Movies

The kids love action films here and in my opinion they're very cheesy. I don't understand a word they're saying and the graphics are awful compared to the films in the US. However, this morning when they asked if we could go to the theater, I couldn't resist seeing the excitement on their faces. We have watched several movies at the house but this was the first time going to the theater.

They all got dressed up in their best clothes. I was planning on wearing the t-shirt and and long shorts I had on but Hira insisted I dress nicer...so I switched into a skirt. We walked the 10 minute walk up to the main road...all 19 of us. I can only imagine what we looked like to others. Two of the younger boys, Sudip and Soraj, held tight to my hands.

At the top we waited for the bus...and by bus I mean a big van that you stuff as many people as you can into. In addition to our 19 there were probably already 20 or so people in there. We just pack ourselves in like sardines and hold on tight for the bumpy ride.

It took about 15 minutes to get to the "movie hall" and then we all filed out of the bus and over to the theater. I guess in Nepal you pay for a certain area of seats. We purchased the cheaper seats which meant we sat in front of the theater. It wasn't bad though, we were about 6 rows back from the front.

As I said I didn't understand a word they were saying aside from the few phrases I've picked up in the last week, but I figured out the story line well enough. It played for about an hour than there was a 5 minute intermission and the second half was about an hour as well. All in all it was fun and the kids really seemed to enjoy it. Besides school, most of them don't really get to go very far outside of their neighborhood.

Sudip and Sushila sat by me.

Pictures!

As promised, the "toilet" as they call it here. Again, as Hira says "very simple."

In the back: Michael, Umesh, Hira, and Karma...Soraj is off to the side. Next row is Monisha and Vhim and up front is Sudip and Sudarson. They are watching a movie in on of the boys' room.

Karma, Kabir, Tara with Utsav on his shoulders and Ujjawal playing on the patio outside the kitchen.

Michael and Karma fixing Karma's belt in the kitchen.

One with me and Sudip...he's a lot of fun :)

Brother and sisterly love...Sapana in the back, Sishila, Tara, and Monisha

Last one for today...this is the view from the patio outside the kitchen.

I will try to post more soon...it took an hour to do this many :)

Nepali weddings and bathrooms

As promised I will tell you about the bathrooms...in Hira's words they are "very simple."

You have a room about 5 feet deep and 10 feet wide. Half way through there is a step up where the "toilet" is located. And by toilet I mean the ceramic bowl is in the cemented into the ground. You have to squat over it and there it does not flush. Most toilets are like this however I have seen one traditional toilet. On the other side of the bathroom is the shower which does is cold water...but at least it's running :)

I will have pictures eventually...still need to figure out how I can upload them.

On another note, I had the opportunity to experience a Nepali wedding yesterday. We arrived around 9:30am and at 10am I watched as they put what looked like red rice on the mans forehead. It has a name and it's part of the Hindu tradition but I'm not really sure what it's called. I was able to pick out the Christians because they didn't have any mark on their head. Surprisingly there were quite a few. After the rice thing they walked around in a parade with the groom and some others who I'm not really sure who they were.

The groom drove off following the band and the men followed. The women stayed back to cook or sit. Around 1 we ate. I'm not sure what it all was except the Daal Bhaat. I know there was some chicken as well as potatoes and it was all very spicy. I did my best to eat it and "mommy" was kind enough to notice my hesitation in drinking their water so she sent her daughter Alisha to buy me a bottle.

After we ate, we went back outside to dance. One of the older women kept dragging me out to dance. They found my dancing quite entertaining as I'm sure anyone would have...I have video of this but it will have to wait until I get back to the US :)

We danced for several hours than around 7pm "mommy" said we needed to go. I guess the bride and the groom come back to the house later but "mommy" was worried we wouldn't be able to get a bus back home if we stayed much later. We walked about a mile up hill to get back to the main road then we caught a bus back to the house.

It was a fun day but I was exhausted and actually slept from 9-6 without waking up once :)

First thoughts

I'm not going to go into details about the mess it was getting here but I'll just say the devil wanted to play a little part in this trip...despite all his efforts however, God prevailed and I made it here Monday morning at 8am. (Only a day late)

The first night I said at the hostel in Kalanki, Kathmandu where I met a few other volunteers. Ursina, Dan, and Miranda are all here for the next month however they are working in different children's homes. We exchanged numbers so we can get together sometime in the next few weeks.

Kalanki is an interesting part of Kathmandu. The streets are very crowded with shops and I don't believe there are any traffic laws. That in it's self was an experience. I walked around a little but decided to hang out at the hostel. The hostel is a house where the volunteers stay before and after their project.

