A SHERPA MORNING

Friday, October 21^st 2011

In Namche at the Sherwa Kungba Hotel at 8:00 AM

High in the mountains you start to feel a slight struggle for breath. It happens for me at about 3000 meters, we have been at close to 3500 meters here.

It is raining/wet snowing outside. It does this a lot at home in the fall/early winter so it sort of reminds me of home. Roshan and I have been reading Psalms and praying in the mornings before trekking. Today the verses were from Ps. 143. “Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to You I lift up my soul.”

We are not in some comfortable church back home reading this. We are in a drafty, old insulation-less Sherpa Hotel, high in elevation, low in oxygen, and we are about to climb higher, with the wet snow outside. These verses mean something else up here. May we be strong and smart. Please keep us safe.

 

PS I just figured out how to add these photos here so here they are! 

 

From clockwise starting at the left: Ursula, a Nepali Engineer, Chowang, Roshan, me

The view from Sherwa Kungba Lodge, on a cold wet morning

EVEREST DAY 2: MOUNTAIN FRIENDS

Thursday, October 20^th 2011

In Namche Bazar at 10:11 PM.

Altitude: 3450 meters/11,348 feet

Here we are high in the Himalayas in the tiny mountain village of Namche. It is much colder up here – when the sun went behind the mountain it felt like winter – but it was raining earlier. It was a tougher hike today. Luckily, we ran into an older Nepali Sherpa guide (with roots in Tibet) named Chowang who was very helpful to Roshan and me. He saw Roshan as a young guide, a “budding flower,” and he gave Roshan some helpful hints. We were planning on going to the next village because we're on a time constraint but decided to stay in Namche at Chowang's suggestion. It's been good to stay the afternoon and evening here and acclimatize. I don't think I've been this high before. It's been good to talk to Chowang and his trekker client, an older woman named Ursula who is from Arizona, and who is very friendly. We went to Chowang's house on the hillside and drank tea, then to an old Sherpa hotel on the higher side of the hill. Chowang was a very friendly Buddhist man. He's been to Everest's summit twice, a real mountaineer hero. He was cheerful and hospitable, and he got Roshan and I a discounted rate at the hotel, I think...200 rupees – maybe $2.75 USD. Ursula is very friendly too. I think she was looking for a fellow American to talk to because her guide Chowang doesn't speak English too well and she's here in Nepal by herself. I tried to be friendly and open with her and I think it's worked out well. We are friends, and we all ate dinner together tonight. It's kinda special because this morning Roshan and I prayed that God would lead us in the right direction. One of my specific requests was that we'd be open to the Spirit leading us to certain people, if He wanted. Well, we met these two wonderful people. I was encouraged by my best friend back in the States to be open to spreading the Love of Christ wherever I find myself on this trip – to “show up with Love.” I hold that phrase close, and I pray little miracles like today continue to happen.

Roshan and I checked out the Namche Bazar this evening and we got him some socks and some fleece pants for a base layer. The old style Tibetan or Nepali Sherpa were down there selling things for cheap. Some of them had long hair tied together (or braided) and hanging down the side of their faces, very rugged and mysterious looking, like someone you'd see on the cover of National Geographic.

The scenery continues to blow me away. Being here with my “Sherpa guide” Roshan continues to be a treat. I think others see us as an eclectic couple of dudes. Most people are either in larger groups, or couples on some kind of trekking honeymoon. Maybe that's another reason why Roshan and I were drawn to Ursula and Chowang – because our situations are similar: two Americans here by themselves being led by Nepali guides (one old, one young). It's been a great experience so far, one I will never forget.

DAY 1 of EVEREST: RUGGED AND BEAUTIFUL

Wednesday October 19^th, 2011

Namaste Lodge in village of Monjo, at 4:37 pm

Roshan and I were delayed at KTM airport all day. We finally caught the last flight to Lukla airport, and we arrived at about 5:30 last night, just as it was getting dark. When we got off the plane, it was cloudy, colder and getting dark fast. I remember feeling a sense of foreboding, like I was all alone, away from all my friends and family and was about to trek up a mountain to a dark place, to an almost forbidden place. Of course I wasn't alone – I had Roshan, we had each other – but I felt an immense need to take care of my young friend. We had to find a place to sleep fast, and we had to get dinner because we hadn't eaten much all day. We followed some of our plane mates to a place called Paradise Hotel and Restaurant, and we got a room with a queen size bed for 100 rupees, about $1.35 USD, I think. Roshan and I had planned a way to get the cost down, but it's not working well, because it's full season here. I feel kinda bad too, like I'm ripping the lovely Nepali Sherpa people off. The woman in charge was angry that we'd even try to bargain with her so we agreed at the price (we had tried to get free lodging if we ate at their restaurant because I had heard this can work).

