfort, strength, or someone’s presence. But here as I was standing cold and soaked, I realized that the thing I truly need in my life is God’s amazing grace. And there it was, written on scrap metal pieces of a shack in a muddy alley of a Hindu country.

Amazing grace how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now I’m found,
Was blind but now I see.

The Lord has promised good to me,
His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine.
But God who called me here below,
Will be forever mine.
He’ll be forever mine.
You are forever mine.

One Week Around Nepal

Christmas break for Elim School was about one month long. During my last week before holiday break was over, I traveled to a few places in Nepal with my good friend Tabea.


Our first stop was Pokhara, a Nepali city nestled in the valley of the Annapurna Mountain range. Our bus ride there was along the mountain ridges that followed a beautiful blue river with huge boulders. On our first day in Pokhara, we hiked up to the Peace Pagoda that sits above Lake Fewa with just an amazing view of the Annapurna’s. We wanted to take the longer route around the lake back to Pokhara, but instead ended up with a surprise adventure. Nepali roads are much different than American roads, in the way that a main road can be a narrow dirt road, and a nothing-road can be a wide stone road. It also can happen that what you think is the right road because it is wide and not-so-bumpy-as-others just all of a sudden turns into a huge dried up riverbed with large boulders. So then you are left taking tiny paths along the steep river bank hoping it eventually leads you around the lake. Instead it led us to the mucky lake bottom (because it is dry season), and I wasn’t going to begin to trust that (bad experience of sinking in the muck when I was younger!)! So this is what happened to us, and we ended up getting “lost”. We found our way back to a boat dock that takes tourists back across the lake to Pokhara. We hopped on a small wood boat and our 12-year-old guide rowed us back across. On our second day in Pokhara, we went up to Sarangkot to watch the sunrise over the mountains and lake. After that, I went paragliding! This was an awesome experience. I was flying alongside the birds in the Annapurna valley. The view all around me was just incredible! On the third day, Tabea and I rented scooter-bikes and took them through the Himalayan mountainside. It was so great to drive a motorized vehicle again, even if it was on the left side of the road! It was so fun seeing all the villages along the way, even as they were laughing at these 2 foreign girls on scooters.



Our 2nd destination was Tansen to visit our friend Anielle. She lives in this small town that is on the mountainside. Our bus ride there was a bit frustrating, as we experienced the travel agencies scamming us and sending us on a local bus (not very safe, and much cheaper). Scams happen time and time again and it is so frustrating not being able to trust anyone. One thing this culture has taught me, that I’m hoping does not become a part of me, is to never trust anyone and their motives behind “helping” you. Anyway, our visit to Tansen and seeing Anielle was enjoyable. It was nice to be in a small town with friends and no pollution!


Our 3rd destination was Sauraha, which is a tiny tourist village that sits on the edge of Royal Chitwan National Park. Chitwan is a popular nature and animal reserve in Nepal and Asia. It is famous for its one-horned rhinos, although there are only a few left because many were poached during the Maoist era. We went on an elephant safari through the jungle that was just amazing! First of all, just riding on an elephant is a cool experience. But then actually seeing other wild animals is incredible! First we just saw lots of deer and birds. Then we saw a crocodile! As our elephant crossed the river I was just hoping that he wouldn’t step on one, freak out, and we’d all end up in the croc-infested water! Then we saw rhinos- which is very rare! We ran side-by-side a mother and baby rhino as they were trying to escape us. After awhile they shot us quite a scary glare, and then we stayed back to avoid being charged! If an elephant is afraid of a mouse, I don’t want to see how he handles a charging rhino!


After one week it was time to come back to Kathmandu. I needed to prepare for my classes and Tabea needed to prepare for leaving Nepal. However, our bus ride back was not a relaxing one like I had anticipated. After a few hours our bus came to a sudden stop as it was the first to arrive on an accident scene that had just happened seconds before. Two buses had collided and one had flipped over the side of the mountain, landing upside-down down below. This was an experience that I didn’t want to have, but was at least thankful that our bus wasn’t part of the accident. Traveling in Nepal isn’t necessarily the safest because it is a mountainous country with hardly any road rules and drivers who just want to get to their destination. So when we made it back to Kathmandu safely, needless to say I was so incredibly relieved.

