‘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.

My Himalayan Trek

Imagine walking steep uphill for a week. Imagine carrying everything you need for that week on your back. Imagine getting soaked every day and at night it being too cold for your clothes to dry. Imagine having tea and Tibetan bread every day overlooking mountains upon mountains upon mountains. Imagine looking out at those mountains and realizing you had just hiked those. Imagine being above, below, in, and so close to clouds constantly for a week. Imagine leaving the noisy, polluted city of Kathmandu and going north into the beautiful peaceful lands near Tibet. Imagine doing all this with 3 great friends and breath-taking scenery constantly around you. These imaginative thoughts were my reality for one week spent trekking through the Himalayan Mountains.


The trek started in Sundarijal, just outside Kathmandu, at Shivapuri National Park. At first I expected the first few days of the trek to be a cinch since we would be going through the Kathmandu Valley. Boy, was I wrong. And if I would’ve thought more about this I would’ve realized that a valley to the Himalayan Mountains, the largest mountains in the world, would simply be smaller mountains. So the first few days were spent climbing through these “valley”-type mountains only to introduce the big Himals. We hiked to the edge of Shivapuri National Park and stayed in Chisapani (Nepali for “cold water”) that night. That evening, as many of our evenings, was filled with dutch blitz, tea, and warm blankets. The next day we trekked to Kutumsangu. This day we were in a cloud the entire time so we couldn’t enjoy the view very much. And the last 3 hours of the trek it just pouuuuuured down rain. This was the most miserable and difficult part of the trek, as the water adds extra weight, it was freezing cold, and it’s very difficult to hike up steep terrains when it’s so wet and muddy. However, this marked the entrance to Langtang National Park, containing a few of the gorgeous Himalayan Mountains. The next day we hiked to Tharepati where we had a gorgeous view of the distant last mountain range to conquer. We could finally see the highest point we would be reaching, Gosainkunda Pass. The next day we hiked to Phedi. These last few days and nights will always stick with me. On the way to Phedi we passed so many beautiful waterfalls. And they were a bit more fun here in Nepal than in the U.S. because there are no big bridges. We just climbed through the rocks and every now-and-then use a short questionable set of tied logs. That night our guesthouse was nestled in the side of the cliff just under Gosainkunda Pass. The 3 of us girls shared a room, which consisted only of a bed, meaning not even walk space. It was more like a closet with a bed in it for 3 to sleep on. But it worked out great actually because it was soooo cold so we helped keep each other warm! The next day was the big day! We would be going up up up and finally reaching Gosainkunda Pass and all the lakes surrounding the area! It normally takes 5 hours to reach the Pass from Phedi, but we made it in 3 ½ hours! At 4,600 meters (apx 14,000 ft) high, I made it! I climbed all that way! I was so overwhelmed… by the amazing beauty surrounding me, and the accomplished feeling of all that sweaty and exhaustive work. Ah, it was so beautiful and I made it to the top! Right beside the pass was one of the many lakes (kund), just adding to the beauty of the 2 high peaks we stood between. We then started the flat (finally!) and downhill trek to Gosainkunda Lake. Wow, was it gorgeous. Words can’t describe, which is why I included pictures! After enjoying lunch on the lake, we hiked down down down. This is another one of those moments I’ll never forget. We were sooo completely surrounded by clouds, those fun fluffy ones. Ah, just so amazing! That night we stayed at Lauribina where we were pleasantly surprised with an indoor squatter! But what was even more amazing were the sunset and the sunrise. WOW. Here in Nepal it is so exciting anytime you get to view the Himals (snow-tipped mountains) and that morning we just had the best view of them and were so close! We were in some of the lower Himals, but our view was of the Himals that humans aren’t even able to climb because they’re too steep, dangerous, and sacred (if you ask Hindu-believers). It’s incredible how beautiful God made this land. That day we hiked down down down down down down… basically all that we had just hiked up in 6 days. Then we finally reached the city (which you’d probably see as a village) of Dhunche. Ah, how exciting! We made it! That night we enjoyed not only an indoor squatter, but one that was attached to our room! And it had a shower! But don’t get too excited for us… it wasn’t hot haha. The next day we loaded a public bus for a memorable but not-so-wonderful trip back to Kathmandu. It took us over 10 hours to get back (which shows how far we trekked!) on VERY bumpy and honestly scary roads. The bus was overly packed with people and things… such as the aisle having potatoes lined up and then people using these as seats, people claiming spots on top of the bus, and a very low use of deodorant and showers. The bus and the mountain roads would both not pass on American terms, which just makes it a very scary ride for an American. At one point the bus could not make it up a hill, leaving a cliff for it to roll down towards. After trying and trying and unloading everyone and finally men helping pull it with a rope, the bus finally made it up the hill. It was also typical to have a baby passed through the window to poop off a bridge, have its butt wiped with a rock before being passed back through the window with no pants on, and a lady who kept throwing up openly in the aisle alllll over the sacks of potatoes. So after a week of beautiful mountains with intense hiking and a very miserable 10-hr bus ride back to Kathmandu, we were very happy to finally reach home.

