The Last Day

As I lay here wide awake in my tent at 5:45 am and listen to the sounds of my city I reflect back on the past 9 days. The things I will be happy to leave - the car horns blaring worse than New York City, dogs barking like 101 Dalmatians, the lack of trash pick up, the inability to have clean water, and the adventure of riding in a taxi or bus. However, when I think of the things I will miss there are too many to name. It starts with the people, their resiliency, their kindness, their folded hands to greet you. Bringing leftovers to the little lady on the street, being greeted with excitement from the little children.  Waking up to the beautiful mountains circling the city. The French toast and milkshake from Busy Bean. Meeting strangers in the bus and becoming Facebook friends. Knowing that everything we will do that day has meaning and eternal importance. The positive attitude of missionary Brian and his wife Ruth. The friendships that formed with our team. Nepal you have been an incredible host and I hope to one day return.

Saturday Worship

It's Saturday here in Nepal and that is their day of worship. We woke at 4:45 to get an early start. We had a 7 am church service in a village outside of Kathmandu. This was the village we had visited earlier in the and delivered supplies. It was so nice to go back to fellowship with these kind people. Andrew one of the guys on our team gave the message. He is a pastor from Youngstown, Ohio.

After that service we drove about a half hour to the village where the orphanage is located. We had another service with this group. Since it's their day of rest, most of our ministry is complete. Now it's time to get packed up and ready to return home tomorrow.

This trip has been such a blessing. Thank you each for the role you have played in it. The Nepalese people are overwhelmed with your generosity. They said most donations that have come through civic organizations has gone to the government to rebuild government buildings and temples. Food supplies didn't even get distributed before they spoiled. The great thing is we know exactly where these dollars are going.

Everyone Has A Story

Tonight we gathered for Friday night fellowship with the entire missonary staff. The majority are from Nepal, Brian is from India and there are a few former refugees from other countries. They all look so happy. From the outside they are cleaned up, they smile, they sing praise and worship songs. You think they are the blessed and fortunate ones.

While waiting to eat I sat with the missonary's wife Ruth. We talked a lot about their trafficking ministry and my work in Thailand. I began to ask her about the beautiful children who were all sitting eating in the middle of the room. What was their story? 

She went one by one telling of broken homes and stories of rescue. One child came from an abusive father who tried to burn his mother alive. Fortunately he did not use lighter fluid and her clothes burned out before she died.

Another child came from an abusive home where the father was trying to kill the mother. A couple of the children lived on the street for most of their young lives before they were taken in.

Then we started talking about the kids in the Orphanage. I told her how it broke my heart and how sweet the children were. She told me that one little boys father murdered his mother and then killed himself. The village viewed the baby as bad luck so no one would take him in. A minister and his wife went and got the baby and now he is doing great in the Orphanage.

You can never judge a book by its cover. When you open the pages, they all have stories.

No Shoes

When Bryan and I were leaving the village on Wednesday we stopped at a small store to purchase items for the slums. We purchased 41 small balls, 8 little trucks, a soccer ball, a badminton set and 30 pairs of sandals. When we arrived at the slums today it was overwhelming. I wanted to give the shoes to someone who needed them, but as soon as we opened the bag we were swarmed. There was one little girl who had no shoes or clothes on. I wanted to give this child a pair of sandals. Andrew helped grab some sandals out of the bag to give them. It became pretty chaotic, but I was able to wrap a bandana around the little girl to provide some clothing and give her shoes. We brought most of the shoes back and will let the missonary's wife distribute on a one on one basis.

There was another sweet little girl that warmed my heart and I was able to give her a pair of pink slides.

It was overwhelming, but another great day.

Slum Life

Today before we went out I was reading the book of John where Jesus talks about the well that never runs dry. Jacob built a well that quenched the physical thirst for a few hours, but Jesus was able to provide everlasting relief. It was so great that I read this today before going to the slums because it's impossible for one man to erase poverty. You can provide relief for a few minutes. You can take their mind off their pain for some hours, but you can't cure all of their physical needs. However, regardless of what state the people we have worked with here are in, when they have Jesus they have hope. They have someone to talk to when they feel overwhelmed. They have a shoulder to cry on.

Our trip to the slums today was incredibly difficult. The need was so great and the people are so hungry they attack you. You know that you can't fix their situation, but you can show them Jesus through your kindness and your generosity. They will remember the day the Americans came with the missonary and gave food and toys. They will remember the day they played soccer.

You see our team smiling in the photos, but inside it's a struggle to see these children and families who need so much and know you can only do so much. Brian and his wife Ruth run an amazing program here. They have a group that focuses on the slums and the street children. They provide these kids who can't go to school an informal education.