School has resumed now. This term continues until March/April and then the school year is over. There will then be a 1-2 week break and the next school year starts up again. The schools here are basically year-round, with 2 larger breaks (which I’ve had both of already) and then random days off that are public holidays. I’m excited to dig even deeper with my students this term. As I’m teaching, I’m reminded of Mother Teresa’s wise quote, “It’s not the work you do, but the love you put into it that matters.” Especially as a Christian here, I want to make the biggest impact through Jesus’ teaching, which revolve around love. I can’t preach Christianity, because most of my students are Muslim. But I can cover them with love and acceptance, and show a sincere interest in their lives. I hope that the life I am living is an even bigger testimony than what I am teaching.

I hope you all had a happy new year and are staying warm. It’s VERY cold in Kathmandu right now, particularly while I am writing this! It rained yesterday, which is very rare during dry season, so it is just incredibly freezing today! We also are up to 12 hours of no electricity everyday and heaters are rare! I’ve definitely become fond of lots and lots of blankets! Alright, thanks for all your prayers and support. It means so much to me. Take care!

3 Weeks in India

On Dec. 7th I left Kathmandu for a 3 week journey in India. I flew from Kathmandu to Kolkata (on the map it is “Calcutta” and is in the east), in which just landing pushed me into a mild culture-shock. The city was huge! All along I felt like Kathmandu was this big city, but Kolkata made it seem like a small farm village! India is much more developed than Nepal. Here are the primary differences between India (Kolkata) and Nepal (Kathmandu):

• India has street-lights; therefore it’s safe to walk around after it gets dark
• Vehicles, buildings, street-width, everything… are much bigger
• The taxis are old-fashioned
• There are less dogs and cows than in Nepal
• Staring is even more acceptable and therefore done more often and for longer periods of time
• There are traffic lights! And people obey them!
• On the buses, ladies sit on one side and gents on the other
• Buses have numbers on them so you know where they’re going
• Northern India is not as friendly (people can be so rude, start arguments so quickly, are offended and offend you quite often, rip you off, set you up to be scammed, etc.)
• There is a metro, and it is a good metro
• People stay up later because they have lights at night
• There are more sweets
• The beggars are more insistent
• In Kolkata, they serve tea in clay cups

Some of my Kolkata activities included going to the zoo, getting a new pair of prescription glasses, touring around the city with Chase’s (a Nepal SALTer) friend who is there on a Fulbright scholarship, visiting Motherhouse (Mother Teresa’s home, grave, and where the sisters live), and attending Mass with the sisters. On the last night in Kolkata, the MCCers from Bangladesh arrived. We packed our things and on the next morning boarded our train that would take us to Goa.




The train journey from Kolkata to Goa took 2 days with a train change in Pune. This is a long time to be on and sleep on a train, but yet it is very cool. There are street-sellers always coming through selling chai (tea), food, socks, etc. They say what they’re selling in a very nasally extended tone, which we had fun mimicking. We kept ourselves busy playing Mafia and getting to know one another. And at other times were entertained by the transvestites that came through the trains.




