HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

My time with my grandmother has been good. We have decorated several rooms, sent out MANY thank you cards for condolence gifts, and begun the task of getting Christmas cards sent out. I have felt almost more detached from friends while in Southern Colorado than I did in Nepal. There aren’t many people my age in this town, at least I haven’t met any! I have to drive into town in order to answer email. I still enjoy my time here though! It is fun to spend time with Grandma as an adult. It has been a very special time. I plan to stay in Monte Vista until just after Christmas. Without a car it is difficult to nail down an exact date, but there should be people headed back to the front range after the holidays. I purchased my ticket to head back to Nepal on January 7. I am excited to head back to Asia, and hope that I haven’t forgotten too much language in the six weeks I have been in the states. Please continue to pray for me! I haven’t received word regarding reimbursement of my earlier plane ticket to come back for the funeral, and I would REALLY like to have that money to pay for this ticket back! Transition back to American culture hasn’t been too hard. Thank you so much for praying for me. I head back to Asian culture in about three weeks. Please keep that in mind for me. Wishing you all the merriest of Christmases, feeling the presence of Jesus, and His miraculous birth!

Celebrating 25 years!

Christianity in Nepal isn’t even 60. Before 1950 being a Christian in Nepal was punishable by deportation and loss of citizenship. For the few that accepted Christ, their land was taken from them and they were made to leave the country. My mission started in Nepal in the 80s. A team of three people decided to live and work in Nepal. Two Americans and a Dutch girl began working in Kathmandu. The days were hard and they faced MANY MANY hardships. All were put in jail for illegally “proselytizing;” witnessing and converting Nepalis. Until about a year ago it was illegal to baptize some one, a crime whose punishment was six years in jail! God however isn’t held by legislation and His purposes are being fulfilled in Nepal! My mission (I haven’t said the name for security reasons) has grown from three to more than 400 in 25 years! In the beginning ministry was very limited, but now we are working in about every zone (state) in the country! We had a celebration last month to remember what God has done in Nepal, and to look to the future for what God wants to do here! I was so blessed to be with so many Nepalese who has given up so much for follow Jesus in Nepal. Many don’t have good relationships with their families because they have chosen lives of service and ministry. I was so encouraged to be with so many people who love Nepal and the Nepalese people. The three original workers (who are all still working in Asia) came and helped us remember what God has done. We were more than 300 pressed into our small Kathmandu base, but it was so fun to be together.

Dashain (daas-sai)

Dashain and Tihar are the two main festivals in Nepal. They are Hindu festivals that celebrate the planting and harvest of rice and other crops. The Dashain festival lasts about 15 days, but the tenth or “dashain” day is the most important. The festival takes place during the middle of October. During this festival each day is given to a different God or animal and the people worship them. One of the days I find most interesting is the day they worship iron. People will worship their cars! I was in a fabric store that had their scissors on display. Imagine owning your own fabric business but worshiping the scissors that you use to cut the fabric! Tihar is the first week of November and it is the festival of lights. It reminds me a bit of Christmas in the states because people put up twinkle lights everywhere, and many people put luminaries along their walkways. This holiday also lasts several days, each day worshiping different animals or Gods. The cow, water buffalo, the goddess Laxmi, brothers and even dogs. One day is given to the worship of street dogs because their barking scares away the evil spirits. Brothers are worshipped by their sisters, each one asking the Gods that her brother will live long, bring lots of wealth and honor to the family. One night in particular is important for worshiping the goddess Laxmi. Laxmi is the goddess of wealth and luck. The people will put tea lights and candles along their walkways, having lined the path with a coat of red mud, to guide Laxmi to their door. If they don’t light the path, the goddess will not see their house and skip over them. Isn’t it interesting that when we don’t understand truth, we will grab on to almost anything to save ourselves. So many people are fervently working to get favor by gods that don’t have power. They try desperately to gain merit from animals and family members. Please remember these people in your prayers. They so desperately need the freedom from religion that Jesus offers. They can easily have assurance of salvation, and the blessing that comes with being a child of God!

