Our first Sunday

Today was Sunday. A day typically associated with God, rest, a time for rejuvenation and preparation for the week to come. For Team Nepal it was a bit slower paced then normal, but our typical is go go go.

We enjoyed breakfast at our usual spot (yes, we have one already and they know us by name) with two of our wonderful contacts. Stories filled with inspiration were shared, laughter was discovered, and tears found a way down some of our cheeks. All that God is, all that God is doing is amazing beyond your wildest dreams. Encouraging would be a small word to state all that was given to us.

The afternoon was filled with a competive scavenger hunt about the city. You wouldn't believe what was required, things no one would see in the states. I wish I could attach the list, maybe in the future :) It was great fun. Quickly we have grown more accustomed to walking these crazy streets and chatting with the Nepali people whom at first can be rather intimdating simply because they are different than what we know.

We had a few hours of personal rest. Praise the Lord.

The evening was filled with Children Home visits to the two homes we went to a couple days ago. I will never get enough of spending time with these children. They are amazing and they will grow up to change Nepal and therefore, the world! I love praying over them, loving them, encouraging them, learning from them, and being in their presence. I am in awe of the parents of the homes. God has made them truly special beyond words. May blessings be poured out on them today and always.

Sleep calls to me. May God be blessed by all that we do, all that we say, and all that we are.
To Him be all the glory forever and ever, Amen.

All my love,
Corinne

An incredible man and his family

Day four in the Kathmandu and we are having a spectacular time. We started the day with our famous and fierce leaders, Kyle and Callee. They took us to a breakfast spot, niche in the middle of thamel. It has typical American breakfast choosings, like an omelet and pancakes. It was very good. We then went to Church and transported there via Tuk Tuks. If you don't know what they are i will tell you basically they are these box looking cars with a pointy nose that is placed on three wheels. It was a slow ride, but who cares when you are smelling the Nepali air in a Tuk Tuk.

When we arrived at the Church it was way different than an American Church. You start by taking your shoes off before you go in then you are greeted with a "jaimisee"(victory in Christ) by everyone in the church. I don't know if we stuck out so much that they wanted to greet us or they do it to each other all the time. Either way i felt welcomed and when we walked in you are seated on the ground with your legs folded. Immediately worship was going on and it felt amazing. The people were raising there hands and worshiping and i just was just in awe, to think what God is doing in a place were Christianity is only 5% among the population. Also seeing how a woman can speak at the church where women are oppressed in the culture. It just showed how people can change from the environment they are in to show love that people deserve, especially the women. I honestly think that most Nepali's don't smile but at that Church i saw so many people with them that it was great to exercise my cheek muscles.

After Church we then went to a Childrens home that was operated by a man named Bishnu. Once this man talked i was immediately drawn to listen to him. He had so much wisdom and so much love for the kids and it was just great to hear his testimony as well as know that there are people in Nepal who care about the injustices that are going on. He found all the kids at this home on the street. He takes them in feeds, teaches, and loves them, he calls them his family. Him and his wife are doing an extraordinary job there. Bishnu is well known around here and i hope i get to hear more stories from him and see the kids. My experience at the Children's home was great. When we went to the kids i was taken right away from a little 8 yr old girl named Asa, which meant Hope. She clamped my hand and said, "brother come" in her broken english. She took me on this tour of the place for the whole hour we were there and taught me some games. The best moment there was when we were going to a pond and when we were going down and i started to skip. Every kid started to do the same and immense laughter came, it was a joy. Everyone was having fun and some of us were playing soccer with the other kids. I had a great time and i commend Bishnu for his ministry. I hope there will be more days like this.

We ended the day with some games and spaghetti at the president of Tiny hands. An intense game of Mafia was taking place and all i can say is that it was a great team bonding time. With intense narrations from Angela and Justin. So to whoever reads this know that there are people and ministries here that need your prayers. As well as our team for the next five weeks. Thanks and Jaimisee!

sorry for it being long. Thank you friends and family-Eddy

Today was our third day in Nepal, and oh what a day it was. I know for myself and many others on the team, the day was filled with much joy as well as heartache. We split into two teams led by the wonderful stephen and Lizzie. Each team did their own exploring in the city of Kathmandu as well as Bhaktapur, an ancient city filled with temples and tourists.