2 days later we arrived in Baga, Goa (southwest on the map, by Panaji). Goa is the Hawaii of India and is SOO beautiful. We had our MCC Retreat for Nepal, Bangladesh, and India here. It was filled with great sessions in the morning (such as Christianity in an Asian context, Self-care, and Meditation), and the afternoons of relaxation/personal time… which often consisted of swimming in the Arabian Sea. One day we went out a tour of the Goan area… which was quite interesting. We stopped at a Catholic church started by St. Xavier. He is a very important saint to the Catholics because he spread Christianity around Asia. The church kept his 400+ yr old body right beside the sanctuary. It used to be an open casket so believers could touch and worship his body (uhhhhh...). One very devout follower was so inspired one day that she bit off 2 of his toes. GROSS. So even though I’m disgusted by this, the church was impressed by her devotion… so his toes are now framed beside his body. That afternoon we went through a couple of Sound and Light shows that should be renamed to Creepy Walking Tour with Unmoved Monotonous Guide (“This is the blood of Christ shed for you. Please step to the left….” That evening the group went on a River Cruise where people were invited to dance on the stage. Towards the end when no one else wanted to go up, several of our group went up and we just had fun dancing on stage. Afterwards so many people came up wanting pictures with us! Haha. The MCC Retreat was everything that I hoped it would be… thought-provoking, encouraging, healing, fun times with other MCCers, and relaxing.




I wanted to see more of India even after the retreat was done, so a group of 5 of us traveled up to Delhi (northern India) via a 2-day train again. We visited the Jama Masjid (mosque), ate at Karim’s (world famous restaurant), spent a day with Lynda Nyce and her husband, toured the Qtab Minar (ruins of ancient city and mosque/call tower), and went to Agra (on map, just south of Delhi) to hang out at the Taj Mahal.






On the 23rd, 2 of the groupees left and Lydia Nofziger, a good college friend, flew to Delhi! So the next 5 days I was spoiled with a wonderful group of friends: Lydia, Phil (college friend serving with MCC in Bangladesh), and Anielle (Indonesian serving with MCC in Nepal). In Delhi, we visited the Lotus Temple (of the Baha’i religion), the Red Fort, and couldn’t help but go to Karim’s again. For Christmas Eve and Day we went to Udaipur (on the map, southwest of Delhi), which is an absolutely beautiful place. A palace rests in the middle of the lake, with mountains surrounding the lake. We also managed to run across every animal possible there… cows, donkeys, chickens, monkeys, pigs, elephants, bulls…
We foud a Christian church to go to on Christmas Eve night. Even though it was nothing like the one I really enjoy going to at my home church, it was still nice to celebrate the birth of Jesus with other believers. We traveled back to Delhi via overnight bus because the train was cancelled and we had the most uncomfortable seats possible. The bad transportation luck continued as the next day our train was very delayed going to Agra (to see the Taj again, with Lydia this time!) and very very very delayed going back to Delhi. The next day I said my sad by grateful goodbyes to Lydia and Phil, Anielle and I flew back to Kathmandu, and that night I got some very much-needed rest.



I spent New Year’s Eve with my MCC friends here and am now embarking on some more travels. I will be going to Pokhara, Tansen, and Chitwan National Park (all in Nepal) with my good friend Tabea for some quality time before school starts back up on Jan. 17th and she moves to Australia on January 20th.

I hope that you all had happy holidays and were able to celebrate Jesus’ presence in our lives. Cheers to a great 2011!

‘Tis the Season!

The holiday season is a bit different here in Southeast Asia.



Thanksgiving doesn’t exist, of course because it is about the founding of the Americas. But it is a holiday that anyone can celebrate because it is about remembering the blessings in our lives. I did not want to miss Thanksgiving, so I had a Nepali-style Thanksgiving here! I was joined by my German friend, Indonesian friend, and 3 of my Somalian refugee students/friends. 4 countries were represented in a country where we are all foreigners! It was an evening filled with delicious, but non-typical Thanksgiving food (German-style spaghetti and Somalian-style pizza), and lots of laughs. It was no doubt a one-of-a-kind Thanksgiving, considering it was foreign to everyone but me! They all absolutely loved their first Thanksgiving. It was great seeing them think about the meaning of this holiday, and I was extra thankful to spend it in a place and with people that God has blessed me with.



