EquipNepal Missions: For the Gospel of God at the Top of the World

Heading for Home

2010-03-17T22:36:00.000-07:00

We've had a busy few days back in Kathmandu, but also some restful times. On Tuesday, we walked around a little in the morning and then took a taxi to Jawalakhel where we were met by our friend Bill and his wife Janet. We have never met, so it was fun to see each other and hear each others' voices! First they brought us to see their project, which centers on teaching people to sustain themselves through specific building, gardening, and energy practices. We enjoyed see all the plans that Bill has been working on! He is a very creative guy, and he and Bud hit it off instantly! We are looking forward to spending more time with them in the future. Bill then brought us to Hope Children's Home in Godawari. We were met by all the children, who gave us beautiful bouquets and many smiles! We enjoyed a tour of the facility (in a beautiful country setting with fresh air), as when we had last been here, it had not yet been completed. Then we had some chiya and enjoyed a program of singing and dancing! From there, we met Beni (Flowerblossom Home, and the host of New Life on Nepal TV). We had a wonderful meal and fellowship at his home with his wife, Rita, and children (2 girls and 2 boys). It is always a blessing to spend time with Beni.

Yesterday, Saji from Children's Home of Love met me on the street near our hotel. He drove me to his home, where I was able to see his wife and daughter and also tour Bethesda Crafts, an organization they formed a couple of years ago to help disabled people to make a living (beautiful jewelry!). Then we traveled to the children's home (a different facility than the one we saw 4 years ago) and had a tour. Unfortunately, the children didn't get home from school in time for us to see them, but it was still nice to visit with Saji and Hannah and get to know them better.

While I was with Saji and Hannah, Bud walked to the Ministry of Mining and Geology with our friend Badri. He was able to spontaneously visit with someone about coal mining in Nepal. He learned a lot, in particular that Nepal needs to spend more money on exploration of minerals.

We met for lunch at an Italian restaurant and had some good pizza with yak cheese on it! Our innards haven't been that great for a few days, but that tasted really good. Bud took a nap while Badri accompanied on a "trains, planes, and automobiles" type of rendezvous to meet Kishor of Hope Children's Home in Sanepa (young adults, Class 10 and above). We took a taxi to Jawalkhel again (a place we're familiar with!) and then waited a bit until we saw Kishor on his motorcycle. We followed him in another taxi until we reached the Home. We were met by more beautiful flowers and some of the children who were home studying. It was fun to laugh and visit with them for a bit. All the girls wanted my e-mail address! :) When we left, we walked out to the main road, but there were no taxis. Finally, Badri hailed a tuk-tuk (kind of like a motorcycle with a cab, very noisy, with many metal bars on which to bump your body). We rode that for a bit, and then got off in a very busy intersection with every kind of motorized vehicle and merchants. No taxi would take us to Thamel where we were staying, but we finally found one young man who agreed. I noticed a cross glued to his dashboard, and asked him if he was a Christian. He said he was! We enjoyed visiting, and he invited us to church, but we wouldn't be here that long, unfortunately. When we reached home, I went shopping with Badri for a couple of hours. We had tea and a Hershey's bar with Bud (I've been enjoying fresh hot lemon tea with Himalayan honey). We said goodbye to Badri, who was such a help to us, and then packed a little and had a late supper.

Now we're sitting in the lobby with our luggage in piles, waiting for Beni to come by to say goodbye.

We have a short flight to Delhi, and then a six-hour layover before our 15-hour flight to Newark. It has been a wonderful trip in many ways!

I will be posting some photos for about a week or so when we get home, as I wasn't able to do that while here in Nepal.

Thank you to all of you who have been praying for us!

Back in KTM

2010-03-15T03:26:00.000-07:00

I'm so sorry I couldn't keep in touch this week, besides the one quick post. Between the load-shedding and being very busy and Babu's laptop cord blowing up, we weren't able to connect.

