October Visitors

Anna, Patrick and Molly reading the letters brought by Granny and Grandad from family and BushValley school friend .


Molly proudly sporting her new shoes courtesy of Mary Lyle


Refreshments being taken on the Balam circuit


Derek with Fishtail in the background

Group posing on the suspension bridge before the walk

Oct 09

October has been festival fever. The 2 main Hindu festivals of Dashain and Tihar. Even the goats get a make over! As we write a group of children are in the yard downstairs singing and dancing. The Nepali equivalent of carol singing. Sleep has been short as singing and dancing is going on at night all around.

We went on our mid West orientation trip to Surkhet and Neaplgunj (this should have happened in March but was postponed to the frequent bandhs.) We visited other INF projects in these areas. To get there by bus took 12 hours, with Patrick being sick most of the time! Travelling in Nepal does wonders for the prayer life. Landslides, meeting other packed buses and narrow bending roads. Rickshaws were the transport in Neaplgunj. Most drivers at the journeys end wanted more money. The one who definitely didn’t get a bonus was the one who breaked too late, bumped into the one infront and Molly fell out into the road!

We also managed to fit in a long weekend in Bardia National Park.11 INFers had a great time, elephant riding, rafting and all round relaxation and good fun. No tigers, but an impressive set of tiger footprints in the sand, which made me wonder how safe we were walking on foot?? We also saw 2 river dolphins!! Which are now an endangered species.

Nepalgunj and Bardia, are on the border with India and were HOT. We tried different cooling down methods. Water fights, and just getting into that river with all clothes on!!!

Hellos and goodbyes are a constant part of life in Pokhara. Ther are always short termers passing through and the people coming long term stay here while they do language study. Chelsey from Canada stayed with us for 3 weeks. She was an OT who worked at Green Pastures. A family who have been here 6 years, from Malaysia, leave at the end of the month. The school had a leaving party on Friday. Saying good byes so often is hard.

We’re getting ready for my mum and dad coming out. 10 months since we last saw them. We are all very excited. Hard to believe 2 more months and we’ll have been here a year.

Invites for daal bhaat (rice and lentils) keep coming. I’m definitely a potato person, but it’s lovely to be building up friendships within the community.

Aug/Sept 09

August the children went back to school, twins to p6 and Molly into p5. They continue to be happy and settled. 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 very poor and have little but they still give to others around them.

I also did 2 slots 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.

July 09

July started on a low note as the kids and I arrived home from school at the start of the 5 weeks holiday and wondered how we would pass the time. The afternoon was spent with lots of reminiscing about glorious Donegal, somehow forgetting the rain, wind and cold!! Now at the end of the hols we can look back over 5 busy and eventful weeks. 1st priority was to buy long awaited bikes. We left the house at 3, walked to the shop, and FIVE hours later returned home. Oh, how many cups of tea can a person drink while looking at kid’s bikes and negotiating a “very good price”.

We took a trip to Tansen, and stayed at the guest house, beside the UMN Mission hospital. We met many other mission families there, and in particular the Chadwells, working in Kathmandu with BMS. They have 2 kids and we enjoyed their company. Steve celebrated another birthday while there and the kids had got him a t-shirt with superman logo on front and, “Super Daddy” on back, he wears it well.

July has brought some heavy monsoon rains, although apparently not enough. On the days it does rain heavily, the streets can get slippery and some hapless foreigners need help from caring locals to stay upright. ( see photo) While this may have saved me breaking a hip, the lady’s grip was so firm, I wasn’t sure my arm was going to come off so well.

We also has a few health issues, I got a chest infection, but no need to see a GP here, just go to the pharmacy, and self diagnose and medicate! ( Drs please look away), and Steve broke a tooth. Fortunately we were already planning a trip to KTM, so he got his dental treatment, and we finished our vaccinations. Children were VERY happy. I had hoped to meet some Nepali SLTs but couldn’t get in touch with them, so another time. The heavy rain also caused problems in KTM where there has been a rubbish collection strike. The rubbish was literally floating down the roads! The way to deal with this? Cover it all in lime ????, totally disgusting. However, we also met up with the Chadwell family who entertained us at the British Embassy, where the kids played in a park straight out of England and we enjoyed roast dinner!