At any rate, we had a place to eat and sleep for the night which was what we needed. God provided. The lodge was quaint, rustic and sorta kitschy, with pictures of the Dalai Lama with the Sherpa woman owner, and I think I saw one that showed the woman with Sir Edmund Hillary, the first known person to officially climb to the top of Everest (with his Sherpa guide Tenzing Norgay). There was another picture of the Dalai Lama smiling and superimposed over his monastery home in Tibet, with a rainbow over his head. The food was great – we had Sherpa Soup (a kind of thick garlicky vegetable soup) last night, and a cheese omelette and Tibetan Bread with honey this morning – very tasty.

Today, 10/19, was our first trekking day. Our route put us at Phakding for the night, but I actually found the trekking pretty easy this first day because a lot of it was downhill, and we found ourselves at Phakding by noon, so we kept going. We had been at about 2640 meters last night in Luklya, and I wanted to be at least a little higher this second night. Monjo, the village we reached at 3:00 pm approximately, is at 2840 meters altitude. We got a small room for about $3.00 USD, and we are now resting. We will eat here later.

The trek today was breathtaking. I would say the landscape and the Sherpa people are equally rugged and beautiful. Cute little children run up and down the heights with no difficulty. I see women working in gardens while I see many Sherpa men carrying massive loads on their backs (most of this is held up by a piece of fabric that runs along their foreheads). Many loaded up mountain cows passed us too. I took several pictures of Sherpa children and adults going about their business, but now I feel kinda bad about it. Would I want some tourist coming to my hometown and taking pictures of me? Probably not. It reminds me of the Amish people back home a lot. Actually, now that I think about it, both cultures are friendly and both live off the land well. I also think both utilize the tourist attraction factor well too. Life out here in the mountain villages reminds me of my grandparent's farm, when I would visit there growing up. There is an appreciation for hard work and living off the land. Things are rough around the edges and dirty. But people are happy and friendly...and the scenery is spectacular!

Trekking with Roshan is a real pleasure. His accent and speaking style is something special. We sing songs like Brian Adams' Summer of '69 and James Blunt's “You're Beautiful/ I'll Never Be With You” song. He talks to me incessantly about a girl he likes, Prathna (which means “prayer”) whom he's only recently begun talking to (like within the last week!). He's 16, and he's in love. He reminds me of myself 14 years ago, a teenager with crushes and strong feelings. It reminds me also of when I first met Heidi, my girlfriend, over four years ago. Roshan constantly brings Prathna up and mentioned that he wanted to propose to her. I was shocked until I found out this proposal only means he'd ask her out, like a dating relationship.

Our room at this lodge is a lot better than last night's. It's cleaner, and there's a sound of a rushing river far below. The view is outstanding. I am adjusting well, with no sight of altitude sickness for either myself or Roshan. I guess the hill runs and backpacking trips at home have prepped me well. Tomorrow might be a different story, but we made good time today. I am so blessed to be here.

MOVING DAY

Note: The following blog entries were taken directly from my journal during my trek to Everest

Wednesday October 19^th 2011

On the trail to Everest at Namaste Lodge in Monjo, at 4:30 PM

Moving day was Monday 10/17, and that was a crazy long day. We rented a truck and it took 4 trips to the new house and back before we had everything moved in. Helping to move people back home is a chore, but in the developing world, it's insane! Especially when you're helping to move a community of people! The crazy traffic I experience in Kathmandu is even crazier when you find yourself hanging from a truck and trying to hold the cargo in. It was very dirty. By the end of the day though I had a rhythm down, and I actually felt more energized...I think it helped that early the next morning I'd be getting up and traveling to Lukla and on my way to Everest!

I've gotten a chance to know Rahul better this week which I'm grateful for, because he's 28, closer to my age, and more mature than Roshan. He's a great guy and I wished he could come on the Everest trek, but he has ministry responsibilities.

ON THE EVE OF EVEREST

Sunday October 16^th, 2011

At Prayer House at 9:55 PM

So I am actually spending the night here and I don't have to leave, although I am getting up early tomorrow, and heading back, so I must hit the hay soon...this will be my last entry before Everest.

I was in Thamel today with my friend Rahul, buying some last minute things for the trek – a map, some trekking poles, etc. On the way back we took a Tuk-tuk and were stuffed inside the small cab with close to 20 people. I wouldn't suggest you try this, especially if you are claustrophobic. A couple weeks ago it bothered me but I got over it fast. We drove back through the polluted rush hour to a stop near the prayer house, where I am now.

Sitting behind the driver was a girl who was wearing a face mask which was covering her mouth and nose. I couldn't tell her age because of the mask, but when I looked at her eyes I was enchanted. She was absolutely beautiful. I became inspired to write a short story about a man who travels to Kathmandu to climb mountains, and while riding in a tuk-tuk he sees a woman with spectacular eyes, the rest of her face being covered by a face mask. She gets off the taxi and he loses sight of her out the window in the hustle and bustle of the city. He changes his plans goes on a mission to find out who she is, but all he has to go off of are her eyes. It drives him crazy, like he's trying to find a needle in a haystack, but he's determined. He finally...

