Nepal Week 7

This past week has been nothing short of amazing. As my time grows short, I am so thankful for moment after moment that I feel challenged, stretched, and changed. I am also thankful for the moments that I know I will cherish for many years to come.

Wednesday night, I stayed with a friend of mine. This is the girl who got me connected with New Creation. She and her roommate are both fantastic women who are working in the area of sex-trafficking prevention in Nepal. The village we went to see is actually the village they plan to move to before the end of the year to continue their prevention efforts. They are both sweet, humble, compassionate women of God. They welcomed me into their house as if I lived there, too. Honestly, it was so nice to not stay in an empty house that night. I’d almost forgotten how nice it is to have roommates =)

Thursday, we got up early and met the YWAM teams at the bus station. Our group consisted of two YWAM teams, one from the New Zealand base and one from the Colorado base, my friend and her roommate, myself, and the woman in charge of the ministry Beauty for Ashes. BFA is a business that teaches women rescued from sex-trafficking how to make jewelry. BFA then sells the jewelry on behalf of the women and pays them a salary. Other than the founder, the management is all Nepali. She was taking the YWAM groups to this specific village because it is one that many of the girls trafficked to Kathmandu come from. She goes there often to pray over the space. Once we made some introductions, we got on the very crowded bus and began our four-hour adventure up the hills and out of the valley.

The village, Nuarkowt, is beautiful. It is at the base of the hills just outside the north side of the Kathmandu valley and has green land as far as the eye can see. As I stepped out of the bus, I was happily surprised to breathe in clean air. I gazed that the beautiful landscapes, surprised that I could see so clearly. It has been so long since I’ve seen a place where dust and smog do not fill the air. It was such a welcome sight.

During our time in Nuarkowt, we spent some time prayer walking through the old palaces and through more rural parts of the village. When we weren’t walking or speaking with local people, we spent time in prayer and worship or just getting to know each other better. It was so nice to be with other people. After staying in a house by myself for most of the summer, it was nice to have a roommate and to have people to share meals with. It also reminded me of traveling with my classmates from the India leg of this trip. It was wonderful and encouraging to spend the weekend with them in the village.

Life at the salon has been interesting this past week. Because of the increased business, I’ve actually been helping with the actual business. Obviously, I am no beautician, but they asked me to help bring hot towels, mix the water for manicures and pedicures, and other odds and ends like that. Let me tell you, it is always a challenge to work in situations that you have no experience in. It was very humbling to work in this way to help the salon. It was also very fun. The girls thrived off the energy that the extra business provided and it’s obvious that they enjoy their jobs. And, if I am to be completely honest, it was nice to not be in the office doing paper work =)

I am so blessed by the relationship with my Hindu shop-owning family. We speak almost every day and share a little bit of life together. They share with me more about their culture and I share with them a little of mine. Now, though, things are getting interesting. They invited me to go to with them to an international church on Sunday, the same church I visited earlier this summer. I am going with them, or course; I just find it highly amusing and wonderful that I am going as their guest. Great things are happening in the life of this family =)

I would like to ask for some specific prayers for this family. A friend of mine (who wishes to remain anonymous) has prayed and feels very led to help this family. We are trying to find a way for this relationship to be more of a business partnership instead of free aid. If they enter into a partnership for their business, they will build and expand their business in a way that makes their family sustainable. It will also maintain their dignity because they will not be “poor people” receiving aid from the powerful white American. They will be partners growing a successful business, improving their quality of life in the long run. My friend also wants to provide a scholarship for the son. This, too, would be something he has to work for. He must report to my friend once a month with an update of his grades and a short paper explaining what he learned that month. They family is touched and excited about the prospect of a business partner and a scholarship; we are just struggling to figure out how to make the business part work. The prayers I desperately want to ask for us to get this set up quickly. I leave on Friday, so we have limited time to sort this out. It is also hard to communicate with my friend who is still in America. This is such a great opportunity for this family; I just don’t want to mess this up.

I leave Kathmandu, Nepal in less than a week. It’s hard to believe that my journey is so close to the end. I am excited to come back to America, but I am sad to leave this place and leave the friends I have made here. I’ve adjusted to this beautiful place so quickly that life here feels natural. I will miss the girls at the salon and their bright personalities. I will miss walking home with the shop owner to drink tea and talk about the day. I will miss going to Nepali church with friends and enjoying sweet fellowship afterward. I will miss dinner on the rooftop of the house. I will miss the sweet didis walking in the street with their beautiful saris. I will miss this place, but I don’t want to spend a whole week saying goodbye. My prayer is that I can stay in the moment, say my goodbyes when necessary, and enjoy my last 6 days here.

This is probably my last blog until I get back to the States. I plan to post one more to tell you about my last week here and to offer reflections on this trip as a whole. Thank you all for your support and prayers over the course of this summer. This has truly been a life-changing experience and I am thankful that you wanted to share this journey with me. See you back in America.

