December 23, 2009
Well, it was the first day back to life after the 3 day extended holiday, also known as a strike :). And it started as quite the normal day. Wake up, prayers, study, breakfast, get ready for school, school. Then, when I got home, I headed out with Uncle and Auntie to the Wholesale shop to shop for Christmas gifts for the kids (winter clothes, jackets, etc.). Well, that in itself was an adventure!
We parked on the street in “downtown” Kathmandu and walked through a maze of small streets and alleys to find ourselves in this pavilion filled with vendors selling items at wholesale price, from jackets and scarves to jeans and hats. People milling everywhere, buying this and that for their shop or stand in all parts of the city. I was pretty much useless as I don’t speak Nepali and thus couldn’t negotiate, and I had no idea how to determine what would be best for the kids. So, I had the job of watching the mounting pile of bags, which was just fine with me because it gave me time to just watch people! The small round lady over there must have a clothes store with those jackets, that man probably has a roadside stand that sells mittens and scarves and hats for the cold of winter. That family is looking for jackets for their two young kids, that mother is shopping for her teenage daughter. It can be very interesting to watch people knowing that you have absolutely no idea what they’re saying (outside of the hit and miss words that are familiar to your foreign tongue!).
Finally, with several huge bags full of warmth and joy for Christmas, we headed out, dodging cars and motorbikes and pedestrians with our bags wobbling like two unbalanced sides of a scale! We reached the car, and loaded the bulging tangle of clothes into the back, and headed home. We stopped for an afternoon snack (it always makes me happy when I get buffalo MoMo... soooo tasty!), and then continued home.
As we drove along, I lazily watched the cars passing by, listened to the horns continuously droning, and let my head wander in and out of reality! In my subconscious, I realized there was a bus next to us, right outside my window. Suddenly, I jolted back into the car with the loud crunch of metal on metal with the screams of paint being torn from its original body and relocated to the side of a large bus. All inches from me. My 5 senses seemed to multiply as I realized that we were indeed just hit by a bus!
Uncle stopped the car (in the middle of the road... where else would you stop?!) and the bus stopped as well. Then came the yelling and shouting of determining who was responsible. I’m really not sure how you determine that when there aren’t really observable laws, rules, or general road markings, but they duked it out verbally (soon, a traffic police officer joined the match) for about an hour and a half. Finally they came to the conclusion that they would each pay for 50 percent of the damage done to Uncle’s car (you really can’t tell whether or not the bus had damage because it was already banged up!). Well, about 15 minutes into the arguing match I dozed off again and wandered in and out of consciousness until we finally reconvened our drive home.
There’s something about shopping and driving that just makes me want to sleep, and I guess I got a little extra sleep on this trip! A word to the wise: if you ever live in a foreign country (or America, take your pick!), drive a banged up car (like one you fix with spray paint and a hammer!) so that if you get hit by a big bus without insurance, no worries!
Friday, December 25, 2009
A Different type of Christmas!
December 25, 2009
You know the drill. Everyone in the family puts on their best clothes, bundles up, and heads out to the Christmas Eve service (or Christmas day service; whichever it may be!). Then, you sing a few carols, read Luke 2, if you’re really blessed the children act out Luke 2, light a few candles, sing some more songs, and then head back home to a roasty toasty home with a tree bursting with presents! Well, something like that :). Here, we do things a little different...
To start, our service is on Christmas Day. This is only the second year that Christmas has been recognized as a national holiday, making it all the more sacred! It’s not enclosed by a convenient winter break, so it’s a lone day off in the mist of weeks and weeks of Hindu holidays! Christmas morning, we all woke up at our varied times, and the tumbling up and down the stairs began as the Christmas preparations were in full swing! The church service started at 8 a.m. Nepali time (meaning, 9, 9:30, or 10... basically whenever everything was ready!), so kids were running about, putting on new sweaters, jackets, hats and mittens!
I found out that we were eating breakfast at church, so around 8:15 I headed over there with some kids, only to find them just starting on the food. About a half hour later they were still working diligently on the food, so I headed back home, to see if the rest of the kids were ready to go. Well, I got home and Didi had a four course breakfast ready for me, which I gladly accepted (my stomach still isn’t used to getting up so early and eating so late!), and when I finished eating, I headed back to church with some of the girls. We arrived, and people were sitting here and there, enjoying the breakfast.
Around 11, the service started, and people crowded inside! There were many of my students from school as well as Hindus from around the area who were invited by friends. For a small church, there were over 20 visitors for the service! We sang song after song after song for about an hour. Then, Uncle preached over Luke 2 (some things are the same worldwide!), and then we sang and prayed for another hour or so. Some of the kids danced to Nepali Christmas music in traditional Nepali dresses while others sang songs. Probably the best part was when the kids acted out Luke 2!
Isha played Mary and when she and Joseph arrived at Bethlehem (aka center stage) after checking in with Caesar Augustus, she collapsed quite convincingly on the ground and began moaning like a goat with its head partially severed (yes, I do know that that sounds like now...). The two angels there, Rupa and Asha, held up a sheet for modesty reasons of course. More wailing and howling and about 30 seconds later the sheet dropped, and Mary sat up holding a brown haired, very large headed puppet. If you’ve ever worked on Caraway Street, think of those puppets! All head, no body. Well, Joseph, wrapped in a sheet himself, took the baby Jesus and placed him in the litter box and swung him in the air.
Meanwhile, two shepherds began herding their sheep, who were none other than Raju, Darshan, Rajkumar, Joshua, and several other boys from the church. They were all dressed in their white Karate uniforms and they made some of the best bleating sheep that I’ve ever heard! Suddenly, up popped Shiva as a messenger from God, dressed in jeans and a leather jacket (angels might look different here!), telling them to fear not! He sent them on their way towards Mary and Joseph (who was still swinging Jesus in the air). They arrived and awed over the baby for a few seconds, before turning back to corral their scattered sheep with their bamboo rods! It might have been the most interesting acting of the Christmas story that I’ve ever seen!
Afterwards, we headed outside to eat a feast of fresh goat, curry, rice, spicy pickles and vegetables. People milled about, here and there, meeting friends and encountering new faces! “Merry Christmas” rang through the air as people laughed and talked in the huge tent set up for the party. We ate and ate and ate some more, and then people began heading back inside. People began singing and dancing as everyone gathered back inside! We had some more dances, and the kids did a Bible quiz competition against Krishna’s brother’s hostel kids, and there was more dancing! Finally, we wrapped things up, with a resounding “Merry Christmas!” At this point, it was almost 4 in the afternoon. We had been going for a good 6 hours!
But wait, as the adults headed for safety, the youth and young adults cranked up the Nepali rock Christmas music, and the real dancing began! I felt like I was at one of my friends’ weddings, jumping around, laughing, sweating in the cold air! The Electric slide is a rather versatile dance and if you move your arms right and have enough hop in your step, you almost look Nepali doing it! And then we started the fastest bunny train around the room that I’ve ever been part of. We were literally leaping around the room, music blaring, laughter just peeking over the noise of the music! In and out, up and down, Nepali’s dancing like American’s and vice versa! We danced and danced and danced until we were all out of breath and sore and ready for bed.
About 5:30 we turned the music off and cleaned the church, inside and out, so that it would be ready for church tomorrow! Sweeping, gathering, and burning the trash, close the windows, draw the curtains. Slowly we trickled outside, tired but happy, glistening with sweat! As we headed out, the fading sounds of “Merry Christmas” filled the air for one last time!
Soon after arriving at home, like clockwork, the line went, basking the house in an eerie blackness! This amidst the cries of hunger from the kids (whose metabolisms worked through the afternoon feast far faster than us older people!) and no Auntie or Uncle (they went somewhere after the Christmas “service”) meaning no emergency lighting and no food. So, I rounded up Manisha, and we headed out to a local shop that is open pretty much always. Like a little roadside WalMart. Except not at all. Anyway, we bought currah (dried flakes of rice with no taste), dal mot (a spicy mixture of noodles, small chips, nuts, and lots of flavor), and 4 packages of chow-chow (Nepali Ramen noodles).
Returning home, we crushed the noodles in the package (they’re far better dry in my opinion!) and then mixed everything together in a big bowl. There were 21 kids to feed, so we had to be creative as I have yet to make it to the bank after all the Christmas shopping! Then we scooped it onto the plates with a helping of American Gold Fish on the side, thanks to the generosity of some people from my church (bet you never thought the Gold Fish would become the entre on Christmas, did you?!), and voila, Christmas dinner! I have to admit, it was an unusual Christmas dinner, but everyone was fed, and is now pugio (full), so it worked out! Quite an unforgettable Christmas!
You know the drill. Everyone in the family puts on their best clothes, bundles up, and heads out to the Christmas Eve service (or Christmas day service; whichever it may be!). Then, you sing a few carols, read Luke 2, if you’re really blessed the children act out Luke 2, light a few candles, sing some more songs, and then head back home to a roasty toasty home with a tree bursting with presents! Well, something like that :). Here, we do things a little different...