Cabin Restaurants

Some of you have heard about the research project I have been doing. This has been among the ‘Cabin Restaurants’ along one stretch of road here in Kathmandu. Cabin restaurants are restaurant/bars where each booth is partitioned off, so it is difficult to see in. The restaurants offer food, drink and along with it, the company of a woman. These restaurants are very common in Kathmandu, though they are officially illegal. My research has been to find out about the girls who work in these restaurants and what circumstances led them to this line of work. Almost all of these girls come to Kathmandu from their villages. Most are between the ages of 19-25, but I met some as young as 16 and as old as 39. These women are uneducated. About 60% are divorced. Their husbands having married another woman kicked them out and forced them to fend for themselves. The girls come to Kathmandu to find respectable work. Maybe they think they can find labor jobs, house cleaning or factory work. Once in Kathmandu the reality of their situation is realized. Already labeled a “divorced and uneducated village woman” (pretty much the four worst things you can be) it is very difficult to find work. In fact, it is next to impossible. The girls eventually find their way to cabin restaurants. They are given a salary of about 2,500 Rupees a month ($40.00) which is about half of what is needed to survive. They are usually given food by either the restaurant or the customers who come in. In this way they are close to being able to keep their heads above water. The customers who visit the restaurants are all very different. Some are young, 15 year olds others are very old. If it is their first visit, they will sit down and one of the girls will sit with him. He will usually order food (and drinks and cigarettes) for two. During his visit, he is allowed to fool around with the girl. If he likes her, he will some times tip her, and when he comes back as a regular she will always sit with him. The girls will work about 12 hours a day, seven days a week. They get no days off and if they are sick or have to be gone for any reason, she is usually docked pay. About half of the girls are prostitutes, sleeping with these guests either at the tables, or after hours. The stigma of these woman is that she is a pollutant. If her family finds out what she is doing, she will be excommunicated. If she were to find other work, or get married, and her husband or employer found out, she would be kicked out, immediately. It is thought that once a cabin girl she is bad for life. If she works in a hotel, she would try to pick up on the men, try to make them be unfaithful. This is a terrible cycle. Some of these girls have children. How can she afford education for these kids? How can she find a new job when everyone looks down on her. How can she get an education when she is at work from nine to nine. Would you pray for these women, and others who work in Dance Restaurants and Massage Parlors. Pray that God would show himself to her in a new way, as a lover who is kind and isn’t there to take from her, but to add to her life. Pray for more organizations who rehabilitate and rescue sexually exploited women to begin work in Nepal. Pray for stricter laws and those that enforce this illegal business. Thanks friends!

A Day in the Life of... me

I thought you might like to know what an average day is like for me. My first weeks in Nepal were really difficult because I had so much free time. I had to adjust to a slower pace, giving myself time to rest and relax. I think I am pretty well acclimatized now! Here is an average day: 6:00am awaken to the barking of dogs, honking of horns and bicycles and children walking to school. I usually curse the dogs and horns. Thankfully I don’t live on a BUSY street! 7:00am I actually get out of bed, shower (if we have water) eat (if I have food/time) and get ready for class. 8:00am leave for my Nepali lesson. I walk for about a half hour to get to class. I typically dodge cars, people, bikes and motorcycles… or the puddles they plow through. 8:30am Nepali Class. I have one-on-one tuition with Umesh, who is also a dear friend. Much of our class time is spent talking, but I also learn some too! 9:30am Class is finished, but I usually hang out at the center talking with the other tutors and practicing my Nepali. 10:00-1:45pm FREE TIME. Everyday is different, but most often I either sleep, clean, grocery shop or check my email. 1:45pm I leave to go meet a friend and start work. I walk about 5 minutes to the main road that circles the city. I get on the first Bus/Public Minivan/tuk tuk I see. It costs me about 7 rupees ($0.10) to go to SatDobato, a 10 minute ride. 2:00-5:00pm I meet Jyoti and we get in another bus and go a little further up Ring Road. We go to every restaurant we see, to do research on the girls who work there (more to follow on this soon). 5:00pm A couple days a week I go to a bouldering gym and climb. The other days are spent hanging with friends, shopping or watching movies. Spending some time on my Nepali homework usually happens as well. 10:00pm I usually am close to home/bed at this hour. I try to go to bed by 11:00 but it doesn’t always happen.

