Nepal Update 3 - In Transition

Transitions are always tough. At training camp we prepare in so many ways to keep focus and to get our mindset on things of the program. From safety practices, to being on time, cleaning up after ourselves, to being situationally aware, etc. Believe it or not, I promise, they get it and start operating in it. It’s harder at home because we have habits that lend to casualness- some of these guys couldn’t be on time at home if you promised them a bed and three meals and spending money and a phone and clothes….. Oh wait they get that already. We all get the idea of not being grateful for the things that were given and then on top of that expecting more and then not trying. We all do it in our culture. Here however in this setting we can’t fall back into our casual American ways or we hold others up and cannot be as productive as we need to be to stay on mission.

However when we transition from one location to another our old habits just naturally reform. It happens when we leave training camp to arrive here and then it happens when we go to different locations. As we transferred this week from Kathmandu to Chitwan to take a break for a day and take in the jungle, the team did pretty well, with just minor relapses- We all did it as I noticed that several of us, me included, were just getting a little inwardly focused. I do think some of that does come from tiredness as we faced 92 degrees with 7,877 percent humidity one night and then the electricity went out so no air conditioning or fans. Nobody slept, well except Isaiah U., that man is gifted in ways I am jealous of.

Even with the heat the students had the best day of a mission trip ever! We started out with a canoe ride in the morning through the jungle, yes Mom’s we were safe with two guides and then we ended up at an elephant nursery in which we saw a three day old baby elephant. Later in the day we did an elephant wash and then an elephant jungle ride where we got to see Rhinos and several other wild animals. Then halfway through the jungle ride there were monsoon rains and we just embraced the yuck, and even danced together in the sopping wet afterwards.

It was then time to move on to our next transition. The break was nice, but short lived. After all, we are here on a mission and have to regain our focus, and settle back into what we were called to do here and roll up our sleeves and get to work. The following day we headed to Pokhara where we have handled another transition fairly well and have hit the ground running with our teachings, discipleship and ministry, but that will have to be another story.

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