To start, our service is on Christmas Day. This is only the second year that Christmas has been recognized as a national holiday, making it all the more sacred! It’s not enclosed by a convenient winter break, so it’s a lone day off in the mist of weeks and weeks of Hindu holidays! Christmas morning, we all woke up at our varied times, and the tumbling up and down the stairs began as the Christmas preparations were in full swing! The church service started at 8 a.m. Nepali time (meaning, 9, 9:30, or 10... basically whenever everything was ready!), so kids were running about, putting on new sweaters, jackets, hats and mittens!
I found out that we were eating breakfast at church, so around 8:15 I headed over there with some kids, only to find them just starting on the food. About a half hour later they were still working diligently on the food, so I headed back home, to see if the rest of the kids were ready to go. Well, I got home and Didi had a four course breakfast ready for me, which I gladly accepted (my stomach still isn’t used to getting up so early and eating so late!), and when I finished eating, I headed back to church with some of the girls. We arrived, and people were sitting here and there, enjoying the breakfast.
Around 11, the service started, and people crowded inside! There were many of my students from school as well as Hindus from around the area who were invited by friends. For a small church, there were over 20 visitors for the service! We sang song after song after song for about an hour. Then, Uncle preached over Luke 2 (some things are the same worldwide!), and then we sang and prayed for another hour or so. Some of the kids danced to Nepali Christmas music in traditional Nepali dresses while others sang songs. Probably the best part was when the kids acted out Luke 2!
Isha played Mary and when she and Joseph arrived at Bethlehem (aka center stage) after checking in with Caesar Augustus, she collapsed quite convincingly on the ground and began moaning like a goat with its head partially severed (yes, I do know that that sounds like now...). The two angels there, Rupa and Asha, held up a sheet for modesty reasons of course. More wailing and howling and about 30 seconds later the sheet dropped, and Mary sat up holding a brown haired, very large headed puppet. If you’ve ever worked on Caraway Street, think of those puppets! All head, no body. Well, Joseph, wrapped in a sheet himself, took the baby Jesus and placed him in the litter box and swung him in the air.
Meanwhile, two shepherds began herding their sheep, who were none other than Raju, Darshan, Rajkumar, Joshua, and several other boys from the church. They were all dressed in their white Karate uniforms and they made some of the best bleating sheep that I’ve ever heard! Suddenly, up popped Shiva as a messenger from God, dressed in jeans and a leather jacket (angels might look different here!), telling them to fear not! He sent them on their way towards Mary and Joseph (who was still swinging Jesus in the air). They arrived and awed over the baby for a few seconds, before turning back to corral their scattered sheep with their bamboo rods! It might have been the most interesting acting of the Christmas story that I’ve ever seen!
Afterwards, we headed outside to eat a feast of fresh goat, curry, rice, spicy pickles and vegetables. People milled about, here and there, meeting friends and encountering new faces! “Merry Christmas” rang through the air as people laughed and talked in the huge tent set up for the party. We ate and ate and ate some more, and then people began heading back inside. People began singing and dancing as everyone gathered back inside! We had some more dances, and the kids did a Bible quiz competition against Krishna’s brother’s hostel kids, and there was more dancing! Finally, we wrapped things up, with a resounding “Merry Christmas!” At this point, it was almost 4 in the afternoon. We had been going for a good 6 hours!
But wait, as the adults headed for safety, the youth and young adults cranked up the Nepali rock Christmas music, and the real dancing began! I felt like I was at one of my friends’ weddings, jumping around, laughing, sweating in the cold air! The Electric slide is a rather versatile dance and if you move your arms right and have enough hop in your step, you almost look Nepali doing it! And then we started the fastest bunny train around the room that I’ve ever been part of. We were literally leaping around the room, music blaring, laughter just peeking over the noise of the music! In and out, up and down, Nepali’s dancing like American’s and vice versa! We danced and danced and danced until we were all out of breath and sore and ready for bed.
About 5:30 we turned the music off and cleaned the church, inside and out, so that it would be ready for church tomorrow! Sweeping, gathering, and burning the trash, close the windows, draw the curtains. Slowly we trickled outside, tired but happy, glistening with sweat! As we headed out, the fading sounds of “Merry Christmas” filled the air for one last time!
Soon after arriving at home, like clockwork, the line went, basking the house in an eerie blackness! This amidst the cries of hunger from the kids (whose metabolisms worked through the afternoon feast far faster than us older people!) and no Auntie or Uncle (they went somewhere after the Christmas “service”) meaning no emergency lighting and no food. So, I rounded up Manisha, and we headed out to a local shop that is open pretty much always. Like a little roadside WalMart. Except not at all. Anyway, we bought currah (dried flakes of rice with no taste), dal mot (a spicy mixture of noodles, small chips, nuts, and lots of flavor), and 4 packages of chow-chow (Nepali Ramen noodles).
Returning home, we crushed the noodles in the package (they’re far better dry in my opinion!) and then mixed everything together in a big bowl. There were 21 kids to feed, so we had to be creative as I have yet to make it to the bank after all the Christmas shopping! Then we scooped it onto the plates with a helping of American Gold Fish on the side, thanks to the generosity of some people from my church (bet you never thought the Gold Fish would become the entre on Christmas, did you?!), and voila, Christmas dinner! I have to admit, it was an unusual Christmas dinner, but everyone was fed, and is now pugio (full), so it worked out! Quite an unforgettable Christmas!
A Reason to Celebrate!
December 24, 2009
It’s Christmas Eve, and I can hardly believe that I’m almost halfway through my stay here. As I sit here typing on my computer, listening to TobyMac’s “This Christmas” (you should YouTube it if you haven’t ever heard it!), I can’t help but think of how much I’m blessed with! I miss my family and friends a whole lot, but I also have a huge family around me here, overflowing with love and laughter and joy!
There have been trying times with the kids and there have been times when I wasn’t sure if anything I have done has made one iota of a difference. Living in a children’s home is a different kind of missions work than going out on the streets and belting out the music of the Gospel! There are different battles, from things disappearing from your room (American treats are of high value here!) to your everyday teenage disobedience. I guess that’s where I’ve learned the most; I’ve taught high school math 2 years in the US, but I’ve never lived with 8 teenagers at the same time, thrust into parenthood overnight! And the other kids are well on their way to their teenage years! Balancing the “sister” in me with the “mother” in me has been a tottering act. Teaching kids to love an obey Jesus just isn’t the same as teaching them math.
But as the days go on, I see these small changes, bringing me hope and more joy than I can explain! For instance, any one of the kids can be mad at me for making them do their math homework rather than watching TV and hold that grudge of silence and coldness for over 24 hours. I’ve realized that I can’t let that get to me, so I tend to ignore them when they respond like that (either that or I kindly inform them that they’re acting like a 4 year old!). And then they’ll shock me and the next day they’ll come to me and apologize for their attitude and disobedience without me even bringing it up! Or, one will voluntarily do someone else’s wash or chores, without strings attached. Or they’ll clean a whole waste covered field with a smile alighting on their lips and laughter spilling over the warm air!
And then I think of my coworkers at school. Some have attached themselves to me (I am the white girl from America, after all...) and we talk about life and Jesus and Hinduism and Buddhism a couple times a week. And I get to share my hope and love in life with them, as many don’t see any point in life here, as there seems to be no way up in life (the beauty of a caste system). Not that any have responded outwardly yet , but the seed is there, germinating as God sheds His Son on the soil to bring life! And they were invited to our Christmas program at church tomorrow, and I’m hopeful that at least one will come!
And finally, I think of my friends and family supporting me back in the US. From those willing to buy 15 orphan kids they’ve never met shoes and clothes to those willing to box little pieces of home and send them to me for me to share and enjoy with the kids, so many people have touched and encouraged me from thousands of miles away! There are those days when I’m just ready to come home and I’ll walk into my room and see something sitting out from a friend or will see a couple of the kids playing some game from the US, and my wariness will melt into a smile as I think of all the prayers and love going up for the kids and me!
So for all my thoughts of home this Christmas, I’m truly marveling in how amazing our God is and how far His grace reaches. I took a Bible course last semester called Perspectives, and we talked over and over again about how our God is a God of the nations. And being here in Nepal this Christmas, I can see that! As I worship and praise Him with these believers in a tongue I only vaguely understand, our unity as a body is overwhelming as I think of the God we serve! Whether white, black or brown, man or woman, child or adult, we’re all working for the same goal- to see Jesus high and lifted up! And I pray this Christmas would light a fire for his kingdom!
It’s Christmas Eve, and I can hardly believe that I’m almost halfway through my stay here. As I sit here typing on my computer, listening to TobyMac’s “This Christmas” (you should YouTube it if you haven’t ever heard it!), I can’t help but think of how much I’m blessed with! I miss my family and friends a whole lot, but I also have a huge family around me here, overflowing with love and laughter and joy!
