WE MADE IT!
We’re officially in our first country and we’re loving it! We’re living in the capital of Nepal, Kathmandu, in a small apartment complex, and we’ve already decided that we’re pretty dang blessed with our set-up. We have some awesome views from the terrace, which is definitely going to help put our ministry in perspective this month. Also, it’s the beginning of monsoon season, so it’s going to be a bit hot & humid – but hey, that’s how a Louisiana girl likes it 
Team Gladiators on the terrace
Our terrace view
This month Team Gladiators and Team Undefined are working with The Agape Mission International, aka TAMI Asia. TAMI has a large outreach to at-risk women and children in the local area. We’ll be working with TAMI to shower love and blessings on the street and slum children as well as women caught in the dance-bar industry. TAMI’s goal is that these women and children will encounter Christ through our work and find community in the TAMI ministry. We’ll also take a week to trek through the villages in the Himalayas [also known as the HERmalayas to Team Gladiators lol] where we’ll be sharing Jesus with Nepalese who have limited connection with the civilized world.
It’s safe to say we’re starting this race with a pretty ballin’ first country. We’re really excited to see what God is going to do in us and through us!
Our first eating experience in Nepal: Chicken and Buffalo MoMo’s!
To get a better understanding of Nepal, I’ve added some highlights of the country:
Area: 147,181 sq km.
Capital: Kathmandu
Location: NE of India, SW of China
Contains 8 of the 10 highest mountain peaks in the world.
Population: >30,000,000
Peoples: South Asian, Tibetan-Himalayan
Official Language: Nepali
Literacy: 48.6%
Human Development Index rank: 144th/182
Income/person: $444/yr (1% of the US)
Politics: The ancient and Hindu monarchy ended in 2008 as Nepal became a multiparty constitutional republic. It has never been ruled by colonial powers. However, the 1990s and 2000s were characterized by painful and disruptive civil unrest provoked mainly be the Maoist rebels. A Maoist-dominated government took office in 2008 after two years of wrangling with other parties, but the Prime Minister resigned in 2010. The government remains insolvent, and constitutional reform has been delayed further.
Religion: Once the world’s only Hindu Kingdom, Nepal is now officially a secular democracy. Foreign religious NGOs can operate freely as long as they do not proselytize. Hindu fundamentalism has increased in recent years.
|
Main Religious Sects |
Percent of Population |
Annual Growth Rate |
|
Hindu |
75% |
1.7% |
|
Buddhist |
16% |
1.9% |
|
Muslim |
4.4% | 4.8% |
|
Christian |
2.85% | 5.3% |
|
Other |
2.5% |
n/a |
-LDubb