Here are some random things about our trek:
• Each night we stayed in a guesthouse, which is the only option while trekking. They are very small, with only a few rooms separated by thin boards, a dining room with one heater in it, no electricity, one outdoor squatter, plenty of tea and coffee, and always in a location with a beautiful view.
• The food cost more than staying at the guesthouse! One meal would cost about 80-250 rupeeyas ($1-4) while one room cost 100 rupeeyas ($1.25) per night!
• We normally got up around 5:30-6:00 am, trekked between 6-8 hours a day, arrived at the next guesthouse by 4 pm, and went to bed by 7:30-8:00 pm!
• The weather was very rainy and cloudy for the first few days of the trek. However, the mornings were usually clear. The higher we climbed, the colder it became. Nights were freeeezing, especially with no heaters or electricity!
• It’s one thing to hike for a week to high altitudes. But it’s another to carry your bag all that way!
• It was very interesting to watch the terrain change depending on our altitude. Sometimes we were in rainforests, jungles, rocky grounds, and desolate barren land.
• We saw red pandas jumping around the trees!
• Since we were at a high altitude, we were closer to the sun than what I’m used to… sooo not only did I get sun burnt, but I also got sun-poisoning. It was so itchy for a few days and is now in the peeling stage. I look like I have a skin disease on my neck and face.
• Bridges don’t really exist, weather on a hiking trail or main road. I already told you about the hiking trails, so let me tell you that it is the same for roads, even on steep mountainsides. The water just falls across the muddy road and the bus (hopefully) goes right across it.
• I’m not sure exactly how far we trekked, but we were averaging 20-25 km per day, which makes about 75 miles through the mountains in one week.
• Our highest peak was 4,600 m (apx 14,000 ft). This is higher than the height I skydived last year! We climbed mountains before this one… so basically I CLIMBED HIGHER THAN MT. EVEREST!
• Trekking was hard on my breathing. Going up up up all the time + thinning air = not so fun time on my lungs.
• Our guide could not seem to remember my name. So he kept calling me “Sely”. Haha.
• It was typical for the squatter outhouses to hang over the edge of a cliff with the backside wide open. At least there was a nice view!
• Food offered along the trek: noodle soups, rice, egg/omelets, pancakes, porridge, Tibetan bread, chapatti, chowmein. Plenty of starches and no meat.
• My very in-shape MCC Nepal leader did this trek in 8 days. We did it in 6. Hehe.
• The trek was a reminder of my thankfulness for life. 3 years ago was my car accident where I nearly escaped permanent injuries… but 3 years later I was using those legs that once couldn’t walk and that lung that once was collapsed to trek the Himalayas. Praise God!

And that, my friends, are my adventures thus far in the Himalayan Mountains : )

Now school has resumed and I have 7 classes a day! It’s a bit overwhelming considering I’ve never taught before 2 months ago and I have to come up with full material for 4 of the classes. More to come on this later, but prayers would be appreciated. Thank you for tuning into my trek and I hope you all are well!

Unreal Reality

October 11th-13th I had the honor of being part of the Vision Network Nepal conference in the small town of Surkhet located in western Nepal. Going into it, I thought it would be a time to finally go beyond Kathmandu and get some fresh air. I had no idea how intense of an experience this would be.

I boarded a Nepalgunj-bound plane early Monday morning with Rita, the principal of Elims school, and Tanja, an American learning about different organizations in southeast Asian countries. An hour later we arrived in Nepalgunj, a very poor and dirty city in western Nepal only 20 min from the India border. We then drove in a bumpy small van to Surkhet, about 3 hours north of Nepalgunj. The ride was sooo beautiful! I was able to see rural Nepal… the many rice fields, small villages, and bundles of Nepalis walking the streets or riding in rickshaws. The drive also went through Bardia National Park… incredible! Bardia has about 100 Bengal tigers, 75 wild elephants, 22 one-horned rhinos, and many common animals. Sadly I didn’t see any, but the mountains and valleys were gorgeous.