There have been trying times with the kids and there have been times when I wasn’t sure if anything I have done has made one iota of a difference. Living in a children’s home is a different kind of missions work than going out on the streets and belting out the music of the Gospel! There are different battles, from things disappearing from your room (American treats are of high value here!) to your everyday teenage disobedience. I guess that’s where I’ve learned the most; I’ve taught high school math 2 years in the US, but I’ve never lived with 8 teenagers at the same time, thrust into parenthood overnight! And the other kids are well on their way to their teenage years! Balancing the “sister” in me with the “mother” in me has been a tottering act. Teaching kids to love an obey Jesus just isn’t the same as teaching them math.
But as the days go on, I see these small changes, bringing me hope and more joy than I can explain! For instance, any one of the kids can be mad at me for making them do their math homework rather than watching TV and hold that grudge of silence and coldness for over 24 hours. I’ve realized that I can’t let that get to me, so I tend to ignore them when they respond like that (either that or I kindly inform them that they’re acting like a 4 year old!). And then they’ll shock me and the next day they’ll come to me and apologize for their attitude and disobedience without me even bringing it up! Or, one will voluntarily do someone else’s wash or chores, without strings attached. Or they’ll clean a whole waste covered field with a smile alighting on their lips and laughter spilling over the warm air!
And then I think of my coworkers at school. Some have attached themselves to me (I am the white girl from America, after all...) and we talk about life and Jesus and Hinduism and Buddhism a couple times a week. And I get to share my hope and love in life with them, as many don’t see any point in life here, as there seems to be no way up in life (the beauty of a caste system). Not that any have responded outwardly yet , but the seed is there, germinating as God sheds His Son on the soil to bring life! And they were invited to our Christmas program at church tomorrow, and I’m hopeful that at least one will come!
And finally, I think of my friends and family supporting me back in the US. From those willing to buy 15 orphan kids they’ve never met shoes and clothes to those willing to box little pieces of home and send them to me for me to share and enjoy with the kids, so many people have touched and encouraged me from thousands of miles away! There are those days when I’m just ready to come home and I’ll walk into my room and see something sitting out from a friend or will see a couple of the kids playing some game from the US, and my wariness will melt into a smile as I think of all the prayers and love going up for the kids and me!
So for all my thoughts of home this Christmas, I’m truly marveling in how amazing our God is and how far His grace reaches. I took a Bible course last semester called Perspectives, and we talked over and over again about how our God is a God of the nations. And being here in Nepal this Christmas, I can see that! As I worship and praise Him with these believers in a tongue I only vaguely understand, our unity as a body is overwhelming as I think of the God we serve! Whether white, black or brown, man or woman, child or adult, we’re all working for the same goal- to see Jesus high and lifted up! And I pray this Christmas would light a fire for his kingdom!
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Christmas Presents, a few days early!
December 20, 2009
In a home of 17 kids (give or take a few on any given day!), having will power to hold out with gifts until Christmas is hard. Very hard! And then you add three scheduled days of strikes with nothing to do, and all will power goes out the window! So, last night we did presents :). Quite the experience!
I made the kids a Bible scavenger hunt to find their presents, sending them up, down, inside, outside, from here to there in search for their treasures! We did it after dark, adding another element of fun to the game! Many of the presents were group gifts, games and toys from amazing people in the US, but they all had small gifts from me as well, journals I had made in the US for the girls, balls for the boys, and badminton sets for the boys and girls, and a few other trinkets here and there!
I gave all the kids bags to collect their treasures in as we went, and then we all gathered in the kids dining hall to open them all together! Newspaper (my makeshift wrapping paper) flew everywhere, with balls bouncing and kids shouting with glee! There were the shouts of “what’s this,” “how do you play with that” and “WOW!” It was a lot of fun! And allowing them to open them a day early allows them to play with them during these days of strikes! Which is nice since during the week we have little to no time to play! So, the next few days should be filled with fun and laughter, rather than pencils and math! Not that pencils and math aren’t fun- I think they’re great- but the kids don’t always share my sentiment!
In a home of 17 kids (give or take a few on any given day!), having will power to hold out with gifts until Christmas is hard. Very hard! And then you add three scheduled days of strikes with nothing to do, and all will power goes out the window! So, last night we did presents :). Quite the experience!
I made the kids a Bible scavenger hunt to find their presents, sending them up, down, inside, outside, from here to there in search for their treasures! We did it after dark, adding another element of fun to the game! Many of the presents were group gifts, games and toys from amazing people in the US, but they all had small gifts from me as well, journals I had made in the US for the girls, balls for the boys, and badminton sets for the boys and girls, and a few other trinkets here and there!
I gave all the kids bags to collect their treasures in as we went, and then we all gathered in the kids dining hall to open them all together! Newspaper (my makeshift wrapping paper) flew everywhere, with balls bouncing and kids shouting with glee! There were the shouts of “what’s this,” “how do you play with that” and “WOW!” It was a lot of fun! And allowing them to open them a day early allows them to play with them during these days of strikes! Which is nice since during the week we have little to no time to play! So, the next few days should be filled with fun and laughter, rather than pencils and math! Not that pencils and math aren’t fun- I think they’re great- but the kids don’t always share my sentiment!
Merry merry merry merry Christmas!
December 19, 2009
I never would have expected it, but people go Christmas caroling here! Now, you may picture a small group of people going door to door, which would be the typical American way. But, when in Nepal...
To start, caroling is scheduled. This is partially because most people don’t know their neighbors like we do in the US. All houses are gated in for security reasons, so you can’t just go knock on a door. Well, you could knock on the gate, I suppose, but that would not be quite as effective :)! It’s also because there’s a huge group of people, usually more than 20 or 30 who travel together. And finally, there’s a full sound system. Mics, amps, guitars, drums, it’s all there!
So, they arrive in mass, either by foot, grimacing under the weight of a stage worth of equipment, by a fleet of vehicles, or by a flatbed truck (my personal favorite!), with all the carolers packed on! Then, the 20+ minute unloading, set uping (in Nepal, adding ‘ing’ to any word is legitimate!) process begins, with the neighbors peeking over the edge of their roofs to see what the loud commotion is! Finally, the whole house comes out, sitting on benches, on roofs, on fences, wherever they can find a seat. Then the music begins!
All the songs a familiar, but none are known to me. But most have an awesome beat, which jumps into your feet and the shoe tapping, foot stomping begins! And soon, there are people dancing around the driveway, hands alighting in the air, feet lightly tapping as though through rings of fire! Twirling here and there, moving over and on top of wires, in and out of the beat! For about 30 minutes we sing, and then finally, we give everyone a cup of milk tea and a roll or some other pastry item and sit and talk for about 30 minutes before they head out! Quite an experience :).
I never would have expected it, but people go Christmas caroling here! Now, you may picture a small group of people going door to door, which would be the typical American way. But, when in Nepal...
To start, caroling is scheduled. This is partially because most people don’t know their neighbors like we do in the US. All houses are gated in for security reasons, so you can’t just go knock on a door. Well, you could knock on the gate, I suppose, but that would not be quite as effective :)! It’s also because there’s a huge group of people, usually more than 20 or 30 who travel together. And finally, there’s a full sound system. Mics, amps, guitars, drums, it’s all there!
So, they arrive in mass, either by foot, grimacing under the weight of a stage worth of equipment, by a fleet of vehicles, or by a flatbed truck (my personal favorite!), with all the carolers packed on! Then, the 20+ minute unloading, set uping (in Nepal, adding ‘ing’ to any word is legitimate!) process begins, with the neighbors peeking over the edge of their roofs to see what the loud commotion is! Finally, the whole house comes out, sitting on benches, on roofs, on fences, wherever they can find a seat. Then the music begins!
All the songs a familiar, but none are known to me. But most have an awesome beat, which jumps into your feet and the shoe tapping, foot stomping begins! And soon, there are people dancing around the driveway, hands alighting in the air, feet lightly tapping as though through rings of fire! Twirling here and there, moving over and on top of wires, in and out of the beat! For about 30 minutes we sing, and then finally, we give everyone a cup of milk tea and a roll or some other pastry item and sit and talk for about 30 minutes before they head out! Quite an experience :).
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Over the River and Down the Hill, to the Custom's Office we go!
December 15, 2009
I have the best mother in the world. No, really, I do. Throughout college, she sent me packages every now and then, just because, filled with fun stuff for my friends and me. Well, now that I’m around the globe, every week she sends some sort of mail/package for me. I share her love of the world’s vast mail system. I find it fascinating that with a few little squiggles on an envelope, that envelope will travel from Kathmandu all the way to the other side of the world, all for only 50 cents! But here, I’ve REALLY enjoyed all the packages and post cards and letters from home, because they’re my support when I’m homesick for another Westerner. I hadn’t realized the power of the “senders” of missionaries before, but my respect for them has increased one hundredfold! They are definitely the strength and encouragement behind the world’s missionaries!
