A first time for everything

I have had quite a few new experiences in the last few days.

• We saw the snowcapped himalaya mountains which surround kathmandu for the first time. Usually all we can see are the smaller mountains which form the valley. It was quite a shock to realise what we were missing all along. I had no idea they were even there! It  makes it hard to believe they are still there. It’s easy to forget they are there when you can’t see them. It reminded me of a line in the Pocahontas movie ”you learn things you never knew you never knew.” 
• We went canyoning yesterday. That involved abseiling down 5 waterfalls, with water crashing on your head, crawling through caves and sliding down rocks while standing in the most beautiful forest with spectacular views. And the largest butterflies i have ever seen. the only worrying bit was the lack of a safety rope! but we are all still alive so thats all that counts! It was one of the many times since i have been here that i have thought “hmmmm..no one else in the world actually knows where i am right now”
• Today i saw a man get his front tooth pulled out with large pliers at the health clinic- with no analgesia to relieve the pain! i’m not sure how he put up with it! O also got to do an antenatal exam, and hear a baby’s heartbeat at 21 weeks. That filled me with awe. We also took what i’m sure must be a record amount of blood pressures. No matter what the person comes in with, they get their blood pressure checked.
• We hung out with a group of northern irish people from belfast at a centre for disables kids and a hospital. It was so nice to have some irish banter once again.
• I saw lots of brand new little babies…extremely cute and beautiful. We also got to pray for an extremely distressed boy with a brain infection. He had been in hospital for 25days and was sick of being there. His dad saw that we were white and asked if we were christians and could we pray for him. It was so humbling when his dad explained to him that we were praying for him. He said “look at them and the love they are showing you. they have come just to pray for you.” It was amazing to see the peace that settled over him as we prayed. Please pray if you are reading this.
• Also saw the new batman movie…much better than i expected..go and see it if you can.

A picture speaks a thousand words??

Some pictures.

A fabric shop in Kathmandu Durbar square.

 

 

 

A rice paddy ourside Kathmandu

 

Sunset over the mountains in Nagarkot. Just at sunset the sky cleared and we could see the snow-capped peaks of the himalayas, and possibly even everest!!…if you use your imagination well. It was an awe-inspiring time. There are no words.

oh..and i also got my first leech bite! it was quite exciting!!

Snapshots

Some highlights from the last few days:

• Riding on top of a packed bus on our way to an orphanage, through the beautiful countryside…terrifying but exhilarating.
• Meeting some sisters of mercy at a house for the destitute and dying, the place stank of urine and other rotten smells, but their grace and compassion was the most overwhelming presence. Everyday the 2 of them clean out 2 large rooms filled with old people, they clean the people and feed them too. it was such hard work even with 5 of us there to help. They really were an inspiration to me. They had given up their whole lives to live amoung the hurting dirty and dying. We cleaned some wounds there, which were unbelievably infected , some needing surgical care. It was disheartening to know what needed done but to have no power to actually do anything.
• Seeing an australian family revolutionising a very poorly run orphanage. It is one of the worst orphanages i have come into contact with. The workers there are corrupt and so little is done for the children. We cleaned out their showers and toilets which were full od urine and faeces. It was so rewarding to see how much better the conditions there were once we left. It is great that they are passionate about improving it and maintaining the changes longterm.

Something that has really struck me in the last few days is that in every place i have ever visited around the world, the workers and children and missionaries are still there. For me it seems to be a case of “out of sight, out of mind”. It is hard, and takes effort, to remember that their lives go on, with little change. It is easy to detach myself. Although seeing the mans festering wounds really was shocking to me, he has to live with that every day. But to me it is just a memory.

Giving..

Today I have been thinking about giving, about charity, and about what Jesus commands us to do. Do you obey you heart or your head? Some parents here in Nepal maim their children so they are more profitable when they beg. I can’t support that, so how do i follow Jesus?

A woman came up to me in the street holding a young child.

I turned away and ignored her today. I didn’t even look her in the eye, touch her, or even pray for her. I should have done that. It would have beed the least (or most) i could have done.

I should have shown her more love. What does she need?

I turned away as she touched me. What kind of heart is that? A heart stranged and trampled on by good sense, “the right thing”, selfishness, awkwardness and the world.

I know it is wiser to give to an organisation and your money can do more good. But when she confronts you on the street what are you supposed to do?

Buryani for breakfast

I am starting to get more used to the curry and rice for breakfast….although my host mum is becoming more and more stealth-like at putting extra rice on my plate, as well as some milk which has been fermented with corn…its an interesting flavour but my insides seem to be coping ok.

i have had so many things to think about since I have been here. The first is how amazing it is staying with a local family. When I have done this sort of trip I have always been part of a christian team, and stayed with local christians or in a house with just the team i was with. But living with a family  gives you so much more insight into the culture . For me it especially gave me insight into hinduism and the rationale of it in their eyes. We have been having some great chats with our host mum about religion and politics. It really gives you much more of a heart for the country and its people. So much more of a desire to pray. I think staying with a local family is something many more mission teams should consider, even if the family are of a different religion.

Mero naam Anna ho

Apologies for the extreme lack of posts. I got a bit distracted at home…going on too many walks and sitting by the sea! and then came my brothers wedding in switzerland, which i will blog about soon, and as of the last two days, I am living in nepal.

I came here with a friend from home, we are living with a local family, and will be starting work in a health clinic next week. For this week we are having language classes, which I love, so hopefully we shall soon be fluent in Nepali!

Some highlights so far = having curry and rice for breakfast every morning!…bring on thew carbs! getting a bus int otown with the door open beside me  at about 50mph…..and there are many others.

This is a very different experience for me as I have only ever come on these sorts of trips with a christian team, with a christian focus. I am finding here that God is really drawing me to himself in a way that I have not experienced before. I am completely dependent on him, without him i would feel so out of my deapth.

I shall write more aboutother experiences soon. If you are praying…please pray for good relationships, spiritual strength, and knowledge about how to bring God’s kingdom to this place, how to show his light in this place.