Monday, October 09, 2006
Pics, Pics, everyone loves pics (no not guitar pics or hair pics)
Banana anyone???...He will even deliver!
Sunday, October 08, 2006
"the Wall...or a wall"
October 8, 2006…
Namaste, mero nam Jason ho. Hulak ghar kaha cha? Masaga euta guitar ra das rupiya cha! (Hello, my name is Jason. Where is the post office? I have a guitar and ten rupees!)
…And that is the extent of my Nepali language. Actually, I have been studying 4-5 times a week and I am starting to pick it up a little. Rina is starting to talk to us more in Nepali, and less in English, which has helped (not that we understand it either, but she teaches us as we go). I am building my confidence to speak to people in the city.
Key Phrase that we use frequently: Mito Cha!...which means…uuuumm, this is good! Regardless of what we think about dinner, we just smile and repeat this phrase.
…I think the weeks get a little harder and harder. The kids have been here in the orphanage all day for the last two weeks. Most of the kids (with the exception of the older ones) will also be out of school for the next two weeks. With the September Nepali festivals, the kids are out of school for a whole month.
There is not a lot to do here in the orphanage, and, as a result, we really have had to be creative with our time. Lots of reading…LOTS!!!
With the kids here all day, I have started to get slightly frustrated as there is never a time that I can just be by myself. I would say that is the one disadvantage of living “in” the orphanage. When a child comes in our room, it is hard to tell them that I need “alone time.” And, as A.D.D.ish that I am, I need to be alone in a room that I can read in, pray out loud, think, and listen for His voice just to be able to focus. So that is a challenge! I spend each day with Him, but, as I mentioned, it is a challenge to stay focused. Today, I hiked up to a nearby mountain. It was only about a 20 minute walk to the top, which overlooks all of Kathmandu. It was neat to be able to take some time and pray with hardly any distractions—just me, God, and the chirping birds. It was very calm and peaceful, and much needed!
I have been reading from John Piper’s “When I Don’t Desire God: How to fight for joy.” I also have John Piper’s podcast, Desiring God Radio, and he devotes 10, twenty-five minute sections with a biblical approach to “why we don’t desire God some times.” If you have not got either of these tools, you need to check them out. They are great for your journey with God. In both, I have learned how to fight for joy even when I just don’t sense that He is near.
David says, in Psalm 43, “Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.”
Even when David is down, He knows that God is going to reveal himself. As you see, he gives his soul a little pep talk. “Don’t be down, soul. Come on, hope in God.” He doesn’t give up and give in to Satan, but he trusts that though He doesn’t sense God now, he will. He is fighting for his joy in God.
…Many times I become frustrated because I don’t “feel” (a soft word that I am starting to hate using in my description of my spiritual life) God’s presence. But, my approach should be like David’s, not allowing myself to dwell on the current state, but to hope in God—to wait for Him. Satan’s attacks haven’t made it any easier though…
…I knew with the decision to move overseas that Satan was going to attack me somehow. I didn’t know where it would come from. Before I left—the night before—the sunroof in my car that I am trying to sell, shattered. Six hundred and fifty dollars out the window; no pun intended!!! However, I did have a generous giver who picked up the whole bill. Praise God! On the third day that I was here I had $60 stolen out of my room. The suspect: A 5 yr. old little boy who roams in and out of our room at 5:30 in the morning while we sleep. He is quite known to pick up things that he likes and put them in his pocket. Other things from other volunteers have disappeared including a cell phone, money, and an alarm clock—and all from the young and brilliant boy. Last week, my camera disappeared. You know, the one that I was using to post those really nice pictures of the children and country of Nepal onto my blog. Well, I managed to get a few photos for posting in the future from another volunteer, but I still have no camera. There have been other incidents where things in my room are moved, and for me it is quite frustrating. But, I am learning to let go of the tight grip that I have on things that I possess. Here I am with all my gadgets and stuff, and I get uptight when I am missing something of mine. In the meantime, the Nepali children have nothing and are always content. Man, I have a lot to learn. All of these attacks have been against my “material” possessions. I have struggled to give up control in this area. It has been hard, but good.
So, there you are, sitting there wondering if this story gets any better. Good news…It might!