Anyway, back to my mom being the best in the world. I had a package from her at customs again, and Krishna’s been really busy with church and Christmas stuff and with the fuel shortage, so he asked me to go pick it up myself. Which I was more than happy to do, since I hate feeling like I’m imposing on him to get a ride across the city- that and I’m a fiercely independent person, so I love the chance to do something for myself! So, he drew a map for me, and I figured, hey, I’ve been there like 4 times already, so I should be fine! And after school, off I rode on our bike.
Well, I’m not the most directionally coordinated person in the States, so put me in a foreign city with another alphabet system and maybe one road sign (in another character system) ever few miles, and I might get lost. There are these roundabouts spitting you out on any one of 3-5 roads and street shops everywhere, creating a vague sense of déjà-vu everywhere you look. Well, I did fairly well on my way to the customs office, only taking the wrong turn twice at one roundabout, realizing 5 or so minutes later that I was pretty sure I didn’t recognize the houses surrounding me. Then, at another roundabout, I stopped and studied the map fiercly, intent on not taking the wrong road again! Fortunately, a kind man who was probably amused by the white girl on the old bike wearing a baseball cap and gripping a sweaty piece of paper as if her life depended on it (which it may have, in reality!) stopped and asked me where I was going. I showed him, and he immediately showed me which road to take, to my relief.
I do have some landmarks in mind as I ride through the city, the biggest being the long bridge over this murky, trash laiden river dividing the districts of Kathmandu (where customs is) and Lalitupar (where I live). And after the bridge comes this statue and then this 10-story tall round pencil of a building which looks like it would fit better in New England as a light house providing the way for ships, but it’s nice for those foreigners who need a tall landmark in a land of 3-story shops.
Well, I made it to the post office and customs in about 45 minutes, and was pleasantly surprised at the ease of claiming my new treasures! After explaining to the customs officials what small white boards are (my mom’s genius idea for helping me tutor 3-5 kids at once!) and that I live in a children’s home, they were incredibly lenient on the custom’s fees, and I managed to escape leaving only 150 rupees (2 dollars, almost exactly) in their hands.
After loading the new treasures into my backpack, I headed off, but I couldn’t go back the same way because the road I came in on was a one way street. So, I headed down the street, recalling buildings and parks from riding as a passenger with Krishna. Slowly, the buildings faded from my memory, and I was completely unsure of where I was. I had thought that riding through Kathmandu on a motorcycle was about as real as it gets, but the bike might be even more real. Up and down hills my legs strained, and I was sure my knees were going to give out if my lungs didn’t beat them to the punch!
Finally, I reached the verdict that there was no way I had ever seen this before, so I wheeled around, riding up and down the hills once more, until I was back into familiar territory. Up this street, down that one, now where is that palace?! Oh! There it is! And there’s the statue! THERE’S THE BRIDGE! YESSSSSSS! I know where I am. And it’s only been an hour and 15 minutes since I left the post office! So, another seamless 20 minutes up and down streets with the confidence of a pro basketball player playing street ball with armatures, and finally, our hostel was in sight. I don’t think it’s ever been so beautiful. As I crackled off the bike, the kids all inquired where I had gone. To the end of the world and back, I thought, but with a laugh I simplified the conversation with a mere “To the post office.” And while I anticipate I’ll take a few wrong turns next time as well, I know I can make it home eventually!
I have the best mother in the world. No, really, I do. Throughout college, she sent me packages every now and then, just because, filled with fun stuff for my friends and me. Well, now that I’m around the globe, every week she sends some sort of mail/package for me. I share her love of the world’s vast mail system. I find it fascinating that with a few little squiggles on an envelope, that envelope will travel from Kathmandu all the way to the other side of the world, all for only 50 cents! But here, I’ve REALLY enjoyed all the packages and post cards and letters from home, because they’re my support when I’m homesick for another Westerner. I hadn’t realized the power of the “senders” of missionaries before, but my respect for them has increased one hundredfold! They are definitely the strength and encouragement behind the world’s missionaries!
Anyway, back to my mom being the best in the world. I had a package from her at customs again, and Krishna’s been really busy with church and Christmas stuff and with the fuel shortage, so he asked me to go pick it up myself. Which I was more than happy to do, since I hate feeling like I’m imposing on him to get a ride across the city- that and I’m a fiercely independent person, so I love the chance to do something for myself! So, he drew a map for me, and I figured, hey, I’ve been there like 4 times already, so I should be fine! And after school, off I rode on our bike.
Well, I’m not the most directionally coordinated person in the States, so put me in a foreign city with another alphabet system and maybe one road sign (in another character system) ever few miles, and I might get lost. There are these roundabouts spitting you out on any one of 3-5 roads and street shops everywhere, creating a vague sense of déjà-vu everywhere you look. Well, I did fairly well on my way to the customs office, only taking the wrong turn twice at one roundabout, realizing 5 or so minutes later that I was pretty sure I didn’t recognize the houses surrounding me. Then, at another roundabout, I stopped and studied the map fiercly, intent on not taking the wrong road again! Fortunately, a kind man who was probably amused by the white girl on the old bike wearing a baseball cap and gripping a sweaty piece of paper as if her life depended on it (which it may have, in reality!) stopped and asked me where I was going. I showed him, and he immediately showed me which road to take, to my relief.
I do have some landmarks in mind as I ride through the city, the biggest being the long bridge over this murky, trash laiden river dividing the districts of Kathmandu (where customs is) and Lalitupar (where I live). And after the bridge comes this statue and then this 10-story tall round pencil of a building which looks like it would fit better in New England as a light house providing the way for ships, but it’s nice for those foreigners who need a tall landmark in a land of 3-story shops.
Well, I made it to the post office and customs in about 45 minutes, and was pleasantly surprised at the ease of claiming my new treasures! After explaining to the customs officials what small white boards are (my mom’s genius idea for helping me tutor 3-5 kids at once!) and that I live in a children’s home, they were incredibly lenient on the custom’s fees, and I managed to escape leaving only 150 rupees (2 dollars, almost exactly) in their hands.
After loading the new treasures into my backpack, I headed off, but I couldn’t go back the same way because the road I came in on was a one way street. So, I headed down the street, recalling buildings and parks from riding as a passenger with Krishna. Slowly, the buildings faded from my memory, and I was completely unsure of where I was. I had thought that riding through Kathmandu on a motorcycle was about as real as it gets, but the bike might be even more real. Up and down hills my legs strained, and I was sure my knees were going to give out if my lungs didn’t beat them to the punch!
Finally, I reached the verdict that there was no way I had ever seen this before, so I wheeled around, riding up and down the hills once more, until I was back into familiar territory. Up this street, down that one, now where is that palace?! Oh! There it is! And there’s the statue! THERE’S THE BRIDGE! YESSSSSSS! I know where I am. And it’s only been an hour and 15 minutes since I left the post office! So, another seamless 20 minutes up and down streets with the confidence of a pro basketball player playing street ball with armatures, and finally, our hostel was in sight. I don’t think it’s ever been so beautiful. As I crackled off the bike, the kids all inquired where I had gone. To the end of the world and back, I thought, but with a laugh I simplified the conversation with a mere “To the post office.” And while I anticipate I’ll take a few wrong turns next time as well, I know I can make it home eventually!
Friday, December 11, 2009
A Brief Tour of Kathmandu
December 9, 2009
While the house was eerily quiet in the exhaustion following the anniversary, Simon (a brother visiting for a few days from the UK who is chairing Feet Ministries of UK), Uncle and I got up early and tiptoed out to drive up to Nagarkot to watch the sunrise. We drove for about an hour, through and around the city, and then up this mountain (for those from Kansas, it was a mountain. the Nepali’s call it a hill!) to the top where there’s this resort and a beautiful view of the valley below. Or, there would be a beautiful view of the valley and the Himalayas surrounding it, but, to my amusement, it was cloudy and overcast. The day we get up early it would be overcast!
We were still able to see some beautiful scenery though, and it was probably the most relaxing place that I’ve been since I’ve been in Nepal. It was totally quiet, with a bird singing here and there, the absence of the constant car horns and shouting allowing the cares and worries of the day to melt away like butter on pancakes. Which is what we had for breakfast! We went to this restaurant in the resort, which had an “American” style breakfast, which was very good! And there was soft instrumental music in the background, relaxing you into the true quietness of the mountain! So, we ate and talked and sat for awhile, and finally we headed out.
Our next stop was to Changu Narayan Village, which has this Hindu Temple on the top of another “mountain.” Simon and I had to pay 100 rupees since we weren’t Nepali in order to go into the village, which I found humorous. But it was so worth it. Basically, this is a group of Nepali people with their own language and very traditional houses and way of life. We walked through the village, snapping photos here and there, admiring the beauty and quietness of this sleepy town only 30 minutes up the mountain from the hectic world of Kathmandu.