Sorry guys, I got a little carried away there. But the people here are beautiful, enough said.

There is so much to do before my trip to Everest. We are moving into the new house tomorrow. I need to clean up my room, pack and move. And I need to prepare for my trip. Roshan and I leave for Lukla – a small Himalayan village with an airport – in about 30 hours. From there we will begin the trek. It's crazy how all this has worked out. My girlfriend has been watching the mini-series show Everest about climbers who attempt the summit, and she is very concerned for me. She warned me it would cost $10,000 to go to base camp. Clearly I do not have that kind of money (I'm a poor college student still!), but I know there are other ways around it. It costs about $120 to get to Lukla. I already have a lot of the gear we will need, and Roshan will help me bargain at the tea houses along the way. I made some connections that first week, and was talking to a Christian Nepali man runs a trekking and travel business. He connected me with a travel agent that set things up for me on the cheap.

I am lucky to get the chance to do this, and even more blessed to have been recommended by my "boss", Pastor Brian, to go trekking in the mountains.  While setting up my field semester, it was made clear by him that seeing the mountains firsthand was practically a requirement.    

There of course is the concern about altitude sickness, but I am planning to be smart about it. I am more afraid of being ripped off by Everest financially than being beat by it physically. But I guess we'll see...I am trying to go into it open-minded, prepared and smart. If things don't work out, then fine, they don't work out. If we don't make it to Base Camp for whatever reason, fine. You can be assured that we will make a noble attempt. This to me, is like the ultimate backpacking trip. Say a prayer and stay tuned.

MOM, I'M GOING TO EVEREST, I'LL CALL YOU WHEN I'M BACK!

Sunday, October 16^th 2011

At Prayer House at 8:37 PM

I have a lot I want to talk about now, but I cannot write much because I am to leave shortly. I will keep this one precise, then write more later. First, I have not given “Roshni” the $7.70 yet, but I plan to. At the suggestion of many, I went to the “International Church” today in Patan, Kathmandu, and the sermon was on giving. I guess that's a sign!

Second, I am trekking to Everest with Roshan. We leave Tuesday, and won't be returning until over a week later. I met a guy at church today named John, who has hiked Everest Base Camp. He gave several good suggestions. Really, it is risky, but I am trusting that God will get me and Roshan through. I will pray for strength and smarts, especially if/when dealing with altitude sickness. It is kind of crazy how this trekking trip has worked out so far, but I will hopefully talk more about that later. I don't think I'll have internet on the mountain so it might be a while. I will try to post something if I can!

I will be attempting Mount Everest (Base Camp that is) so please, be praying for me! Thanks for following my blog!

A STORY

Saturday October 15^th  

Approximately 12:30 PM

So today and tomorrow are days I can catch up on some blog entries and school work. I was just writing a blog when I was interrupted by one of my housemates, who I will call Roshni. I spent an hour talking to her about a personal financial issue of hers. She is the mother of two, and is pregnant with her third. She is due in December. I will not reveal much about the situation on this blog, but I will say that it is pretty serious and involves care for her unborn baby. She asked for 1,000 rupees, the equivalent of about $7.70 in US dollars.

As I consider her story I cringe at my loose spending habits back home and here, because I just spent almost that same amount so I could indulge myself and my two friends with “hamburgers” at the local Wimpy's in Kathmandu. Who would've thought there'd be a Wimpy's here? Who would've thought I'd be stupid enough to go there too? Well, for my part, I was really craving a burger after two weeks of nothing but daal bhat (soup and rice).

Lesson learned: DO NOT BUY A BURGER IN A COUNTRY WHERE COWS ARE SACRED.

I felt a little sick later on, although luckily it passed quickly (no pun intended). But the point remains, my money used to appease a “need” for a hamburger that would make me sick could have been better used by helping my friend with her far more serious problem.

We talked for a time, and I actually learned a little more about the situation here, the interactions among people, and the lack of money these people deal with. Not that we don't have the same problem in the States, and things are always difficult to address, especially among family members and especially among non-family members. But I got a better understanding of the complex web of relationships here at the house, some good things, some not so good things. Living in intentional Christian community is always difficult, I just didn't think I'd be put in the position of counselor so quickly. I tried to encourage her and to remain as neutral as possible, while not being neutral to her particular situation (whatever that means, sounds like a politician's words, right?).

At some point action is required but I need to wrestle through the appropriate actions to take. They told us in class we'd have situations like this where people would ask us for money. The woman I was talking to is a “missionary” who came from India to do ministry for girls and children who have been trafficked. She is “living by faith” and I respect her and her family. I told her I didn't have the full story, that I wasn't sure how much I could afford to help her and that I did not want to develop unhealthy dependency. I prayed for her out loud, at the end, and I told her I would continue to think and pray about the situation. I do think I can afford $7.70, at least for now, and I truthfully can't see how I couldn't give it to her after considering the Wimpy's factor.

