Monday 29th. ESL, cockies, and dolls

 We have been overrun in the kitchen with little cockroaches in the cupboard.  Every time we get out the plates, we have to brush off the black sprinkles from everything.  I decided it was time to clean out.  As there is no such thing as cockroach  baits here, I took out everything and sprayed with insect spray.  All the disgusting little creatures were hiding  on the top of the inside of the cupboard. Well it was really raining cockies.  I was feeling pleased with myself.  The next day,  black sprinkles back on the plates.  Guess we will have to live with it.  It is said that new missionaries who find a fly in their tea, throw out the tea.  After a few months, they take out the fly and  drink the tea.  After more months, they drink the fly in the tea.  Peter above , with ESL class of keen young people trying to master english.  Below the girls in the last stages of doll making.  Robyn.

Sunday 29 September

Not happy Jan

KFC Nepali style  Read the sign carefully

Please Sir

   Little beggar boy begging at the windows of cars while waiting in traffic.  There are  5,000 street children o the streets of Kathmandu.

 Trish meeting her sponsor girl for the first time.  Very cute.

The team went to Durbar Square, Bhaktapur, an ancient city, and enjoyed seeing the old buildings, pottery being made, and other arts and crafts.  In the afternoon, they went to  Swayambhunath, the monkey temple.  There are many great photos of monkeys taken by everyone.  Some were not so friendly, snarling and baring their teeth, other were very cute, keeping everyone amused.  There was actually an artist shop with paintings of the mountains, and the artist  is a Christian lady, with Bible texts on the paintings.  What a great place to have a christian witness in the middle of a hindu temple.  Tomorrow, everyone  will be going in all sorts of directions doing their specific tasks  This is the most diverse team we have had.  So many different things on the go.
Robyn

Friday 26th. Building relationships

  

 

Everything in Nepal is about relationships and community.  All our training and activities are driven by becoming a family with these lovely people.  Trish  is with her girls , Nepalese style,  preparing them for work.  It has been wonderful to see the "light bulbs" going on, as Trish opens up new avenues of thinking.  Hannah above after having her face painted by one of her trainees.  And below, is Danielle, assisting some of the girls working towards english speaking.  The team arrived last night quite weary, but full of stories of their experiences out in the West.  They know they will never be able to fully explain what they have seen and done.  Mike and Frank loved doing training of the pastors, and everyone has seen the places that some of our girls come from.  It is quite confronting.
Peter is teaching ESL and I will get a photo of that in the future.  Today  is   team day off, so we are going out together this afternoon.  The ladies who arrived last night have been washing all morning in the little twin tub mating.  They had mountains of washing.

robyn

Tuesday 23. Going west

Today, 10 team member boarded "Buddah Air" and flew 1 hour to a town called Nepalgunj and then travelled 3and a half hours , winding through mountains to Berendanagar, where they are staying for a few days.  Mike and Frank are already out there, training young pastors from the district.  It is out in the west of Nepal.  It is good to go out there as it gives another whole perspective on life here.  They will all return on Thursday evening.  Trish began her training in "work readiness" for the young women who come here for all sorts of training.  There is a lot for them to learn about applying for work, being a good employee, servicing customers, ethics, and having a vision for what they can be.  They enjoyed their class.  There was also more training in hospitality, doll making, and our balloon experts have been causing great fun wherever they go.  Tim is assisting them while some of the team are away.  There is ongoing  educational instruction at the school, in various ways, and Craig is teaching 42 students in the Bible College.  Six 50 min sessions a day, with an interpreter.  That is hard work.  I have no pictures today, sorry.  This is such a great team.  It is the biggest team we have had, with a big variety of ages and skills, but there is a great spirit between everybody.  Each night after dinner, we get together and share our highlights for the day.  As most of us have entirely different things to do, it is nice to hear how others got on.   Each one here is impacting many lives, but we also are being changed by these beautiful people, who are so grateful and warm and responsive to anything they can learn, and responding to the love shown to them.

Robyn

Birthday party, toenails and cool dolls

 

Today, was Trish's birthday.  66 today.  I'm sure she won't mind me telling you that.  The ladies doing the training and the girls , made this lovely mud cake, plus pikelets, mars bar slice, cupcakes, scones etc.  It was a great party.  Trish and I  went to the Hyatt for lunch also to celebrate her birthday, so all in all, it was a good day.  Above, is a picture of one of the housemothers with a balloon hat on, and Lyn painting the little girl's toenails at one of the hostels.  Also our first completed doll.  The others are coming.  We only have 7 of them all together, and we will be selling them when we come home.
Robyn

Sunday 21, Clowns, Face paint, Dirty nappies and games

 

Finally , I have been able to get back to the blog.  We have had a very full few days.  The team from our old church arrived, 11, and really filled the guest house.  Then today, Trish arrived.  So we had 24 in residence.  WE have been deluged with rain the last two days.  Our main  road was a river and nearly impassible.  I'm sure I saw the animals two by two.  Anyway,  it caused  the power to go out so we were 28 hours without power, except for one half hour in the middle.  A couple of hours after the team arrived we went to church then out to dinner.   They were very weary.  Someone said it was sensory overload.  They have enjoyed every minute.   The team was divided into three, each one going to see different things.  Some of the ladies went to the Miriam centre to see our babies (toddlers now) and enjoyed playing with them.  Then they offered to help with anything and to their surprise they were offered the opportunity of washing the dirty babies nappies in cold water, by hand.  Now if that is not a servant heart, I don't know what is .  Aaron and Hannah visited two hostels and did their balloon art and face painting.  It was a huge hit with the kids.  The third team visited another hostel, and played games with the kids, which they joined in very enthusiastically.   Tonight, we found trouble finding places to sit and eat dinner, and then in the lounge room later, the young people  are sitting on the floor playing cards.  It is really quite nice to sit here and listening to everyone interact sharing all the highlights of the day, and teasing each other.  Anyway I'm off.  

Robyn 

Thursday Party time

 
 
We had our party time today and we had great fun.  Above is the beautiful afternoon tea and the girls cooked all the food.  Then it was on  with the fun.  The rule is that you have to hold your mouth right, squeeze that balloon between your knees and go for your life.  Also passing a tennis ball from one to another under the chin caused great hysterics.  Lyn in the blue dress doing her thing, and right at the top, we were doing the Hokey Pokey,  (you put your bottom in, you put your bottom out, etc. etc.).  Also, the girls putting some finishing touches on their dolls.

Robyn