After arriving in Surkhet, a lovely rural small town, getting lunch and a hotel room, we were provided transportation via motorbikes (so awesome!) to the Vision Network Nepal (VNN) conference. VNN started in 2003 to link the Christian churches and organizations throughout Nepal while providing them with a common goal: building the Christian community with a holistic focus. Rita was one of the main speakers over the next few days. They also took advantage of Tanja and I’s presence. We were notified that on Tuesday, the following day, we would be speaking in front of 200-300 women. What?? I am not qualified for this! I came along to see rural Nepal, get away from the city, and support Rita. But this is the Nepali way… taking advantage of everyone’s capabilities (even lack thereof) and just using them to build the community of Christ. It was okay that I am not a public speaker. I am a sister in Christ who is trying to be a servant of God, therefore qualified to speak to these women. The church in Nepal is so new. These Christians are mostly 1st generation Christians, so they are fighting the majorities of society. The women especially struggle because they are 2nd best in Nepal. So the empowerment given to them through Christ is not only new to themselves, but is new to others around them, causing struggles in their families, especially with their husbands. A new and higher value has been placed on them through God that was not present before. So the conference wanted to use Tanja and I, two American women who have previously learned a lot about the Word and share it with these women. So that evening was busy spent thinking about what I would be talking about and fighting off rising nerves!



Tuesday came and it was the day to speak for the conference! On our way to the church we were informed that they were now expecting 400-600 women. Oh by gollies! When we arrived there were about 200 women there, which was a disappointment to VNN, but I won’t lie, it was a relief to me! When comparing 200 to the possible 600, it doesn’t seem like such a large number. Entering the church was such an emotional experience. It was during their worship time and I’ve never seen so many women so passionate about our God. That morning many of them walked hours from their village just to come to this conference. They show such dedication to learning more about Jesus. And what an honor for me to stand in front of these women who are fighting cultural and gender norms because of their passion for Christ. The Spirit was so present and I was just so moved. Then it was our turn to speak for an hour with a translator. Considering their situation, I spoke about how important each one of us is in the body of Christ and encouraged them to explore their own gifts that God has given them and use them to grow in their personal relationship with Christ and help bring others to Christ. I especially placed emphasis on how beautiful they are, as I think this gets overlooked quite often. And there I did it, I spoke in front of 200 women. But only through God’s power was that possible, as that is waaaay out of my comfort zone! But it was such an honor to encourage them and walk side by side with them, Christian sister with Christian sister.

After the conference was done for the day, they wanted to show us guests what their church is doing and have us pray over it. Just thinking about it, as I’m writing this, is bringing me to tears. We were just chatting with some of the ladies when we were called over to a mother and daughter. They had the saddest expressions on their face. The 9-year old daughter had a very unusual growth around her knee and starting on her elbows. She could hardly even stand, let alone walk. Her mom had walked an hour from the village that morning carrying her daughter on her back and would soon be heading back home the same way. I wish that I had medical knowledge, but there was no advice I could pass on except that they needed to keep going to doctors. They had been to a few local doctors, but they do not have the knowledge to help and told them they needed to go to Kathmandu. This advice is nearly impossible for them though, and having come from Kathmandu I could understand why. The mother would have to walk an hour carrying her daughter on her back to a small town, take an uncomfortable crowded bus for 3 hours on very bumpy windy roads to the airport, and then fly an hour and a half to Kathmandu- which is so far out of their price range as the area is so poor. Or they could choose to take a 12-hour + bus ride on even bumpier and windier roads to Kathmandu. Once in Kathmandu they would have to pay for transportation to the hospital. Even upon arrival, who knows if the doctor could even help or how long it would take. They would then have to also pay for a place to stay, for food, and for all the medical help. During this time the daughter would continue to miss more and more school, playing with friends, and just being a kid. The mother would not be able to do the work to feed the family. A lot would have to change for who knows how long. Even if the doctor figured out what was wrong, who knows if the growth would continue. They may have to make several unaffordable and difficult trips to Kathmandu. But all we could do was pray for them. I wanted to help them so badly. Just seeing their faces and tears… I wish that I could build a hospital clinic in western Nepal so medical help would be much easier for all those in need. Or even just be a traveling doctor to provide assistance to the very poor. (So if anyone reading this feels compelled, they are ready for you!)