Tuesday they took me to my project. I met my host mother, Suna and host sisters, Sapana. and Ratna. Two of the boys were also home from school with the chicken pox. They fed me some Daal Bhaat which is rice and bean soup, then I unpacked all the gifts everyone sent with me. Mommy helped me to sort through them and pass them out. It was amazing to see how grateful they were for such a small thing.

When all the children were home and everything was passed out they dragged Michael and myself outside to play. (Michael is another volunteer at the project. He is 19 and came from South Dakota) Once again they showed me how much they could do with very little. The bigger boys played soccer and I played several different games with the younger kids.

For dinner we had Daal Bhatt. This is the only meal they have but thankfully it tastes good. They serve very large helpings which are difficult for me to finish but I'm trying. If I didn't stop them they would give me even more. After dinner we sat on the terrace and I listened to them talk. (I don't think I mentioned yet that they don't speak very good English. The children speak more than the adults however) Yet again they amazed me with their contentment. They sat for several hours just talking. They didn't need a TV or video games.

And that was the first day. All of them are really wonderful. They gave me a Nepali name: Kulpina, and they're teaching me Nepalease...I'm slowly picking up phrases.

Wednesday was a similar day except there was no school. I just played with the children and really worked on learning their names. There are 19 of them and all their names are new to me so it has been difficult. I think I almost have it now.

I also learned yesterday that they are Christians here. It's difficult to talk to them about it because of the language barrier but I'm learning bits and pieces. Many of them have4 had a rough life already so early but you wouldn't know based on their attitude. They are able to recognize the blessings in their life and not dwell on their hurts. I think they are teaching me more than I'll be able to teach them.

...well I am going to leave it at that for now. My next post I will have to tell you about the bathrooms...we really do take so much for granted!

Feelings...

Excitement,  curiosity,  wonder, and maybe a little anxiety...just to name a few of the feelings I'm having right now.

As I sit here at my computer at 11:30 at night I have so many thoughts running through my head. I can say without a doubt that this adventure I'm beginning tomorrow is of God however I still can't help but wonder what I will be able to do or what difference I can make. I've never really thought I was very good at praying on my own, what if someone wants me to pray with them? How will I know what to say? Will I say the wrong thing and push them away. All of these are fears that I know come from Satan himself, which is why I'm thankful for Andrea's words about God equipping us.

Andrea is a wonderful woman in my life who made the statement last week at a Women's Retreat that "God doesn't call the equipped, he equips the called."

Do I think I'm the best person to share Christ with the children or adults I encounter? Not at all; but I also know that it doesn't matter what I think because I'm not the one calling the shots. His purpose may be for me to teach others about Him or maybe it's about me and bringing me closer to Him. I don't know the answer but what I do know is he will reveal his plan to me in his timing. In the mean time, I will continue to pray the best I know how and I would ask that all my wonderful family and friends pray as well.

Can't wait to share with you all the ways God uses me!

Lots of Love,
Gretchen

Anticipation and uncertainty

1 week, 5 days and 14 hours...then I board a plane and begin the journey God began to set in motion six months ago.

Several people have asked me over the last week if I'm nervous and each time they ask, I'm not sure how to respond. Am I nervous about spending 20 hours on a plane...a little but that's the easy part right? I also have to spend 13 hours at an airport in a country that I've never been to before...that makes me nervous. Then once I arrive I have 6 weeks in a country that has different beliefs, a different language, and an all over different way of life. What will happen when I arrive? Will I like the people I'm staying with? Will they like me? How will my days go? Will I be able to do everything they want me to do? Is it safe for me to be leaving the country right now? ...I could keep coming up with questions about the unknown, but instead I began to read.

I began reading 2 Chronicles chapter 20. The Moabites, Ammonites and the Meunites were on their way to battle Jehoshaphat and his people. When fear began to overtake Jehoshaphat, he called out to God and God reminded him who the battle belonged to. God set ambushes and the Moabites, Ammonites and the Meunites mistakenly attacked each other. They all ended up dead; Jehoshaphat and his people never had to lift a finger.

Jehoshaphat feared the unknown. He was about to be at war with 3 armies and he didn't know what was going to happen; it seemed like a hopeless situation to him. He gathered all the people of Judah and Jerusalem and they prayed...then God answered them. "Do not be afraid" is the answer they received. "The battle is not yours, but God's." How true is this to all of us everyday? Each day as a Christian I encounter battles with others as well as myself and each day I need to remind myself who the battles belong to: Jesus.

When I think about all the things I don't know I remember why I am doing this to start with: God has called me to be a voice for him. Although my battle is quite different from Jehoshaphat's, my response needs to be the same. I need to go to God and remember that this is his battle. I am simply his servant following orders. He will lead each of my steps and what ever happens while I am gone is his will. My job is to listen. So, I will not be afraid; instead, I will continue to pray and seek him while he unfolds his plan.