Weeks 5 and 6 in Nepal

Long time no see! I apologize for the lack of a blog post last week; I finally got a bout of travel sickness and spent a couple of days resting and rehydrating. I assure you that I am back to 110% and am taking some antibiotics, just to ensure that I stay healthy. Today, I feel as though I could run a marathon and ascend the peak of Mount Everest =)

Despite my falling ill, my fifth week still had exciting adventures and precious moments. One of the moments that I will hold dear happened on that Sunday:  I got to see an American friend from McAfee. She is also fulfilling her contextual ministry placement in South Asia this summer and happened to be in Kathmandu with her team for a couple of days. It was so good to see a friend and familiar face! We’ve been doing our placements for about the same length of time, so we were able to process a little of what we’ve seen this summer in light of the books we have to read and the papers we have to write. We also just got to laugh, which is always good for the heart.

I must admit that something she asked me challenged me. She asked a simple question, one I am sure many of you will ask me upon my return:  “What is God teaching you this summer?” I sat, completely at a loss for words; I had no idea. I mean, I know I am learning about all of the administrative responsibilities involved in running a business and the importance of great communication, but I could not think of anything theologically profound that God is teaching me. I also admit that I had not taken the time in my prayers to ask God what He’s teaching me. It is something I am making a point to ask God now. I do not think my friend realizes how much her question challenged me to seek God more in these remaining days, and I am thankful that she took the time to ask.

The next day, I met with the shop family for breakfast and then went home to sleep. It was not until the next day that the sickness hit me again. Because of that, I did not go to the salon for more than a small amount of time that week.

While I was ill, I had ample time to reflect on my ministry here (or watch a movie when my brain was just too tired to think).  Upon some reflection and prayer, I came to a couple of conclusions:

            I am angry. I am angry about the poverty I see and how little I can do about it. I am angry at the corruption in the government. I am angry at the systemic problems I see. I am angry about how some of the foreigners treat the Nepali people. I am angry at the lack of access to good education. I am angry at the injustice I see. I am just angry. And in spite of that anger, I love the people here, even the people who cause suffering in ignorant ways. I know that it is not healthy to stay in an angry mindset, but I also know my anger is justified. That being said, angry people don’t evoke change; genuinely compassionate ignite it.

            God calls me to love, despite and in spite of my anger. I know that seems so obvious a task for a missionary, but love is one of the hardest things to do, yet is the most crucial component of the Gospel. As I wrestled with God about my anger and about God’s calling for me this summer, I felt as though God gave me a powerful word. I share it with you now as if sharing a piece of my heart; the moments I share with God in my prayer journal are precious and sacred to me, but I feel a strong conviction to share it with you now. I also share it with you nervously; I know that I am human and cannot fathom or interpret the ideas of  God. I also do not claim to hear from God this clearly often; sometimes, you just have to trust:  “I called you to love. That is always My first call for you. Do you think I do not know how it feels to love those who do not love others? Look at this world! I created and love everything that takes in breath. Still, they kill out of hatred, steal out of spite, and slander out of jealousy. Yet I love them all, even and especially the prodigals. It causes Me great pain, but I love them.” My next question remains unanswered still:  how do you deal with the pain of loving people who don’t show love to others? That, I think, requires a grace that is beyond human comprehension.

Yes, those are only two points, but they are full of deeper questions for me to wrestle with this summer and for many years to come. I think they are points that anyone desiring to do poverty alleviation in a developing country needs to wrestle with, too.

I was so happy to go to church on Saturday; I didn’t get to go the previous week and I missed it greatly. It was so good to see my friends and catch up; one of them just finished her undergraduate thesis, another worked long shifts at the hospital. It was just great to see them =)

Monday, I got to speak with a friend back home for a little while. She is the friend from school who lived in Nepal for a time. It was good catch up and talk about Nepal, adjusting to life back in America, and just laugh and joke. After a season of not feeling well and wrestling with those hard ideas, it was wonderful to talk with a close friend =) After our conversation, I reveled in my restored health and spent the day exploring places I had walked through before but had not taken the time to stop and really look. I saw children playing futball, ate a samosa at a small Nepali café, and walked through winding streets full of shop vendors. It was so wonderful to see more of daily life in Kathmandu.

I also got to spend time with my shop keeper family on Monday. Their son is on holiday this week; his school just finished exams. He is so happy to have time to play and his parents are happy that he did well on his exams. I failed to mention in my previous posts about them that their son is the top student in his class. I’ve seen him work on his homework, and I understand why he is the top in his class. He is smart on his own, but his parents encourage him to reach his full potential and help him with his homework. They invest in him in a way that is beautiful, and I am honored to watch and even be a part of it. On day, he let me check his math homework =) It’s humbling and exciting to be welcomed into this family.

It was so good to see the girls at the salon after not seeing them for almost a week. I was also glad to get to know one of the employees better. Last week, the shop owner hired a new beautician and she is in the middle of training with us right now. She is a very sweet girl who has come from a very awful working condition. We hope that she will be a good fit for the salon and learn quickly.

Business at the salon is picking up, which is a huge answer to prayer. More people are finding out about the services we offer and the quality of those services. I am confident that New Creation will be a strong business and ministry.

Not too much over the past few weeks, but the things that did happen were so worthwhile. This week, I would covet your prayers deeply. Thursday, I am accompanying a friend and a team from YWAM to a village outside of the Kathmandu valley. We will return Saturday or Sunday. I am SO excited to see a little of village life and to see what life outside of the city is like. I am also nervous because I have no idea what I’m going to be doing. I know it will be good, whatever we do =) That being said, I’d really appreciate prayers for confidence, health, and assurance for myself and the team that is going. Also, please pray for us to have compassionate ears to listen and loving words to speak (when necessary).