We had a great week in Hetauda with Babu and Sabitri and the kids. After the celebration and the elephant ride (which I told you briefly about), we drove by Jeep to a village we've visited 3 times previously, called Ikchung. The last time we were there, there was no road, only a foot path, and now they have not only a rough road but electricity! Previously Buddhist, the people in Ikchung are now almost all Christians. We visited "Old Pastor" and his wife (had chiya on their porch) and enjoyed the fresh air and beautiful views around as, as we were on the edge of a very high hill. We couldn't say much to them, as neither of us speak the same language, but we enjoyed each other's company very much. Love is the same in any language!

On the way up, it was very dusty and I started to feel queasy. I was ookay the rest of the afternoon, and Sabitri and I walked to town from their home to do some shopping. That evening I started to feel very weak, and then a lot of "stomach problems." I finally went to bed, as I found it really hard to sit up, and then threw up. It took the whole next day for me to feel well, but I am doing well now, thankfully. I was very happy that I brought the kind of Immodium that treated "4 symptoms"!! We attended Babu's church on Saturday morning, but that was the day I was recuperating, so I ended up listening from a prone position in the Jeep. That afternoon we all rested and enjoyed visiting. Thanks for your prayer!

Yesterday, we visited the Bible school that Babu and Sabitri started and also teach at. There was a strike (bandh) called by some political group (men carrying sticks...) and so there was no one allowed on the streets, so we walked to the children's home (about 2 miles). Everything is a possible photograph in Nepal, so I really enjoyed the walk. Most of my photography so far on this trip has been "drive by," which is frustrating!

At BCH, we enjoyed visiting with all the children for several hours. They are very busy studying for exams, so they needed a break. We brought them candy, plus some cards and photos sent to them by their sponsors. We were able to take some time to visit one-on-one with some of the children, too, which is always nice. Of course, I took a lot of photos! And the new solar system was installed (just enough to light the boys' and girls' rooms so they can study). This was the last time we would get to see them, so there were some tears from a lot of us. Some of the children quickly wrote some notes to their sponsors, which was so sweet, stuffing them into our hands as were were leaving. The children have so little, but yet they are very happy!

We were able to hop on the BCH bus for the drive home as the men with sticks had given up! One last delicious dinner cooked by Sabitri (she made pizza and we enjoyed it so much), more visiting and last minute plans and notes, packing.

This morning, we finished packing and had a nice breakfast with Babu and Sabitri. More goodbyes, and then Babu drove us to the airport. Now we're back in KTM. We had a light lunch and I am going shopping in a few minutes with our friend, Badri. Tomorrow, we have plans to visit Beni (Flowerblossom) and Hope Children's Home (Mr. Nepal), and meet Bill (our Mr. ATM in Nepal). There is definitely not enough time to do all we'd like to do, but we are doing our best.

Bud has been able to get a lot of rest! I have enjoyed having a beautiful sari and 4 punjabis made by the tailor near Sabitri's house.

It's too hard to post photos, but I'm hoping I can still do a few before we leave. However, if I don't get to, I will post some when I get back home.

Lots more to say...but I will wait for more time and more electricity....

We continue to be grateful for your prayers.

We are alive and well and in Hetauda

2010-03-11T07:43:00.001-08:00

Hello!
I haven't been able to write much because of the load-shedding and no time to write, but we got to Hetauda on Monday. Babu met us in KTM and flew with us down to Simara, which is the airport near to where the children's home was before. We drove about an hour by Jeep to Hetauda. Our first stop was BCH and we were greeted with beautiful flower garlands of deep red bouganvilla (not spelled right!) and by all the children. It was wonderful to see Sabitri and all the kids! We visited for a while, and some of the children were shy because they didn't know us, but they soon warmed up. They have all grown up so much. The new buildings are beautiful! This internet connection isn't good enough to post any photos - and I had problems with the connection in KTM as well, so they will have to wait.

