Author: Taunya Neff

The Kathmandu Branch gave us a wonderful send-off following our speaking in the Easter Saturday Sacrament Meeting. Our little choir sang Beautiful Savior beautifully. We enjoyed a nice linger longer and were showered with love and honor. Tears were shed as we bid farewell to these kind, guileless, faithful members of the Kathmandu Branch. Their example inspires me to be a better disciple.

Our flight home was over 24 hours with total travel time of more than 32 hours. It was very long to say the least. We appreciate that it was uneventful and that we arrived home safely on the same day that we left, gaining back the 12 hours lost in December 2022. It is surreal.

Since our 18 months were up on March 26th I have felt the mantle and the setting apart blessing fading away. That probably sounds strange and it felt strange. It was time to come home. It was time to leave life in Nepal behind, but we will be forever changed because of our experiences while serving the people of India and Nepal. I am grateful to have had such amazing experiences indelibly written on my heart and soul.

“Giving help to others–making a conscientious effort to care about others as much or more than we care about ourselves–is our joy. Especially, I might add, when it is not convenient and when it takes us out of our comfort zone. Living that second great commandment is the key to becoming a true disciple of Jesus Christ.” —President Russell M. Nelson, General Conference, October 2019

 

With our departure rapidly approaching we have had many dinner invitations. The families we have come to know and love are so warm and wonderful. We will return home with our fill of Nepali food but I wonder how long it will be before we are craving dal bhat or momos. 

Monday we attended a gratitude ceremony at a local school where we had donated desks and benches, computers, hygiene kits and a few cupboards. It is a very poor school and they were extremely appreciative of our donations and the efficiency of CHOICE and LDSC. I am so glad we could help. School children should not have to sit on empty rice bags on the concrete floor for classes.

Our replacement couple arrived in the evening and they were equal parts excited and exhausted. It takes time to adjust to a 12 hour time change. The good thing is that traveling for 30 hours means you are so tired that you can sleep anyway.

The following day we had an Asia Area devotional over zoom. It was a great way to start the transition of responsibilities or shall we say pass the baton. After the devotional we went to a meeting to introduce the Nuffers to Maya at Days for Girls. We hope they are able to get a project going with that organization.

On Wednesday we took the Nuffers to meet our accountant and also to take care of some business. We needed to quickly end the meeting so that we could go to a lunch/orientation with CHOICE Humanitarian. We had to eat and run to make it to an appointment at the bank to set Elder Nuffer up as a signer on the LDSC account. Unfortunately it was all for naught as the bank required a wet signature from our area director in Hong Kong. Rick was unable to convince them that it was not needed last time so should not be needed now. No luck. Since they were already at the bank Nuffers decided to exchange some money and it ended up taking an hour to exchange $300. They had to write down all of the serial numbers and provide all kinds of other random information. Welcome to Nepal!

That evening we had a lovely meal and a fun time had President Chandra’s home. It was both a welcome and a farewell.

Thursday was more meetings and introductions but the highlight was having dinner with President William, our India New Delhi Mission president, and his wife. Again it was a welcome and farewell. I am so glad we got to know the Williams in New Delhi as we don’t have much contact with them here in Nepal. Ironically the restaurant was having a special Northern Indian Food buffet that night. 

The highlight of the week was the water project inauguration in a village called Malta on Friday. The trip was 2 1/2 hours on rough winding roads with steep cliff drop offs. It was a high adventure to be sure. It has been so fun seeing all that makes Nepal unique through the eyes of newcomers.

As has been our experience with other ceremonies, the people are very excited to have us there and honor us even though we didn’t have much to do with the project. We are the current people representing LDSC and so we humbly accept the honors. 

This particular project should be a model for all water projects. Because the villagers contributed so much labor it came in under budget and they were able to add a small building for the water committee and the community. Another interesting fact is that there was already water here but the system only had 14 community tap stands and there wasn’t always enough water. They now have 195 tap stands, one at each home, and there is enough water and with excess to use for irrigation. It is amazing what engineering expertise can accomplish.

