GREETINGS FROM NEPAL

Hello all. As I sit typing this email, I can see some people farming their terraced plots of land and can hear someone filling a bucket from a water pump. Behind me in one of our classrooms 13 students are studying the Bible in Nepali. They are part of a several month course where they will read through the Bible three to five times. They are learning the Inductive approach, which will teach about the times and authors and situations in which the Bible was written. This is quite a challenge for many of them, who are taking this course in their second language. Sabina, our hospitality director is running around preparing rooms for the 23 Australians who are coming for outreach today. The sun is finally breaking through the fog and things are warming up. The birds are chirping, the flies are buzzing, people are taking layers of clothing off. It is a good day. After returning to Nepal I made a room change. My room now is much smaller, but that makes it easier for me to heat. I also have a new roommate; a team of three came from Canada after I got here. The room is great, except that it is much louder than the last room I had. It gets morning light, so I can thaw out pretty easily! Also, making big base news is the process of buying a new plot of land! Our base is situated right next to a Madrassa. This is a Muslim boarding school for boys. Most of these boys are from the southern part of Nepal or India. For the most part, we live pretty peacefully. They are very nice when we need help or space, or when our volleyball goes over the fence. They have begun to buy up plots of land surrounding our base. It is frustrating to see that the plots of land we have been praying for are being bought up by people who don’t like what we are doing. They recently began negotiations for a plot of land right next to us. They were planning to buy it for some housing. Miraculously we were able to arrange to buy the land before they put any money down. We paid two Lakh Rupees (200,000 or $3,100) for a down payment and need to pay the remaining 14 Lakh (1,400,000 or $22,275) within three months. PLEASE pray for this provision. God has done one miracle in letting us begin the process of buying the land, but we need to see another to actually buy the land. If you feel led to give, let me know! I will keep you posted on the happenings here!