There is a lot to think about when it comes to these direct person-to-person interactions, especially when money is involved. It makes me really think about the importance of issues like income generation, micro-finance, and economics in international development. Things are just different here in the developing world. They're less organized and the culture is more laid back than in the States. It's hard to explain. I just really hope I can soon get to work in helping to make Agape more streamlined and organized, so I can achieve that feeling of accomplishment and success that I and my friends from the West crave so much.

EXISTENTIAL GRUMBLING

Saturday, October 15^th 2011

At House at 10:22 AM

There are so many things I could talk about today – like how I have set up my trekking trip to Everest Base Camp, and how I am having to face some selfishness on my part for doing so; like how things are so different here culturally and how I don't have anyone – no friend or schoolmate – from my context back home to go through this experience with and how I am the lone American here in this community; how I miss my family, friends and girlfriend back home, and how no amount of explaining could make them understand my “assignment” for Agape while I am here, and how I don't even fully understand my purpose yet; how I am absolutely sick of having to keep up with my school assignments each week (hope I don't get in trouble for that one), how they are more of an annoyance to me and how difficult it is now to get internet – and that's me griping about the negative side of things.

Honestly speaking, I don't fully understand what I am doing here. That's going to sound great for all of you people back home, I know. I could say something about how it is more about the means than the end, about the journey rather than the destination, but today that doesn't seem like it's enough. I am frustrated and discouraged today. It's not all bad news, and I don't mean to sound all gloomy. I will make it fine here and things will work out for the next two months, I just wish I had more understanding of why I am here. It's not like it was easy to stall my job, buy a plane ticket and then fly all the way to the other side of the world and live in community with people I don't know for 3 months. I wish sometimes like I knew how the things I am doing here relate to some of what I learned in class about development. After my week-long trek to EBC, I will be working with Agape to record stories of their “clients” to help come up with better documents for their record keeping. This will be helpful, but in all honesty I am not sure how exactly to do this and I am not sure what this has to do with the things I learned about in class. It is always a different story when you're in the field, especially when you are facing difficult situations for the first time.

I find myself dividing my experience into three categories, on top of adjusting to life in a new world:

#1. Living in Intentional Christian Community

This provides an interestingly distinct context as there are far more Hindu people in Nepal than there are Christians. At this point for me living in community means that I need to get up at 5:30 AM on weekdays to do prayer and worship with my community members, eat most meals with them, and attend different events and seminars with them, all while building relationships with each person. There are 17 of us counting myself and Brian's family, and the community ranges in age from 1 to 41.

#2. Starting My “Development” Work

Though I have just been adjusting the past two weeks, and I will be trekking to Everest soon, this has been on my mind, and I have done a lot of thinking about what this will look like. I will be interviewing some of the trafficked children and women that Agape reaches out to as well as doing some organizing and document streamlining for Agape, but I hope this fieldwork can expand to other organizations that work with trafficked persons too.

#3. Keeping Up with School Work

This is by far the last thing on my mind the last two weeks. I don't want to write papers, I want to meet people, and learn the culture. Of course, my school work is intended to help me with this process, and I understand that, it's just been so darn annoying recently.

MY ASSIGNMENT

Tuesday October 11^th, 2011

At House at 8:15 PM

My nose is constantly running. Sorry for that lovely imagery folks, I guess it's worth mentioning because the pollution is getting to my allergies or something. I really wish I would have remembered a hankerchief or bandana. I am just getting over this sinus cold thing I've been dealing with over the last three days or so. I am having to cough a lot more than I am used to as well. I don't know what is worse for my health, smoking a pack a day or taking a 10-minute walk around Kathmandu. I feel my body has handled this fairly well, all things considered, but I cannot wait to get out of the polluted valley and into some fresher cleaner mountain air.

Brian has been very encouraging, and he is filled with much knowledge and wisdom. He's got a good heart and a lot of faith – it comes out genuinely in his interactions with his family and those at the Agape Mission. A bad trait of mine is that I am sometimes suspicious of what people may be hiding just beyond their friendly facades, but it's hard to see what is behind Brian. Probably because there isn't anything there. He doesn't seem to hide anything. He loves his family and those he serves, he is not afraid to talk about this, and he is smart. He also has some interesting stories, like how he formed Agape Mission after having a vision of a great waterfall, and then hearing God tell him that God's grace falls the fastest on the least in society – on the women at risk, the widows and poor slum children, some of whom are orphans (please see James 1:27) .