Despite being monsoon, we awoke one morning to glorious views of the Himalayas. The photos were taken from our roof and if they don’t do justice, you’ll just have to come and see for yourself. For me they really do testify to God’s greatness.

We had our first house guests, Catherine Hutchinson from Coleraine, and Samantha, a Malaysian girl studying at Queens in Belfast. Both were out through IS Ireland to work at a school in KTM and Catherine was also involved in training teachers. We really enjoyed having them, it was very encouraging, good to chat colloquial and always good to get a few goodies from home.

Harry Potter fever has also not escaped us, Patrick has spent all summer reading the books and we’ve seen the latest film.

Work at the government hospital is going well, the team are all so welcoming and tolerant of my very basic Nepali. The tea break banter often reminds me of home. My efforts are the butt of many friendly jokes and they have all taken it upon themselves to be my “teacher.” Steve has also been kept busy on a wheelchair project.

Thanks to all who keep in touch and read our blog, it really encourages us. Please continue to pray for our work, relationships, language learning and daily living here. Remember particularly travel on the roads during monsoon, it can be pretty hairy at times!

June 09

Sat past, (our Sunday), the missionaries sang in the service "The Lord's my Shepherd", we got a round of applause, that doesn't happen in Bushvale!! Singing in the church is really good. I can now read Nepali script enough that I can follow the words in the hymn book, and if they repeat enough can have a go at singing along, often don't know what I'm singing about. Differences in church are, taking shoes off to enter, which I find quite gutting sometimes, as for me my shoes are all part of the outfit! Sitting for a very long time on the hard carpet on my bum! Everyone praying out loud at the same time, lots of hand waving. Next week we’re off to another church to see their equivalent of children’s day.

After church today went with a Nepali friend to her house who I hadn't seen for a while( she also works as a ward caretaker at the govt hospital) Used to find her really hard to understand but today was understanding much better which pleased me. She was married at 15, is now 30 and has just started back at adult school. She goes for 2 hours in the a.m. before her work!!!!

Friend has bought a tv so will be keeping up with Wimbledon, electricity allowing. At moment its good only off 4 hours a day. Steve heading out to watch Murray.

Stephen, being kept busy with different INF projects. My language and work SLOWLY plodding long. Today I was being asked for advice and one patient had been booked in specifically for me to see and advise on what to do next. Thank goodness for having a few years behind me. Hope Namrata and I are making a good team, she has the Nepali and I have a bit of knowledge- I hope! Rosie ( who did job before me) has Namrata really well trained, and I feel she’s doing a pretty competent job.

Namrata’s sister got married so after my 3rd day at work Stephen and I were invited to the wedding. It was a long but very colourful affair, and a privilege to be asked.

We have taken our 1st steps out to join the neighbours in the early evening when they enjoy sitting around and having a chat. The children played badminton and skipping with children from across the way. Everyone very friendly and great Nepali practise.

May 09

Nearly 2 months since we updated people and blog, quickly realising that in many ways life like home, too much to do and too few hours!

April seemed to be the month for testing out the Nepali health care system. Molly got admitted for a night with suspected food poisoning, and the following week we had to travel to KTM, 7 hour bus journey each way to take Anna to the dentist. It's reassuring though to know that at a cost, we can get good and safe health care. At the hospital word of the foreigner family at the end of the ward spread quickly. We had quite a few visitors who came for a nosey. Stephen and I were too worried of offending to ask the more persistent people to leave, but Molly wasn't so shy and in Nepali asked forcefully "jaanus"-please go. (we didn't know she knew the word).

KTM was pleasant, staying in the touristy area and sightseeing. On the Sun we went to the International Church and met up with quite a few Irish. The Hopkinsons and Campbells, both out with PCI and in the evening we met up with the Howes, also out with IS Ireland.

We returned to KTM with poor Patrick being sick all the way. What week I was again at Munipal hospital with our neighbour, who had been having bronchial problems. She has now
returned to the UK to try and recover.

