Kathmandu pit stop

After a wild week in far away Gorkha, we returned via the same mad bus route to arrive tired and sore in Kathmandu. We did laundry in buckets of chilly well water, then took turns in the heated shower before dinner. At dinner we caught up with the DTS team and swapped stories, and sat around a newly installed wood stove in the upstairs sitting room until bedtime. It felt wonderful to be clean and relatively warm.

We are in the city today and tomorrow- a pit stop before heading to east Nepal. We don't know what it will be like there, no how long we will travel to villages in that area...probably anywhere from two weeks to a month. After that it is uncertain whether we will return to Kathmandu or not before moving on to a region south of Everest to reach villages in a target district there.

Thank you for your continued prayers as my team travels, treks, and teaches- its already been a pretty hardcore journey and we are grateful for the grace and joy we have received! Please pray for grace for the coming challenges, energy for the demanding stretches, continued love for one another, and eyes set on the Lord and His glory through it all.

Danya Baht! (Thank you:)

a very Gorkha Christmas

Christmas started with me having a scenic coffee and presents picnic ready for the team down on a terraced slope near the house. I had a string of battery operated lights (brought from Maui) decking out a little bare tree branch stuck in the ground as our Christmas tree. I hung candy canes all over it (also from Maui) and arranged gifts (which i secretly got from the students' families- and brought from Maui) under the tree. Then i led the team down there, each one carrying their tin mug of Starbucks Via... Christmas blend, of course. They loved it all and were so surprised at their gifts from their families- they got all teary eyed and it was a really sweet team time. The mountains were clear and gorgeous, our tree dear and glowing... it was a great little Christmas morning.

But that was only the beginning.

 

We sang carols at the village church's celebration, recieved thank you speeches for our days of teaching, and then were given garlands of flowers- just like leis! That was amazing and such an honor. Then, the church slaughtered a goat for us and cooked and curried every inch of it...we all ate platefuls of intestines and stomach etc. for Christmas lunch. It was a bit of a challenging meal, but i just remind myself of all the generosity and hospitality it represents... and persevere. Next came the two hour hike to a scenic spot (which proved a bit less scenic than the stunning view from the house we were staying at...) and the way up was definitely UP- straight up via rough stone stairs(ish). Even without our packs that was a difficult ascent. 

 

Upon returning, we were given an entire gutted goat to roast on the bonfire we were planning to make that evening. So they skewered big hunks of bone and meat on rods and sent them with us down to our fire site ... for us to figure out how to barbeque. Hahaha It was a pretty awesome team activity (and it went down better than the insides we ate at lunch:) We reveled in the warmth of our big fire, and joked about how bad we probably smelled (no showers and living in smoke and hay). Then we boiled a kettle of water on the coals and had hot cocoa and peppermint chocolates (also brought from Maui). 

 

Last of all, when I climbed in my sleeping bag, i ran my hand over my stomach and - what was that? A hard object in my clothes? I felt for a moment and then burst out in laughter (causing a stir of sleeping bags and a sudden glare of head lamps pointed my direction. I struggled to free myself from my sleeping bag and digging in my clothing produced... a candy cane! I don't know how many layers of clothing you need to be wearing to fail to notice that a candy cane has fallen down your shirt, but...yeah. Hahaha. It was a pretty great moment. 

 

Quite a memorable holiday. Really, a very Gorkha Christmas. 

 

mornings in Gorkha

The little homestead we were situated at in the village was the home of a pastor, his wife and baby, and his parents. They hosted us girls in their home. The guys stayed with a church elder some ten minutes walk away. All things considered, the overall effect of the house, goat stable etc. was decidedly medieval. Thatch and stone were the dominant materials, though the main house featured some wood construction and a corrugated tin roof. We were in the squat little loft- all of us girls in a tiny room sleeping on straw mats (praise God for quality cold weather sleeping bags). There was an outhouse, and no running water besides a little outdoor tap used for washing your face, laundry or dishes.

Besides in the afternoon for a couple hours, we wore several layers of fleeces and jackets- the damp cold permeated everything. The house kept out the breeze, but was an unsubstantial structure. We used a ladder to reach our room in the loft. Everything was low ceilinged and chimneys have not come into use- a constant thick smoke filled the close main room where grandma spent all day squatting on the mud floor over a a clay cooking pit. Our eyes burned as we sat inside for meals, eating rice and lentils with the family. It was a privilege to share life with this family and I know it was an eye opening experience for my team to live alongside real people in such a rustic life situation. It was much like camping in many ways- but you realize that these people aren't living like this for fun, for just a few days. For them, this is as comfortable as life gets. 

We spent our days teaching in the tiny church, some believers living in the area walking an hour or more from their homes to join the sessions. It was such a privilege to help these brothers and sisters who have so little instruction on how to follow the Lord they love.

 

 

 

on (and off) the road

Last week, we boarded a bus and took off on the wild roads to reach a region called Gorkha district. From there we would walk a distance in to a village area. But first was the bus ride. The NINE HOUR bus ride. Though the bus generally stayed on the road, i think it would be fair to call the last five hours "off-roading". I am still astounded that the vehicle managed to haul up the precarious dirt ruts that constituted the ascent to the Gorkha district. Mud holes, river fording, inclines and sheer drops...bags of vomit being tossed from windows and occasional diapers sailing past...it was the epitome of an adventurous asian bus ride. If there had been a live chicken in the aisle, it would have completed the picture. Wait, i have just been informed: i missed the chicken that was a few rows back from me. So... yep. It was a legit asian bus haul.

