Day 2

We are having a great time so far in Nepal! We had a little set back last night and this morning. We are feeling a little under the weather, but we are taking the day to rest to be ready for the rest of our trip. I feel bad because today we were supposed to help with some construction, but instead we are cooped up in our hotel room.

            Yesterday was great! We were able to visit a church and were able to go to the Hope Center to do a kid’s camp. We stayed in the church service for a little while and then we broke off to go with the kid’s to Sunday school/AWANA Club time. I really enjoyed this time, because the eagerness of the kids to learn about the Bible was outstanding. We were put in charge of coming up with a game and craft. We played Simon Says and I think they really enjoyed it. I had a little trouble pointing to my nose and saying, “touch your ear,” or pointing to my ear and saying, “touch your nose.” I am not helping the language barrier at all. For craft time we gave them a mirror to decorate and to remind them that they are, “Fearfully and wonderfully made.”

            After church we came back to the hotel to get a few things, ate lunch, and then went to the Hope Center. We sat and watched as the kids performed some skits and dances for us. After the dances and skits, I was able to share the gospel with the entire group (150+). After the service was done we found some kids that were playing cricket, and I had to try it out! One kid bowled the ball to me and I cranked it on top of the roof of the building next door. I don’t think the boys were too happy with the big white guy. I said “Oops” and ran off.

            We are excited about our next adventure, but please pray that we will be able to get over all these stomach issues, get our strength back, and be ready to go. Thank you for all the continued prayers while we are here. Tomorrow we are moving the AWANA Nepal office to the Hope Center and then we are off to do a couple of kid’s camps away from Kathmandu.  

Day Two in Pictures

Yesterday we visited a club and held the first ever event at the Hope Center. What a great day!

Day One Down

Well we officially have one full day down in Nepal. I can honestly say this trip has a different feel to it. Not that I am not thoroughly enjoying myself, but it’s just different. I will explain more later.

We woke up (early of course), but I was amazed at the amount of sleep we got for our first night.

Yesterday we spent the day getting acclimated to the city. We visited the Monkey Temple (it was hot!) and found we were all jet lagged and out of breath! We moved on to the biggest Hindu Temple where we saw people burning loved ones, carrying family down the river to be burned, and worshiping a huge bronze/gold ox. We were not actually allowed to go in since we were tourists, but we viewed it from the outside (actually we had to try and see around the cows blocking the entrance!). At one point I thought we lost Ansley, but when I turned around Ansley was stuck in the middle of an Indian family having a photo shoot. They loved her!

We took rest and drank some coke at what is soon to be the “former” Awana Nepal office, and headed to the Palace Museum. I love museums and had a great time learning about the history of the monarchy in Nepal and the massacre that took place. Read about it! I won’t go into details. We went to KFC afterwards and lit our belly’s on fire!

Then Prabin (the Awana missionary in Kathmandu) took us back to the hotel where we freshened up and then walked the streets shopping. I really missed my Mom today. I had a hard time getting back into bargaining and couldn’t find our regular shops. Parker was getting us into trouble using the word “dollars” instead of “rupees”. He told one man “one thousand dollars” and the man quickly and excitedly yelled “DEAL!!!!!”

We kept asking if people knew Big Mama, and one guy cracked us up. Parker said, “You know Debra? Big Mama? She’s short with gray hair?” He said excitedly, “Big Mama? Short? Gray Hair?” We said, “YES! YES!” He said, “No, do not know her.” Then Parker said, “She’s sassy!” He proceeded to say, “Big Mama, short, grey hair, and SEXY!” Oh boy! We clarified and continued our journey.

We ate supper at another nice restaurant called Kilroy’s. I had spaghetti, which has left the strangest taste, but was a nice surprise.

Today we are visiting an Awana club in the morning and hosting the first ever event at the new Hope Center. I cannot even begin to tell you how excited I am about this Hope Center. I hope to post some pictures and updates so those of you who have heard me speak about it will get some details.

It has been so clear to me that God has a lot to show me these next 32 days while we are here. I can feel him working, whispering, and giving me a hint about what’s to come. I have no idea what this next month has in store, but I know God does. He has it all planned out, and has big plans for us. Please pray for us today as we have our first full day of ministry and step out of our comfort zones. We are still having a hard time adjusting , but are all wanting to leave have the biggest impact we can on the lives of the Nepali people.