We then learned about 2 awesome ministries the church has started. First, they are in the process of building a home beside the church for widows. They will have bed rooms, a common living room, and a kitchen. They will no longer be living on their own hardly able to make it. They now will have more friends to help them emotionally and physically through life. Second, they have a house for recovering alcoholics. The men live there for 6 months to become clean, grow together in friendships struggling with the same thing, and receive counseling. They also get back on track with their previous work or find new work so when they are done they can provide for their family again. We prayed for both of these ministries. I was just so inspired by the works of this church and dedication to including all those in society, particularly the broken.

While walking from the widows’ house to the men’s recovering house on a dirty path, a girl ran beside us. Her family left her because they thought she was no good. The church has taken her in and gives her a bed and food. Suddenly at that moment this girl fell to the ground and her body was shaking. One of the church leaders stood beside her fallen body while pointing and yelling for the demons to come out of her. However, with my training and experience at a camp for people with disabilities, I knew that what was happening was not necessarily a demon attacking her. She was having a seizure. After about 30 seconds her body stopped shaking and her body went limp. Her eyes glazed back and forth as her body fought to come out of the seizure. Her body was exhausted from what it had just gone through. The church leader tried pulling her up right away to get away from the demons. But she was not fully out of the seizure yet so that would only end with her falling again. So Tanja and I carried her off of the dirty and rocky road into the church where there’s at least carpet (no chairs or pews in these churches) where she could rest. We tried to explain to them that she should see a doctor because seizures are medical. I can’t blame them for thinking she was demon-possessed, after all biblical concepts are new and they don’t have adequate medical help nearby therefore they strongly lack in medical knowledge. But it’s important they recognize that this is medical otherwise this girl who has already been kicked out of her home will keep hearing that she is demon-possessed. And that is not good for her mental health.

Our time at the conference finished Wednesday morning. We squished into a jeep and made the 3-hr journey through Bardia National Park back to Nepalgunj. We had an hour before needing to go to the airport so we met with a Nepalgunj church to discuss the problem of human trafficking. Oh, it is just so sad. This part of Nepal is so poor that children and parents are very desperate for income. A man will come by that promises a job in India that pays well. The family trusts him and sends their child off to make some money. But he is a man of lies. He takes the child over the India border just 20 min away and sells her into sex trafficking where she is drugged and forced to have sex every day. This is a huge problem in the area. The church and local organizations are working to fight it, but it’s not very easy. Even if they rescue the children and capture the men, what do you do with them in a corrupt society? The children are often too ashamed to go back home because they come back with no money and now have a new stigmatism. The men, if caught, are thrown into jail, but are often let go or pay little to get out. Without accurate discipline, sex trafficking will keep happening. How do you fight it in such a poor area where families are so desperate for any income and the government is corrupt? The church we spoke with works on rescuing the trafficked women and returning them back home. They are doing great things, but it surely takes much more work than one church can handle.

We had a 1 ½ hr delay at the airport (which isn’t too long, but it is in a small airport that has nothing but a few benches) but finally made it back to Kathmandu on Wednesday night. I gratefully was taken home by Rita after discussing taxi prices with the taxi drivers that were so obviously very drunk. This is not unusual for public bus or taxi drivers at night, another reason why it is important to not travel at night. But luckily I made it home safely after 3 days in western Nepal. It was a trip that I expected mostly rejuvenation out of, but it ended up being an incredible trip of being stretched, feeling so broken for those people, learning so much about what this country needs, and being inspired by the passion that the 1st generation Christian church has for God.

Tomorrow morning I leave for an 8-day trek through the Kathmandu Valley into Lang Tang Himals! There's a great group of 4 of us and I'm rather pumped :) Hope you're all well!

Exams, sickness, and music!

Namaste, Saathi-haru!