We stayed at Babu and Sabitri's house, which is a few minutes away. Some of the children are staying there, too. It's very comfortable and we feel so at home. We are both feeling good. I haven't been sick at all (thank you for praying) and Bud has been sleeping whenever he can.

The next day (Tuesday), we spent helping decorate the BCH grounds for the 15th anniversary celebration. First Sabitri and I went shopping and I bought fabric for one beautiful sari for the celebration, and 5 kurta salwar. Then we brought the fabric to the tailor, and I was measured. Then the kids dyed hemp string and we pasted colorful paper flags onto the string and strung them all across the balconies. It looked very festive and beautiful.

The next day we had the celebration. I'll try to tell you more about that in another e-mail, as I don't want to lose my connection. It was a wonderful time and about 250 people were there. Bud and I both spoke, along with several pastors, and the children performed many dances and songs. The kids also had their own worship team, which was great to see! They are very talented. After the celebration, we had a huge feast with goat, fish, and other good Nepali food, and ice cream. Then we played with the kids for hours, dancing and singing and snuggling and laughing (sometimes in the dark, as we lost the electricity). We were exhausted at the end of the day, but we had so much FUN!!!!

Today, we went to Chitwan National Park and rode an elephant for two hours through the forest and rivers. It was amazing. We saw rhino, several kinds of deer, and beautiful birds. Bud and I had both always wanted to do this! A funny thing is that Bud accidentally wore flipflops (the one that he wears in the house) and he said he'd have to curl his toes to try to keep them on the feet when he was on the elephant!

I'll write more when I get a chance! Thank you so much for your prayers.

Sorry for not being able to write much but will try tomorrow or the next day. We'll be back in KTM on Monday, so perhaps the connection will be faster.

With love,

Jan and Bud

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Hotel Saptagiri

2010-03-06T08:55:00.001-08:00

KTM - it's wonderful to be back

2010-03-06T04:12:00.001-08:00

We arrived in Kathmandu this morning after a lovely morning at the Delhi airport and on the plane. We visited again with our new friend, Pri (the Nepali from Ann Arbor). I've already decided that it'd be fun to travel here with her sometime. On the plane, a young Nepali man from Chicago sat with us. I wear a mask while flying and when he first saw me, he said, "Is that to protect you or me?" He was returning to Nepal for a visit after 13 years away, with a desire to start a project to help women in Nepal. He and Bud discovered they have the same alma mater (University of Minnesota) and both married Minnesota girls. We know it is truly a "God thing" that we met. So through Pri and Chin, the Lord began priming us for our time in Nepal.

There was a lot of smog in the Kathmandu valley, so it wasn't easy to see the Himalayas in the distance, but soon we could see the white snowy peaks.

When we landed in Kathmandu, we prayed that our bags would get through the Green Channel safely and without question, and as we approached the x-ray, the attendant just waved us through. We weren't carrying anything too sensitive this time, but it was still a relief to not be held up.

We didn't know who was meeting us outside the terminal but spotted a small hand-lettered sign in the eager faces that greeted us, and soon were traveling to our hotel in a small van, dodging motorcyles, pedestrians, and sorry-looking dogs along the way. Our friend Saroj's brother met us at Holy Himalaya Hotel, as he will guide while we are in KTM. Our room is no where as nice as the one in Delhi, but it is comfortable.

We walked through some of the familiar streets of the Thamel area (the tourist area, where we are staying) and took it all in, taking time to be grateful to experience this place once again. The last time we were here, I wasn't sure I would ever be able to come here again. Jeremiah 29:11 comes to mind, as He had and has a plan, for those who serve Him.

We ate a tasty lunch at a restaurant called the Third Eye (I had Vegetable Biryani and Garlic Naan). We've had some hot black tea (several cups by now...) and our first of many cups of chiya (a.k.a. chai in Nepal). Now Bud is taking a nap, as he was starting to droop, and I am glad that the electricity is on long enough for me to actually make some posts (there's even wireless, but not in our room).