This was my first trip into a Hindu temple, and it was, well, not what I expected. I expected this overwhelming sense of darkness, but Satan has cleverly disguised his presence in the sleepy quietness of the idols. As I walked around and saw the idols everywhere, different gods for different people, my heart broke, and I began to pray for the chains that Satan holds over this place of “worship.” I saw rats scurrying about (I had to remind myself not to stop breathing!) and people offering worship to which ever idol they preferred. There was a “holy” place designated for Hindu’s only, and it made me think of how Christ has torn the curtain of the temple, allowing ALL to enter into God’s holiness now. I have a much better picture of what the temple of the Jews must have been like in the Old Testament, with the exception that they only served the One God, and everything they did was for Him.
We finished our day with a trip out to the new land where Uncle’s planning on building another children’s home. He wants to separate the girls into one home and the boys into another (which is a great idea; Nepali girls are just way to pretty to live with other teenage boys!). The land was beautiful, a testament to the glory of God in this dark nation, and we prayed over it before leaving. It’s outside the city, with the quietness of village life, and still the proximity of the city. I wondered if his car would make it on some of the roads though! We’ll see where God leads with this... Hopefully it will be started before I leave :). One day I imagine I’ll come back to visit, and have to travel all over the city to visit my kids!
While the house was eerily quiet in the exhaustion following the anniversary, Simon (a brother visiting for a few days from the UK who is chairing Feet Ministries of UK), Uncle and I got up early and tiptoed out to drive up to Nagarkot to watch the sunrise. We drove for about an hour, through and around the city, and then up this mountain (for those from Kansas, it was a mountain. the Nepali’s call it a hill!) to the top where there’s this resort and a beautiful view of the valley below. Or, there would be a beautiful view of the valley and the Himalayas surrounding it, but, to my amusement, it was cloudy and overcast. The day we get up early it would be overcast!
We were still able to see some beautiful scenery though, and it was probably the most relaxing place that I’ve been since I’ve been in Nepal. It was totally quiet, with a bird singing here and there, the absence of the constant car horns and shouting allowing the cares and worries of the day to melt away like butter on pancakes. Which is what we had for breakfast! We went to this restaurant in the resort, which had an “American” style breakfast, which was very good! And there was soft instrumental music in the background, relaxing you into the true quietness of the mountain! So, we ate and talked and sat for awhile, and finally we headed out.
Our next stop was to Changu Narayan Village, which has this Hindu Temple on the top of another “mountain.” Simon and I had to pay 100 rupees since we weren’t Nepali in order to go into the village, which I found humorous. But it was so worth it. Basically, this is a group of Nepali people with their own language and very traditional houses and way of life. We walked through the village, snapping photos here and there, admiring the beauty and quietness of this sleepy town only 30 minutes up the mountain from the hectic world of Kathmandu.
This was my first trip into a Hindu temple, and it was, well, not what I expected. I expected this overwhelming sense of darkness, but Satan has cleverly disguised his presence in the sleepy quietness of the idols. As I walked around and saw the idols everywhere, different gods for different people, my heart broke, and I began to pray for the chains that Satan holds over this place of “worship.” I saw rats scurrying about (I had to remind myself not to stop breathing!) and people offering worship to which ever idol they preferred. There was a “holy” place designated for Hindu’s only, and it made me think of how Christ has torn the curtain of the temple, allowing ALL to enter into God’s holiness now. I have a much better picture of what the temple of the Jews must have been like in the Old Testament, with the exception that they only served the One God, and everything they did was for Him.
We finished our day with a trip out to the new land where Uncle’s planning on building another children’s home. He wants to separate the girls into one home and the boys into another (which is a great idea; Nepali girls are just way to pretty to live with other teenage boys!). The land was beautiful, a testament to the glory of God in this dark nation, and we prayed over it before leaving. It’s outside the city, with the quietness of village life, and still the proximity of the city. I wondered if his car would make it on some of the roads though! We’ll see where God leads with this... Hopefully it will be started before I leave :). One day I imagine I’ll come back to visit, and have to travel all over the city to visit my kids!
The Party of the Year!
December 8, 2009
Anniversary parties. Even amidst the silence of the world due to the Maoists, the preparations for the party went on, and praise God life was back to “normal” on Tuesday for the party! The excitement started for us days before (that whole field cleaning bone burning excitement called serving!) and on Monday, we had some real excitement. That is, we cut the goats to be cooked and eaten the next day.
So, there are these two cute goats tied up outside in the field, grazing in the grass, completely happy with life, totally ignorant of the fact that they’re about to become part of a feast. Out flood the men and boys, armed with these curved knives that are “sharpened” and there’s a huge pot of boiling water. So, they prepare the goats (I had nothing to do with this excitement, outside of taking a few pictures!), and then phwack! And a goat squeal like you’ve never heard. Within a few seconds the head’s off and laying on the ground, and the next one goes. Then comes the boiling water to open the pores enough to scrape off the hair. We then moved them into the yard to wash completely, before blow torching them. I have no idea why, but it was rather interesting watching them torch the bodies and the blackened heads. Then, they began to slice and dice, for a few hours, chopping and whacking over and over again. 30 kgs of meat in all. That’s a whole lot of very fresh meat!
So, now, fast forward from that long aside to the morning of the party. Huge tents are set up, with a long stage at the front with hundreds of chairs lined up on carpet (yep, we rolled out the carpet for the event!). Kids are darting to and fro finishing this and that while the hired workers cook the food for several armies and finish setting up everything. Things slowly fall into place, and as Rami told me, “Sister, the party starts at 10, but that’s Nepali time. Maybe 11, or 11:30 we’ll start?!” There are times when it’s really nice to live in a relaxed time schedule like that!
The party finally starts, complete with pastors from all over Nepal and members of Parliament (who were not Christians) adorning the stage. There are children and friends and grandmas and parents all over the field. We started with a couple of praise and worship songs, and then floated into the pastors of the Feet Ministries Churches giving their annual reports of their church. Some of the kids sang and danced, while others acted out a Bible story, and Isha and Laxman gave their testimonies.
Everything went really well, but Isha stole the show. While I couldn’t understand her, she speaks with a passion and I could read her story on her face. During the parts about her past life, her eyes filled with tears and her voice became choppy. Her words brought tears to everyone’s eyes, and Pastor Krishna was weeping on stage. As she moved on to her time in the home, her words became more fluid, and a smile bloomed on her face as she told of the love and care she’s had here, as this truly is her only home. Even the children were mesmerized with her speaking. One day, I won’t at all be surprised if I hear that she’s a traveling speaker for the Gospel through her testimony!
After everything finished, one of the members of Parliament spoke with Krishna about how impressed he was with the program. The transparency of the organization was evident as they told exactly where all the funds came from and where they went, which he’d never seen before in all his work with religious organizations. Then, he was moved to tears by Isha’s story, and stated that he’d never heard of a child’s life changed like that. He complimented Isha on his way out, bringing a rose hue to her brown cheeks. In a very real way, his life was changed by the Gospel on Tuesday. Not that he’s made a decision for Christ as of now, but he’s seen the transforming power, and his heart is being broken by the true power of Jesus! It was such an encouragement to see God move like that!
Then, the feast began, and we got to eat the goat and more rice than you can imagine alongside pickled spicy relish stuff and fresh sliced vegetables! After seeing God move, nothing could make the day better, but the feast was an awesome way to end a great day! So we ate and talked and talked and ate and slowly people meandered back to their homes. As the sun set, everyone’s hearts were alive with the joy of Christ’s movements while their bodies craved the comfort of their beds!
Anniversary parties. Even amidst the silence of the world due to the Maoists, the preparations for the party went on, and praise God life was back to “normal” on Tuesday for the party! The excitement started for us days before (that whole field cleaning bone burning excitement called serving!) and on Monday, we had some real excitement. That is, we cut the goats to be cooked and eaten the next day.
So, there are these two cute goats tied up outside in the field, grazing in the grass, completely happy with life, totally ignorant of the fact that they’re about to become part of a feast. Out flood the men and boys, armed with these curved knives that are “sharpened” and there’s a huge pot of boiling water. So, they prepare the goats (I had nothing to do with this excitement, outside of taking a few pictures!), and then phwack! And a goat squeal like you’ve never heard. Within a few seconds the head’s off and laying on the ground, and the next one goes. Then comes the boiling water to open the pores enough to scrape off the hair. We then moved them into the yard to wash completely, before blow torching them. I have no idea why, but it was rather interesting watching them torch the bodies and the blackened heads. Then, they began to slice and dice, for a few hours, chopping and whacking over and over again. 30 kgs of meat in all. That’s a whole lot of very fresh meat!
So, now, fast forward from that long aside to the morning of the party. Huge tents are set up, with a long stage at the front with hundreds of chairs lined up on carpet (yep, we rolled out the carpet for the event!). Kids are darting to and fro finishing this and that while the hired workers cook the food for several armies and finish setting up everything. Things slowly fall into place, and as Rami told me, “Sister, the party starts at 10, but that’s Nepali time. Maybe 11, or 11:30 we’ll start?!” There are times when it’s really nice to live in a relaxed time schedule like that!