At this point, I am counting days, not weeks, until I return to the U.S. (16, for those wondering) and it is such a surreal feeling. I know I am going to be sad to leave this place, but I do not want to start saying good-bye yet. Thank you for your continued prayers and support; they mean more than you can imagine.

Whoa! We're Halfway There

It’s so hard to believe that after four weeks, I’m halfway through my contextual ministry placement. Time seems to be going by so quickly and so slowly at the same time. I am excited for what this next month holds, somewhat saddened that my time here is growing short, but also thankful that I will be back in American soon. It is a strange mixture of emotions, but I think I’m learning to process them healthily.

This blog is all about stories. Over the course of this week, I had the opportunity to speak with many people about many things. I am thankful that I had the opportunity to sit (or walk with) and listen to so many people’s stories.

Tuesday, the shop owner took the day off for a much-needed rest after her visit to the village, so it was me and the girls again. The day was pretty uneventful until I left the salon. As I walked home on my usual route, I saw a new shop. I thought it was strange; this shop had not been here my entire time in Kathmandu. The shop keeper, a young Nepali woman, saw me looking and invited me to see her shop. I looked inside this room perhaps half the size of my bedroom in Atlanta and saw paper goods:  plates, tissue, q-tips, homemade soaps, and the like. Most little shops like this only sell snacks and vegetables, so this one caught my attention. I looked to the right and saw a boy, eight-years old, sitting at a desk doing his homework. His English was very good, so we talked for a minute or so. His mother invited me to sit down and spoke with me for a while. She gave me a mango (a sign of hospitality) and started to ask me questions. Her English was limited, so she asked me many basic questions about my life in America (job, if I was married, how many siblings I have). With my broken Nepali and her broken English, we were able to talk for over an hour. Her family’s story is something I never want to forget.

She has a Bachelor’s degree, but cannot find work. Her husband has a Master’s degree in Administration, is certified to teach +2 (which I think is similar to an Associate’s degree), and speaks English very well, but cannot get a job. The school board approves his written application and he does well in his spoken interviews, but they will not hire him. Other applicants bribe the school board with money, which they accept, and only hire those applicants. Out of integrity this man does not bribe the board; as a result, they do not hire him. This scandal has happened at each of the dozens of schools he has applied to. Out of frustration and desperation, they decided to open the shop. When I met her, they had only been open for two days. As she told me their story, she kept saying, “Life is struggle.”

In the midst of that struggle, they have high hopes for their son. Despite their lack of vocational success with their levels of education, she and her husband strongly encourage their son in his studies. As I sat in the shop, she made sure he finished his homework before he went to play with his friends. I asked him what his favorite subject is, and his face lit up when he replied, “Science!” He is a very smart kid and I hope he can go to university one day.

I also got to meet her husband. He is a very kind man who wants what is best for his family. From my brief interaction with him, I would describe him as a man of good character, determination, and compassion.

I want to help this family. I started to ask my friends here if they know of any good schools this man could apply to work. The only problem is that most of the people in I know in the educational circuit here belong to private Christian schools, and this family is either Hindu or Buddhist. Please, if you feel led, join with me in prayer that a school board of integrity would find this man, recognize his credentials, and hire him. I cannot imagine the fear and uncertainty they face as a family trying to live and support their son.

Wednesday, the salon owner came back. Oh, what joy I felt to see her! She is such a bright, beautiful light and I missed her so much over the past week. After she put her bag down, we went to the office and she told me of her time in the village. I have heard story after story of poverty in the villages, but it is so different when these stories come from the experience of someone you love.

Her village is rural and traditional. Every morning, the women have to wake up at 3 am to walk miles and collect water. Once they collect the water, they must carry them on their backs back to the village. These tanks of water weigh at least 35 pounds, if not more. They must carry these tanks for miles up the steep hill on which their village sits. Then, they spend hours in the hot sun, cutting grass for the water buffalo to eat; she showed me the cut on her calf from the tool she used to cut the grass. There was little safe drinking water, so, even though she got very sick one day, she did not drink much, if at all. Even though she was only visiting her family, she still had to do all of the tasks required of the women of her village. She was understandably exhausted. Even though she did not enjoy her time in the village, she still loves her village. She told me with great compassion and pain about how she wants to help the people in her village, especially the young girls. I cannot imagine coming like a place like that and wanting nothing more than to go back and try to help. Although she would never admit it, this woman has a heart of gold.

Thursday, after our time at the salon, I went home with the American overseer. We shared a good night of conversation and laughter. She shared with me about her time at the Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry and I shared with her about my time at Carson-Newman and the McAfee School of Theology. Despite our different schooling backgrounds, she was surprised by my openness and experience with supernatural encounters with God. It was also a great time to learn more about her and her background. I am thankful for the experience.