He has also told me how years ago, when he first became a believer in Christ, he quit his job to travel around India and preach, at the Lord's leading. This sounds very risky and bold to me, but he's told me stories of divine healing that happened while in India. Like the time leprosy was cured by prayer; and like the woman who had had a bad heart that was missing a valve, and how after some prayer sessions led by Brian, the valve appeared mysteriously and restored her heart (confirmed by doctors of course!). You can tell he's not yakshitting you (sorry, I couldn't resist). He believes in what he talks about and that he practices what he preaches. You can clearly see it on the faces in our little community – from the children on up to the adults. It is inspiring to see. I want to be more like this.

This morning he took me to a men's breakfast/Bible study with some of the head pastors, development workers and missions people from around the city. Most of them were older gentlemen, likely around my parents' age. Brian was probably the youngest one there besides myself. I listened well and I appreciated all that was shared. I met the pastor of the rather large “International Church” (expatriates and foreigners mostly attend the church), who happens to work for Habitat for Humanity International. There were also folks with cool accents, from places like the UK and New Zealand. I was trying to figure out which accent I like the most – English, Irish or Scottish. The Irish accent wins.

I talked today with Sushila, who heads the Women's Center, a part of Agape that works to train women at-risk – some of whom have been trafficked and subsequently rescued by Sushila and Brian's Agape Mission. I explained to her what Brian wants me to accomplish for him during my time here. He wants me to come up with written templates to document the stories of the people Agape serves – from the street kids through the women that Sushila works with. These documents will in turn help Agape to have some hard evidence of the work they are doing as well as some potentially important trends on the kinds of people that come through their programs. This will help them when they are telling others – including potential donors from the West and elsewhere – about the work they do.

So that is my assignment. I intend to do my best, and I am excited at this opportunity.

The whole experience thus far in Nepal has been tough, dirty, inspiring and wonderful.

YAK MEAT.

Monday, October 10^th 2011

Back at House, 9:05 AM

This week we are preparing the move to the better, bigger house, which lies on the other side of the Ring Road, inside Kathmandu. I will be leaving in a few minutes to go and help with the cleaning. Brian and I will discuss my work for this coming week later this afternoon.

I just ate some yak meat for breakfast. It tasted okay, better with salt. The beefy texture tasted rather bland overall, but there was a distinct fatty flavor I cannot quite describe. I am not a huge fan of the meat they serve here. The chicken is the best, I think. I could get used to it though. Yesterday I had momo, a meat wrapped in flour, which I didn't care for that much. I also tried bahni puri, which is a kind of potato dipped in a spicy watery sauce. It's fast food. The man at the stand on the side of the road took the potato thing in his grimy hands, dunked it in the watery sauce, and put it on a plate. I forced it down, and I must say, it is quite tasty. The aftertaste is the best part. It also clears your sinuses fairly well!

Gotta go get ready for the day! Happy Birthday Mom! And Happy Birthday, literally, to my nephew Gabriel, born two days ago.

THIS TIME I DO MEAN TO PREACH

October 8^th, 2011

The Prayer House at approximately 8:00 PM

I am at the prayer house again. Rashon and I met Rahul here last night. These guys are my new Nepali friends. After a fairly late dinner, probably around 8 o'clock, they half asked, half informed me that I was to be the speaker at a church service the following day – today – starting at 10 AM. So, I was to be the preacher. And I had about 12 hours to prepare, with 8 of those going towards sleep, probably another 2 for homework for class (yes, I am taking classes – actually school is the main reason I am here to begin with as I will earn my Masters after this semester). My friends didn't seem to think it was that big of a deal; they had confidence in my ability under pressure!

I scrounged up an interesting “sermon” this morning, after I finished a homework assignment. I was a little nervous, but I think it went as well as it could have. Rahul translated for me. I talked about living an adventure for God and about my past trip to Sri Lanka, where I went out on a limb, and God came through and provided just like He has for this trip. I used Psalm 37:5, among other verses. “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will act.”

I am loving the interactions with my new Nepali friends. Of course it is the little things they say in their broken English that are a real treat. Here are a couple examples. I received a text from Rashon the other night, when he was spending the night at his pastor's house. Here it is word for word:

Hey, jake! where & How are you? I miss you. Have a Nice dream. Suva ratri.

(Suva ratri means “good night” in Nepali). Another one happened earlier tonight. I had brought Rashon up to the roof at dusk to show him the snow covered Himalayas looming in the distance. I had just discovered these mountains beyond the mountains (or “hills” as they call them here) surrounding the valley and I wanted Rashon to see too, because I got so excited. They were barely visible on the horizon except for a couple spots where they jutted out. I would look at them and then have to turn away because they reminded me of another planet, far off and rolling along the horizon, and I was terrified by them. But I kept turning back and getting excited, like some screwy kid who keeps sticking his finger in an electrical outlet. So when I showed Rashon, we both became excited and the little brown teenager with the contagious smile said in his thick lovely accent “Mountains make me crazy!” Maybe you had to be there, but I just grinned and shook my head in amazement at the moment.