They have an anti human trafficking divison that takes girls from the bars and provides them opportunities to work in various industries. They teach them computer skills, restaurants skills, English, sewing machine operation and they have a beauty school. I was so excited to see this ministry and hope to return to help one day.

Recently they have had to focus on earthquake relief because many people are pretending to be humanitarians and ultimately end up trafficking the people. It's a sad cycle. Brian's team plans to build at least 30 houses and continue to help those who are suffering from the devastation. Pray for stability of the earth because with every major quake houses that are partially standing will fall.

Home Building and Connecting with the Community

Today was an all around blessing. 6 of us caught a bus back to the village we were in on Monday to build another tin house for 2 families to be able to move out of tents. When we arrived we carried the supplies from yesterday's construction location to the new construction location. This required carry long bamboo poles and 9 feet sheets of tin up and down a narrow trail. It was really hot out, but it was a great workout of the day.

There was a little white dog on the porch of one of the houses we had to walk past and each time we would pass he would lunge at us as far as his chain would let him go. I believe he would have eaten us if he could. The dogs of Nepal are definitely an interesting part of the culture here.

While the guys worked on the construction of the house once we delivered supplies Rachel and I decided to visit around the community. The first house we went to was completely damaged by the earthquakes. The second story had completely clasped. They were shoveling the rubble off into a pile. We offered them some snacks and gave a couple of toys to the kids. We decided because of the heat we would walk down to the village store and buy them drinks. Because of the language barrier we could not talk, but the language of love is always understood.

Rachel bought sodas for the adults and a juice box for each of the kids. While we were paying the little boy came down to buy his mom shampoo. A single wash of shampoo costs. 05. Rachel bought 10 for the little boy. When she gave the little boy the cold juice box his face lit up in excitement. He put the cold box against his face to enjoy the cooling sensation. I offered to open it and within 2 minutes he had the whole thing drank.

We returned to the house with the 5 sodas and 2 waters. The men and women were so grateful that they invited us into their home and provided us with the 2 stools. We sat with them as they took a break from shoveling. Coke definitely has it right, something as small as a soda can open happiness for people when given with love.

Once the guys were finished with the house we went down to the store area and played games with the kids. I got out one of my beachballs and started to orchestrate some organized games. The kids were having such a great time. Most of these kids don't have the opportunity to go to school so they don't have PE or other games. They were having such a great time and it was just a small beach ball and someone taking the time to play with them.

On our walk out of the village back to the bus stop we stopped at another store in the next village to purchase supplies for our visit to the slums on Friday. Brian and I got 30 plastic balls, 12 stress balls, 30 pairs of flip flops, a soccer ball, 8 little trucks, and a badminton set for $60. While we were purchasing all of the kids from this village were gathering around. We couldn't leave them empty handed. We purchased all the lollipops the store had, 27, and it was exactly the right amount of lollipops for all the kids between the store and our bus stop.

I ran into a group of the kids I had played with on Monday. They were so excited to see me. Several of them walked with me all the way to the bus stop.

The bus is an experience all in itself. The bus is designed for 12 people and we typically have around 28 in at once. There is no personal space. The great thing is it allows you to get to know your neighbors. On the first bus I met 4 lovely high school girls who get to go to college next year. After I told them that we were here to help with earthquake relief she turned to me and asked "are you a believer?" Once I said yes, she became really excited and said we all are. They started telling me about their studies.   A couple want to study sience in the US. I told them that if they make it to the US they have to find me. We are now Facebook friends.

We had to change buses and get on our last leg of the trip back to where we are staying in Kathmandu. I had planned to stand because I was so sweaty, but they refused to allow me to stand. I finally gave in and took the seat they offered. I sat next to a girl who is a medical student. She was very sweet and so appreciative of the work we came to Nepal to do. She kept thanking me. I tried writing my email down for her, but her stop came and all I got down was my name. Less than an hour later we are friends on Facebook.

Today has been so rewarding. The people of Nepal are so resilient. They have a heart that is contagious. The ladies worked all day to prepare us lunch on an outdoor fire. The smiles on the faces of the children make you want to keep going back. I am so thankful I was able to come to Nepal.

The Rain Came

The rain came hard last night. It was a welcome change. The rain brought with it cooler temperatures and quieted the night. There were no sounds of dogs or motorcycles. Just the heavy patterning of the rain drops on the rooftop of the tent. The only downside was we had left open our windows and doors rain shield on the tent to allow airflow for the hot evening. By the time I realized it was a problem we had a small pond on the floor of the tent. The upside is we got to mop this morning and now have a very clean tent floor.