I was so grateful for the weekend. I had the opportunity to see much of Kathmandu and to learn more about Nepali life in Kathmandu. After church (which I could understand more of! The sermon was on the importance of prayer for ourselves, for our family, for our community, for our country, and for the world), I went with two of my friends to explore the hills surrounding the Kathmandu valley. Despite the rain, we enjoyed four hours of walking, hiking, and exploring. It was so much fun! The views of Kathmandu from different points in the hills were beautiful. We also explored little nooks and crannies, like the one lone, tin café smaller than my bedroom where we enjoyed a traditional Nepali snack (and I held my own with the boys as we ate some very spicy chili peppers). They also showed me some beautiful parks and gardens and told me the history of each place.  After our 7ish mile adventure, we went back to the pastor’s house, where we shared a wonderful meal, great fellowship, and a good night’s rest. Their home is full of such joy and I am thankful that they are welcoming me into their community. They want me to come more often and want to get to know me more =)

Sunday was a holiday for the Kathmandu valley, so the schools were closed. The salon owner could not stay home to watch her son, so she asked me if he could come over. I happily agreed. He is nine-years-old, and such a fantastic kid. He is so smart and mature; I keep thinking he’s twelve or thirteen. That morning, I taught him how to play some Western games that were lying about the house (Phase 10 and Guess Who?). He creamed me at Phase 10, and was very proud of himself for doing so. Then, he showed me how he cooks omelets Nepali style. After a delicious lunch, he taught me how to play cricket. We played cricket and badminton for hours. Then, we raced each other back to the salon to meet his mom. That may be one of my favorite days thus far. He wants to come back and play again soon =)

Monday, my plans fell through, so I spent the morning and early afternoon exploring Kathmandu. I did much walking; it was nice to be able to walk around Kathmandu and know how to get places =) It’s strange, and wonderful, how natural life here is starting to become. It’s becoming normal to walk miles every day, to take a took-took every now and then, to buy fresh produce at the little mart just down the road from my house.

That afternoon, my new friends at the paper-goods shop invited me sit with them. The wife had to go to the bank (something that is not normal in Nepali culture) and pick up her son from school, so I sat and spoke with her husband. He explained to me that they have a bank account set aside for their son’s education. Every week or every month, they put something into the account so he can go to university later. “It is little what we put in, but it will grow.” They put 500 rupees in the account that day. That is roughly 5 American dollars.

As I sat with him, he explained to me the culture of his old village, how he left the village because Kathmandu is the only place in Nepal someone can go to university, and how he and his family are breaking away from the cultural norm. He expressed to me his frustration with corruption in the government, how the constitution of Nepal grants the people many of the same rights Americans have but politicians do not grant these rights to the people. “People do not know they have rights because no one has told them.” He expressed his desire to see the caste system die. “God only made three things:  man, animals, and plants. Everything else is manmade and should be ignored. Caste system is manmade.” He expressed to me his desire to get his PhD in Administration and to make change in his country. His frustrations and desires inspire me and I want for him to get in a position of influence in Nepal.

Shortly after his wife and son returned, they invited me into their home to share a snack. I’m not sure what I expected… but it wasn’t this. The son pulled back the curtain to their doorway and beckoned me inside. I stepped in, ducking because the doorframe is so low. It took every ounce of self-control I have to not cry. Their home is small, only two rooms:  kitchen and bedroom. Both rooms combined are maybe the size of the living room in my apartment in Atlanta. The only furniture they have are two beds. Along the dirty, pale pink wall, they had hammered nails. On these nails hung their clothes because they have no closet. On the wall next to the door hung their son’s academic calendar, placed where they can see it every day. I sat on the floor in the kitchen and watched the wife make some traditional Nepali flat bread. She said to me, “House is small.” But for all its smallness, it is a home, and a place where each of its residents show a beautiful kind of love. In their home, there is a love that encourages their son to be all he can be. In their home, there is a love that inspires a man to show respect to his wife, even though it contradicts the culture of his family. In their home, there is a love that welcomes an ignorant foreigner and asks for nothing in return. This kind of love adds something that no coat of paint, piece of furniture, or material object can add. In response to her statement, I looked her in the eye and said, “It is beautiful.”

After we broke bread, I told them I needed to leave; I admit shamefully I wasn’t sure how much more my heart could take. We made arrangements for me to share breakfast with them the following Monday (early enough so that their son is still there before he leaves for school). I am excited and honored to continue to build this relationship with them.

All in all, this week has been wonderful. I have been so blessed by the hospitality of so many people. I am excited for what this next month holds and for the adventures I will have. Thank you for your continued prayers as I learn to minister through presence, not just words.

Nepal Week 3

This week has been hard:  physically hard, mentally hard, and emotionally hard. I did not realize how much I took comfort in having some good American friends so close. I also did not realize how much I have grown to love the shop owner; I missed her greatly this week. Many times, especially when I ate dinner by myself, I just felt lonely. Granted, I’ve also been out of the country for a month and a half at this point in my journey and this is the first time I haven’t had a close friend nearby. I’m not homesick necessarily, but I am definitely people sick. I miss my friends and my family.