The party finally starts, complete with pastors from all over Nepal and members of Parliament (who were not Christians) adorning the stage. There are children and friends and grandmas and parents all over the field. We started with a couple of praise and worship songs, and then floated into the pastors of the Feet Ministries Churches giving their annual reports of their church. Some of the kids sang and danced, while others acted out a Bible story, and Isha and Laxman gave their testimonies.
Everything went really well, but Isha stole the show. While I couldn’t understand her, she speaks with a passion and I could read her story on her face. During the parts about her past life, her eyes filled with tears and her voice became choppy. Her words brought tears to everyone’s eyes, and Pastor Krishna was weeping on stage. As she moved on to her time in the home, her words became more fluid, and a smile bloomed on her face as she told of the love and care she’s had here, as this truly is her only home. Even the children were mesmerized with her speaking. One day, I won’t at all be surprised if I hear that she’s a traveling speaker for the Gospel through her testimony!
After everything finished, one of the members of Parliament spoke with Krishna about how impressed he was with the program. The transparency of the organization was evident as they told exactly where all the funds came from and where they went, which he’d never seen before in all his work with religious organizations. Then, he was moved to tears by Isha’s story, and stated that he’d never heard of a child’s life changed like that. He complimented Isha on his way out, bringing a rose hue to her brown cheeks. In a very real way, his life was changed by the Gospel on Tuesday. Not that he’s made a decision for Christ as of now, but he’s seen the transforming power, and his heart is being broken by the true power of Jesus! It was such an encouragement to see God move like that!
Then, the feast began, and we got to eat the goat and more rice than you can imagine alongside pickled spicy relish stuff and fresh sliced vegetables! After seeing God move, nothing could make the day better, but the feast was an awesome way to end a great day! So we ate and talked and talked and ate and slowly people meandered back to their homes. As the sun set, everyone’s hearts were alive with the joy of Christ’s movements while their bodies craved the comfort of their beds!
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Hello, World. Nepal is closed today!
December 6, 2009
Hello World. Nepal is closed today. And we might be tomorrow too. But leave a message after the beep, and we’ll get back to you as soon as the Maoists get out of the roads. So, this was my initial reaction to seeing the strike today. Growing up in the US, I knew about labor unions and had heard of strikes, but only from afar, and the US has never seen a strike like this. When the Maoists say “Tomorrow there will be a strike for all of Nepal,” they literally mean, tomorrow the entire country will shut down. Not one or two industries or even businesses, but the whole country comes to a standstill.
Let me give you some background. I honestly don’t fully understand the situation, even after trying to read 3 months worth of local newspapers about everything going on here. But, here’s my best shot. Nepal went through a civil war here from 1995-2006. The Maoists (also known as the Communists, literally) fought against the government for those years, in an incredibly bloody revolution. I’ve looked through books of pictures from those years, and they make me sick, with all the bloodshed and bodies strewn about with what seems like no concern for life.
But, in 2006, they formed a new government and began to rebuild the torn nation. Their initial attempt included mixing all the political parties here (including the Maoists) into the government and trying to work together that way. Nice in theory, a disaster in real life. Back in May, the Maoists pulled out of the government after the rest of the government refused to let former Maoist soldiers be integrated into the Nepali army, and instead insisted that they be kept in camps on their own. Meaning, you basically are back to two entities vying for the power here, and there’s not a lot to keep them in check.
Now, there’s a lot of Indian refugees here (I guess India’s problems are a lot worse than Nepal’s at this point) who are living in the forests/jungles without homes or land or anything. Well, in an attempt to strengthen their party, the Maoists promised these people along with the poorest Nepali’s that they would receive land if they stayed in this forest. So, imagine the strangest village made of makeshift lean-tos and tents sporadically stretched between trees and people milling about everywhere. Well, the government got mad and wanted their jungle land back, so they decided to take action.
Naturally, the people there wanted to fight for the land, which they believe they are entitled to, so they refused to leave when the government commanded them to. So, now you’ve got a whole entire pool of squatters who are refusing to move while the government sent out another army of people to move the squatters out. Well, the conflict turned deadly on Friday, with the government using force to move the squatters, and 3 people ended up dying in the conflict. This has added further fuel to the fire of anger that the Maoists have against the government, leading to where we are today.
The Maoists called a nationwide strike today in order to protest the 3 deaths at the “hands of the government.” So, everything shut down. Maoists can instill a lot of fear here, and 17 vehicles were destroyed and set on fire in the roads here. The streets were vacant of vehicles yet full of people, looking around aimlessly as if not sure where to go or what to do in this time of confusion and silence. Here and there a street shop was open, but the majority were closed, locked tight as if trying to keep out the very air itself. There were fist battles between the police and Maoists, and there’s concern that this will just continue to escalate, especially with the Maoist pulling out of the government all together. The Maoists have declared that they’ll continue to fight as long as the government denies “justice” (whatever that means here!) and the government has stated that they’ll continue to thwart the actions of the Maoists as long as they continue to stir up riots.
Watching the news last night and seeing the flames flowing from destroyed cars, watching battles between the police and the Maoist and hearing the tales of the violence escalating left me thinking we just need to have a huge revival here. I mean, they all need some Jesus in their lives. I can’t play sides, because I really don’t understand the Maoist’s anger or the government’s actions, but from the sidelines, I can see so much hatred and anger here, and I just want to go out and gather everyone together and say, “Here. You need some Jesus. Really. Everything will be better with a little love in your life!” Who knows... maybe one of these kids will do that one day!
Hello World. Nepal is closed today. And we might be tomorrow too. But leave a message after the beep, and we’ll get back to you as soon as the Maoists get out of the roads. So, this was my initial reaction to seeing the strike today. Growing up in the US, I knew about labor unions and had heard of strikes, but only from afar, and the US has never seen a strike like this. When the Maoists say “Tomorrow there will be a strike for all of Nepal,” they literally mean, tomorrow the entire country will shut down. Not one or two industries or even businesses, but the whole country comes to a standstill.
Let me give you some background. I honestly don’t fully understand the situation, even after trying to read 3 months worth of local newspapers about everything going on here. But, here’s my best shot. Nepal went through a civil war here from 1995-2006. The Maoists (also known as the Communists, literally) fought against the government for those years, in an incredibly bloody revolution. I’ve looked through books of pictures from those years, and they make me sick, with all the bloodshed and bodies strewn about with what seems like no concern for life.
But, in 2006, they formed a new government and began to rebuild the torn nation. Their initial attempt included mixing all the political parties here (including the Maoists) into the government and trying to work together that way. Nice in theory, a disaster in real life. Back in May, the Maoists pulled out of the government after the rest of the government refused to let former Maoist soldiers be integrated into the Nepali army, and instead insisted that they be kept in camps on their own. Meaning, you basically are back to two entities vying for the power here, and there’s not a lot to keep them in check.
Now, there’s a lot of Indian refugees here (I guess India’s problems are a lot worse than Nepal’s at this point) who are living in the forests/jungles without homes or land or anything. Well, in an attempt to strengthen their party, the Maoists promised these people along with the poorest Nepali’s that they would receive land if they stayed in this forest. So, imagine the strangest village made of makeshift lean-tos and tents sporadically stretched between trees and people milling about everywhere. Well, the government got mad and wanted their jungle land back, so they decided to take action.
Naturally, the people there wanted to fight for the land, which they believe they are entitled to, so they refused to leave when the government commanded them to. So, now you’ve got a whole entire pool of squatters who are refusing to move while the government sent out another army of people to move the squatters out. Well, the conflict turned deadly on Friday, with the government using force to move the squatters, and 3 people ended up dying in the conflict. This has added further fuel to the fire of anger that the Maoists have against the government, leading to where we are today.
The Maoists called a nationwide strike today in order to protest the 3 deaths at the “hands of the government.” So, everything shut down. Maoists can instill a lot of fear here, and 17 vehicles were destroyed and set on fire in the roads here. The streets were vacant of vehicles yet full of people, looking around aimlessly as if not sure where to go or what to do in this time of confusion and silence. Here and there a street shop was open, but the majority were closed, locked tight as if trying to keep out the very air itself. There were fist battles between the police and Maoists, and there’s concern that this will just continue to escalate, especially with the Maoist pulling out of the government all together. The Maoists have declared that they’ll continue to fight as long as the government denies “justice” (whatever that means here!) and the government has stated that they’ll continue to thwart the actions of the Maoists as long as they continue to stir up riots.
Watching the news last night and seeing the flames flowing from destroyed cars, watching battles between the police and the Maoist and hearing the tales of the violence escalating left me thinking we just need to have a huge revival here. I mean, they all need some Jesus in their lives. I can’t play sides, because I really don’t understand the Maoist’s anger or the government’s actions, but from the sidelines, I can see so much hatred and anger here, and I just want to go out and gather everyone together and say, “Here. You need some Jesus. Really. Everything will be better with a little love in your life!” Who knows... maybe one of these kids will do that one day!
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Be Careful What You Teach Your Kids!
