Nepal Update #2 7.19.23

Nepal Update #2

As we leave behind Kathmandu and head down the extremely bumpy, overwhelmingly winding and slow moving roads that take us down to Chitawan, I am reminded of the last several days in which our students really shined. 

The first place that comes to mind was a slum we visited on Wednesday.  It is the 2^nd biggest slum in the Kathmandu valley.  We met some amazing men who have committed their lives to helping these children get back into school to get an education and better themselves. While there we met a lot of amazing kids with joy in their hearts, despite living in very difficult circumstances. The children went absolutely bonkers over our puppet team’s performances in an uncomfortably crammed room with sauna like temperatures! Brianna, Faith, Sam, Chris, Josie, Maren, and Miriam all performed like rock stars! I believe even Ozzie Osbourne would be okay with me calling them that! Each of them really had such a genuine, pure love for these kids that it really opened the door for us to give a talk about life.  Even Stella commented about one of the little girls, “Today she learned that she was really loved!”

The next day, we went to go visit the Gentle Heart Foundation. They are an organization that works with girls and women who are rescued from human trafficking. This is an amazing organization that is helping these women and their children get set up to be able to heal, to educate them and to teach them skills to be able to eventually live on their own. Sometimes it can take up to 7 to 9 years for some of the women. But this organization is committed to them for the long haul. They teach them the meaning of life so they can live how they were created to live.

Our last day we visited the Leper Colony, which is a favorite of the Royal Servant Teams. We visit with Pastor Aram and some of the local residences, like Gunga and Nani whose faith is such an encouragement to our team. Again, Chris & Faith along with Thomas and Lillyanne all picked up the ball and were very active in engaging the locals. Our students again loved playing soccer and puppets with the kids who live in the Colony.

Our Ministry in Kathmandu were very fulfilling and we loved our time there! Now we are taking off for some adventures in Chitawan, then off to Pokhara and then back to Kathmandu for debriefing. Until next time…

Hank Dahl, Nepal Trip Leader