The Village

We rounded out the week with two more dinner invitations and find ourselves full of conflicting emotions. Saying good-bye is so much harder than I ever dreamed it would be. Turning over our work to someone else is also hard. The Nuffers will be great, but we won’t be able to see the projects we started through to the end. I guess that in life we just do our best and try to leave a place, a calling, a job or whatever, a little better than we found it and then trust those that follow to do the same.

When I was asked to speak at the water inauguration ceremony I explained that I was feeling very emotional because we were leaving Nepal and I felt sad to leave such a beautiful country and such beautiful people. I said that I was there representing an organization which has people all over the world who donate small amounts of money to make these kinds of projects possible. I told them that I am just a regular person like them and I was honored to be in their country and be a part of the project. That seemed to really touch them. While we were at a school in Lamjung a couple of weeks ago I noticed this thought on a poster, “One flower does not make a garland.” It resonated with me and the work we do here. We can accomplish so much more working together and create something wonderful.

Early this week we headed back out to the Kevin Rohan Memorial Eco Foundation. We took a young couple from the US that we met at church to show them around and were also able to check up on the progress on the clinic and see some of the equipment that they ordered. It was a beautiful day and the first time we were able to see the mountains from that location. What an impressive view on a relatively clear day.

KRMEF is very grateful and excited about the equipment that has arrived and are looking forward to receiving the rest of it. We know they will be able to do a lot of good in their community and the nearby leper colony as well as other areas through their health camps. It has been a monumental task reaching this point and feels great to see the beginning of this investment benefitting thousands of people and lives.

As we make plans for returning home and are getting everything in order we are also trying to visit the “must see” places of Nepal. One of these is Mt. Everest. We knew hiking to base camp was out as was climbing the mountain itself, but we were able to take a helicopter mountain flight! We flew out of Kathmandu over villages and along the Himalayas to Lukla, the main starting point of the Everest Base Camp (EBC) trek. It has an amazing airport. The runway is nestled into the steep mountainside and is only 527 meters long making it one of the shortest runways in the world. Since we were in a helicopter it wasn’t a particularly scary landing.

After unloading some fuel so that the helicopter would be lighter and better able to fly at that altitude we headed toward Mt. Everest. Rick and I were dropped off at a flat spot to wait while the other three passengers flew around the point, over EBC and got a good look at the highest mountain in the world at 8849 meters or 29,032 feet. It felt strange to just be left there alone in the middle of the mountains. Fortunately our pilot returned, dropped the other passengers and then took us for a pretty close view of Everest. It was amazing although Everest is not as impressive as we imagined it would be. It is set back and just a triangle shape without a lot of snow. We saw other mountains that were more imposing. The Nepali name for Everest is Sagarmatha which according to one source means, “the Head of the Earth touching the Heaven,” however it can be translated a little differently depending on the source.

We landed to pick up our fellow travelers and then flew to the Hotel Everest View. It is the highest hotel in the world at 3880 meters (12,729 ft). We spent at least an hour there  just walking around, talking with people, and taking pictures because we opted not the enjoy the $33 per person breakfast. While wandering we saw half a yak! Well, it was actually a dzo which a cross between a yak and a domestic cow. Still cool. It was funny because the dzo just kind of walked into the clearing, posed for a few photos and then turned around and left.

After church and choir practice on Saturday we traveled part way to Lamjung where we would attend a ceremony turning over an addition to the school (funded by DōTerra) and the furniture LDSC donated. We got up early on Sunday and finished the drive arriving with time to visit the members of the community that have created a co-op to be able to sell their buffalo milk to Kathmandu. They needed a chilling vat and we were able to provide that and they will build a shed to house it. They have improved the road so the truck can make the pick up. Hopefully this will help the community to provide a better life for themselves.

The school “handover” ceremony was long and hot but good. There were many speakers and the students performed traditional dances. I was asked to speak and so shared a few words about choices determining the course of our lives. I quoted a little Dr. Seuss. “You have brains in your head, you have feet in your shoes, you can steer yourself any direction you choose.” I’m afraid it lost something in the translation though. I felt inspired by the local “boom band”  that played as we walked in a little parade from the area of the chilling vat down to the school.

