Well we've been here just over a month so thought it was a good time to update you all on our journey so far. Saturday here, so that means church for us. I often sit and miss you all back in Bushvale and the familiarity of the service and people I know. That said the Nepali christians have a lot to teach us about christian living. Daily prayer meetings at 5:30a.m. are common.
After spending 2 very busy days of induction in an overcrowded and smoggy Kathmandu, we travelled to Pokhara by bus(a 7 hour journey). Our time here has been spent so far settling the children in school, and for Stephen and me attending language classes each morning and orientation for an hour each afternoon, when we're introduced to office staff, and given info on Nepal, it's culture, church, and general expat living.
So what's living here like? Well first impressions are of dirt, dust, heat, animals and people everywhere, but as we start to acclimatise, Pokhara has a lot to offer. The Himalayas are truly amazing, we don't see them every day, but when they do emerge from behind the clouds they remind us of God's greatness. The touristy area has plenty of restaurants to choose from, and the main shopping area has 2 supermarkets where many western foods, at inflated prices are available, about £9 for a jar of Nescafe! We live near an area called Ram Bazaar and are now realising that most things can be bought nearby and we don't have to journey up to Mehandrapul.
Daily living brings many differences,
1: mainly 16 hours without electric, so when it's on we have to ensure pcs etc are charged and water is pumped up into the tank, (we've been caught out a few times on that one), homework completed.
2: Ensuring there's always a torch, or candles readily available for when the battery back up breaks down,
3: Getting up early, really not much enjoyment in lying in too long as the noise of dogs and cockrels has usually woken us up by 5a.m
4:Boiling water and constantly being on guard when eating and brushing teeth, so far only Patrick has had vomiting.
5: Boiling milk
6:Buying food little and often, doing a BIG shop and storing food is not really done, getting it from shop, space, and keeping it fresh being the main issues for us.
7: Walking most places, but taxis are easily got for longer journeys and the buses are fun, very bumpy and you can squeeze onto a seat that's not really big enough only to have someone squeeze in beside you!
8: Being stared at ALL the time, Westerners are around in the touristy area and where we live, other westerners who work for INF, but families are unusual, particulary when the children have red and blonde hair.
Poverty is very apparent, we were invited for tea with a Nepali family, 2 of the daughters come and play with the girls. I have honestly seen better houses at the folk and transport museum, but we had a lovely evening, as we ate our daal bhaat while sitting on the floor and all the neighbouring children staring in the window while we ate.
This family are christians, the dad works away in Dubai, they have 4 daughters, not good in this culture, and mum does heavy manual labour to earn money. There are 2 elder daughters, 14, and 16 who I think do all the house chores and the 16 year old had cooked our tea. This week we have heard that the 2 younger girls who come and play, Muna, 7 and Sagun, 10 are to be sent to live in the village where mum comes from because they can't afford to buy food here in Pokhara, apparently this is common. This means poor schooling and children having to work in the village. Sagun is very upset
A German family living nearby, their didi's (Kamala) husband had a motorbike accident and had to have a plate put into his elbow. This family now have a hospital bill they cannot afford to pay alongside buying food and the rental of their house.
This is a daily prayer, who do we help and how do we help? Nepal is full of Saguns and Kamalas.
Please pray for us:
-as we learn the langauge
-for safe travelling on the roads, we go to an IS weekend conference at the end of this month and in the middle of March will travel for a week to Nepalgung.
-for God to bring into our lives the people He wants us to meet and that we will see and love them as He does.
-as INF continue to look for a suitable house for us to live in
-for our families at home as we adjust to being separated.
Give thanks with us for:
-the children settling well at school and in general
-for health
-for the other new arrivals, 3 other couples and the friendship and support we have in them
-for all the people we meet Western and Nepali who are so friendly
To all of you, thank- you for your kind words and actions before we left and for your continued support which enables us to be here and really encourages us.
After spending 2 very busy days of induction in an overcrowded and smoggy Kathmandu, we travelled to Pokhara by bus(a 7 hour journey). Our time here has been spent so far settling the children in school, and for Stephen and me attending language classes each morning and orientation for an hour each afternoon, when we're introduced to office staff, and given info on Nepal, it's culture, church, and general expat living.
So what's living here like? Well first impressions are of dirt, dust, heat, animals and people everywhere, but as we start to acclimatise, Pokhara has a lot to offer. The Himalayas are truly amazing, we don't see them every day, but when they do emerge from behind the clouds they remind us of God's greatness. The touristy area has plenty of restaurants to choose from, and the main shopping area has 2 supermarkets where many western foods, at inflated prices are available, about £9 for a jar of Nescafe! We live near an area called Ram Bazaar and are now realising that most things can be bought nearby and we don't have to journey up to Mehandrapul.
Daily living brings many differences,
1: mainly 16 hours without electric, so when it's on we have to ensure pcs etc are charged and water is pumped up into the tank, (we've been caught out a few times on that one), homework completed.
2: Ensuring there's always a torch, or candles readily available for when the battery back up breaks down,
3: Getting up early, really not much enjoyment in lying in too long as the noise of dogs and cockrels has usually woken us up by 5a.m
4:Boiling water and constantly being on guard when eating and brushing teeth, so far only Patrick has had vomiting.
5: Boiling milk
6:Buying food little and often, doing a BIG shop and storing food is not really done, getting it from shop, space, and keeping it fresh being the main issues for us.
7: Walking most places, but taxis are easily got for longer journeys and the buses are fun, very bumpy and you can squeeze onto a seat that's not really big enough only to have someone squeeze in beside you!
8: Being stared at ALL the time, Westerners are around in the touristy area and where we live, other westerners who work for INF, but families are unusual, particulary when the children have red and blonde hair.
Poverty is very apparent, we were invited for tea with a Nepali family, 2 of the daughters come and play with the girls. I have honestly seen better houses at the folk and transport museum, but we had a lovely evening, as we ate our daal bhaat while sitting on the floor and all the neighbouring children staring in the window while we ate.
This family are christians, the dad works away in Dubai, they have 4 daughters, not good in this culture, and mum does heavy manual labour to earn money. There are 2 elder daughters, 14, and 16 who I think do all the house chores and the 16 year old had cooked our tea. This week we have heard that the 2 younger girls who come and play, Muna, 7 and Sagun, 10 are to be sent to live in the village where mum comes from because they can't afford to buy food here in Pokhara, apparently this is common. This means poor schooling and children having to work in the village. Sagun is very upset
A German family living nearby, their didi's (Kamala) husband had a motorbike accident and had to have a plate put into his elbow. This family now have a hospital bill they cannot afford to pay alongside buying food and the rental of their house.
This is a daily prayer, who do we help and how do we help? Nepal is full of Saguns and Kamalas.
Please pray for us:
-as we learn the langauge
-for safe travelling on the roads, we go to an IS weekend conference at the end of this month and in the middle of March will travel for a week to Nepalgung.
-for God to bring into our lives the people He wants us to meet and that we will see and love them as He does.
-as INF continue to look for a suitable house for us to live in
-for our families at home as we adjust to being separated.
Give thanks with us for:
-the children settling well at school and in general
-for health
-for the other new arrivals, 3 other couples and the friendship and support we have in them
-for all the people we meet Western and Nepali who are so friendly
To all of you, thank- you for your kind words and actions before we left and for your continued support which enables us to be here and really encourages us.
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