Arriving in Nepal

Arriving in Nepal is crazy. We landed and taxied to the “gate”. It is an old school gate where you step out of the plane and walk down stairs. Because Bujey is old and not so steady, I took 3 of our 4 carry ons, so her hands would be free to hold the rails. It was sprinkling a bit as we walked from the plane to the terminal. We walked down the hall and through the main doors into the immigration center. I had to get my photo taken, and paid $6.00 for 2 photos taken on a digital camera and printed immediately on a little photo printer. I had my forms filled out, and jumped into line where getting my visa was pretty easy. Some things in Nepal really crack me up. It took three people to give me one sticker in my passport. The first man, took my information, and asked me how long I was staying, when I replied I was staying for 5 months he said it was not possible. I explained that I would get the two month initial visa here, and extend it later. He handed back all the information I had given him. The second man asked if it was my first time to Nepal this year, and I replied yes. He took some of the papers, but returned some to me. The third guy asked me if this was my first trip to Nepal this year. Then he asked me how long I was staying in Nepal, when I said that I was staying 5 months, he said he could only give me 2 months, but that I could go to the main immigration office and extend it. He put the Tourist Visa stamp in my passport and returned it to me. VERY painless as far as visas go. We then went to baggage claim and waited for our bags, which never came. We went and asked the Thai representative about it. He filled out a form and told us to call the main Thai offices to inquire about the bags. My bags did arrive, but without a pair of new shoes that I had for the trip. Oh well, we are working with the Airlines now for compensation. Also, here is an update from the guy heading up the new Church Planting (CP) work in Kathmandu where I will be working… interesting stuff! Blessings! A Church Planter's Story Kathmandu, Nepal June 18, 2007 "Dear Friends and Supporters: Thank you very much for your faithful prayers and support. My wife and I are working in mercy ministry and specifically leading a church planting work. A short story behind this Church planting work is as follows: We had been working in the Village next to our base for a long time, mainly doing and teaching about mercy ministry and health. We thought it was time to also care for the spiritual health of this village and it happened that in February of 2006 we started this fellowship. The Lord has been moving in a mighty way in this village; we’ve seen people coming to the Lord, demons being cast away, sick being healed and even a dead man come back to life! We have close to 45 people coming to our meetings. We have four places where we hold meetings and soon we’ll be starting in a new place. It is one and a half hours walk from our base; in this village there are mainly Newari and high caste people. There is one young man that has received the Lord from this village and we are starting to work with his family. One intern is helping us to start this new work. As the work continues, we are in need of more help. We are thinking about recruiting two people for our church planting work We need your prayers a lot. I am too busy with the fellowships and taking care of the new believers. Also please help me to pray for the necessary finances for a motorcycle; having one will help me to reach the fellowships quicker and be able to have more time for preparation and for my family."

First Post.

Hi All! Admittedly this is an experiment to see how I can better tell and show you about my trip; the places the people and the experiences of the Himalaya. I hope that this blog helps to connect us while I am gone, and to connect you to God's heart for the Nepalese in a new way. The site isn't very exciting for now, but I hope to improve it and add to it often. Just over 2 weeks left! I can't believe that my time here is almost over. The reality is starting to set in, as well as the stress. There is so much I want to do, so much that needs done, and so little time to do it in. I don't think I have had a decent night's rest in a couple weeks, and I fear I won't until I get to Nepal. I am excited to go! The other morning I was taking a friend to the airport along a secluded road. The trees had partially grown over the road, and the morning sky was peeking through. I don't know what it was about that moment, but it transported me to Asia. To India. To Nepal. To someplace simple, someplace where the cool and quiet of the morning is the only time when there is silence and peace. That little spot on the road was a refuge, a place of refreshment, a place of restoration. It lasted just a moment, but looking back, my heart and spirit are encouraged. As I get ready to go to Nepal, so serve, share and learn, I hope to bring that refuge with me. Refuge in the form of a Man who came to Earth to releive us of the sins we have committed, the fears we carry and the worry for tomorrow. Rest in the manner of giving up control and knowing that everything is being taken care of. Refreshment that comes from the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. God is good, God is so worthy of our worship, our devotion, our life. I am excited to go to Nepal and share with those He created about their creator.