Christmas is a Christian holiday, so it is rarely celebrated here in Hindu/Buddhist-affiliated Nepal. Only 2 years ago did the government finally declare it as a national holiday. Before then people went to work and school on Christmas day. Christians were ecstatic that it was declared as a national holiday because that means Christians are gaining ground in the country. Although, I don't think we can determine how much ground Christians have gained through holiday-declaration. There are SOOO many national holidays since there’s a large Hindu, Buddhist, and Muslim population. Even though it is now a national holiday, people still have misconceptions about it. Some think Christians are worshipping the tree. Some think it is Santa’s birthday. So even though I miss being home during this holiday season, celebrating Christmas in a non-Christian nation has definitely helped me to keep my focus on what Christmas is all about and wanting to share it's true meaning with others. I’m extra thankful for Jesus’ presence on earth and truly hope for others to come to know that presence as well as the reason for the season becomes better understood in Nepal.

On Tuesday I will be leaving for India for 3 weeks. I will be traveling first to Kolkata (Calcutta), then to Goa for a regional MCC retreat, then up to Delhi/Agra area. I will be spending Christmas with my Christian brother and sisters, Anielle, Phil Birky, and Lydia Nofziger, and I’m very excited for this! I’m also excited for my train rides… supposedly they’re quite an adventure (when it goes, it goes and you just run after it then jump on)! I wanted to leave you with a bible verse that stuck out to me today.

“If you set your heart on God and reach out to him,
If you scrub your hands of sin and refuse to entertain evil in your home,
You’ll be able to face the world unashamed and keep a firm grip on life, guiltless and fearless.
You’ll forget your troubles; they’ll be like old, faded photographs.
Your world will be washed in sunshine, every shadow dispersed by dayspring.”
Job 11.13-17

My Adventures on KMC’s Public Transportation

I wrote this my first day after using Kathmandu’s public transportation 3 months ago. I’m a little delayed putting it on my blog, but I still want you to join in on my chaos. And good news, this is no longer my experience when using public transportation! So here you go:

Directions: Basundhara to Ratna Park via micro; Ratna Park to Thapathali via tempo

Sounds easy, right? Let me tell you how it really went down.

I start by standing on the side of the street because the idea of bus stops doesn’t really exist. I watch for the “door boy”, this guy that stands in the sliding doorway of the bus/van with ¾ of his body out the window yelling out the districts the they will be driving through… but he yells this so incredibly fast. The first one approaches. I catch his eye and raise my eyebrows so he knows I’m looking for a bus. He yells out, “lkjadfoijaefijajfoijawefijaoidjf”… or so it sounds to me! His voice is first so faint because he starts yelling from far away, blending in with all the honking of the other zipping vehicles. But then his words just sounds like a jumbled mess because he says it so quickly. There’s no hope in trying to decipher his Nepali district names. So I yell out above all the other noise (usually a few times because I also have an American accent) “Ratna Park?” The doorboy gives me some look that I can’t tell is a yes or no, but the bus/van hardly slows. Okay, I guess not. The next bus comes buy and the same thing happens. I hear “Aoiwaeriogoihafoi,” receive the look, and watch the keep-on-driving. Again and again. Is where I am even on a route to Ratna Park? Oh wait, KMC doesn’t really have specific bus routes. Each bus/van is to his own. The next micro-van approaches and I yell out, “Ratna Park?” The door boy gives me the same look and does a hand gesture that American would interpret as “Shoo away!” But this time the van slows down (notice I didn’t say stop) and waits for me to jump on. Okay, mental note: The shoo-away gesture means “Hop on!” I get on and stumble over a few legs and feet as the moving van (similar to our mini-vans) constantly hits potholes. I scrunch standing between 2 people because all the seats are taken by now. Of course out of all those standing, I’m the only one that has to hunch over because I’m a “Big American.” I grab desperately on to a rail and brace my feet for all the quick stopping, potholes, going, potholes, bouncing, bouncing, bouncing. This ride may be more jagged than an old wooden roller coaster at Cedar Point! I just am hoping I don’t fall into anyone’s lap! More and more people pile in throughout the route. Soon there are legs all around and heads hovering layers upon layers. How do all these 35-some people fit into this microvan?! The door boy reaches out to each person to pay. He determines how much they owe depending on where they get on and off… and if he thinks they’ll realize he’s cheating them or not… That’d be me since I don’t really look like a native to Nepal. I give him 20 rupees, He looks at me to see if I expect change, then puts it with his wad. He feels me still staring at him then he eventually gives me 10 rupees back. I may not be a native, but I have friends that are! I know how little the bus should cost. I try to hunch further down to look between all the heads and through the windows to see where we are. I see some green. It must be Ratna Park! After 30 minutes, I squeeze through the many bodies and jump off the micro. Yay, 1st ride complete!