Tomorrow, we'll have breakfast in the hotel and then walk around the city a bit. At noon, Babu arrives here at the hotel from Hetauda with a pastor from Alaska whom we are looking forward to meeting, as she and her church sponsor many children and are such a support. We'll spend the afternoon and evening together, and the following day, fly down to Simra and drive to Hetauda to BCH.

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Billings to Delhi: Too Long in Coach

2010-03-06T03:41:00.001-08:00

I tried to send this last night, but Outlook wouldn't trust the insecure connection and I was too tired to do it through Web mail!

March 5 - Delhi, India: Hotel Saptagiri

We arrived here (Delhi) after a 15-hour flight. During the flight, I had very restless legs, as it was such a tight spot to sit in. Susan's little flight footstool helped a lot, though. There were some fun things about the flight, particularly meeting a nice Nepali woman (who will also be on our plane tomorrow). She lives in Ann Arbor, MI, and is visiting her 80-year-old parents for 2 months. Also, a little 4-year-old boy kept us entertained with his cute antics. The On Demand TV with 300 movies, TV shows, and games to play...however, I couldn't concentrate. I started watching "The Notebook" but it didn't engage me at all. The food was Indian and quite delicious. The not-so-fun things were the lack of space, the plane being too hot (sometimes 80 degrees - so Bud kept asking them to turn the heat down), and the very crabby flight attendants. After about half the flight (somewhere over Sweden), I started dozing and all I remember is trying to keep my head upright and that my eyelids seemed almost glued in a closed positon. I also started imagining ways that airlines could make our overseas flight in coach much better. Among my ideas: drug us and slide us into coffin-like boxes, stacking us like dominoes, and wake us up when we reach our destination; and take out one whole row the width of the plane and give everyone just a few more inches of legroom. But then I remembered that every day I must resign as general manager of the universe.

Today was my 3^rd "kidney-versary," so while packed in the cramped plane seat, I was thinking a lot about how my sister gave me life. And how my kidney has never been to India before! :)

The Delhi airport was awash in colorful saris and kurta salwar, mesmerizing Indian music, and a cacaphony of Hindi. We really enjoyed watching the people and starting to bathe ourselves in a different culture.

We are now in a very cozy, clean hotel in Delhi for a few hours of sleep. The sheets are crisp and white, and the shower is crazy with gadgets, but we didn't use any of them. Just a plain shower felt wonderful after such a flight. I thought I was going to be able to meet James of Indian Rescue Mission, who we just started working with in October, but we were delayed in getting to the hotel and by that time it was close to midnight. Quite disappointed, as this seemed an amazing opportunity, but maybe we can work something out on the way back through. I was able to talk to him on the phone, however, and it was fun to be able to hear each other's voices.

Bud is still thinking about the mine, but I'm hoping that that will seem far away within a few hours. At least until he embarks on his plan to develop a coal mine in Nepal....

Tomorrow we get up very early to fly to Kathmandu. Thank you for praying for us. I know that's about the only way I withstood the flight!

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Intense Packing...and trying not to fret

2010-03-02T09:41:00.001-08:00

Two days left before we leave…and probably 4 days of stuff to do before then. Good thing I believe in miracles! Thanks for praying for us....

Beautiful hands

2010-03-02T09:28:00.001-08:00

Beautiful hands
Originally uploaded by jeviren

Packing like Crazy

2010-03-01T17:56:00.001-08:00

I’m still making my packing list, but at least I have everything in two places (Personal and To Leave in Nepal). Any clothes have been ready for a week, thanks to my sister!

Praying and Planning...

2010-02-20T10:17:00.000-08:00

We're leaving in less than 2 weeks, so we're busy fine-tuning our packing list, gathering items to bring, and praying about our itinerary when we're in Nepal. Thank you for joining us on our journey and for supporting us in prayer.