Through the really hard times, God has been working. As you might have guessed, the children here have been really open to us. They are eager to play at all times of the day. As mentioned before, God has placed a few older guys on my heart. We have been having fun with these guys and just learning about their life. Recently, Jordan and I have had great conversations with a man named Rajesh (pronounced Ra-jees). He is very smart in his studies of science, and as a result, he wants proof that the Bible is true, that God created the universe, and that God and Jesus exist. He is unsure if he should follow science, Christianity, or Hinduism. It was easy to become frustrated after our conversation, but God has brought me back to the truth that no matter what I say or do, I am not the one who can change his heart. It is Him, the God of this universe! Because of God’s power and sovereignty, and my inadequacy, I am encouraged more to fall on my knees and pray for Rajesh’s salvation. It is somewhat freeing, but I soon realize that I have no control over his heart, and I don’t like that. I want to somehow believe that I can “win Rajesh to the LORD” by my persuasive and highly convincing words. But, I MUST give up control. It brings me back to the Campus Crusade for Christ definition of evangelism: presenting the message of Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit, and leaving the results up to God.
Jordan and I have been talking about starting a Bible study with the 5-6 older guys that live here. You can pray for these guys, as well as Jordan and I as we seek direction. Please Pray for Nabin (Na-been), Rajesh (Ra-jees), Umesh (oo-mess), Brarendra, and Cesan (see-zon).
The spiritual climate of the orphanage is somewhat unknown. In my impression, the kids are exposed to the Bible via church and the orphanage, but I am not sure that they have trusted Christ with their life and made Him their Savior. With the Hindu culture and customs, many Nepalis who call themselves Christians still believe in some of the Hindu gods and follow Hindu tradition. I don’t think they believe John 14:6, which says that Jesus is “the way, the truth, and the life.” One man here confessed that Christianity makes him feel comfortable, and it gives him a good feeling when he prays, yet everyone should be able to worship whatever/whomever they want. He also holds to the worship of Hindu gods. Absolute truth…GONE!!! So we are caught somewhere in between wanting to present the truth that Jesus is the only way, and not wanting to be “those guys that came to tell us what is wrong about our religious culture.” I want every child to at least hear and know that Jesus Christ is the only way. Pray that hearts will be open.
So that about wraps up today’s topic “the Wall.”
I love the emails that you send. They keep me connected to the world I used to know. Keep ‘em comin’!
Miss you all more than you know!
Jason
PS> I am still waiting on the Quarter Pounder with Cheese meal. Has anyone sent that yet?
Namaste, mero nam Jason ho. Hulak ghar kaha cha? Masaga euta guitar ra das rupiya cha! (Hello, my name is Jason. Where is the post office? I have a guitar and ten rupees!)
…And that is the extent of my Nepali language. Actually, I have been studying 4-5 times a week and I am starting to pick it up a little. Rina is starting to talk to us more in Nepali, and less in English, which has helped (not that we understand it either, but she teaches us as we go). I am building my confidence to speak to people in the city.
Key Phrase that we use frequently: Mito Cha!...which means…uuuumm, this is good! Regardless of what we think about dinner, we just smile and repeat this phrase.
…I think the weeks get a little harder and harder. The kids have been here in the orphanage all day for the last two weeks. Most of the kids (with the exception of the older ones) will also be out of school for the next two weeks. With the September Nepali festivals, the kids are out of school for a whole month.
There is not a lot to do here in the orphanage, and, as a result, we really have had to be creative with our time. Lots of reading…LOTS!!!
With the kids here all day, I have started to get slightly frustrated as there is never a time that I can just be by myself. I would say that is the one disadvantage of living “in” the orphanage. When a child comes in our room, it is hard to tell them that I need “alone time.” And, as A.D.D.ish that I am, I need to be alone in a room that I can read in, pray out loud, think, and listen for His voice just to be able to focus. So that is a challenge! I spend each day with Him, but, as I mentioned, it is a challenge to stay focused. Today, I hiked up to a nearby mountain. It was only about a 20 minute walk to the top, which overlooks all of Kathmandu. It was neat to be able to take some time and pray with hardly any distractions—just me, God, and the chirping birds. It was very calm and peaceful, and much needed!
I have been reading from John Piper’s “When I Don’t Desire God: How to fight for joy.” I also have John Piper’s podcast, Desiring God Radio, and he devotes 10, twenty-five minute sections with a biblical approach to “why we don’t desire God some times.” If you have not got either of these tools, you need to check them out. They are great for your journey with God. In both, I have learned how to fight for joy even when I just don’t sense that He is near.