Rashon and I talked on the roof, my favorite place to have a conversation with someone. We talked about our trip to Everest Base Camp. We are planning to do this, but it may or may not work out. It would be at least two weeks away from the valley, and we would need to leave soon, like in a week or two at the latest. Maybe going to EBC is an over-the-top touristy thing to do, I don't know. Really, I don't think I care about that anymore. I feel that I wouldn't want to go there with anyone else at this point. Going to Base Camp with Rashon would be an honor.

We also talked about the current prime minister, who is from the Maoist communist party. Apparently Rashon is a little communist! He's a fan of Nepal's PM. I know I have said this before, but I thoroughly enjoy talking to Rashon. He seems well-versed in sociological topics of his country. I can talk easily with him about democracy, communism, social problems and development. He told me that when the communists came through his village a few years ago, when there was political upheaval here, he ran and hid for two days at his teacher's house so he wouldn't get recruited by force at age 13.

I like Rashon's sense of humor.  It is goofy, like mine.  I like that we can relate to each other in funny ways.  He and I are both second born children and, strangely enough, we both had a nephew being born today, if you can believe it! 

The thing I like most about Rashon, however, has got to be his child-like faith in God. He now feels called to be a minister, but it wasn't always this way. He told me about his life before he came to know Christ. At one point he was considering joining the army. At another point he was suicidal. When he found Christ, his Hindi family kicked him out of the house because of his faith. Despite his relatively rough background, now that he knows Christ, there is a glow about him. It makes me want more of what he has.

SORRY, I UH...DIDN'T MEAN TO PREACH

DAY 7: October 6^th, 2011

The Prayer House at approximately 7:30 AM

I spent the last evening at the prayer house, a few miles from the house I am staying in. It is a kind of local retreat place for workers at AGAPE. This place seems peaceful and is cleaner than the other place. There is a TV and internet. I am catching up on some school work now. Today is Dasai, a Hindu holiday, so the city is actually moving slower than normal. Most businesses are closed today.

Roshun came here with me last night. He has been most helpful. On the way here it was late and the holiday had already started and we couldn't get a taxi or bus. We saw some, but they passed us by. We were thinking of turning back for the house, but kept waiting and praying to ourselves for a taxi to stop. I remember lightly thinking my prayer for a taxi was either foolish, or just answered because we had to wait so long. We finally walked up the road a bit, and there was one waiting for us. I didn't think too much of the incident until Roshun told me the taxi was a blessing from God.

It seemed like such a simple, almost unimportant event. To me, if a taxi didn't come, we'd just have to head back to the house. Roshun the other hand, was concerned about getting the taxi, and I very much appreciated his child-like faithfulness to God. Roshun is interesting to me. He is very smart and reasonable and helpful. But he also is only 16 years old. I remember when I was 16. My faith was alive as his. Was I naïve in those days? Conversely, is my seeming lack of faith now naïve compared to the miracles – both large and small – that I have heard about during my stay here?

Living with Christians in a city that is largely Hindu is quite fascinating. Religion is very important to these “poor” people – be it Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism or Christianity. They attribute things like whether or not a taxi arrives as a miracle of God. The Christians I am staying with – Brian Williams and Company – tend to the more Pentecostal charismatic branch of Christianity. It's been a while since I'd heard people speak in tongues, and I would be lying if I said I didn't have any reservations to what is actually happening. My darn Western mind is filled with so many questions! And their faith is so child-like. It is a beautiful thing. I remain open and earnest. I can firmly say that I am a Christian, as they are. I definitely appreciate this. My faith is refreshed.

Brian Williams, myself, and two visiting pastors from the UK (both named Peter) had a meeting here last night about what my time and work might look like over the next two and a half months. It appears I will be traveling to villages outside of KTM, as there are probably close to 30 million people living in the villages out in the countryside. I have gathered that in some of these villages, there are virtually no girls left between the ages of 12 and 16. They have all been trafficked through KTM and on into India and elsewhere. I will also be helping the various programs with documentation and fixing some of the grammatical errors on the website, making it look better and more professional for Westerners, who's support is quite necessary. I hope my research and work is beneficial to the AGAPE family.

I was told the other day that I have a “missionary's heart” because I am steeping myself in the people, language and food. Apparently not every foreigner dives in so easily. I replied that it is not hard to enjoy the foreign food when it tastes good. But it occurred to me, coming from my context – which I suppose would be something of an educated Christian Westerner context – that on one hand I am not too fond of this term “missionary.” It seems like a term from another century. I don't mean any disrespect to those who call themselves missionaries, I really don't. They do great work and take on great sacrifices. Maybe I would say I feel more like a Christian anthropologist! I am trying to tread lightly here, but these are honestly some of the things I have struggled with thus far.