On this momentous occasion as I officially turned over the keys for the school building it was the culmination of a lot of work done in this community over the last five years. Latter-day Saint Charities and CHOICE provided water for the community, cow sheds, poly houses, agricultural training and school furniture. DōTerra and CHOICE provided water for the school and six new classrooms. During this time there has been a tremendous amount of growth in these people and for their prospects in life.

I have to say that Mt. Everest is impressive and I am thrilled that we could see it so close but seeing the people blossom is so much more rewarding. They were some of the poorest of the poor and are now able to provide for themselves, send their children to school and look to even better things in the future.

Now that we are back from our trip with our feet on solid ground we are ready to make the most of our last week before our replacements arrive. Yikes! Our time here is rapidly coming to a close.

 

Well, we are down to 30 days left in our mission. It is hard to believe. As we wrap up certain aspects of our work and try to organize the rest, we are finding some time to go on outings and make better observations during our regular walks. Knowing we are leaving this all behind has caused me to evaluate my experiences over the last 17 months.

First, it has gone by quickly. Oh sure there are times that moved slowly along like waiting for our visas, waiting to be reassigned, waiting to leave India and waiting for the bureaucratic wheels to turn. Waiting provides a good opportunity to evaluate, regroup and accomplish things that you haven’t found time for in the fast pace of life. And as Dr. Seuss says, “Somehow you’ll escape all that waiting and staying. You’ll find the bright places where Boom Bands are playing.”

While walking up to Nagarkot on an outing we came across what at first looked like a crack in the pavement but was in fact a procession of caterpillars creeping along end to end. As a follower one should always be sure of the direction the leader is taking you. The fork in the procession came about after the leader and those close behind were smashed by a vehicle. A new leader was born and the caterpillar train continued on.

The walk was 8 kilometers round trip and was more about getting out and exercising than for the views since it was a cloudy day. We did talk to some people and saw some pretty rhododendrons blooming. We walked past an army training area, saw some cute puppies, some flowers and pretty birds.

As with most tourist areas Nagarkot has various temples to visit. Here is a Buddhist Stupa that was looking very festive with all the brightly colored prayer flags.

Secondly, the experiences we’ve had will impact us for the rest of our lives. Yesterday as we were walking our usual Saturday route a guy went by on a bike (motorcycle) with plastic bags of freshly prepped chickens hanging from hooks on his bike. This is a common sight, but I always chuckle because the feet are usually poking out and it just looks funny.

We pass at least eight different butcher shops on this route with varying degrees of hygienic procedures. One shop has cages of chickens, ducks and pheasants outside the shop entry along with a goat or two tied to a post. Very fresh options. Another shop is always chopping goat meat on a tree stump that is on a tarp on the sidewalk. People are usually hanging around and some help to divide the meat into little piles that are put into plastic bags and sold to different families. There are a couple of shops that have a hose at the front of their store and they sit at the edge of the sidewalk removing the guts and clean their chickens as well as the intestines of the goats. Others have clean metal or marble work surfaces and a sink for washing the carcasses and seem pretty clean. It’s all very fascinating to me. Oh, and there are usually dogs waiting patiently for scraps.

As I made these observations on Saturday I realized how removed we are from the day to day necessities of life. I buy my frozen, boneless, skinless chicken breasts and call it good. In the US we have prepackaged salads, ready to cook vegetables and whole meals that cook up in a few minutes. Here you buy some vegetables at one shop and others at a different one. They come with roots and dirt and bugs. Food preparation takes more time that’s for sure. 

This level of detachment from basic needs extends beyond food. It took me a while to figure out that people brushing their teeth at the curb were not people watching but it was of necessity because they don’t have indoor plumbing. I’ve seen this just down the street from our apartment and we live in a pretty nice area. Some days they have a system of pumps and hoses bringing water into their homes. At least the water in Nepal is relatively good, just not always convenient. We feel blessed to have helped to make water convenient for many villages here.