David says, in Psalm 43, “Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.”
Even when David is down, He knows that God is going to reveal himself. As you see, he gives his soul a little pep talk. “Don’t be down, soul. Come on, hope in God.” He doesn’t give up and give in to Satan, but he trusts that though He doesn’t sense God now, he will. He is fighting for his joy in God.
…Many times I become frustrated because I don’t “feel” (a soft word that I am starting to hate using in my description of my spiritual life) God’s presence. But, my approach should be like David’s, not allowing myself to dwell on the current state, but to hope in God—to wait for Him. Satan’s attacks haven’t made it any easier though…
…I knew with the decision to move overseas that Satan was going to attack me somehow. I didn’t know where it would come from. Before I left—the night before—the sunroof in my car that I am trying to sell, shattered. Six hundred and fifty dollars out the window; no pun intended!!! However, I did have a generous giver who picked up the whole bill. Praise God! On the third day that I was here I had $60 stolen out of my room. The suspect: A 5 yr. old little boy who roams in and out of our room at 5:30 in the morning while we sleep. He is quite known to pick up things that he likes and put them in his pocket. Other things from other volunteers have disappeared including a cell phone, money, and an alarm clock—and all from the young and brilliant boy. Last week, my camera disappeared. You know, the one that I was using to post those really nice pictures of the children and country of Nepal onto my blog. Well, I managed to get a few photos for posting in the future from another volunteer, but I still have no camera. There have been other incidents where things in my room are moved, and for me it is quite frustrating. But, I am learning to let go of the tight grip that I have on things that I possess. Here I am with all my gadgets and stuff, and I get uptight when I am missing something of mine. In the meantime, the Nepali children have nothing and are always content. Man, I have a lot to learn. All of these attacks have been against my “material” possessions. I have struggled to give up control in this area. It has been hard, but good.
So, there you are, sitting there wondering if this story gets any better. Good news…It might!
Through the really hard times, God has been working. As you might have guessed, the children here have been really open to us. They are eager to play at all times of the day. As mentioned before, God has placed a few older guys on my heart. We have been having fun with these guys and just learning about their life. Recently, Jordan and I have had great conversations with a man named Rajesh (pronounced Ra-jees). He is very smart in his studies of science, and as a result, he wants proof that the Bible is true, that God created the universe, and that God and Jesus exist. He is unsure if he should follow science, Christianity, or Hinduism. It was easy to become frustrated after our conversation, but God has brought me back to the truth that no matter what I say or do, I am not the one who can change his heart. It is Him, the God of this universe! Because of God’s power and sovereignty, and my inadequacy, I am encouraged more to fall on my knees and pray for Rajesh’s salvation. It is somewhat freeing, but I soon realize that I have no control over his heart, and I don’t like that. I want to somehow believe that I can “win Rajesh to the LORD” by my persuasive and highly convincing words. But, I MUST give up control. It brings me back to the Campus Crusade for Christ definition of evangelism: presenting the message of Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit, and leaving the results up to God.
Jordan and I have been talking about starting a Bible study with the 5-6 older guys that live here. You can pray for these guys, as well as Jordan and I as we seek direction. Please Pray for Nabin (Na-been), Rajesh (Ra-jees), Umesh (oo-mess), Brarendra, and Cesan (see-zon).
The spiritual climate of the orphanage is somewhat unknown. In my impression, the kids are exposed to the Bible via church and the orphanage, but I am not sure that they have trusted Christ with their life and made Him their Savior. With the Hindu culture and customs, many Nepalis who call themselves Christians still believe in some of the Hindu gods and follow Hindu tradition. I don’t think they believe John 14:6, which says that Jesus is “the way, the truth, and the life.” One man here confessed that Christianity makes him feel comfortable, and it gives him a good feeling when he prays, yet everyone should be able to worship whatever/whomever they want. He also holds to the worship of Hindu gods. Absolute truth…GONE!!! So we are caught somewhere in between wanting to present the truth that Jesus is the only way, and not wanting to be “those guys that came to tell us what is wrong about our religious culture.” I want every child to at least hear and know that Jesus Christ is the only way. Pray that hearts will be open.
So that about wraps up today’s topic “the Wall.”
I love the emails that you send. They keep me connected to the world I used to know. Keep ‘em comin’!
Miss you all more than you know!
Jason
PS> I am still waiting on the Quarter Pounder with Cheese meal. Has anyone sent that yet?
