It had been dark for about an hour. Three teams from our squad are crammed into a bus along with some local Nepali. Some of our bags are thrown on top, mine included, while others are stacked in the back seat. Debbie is sitting in the aisle on top of her bag. I am next to the dark window, the flashing strobe lights of the bus echoing in the glass. The rave music not quite blaring, but loud over the speakers. The conductor sitting on the armrest in front of us bobbing along to the music. I am cold, my pants were soaking wet, and I am hungry . . .
But I am getting ahead of myself. What a week.
Our team had returned from our mountain village after our first week of ministry. We rested a day in Kathmandu at our host’s house. We finally got to meet that crazy man, Reuben Rai. He liked to joke, make loud noises, but overall his demeanor was quiet, spirit filled, and passionate. He had arranged two cars to take our team and another team out to his orphanage in Urlabari. The third team was already waiting for us there.
It was a long drive through the night. We left Kathmandu around 4:00pm and arrived 12 hours later in Eastern Nepal. We stayed for a few days at the half constructed orphanage, living on the completed first and second floors, while us and a crew worked on the third and fourth. A family and a few kids lived in the orphanage already, but Reuben is eager to see the place completed and to have a welcoming place for kids who are desperately searching for a family and a place to call home. He already knows many of the kids that he will be moving there. Some will come out of displacement camps, as they have lost their villages as well as one or both of their parents in the earthquake.
We were at the orphanage for only a few days. We carried bricks up to the third floor and sand up the fourth. (All assembly line style).
Reuben was excited to get us going to our next location. His family village. We slimmed down our hiking packs and loaded up into a bus. The bus would only be taking us so far as the only way into this village was on foot. We were told that the fastest team did the trek in an hour and fifty minutes and the slowest team had taken five hours. We made it in about three and a half!
It was a gorgeous hike. They were not mountains, per say, but I would call it mountainous hike. Over rocks, up steep inclines, down inclines. A rest by a small stream. One last push up one of the steepest slopes and we were there. A cute house on top of a hill. We set up our tents in the field and we called it home for a week.
During that week we mainly worked on helping to lay the foundation for a two room house that would connect to the three room school. We learned that the school was built so that kids didn’t have to cross the river to get to school. Children were drowning. Now the local children have a very short and safe walk. The new two room house will serve as living space for teachers when it is finished. Some of the still have to walk very far to teach there.
While we were there we learned that this school was constructed by all volunteers, mainly World Race teams. The school is funded by Reuben, but the only time he can really afford labor is when three teams like ours show up. Under the guidance of Reuben and a few builders we dug trenches for the walls foundation (the floors receive no foundation, just leveled dirt). We hauled up rocks from the forested valley down below, plopped them in the trenches, mixed cement, poured it in, and then eventually got to some brick stacking. (All of this done over a couple of days, because with limited tools and digging, mixing, and doing everything by hand it takes a while.) We also weeded their badminton court so it is finally able to be used again!
One day our adventure was watching as a tractor came from another village, picked up a wagon full of bricks and cement mix for us, and then pulled it up a sandy hill. We all piled in and had a bumpy ride down a small creek bed that cut through the rock. Then we piled out again as an even sandier hill lay in front of us. A few different tries, a bunch of people pushing, and eventually we got it up the hill and to the school. The driver climbed out and we watched as some of the village elders honored him with a ceremony. I was a little confused with this, but hey, life is confusing in other countries sometimes. After we unloaded the wagon kids and adults alike climbed in with glee and went for a joy ride through the village.
Later I found out that they were honoring him because this was the first vehicle that had ever made it to this village.
(Photo Credit: Reuben Rai)
We worked hard in Reuben’s village for about a week, and then it was time to hike out again. This time we chose a flatter route, the river. This hike would take us around two hours, and it would include 12 river crossings! From knee high to waist high our three teams forded that river like champs! There a few wobbly legs, worried faces in fast currents, but bags stayed dry and no one fell! The view was gorgeous. The rocks, the trees, the river. The whole time it felt surreal. “This is my life.” I thought over and over again. God has truly blessed me so much.
(Photo Credit: Reuben Rai)
That’s how we ended up on the crazy bus ride back to the orphanage. . . we rode that crazy bus, dripping wet, and then crawled into bed. The next day meant an even longer car ride back to Kathmandu.
Our time in Nepal is coming to a close. We fly for Cambodia (and much warmer weather) tomorrow. Our host changed last minute, so I know very little of what we will be doing. All I know is that we will be station close to an hour away from the Angkor Wat! I am excited to see what God is doing in Cambodia and how we can be a part of it there.
Our team has had the opportunity to learn more about the non-profit called Partners for Nepal! This non-profit was formed by people who had done mission trips here to Nepal and had worked with Reuben. They saw a need for support as the churches here were doing amazing work. They wanted to be a more permanent part of what God was doing in Nepal, so they are finding ways to help raise support for people like Reuben.
You can learn more about Reuben and Partners for Nepal on their website. http://partnersfornepal.org/pastor-reuben/
