Nepal in a month... - Explore Archived World Race Alumni Blogs

Here I am again at the end of yet another amazing month. I can’t believe it. In some ways if felt long but in other things it seemed like it flew by. I’m happy to say that my team is doing well health wise. Our squad seemed to hit with sickness but me and my team our doing well. Keep praying for good health. So this month has been pretty awesome since we had the chance to travel around Nepal and see her beauty. This month is was pretty hard to get internet so bare with me this one will be a wee bit longer.

The first week we stayed right outside of Kathmandu in a city called Gothatar. This house is mostly boys 11 to be exact and 3 girls. The house parents are hands down some of my favorite people in the whole wide world. Kishon and Devi are only in their mid-twenties still in school, have an adorable 2 yr. old son, and run this house. I can’t imagine doing what they are doing, but they are doing it with such wisdom and strength beyond their years. They each and every one of these kids with all their heart. They both have such a strong relationship with the Lord and they are passing that on to the kids. Every night they have devotion time and you can just feel the freedom and Holy spirit in this home. It has been an honor to get to know these wonderful couple in just a short amount of time. While we were here we just loved on and played with the kids. We taught them songs in english and got to pour into them during devotion time. One of the lessons we taught them was R.E.S.P.E.C.T. Thanks to my teammate Erin who is a teacher back home she came up with awesomeness and we helped with coming up with the words to go with each letter.

R- Responsibility E-Education S-Service P-Prayer E-Excellence C-Companionship and T-Truth. We made a poster for them with this on it and a Bible verse to go along with each word. They loved it and hung it straight up on their wall. We felt so loved here and were very sad to leave. Also one day we got to go visit the school that they all go to and where Devi actually teaches at also. On another day our contact Denish took us to one of the prisons and we got to talk to some foreigners who were in prison for drug related chargers. We were able to just encourage and pray for them.

The next house we went to was about 3 hours away but because of Nepal’s traffic and roads it took us 5 hours. It was in a city called Chitwan. This house had 10 girls but on our way we actually picked up 3 girls who had been abandoned so they were going to live at this home. 2 of them are sisters and the little one looked like she was only 3 yrs. old. Their father died and the mother remarried and didn’t want them anymore so just abandoned them. Just like that they are orphans. I couldn’t even imagine what was going through their heads. A lot of the orphans are girls because the families don’t want to pay for the dowry when the girls get old enough to get married. Boys will bring in more money than the girls would. So this house was in the country and had a lot of farming land. The house father spoke no english but that didn’t stop him from always trying to communicate with us via a lot of hand gestures. He It is here that most of the food is grown for all 3 houses. They grow rice, potatoes, wheat and mustard seed. While here we actually got to do some manual labor. They where getting ready to build a chicken coop, fish pond and swimming pool. We basically removed stones from this big ditch. Lets just say I won’t be moving stones for a while. We dug ditches for the chicken coop and also painted the poles for the chicken coop. It was hard work but we had fun doing it. We didn’t get to see the final project but it was still good to help in starting the foundation. When we were not working and the girls weren’t in school we just played and loved on them. During devotion time we taught them the Zaccheus Song, which they loved and asked us to sing all day and night until we left. By the end of it they got it though! Here in Nepal they have church on Saturdays so we were able to attend the local church. The pastor of the church along with his wife actually worked everyday with us on all the projects we were doing as well. The church was basically up in a small room. Think tree house. I am proud to say I wasn’t the shortest person there. 🙂 Even though almost everything was in Nepali I loved it. God is definitely moving in the tree house. It was also here that I ate…goat. Enough said. So its safe to say we had a great time here in Chitwan and even the girls we picked up felt right at home and the other girls took them right in.

So on we go to the next house. We drove for another 5 hours to Pokhara. This home had 9 girls living there. The first day we were there the girls took us down the river where the locals bathe and wash their clothes. It was quite a hike but so breathtaking. The 2 older girls Rita who is 19 and Renu who is 15 spoke the best english helped us a lot during our time there. While there we watched movies with them. We watched the Jungle Book and Swan Princess. They loved both and even our boys watched both movies or at least tried. 🙂 Here there is only a house mother. They call her “auntie” and she is the sweetest thing. She has and is doing amazing things with these girls. For one thing everyday the girls take turn cooking all 3 meals. Let me tell you these were some great meals. I’m 23 and the best thing I can make is microwaveable mac and cheese! 🙂 It was wonderful to see the way the girls love, respect and help each other. It has been an amazing experience to visit all these houses. God is using Prison Fellowship to do amazing in Nepal and all these beautiful kids. I will never forget these amazing house parents and children.

So me and my team thought hey we are in Nepal we should go trekking. So we took 2 days to this. We had no idea what we were getting our selves into. I can honestly say I have never physically worked so hard in my life. I have never pushed myself so much in my life. Not only did we trek 5,000 ft but we most of the trek was straight up stone stairs for the most part of 8 hours. My thighs are not on speaking terms with the rest of me. It was about an 8 miles trek which seems like nothing but it was quite the opposite. We also had about 20lbs pack with our tent, sleeping bags and food. I started this crazy trip with blisters on my feet so you can only imagine what they looked like after. At the top of this peek was a hostel that was our goal. There was 7 of us that went on this adventure. Only 3 of us made it to the actual top. The other 3 were like 5 minutes away. On the way there was a fast group and slow group. I was of course in the slow group. We got separated somewhere a long the way. It turned into evening, soon it was dark. All you could was the next stair in front of you. We passed someone coming down from the top and he was like it’s only 45 minutes away. We were like ok almost there. 2 hours later it was dark and freezing cold and nothing in sight. All you would do is walk up stairs and hope for something but all there was, was it seemed at the time 5 million more stairs. Completely beyond tired and telling yourself your almost there but you really had no idea was not that greatest feeling. At this point my team leader who is an ultra runner back at home had my pack and was in the fast group which we had no idea where they were at this point. It was me, Melanee who was my drill sergeant/ encouger/hand holder, kelly who at this point was throwing up and our fearless squad leader Noe all together climbing the never ending stone stairs from you know where. So it came to the point that we just couldn’t go any longer so we just set up our tent on the side of the trail. Remember I had nothing with me, no jacket, gloves, hat and sleeping bag nothing. Thankfully someone had an extra jacket and me and melanee shared a sleeping bag. So there we were just 5 minutes away from the hostel which we didn’t know at the time, curled up freezing cold on the side of the trail. Didn’t really sleep at all that night. Next morning met up with the other group and started down the mountain. So another 8 mile trek down the mountain. Safe to say I won’t be doing that anytime soon again but the sights that we got to see were amazing. We actually during our many breaks we took time to spend with God. Just to love on Him and talk with Him. I know for me there was no earthly way on could have done this on my own. I know half way up the mountain I was running on His strength. This trip showed me a lot about myself. For one thing trekking is not my calling, but seriously we are nothing with Him. He is always there even in moments that we think we can’t go anymore. The verse I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me has a whole new meaning to me. I’m proud of myself. I can say I trekked a part of the Himalayans. I’m thankful for my team and squad leader for encouraging me the whole up. Even though it was crazy, stressful and tiring we all had good attitudes which I’m very proud to say.

Nepal has been amazing it was great to see how God is moving in so many different places and ways. Nepal will always be in my heart. Please keep praying for us. Now we are on our way to Romania!!! Love you all!

Suzi

The first house right outside Kathmandu.