I am more aware and appreciate all the hard work of the people who make my life easier. I also appreciate the chicken both for the eggs and the meat. I am grateful for the indoor plumbing and the washing machine we have in our apartment, especially when I see the back neighbor washing all her laundry by hand.

I don’t know if I will seem different to anyone else, but I truly hope that these experiences have helped me to become a better person.

 

 

As previously mentioned, we have been working in a “hurry up and wait” fashion. We decided we could squeeze some activities in during the down time and Tuesday we went on a hike in the Shivapuri-Nagarjun National Park. It is in the hills that border the Kathmandu Valley on the North. It was a pleasant hike until the stairs leading up to our destination of Bishnudwar, the place of worship at the spring. Coming down was even more challenging. We were glad for the trekking poles we recently purchased.

I have often heard people say that they feel closest to God while in nature and both the Hindu and Buddhist people of Nepal have created so many temples and sacred spots for worship in the mountains. There are several cable cars in Nepal and they are all designed to take people to a temple. We tourists go for the views.

Thursday we made a spur-of-the-moment decision to go to Chandragiri. We had hoped that the wind would clear the skies enough for good views of the Himalayas from the top of the cable car and it did. It wasn’t a perfect day but it turned out to be good enough. This is an activity that would have been better to do in the Fall, but we were way too busy then. At this time of year in Kathmandu there is not much rain and the pollution gathers in the bowl-like Kathmandu Valley. 

     Anyway, we had pretty clear views and could even see Mt. Everest—barely and very far away. It is sad that when taking a picture the mountains look so much farther away than with the naked eye. That said, it was really cool how the mountains looked like they were floating in the air. The haze and clouds below the peaks made it seem that way.

This made me think of Shangri-La which is a utopian community hidden in the Himalayan mountains of Tibet. The book Lost Horizon is a story about people whose plane crashes and they are taken to Shangri-La so they can survive. A famous quote from the book is, “In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count, but the life in your years”. This statement offers a profound perspective on the value we place on our time on earth. I hope that our time here in Nepal (and India, and Salt Lake City) will have made a difference in the world and in the lives of the people we have met and served. I know it has made a difference in my life.

     A thought from the song, Reflection, in the musical remake of the movie Lost Horizon is:

“Doing something for someone else

Isn’t really for someone else

It does twice as much for you as something you do

Just for yourself”

My experience has been that not much of what I give is actually a sacrifice. God is so good to me. He blesses me constantly. I am forever in His debt. Serving a mission is often seen as a sacrifice, but I don’t feel like it is. It is true that I am giving my time and using my financial resources differently than I would be if I were at home, but it doesn’t feel like a sacrifice. Yes I miss my family and friends, but I can stay in touch and I have made new friends and met people that I consider “family”. There are things here that are hard and frustrating and so very foreign, but I am enjoying my time here and know that when I get home and am able to enjoy the conveniences and comfortable aspects of life in Rexburg I will miss the uniqueness of Nepal, Manoj’s smile, the people that we meet on the street, the spirit of the Kathmandu branch, and giving very meaningful service.

     Shangri-La has become synonymous with any earthly paradise, particularly a mythical Himalayan Utopia – an enduringly happy land, isolated from the world. We can’t live our lives isolated from the world. We need to be willing to give of ourselves, our time and our talents to build Zion which is the only Utopia there will ever be.

It has been another interesting week here in Kathmandu. We continue to develop relationships with new NGO’s and refine project proposals. Along with this are those things that we need to do as we prepare to exit Nepal and return to the US. It evokes both happy and sad feelings. We truly have enjoyed our time serving as humanitarian missionaries although it has been somewhat challenging. Chocolate helps a lot but not quite as much as prayer.

Besides the challenge of everything that is so different here, we have been coping with the delays inherent in any organization. We find that we want answers much faster than the hierarchy allows. When we add to that the waiting on the other end–we are kind of the middle man–it requires lots of patience.