Now it’s time to find ride #2, a tempo/tuktuk (large electric rickshaw) to Thapathali. I wander to where a huge mass of tempos are. Again, the door boys yell out all their stops and it still sounds like, “ljasdfoijawefiojaodifj” so I walk up to them and say, “Thapathali?” He gives me that same indifferent look and points me to a different van. So I go up to that van, “Thapathali?” He gives me that SAME look and points me to another van. I go up to that van… same thing… over and over. I get frustrated and think maybe the Thapathali tempos don’t come to this area of Ratna Park. So I walk to another area of the park (mind you, this is one huge park area). Same thing over and over. Again I walk to another area of the park. Same thing. Finally, an HOUR later, I finally find a tempo that gives me that SAME look but ALSO that shoo away gesture! Oh, how I’m starting to love the shoo away gesture! So I scrunch on. I pay 10 rupees and get off 15 minutes later. Finally, 2 ½ hours later I arrive to Thapatali and walk the rest of the way to class.

I can only hope that one day I’ll speak “oijasdfoijasfd” fast, nod that SAME way, and do that shoo-away-but-actually-hop-on gesture just like the Nepalese. But until then….

I have a bicycle now! Ah, it is SO wonderful! I blend right in with the crazy Nepali traffic and have mastered driving on the left side of the rode!

Time to travel from home to language lessons by:
Bus (not yet mastered): 2 ½ hours
Bus (mastered): 1 hour
Bicycle: 30 minutes!

The Harvest is Plentiful

My past few weeks have been great, but SO BUSY! Now that 2nd term examinations are finished at the school and holidays are over, I am very full time at Elim School. Allow me to tell you the different jobs the school (and God) has given me.

I am an English teacher for 7 classes. My classes consist of the refugee/international students during the Nepali students’ Nepali language class. I have grades 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and young adults. The classes are small and I love it that way. It’s much more one-on-one work, so I can direct the class in their specific needs and also help tutor them with other classes. The school teaches in English, so it’s very important that the students have good English skills to be able to succeed in their other classes. When I first was offered this placement, I was actually not thrilled about being an English teacher. I was unsure how this was a way to serve God. But I’ve come to a great realization and peace about this placement. In 3rd world countries education simply is not up to par like developed countries. Many students who want a good education will usually go to a western country for college, in which English is necessary. Also, the refugee students are only here in Nepal temporarily-ish and will be displaced to U.S./Canada eventually where they will finally be able to work and go to college. Again, English is necessary for this. So by teaching them proper and good English, I am helping shape their future possibilities. I am incorporating a lot of material that I think is important to learn- such as environmental concerns and poverty. I have the opportunity to help them develop into adequate English speakers with global knowledge that will help benefit the world. Teaching 7 classes though requires a lot of outside work, mostly for two reasons. First, 3 of the classes have books to follow. However, students and teachers have the same books here, meaning the teachers are not given answers. This means that I have to try to figure out the answers on my own. It also means the consistency of the answers could be different from teacher to teacher. Second, my other 4 classes do not have books, which means I am coming up with ALL the material every single day. It gives me a lot of freedom to base the classwork on the students’ needs, but it’s also pretty overwhelming constantly coming up with lesson plans, especially in a country where there’s really no materials available at all. So, in conclusion to my 7 classes, I am really enjoying teaching them and working so closely with the students.

