Anna and Patrick celebrated their 10th birthday party. On the morning of their birthday they were up at 6 to open the many presents that family had posted from home. It was like Christmas morning, many thanks to everyone who sent presents and cards. That 
afternoon we invited our Nepali neighbours, and Namrata,(from my work) and her family for birthday tea. The next day they had a joint birthday party for school friends with another mission family, out with IS Malaysia. The school numbers have grown and there are now children from 8 different countries attending.
I have been cycling to work, not for the faint hearted. Need to
keep your eyes firmly focused at all times, pot holes, cows and what they leave behind! There is a definite road hierarchy; cyclists are close to the bottom, female foreigners on bikes come even lower.I have been doing more work in Green Pastures Hospital, with a young head injury patient, a 45 year old lady following a stroke and a young boy with Cerebral Palsy. The biggest difficulty for many of these patients is how they are cared for after they return to their own homes and communities. Many homes are not adapted in a way that enables them to live with their physical disability. Families and communities often have a poor understanding about disability.
In WRH
the government hospital, a team came from India to provide training to parents of deaf children who have had a Cochlear Implant fitted. The cost of the operation is equivalent to £10,000-£12,000!!! ALOT of money and some of the parents have sold homes and businesses to cover the cost. This is in effect selling off their financial security. One child who attends is profoundly deaf and has received a free analogue hearing aid through a poor fund set up by INF for poorer patients. She is very bright and making some progress. Unfortunately, because of the severity of her hearing difficulty the analogue hearing aid gives her very little hearing benefit. I enjoy working with this family, who are Christians, but it is also frustrating knowing that in the UK she would probably receive a Cochlear Implant on the NHS. Another patient, 45, following a stroke has been left that he can say no words. He was found lying on the roadside and taken to the hospital. He had no family and no-one could find any relatives. On discharge from hospital he had nowhere to go so one Christian man took him in to live in his home. Often these people are themselves ve
ry poor and have little but they still give to others around them.I also did 2 slot
s of training, with an interpreter (Nepali definitely not that good) to Community Based Rehabilitation workers. It’s the 1st time I’ve been involved in training where when we had a late start due to technical difficulties, instead of complaining, everyone joined in for an impromptu song and dance session, it was great.
Stephen has continued to be kept busy with the US Aid project to provide wheelchairs for patients when they are discharged from hospital. This month again he is involved with Irish Aid, looking forward to the next 3 years and planning what work people will be involved in.
It’s starting to get cooler,AT LAST and the Himalayas are being seen more often. We’re doing less language class and more work, and are starting to feel that we’re heading out on our own. Some days we just feel tired and overwhelmed, but other days like to day it all fits. It started off with me missing the bus, so I started to walk and got a blister, but next thing the husband of one of our Nepali teachers came past on his motorbike and offered to give me a lift! 1st time for me sitting side saddle and trying to stay on over the bumps. Today was the voice clinic day and one of the patients was a singer, so my language teacher asked him to sing me a Nepali song, which he did very well. Just all so relaxed and informal! Then, my bike confidence now found, I managed to hitch a lift back home with my language teacher. Things like this make me grateful to be here living this experience.