December 3, 2009
Serving and learning to serve. This story isn’t about my serving, more about the kids serving and how they’re learning to serve! So, the other day, Rami, Isha and I were out looking for a new Kotessera for me to wear to our anniversary party next week (I guess it’s a pretty big deal, and my only Kotessera that still fits is my one from school, which the girls would not dare let me wear to this party!). So, we went from tailor to tailor, looking for the perfect one. This one is too gaudy, that one is too expensive. This one has too much around the neckline, that one is too thin. And so on and so forth. Isha found hers at the first shop, but I didn’t want to spend a lot on mine, and I wanted to like it a lot. It didn’t seem like too much to ask for!
And then, we found it. The perfect Kotessera for me. The girls immediately stated that I had to get it, and I promptly agreed :). So, I bought it, and then we had to take it to another tailor to have it sewn (Kotessera’s come with three pieces: the material for the top, a complementing material for the big baggy pants, and then a scarf thing; the tailor just cuts it to your size and sews the pieces together for $2-3. amazing, right?!). So, we arrive at the tailor that Aunty and Uncle use. He’s a man from the church, and he made my first Kotessera. Well, we give him the Kotessera material, and ask him if he can finish it by Monday, which he says won’t be a problem.
Then comes the serving. Ready to leave, I had my bag ready and was about to head out the door, when the girls said, “Come on sister! We’re going to help him for a little bit.” Totally confused, I followed them outside, with a big blanket and soap in tow. The girls quickly explained that he needed help washing this blanket because he wasn’t going to have time to wash it. So, we settled into washing it, and Rami said, “See, we have to serve him because he’s part of the family of God and he doesn’t have anyone to help him!” Amazed at her response, I agreed, and we scrubbed and rinsed and scrubbed and rinsed this big blanket for about 30 minutes until it was clean. Never once did I hear either girl complain, at least in English! But I’m pretty sure they weren’t complaining in Nepali either...
Story 2. Our anniversary party is next week, and it’s going to be a huge deal. Members of Parliament are invited, and will probably come, along with pastors from all over Kathmandu and church members and the kids’ principal and friends and so many more! So, the “yard” here is in no way big enough to accommodate all the people, so Uncle decided to have it in the vacant lot next to the house. Problem being vacant means local dump in Nepal. Trash everywhere. Not to mention the land mines deposited all over the grass, waiting for some unsuspecting child to come step in them and bring that lovely smell with them for the rest of the day!
Well, it had to be cleaned, so Tuesday after school, the boys tromped out with these short rounded machete looking knives to cut the grass and surprising smiles on their faces. So, I grabbed as many plastic shopping bags as I could find and headed out to make a game of this grizzly task. So, I gave the boys bags, and we chose a central location as the location of our future trash bonfire. And then we raced to see who could collect and dump the most bags of trash on the pile. Over and over again our bags filled with empty shampoo packets, broken glass bottles, old animal skulls, small scraps of paper, lonely socks, and just about everything else you can think of (and probably a lot of what you wouldn’t think of)! And then to the bonfire pile we’d race, dumping the sack and heading out to do it again. Most of the boys got 15-20 bags of trash collected when all was said and done!
Relieved to be finished and amazed at the transformation in the field, I was all ready to drop a flaming match onto this pile of junkyard treasures when Laxman ruined everything. “Sister, we need to burn it over there. Not here. It will leave a burn mark.” “Laxman!!! WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL US THIS WHEN WE STARTED?!” “I didn’t think of it until now!” Our huge pile, which was up to my neck, far beyond the height of Raju, now had to be moved about 50 yards away.
I looked around at the other burn spots decorating the ground like black ornaments on a Christmas tree and was about to say “what’s one more black circle?” when Rajkumar beat me to the punch. “Well, we’re supposed to do everything without complaining and arguing, right?” A verse that I’ve been teaching the kids. Thrown right back in my face with a smile and laughter. And so I let out a laugh and said, “Ok, Rajkumar, you’re absolutely right, let’s move it!” So we found these big old bags and used them as small tarps and would pile the trash on, use 2-3 people to carry it over to the new location, and then back to collect more trash.
Finally, about 30 minutes later, we finished once again, and lit the fire. I’ve never been so glad to see a fire burn. Probably killed a few thousand of my brain cells with all the plastics and such in the mix, but hey, I learned to do everything, even moving a pile of bones, plastic and all other wastes without complaining. Be careful what you teach kids- they just might learn it and use it on you!
Serving and learning to serve. This story isn’t about my serving, more about the kids serving and how they’re learning to serve! So, the other day, Rami, Isha and I were out looking for a new Kotessera for me to wear to our anniversary party next week (I guess it’s a pretty big deal, and my only Kotessera that still fits is my one from school, which the girls would not dare let me wear to this party!). So, we went from tailor to tailor, looking for the perfect one. This one is too gaudy, that one is too expensive. This one has too much around the neckline, that one is too thin. And so on and so forth. Isha found hers at the first shop, but I didn’t want to spend a lot on mine, and I wanted to like it a lot. It didn’t seem like too much to ask for!
And then, we found it. The perfect Kotessera for me. The girls immediately stated that I had to get it, and I promptly agreed :). So, I bought it, and then we had to take it to another tailor to have it sewn (Kotessera’s come with three pieces: the material for the top, a complementing material for the big baggy pants, and then a scarf thing; the tailor just cuts it to your size and sews the pieces together for $2-3. amazing, right?!). So, we arrive at the tailor that Aunty and Uncle use. He’s a man from the church, and he made my first Kotessera. Well, we give him the Kotessera material, and ask him if he can finish it by Monday, which he says won’t be a problem.
Then comes the serving. Ready to leave, I had my bag ready and was about to head out the door, when the girls said, “Come on sister! We’re going to help him for a little bit.” Totally confused, I followed them outside, with a big blanket and soap in tow. The girls quickly explained that he needed help washing this blanket because he wasn’t going to have time to wash it. So, we settled into washing it, and Rami said, “See, we have to serve him because he’s part of the family of God and he doesn’t have anyone to help him!” Amazed at her response, I agreed, and we scrubbed and rinsed and scrubbed and rinsed this big blanket for about 30 minutes until it was clean. Never once did I hear either girl complain, at least in English! But I’m pretty sure they weren’t complaining in Nepali either...
Story 2. Our anniversary party is next week, and it’s going to be a huge deal. Members of Parliament are invited, and will probably come, along with pastors from all over Kathmandu and church members and the kids’ principal and friends and so many more! So, the “yard” here is in no way big enough to accommodate all the people, so Uncle decided to have it in the vacant lot next to the house. Problem being vacant means local dump in Nepal. Trash everywhere. Not to mention the land mines deposited all over the grass, waiting for some unsuspecting child to come step in them and bring that lovely smell with them for the rest of the day!
Well, it had to be cleaned, so Tuesday after school, the boys tromped out with these short rounded machete looking knives to cut the grass and surprising smiles on their faces. So, I grabbed as many plastic shopping bags as I could find and headed out to make a game of this grizzly task. So, I gave the boys bags, and we chose a central location as the location of our future trash bonfire. And then we raced to see who could collect and dump the most bags of trash on the pile. Over and over again our bags filled with empty shampoo packets, broken glass bottles, old animal skulls, small scraps of paper, lonely socks, and just about everything else you can think of (and probably a lot of what you wouldn’t think of)! And then to the bonfire pile we’d race, dumping the sack and heading out to do it again. Most of the boys got 15-20 bags of trash collected when all was said and done!
Relieved to be finished and amazed at the transformation in the field, I was all ready to drop a flaming match onto this pile of junkyard treasures when Laxman ruined everything. “Sister, we need to burn it over there. Not here. It will leave a burn mark.” “Laxman!!! WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL US THIS WHEN WE STARTED?!” “I didn’t think of it until now!” Our huge pile, which was up to my neck, far beyond the height of Raju, now had to be moved about 50 yards away.
I looked around at the other burn spots decorating the ground like black ornaments on a Christmas tree and was about to say “what’s one more black circle?” when Rajkumar beat me to the punch. “Well, we’re supposed to do everything without complaining and arguing, right?” A verse that I’ve been teaching the kids. Thrown right back in my face with a smile and laughter. And so I let out a laugh and said, “Ok, Rajkumar, you’re absolutely right, let’s move it!” So we found these big old bags and used them as small tarps and would pile the trash on, use 2-3 people to carry it over to the new location, and then back to collect more trash.
Finally, about 30 minutes later, we finished once again, and lit the fire. I’ve never been so glad to see a fire burn. Probably killed a few thousand of my brain cells with all the plastics and such in the mix, but hey, I learned to do everything, even moving a pile of bones, plastic and all other wastes without complaining. Be careful what you teach kids- they just might learn it and use it on you!
Prabin. The other half of Arun.