I’ve also felt discouraged this week. As I’ve sat behind a desk and recorded all of the salon’s receipts they have collected since November, I have not felt as though I’m doing ministry. Other than the occasional cleaning I’ve helped with, I’ve been in the office all week. It’s also been strange to have so much responsibility at the shop. They gave me my own set of keys so I could open the shop in the owner’s absence, asked me to record the daily finances, and asked me to supervise the cleaning. It’s an honor to know that they trust me so deeply so quickly and I do not want to do anything to jeopardize that trust; I just find it strange that they have done so this quickly. In all of this, I feel as though I’ve been learning how to run a business, not necessarily doing the ministry I thought I was doing this summer. I know all of these things are very important and still a vital part of ministry, but it’s hard to remember that when you sit behind a desk and crunch numbers for hours on end.

I’ve also been discouraged by the increase of Westernization I’ve seen in Kathmandu. There are so many businesses geared towards foreigners, owned by foreigners, that just… take away from Kathmandu. All of the workers in these businesses are Nepali. While it is good that these businesses provide much-needed jobs, I think that they also promote an unhealthy mindset. None of the customers they serve are local; they are all white foreigners. When is it good business and when is it reinforcing the awful idea of white supremacy? Granted, I’ve been to one such coffee shop on multiple occasions to enjoy some coffee, use the wifi and speak with the staff,so I can’t pretend that I haven’t used those businesses, but I still feel uneasy about the whole concept. I can’t help but feel that I’m feeding a kind of ethnic hierarchy that I want no part of.

In light of this week’s struggles, I spent the best three dollars I think I’ve ever spent and I called my best friend. It was so encouraging to hear her voice and to laugh about silly things. She also asked me questions about India and Nepal that reminded me why I decided to go on this trip and how I really do feel God’s calling here. She spoke so many encouraging words to me that I will never be able to thank her enough for. She also helped me to start processing what I’m feeling about the Westernization I see; I’m nowhere close to any kind of resolution, but she helped me get started. Part of what I’m going to do is go to these places less often. Besides, it’s kind of fun to go into the small Nepali cafés and try to have conversations with people; if nothing else, it gives them a good laugh =) My friend really helped me to remember why I’m here. She also reminded me that all of these businessie things I’m doing are still ministry and still help the girls. I thank God for her, her wisdom, and her precious, precious friendship to me. At this point in the summer, she is exactly what I needed. Sometimes you just need your best friend.

There have been several good things this week, I promise! I got to help the girls at the shop prepare lunch almost every day. I impressed them with the one Nepali food I know how to make that they didn’t know how to make (quite a surprise for all of us, haha!). It’s like flat corn bread that you make in a skillet. I have no idea what the name of it is; I just watched the shop owner make it my first week here and copied what she did. Other times, we just laughed at how I tried to cut tiny little onions with gigantic knives because that’s all we have in the kitchen. Needless to say, those times were really wonderful bonding moments for me and the girls. Those were probably my favorite parts of each day.

I also got to spend a lot of time with the overseer. We finished one of the biggest projects they wanted to finish while I’m here this summer:  organize and record all of the receipts. Neither of us are particularly fond of math, so it was a long week for both of us. We are so glad to have that done and that’s one less thing the owner has to worry about when she gets back from the village. We still have a few kinks to work out with the budget, but that will get easier as we keep better track of how they spend their finances.

Saturday was a breath of fresh air. I decided to go to the church I went to last week. I wasn’t exactly sure how to get there, but that made it kind of exciting. I took a taxi to the intersection. This taxi driver is wonderful. I’ve used his taxi several times because he is genuinely kind. Many taxi drivers try to charge you high prices just to see how much they can get. This man always gives a fair price and does everything in his power to make sure I arrive there safely. He also takes the fastest route instead of driving around just to drive up the price. Even when I don’t need a taxi ride, he smiles at me whenever he sees me and asks me how my day is. As I’m learning more Nepali, I’m excited to learn more about him.

After I got out at the intersection, I couldn’t quite remember the path I took last week to get to the church. I turned down one street that looked familiar and started walking. At this point, I do know enough Nepali to ask for directions if I need them. I didn’t need too; it turns out I picked the right street =) As I got closer to the church, I heard something that I haven’t heard in ages:  the sound of someone calling my name, my American name, from a distance. I love my Nepali name, but there’s just something wonderful and homelike about someone calling your name. I looked up to see friends my McAfee friend introduced me to last week running up to greet me. Then, they each gave me a hug. One of my primary love languages is physical touch, especially through hugs. I did not realize how much I’ve missed hugs this week. That few seconds of calling my name and giving me a hug did wonders for my heart. They said they were happily surprised to see me. We spent some time catching up and then went into the service.

After the service, they invited me to stay for the youth group (youth is relative; there were several people my age and a little older as well as teenagers). They asked me to share a message from scripture (which is pretty common over here). I gave an impromptu lesson on the fruit of the Spirit; it’s something that’s been heavy on my heart and the team-building focus I’m using with the girls at the salon this summer. After that, we did something I’ve never done before. We walked through Kathmandu and gave people tracks. I’m sure we looked like quite a sight:  a group of local people and one foreigner who knows next to no Nepali. It was really fun. I got to know several of the people better and got to talk with some of the people I gave tracks too. After about an hour or so, we went back to the church and had lunch, which consisted of biscuits (cookies) and sprite. We laughed at some of the funny antics of one of the guys and we asked each other questions about family, work, and the like. It was so much fun; they really welcomed me in like one of their own. I made plans for Monday to see an organization that one of them runs to increase literacy and provide books to impoverished parts of Nepal, and I’m supposed to have dinner with her family sometime soon. It was just so nice to have community when I’ve felt so isolated the past couple of days. I am excited to get to know them better.