Today I will be joining the construction team and going to another village to build a small shelter for an elderly lady. I can't wait to get started. It looks like it could be a rainy one, but the rain keeps it from being so hot so I welcome it.

Home repairs

To update the house situation, 6 members of our team returned to the man's house, which was falling and built 2 shelters that were rain proof, snake proof and less appealing to tigers. They looked like small metal structures with dirt floors, but for the 2 families they were home and they were so excited. We hope to build one more tomorrow.

The Orphanage

We finished today at an orphanage. It is a small orphanage with only 9 children. It was so sweet to see the kids playing with all the toys that I was able to bring thanks to all my donors.

Immediately when we walked in a little guy caught my eye. He was smaller than all of the rest and seemed to be very socially reserved. At one point I invited him over to sit in my lap. I couldn't imagine someone so small without someone to love on them. Where did he find his security? I wanted to take him home with me.

Then as we were leaving all of the kids started singing praise songs in English. It was so sweet and especially to hear my little guy singing his heart out.

The Refugee Camp

Today we started our outreach off in a refugee village. This is a village created with small metal tent like structures for a group of people who lost everything when their entire village was destroyed by the earthquakes. Their village was near the Tibet border.

We rode 1.5 hours to the village on the typical adventurous roads. The moment we arrived a monsoon hit. I brought what I thought was a raincoat to only find that it was a windbreaker. We had to get across the rice paddy to the tent village, which was more difficult than it sounds with the amount of mud there was once rain fell.

Once we made it across the rice paddy we took shelter in the church. The church was built out of tin. It was simple, but perfect.

After the rain stopped we got to go out and meet with the village. People were shy to begin with. I brought out one of the beach balls and started playing volleyball with the children. This helped serve as an ice breaker.

We got to meet some of the sweetest people, who had lost so much, but still had a reason to smile. We brought some supplies, but bringing smiles was what they needed most.

One Man's Story of Survival

Today we met a man who humbled me as soon as he began talking. We all have stories, we have struggles, things that are difficult and things we have to overcome. We think - well they don't know what I've been through or if they only knew what I was going through then they would understand.

Today I met a man who is a Christian from Pakistan. He was taken captive by the Taliban and held prisoner simply for his beliefs. He was asked to refute his beliefs and when he would not he was chained and beaten and held captive. He basically had a prolonged death sentence of torture. He still has scars on his body from the experience. One night when he didn't have enough strength to walk, God gave him enough strength to breakout a bathroom window and flee. He got a flight to Nepal and gave his life to the ministry here. He has been here 1.5 years and now has a wife and they are expecting their first child.

This man has a story that makes me feel like he's a super hero. However, God gives us all stories that prepare us for helping others in the future. This man owned his story and didn't live with bitterness, but gratefulness for the opportunities he has before him. What an incredible perspective.

Right Place, Right Time

When we were walking back down the mountain at the end of our day we encountered a man that begged for us to come help him. He said his house was destroyed and they were forced to sleep outside under a tent.

Brian, the leader of the group, is a local missonary. He was born in India, but he and his wife have lived in Nepal for many years. They dedicate their lives to helping those under served here in Nepal. Brian speaks the language. It's great to have local support so that our efforts are sustainable.

The whole group walked down to evaluate the man's house. When we arrived from the outside it looked like it was still standing, however when you walked inside you quickly realized that the whole house was ready to fall. He had a stick propping up one wall and there were cracks throughout the house.

The family was preparing their meals outside and sleeping under tents. Brian made a commitment that we would provide help. A small group will go back tomorrow to begin to figure a plan. Hopefully we will have an update prior to our departure.

Ain't No Mountain High Enough

As I sit here atop one of the tallest mountains in the Kathmandu valley overlooking the bricklayer village I think about how great God is and how he cares for each person moving around in the valley below. Some are working in the rice fields, some riding their motorcycles, others laying bricks. On our way up the mountain we got to go pass out supplies to the houses in the bricklayer village. These are people who have lost so much with the earthquakes. Many of their friends and family members were buried alive during the quake. They were still very happy despite their circumstances. One of the women cheered as we approached.

Hebrews 13:2 says to not forget to show hospitality to strangers, because in doing so some have helped angels.

Who Needs A Net?

Our Rooftop Tent Village

H20

It only takes a few minutes in some countries to be reminded how fortune we are to have access to clean water in the US. We are staying in one of the nicer areas of Kathmandu and we still have to bathe via a bucket. There is a shower head, but there is not enough water to allow for a shower. You let the water trickle until the bucket fills up and then you can bathe.

