What's For Breakfast?? - Explore Archived World Race Alumni Blogs

What’s for breakfast??

The answer to that is…rice. Rice for breakfast, rice for dinner, and, sometimes lunch too! So here we are in Nepal, eating rice and curry, enjoying the most beautiful views, and serving at Asha Nepal. I have been absolutely captivated by the beauty of where we are staying. We are in Kathmandu Valley, just outside of Kathmandu, surrounded by beautiful green hillsides and bright green fields. When the sun is out, if you look to the skyline, you can also see the Himalayan mountain range peaking through the clouds. For a time we mistook it for clouds. It is SO beautiful, a photo could never do it justice.

The view from Asha Nepal

The driving here is a little on the scary side, in my opinion. Driving around in little “tin can” taxis or buses, with horns honking constantly to warn other drivers or motos that you are passing by or turning a corner. Oh! How I WILL NOT miss the sound of honking horns when I return home. We get taxi drivers trying to over-charge us often (which generally happens in every country). One night this led us to taking a tuk tuk-like vehicle as he was the only one that would meet our price, one wheel in the front and four in the back, with two benches to sit on. Eight of us piled into it and took the ride to Asha Nepal. This poor vehicle! There are many hills and potholes heading to Asha Nepal, and most bus rides are about thirty minutes long. This little vehicle sputtered up the hills, releasing a slight odor, making us wonder if something was wrong with the belts in the engine. We bashed our way through potholes while cars and motos passed us. I am not sure if our lights were even on the whole way, (it was night time). Eventually, I am sure it took 45 minutes or more, we arrived at Asha Nepal and all the kids came running out laughing at us. They NEVER see those things in the area, let alone having one drop people off at their doorstep. So we sent our driver off with a tip, and our prayers of blessing over the vehicle.

Traffic in Kathmandu is loud and crazy!

My team at Asha Nepal: Kristy, Jessie, Kelsey, me, Melissa, Megan & Brittany

So, as I mentioned, we are at Asha Nepal, this month. Asha is the Nepali word for “hope.” Asha Nepal is a shelter run almost entirely by volunteers, that takes in women rescued from sex trafficking, abused women, and their children, and also orphaned children. They focus on rehabilitating and helping these people reintegrate back into society, while doing follow up with them, and also teaching them vocational skills, or helping them in their journey through school and potentialy university. I am so pleased to be here this month. We have come here to love these women and children, and to encourage them as best we can.

There are many different stories at Asha. The 15 year old who was living on the streets because she had no parents and was working as a call girl, and now has a newborn baby; a 14 year old who was raped by a much older man and was sent to Asha through the government; a woman who was the first born and born with HIV, leading to her being abused by her family and looked upon as a curse; the 11 year old girl whose mother passed away and her father is old and sick and can’t support her. There is a boy whose father is in prison, and was supposed to leave for the holiday with his uncle, but his uncle never came to get him, and, baby Matthew, who was abandoned and left here to be part of the Asha family. There are many more stories in this house. Women and children are here for different reasons. Communication is difficult sometimes, but that can’t stop us from showing them love. Whether it’s helping do chores with the women, or sitting and spending time with them, trying to figure out their broken English, organizing games and activities with the kids, making a child feel special on his or her birthday, or speaking a word of encouragement during devotions. This month we are here to love, to acknowledge and encourage.