December 2, 2009
Prabin is joined to Arun at the hip. Arun was one of the first kids in the hostel, while Prabin followed a year or so later. Their ridiculous sense of humor and goofy way of teasing and joking makes you want to laugh just looking at them! Imagine two girls who are joined at the hip (for those of you who knew me through college, picture any one of my three roommates and I, going everywhere together and doing everything together, even as far as teaching in the same city!) and that’s Prabin and Arun. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen two boys who are closer friends and brothers than these two!
Anyway, sorry, that was a tangent in this story about Prabin. So, you have your background: think of Arun’s characteristics, and they’ll apply to Prabin 99% of the time! Prabin’s family lives about 30 minutes from here and he has one older brother along with one younger brother (he calls himself the medium child, which cracks me up! I always want to ask which brother is the well done one and which one is rare!). They live with his mom, and I gathered that his older brother does most of the providing. He has a job working at a bookshop, and Prabin wants to take me there sometime to meet his brother. Again, there was no mention of a father anywhere in the picture, which was not surprising or unexpected. Prabin’s grown up here, so Uncle has become a father figure to him.
Another unsurprising element is that Prabin struggles with school. He’s quick to inform me that he’s not “talented” like the other children, which is his excuse for failure. However, I don’t put up with it (it’s that mean teacher in me again!), and I’m quick to point out that most of the kids are only barely passing and they’re working their tails off to be passing! He quickly realized that I wasn’t going to accept failure due to “lack of talent” as an option, so he buckled down, and actually passed his exam for me! There were times when we had our battles studying (he’s one of my students at school as well, so we had double the fun!), and I was sure there was no way he was ever going to pass, no matter how hard we worked. Then there were the days when he remembered EVERYTHING from the previous day, and I was like where was this two days ago when we were studying?! I think it has everything to do with his mood and is probably affected by my mood as well! But, as I checked his test, I was amazed at how much he remembered and he passed with a 60% (40% is passing here... don’t ask how that’s affected my teaching mentality!). This up from 0% last time. I was pretty impressed :).
I think one of his favorite things to do is to stand on the roof and just look out over the city (that is, when he’s not laughing with Arun!). He’ll stand there, leaning on the fence around the roof, just gazing at the expanse of this Hindu valley. And then in the backdrop there are these mountains rising up, cutting the horizon short and creating beautiful silhouettes at dawn and dusk. He can just stand there, gazing at them and it might be the most serious I ever see him. Not that I’m any different; I can stand there just looking for hours myself. There’s something majestic about God’s glory in creation here while people worship idols. I think it makes one more aware of how much He’s done for us, both through Jesus and through the beauty of creation. One day, I’ll shake him out of his reverie while he’s gazing out over the city and find out what’s trudging through his mind, but for today, we’ll just watch the city and mountains together in a reverent silence...
Prabin is joined to Arun at the hip. Arun was one of the first kids in the hostel, while Prabin followed a year or so later. Their ridiculous sense of humor and goofy way of teasing and joking makes you want to laugh just looking at them! Imagine two girls who are joined at the hip (for those of you who knew me through college, picture any one of my three roommates and I, going everywhere together and doing everything together, even as far as teaching in the same city!) and that’s Prabin and Arun. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen two boys who are closer friends and brothers than these two!
Anyway, sorry, that was a tangent in this story about Prabin. So, you have your background: think of Arun’s characteristics, and they’ll apply to Prabin 99% of the time! Prabin’s family lives about 30 minutes from here and he has one older brother along with one younger brother (he calls himself the medium child, which cracks me up! I always want to ask which brother is the well done one and which one is rare!). They live with his mom, and I gathered that his older brother does most of the providing. He has a job working at a bookshop, and Prabin wants to take me there sometime to meet his brother. Again, there was no mention of a father anywhere in the picture, which was not surprising or unexpected. Prabin’s grown up here, so Uncle has become a father figure to him.
Another unsurprising element is that Prabin struggles with school. He’s quick to inform me that he’s not “talented” like the other children, which is his excuse for failure. However, I don’t put up with it (it’s that mean teacher in me again!), and I’m quick to point out that most of the kids are only barely passing and they’re working their tails off to be passing! He quickly realized that I wasn’t going to accept failure due to “lack of talent” as an option, so he buckled down, and actually passed his exam for me! There were times when we had our battles studying (he’s one of my students at school as well, so we had double the fun!), and I was sure there was no way he was ever going to pass, no matter how hard we worked. Then there were the days when he remembered EVERYTHING from the previous day, and I was like where was this two days ago when we were studying?! I think it has everything to do with his mood and is probably affected by my mood as well! But, as I checked his test, I was amazed at how much he remembered and he passed with a 60% (40% is passing here... don’t ask how that’s affected my teaching mentality!). This up from 0% last time. I was pretty impressed :).
I think one of his favorite things to do is to stand on the roof and just look out over the city (that is, when he’s not laughing with Arun!). He’ll stand there, leaning on the fence around the roof, just gazing at the expanse of this Hindu valley. And then in the backdrop there are these mountains rising up, cutting the horizon short and creating beautiful silhouettes at dawn and dusk. He can just stand there, gazing at them and it might be the most serious I ever see him. Not that I’m any different; I can stand there just looking for hours myself. There’s something majestic about God’s glory in creation here while people worship idols. I think it makes one more aware of how much He’s done for us, both through Jesus and through the beauty of creation. One day, I’ll shake him out of his reverie while he’s gazing out over the city and find out what’s trudging through his mind, but for today, we’ll just watch the city and mountains together in a reverent silence...
Isha. Leader of the Girls.
December 2, 2009
Isha. Isha is the leader of the girls (and at times all children!), and is one of the oldest children. She struggles with school, though, and is only in class 7. She works so hard for school, and excels in a couple of subjects, but science and math cause her no end of worries. Besides Asha, Isha is the girl who is truly an orphan here. She doesn’t have parents, a fact which she hates yet clings to as part of her identity. She feels betrayed by the world, and like she’s not as good or accepted as the other children because she does not have a family in the traditional sense of the word.
However, she is quick to claim Uncle and Auntie as her mother and father, and she calls Benjamin and Joshua her true brothers. She’s been here since she was a young child, so she’s grown up alongside them most of her life! Uncle sees the pain of rejection in her heart from not having her own “family,” and he is quick to do everything he can to fill that hole with his love and truly treats her as his own daughter.
While I would not venture to guess most of the children’s spiritual gifts, I can say with complete confidence that hers is service. She has far more duties that the other girls, and does them with joy and love. I’ve never once heard her complain about having more to do, and she’s quick to help me with whatever I’m doing as well! She loves helping Didi with the cooking, whether it be chopping up vegetables or cooking or serving. She helps serve the kids each meal, patiently waiting for them to finish and then she eats herself!
Her joy in the Lord is evident as she sings her heart out to the Lord, praising Him wherever she goes! She helps lead worship at church, with her voice raised in song and her eyes closed in prayer. You can hear the fervency of her prayers through her voice as she sings, the sound resonating deep inside your heart. She wants to be a singer one day, and can sing for hours on end. The other evidence of her joy is her laughter. When she laughs, joy fills the air and usually there are other people who can’t help but laugh with her! Often, she’ll laugh at something trivial, that most of us wouldn’t have even noticed, but find rather humorous when looking at it from her perspective! One day, she’s going to be an incredible wife and mother, bringing joy, laughter and service to her family!
Isha. Isha is the leader of the girls (and at times all children!), and is one of the oldest children. She struggles with school, though, and is only in class 7. She works so hard for school, and excels in a couple of subjects, but science and math cause her no end of worries. Besides Asha, Isha is the girl who is truly an orphan here. She doesn’t have parents, a fact which she hates yet clings to as part of her identity. She feels betrayed by the world, and like she’s not as good or accepted as the other children because she does not have a family in the traditional sense of the word.
However, she is quick to claim Uncle and Auntie as her mother and father, and she calls Benjamin and Joshua her true brothers. She’s been here since she was a young child, so she’s grown up alongside them most of her life! Uncle sees the pain of rejection in her heart from not having her own “family,” and he is quick to do everything he can to fill that hole with his love and truly treats her as his own daughter.
While I would not venture to guess most of the children’s spiritual gifts, I can say with complete confidence that hers is service. She has far more duties that the other girls, and does them with joy and love. I’ve never once heard her complain about having more to do, and she’s quick to help me with whatever I’m doing as well! She loves helping Didi with the cooking, whether it be chopping up vegetables or cooking or serving. She helps serve the kids each meal, patiently waiting for them to finish and then she eats herself!
Her joy in the Lord is evident as she sings her heart out to the Lord, praising Him wherever she goes! She helps lead worship at church, with her voice raised in song and her eyes closed in prayer. You can hear the fervency of her prayers through her voice as she sings, the sound resonating deep inside your heart. She wants to be a singer one day, and can sing for hours on end. The other evidence of her joy is her laughter. When she laughs, joy fills the air and usually there are other people who can’t help but laugh with her! Often, she’ll laugh at something trivial, that most of us wouldn’t have even noticed, but find rather humorous when looking at it from her perspective! One day, she’s going to be an incredible wife and mother, bringing joy, laughter and service to her family!
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