We made it!

            Parker here. Well we have officially begun our trip! As I write this I am on the plane from Philadelphia to Doha, Qatar. This is about at twelve-hour flight, and Ashley and I have probably gotten a combined total of 30 minutes of sleep. In Doha we will change planes and then be headed to Kathmandu, Nepal. I am not sure why we are having trouble sleeping – maybe it is from the excitement, nervousness, the gas the airplane food gave me, or maybe a combination of all three! So far I have learned several things, but one thing that sticks out to me is that airplane food is terrible (okay really not that bad).

            I was fortunate enough to grow up in a home where both my parents were excellent cooks, and one of the main ingredients that they would use was garlic. Garlic is wonderful! It permeates a dish and can turn something from boring to amazing. I think the Nepali people change out the garlic for curry, but still changes the flavor of the entire dish.

            In a lot of ways life without Jesus is like airplane food, bland and tasteless. Jesus is the garlic (or curry). I pray as we embark on this journey over the next weeks that people would be able to see something different in me. That as I walk around and interact with the people that Jesus would permeate out of my life and just like garlic He would me unmistakable.

            I remember asking my parents what made their food different, and they would always reply, “garlic.” I want to live a life that makes people say, “What is different about him?” And I can reply, “Jesus.”

One more week...

Well, the last time we blogged was almost a year ago. At the time we were letting people know the true reason for our blog: providing a way to update friends and family as we spend our summer in Nepal.

I am having a hard time believing that it is really happening. We are really going to spend 5 weeks in Nepal. Some of you may think, “big deal.” Oh, but it is a big deal. Let me explain why.

I am very OCD, germ-free, and clean. I do not want to get dirty and sweaty unless I am planning on getting dirty and sweating. I don’t like smelling funky smells, and I have the sharpest nose around, yet I am going to a place where the trash and filth in areas is piled high emitting an aroma that would cause many to gag.

I don’t like thinking that there are diseases I could catch in a country where diseases are not easily treated.

I don’t like to imagine bugs crawling in my bed after just coming inside because I found a mysterious spider on my foot and immediately Googled it’s appearance on my iPhone to see if it was poisonous.

I do NOT like to be late. I am very structured, with a plan, and a goal to accomplish; yet I am going to a country that refers to their respect for time as “Nepali Time.”

So how and why am I going to a third world country for 5 weeks, and why am I excited about it?

The answer is simply, I don’t know.

All I know is that God has given me an unbelievable passion for international missions and a desire to serve those from countries not as fortunate as us. Ever since my first trip to India, I have constantly planned and searched for ways to get back. On our first date, I told Parker that I loved southeast Asia, and I might just end up there one day. It’s funny that I told him that sitting in the Varsity parking deck waiting on the power to come back on so we could eat; because I don’t think I had ever told anyone else that.

After being married for less than 6 months Parker said, “Let’s go to Nepal next summer.”

Then comes the “money” and the “fear of the unknown.” So we began to check our budget, schedules, and “jobs”. And we thought, “Okay, we can do this.”

We sold some scarves and bags to help us raise a little money, and we sold every scarf  and bag we had. 

We hooked up with a travel agent knowing we would probably have to pay $4000 for two plane tickets. We got both tickets for less than $3000.

We looked around for a group to go with us and help us in local ministry knowing that people always back out because “the timing isn’t right” or “they are afraid to raise the money.” Then God sent Chelsey and Ansley, whose parents have supported them helping them raise money and working extra hours to give them this opportunity.

We sent support letters partly as a “State of the Union”/“Family Christmas Letter,” and partly as an opportunity to allow people to donate and be a part of our trip. We secretly believed people would set the letters aside agreeing to pray for us, as we asked; however, we also turned it into a competition to see who could raise the most. Then the money came in, and came in. And we were overwhelmed, several times to tears.

In fact, we have almost received the exact amount of money that we set as our goal. Now, we have turned it into a new competition...to see how LITTLE money we can spend in order to leave the rest with the local ministry. Those of you who know me well, know I am a tight wad that still has the first dollar I ever earned.

So here we are...I am going to Nepal...and my best friend is going with me. Boy are we in for an adventure.