Being Known

November 2, 2009
I’ve decided that there are different levels of being known. For instance, if you’re a Christian in Nepal, most people around probably know that, whether or not they’re your friends. You just live differently than everyone else. Then, if you’re a white person in Nepal, you’re known as a foreigner. Then, cap that off with living in a children’s hostel and working at a local school and everyone in a 10 km radius will know you!

I love walking down the streets here for that reason: I’m known. When I see other Christians or they see me, the instant greeting of “Joy-mecy” and a smile blossom out. One of the coolest greetings ever: Joy and mercy in Jesus Christ. We use it with other Christians, while the typical greeting for Nepali’s is Namaste. I think we should pick that up in America! After all, Paul started his letters with Grace and Peace, right?!

Then, I live in a hostel and teach in the local school. I don’t know that this school has had a white teacher before, so that in itself is a jump! All the kids greet me, whether in school or on the street, and usually it’s with a bright smile! When I walk to pick up the younger children between 7th and 8th period, the class 7 and 9 kids look out their window and yell hello at the top of their lungs. Usually I can look up and see Anand or Shiva in the window grinning with a hoard of boys surrounding them. Why the boys always sit by the windows, I’m not sure...

When I walk to the store or the stationary shop for school supplies, everyone knows me as the girl who lives in Krishna’s hostel! The stationary shop took about 3 days to figure that out; no one comes every day buying 12 copies one day (notebooks), 8 erasers the next, and so on just for themselves or a few children. Buying in that quantity means lots of kiddos! And I think they like me, because they often give me discounts when I come, whether it’s a free copy or two, or a free dry erase marker when I buy ink. I brought the kids with me the first few times so I’d know how much stuff cost (I didn’t want to be overcharged just because I’m white!), and the shopkeeper’s been very consistent in charging me what he’d charge anyone else or even a little less. It could also be the buying 800 things every week factor ;).

At the store, the owners know me (they’re the ones who asked if Chloe and I were Christians way back when I first got here!), as do the different checkout girls! Yesterday, the girl at the counter asked me where I went to church and I told her. She goes to a different church in this area. She said that she knew me because I always sing with the music when I come in the store (what can I say, I sooo appreciate hearing Christian music in English playing over the sound system!) and we talked for a few minutes. After realizing we had no idea where the other went to church, she said something that I think should be the motto of every Christian in the world. With a grin, she said “Oh well, it doesn’t matter, because what really matters is that we serve the same God.” And that might sum up all the differences and similarities in Nepal for me. We Christians all serve the same God, and any differences beyond that are just the seasonings in life!