Sunday, I went to a foreigner church. In many ways, it reminded me of BCM at Carson-Newman and my church back in Tennessee. We were in the gym of a school with lawn chairs set up. They also had an electric keyboard, a drum set, an acoustic guitar, and a bass guitar. There was every kind of foreigner imaginable:  American, Russian, Chinese, African, British, Scottish, and even some local Nepali people. The service was in English. It was nice to be in a church that I did not have to struggle to understand the message or the lyrics of the song. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Nepali church I’ve been going to; I just don’t know enough Nepali yet to understand most of what’s going on.

Monday was absolutely wonderful. I met up with one of my friends from church to see an organization that she and some of her classmates started. It was originally just a project for their social work program at the university, but, moved by the great need in their country, they decided to make it an official organization. It’s called Quality Education Nepal (QEN) and their goal is to improve education in some of the most rural parts of Nepal. One of their biggest projects is collecting educational books to improve libraries in schools and in communities. Right now, they are working with an extremely poor school that meets in a one-room community center. The need in this particular community is very great; my friend explained to me that the teenagers cannot read English or Nepali and most of them cannot identify colors by name. We spent several hours making educational posters to help the students learn to identify shapes, colors, days of the week, and such. If you are interested in learning more or about how you can help, please contact me via Facebook or by email (krfreels73@gmail.com).

After we made several posters, the volunteers and trainees went home and my friend and one of her coworkers invited me to go to Bhatipur with them. I’ve been in Nepal for three weeks now, and they were surprised at how little I’ve seen outside of my neighborhood and the surrounding streets. Bhatipur is one of the old kingdoms in Kathmandu Valley. We met up with some of their friends and started to explore. Bhatipur has worked hard to maintain its cultural identity. The old buildings are still there and still in use. They took me to see one of the old palaces of a former king, a nearby temple, and some of their favorite cites in Bhatipur. They also had me try curd (yogurt) because Bhatipur is known all over the world for its curd; it was mito cha (delicious)! We then went to one of their favorite places:  a pond to feed fish. It was so nice to just sit and laugh with some people and enjoy the company. It was also nice to be somewhere quiet. At the pond, we did not hear the constant sound of car horns and busses driving by. We just heard the splash of water and the cries of birds. It was such a nice afternoon. They want to show me more of their lovely country, so we are making plans to go to the foothills after church on Saturday. I am so excited to see more of Nepal and to see more of what this church community looks like.

So, this week started out hard, but got better. I am glad to be making friends and to have a church community I enjoy. I am also thankful for the hard things of this week; office work is not the first thing I think of when I think of ministry, but I am learning that it is important and necessary. 

Nepal Week Two

Let me walk you through a typical day here in Nepal:  The sun starts to rise around 5 am; I get up around 7. After breakfast, I walk around the city a little bit. Sometimes I go to a coffee shop to use the wifi to check on family and friends; other times (if I’m feeling particularly brave) I go into a small Nepali café and order dood coschia (milk tea) and try to speak to the auntie in Nepali. As I get better at speaking Nepali, I hope to go into more shops like this and less cafés geared towards Westerners. It’s my personal growth challenge to be brave and to learn more Nepali. Around 10 o’clock, I make my way to the salon. It’s a short walk from where I live and from the coffee shop I’ve been frequenting. I get to the shop around 10:15 and help the shop owner open. At 10:30, we have a prayer meeting. At 11 o’clock, if there are no customers, I have an English/Western Culture lesson with the girls for about an hour. Then, they do some cleaning and the shop owner fixes lunch. The rest of the day is filled with meeting with the shop overseer, brainstorming future lessons, curriculum ideas, and team building exercises, organizing the paperwork and materials for the training school, sorting through old receipts and bills, or taking a moment of free time with the girls to learn more about them. At 6 o’clock, we close up shop. Then, I might stop by a small shop near my house and get some vegetables on the way home. I try to be in by 7 because it starts to get dark around that time. I’ve been advised against walking by myself at night, so I make sure to avoid that scenario. I’ll cook dinner, read or study Nepali (depending on whether or not I have power), and then head to bed around 9 or 10. That’s what most Tuesdays-Fridays look like. It’s always busy, never the same, and very exciting. That’s pretty much what this week looked like.

I’m starting to learn more about the women at the salon. Each one of them has a beautiful story and I am so excited to find out more about each of them. One of the girls comes from a big family that’s always lived in Kathmandu; the other comes from a small family and has a sister who lives in a village. Both of them have beautiful smiles and servants’ hearts. The owner of the shop has a Bachelor’s in Social Work and wants to get her Master’s in Women’s Studies. She also has an extremely supportive husband who fights for justice on an international level and a son who is more compassionate and mature than most kids his age. The salon overseer has lived in Nepal for 8 years and has traveled the world to look for God’s calling on her life. Each of them have beautiful stories and I am excited to be a small part of their stories.