I am the Professional Development Trainer to the school staff. Once a week I am training them in whatever topic I think is necessary. Being around the education system for about 3 months now, I have discovered many topics that I think will be important to cover throughout the year. I also want to work on staff bonding so they work better together for the school’s mission.

I am the worship leader with guitar and singing at daily staff morning devotions. Tabea, my German friend who is also a volunteer at Elim’s, compliments the guitar by playing violin. We play the songs sang a capella before we started, such as “This is the Day,” “Lord I Lift Your Name On High,” “More Love, More Power,” and My Life is in You, Lord,” while also trying to introduce to them new songs from our home countries, such as “Enough” and “Amazing Grace” (That’s all for now. It’s harder than you’d think!).

I lead morning devotions once every few weeks. The teachers and principal take turns every day. I love hearing the different ways every one experiences God and what they learn from Him.

I play keyboard in the church praise band on Saturdays (Yes, church here is on Saturdays. Most schools have classes on Sundays! But ours doesn’t : ) ). Most musicians here play by just hearing a song. Oh my, I’m so jealous! I have always needed chords or notation. So this is proving to be a frustrating challenge, but I also really am hoping to develop my playing-by-ear skills this year! Tabea and I will also share special songs some Saturdays (This means I’m singing solo! Wow, so many things I never imagined myself doing!). And some Saturdays I show up but none of the band does, so guess who leads the worship music for the service! Haha! Nepali time is so “flexible” (as they like to word it) that little planning goes into things, even church worship music. It’s definitely been something to adapt to.

I am given administrative tasks. So far, this has mainly been two jobs. First is being in charge of all the exams. Now, this may not make sense to the Western mind, so let me explain. Here in Nepal, there are important exams every few months. The teachers hand-write the exams and then someone in administration (that’d be me) collects them and types them up. That person also photocopies enough for every class, and makes sure that all exams have been finished and turned in (not all teachers keep track of what exams they’ve done and what ones they haven’t). Then on exam days they hand them out. This was my job before holiday and it is my job starting tomorrow for the exams before Christmas break. So not only will I be making up my own exams, but I’ll also be preparing everyone else’s! Second, I am in charge of the school’s Fete (festival) raffle tickets. I keep tally of those being handed out and collected. It doesn’t require much work, just a lot of demand from the students. Those are my administrative tasks thus far.

I am co-leading the Christmas production. Tabea and I found a German drama, translated it to English, re-translated it to Nepali-style English, and then added music into it. Tabea will be leading the acting with my help. And I will be leading the music. The sad thing is that I will be in India when they perform so I won’t get to see the final product!

I am assisting in developing part of the school for autistic children. Most Nepalis are unknowledgeable on autism and disabilities/disorders, so there is a huge lack in education for a person with a disability. There is one secular school, Autism Care, in Nepal that has teachers with special training. We visited the school last week and it has about 5-10 children total. There is one boy with autism at Elim School because his parents wanted him to be in a Christian environment. But he is not receiving needed one-on-one teaching so he basically is just being babysat. The need for specialized schooling is desperately needed here. Tabea was very moved by the potential of Elim’s school helping this boy, so she decided to help establish part of the school specifically for students with autism. I am at her side throughout the project, going to meetings with her, visiting schools, talking about ideas, planning ideas, editing written English papers and proposals (since she’s German), and trying to help in whatever way possible.

So in conclusion, you can see why I am so busy! The need is great here, so they surely take advantage of anyone willing to give their time. It’s incredible being surrounded by so much need. You truly learn to look past the areas you don’t feel confident in and just give what you have. After all, it’s not me doing the work; it’s God. You’ll notice that when I was describing my jobs I kept saying “I, I, I”… but what it really should say is, “God is doing this through me.” I truly mean that. The things I am doing are way out of my comfort zone. But God brought me here and I’m just His tool to fill needs. God is so glorious and is doing tremendous works in this country. The need is great, but God is present. The harvest is plentiful… and God is working.