This week and last week the students at Elim have been taking intense exams. They have 1-4 exams every day for 3-6 hours for 8 days in a row. Since I had only been at Elim’s one week before exams, I am not personally giving any exams. I have been on rotational duty, meaning I go around to each class to see if any of the teachers need anything. Sometimes all they need is a bathroom break, or sometimes they need me to watch the class near the end of the exam period. The children become sooo restless at the end of exams, so the kids jump out of their seats wanting to play games and talk to one another and do anything but just sit quietly! It’s really tested my ability to speak up to 30 children. I’m trusting God to build the assertiveness/sternness-quality in me! It is so hard for me to be straight-faced and nearly mean to children, but as an authority figure to so many children who just want to interact (both fun and bad) with one another even though some are still taking tests, that’s what I need to do! I am enjoying being around so many children, but I definitely have realized that managing large groups of children is not my forte. When I start teaching full time I will have small classes of international students, so I’m very relieved! I am still teaching the young adult Somalian students everyday and LOVE it… smaller classes are more my style!

I will also be taking sort of an administrative position at the school throughout the year and have also been designated the “Resource Leader” who is to push the teachers to be more creative in their classes. Nepalis tend to follow the guidelines very well, but never go beyond it. They’re very book-focused, but do not include much fun in the classrooms. So I am to push the academics by encouraging new styles in the classrooms. I’m excited about this, yet a little nervous because I’ve never worked in a school before. However, the more I understand the Nepali education system, the more I see how I can advise them in certain areas. So as much as I do no want to be the selfish-you-must-do-it-our-way American, I also am excited to hopefully push their academics that will be truly beneficial to the children.

I also had my first sickness. Boo! I’m not sure whether it was the momos (boiled dumplings), unfiltered water, or (gulp) unpasteurized ice cream, but I had quite a miserable 24 hours! And let me tell you, there is nothing fun about being sick in a 3rd world country! That same day I was planning on playing keyboard in both a Nepali and English church service, but realized right beforehand that it probably wasn’t the smartest idea. However, after sleeping a nice long 12 hours (which is very unusual for me) I felt sooo much better.

Also, very exciting… I bought a guitar! They are cheaper here, than the U.S. yet it’s still a good one. I will be donating it to the school and using it all year. This week Tabea (a volunteer from Germany) and I have been leading worship during devotions on guitar and violin. It’s soooo wonderful to have music included in my life here! I can’t explain to you how HUGE this blessing is!

The students have exams this week and then it’s Dashain (pronounced Duh-sigh). Dashain is the big holiday here in Nepal. It’s equivalent to America’s Christmas! So I will have a 2-week vacation! I plan on getting some much-needed fresh air and nature outside of Kathmandu! One week of it will be spent around the Kathmandu area, maybe visiting some friends and family parties. The second week will be spent trekking! I’m sooo excited for this! 3 of my friends and I will be trekking through Kathmandu Valley north to LangTang National Park in the LangTang Himals. I’m so excited to see another side of Nepal, the more rural and natural side.

So that is the update on my first few weeks on the job. After Dashain I will start teaching full time and am truly excited for it. Since it’s a small school I’ve already gotten to meet and know many of the students, and so I’ve met many of mine, and they seem wonderful. I hope all of you are doing well! I’m so thankful for your support!

माय फर्स्ट वीक ऑफ़ सेरविसे

Namaste!

This week has been a big change in my Nepali life. I finished language lessons this past Monday (but still have soooo much to learn!) and started to work/serve full-time at Elim’s Kids Academy this past Tuesday.

I showed up to Elim’s at 9 am on Tuesday morning. They have a staff devotion for 20-30 min in the morning and then start classes after the ringing bell at 9:30 am. I walked into the small kitchen/cafeteria on the 3^rd floor at 8:55 am with no one else there. I waited and waited and finally people showed up (right on time!... Nepali time that is). We usually sing a few songs… “This is the Day” (or should I say “Thees ees tha Day”) is very popular at the school, as is “Lord I Lift Your Name On High”. Then a teacher will share a morning devotion. It’s a nice start to the day. I looked at the devotion list and turns out I was signed up for Thursday! Well alright, I guess a 2 days notice is better than 10 second notice! So yesterday I shared my devotion with the staff. I talked about how I came to Nepal and a lesson that God taught me along the way: true trust in the Lord means not fearing what is to come… because God is already there and will give you the strength for His calling.

I was originally expected to help out with some classes in the morning, but it turned that the principal wanted me to go to a peace presentation instead. So much for being in school on my first day! But it was kind of fun to get out and see another program. She said she wanted to introduce us to the Nepal Peace program biggies because she’s hoping I’ll be working more with them this year. It was great to see so many Nepali schools learning about peace, especially with the state that the government is in right now.