On the way to Bhaktapurt there was a situation that brought heartache to many on the team...While we were on the bus to the ancient city, a small, beautiful little girl came around with her hand out asking for money. We have been advised not to give money away because A. we cannot be sure the money may actually go to the child and B. Once you give one person money, you will have a whole flock of people following you and asking for money. Because of this, each person on our team had to say no to this little girl, multiple times. Looking into the deep, sad eyes of this girl and telling her no, was too much for some on our team to handle. It definitely opened our eyes. How do we share the love of Christ and show this little girl that we care while we are turning down her request for a biscuit or a rupee? How can we love better, harder, and stronger in the name of Christ? May our hearts always be broken for people just like this little girl.

Bhaktapur looked like something out of a movie. Each way you looked there was an old narrow road filled with shops and people or an ornately decorated temple stretching to the sky. It was a whole lot of fun to explore. There were some amazing and breath-taking views. We had lunch as a team and some of us ordered mo-mo for the first time without knowing what it was. I love our adventurous spirit.

To finish the day, we went to two seperate children's homes and just played with the kids. It was the most wonderful time we have had so far. The house I visited had fifteen children with ages ranging from 2 years old to 13 years old. They were so happy and joyful to play games and sing us songs. They were so beautiful. Everyone on our team had a huge smile on their face. The parents of the house fed us dinner and served us soda, a luxury. It was very humbling. We did not want to leave the home... we will be back soon.

With Love,
Angela

We Don't Monkey Around

We have only been here for two days yet so much it seems like a lot has happened already in such a small amount of time.

Our first night we got to go sleep to the soothing noises of car horns, dog fights, monkeys(?), birds and other such noises that are right near our hotel that we are staying at.

Kyle and I (Stephen) woke up early thinking it was probably it was around 9 when it really was 5:30am. We went to explore the city for a little. Since it was so early and also because it was Buddha's birthday, the shops were closed so it was great to walk the streets while everything was calm. We got to see a lot of life happening with people sweeping the streets, men carrying huge dressers strapped to their head and chest and also seeing people starting their days.

Afterward,we all went to grab a morning cup of tea over at our friend Rhoman's place before we met at a more western style breakfast restaurant. We got to meet with John the founder of Tiny Hands and hear his vision and heart for his organization.

After that we took a very long walk to a temple way up on a hill called the Monkey Temple. This place was PACKED. With a lot of people going up and down the vast amount of stairs. It was hard to keep our group together and that was very stressful trying to make sure we were all nearby.

When we got to the top, we saw a lot of things. We saw many altars being prayed to, lots of candles, the prayer bells being turned and lots of people walking around and praying. Some of us were very overwhelmed with everything that was going on especially since there was a lot of chaos with so many people. A few people also felt heavy from the forces being prayed to and the spirits being given so much prayer and hope for. After that we all walked down, found a spot and made sure to pray all together.

Then we went to the Tiny Hands office and got to hear about all the programs including their children home and and their anti-trafficking border stations that are in place to stop the children being trafficked. Often times the little girls are tricked into believing they are going to be maids or workers in order to honor their family and be able to send money back to the village. These border monitors stop suspicious people and ask tough questions to see if both the adult and the child's story line up. This can be a hard process because the children are told that the police (and border monitors) are evil, so this can be a long process. It was amazing to hear of so many rescues and to see pictures of some of the women who were saved.

We then went back to the hotel, rested and had orientation with Rhoman. Though we are only staying for a month, we got see a lot of the material that people who are working for longer time have. These first two days have been jam packed with learning about culture and trying to orient ourselves to the city. We also learned fun phrases. Here are a few:
_________
Fun Phrase Time!