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Thursday, September 28, 2006
"Nepal...actually...is all around"
September 27, 2006
I’ll take the Quarter Pounder with cheese extra value meal, ketchup only, and a Dr. Pepper with extra ice. Figure out the cost to FedEx that to Kathmandu, keep it fresh, and actually ship it on over, and I guarantee I will buy you a Ribeye from the restaurant of your choice upon my return home. Oooh, Ribeye…I could go for one of those as well!
To be quite honest, I really thought that there would be a few American restaurants that I could retreat to for an occasional meal as my taste buds beckoned. You know Pizza Hut, Subway, Mcdonald’s, or Taco Bell. Ok, I might be stretching it just a little with the last two, but something to take this rice taste out of my mouth for one meal. I am planning a two week diet upon my arrival in the states that includes dining at all the great fast food chains. You might argue there aren’t any. Right now, I beg to differ!...
…On a more serious note, this week has definitely been a more challenging than the last as I am growing accustomed to the culture of this country and realizing that home is right here for the next 8 months. A lot of times it is fun, sometimes its very interesting learning the differences, many times hard, but, in all times it is good.
5:30a.m.- the sun rises, the children are waking/ running up and down the halls yelling and laughing, and I am sound asleep in my bed, visions of sugarplums dancing in my head. Actually, I think our version goes something like, “visions of crab spiders tormenting our every sleeping moment. (Allow me to explain a little later)
6:00a.m. - alarm goes off…without thought, I immediately hit the snooze button. “Just give me 15 more minutes of sleep.”
7:15a.m. - I finally muster up the motivation to get out of bed. Actually, one of the girls knocks on my door to inform me that breakfast is ready, to which at that point, “I AM UP!” I can’t miss tea and sopapillas in the morning! I think…scratch that…know that breakfast has become my favorite meal. Basically a homemade tortilla rolled up with honey on the inside. I could do this every morning!
9:00a.m. - we walk the younger kids to their bus stop not even a quarter of a mile from the orphanage. (The older kids—6th grade and up—walk up a steep hill every morning and then another half mile to get to their school)
9:15a.m. to 4:15p.m. - Jordan and I try to seem like we have things to do. Some days we go in to town, which is about a 20 minute bus ride. Some days we stay at the orphanage and read/ watch movies/ hang around. But we are slowly finding things to do.
4:15p.m. - the kiddos return from school ready to play, to which I become like a rag doll to a dog, used at its expense.
7:00p.m. - everybody meets in the tv room for music, prayer, and study of the Word. Jordan and I have been taking the kids through Luke and following some key events of Jesus’ ministry. It is a tough task as we have a 5 yr. old and a 20 yr. old in the same room. We have been talking about how we can restructure the time to cater to the different age groups. But for right now, this will have to do.
8:00p.m.- Dinner time on the roof (Literally). “Jordan, I wonder what we are having for dinner?” said the Jason. “I’ll take ‘Pass me another bowl of rice please, for $400,’” respondeth the Jordan.
9:00p.m.- head to my room for reading, typing blogs, and just catching up with Jordan.
Approximately 10:11p.m. – Lights out!
There you have it! That’s our schedule in a nutshell.
One Exception: in September Nepal has several festivals, to which most of the children migrate to their homes in their villages. Quite confusing, actually, because most of the kids here have at least one parent. Some have two. (And you ask, “Then why are they in an orphanage?” Being that 40% of the people here live at or below the poverty line, most of the parents do not have an adequate enough income to support a family. Therefore, they send their kids to orphanages like CWC, where they know that the kids’ basic needs are being met.) So, right now 85% of the kids are gone to their homes with their families to celebrate the festivals. They won’t return for 2-4 weeks based on how far away they live. So the days have been out of whack since the beginning of the week, when the children first started leaving. We have about half a dozen left here, and they will stay throughout the festivities.
Yesterday we (Matt, a British volunteer; Hilda, a German Volunteer; and Jordan and I) took them to a Nepali film in the city. They had a great time! It was very hard for Jordan and I to sit still for 2 ½ hours without understanding one word spoken.
***Sidenote: I might get totally random here for a few minutes. Several thought are bombarding my mind at once!***
Traffic here is a crazy and chaotic, yet, functional system. No lanes at all…you drive on the left side of the road…and when you want to pass, you simply honk your horn and then pass. There is a lot of horn honking here. It was weird at first. In America you only honk if you are angry or if you see somebody you know. Jordan and I would always look up at cars honking as they passed us thinking we might know them, as we are used to in America.