We eventually made it back to the school. We were heading up for lunch when one of the teacher’s grabbed Rita. She told me that one of the classes needed me to teach them after lunch. You see, their teacher is pregnant and was feeling sick so she didn’t come in today. But schools here don’t have substitute teachers… so when a teacher doesn’t come in but the kids still do, you have a class under no one’s control… they just get passed around from one available teacher to another. Alright, so I was going to teach the UKG class, having NO idea what I was even going to be teaching them! After I went down to teach them, I discovered the different meanings behind,

“You are going to teach the class.”

An American might interpret it,

“You will be standing in front of a large group of students while teaching them academic material… Here’s the material to prep.”

A Nepali might interpret it,

“Just go watch the kids and make sure they don’t run wild or hit each other too much. Do whatever you want with them. If they want to play outside, that’s fine. I’m not sure how long you’ll be teaching them. They’re kids, so if you need to leave they can watch themselves.”

After “teaching the class” I got into more administrative work and am now in charge of a fairly large project. Examinations start next week. The students will have one subject per day for 8 days. I am officially in charge of all the examinations for 13 grades… typing some of them, receiving them, organizing them ALL, cutting them smaller (with an exacto knife; no paper cutters here!), making sure there are enough tests for the right classes, and dispursing them everyday during exams. It’s an entirely new proces for me because Nepali schools are run just SO differently than those in the U.S. AND I’ve only been here for a few days so I’m trying to understand this different school structure (or lack there of), and yet I’m in charge of this project? Okey dokey. It actually doesn’t seem too bad once I’ve gotten used to it, it just takes a long time. I still am not exactly sure how exams are run, let alone me running the exams. I have my own office now. It used to be left unlocked but now it’s on high lock-down because all the tests are being stored in it and all the students would LOVE to get a glimpse of their tests! I’ve also been given a ten min notice a few times that I will be teaching a class! Oh boy! I go into that class not knowing what grade it will be, what subject, what they are doing/learning/taking a test/studying/doing nothing, and just have to figure out on the spot what to do with them!

I also will be the worship leader at Elim’s English service this Saturday. This is exciting yet nerve-racking. But ever since my 2^nd week here and reading the book Dad gave me for Christmas last year called, “Fear not tomorrow, God is already there” I’ve had this peace about all my nerves. I feel so unqualified, uncapable, and nervous about so many things… but I’ve learned to just grab on to God’s strength. If God brought me here, then God had hopes for His work being done here through me. So whatever work God is bringing me to, I CAN do through God’s strength.

Nepal has been teaching me to be flexibile. What you think you are going to do, will quite possibly not happen. So Nepal puts a positive name to this quality and calls it “flexibility.” However Westerners look at it and call it “lack of structure.” So it’s been interesting adapting to the “flexibility” here. I actually consider myself a fairly flexibile person, but it’s definitely been tested here. I am trying to let Nepal become “home”, which requires needing to be able to know what I’m going to be doing so I can mentally prepare myself for it. But that ain’t happenin’! Going into my first day at Elim’s, I had NO idea what I’d be doing… Teaching 5 classes? Babysitting little kids? Cutting papers? The mental prep is slightly different from cutting papers to teaching a class!

Basketball has been such a blessing. Would you have expected me to say that 2 months ago?? Haha. But it’s the time of the day to just have fun with friends, laugh a lot, run around, and enjoy ourselves with other young adults. And my young adult Somalian students, I just love them. They are just SUCH a joy to me. The only time they’re not is when they show up late to class… which, is actually everyday. Usually it’s only 15 min though, but sometimes its 30 min or just never. But other than that… they have such wonderful spirits! And it’s just sooo soo interesting talking to them about their refugee life. I will blog about that sometime I’m sure.

Ants are EVERYWHERE. I yet to find a place to hide my toothbrush from those dang ants. Brushing your teeth just isn’t as appetizing knowing that minutes before you were wiping away ants from their happy new home which happens to be what’s now “cleaning” your mouth.

Quite a few people back home have asked me how they can help. There are so many ways! So I will be putting something together to let people know how they can help and how to go about it. There’s quite a few different areas around the school that money, supplies, etc. can go to, but I’m trying to figure out the best way of getting that money. I don’t trust sending checks through the Nepali mail system. So once I figure more out, I’ll be putting something together and ya’ll can pass that on as well.

Well, thanks for tuning in all the way through! It’s been awhile since I blogged because I now have much less internet access. But please still keep in touch! I look forward to sharing more and more of this life with you! Thank you all :)