Aside from all of this we found time to do some serious souvenir shopping. Manoj took us to the “ancient market” and helped us secure some great prices on various goods. The first store we went to required climbing a very steep set of stairs and ducking though two doorways to enter a room with goods stacked all around. I could stand upright, but just barely and poor Rick had to hunch over or sit. I wish I had taken a picture, but I think I was too much in shock to think of it. The following are pictures I did take from the excursion.

While out on our morning walk Tuesday and Wednesday we took note of some salesmen. The first was a man that has a mobile tea service. I didn’t get a very good picture, but he has a small stove inside a large metal bucket that has been cut to hold a large teapot. He carries paper cups and serves his product along the sidewalk as he walks along. Quite ingenious.

While walking through a neighborhood our paths crossed that of these two rug salesmen. They turned left and we went right as they called out their sales pitch while walking along the road. We were surprised to meet them again a half mile later as we both headed across Battisputali road toward our neighborhood.

We also saw one of the fanciest chicken trucks we have seen in either Nepal or India. Chicken trucks are a common sight and assure the local butcher shops have very fresh poultry. One of Nepal’s “farm to table” businesses.

Friday morning we went with our landlord to see his current business project. He is building a small “resort” as he calls it. It has a restaurant, bar, meeting room, a few semi-private dining areas and three hotel rooms. The restaurant and rooms have amazing views that include the Himalayas when the weather is clear. He has space to expand if the business prospers. It is well thought out and in a pretty, natural setting with forest preserve on one side. Krishna is trying to create a natural, traditional Newari feel to the resort. He is quite excited about it and invited us to return to Nepal for a free night’s stay, haha.

All the commerce and industry this week got me thinking about the major shopping trip I need to plan when we return home, so I’ve started a list…Tillamook cheese, ice cream, berries, beef roast…

As mentioned before, life here is full of contrasts and always interesting. One of the boys from church was looking at the pictures on my phone and wondered why I took pictures of dogs and monkeys and people doing what he considers normal, everyday things. All I could say was that these were not things I see at home. I only see monkeys at the zoo in the United States.

Here are a couple of dog pictures to end this post.

 

 

 

We have been in Nepal for eight months now and I have realized that those things that were so fascinating back in May have now become commonplace. Here are some examples of unusual sights that I missed photographing: the extension ladder being carried by the passenger on a motorcycle, the family of four climbing onto their scooter, the goat tied up outside the butcher shop bleating “s-a-v-e  m-e” in his little goat voice. We still find Nepal to be amazing but we have gotten used to things here to the point of wondering how long it will take to adapt when we get home.

We have had another week filled with working on various tasks in the office. It is not as interesting as playing tourist, but certainly what we are here for. We have several projects in the development and proposal stage which require a lot of back and forth as we answer questions and find workable options as difficulties arise, which they inevitably do.

With that said, here are a few photos and observations of the week.

We have stopped counting dogs while walking. There are lots and lots, but we don’t see many puppies. We do see dogs outside of butcher shops and other little shops and cafés hoping for a handout. We see them sleeping curled up on shop steps, at the side of the road, in the middle of the road and maybe on their favorite sandpile.

These dogs are the third set to follow us this morning. They stayed with us for about a half mile before being distracted by some other dogs. Dogs have never followed us before today and it seemed odd. Then I realized I probably smelled liked the bacon I had cooked!

Here is some typical scenery as we walk through neighborhoods. Laundry is hung anyplace that is available. People often have various types of shops on the ground floor while they live on the upper floors of the building.

There are little temples and shrines all throughout the neighborhoods. These include small niches with a picture of a god, small to medium sized structures with a figure inside, and sacred banyan trees. Each day we see people carrying offerings to these spots to worship. It may be water in a copper pot, a plate made of leaves containing rice or fruit, or perhaps a garland of marigolds.

This is a garbage cart. The collector blows a whistle to let everyone know to put the trash out. Today is actually the first day I have seen one although I hear the whistle frequently. On the larger streets they have a big truck for collection. I missed getting a picture of the purple haired guy doing the collecting because he stepped behind a wall for a potty break!