We stopped for momos (dumplings) that were spicy as all get out out, and then were served tea in the classic (and here ubiquitous)  scalding hot tin camp cups.  The tea was wonderful- some of the best we have had here- it tasted like Christmas:) Cloves and cinnamon... it was a nice road side break before getting back in the bus and hauling on the last few hours. Those tin cups are tricky. You have to be sure to only fill them two thirds of the way so there is ample room to hold the cup without burning your fingers off.

teaching team

I wish the computer was fast enough to upload all the images of my team and I teaching! We spend much of our time doing basic biblical living teachings out in villages now. Even this week a church elder thanked us for coming to his village- saying that he had never been taught these basics of the faith. We were astounded. Its such a privilege to teach these brothers and sisters how the bible instructs us to follow our Lord. 

Maui staff in Nepal!

Its been a great blessing to have another Maui team alongside us during our time here in Kathmandu- the Fall DTS team! They have been hitting the streets with evangelism and been distributing dozens bibles- meanwhile my team has been working with developing fellowships of converts and preparing/ training to head to the villages with foundational bible teaching. It is great pursuing the purposes of God here together, in these complimentary focuses. In addition, our teams have benefited greatly from serving and encouraging one another daily- awesome to see them step out to build each other up!

 While staying in the house here in Kathmandu, its a gift to have fellow Maui staff Mike and Rachel around- we've each  been blessed by this encouragement and support within our little staff community:)

pictures from every day

the vision

When we arrived, our contact gave my team a commission. We are to walk from village to village in east Nepal, fellowshipping with small churches scattered through the mountains. We are going to them to impart the vision for a disciple making church.
We are informed that many of the churches in Nepal have remained in spiritual infancy, and therefore are unstable and do not reproduce. The vision we are imparting is for key members or leaders of the fellowship to receive solid biblical training and then proceed to train and mentor those in their care. Because most of these villagers are unable to go away to receive such equipping, we offer to stay in the village several days to teach them the basics of the Christian faith, so they may in turn mentor and establish those they serve. They will teach their people not only these foundations, but the commission for each believer to continue reaching out to others, and discipling those that come into the faith. This is a basic discipleship model that we may think very obvious, but is revolutionary to the church in Nepal.
Basically, we are encouraging small/home groups and intentional discipleship- including clear biblical instruction being passed down once entrusted during our visit to the pastor and overseers.
We have visited churches in Kathmandu already to encourage this model, urging discipleship rather than superficial weekly church attendance. The small congregation embraced the call, and urged us to stay all day to explain to them how to begin shifting to a discipleship model. We will be returning to them in at the end of our trip to train the leaders with a set of basic biblical foundations. The local team here will provide follow up for them. Its encouraging to see the vibrancy and life and love of Nepali fellowships that are embracing the fullness of the Family of God...loving one another, maturing, having accountability, worshipping together, and encouraging one another.
It is such a privilege to be coming alongside the work of God in Nepal, seeing these believers established and released to both follow the Lord and to imitate Him in making disciples.

This photo is of a Nepali home group that meets next door to where we are staying. When they met the other evening i watched them from the roof- before i knew that they were neighbors who had received the gospel and were discipling other believers. I kept thinking how these folks seemed so joyful- and so really must be a family gathering... then i saw a bible,  and then began the guitar and tambourine... and a familiar Nepali praise chorus I learned this week... brothers and sisters! It was a really remarkable experience and made me just love the Family of God all the more:)

Good morning, Kathmandu!

Today marks one week in Kathmandu, Nepal. It is amazing to be here. My team is settled into the locale rather well, and i am experiencing just heaps of grace. Every day i have found the joy of the Lord in my soul. Already, this outreach has been remarkable!

This place is wild and wooly, challenging and desperate, frenetic and vibrant. Mornings begin with steaming milk chai, and the days end by candlelight and a deep chill settling back in after our curried dinner. Dust, yelling, colored scarves, rickshaws, careening buses, babies with kohl lined eyes, incense, curry, endless streets of potholes... and so the city sprawls at the base of the Himalayas.

This week we are heading to villages up the valley to teach. We will be there through Christmas, with a fellowship of Nepali believers. Afterwards, we will return to Kathmandu for a couple days, before heading to the mountains of east Nepal. I hope to post an update during that stop back through the city.

Its a privilege to serve the church in Nepal- the believers here are often just that: believing converts. They have little or no knowledge of how to grow and follow Christ. Basics such as repentance and the character of God are unknown to them. It is a joy to be here and to be sent to the villages all over Nepal to make disciples that in turn can disciple others.

Seoul stepping stone

Seoul is our stepping stone to the Himalayas... by this time tomorrow we should be arriving in South Korea and spending the night at a hotel supplied by the airline (probably the last real mattress and duvet for several months). After that, there is just a five hour flight between us and the wild blue yonder of Nepal...

Thank you for your prayers as I travel with my team!

yet another countdown

She's about to fly!
Nepal departure: three days and counting...

i wish i had time to give more of an update- suffice to say the Lord has continued to provide and pave the way for my team. I continue to grow in anticipation of  participating in God's purposes in Nepal- but until that plane takes off,  the days are busy and bittersweet. There are a lot of loose ends still being tied up and a lot of significant goodbyes being said.  Not only the "see you in a few months" sort of partings that we call the YWAM-see-you-later, but also some close friends moving on permanently. The Lord however, is unceasingly faithful to give grace and comfort for all that each day brings- and it is in Him Whom we hope.

The clock is ticking and i see calendar pages drifting to the floor....