On the other hand, if I try to consider the context of those I am staying and serving with in this far away land, if I put away my confounding Western thoughts for a minute, I can fully accept what this person said to mean that I have the heart of someone who is willing and able to share the Love of Christ no matter where on earth the person might be. I don't know if that is me, but I can say that is my goal in life. I don't have to contemplate too deeply to realize that I actually may have come here for more selfish reasons – to finally earn my degree so I can land a better job; to get away from some mundane aspects of life back home; to be a part of an adventure story that takes me to the highest mountain in the world.

A great thing about being on an adventure in a foreign world is that you learn so many lessons about yourself. You cannot help but compare your own situation at home with the people's situation here. You start to realize the areas where you are weak; your own selfishness and materialism. I have been on enough trips like this in the past to have known these thoughts were coming. But each time it hits me with the same power. No matter where you are on the earth, life is so short, so fleeting. What are you living for? No matter how secure you try to make your world, you are always within the palm of His hand. Some people recognize this, some people do not. I don't mean to get melodramatic and preachy here, but I think it's true.

I realize that while I am fully capable of talking about these things philosophically, living them out is a different story. My prayer is that I can look through all of the cultural barriers that exist, both here and back home, and see to the heart of myself and of each person I meet and know. My prayer is that I can see that the very person in front of me was created in the image of God.

BRANCHING OUT A BIT

DAY 5: October 4^nd, 2011

“The House” 5:15 PM

I don't think I have ever felt as filthy as I did today. Kathmandu is sooooooooo dirty. Luckily, just now I got to shave and shower. I feel fresh and clean. Back home I don't like to shave, but right now I sure enjoy my clean smooth face!

Today I got a chance to ride on a van taxi across the city to a seminar in what I believe is a northwest extension of KTM. On the ride back, the van had close to 30 people inside while it had only maybe 13 or 14 seats. We traveled to a poor village outside of the Ring Road. This Ring Road is the road that surrounds the city. I believe the city is set up with the Dhalits (the lowest caste of people) pushed to the outskirts where the Ring Road is. The wealthier castes are located towards the center of the city, but it's hard for me to tell. Everywhere I have been has been covered in mud, dust and exhaust, with trash scattered about for decoration. This caste system is unfortunate and unjust. “The House” where I am staying is right near the Ring Road.

Over the last two days we have been traveling to different training seminars set up by Brian. Yesterday we attended one where two pastors from the UK, both named Peter, spoke on the wonder of serving God. Brian also spoke on the Hebrew translation of the word YHWH (Yahweh) and how it relates to both male and female, and the importance of both genders. At some points I was a skeptic, but overall it was a good presentation. The whole point of this seminar was a training on the importance of trafficking prevention, with both males and females playing unique and important parts. I met Glenda, an American who grew up in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, maybe 2 hours from my hometown of Reading! She is working to combat human trafficking in the provinces outside of KTM, where the trafficking starts. She is hoping to work in community development to build jobs for those in these poor rural villages so trafficking girls won't be an option. I am excited to continue this conversation with her, and perhaps I will get to work with her in those villages.

Today we had a seminar at this village outside of KTM. I think it was more of a church service, and there was no translator, so it was hard for me to

[INTERMISSION: I had to break here immediately to go with my friend Roshun to get a canister of gas. Just FYI, Roshun and I seem to have become friends; although his English is not the best, it is a lot better than my Nepali! He is constantly making sure I am being helped out. Brian suggested that Roshun be my trekking partner, as I plan to go trekking hopefully to Everest Base Camp in a few weeks. Shall I call Roshun my Porter or Sherpa?!]

Continuing at 7:00 PM... understand most of it. It was on the importance of tithing but I cannot say much more because I would only be guessing! I was happy to hear the songs of praise of those in the church and I must say, probably 80 – 85 % of those in attendance today were under the age of thirty. It seems the Nepali church is very young – at least from what I have seen. There were encouraging stories of miracles too. There was a girl who was told she only had a day to live. The pastor of this church took her in and prayed with her; there was nothing else that could be done. The girl came to know Jesus, and was healed within a few days. Though I like to play the Western skeptic, these stories truly encourage me. I do believe them. It is sad for me to say that this kind of thing doesn't seem to happens in the West. Although our “advanced” medicine is a miracle too!

Anyway, my friends back home are missing out (no offense friends...and you're not really missing out, if you're reading my blogs!). I do think that if they were here, they all would be benefiting greatly from this experience, as I am!

WELCOME TO A FAR AWAY PLACE

DAY 4: October 3^nd, 2011

Ashram Bethel House 7:23 AM Local Time

After going through customs at the airport, I immediately got recruited for the Western sucker. A nice Nepali man came up and insisted on loading my luggage on a cart. This was immediately after I exchanged money and I didn't know how much to tip him, so I gave him a 20 and a 30 bill in rupees; later I found out that this was under 1 USD so I felt relieved I hadn't given away a huge amount of my money!