Lunch and dinner here is the main course of rice with a few side dishes of vegetables, spicy sauces, and meat that go mixed in with the rice. At first I did not care for the meals. Now, I am getting used to them and I am even so hungry at times that I look forward to them. So, its not too bad! I haven’t gone without eating at all! One day last week, we went to Thamel, the tourist part of Kathmandu (one hour bus ride from the orphanage), and we had Chinese food for lunch. We were in Heaven! Coca Cola, $0.33; Egg rolls, $1; Sweet and Sour Chicken, $1.50; Dining at a Chinese restaurant in Nepal and experiencing the once lost taste of something familiar, Priceless…
… We shall return!!!
The kids here have so little compared to what we are used to, yet they are so content with what they do have; never asking for more, unless it is candy (they call chocolate) and in my room. Every once in a while the kids will see us in our rooms on our laptops or with our electronic gadgets, and they are so fascinated. We already went through our entire picture libraries on our computers, explaining who each person is and how we know them. They really enjoyed that! And, they are always asking to see more Solomon photos, which, sadly enough, I only have 2-3 of. Fortunately, the Schwartzman’s sent a photo album of the last year and a half with Solomon, and Rina was able to show that to the kids. They studied each picture intently. You could tell they were interested! Thanks, Anita!!! Great Idea!
Oh yes, almost forgot about the crab spiders…There are spiders here that are huge. I am not kidding when I say that with legs and body they can measure up to the diameter of a tennis ball. We found one in our room the 2nd night we were here. We were just getting ready to go to bed and saw one on the wall. You can imagine what affect that had on me for the rest of the night. I had horrible nightmares. I would wake up every two hours and check the wall to make sure there were none. In one dream, I was pinned down on the floor of our room. There was a hole in the wall where several of these crab spiders were coming out of. Each one had crablike pinchers attached to their bodies (Thus, the name, Crab Spider). And they were headed towards me. Jordan just sat there and watched as I got attacked by these monsters. Well, actually, I awoke shortly before.
Life here has been crazy, but good. Spiritually speaking, the children here know a little about Christ. They go to church every week and worship Him. But, they are like babes in their faith. I am reminded of the verses in Hebrews… “you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s Word…You need milk, not solid food!...Solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.”
The kids and even a lot of the young adults are very, very young in their beliefs and faith. I have asked questions that I would consider to have been very basic and they were slightly confused. Some might be due to the language barrier, as they speak broken English, and I speak no Nepali. But, I wonder sometimes how much they know and believe, and where we can start to build upon. That’s why we started studying Luke. We wanted the kids to hear about the life of Christ. So please pray that God will reveal to us and give us wisdom concerning specifically how we are to reach them and meet them where they are at. And please pray that these kids, whether young or old, would be open to a relationship with our Father, for those that aren’t there yet. And pray that the children would be FAT (faithful, available, and teachable). Also pray that Jordan and I would find a church that we can plug into. We did go to the Nepali church the kids attend, but we cannot understand any of it.
We have given the items that you all donated. Thanks a bunch for the generous gifts. They were really needed and appreciated here.
Well, this blog is 3 pages long and I think successfully qualifies as a “marathon blog” so I better go. Miss you all, sincerely!!!
Eat a Hamburger for me,
Jason
I’ll take the Quarter Pounder with cheese extra value meal, ketchup only, and a Dr. Pepper with extra ice. Figure out the cost to FedEx that to Kathmandu, keep it fresh, and actually ship it on over, and I guarantee I will buy you a Ribeye from the restaurant of your choice upon my return home. Oooh, Ribeye…I could go for one of those as well!
To be quite honest, I really thought that there would be a few American restaurants that I could retreat to for an occasional meal as my taste buds beckoned. You know Pizza Hut, Subway, Mcdonald’s, or Taco Bell. Ok, I might be stretching it just a little with the last two, but something to take this rice taste out of my mouth for one meal. I am planning a two week diet upon my arrival in the states that includes dining at all the great fast food chains. You might argue there aren’t any. Right now, I beg to differ!...
…On a more serious note, this week has definitely been a more challenging than the last as I am growing accustomed to the culture of this country and realizing that home is right here for the next 8 months. A lot of times it is fun, sometimes its very interesting learning the differences, many times hard, but, in all times it is good.