This weekend, I spent some time with one of my McAfee friends. I had the opportunity to see Nepal through her eyes. I got to see the place she called home for nine months. I got to worship in the church she still calls her own and had the joy of hearing her preach there. I had the pleasure of meeting her adopted family and saw how they welcomed her like their own daughter. I got to see some of her favorite shops, favorite hills, favorite views, and her favorite people. Not only did I get to see these beautiful things, I got to be a participant. She and her friends and family welcomed me in with open arms. After spending a couple of days with the people in her Nepal, I understand why she loves it so much. The people here love her so genuinely and so compassionately that it’s impossible to not reciprocate that kind of love. The opportunity to watch these relationships blessed my heart so deeply because it is so beautiful to see a love that crosses nations, languages, and religions. That kind of love is a beautiful gift.

This week I would greatly covet your prayers. Yesterday (Tuesday June 10), the owner of the shop told me she had to leave to deal with a cultural emergency concerning her family back in her home village (about 13 hours away by bus). It is a stressful situation for her, and I know she would appreciate your prayers as she journeys to deal with this issue. She will be gone the rest of the week, maybe longer. I would covet your prayers during this time as well. Because the shop overseer has university classes in the mornings and early afternoons, I am now in charge of opening, running, and closing the shop. It’s a little nerve wracking; I’ve never done anything like this before and I have no experience in cosmetology or beauty training. I would specifically ask for prayers of discernment as I work with the girls, capability as I record the finances, and an open heart to remember why God has me here this summer. I would also appreciate prayers for company. Today, my McAfee friends leave Nepal. I am starting to make friends elsewhere, but it is a little sad to know that some of my good friends will no longer be a short bus ride away.

It’s an exciting journey, for sure! You never know what’s around the corner. I am still excited for what God’s doing here this summer and for how I fit into this puzzle. I hope and pray that we continue to grow as a community and that I will not get bogged down in the logistical side of things that I forget to do the ministry kinds of things. 

Week One in NEPAL!

So, I’m FINALLY caught up on my blog posts and I can tell you about my first week in Nepal. It is beautiful here. As the three of us walked out of the airport, I was captivated by what looked to be a replica of the Smokey Mountains. I said, “Oh my goodness, look at the mountains!” My friend, who had lived in Nepal for nine months four years ago, laughed and said, “Kali, those are hills.”

As we walked outside the airport, I saw the woman with whom I’ve been planning my contextual ministry. She greeted me with a smile, and hug, and an enthusiastic, “Welcome to Nepal!” After a few quick introductions, I separated from my two McAfee friends and left to see my home for the next two months. This goodbye wasn’t bittersweet; we knew we’d see each other over the next few weeks.

The house I am staying in is nice, nicer than I expected. I am blessed to have a kitchen and refrigerator (so I can save money by buying groceries instead of eating out all the time), a washing machine (which I did NOT at all expect), a comfortable bed, a desk to do my school work, a short walk to my ministry placement, and neighbors. I am not roughing it by any means, which is a blessing. I do want to make an effort to explore the city more, though. I want to get to know the people.

One thing that is very different than the US is how conscious the Nepali people are of their energy consumption. Kathmandu runs on hydroelectric energy. The government rations the amount of electricity everyone gets every day.  The city is divided into 7 zones, and each of the 7 zones has no power for two parts of the day. It rotates so that each zone has no energy at different times, but everyone has roughly the same amount of power each day. During the winter when there is less water, people get less electricity. In the summer a.k.a. monsoon season, people get more energy. While this seems like a hassle, I think it is brilliant. How much energy could the US save if we did something similar? How many non-renewable resources could we conserve if we did something like this? I know that this kind of energy rationing would cause only a million and a half hissy fits across the country, but I think that the world could learn from Kathmandu’s example.

This week, I got to meet the people at the ministry I’m volunteering with. They are so wonderful. The owner of the salon is a small, feisty, compassionate Nepali woman who radiates the love of God. She gave me the warmest smile the moment she saw me. There are also two young women, one older than me and one younger than me, working in the salon. They are both graduates of the six-month training school the ministry puts on once or twice a year. One is a Christian and one is a Buddhist. They are both sweet girls and I am excited for the opportunity to get to know them. I also met the business visionary. She is an American who’s lived in Nepal for several years. They immediately welcomed me into their family and I feel at home here. They even gave me a Nepali name, partially out of wanting to welcome me and partially so people wouldn’t laugh at me. Kali in Nepali is an endearing, kind of joking term that means “blackie” to kid someone affectionately about her dark complexion. Because I am very obviously white, this presents a comical problem. They gave me the name Asha, the Nepali word for hope. I like this name =)

Let me take a moment to clarify the ministry. I am working at a salon that also does trainings for women who have either been exploited or are at risk to be exploited in the sex trafficking industry. Recently, they opened a salon to fund their ministry efforts. I am helping them make their business functional while preparing new material for them to use in their mobile, month-long training/devotional ministry. Needless to say, I am in for a busy, wonderful summer.

