A little nostalgic

It is our last day here and this morning we were going to see a couple of little girls with new sponsors to take photos of their sponsors to show them.  The rice paddies, usually iridescent  green are beginning to yellow off at the tops as the grain heads are forming.  The stalks already tied into sheaves to stop the heavy heads dropping down.  Women have their washing draped on hedges and fences and on the grass.  The little block houses painted bright pink, blue, green stand out against the rice fields.  Badi 5 hostel has the new little girls from the village we went to see the first week we were here with Binod the politician.  They are all so tiny.  Once again we were entertained by their singing and dancing.  Our taxi driver and a male teacher had to do their bit also.  I won't miss the terrible roads, full of potholes, large rocks, and clouds of dust.  I won't miss the incessant barking of what seems like a thousand dogs at night.  They sleep all day and off they go at night.  We have said all our goodbyes, but of course we will be back here on 28th December, so it really won't  be a long break.  Thanks for following along with us on the journey.

Robyn

New accommodation

We have loved our flat here in Arabank but we will need to find new accommodation.  When we first came here there was a small garbage dump at the corner of our street but as time has gone on it has grown bigger and bigger.  The people who work in dump, go through all the rubbish with their bare hands sorting recycling  out.  Apparently, they are very tough characters, and have recently bashed up 10 people near here.  No one will complain about the smell or the way they have completely blocked our street.  Every time we come home in a taxi, the street is full of foul smelling trucks, and these vehicles and bags of rubbish are moving closer to the house.  There are lovely houses in this street and it must be terrible for real estate values.  Its all about "location, location"  We had a house in mind, but the owner wants to sell not rent.  We are very sad about leaving here and it is very comfortable, is close to the things we need to be close to, and we have many happy memories of our time here with our beautiful Nepali teachers, and our Aussie teams, our nice little gate keepers family and their two little boys, Onus, and Monus  (the whole family lives in one tiny room about the size of a small single bedroom.)  We would like to see first hand any building we move into.  We don't want someone else deciding for us, but time has beaten us so we will have to see what happens.

Robyn

Saturday - Goodbyes

It was our final church service today.  Once again jammed packed to the doors, the sunday school  filled to the brim, and then  the big changeover from first to second service.  One hostel has 96 kids.  Can you imagine getting then all ready for church.  When we came out from the first service, there they were all lined up outside the church, quietly waiting for their turn to go in.  After church, I had to reinterview a beautiful young women who I had talked to before.  She wanted to tell her real story.  Previously,she had been ashamed (not that any of it was her fault) to talk about it.  We sat up in the church office, with my lovely little interpreter  (who is so quiet and gentle with the girls) and she sobbed her way through her horrific story.  I was no better.  It is so difficult to comprehend how human beings can treat each other the way they do.  After it was over, we were all pretty wrung out.  But after lunch, we went to say our goodbyes at Tusal hostel,which is near here,and where the young woman lives.  It was a happier time.  They all sang Nepali songs to us, and then took the floor in little groups and danced their beautiful Nepali dances for us.  Even the tiny little toddlers get up and try.  Of course, it is expected that we will do the same and they enjoy our fumbling attempts.  The four little boys from the  mountain were there, still very shy and quiet.  A little overwhelmed by their surroundings, having been all their lives in a remote little mountain top village.  I am looking forward to our next visit to see them at school in their little uniforms.  There is a young mother with two small children who lives at the hostel (her story needs a small book to tell) who works there cleaning and cooking.   She is so poor but today she shyly unwrapped a small gift for me.   A lovely bracelet in all the beautiful Nepali colours.  It is so humbling.  I wondered how she could ever afford it.  I will treasure it.  We were also given a couple of other little gifts from the houseparents.  They are very dear to us.  Tomorrow is our last day, and we have a visit to one hostel to deliver letters from their sponsors and get photos of them.  Then at 6 p.m. we fly out.

Robyn

Friday (continued)

Last night, Raju took us out to dinner at the Tibet International Hotel.  It is very nice and as Raju knows the manager very well (he seems to know all sorts of people, even had a meeting with the Prime Minister a couple of weeks ago) we hope some of our girls can be trained there in hospitality.  He has full confidence that they will be safe there.  It was Raju's sisters anniversary and it was a privilege to be part of the family group.  Trish began her tour today.  It is funny because she is the only person on the tour, so it should be very personal.  She says that she is off with all her friends!!!  She is seeing the sights in Kathmandu today, and off for rafting and elephant riding.  She even got on the back of a motorbike the other and went for a ride in this lunatic traffic.  She is braver then me.  Robert and Jahni have the day off today also, and are seeing the sights.  This afternoon, we need to see our exporter, and sort out details about the tea etc.   Remember the 4 little boys Grahame and Raju brought into Kathmandu.  When they got down the mountain, he bought them an ice-cream.  They had never seen one, let alone eaten one.  The little one was quite afraid of it.  One bite changed his mind.  I have been looking at the footage of Grahame's ride up and down the mountain.  I am so glad I wasn't there.  It looked terrifying.