We also heard that we could no longer remain in the house we were in and the following weeks were taken up with house hunting!!!! I found it all pretty stressful, but a week ago we saw the flat we're now in, we saw it and moved within 3 days! In hindsight, while I trusted God to provide a home, I wish I'd been able to trust enough to lay it at His feet and not worry. The house provided is really so suitable, close to school, all moved and sorted now in time for me to start at work, and we have a roof top where we can see the Himalayas! Our neighbours our Christians, both previous leprosy patients. She has an amazing testimony. Having got leprosy, her family made her leave home to live in the jungle with other leprosy patients. After 6 years she persuaded her dad to take her to a mission hospital. She lived there for few years and eventually came to Pokhara to Green Pastures hospital ( where I'll have some input), and here became a Christian.I look at her and feel humbled at my often luke warm relationship with God and am inspired by her story and that she truly has experienced God's love and blessing.

Our landlady, is a Buddhist, so as well as spring cleaning our house, we had a spiritual clean. Some other INF members and the neighbours came and prayed around our new
home, with particular emphasis where their worshipping altar had Bben.

Stephen has started his work on reporting for Irish Aid, and I start work this Tuesday. Only 2 days initially and continuing with language the other 3 days, til July.

The children continue to thrive. Anna has gone for a sleep over this weekend, so Molly and Patrick are being taken swimming this afternoon.

5 months in and we're no longer the new arrivals, as the next new group have arrived. A couple from Germany and a girl from Australia. Their arrival shows us how much we have learnt in the short time we've been here.

To our prayer supporters, please pray for:
-THANKS for this wonderful house, complete with lots of pink paint! This being Nepal, we'd have felt cheated if we hadn't had pink.
-that the house will be a real home for us
- that we'll develop meaningful relationships with our landlady's family and neighbours in the
area
-That we'll continue to learn Nepali. and that God will give us the ability to understand and to speak.

Easter 2009

If last month was ants, this month we’ve moved on to battle with cockroaches, there were so many in the kitchen cupboards that by the end the children were picking them up by hand and taking them outside. I preferred the calmer, more adult approach of standing on a chair crying. We also have a mix of ghekos, lizards, a bat, which hangs each night off the clothes rack and of course mosquitoes!! How they love me.

We are continuing, slowly to get to know our Nepali neighbours. We’d our local “Jim McFadden”, wife and 2 daughters here for afternoon coffee and tea. The girls went to another neighbour’s birthday party and we’ve been for daal bhaat again.

In March, was another festival called “Holi”, as part of this, there is a tradition of throwing water and coloured powder. All of the foreigners arrived at classes that day in old clothes. We made it safely to class, but on the way home were “holied” in a lovely bright purple!

House hunting continued, but now the house we’re in has been signed to INF for another long term contract, so we’ve decided to stay. Stephen now has a vegetable patch and has been busy planting. Yesterday we went furniture hunting.

Language learning continues slowly. Stephen bought a fridge and with his limited Nepali and a few extra rupees was able to get our new fridge delivered to our house, the old fridge taken to another ex-pat house and their fridge taken upstairs to their landlords! We were all very impressed. Shopping yesterday I pleasantly realised I can actually now quite easily communicate at that level. Understanding what’s being said back isn’t always so easy. There’s only so many times I can say, “Pheri bhannus,” or “bistaarai bhannus”-(please say again, please say slowly.)

Easter here, our first main Christian event since leaving home. It’s been quite emotional at time singing familiar songs. The children did the Easter story in assembly. What a mix of international children, parents and religions! Being here, has helped to bring the familiar story to life again and given a new perspective to many of the bible verses. Stephen and Patrick took part in an Easter parade. All the churches gather and walk through Pokhara.

We went on our 1st trek, Royal Trek, done by Prince Charles and Mick Jagger, only the best! Actually not on the popular tourist trail, so accommodation pretty basic, we only counted 3 mice in our room the 1st night. We travelled with 2 small bags, and met an American couple on the same trail who had 5 porters fully loaded up!

Missed out seeing Ireland claim the Grand slam. Dad gave us a good 2nd hand account and mum posted out newspaper reports. Gave us great satisfaction, especially when there are Scottish, English and Welsh expats out here.

I eventually made it up to Western Regional Hospital. I’d heard it was very grim, so was pleased it wasn’t as grim as I’d imagined. Everyone I met was friendly and welcoming. I didn’t feel overwhelmed which I took as a good sign. No doubt that feeling will come in 8 weeks after I start work !!!!

We enjoyed meeting up with some fellow Irish people, Crooks from Ballymoney and Rosie Slater who did the job before me and her team from 1st Portadown . To them thanks for taking the time to meet with us, we enjoyed the craic and encouragement.