Thursday and Friday we nailed down exactly what my responsibilities are going to be this summer. My biggest responsibility is to help the two salon employees with their English and to do discipleship/mentorship with them. They also want me to do some team building with all of the employees at the salon. After that, I am to organize their papers and materials for the training school they offer. Along with the six-month program, they offer a month-long mobile program that they take into the homes of formerly exploited women. They want this ministry to be devotional and educational, so they are asking me to write a devotional curriculum that goes along with the educational curriculum of self-care (for example, care for the feet and “beautiful are the feet that bring good news”). When I am not doing those things, I am helping organize monthly receipts, helping run errands, and typing up lessons. It’s never a dull moment, for sure.

Friday evening, I had the pleasure to go to the salon owner’s home for dinner. She has a simple home, but you can tell she is proud of how beautiful it is. She immediately changed into a dress that Nepali women wear traditionally around the house and started cooking dinner. I sat in the kitchen and she excitedly showed me how to prepare a traditional Nepali dinner. Soon, her son, husband, and mother-in-law returned. Her son is the sweetest boy. He is so polite and fun to laugh with. Her husband is very kind and so supportive of all his wife is doing. Her mother-in-law is so sweet. She does not speak any English, but the boy translated for my sake. At one point, she did not want me to leave, but to stay with them. After one short evening, I was welcomed as part of their family. I was, and still am, deeply touched by their hospitality.

Saturday I went to church with a friend. Saturday is the only day most Nepali people get off from work, so Nepali Christians go to church on Saturday instead of Sunday. It was quite a hike! I went with the friend who met me at the airport. Every word of the service was in Nepali, but it was beautiful. The woman who preached the sermon was passionate about the message and the people were genuine in their worship. It was a nice service. After church, we met up with one of the girls from the salon to shop and bond over typical girl time. It was nice to get to know her a little bit outside of the shop.

Sunday, I got to see my McAfee friends. Even though I’d only been at the salon a couple of days, it was nice to see some familiar faces. We spent the day together, shopped a little, and then took a taxi to Nagarkot, a hillside village just outside of Kathmandu. It was one of my friend’s birthday and she wanted to revisit a hotel in Nagarkot to watch the sunrise over the Himalayas in the morning. We stayed up part of the night, laughing, joking, and telling stories, and then got up at 4:45 to watch the sunrise. There are few things more beautiful than watching the sun kiss the snow-capped mountains of the Himalayas first thing in the morning, including the peak of Mt. Everest. While I’m sad that my camera is not working, I know that I could never do that view justice. After the sunrise, we trekked a little way down the mountain to a bus station and took a bus back into Kathmandu. We enjoyed lunch together and then went back to our perspective dwellings.

Other than that, there’s not much to report. I have been so blessed by the open arms of the women at the salon. I already feel like one of the family and am astounded at how compassionate they are towards me. I love them so much and I am excited to do ministry alongside them this summer.

Pune

After Kolkata, we jumped on a plane to Pune. It was a bittersweet plane ride because we knew it would be our last as a group. In a few short days, we would disperse literally all over the world:  Thailand, France, Atlanta, and Nepal. It was hard to believe that our 2 ½ week journey together was almost at an end.

When we got to Pune, we were greeted by one of our group member’s friends and church family. She lived in Pune for 5 years as a teenager and considers Pune to be like home. They gave each of us a wreath of flowers to wear, provided a nice bus for us, and gave us lunch to eat on the way to Arangabad. It was a touching moment.

Five hours after climbing on the bus, we arrived in Arangabad. We saw some beautiful caves. Now, when our professors told us we would see caves on this trip, I pictured holes in the sides of mountains. Those were not the caves we saw. These caves were magnificent temples that people carved into the sides of the mountains hundreds and hundreds of years ago. There were three temples:  a Hindu temple, a Buddhist temple, and a Jain temple. It was amazing to me that a) so many different temples were so close to each other and that b) people carved these temples out of the solid rock of the mountain. The next day, we drove back to Pune.

When we got back to Pune, we did some shopping. Our local group member showed us her favorite places to shop and some of her favorite parts of Pune. Then, we went to her parents’ house to debrief and spend our last night together as a group. We held a small worship service and shared a meal together. Some of us stayed at the house and the rest of the group stayed at the YMCA down the road. In the morning, we would say our goodbyes.

It was a strange feeling in the morning. I was excited about going to Nepal to start my contextual ministry placement, but I was sad to be leaving this wonderful group of people. As the rest of the group came to pick up the group members not going to Nepal, a strange mixture of sadness and joy hung in the air. We all knew that it wasn’t goodbye forever; most of us have classes together in the fall. It’s just… many of us had gotten to know each other on a much deeper level. People who had just been friendly faces in the hall at school are now good friends. People who had merely been acquaintances are now close companions. I could go on and on about how close-knit our group became, but no words can ever do justice to an experience like this. We all knew that experiences like this one (the trip, the group dynamics, and the leadership) only come once in a lifetime, and we were fortunate enough to share it together. I think that as we joined hands to pray together, the reality of this idea dawned on us. One of our group members blessed those of us going on to different countries with a beautiful prayer, and then we said some very tear-filled goodbyes. After several long hugs and loving words, the group departed. As the three of us going on to Nepal stood on the side of the road and waved goodbye to our friends in the bus, the realness of the rest of this summer hit me. I am about to go to Nepal for two months.