Without knowing, I walked right by Brian Williams, my contact and the founder of AGAPE Mission; out in the street I was ushered along by a policeman with a whistle but I was able to come back inside the airport with the help of an elderly Nepali man, who wanted a tip (I wasn't as easily suckered in this time). Brian was on the other side of the glass with my first name on a piece of paper.

We took a taxi – a beat up 20 year old hatchback with a kid driving – to the Bethel Ashram House, where I am staying. The ride was like old times in Sri Lanka with people driving fast and honking horns, as they do in the developing world. Several times I thought we were going to get hit by buses and motorcycles spewing charcoal black exhaust. Brian made the trip more easy-going by talking with me about the book he's writing and the programs and ministries of AGAPE.

The people at the house were beautiful and joyful, though they definitely live in relative poverty. They are all Christians here. I don't quite know all their names yet. Roshun, a 16-year old with an infectious smile, made me feel welcome with his half-decent English and helpful attitude. Koruna, a Christian Sherpa woman from the Nepali side of the borderline with Tibet, also was welcoming and helpful and she made some wonderfully tasty “special” Darjeeling tea (It's pronounced “Chia”). Narmada, who speaks the best English, walked me to the store last night so I could buy some bottled water. We traveled by foot through mud (as it had rained just as I arrived – Brian called it showers of blessing!) to get there, but it wasn't very far. When I got back I had to spray down my flip-flops and feet twice. It was probably a bad idea to walk there without my boots! There are numerous children here too. We then had a dinner of rice and vegetable soup (daal bhat). After trying to learn some basic phrases in Nepali, I showered, unpacked the rest of my stuff, and went to bed exhausted. My 9 or 10 hours of rest last night will help me for today.

This place, though definitely rough around the edges compared to what I am used to, seems amazing and wonderful, and the people here at the house make it better! The view from my room is breathtaking. I am excited to see what this day brings.

LEAVING ON A JET LAG, DON'T KNOW WHEN I WILL SLEEP AGAIN

DAY 1: October 2^nd, 2011

New Delhi Airport 6:15 AM Local Time

(Actually it is now day 3; I left on September 30^th, flew right through October 1^st, and here it is already the 2^nd and 24 hours have barely passed since I lifted off from Newark, NJ)

I am feeling groggy after a full day of traveling, and I still have not reached my final destination, Kathmandu. My flight boards in over 5 hours and I have been sleeping on and off on a seat by a window off to the side and sort of hidden, here at the airport. I like this spot. I knew I had a full night to spend here so I looked into hotels connected to the airport, but they were all expensive. I could have gotten WiFi, a shower, and a bed for 5 hours at the rate of about 85 USD! No thanks, I'll stick it out in the main airport lounge and save my money. The Delhi airport is nice, I think; clean and professional and warm and inviting as well. Although I saw a mosquito at one point in the night flying around me...I pray I don't get malaria! I think I'll be okay. The sun is coming up now.

As I look out the window, I see all kinds of nifty looking airport trucks passing by. I remember as a small child I would dream about having a job where I drive around cool big trucks like that. Wait a second, maybe I still dream of that!

This is the second time traveling internationally by myself. I was in a place like this before though, many moons ago when I traveled to Sri Lanka, with my old college friend Naomi. It is always better when you can travel with a friend. That was 5 months after the tsunami that occurred in late 2004. I remember viewing that whole trip as being literally an act of God's provision. I stepped out into the unknown, with my “cause” and He provided.

I still believe that, but this time around so far it seems something more like clockwork. I don't mean that in a negative sense necessarily. It's just that before, 6 years ago when I was younger, everything seemed newer and bigger. I am sure that will change once I get to Nepal. I will be as wide-eyed as ever, and I will have to trust in God's Provision and Grace to get me through the next 2 or 3 months, and back home by Christmas.

I suppose I am a little older now, and the older you get, the more you get used to a certain way of living. Things are not as new as they once were. You start to think less about relying on God, and more about relying on yourself. This is not a horrible thing per se, as God has given us our bodies and minds to think us through situations we find ourselves in. But let me not forget that Spirit, which is closer to me than the air I breathe (this is a good thing because I have been getting whiffs of trash at my airport spot every now and again).

Seriously though, I was thinking that life is about stretching yourself to explore new places, new people, new ways of thinking. This is not for the sake of a feeling of purpose necessarily, and also not to test your God (yeah right, as if that was even possible!), but as you grow things get “old,” as it were. We were meant to continue this exploration with God, be it by traveling to another country, buying a house, getting married, having a child.

Truth is I don't know all that much. These are only my thoughts at the moment, and I will probably be getting more philosophical down the road. Maybe my thoughts will change. They probably will. I am going into this as wide-eyed as possible. I am traveling now, to Nepal, expecting the unexpected. I pray for God's Spirit to walk ahead of me, and to prepare my steps.