Monday 14 April, New Years treats in ESL class

Patsy and Shirley ended their morning session today with a little New Year's Day party.  They had brought little gifts for each student. They were very thrilled.  The teacher's were less than dignified as you can see.

          the court jester

           Paris Hilton

Sunday 13 April. Movement on the station

The Mackay ChristianSchool team left at 6.30 am this morning to fly out to Nepalgunj near the Indian border, and then embarked on a two and a half hour trip up those famous Nepali roads up the mountain.  They have arrived, weary, but keen to be there and see where our girls come from, the school we have there and to contribute to the community there.  Peter is spending the next four days doing leadership training with 63 pastors and church leaders.  Lyn is teaching effective teaching and leadership series 2.  The girls will be painting some rooms, and Johnno with be doing maintenance of generators, bikes and the bus and everything else that moves ( or doesn't move when it should) .  I did another round of photos and updates of our girls, Shirley and Patsy continued on with ESL.  We have some sickness in the team with 3 down with various maladies.  Grahame has been preparing for a week of teaching at the  Bible school, from 9a.m. To 5p.m.starting tomorrow.  Surprisingly, it is New Year's Eve tonight in Nepal.  Tomorrow it will be 2071.  We hope there won't be too much partying.  It is enough to contend with yapping dogs at night.

Robyn

Wednesday, 9th, new arrival, horn blower, dogs

We are all very tired today. We had barking dogs all night, and once again, the horn blower at some unearthly hour blowing his leg- bone horn.  The girls from Mackay. Christian School went to another hostel today and entertained  the kids.  They are such great girls.  Four of them are only 15, and one is 17, and they are very mature.  They jump in and do the washing up, and are so respectful and willing.    Today, as I walked back from one of the hostels, I came upon a group of boys playing cricket, with a homemade bat.  They called out to me and asked if I would like to play.   They were telling me in broken English how they love cricket and especially Shane Watson, so they obviously watch the game.our new team member is a nurse, so she will be doing some health training.  

Dinner around the table, girls washing up with head lamp, girls journaling their thoughts  at the end of each day

Robyn

Twin-tubs, journals, and a crazy man

Girls pretending to know how to use a twin-tub

Shirley and Patsy in front of the class

Today, as I walked down the street, and man was walking with his pants off, with one leg in the pants, and holding the other leg out at right angles.  Once again, I wasn't quick enough with take the photo.

Only in !epal.

Business men's conference

Peter Irvine conducted  a conference today  with about 200 businessmen which was very well received.  Peter also preached at both services at Hosanna church yesterday, packed to the doors as usual.  Today, we visited Tusal hostel and the team from Mackay played games with the girls which they enjoyed enormously.  They are on holidays at present, so it broke the boredom a little for them.

Shirley and Patsy are conducting ESL training.  Their classes begin at 6a.m. Till 8 a.m. and again in the afternoon from 4p.m. Till. 6 p.m. So they have to be up at 5a.m

Robyn

Sunday 6. Crèche and construction

Workers about to start work, carrying heavy loads of gravel up three floors  and the crèche  for the little ones as their mothers labour long and hard.

Tuesday 2 April

It seems as if we have never left, just slotting right in again.  We had two ladies travel with us who will be doing ESL training, and then later yesterday, Peter arrived.  Tomorrow we are expecting another Peter also.  The building going up around us here is amazing.  Apparently, money is being loaned from the government, and there is action everywhere.  Opposite the lane from us, they were digging the foundations by hand when we left at the end of January, and now they are half through the second floor, bearing in mind that everything is mixed by hand, bricks and mixed cement is carried up on their backs one heavy load at a time , by the women. Then everything is rendered and painted some lovely bright colour.  It is pretty steamy during the day, and I guess it will only get hotter leading up to the monsoon season.  We have 24 all together on team , some for the whole time, and others for a week, or maybe two.  There is a school team for three weeks, but they are going out to the west to see where the girls come from and do some work out there also, for a week of that time.  Once again, we got a royal welcome from our half-way house ladies when we arrived interrupting their training.  They are in temporary housing while we are looking for a better house for them.  At the moment, they have to walk for one hour to get to training, and then walk another hour home.  They should be fit.  Things will begin in earnest tomorrow, so I'd better get my act to together.

Robyn