5:30a.m.- the sun rises, the children are waking/ running up and down the halls yelling and laughing, and I am sound asleep in my bed, visions of sugarplums dancing in my head. Actually, I think our version goes something like, “visions of crab spiders tormenting our every sleeping moment. (Allow me to explain a little later)
6:00a.m. - alarm goes off…without thought, I immediately hit the snooze button. “Just give me 15 more minutes of sleep.”
7:15a.m. - I finally muster up the motivation to get out of bed. Actually, one of the girls knocks on my door to inform me that breakfast is ready, to which at that point, “I AM UP!” I can’t miss tea and sopapillas in the morning! I think…scratch that…know that breakfast has become my favorite meal. Basically a homemade tortilla rolled up with honey on the inside. I could do this every morning!
9:00a.m. - we walk the younger kids to their bus stop not even a quarter of a mile from the orphanage. (The older kids—6th grade and up—walk up a steep hill every morning and then another half mile to get to their school)
9:15a.m. to 4:15p.m. - Jordan and I try to seem like we have things to do. Some days we go in to town, which is about a 20 minute bus ride. Some days we stay at the orphanage and read/ watch movies/ hang around. But we are slowly finding things to do.
4:15p.m. - the kiddos return from school ready to play, to which I become like a rag doll to a dog, used at its expense.
7:00p.m. - everybody meets in the tv room for music, prayer, and study of the Word. Jordan and I have been taking the kids through Luke and following some key events of Jesus’ ministry. It is a tough task as we have a 5 yr. old and a 20 yr. old in the same room. We have been talking about how we can restructure the time to cater to the different age groups. But for right now, this will have to do.
8:00p.m.- Dinner time on the roof (Literally). “Jordan, I wonder what we are having for dinner?” said the Jason. “I’ll take ‘Pass me another bowl of rice please, for $400,’” respondeth the Jordan.
9:00p.m.- head to my room for reading, typing blogs, and just catching up with Jordan.
Approximately 10:11p.m. – Lights out!
There you have it! That’s our schedule in a nutshell.
One Exception: in September Nepal has several festivals, to which most of the children migrate to their homes in their villages. Quite confusing, actually, because most of the kids here have at least one parent. Some have two. (And you ask, “Then why are they in an orphanage?” Being that 40% of the people here live at or below the poverty line, most of the parents do not have an adequate enough income to support a family. Therefore, they send their kids to orphanages like CWC, where they know that the kids’ basic needs are being met.) So, right now 85% of the kids are gone to their homes with their families to celebrate the festivals. They won’t return for 2-4 weeks based on how far away they live. So the days have been out of whack since the beginning of the week, when the children first started leaving. We have about half a dozen left here, and they will stay throughout the festivities.
Yesterday we (Matt, a British volunteer; Hilda, a German Volunteer; and Jordan and I) took them to a Nepali film in the city. They had a great time! It was very hard for Jordan and I to sit still for 2 ½ hours without understanding one word spoken.
***Sidenote: I might get totally random here for a few minutes. Several thought are bombarding my mind at once!***
Traffic here is a crazy and chaotic, yet, functional system. No lanes at all…you drive on the left side of the road…and when you want to pass, you simply honk your horn and then pass. There is a lot of horn honking here. It was weird at first. In America you only honk if you are angry or if you see somebody you know. Jordan and I would always look up at cars honking as they passed us thinking we might know them, as we are used to in America.
Lunch and dinner here is the main course of rice with a few side dishes of vegetables, spicy sauces, and meat that go mixed in with the rice. At first I did not care for the meals. Now, I am getting used to them and I am even so hungry at times that I look forward to them. So, its not too bad! I haven’t gone without eating at all! One day last week, we went to Thamel, the tourist part of Kathmandu (one hour bus ride from the orphanage), and we had Chinese food for lunch. We were in Heaven! Coca Cola, $0.33; Egg rolls, $1; Sweet and Sour Chicken, $1.50; Dining at a Chinese restaurant in Nepal and experiencing the once lost taste of something familiar, Priceless…
… We shall return!!!