The photos below show the locals doing laundry and bathing in the local wash facilities. I may have to check the bathing facilities out before I leave. It seems to be a quicker way to wash your hair. The water is a bit chilly, but given the heat it is a bit refreshing.

Day 1 in the Books

The first day is always challenging. We are sleeping in tents on the roof of this outreach building. It's cooler on the roof, but also noisier. There are choruses of dogs that yip and bark all through the night, roosters, random loud vehicles and noises you can't identify. I woke up at 3 am and couldn't go back to sleep.

The blessing was that I got to watch the city wake up from the rooftop. It was a gorgeous morning and allowed for me to fully experience the city coming to life. The sunrise was somewhere in the 5 am hour and it was beautiful coming over the mountains.

Because of our early rising we were able to tour much of our little neighborhood before most of the shops were open. I made the mistake of taking my malaria meds without food. As we were all getting ready for breakfast I started feeling incredibly weak and hot. I remembered that I had taken that medicine and hadn't eaten  I tried hard to regain composure, but once we got out side in the heat I lost it. Nothing was left on my stomach. It wasn't the way I wanted to start the journey, but it adds to the memories.

We ate breakfast at the famous The Bakery Cafe. All of the servers in the restaurant are deaf. It was a great experience and awesome to see a business look out for this group of people. The food was good, but given my prior vomiting I wasn't able to eat much.

The missionary we are working with met us at breakfast and walked us to church. It was a really sweet church filled with people from all over the world. The worship service was very similar to back home and the message was on the parable of the sower. It's a very familiar passage, but always a great reminder that our output is based upon our input. He also talked about how one of the positives that has come out of the earthquake is the country's view of Christians. He said the Nepalese Christian missionaries were some of the first people to respond to the need in the villages and many in the villages were surprised of their willingness to help wanting nothing in return. Showing love is the greatest testimony anyone could have and it's the foundation of why I traveled to Nepal. People need to feel someone cares.

After church we had lunch with the pastors family and had the traditional momos. They were like an Asian dumpling we would have had back home. Most of us were struggling to stay awake because we didn't get a lot of sleep the night before.

When we returned to the outreach center we were broken up into groups and sent out into the community to connect with our neighbors. One group played soccer with some local kids, one basketball and the rest of us walked around and talked with people. Our team met a lady who lost two of her little ones in the rubble. They were still working to sort through the brick. She had one little girl standing by her and we gave her some little toys.

It was great to get out and connect with some of the people around our neighborhood and hear their stories. Tomorrow we will get some additional training and assigned to more specific tasks and villages for our later relief work. I'm so very glad that God has brought me to Nepal for this time.

We Made It!!

So glad to have our feet on the ground. We had a really good trip over. I left Atlanta at 6 am on Friday and landed in Kathmandu on Saturday afternoon local time. Thankfully I slept most of the way, which made the trip go pretty fast.

We Never Know What Tomorrow Holds

In 2 hours my alarm will go off to get up and go to the airport for my mission trip to Nepal. This week has been an emotional roller-coaster, which has kept me from focusing on the excitement of the opportunities to help those in Nepal.

On Sunday I received a call from my friend Brandon letting me know that a friend of ours from college who had been struggling  had committed a murder-suicide and left behind a beautiful baby girl. The little 2 year old was found in the park near her parents bodies. I drove back from North Carolina Sunday and it was all I could think about. What if I had reached out to him when he moved to Atlanta, could I have made a difference?  What about that beautiful little girl was she safe? Did she have to spend the night at the police station? I couldn't get my hands around being at that place in life.

This morning was a little hectic because today was my last day in the office. I had so many things on my mind and things that needed to get done. However, the priority and value of all those things seemed to take a hit when someone walked in and told me that one of the brightest and warmest personalities in the building was no longer with us. He had taken his life last night. He was 28 years old. I heard what they said, but I couldn't process it. Not possible. Not the guy I know. He was my sunshine. He always made me smile. Will he answer the next time I chat him? How could he have been sad? As I lay here thinking about it I still don't understand it. There is no way he's gone. He was so full of life.

As I leave for Nepal, I am again reminded how valuable life is. I want all of you to know how much you mean to me. If you are struggling please don't be afraid to seek help. You have friends that care about you.

I pray that God gives me the opportunity to make an incredible impact on some lives in Nepal and spread some of my friend's spirit throughout the country. 

Don't wait to tell someone you care or check on them. There is nothing you can do once is too late.