As we have become less conscious of those things here that are so different from home it made me think how we can easily miss flashes of inspiration or not recognize miracles if we allow our lives to become too routine and our focus to drift from what matters most. There are amazing things all around us. Miracles happen daily. We just need to take the time to look and we will see the hand of the Lord in our lives.

Like you we started our week celebrating Christmas. It was a little different this year. We wrote the Christmas program for our the branch here in Kathmandu and were in charge of the presentation on Christmas day. I accompanied the singing while Rick led the music. It really stretched both of us. We had practices after church because it is so challenging for people to return mid-week but that didn’t always work out. We definitely could have used more practice. But it came together well enough and the food and Santa afterwards made it all worth it!

Since we were out of town most of the previous week we had some catching up to do which kept us busy. We also managed to catch a cold on our trip and felt the need to rest between tasks. Fortunately it wasn’t too debilitating and we were able to head out again for a day trip to the hill villages of Lalitpur where Latter-day Saint Charities and CHOICE have been building water systems. It has really helped the people in this area to have consistent water flow and plenty of water for irrigation. They can take their produce a few miles up to the roadside and sell it for a decent price. These people are amazing. Sure they have problems and earning a living is a challenge but they are such hard workers and are happy with so little.

We first went to an area called Malta just to see the water project there but for some reason we drove right past the road…maybe because it didn’t really look like a viable road.

       

When we got into the village the first thing we saw was a woman carrying a load of fodder for her livestock.

       

We walked a short distance to the water tank and saw where they will be constructing a building to house the office and storage area. The program is self-sustaining with each user paying a small monthly fee for their water. This amount is enough to pay the technician and the upkeep of the system.

       

Here are some random pictures from Malta. There will be 190 tap stands in this community. Most are completed and we will return for the “inauguration” ceremony in March.

Following our visit to Malta we stopped in at the maintenance training that was being held as part of the project. We then went to Bagmati Rural Municipality 3 for their official Inauguration Ceremony. They were very excited to have us visit and honored us with garlands, tikas, hats (a shawl for me) and snacks. The ceremony was held at the home of the woman in blue and black. She is quite the character and spoke to me in enthusiastic, rapid fire Nepali with her huge smile. I just had to smile in return because I have no idea what she was talking about.

There were several dignitaries there including the municipality chairperson and the water users committee chairperson. They spoke, we spoke, Kiran from CHOICE spoke. Then there was the ribbon cutting, snacks, and lots of pictures. We also helped hand out some backpacks with school supplies provided by CHOICE and DōTerra.

I have to say that the women of Nepal are incredible. Many are raising their children without the support of a spouse. They are industrious, clever, tenacious and beautiful!

Not only did a woman host the celebration but another woman donated the land that the water storage tank is built on. She has an orange orchard and we had the privilege of picking fruit from her trees while supporting the local economy.

I love finding places like this last photo where plants manage to grow in what seems like an impossible place. Not only do they grow but they can thrive. I think the women of Nepal are like these plants. Life is very challenging and yet they persevere and succeed. Challenges build character and help us become our best selves.

 

 

 

Our lives build on all that has happened previously. Hopefully we learn from our mistakes and grow from our experiences. This week has been no exception. As Rick mentioned last week we went to Biratnagar for the HBB training and I got quite sick. I’m still not sure exactly what the sickness was, but the after effects have lingered. This has tested Rick’s patience as I have been somewhat cranky and not very helpful. He can’t even hope for a new missionary companion. We have had office work to take care of and are trying to get some challenging details worked out. This takes a lot of back and forth between our team in Hong Kong, people in Utah and the NGO’s here in Nepal. With each step we get a little closer to finalizing some projects and some procedures.

Rick mentioned several “tender mercies” one of which was my feeling well for the Primary Program. It wasn’t until the next day that I realized how blessed I had been. The following day I felt totally wiped out and awful without much appetite. Unfortunately this continued well into the week. While we were sitting in the office of our accountant, he asked if I felt all right and then proceeded to tell me I didn’t look so good. To help me feel better he strongly encouraged me, as in not taking “no thank you” for an answer, to take some herbal water. It was rather soothing, but I was very hesitant to take anything I had not prepared myself.