Namaste (Naw-Muh-Stay) - common greeting used everywhere.
Jaimasee or Jaymasee - "victory in Christ", used amongst Christians
thik cha? (teek-shaw) - "Are you fine?" You would then respond with thik cha back.
dhanyabad (Done-Ya-Bod) - "Thank you"

These are just a few phrases but we'll post more later!
__________

After that we had our first Nepali meal with rice, chicken, a lentil sauce, spinach, a baked bread that looked like a chip but didn't taste like one, potatoes with vegetables and a type of hot sauce. It was good. A few of us even braved eating with our hands. Though Justin saw a rat run by, the restaurant was such a nice environment and the people are very friendly. Definitely worth going again!

Prayers:
- for God's joy and love to be throughout as we walk the streets and possibly visit more temples.
- for patience as we wait to work with the children and women.
- for our well-being and our safety.

Sorry for this long post! Thank you so much for reading this :] I hope this blog post finds you well.

You are Loved!
-Stephen

Day 1

Namaste Family and Friends!

We arrived to Kathmandu, Nepal around noon to humid air and an unfamiliar smell. Passing through customs went surprisingly fast and our guide shortly arrived with a bus to take us to the hotel. As soon as we entered the street we became the object of numerous stares. It was hard not to with such a big group of foreign faces. We piled in the car and continued on our way.
The streets were filled with cars, people, cows, buses, and motorbikes. All proceeded to go in whichever direction they pleased, honking horns and yelling at pedestrians. There are no sidewalks, no stop lights, no lines dividing the roads. It is one big maze that requires skilled and aggressive driving.
Upon safely arriving to the hotel we were surprised by the accommodations. It had an enclosed garden that provides a barrier to the craziness of the outside world, internet access, and personal bathrooms for each bedroom. We are all very grateful to be staying here.
Once settled we ventured out into the city on foot and soon discovered that walking was almost as difficult as driving. We roamed the roads around our hotel to get a feel for our surroundings. Every street is lined with little shops, all appearing to have the same goods. We began to understand this over crowded, maze of tiny streets, and were able to return to the hotel without getting lost.
Later, we had our first Nepali meal for dinner ranging from fried rice to curry. Everyone left with a full stomach, except for picky Kyle. Good thing he brought 60 granola bars. We'll see how long those last.
So now it is 8pm and though we are exhausted we must put off sleeping to avoid jet lag. Hopefully we will be well rested for another adventure tomorrow.

Until next time...

-Callee

HELLO SINGAPORE.

Greetings from Singapore!

The past twenty-four hours have been quite the adventure. Our travels started with a send off from some of our closest friends. Thank you so much for coming! Then, my wonderful Resident Director from Engstrom Hall, Chelsea Wood, drove us to the LAX where we would begin the official travelling process. After checking our bags and getting through security, we waited at our gate where it finally hit me that we are going to Nepal!

But, getting to Nepal is a lengthy trip. We first flew to Tokyo which was an 11 hour flight. I have never been on a plane so big! I could watch tons of movies like Avatar and Shutter Island, play Nintendo, catch up on world news, or just chill. Needless to say, I spent most of my time reading and sleeping. Oh, AND eating. They fed us as if it were our last meal!

On the plane, I sat next to a nice, old Japanese lady. She explained to me how she didn't feel safe in the USA because her son's stove wouldn't turn off. I laughed inside and tried to talk with her as normally as possible! Once in Tokyo, we got off the plane and took another six hour flight to Singapore.

And that is where we are now! This airport is amazing. They have multiple Koi fish ponds, a butterfly garden, and shops galore. We have about 3 hours left until our final flight to Nepal. Now we play the waiting game. I'm anxious to get finally get to Nepal after months of preparation and I believe my team can second that notion.

Hopefully we can find a way to upload pictures/videos of our time in Nepal. Until then, prayers would be greatly appreciated! Some include:

1. ENERGY once we get to Nepal.
2. That God would use our team in ways that are currently unfathomable to us.
3. Safe travels to Nepal!

Thank you all so much for reading! We love you.

-Chris