Robyn

Grahame home again (continued)

Then they had the long drive home again to Kathmandu.  I really admire what Grahame will do for these children.  At his age, it is hard work.  Yesterday, I went to school to record a couple of songs the children sing.  It was so wonderful to see them in their neat little uniforms, the choir singing, one on a keyboard, one on the drums, three violinists.  They had been practicing for a couple of days because they wanted to get right.  Raju wants me to reinterview one of our girls to get the "real story".  I am bracing myself for this job.   When face to face with a beautiful teenager, with a big smile,and then having to hear what has gone on before, I always have trouble keeping it together.  The "half-way" house for the women from India is officially being dedicated this afternoon.  I believe there are 10 more women on the way soon.  Don't know if we will be here when that happens. Nepali time is quite different to ours.  Grahame if off again on a 5 hour round trip to see the land I mentioned.  It is the most magnificent spot. There is a wide river winding through the mountains.  Terraced rice fields on the mountain sides; it is so beautiful.  This is such a land of extreme contrasts.  Indescribable beauty and horrendous poverty and tragedy.  Our team is down to four after today as Trish is off on her tour.  She says she will see everything in a different light now she has seen what life is really like, and not just be a tourist who sees only part of life here

Robyn.

Thursday-Grahame's home again

I awoke to loud "tinny" Nepali music, the metal worker banging away at his trade, a circular saw whining away somewhere, dogs incessantly barking, people talking.  Ahhhh! Kathmandu at 6am.  Grahame arrived home last night 9 pm. totally exhausted.  Tuesday was spent driving and driving to Chitwan.  They stayed overnight at a good hotel though the bed was a mattress on the floor.  Wednesday, they took a four wheel drive large truck up the mountain to the village they came to see.  Grahame said the hairpin turns of the road were extremely dangerous.  The driver had to do three point turns to get around at each bend.  At one stage, Raju insisted they get out while this was in progress as he was concerned the truck was going to go over the cliff.  They arrived at the village where the baptisms were to be held.  Finally, there were about 65 it was considered that some were not fully understanding what they were doing.  These people are subsistence farmers, mostly tomatoes.  They are all malnourished and terribly poor.  The annual income is $300 to feed a family. It is quite remote.  Grahame said the scenery was absolutely spectacular.  He tried to video it but it didn't do it justice.  We saw some photos of the baptisms.  Shrivelled old ladies, young women, men and boys.  This young man, just trained in Raju's Bible college for 5 months, has gone home and led 200 people to the Lord.  What a hope Christ must be to them.  They photographed the children for the new hostel  and also bought back four young boys from there, from about 12 to 8, who walk 4 hours a day to get to a little village school and back.  Raju has brought  them to Kathmandu to settle them in the Lighthouse hostel for a while and then when they go back, they will be able settle the other new kids in, having had the experience already.  The four boys were alive with head lice and in rags.  When they got down the mountain, they went to the barber and had their heads shaved (like pastor Raju) and were fitted out with a new set of clothes.  The trip down the mountain was even more scary.  The big truck lurched from side to side, precariously near the edge, slippery places where there had been landslides and very steep. Part way down, Raju insisted on getting out and walking the next 1 and half hours down to the bottom. Once there they stayed a night in a "home stay".  I use the term loosely.  Their bed was a wooden board.  Even though Grahame didn't need his pink mosquito net, it came in very handy for a pillow wrapped in a towel. (continued)   Robyn

Last day at the Guest House

I have come to the end of one chapter of my trip and begin another.
Today I leave the guest house and head to the Himalayan Hotel for the first stage of my tour. it has been wonderful over the last 3 weeks, obviously the trip out west the first week was the highlight, bringing the girls back to safety even though it was very scary at times. Horrible hotels, but these were mansions compared to where the girls live, roads with sheer cops on one side and land slides on the other, crazy drivers where I had my eyes shut more than open and much much more. But oh I would not have changed any of it at all.    
Our team was great. Each of us had something different to bring to the trip.
I consider the school  "my school" now and the children "my children". It is impossible not to fall in love with each and every one of them. One little boy in grade 4 will be Prime Minister by the time he is 30 I am sure.
Kisses and cuddles are the norm and the children's prayer just takes my breath away.
Teaching stretched me to my limits but I got through it and am very happy with the result. Robyn and Graham said  "I would only achieve half of what I planned to"  and that is right but we are in a 3rd world country.
I will be back, to help with the Vocational Program and the Transition to Work, but it will be in 2014.
Yesterday I had one of my wishes granted when I got to go on the back of a motor bike through the crazy traffic. So much fun I loved it. Susan, (that is what we call him) the driver, who is a house parent at one of the hostels asked if he was going to fast and I said "no go faster and he did"
 
I am looking forward to seeing more of this beautiful country and I know I will be amazed.
I know if I say it has been "life changing" you are all probably thinking yeah, yeah, it does seem to be a overused saying, but right now but I have no other works to describe it.
This will be my last blog but to all my dear friends and family thank you for your prayers, (I am sure they kept the bus on the road) and I will see you in a week or so.

Love Trish xxxxxx