The kids here have so little compared to what we are used to, yet they are so content with what they do have; never asking for more, unless it is candy (they call chocolate) and in my room. Every once in a while the kids will see us in our rooms on our laptops or with our electronic gadgets, and they are so fascinated. We already went through our entire picture libraries on our computers, explaining who each person is and how we know them. They really enjoyed that! And, they are always asking to see more Solomon photos, which, sadly enough, I only have 2-3 of. Fortunately, the Schwartzman’s sent a photo album of the last year and a half with Solomon, and Rina was able to show that to the kids. They studied each picture intently. You could tell they were interested! Thanks, Anita!!! Great Idea!
Oh yes, almost forgot about the crab spiders…There are spiders here that are huge. I am not kidding when I say that with legs and body they can measure up to the diameter of a tennis ball. We found one in our room the 2nd night we were here. We were just getting ready to go to bed and saw one on the wall. You can imagine what affect that had on me for the rest of the night. I had horrible nightmares. I would wake up every two hours and check the wall to make sure there were none. In one dream, I was pinned down on the floor of our room. There was a hole in the wall where several of these crab spiders were coming out of. Each one had crablike pinchers attached to their bodies (Thus, the name, Crab Spider). And they were headed towards me. Jordan just sat there and watched as I got attacked by these monsters. Well, actually, I awoke shortly before.
Life here has been crazy, but good. Spiritually speaking, the children here know a little about Christ. They go to church every week and worship Him. But, they are like babes in their faith. I am reminded of the verses in Hebrews… “you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s Word…You need milk, not solid food!...Solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.”
The kids and even a lot of the young adults are very, very young in their beliefs and faith. I have asked questions that I would consider to have been very basic and they were slightly confused. Some might be due to the language barrier, as they speak broken English, and I speak no Nepali. But, I wonder sometimes how much they know and believe, and where we can start to build upon. That’s why we started studying Luke. We wanted the kids to hear about the life of Christ. So please pray that God will reveal to us and give us wisdom concerning specifically how we are to reach them and meet them where they are at. And please pray that these kids, whether young or old, would be open to a relationship with our Father, for those that aren’t there yet. And pray that the children would be FAT (faithful, available, and teachable). Also pray that Jordan and I would find a church that we can plug into. We did go to the Nepali church the kids attend, but we cannot understand any of it.
We have given the items that you all donated. Thanks a bunch for the generous gifts. They were really needed and appreciated here.
Well, this blog is 3 pages long and I think successfully qualifies as a “marathon blog” so I better go. Miss you all, sincerely!!!
Eat a Hamburger for me,
Jason
Saturday, September 23, 2006
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Change of Pace
Namaste, from Nepal! I am not sure exactly where to start or what to tell you, since there has been a COMLETE change of pace. EVERYTHING is different. And, what did we learn before we left? "Its not wrong, its just different."
First things first...
Our flight was not too bad, except that for a tall man like myself my legs quickly began to hurt. We sat on our first flight for 8 hours, then had 45 minutes in Germany to get to our next flight, then a 7 hour flight to India. I was ready to stretch. We then had a 13 hour layover in New Dehli, India. As we arrived in the India airport, we had no idea what to do/ where to go, and hardly anyone spoke our language.
Jordan in the India Airport
So, into Kathmandu we came...The scenery was amazing, just as I had expected! Mountains everywhere and villages spread out around the country! It is so different than America, as you would suspect. All the
We are staying in a 3 story building, just 4-5 miles outside of Kathmandu, Nepal in the country. It is so quiet and peaceful here and the people live simple lives. It makes me think that this is the way that God intended for us to live our lives.
It has been an adjustment for me as I am used to the busyness that America demands. Jordan and I have frequently wondered where all these hours in the day are coming from. The days seem much longer here as there is no "agenda", just hanging with the kids. For the first 3-4 days we found ourselves struggling with jet lag and we would take naps around 3 pm. And, when I say "we nap at 3 pm" I mean that we actually had to go to bed at 3 and we slept through the whole night. It was a hard adjustment. But, good news, we have gotten past the jet lag stage.
heart.
Nabin
in our room...
All the kids here have heard the Gospel. They attend church in the city (spoken in Nepali). It is exciting to be able to come along side them.
It has been a lot more difficult to communicate as we are trying to figure things out. I will write more when I figure out the best way possible. I will update you in a few days or a week,
Please pray that God would show us how we are to be used here. We have been hanging with the kids after their school lets out and every night we have a Bible Study/ Worship (music) time. They really seem to enjoy it. Pray that God would give us vision.
Miss you all!!!
I will include a few more pics at the bottom...
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