While at the training in Biratnagar, Ranjan, who was coordinating the training, invited us to attend the Gunyo Choli for his daughter this week in Kathmandu. This is a ceremony and celebration honoring a daughter as she turns eight. We weren’t very excited about going, but it turned out to be very enjoyable. We arrived at the party palace a bit early and got to enjoy the extended family singing and dancing!

Since my digestive system was not back to normal it was more difficult to really relax and enjoy the snacks and dinner. We thought we wouldn’t know anyone there but as it turned out there were several people we knew from our humanitarian work here in Nepal and we were made to feel very welcome.

We had a little excitement at the grocery store this week. When it came time to check out Rick couldn’t find his debit card. He had used it before entering the store at an ATM but it was nowhere to be found. After triple checking his pockets and wallet we offered up prayers then asked Manoj and a store manager for help. Eventually we returned to the aisle where Rick had taken this picture…

Rick thought maybe his card had fallen out of his pocket when he pulled his phone out. It was not visible on the floor, but when he bent down he saw it under the shelving. We were so relieved. Having to cancel the card would have left us without access to our money, yikes! Learning from our experience we will always put our cards away properly.

Progress is slow but with a few small steps at a time we are closer to having two more projects ready for approval. Today I felt well enough to go walking and do yoga with a little retail therapy thrown in for good measure.

 

After returning from our trip to Thailand I anticipated that we would have some things to catch up on but I had no idea we would be in overdrive. We leave on Monday for five days for the training of trainers to help improve labor and delivery, called Helping Babies Breath/Helping Mothers Survive. This is the same training that we went to back in May when we first arrived in Nepal. There was much to do in preparation. 

We are working on a new proposal to provide equipment to a clinic in an underdeveloped area, Dakshinkali, that has a newly built clinic in which they provide low and no cost care to the village people. They also bring in volunteer specialists periodically and run health camps. It is an impressive organization and we are hopeful for this project to be approved. Everyone deserves basic healthcare and early diagnosis of health problems.

On Wednesday we received an email notifying us of a meeting of International NGO’s and some government officials regarding aid for the victims of the earthquake on November 3rd. Upon arrival at the location of the meeting we learned, after talking to several people and several trips up and down the stairs, that the meeting had been moved across town. The traffic was congested and it took us about half an hour to get to the Ministry of Women and Children. It is a restricted area and fortunately they accepted a soft copy of our passports as we had not anticipated needing them. We were quite late and there were only a few seats left among the 69 people who were in attendance. We had planned for our driver to accompany us but there was no parking and so we sat through an hour and ten minutes of people speaking in Nepali. I was able to understand a little as they threw in a few English words here and there. I recorded the meeting on my phone and Manoj translated some if it for us when we got home. The short story is that the people are still without shelter and as it is getting colder they are in great need of warm clothes, blankets, tarps and tents. The powers that be are trying to coordinate efforts so that the needed supplies reach the right people and so that efforts are not duplicated. We are working toward providing blankets but need a formal request from the government to initiate the project. We hope to get this going before we leave on Monday.

There were multiple other little inconveniences and problems that I won’t go into but they contributed to the feelings of discouragement and inadequacy we were experiencing. It is hard to understand how we can come from our week of uplifting, encouraging, motivating experiences in Bangkok and be thrown into the chaos of life in Nepal with the challenges and intricacies of humanitarian work and feel so low. There has been a lot of waiting on answers to questions and on people to respond with needed information this week. At least we had so much to do that we were busy while we waited and we could see that the adversary was working hard to thwart us.

On a brighter note, we got the Christmas decorations out of the closet and put up a little tree and a few other decorations to help us remember that it is the Christmas season and there is always hope and joy as we look to our Savior.

As a second bright note we walked in neighborhoods this week that were recently painted for Tihar.

And to close, there were many bright and beautiful orchids in Bangkok.