Two weeks and much to tell

Hello again! I'm almost at my two-week point of living in Nepal! There is so much I want to tell you about, but I'm just going to focus on three things: my general adjustment process, KISC school, and what I've seen of the city of Kathmandu. 

Adjusting

I’ve been in Nepal for about two weeks now, and it’s definitely been a whirlwind experience. I’m working hard at adjusting to my new surroundings, getting familiar with the school that I’ll be teaching at, and soaking in all things Kathmandu. But every day God gives me more and more reasons to be joyful.

Nepali language training has been one of my favorite parts about the past two weeks. I’m still extremely limited in my Nepali, but I’m really enjoying the learning process. Right now… mero Nepali ekdam raamro chhaina. Tara malaai Nepali dherai manparchha. That means my Nepali isn’t very good, but I like it a lot. :)

It’s rained most days since I’ve arrived, so I’m really looking forward to the end of monsoon season. I’m also starting to get a handle on my immediate area and don’t feel quite so lost everywhere I go. I’ve also had quite a bit of Nepali food. Daalbhaat is their main dish: rice and lentils. It’s so simple, but so delicious!

But probably the biggest blessing for me has been my new friends. There are several other new teachers who I’ve spent a lot of time with and have really helped me to feel at home.

 

 

 

 

 

Some of my new friends - other KISC teachers, and our language tutor: Parameswari (on left).

KISC - Kathmandu International Study Centre

The first school term at KISC starts on August 9^th, but the ESL program doesn’t start until the following week. I’ll be teaching ESL to grades 1, 2, and 3. I’ll have small groups of students in both separate class sessions and also in-class sessions where I work alongside the regular classroom teacher.

I’m a little nervous about teaching, but all in all I’m so excited for classes to start and I’m excited about the role that I get to play in these kids’ schooling. Many of my ESL kids will probably feel overwhelmed in their regular classes, trying to understand a fast-paced environment in a second language. I hope that my class will be a safe place for them to take their time, practice and improve their language, and have some fun. :)

Getting to know Kathmandu

Yesterday our language teacher, Parameswari, took us all on a tour of Kathmandu. There were three main areas that we visited. The first was Kathmandu Durbar Square, a huge plaza filled with old palaces and Hindu temples. The second stop was a brief walkthrough of Thamel, the touristy district of Kathmandu, and then it was on to our third stop: The Boudhanath Stupa which is the largest Buddhist stupa in Nepal and one of the holiest sites of Tibetan Buddhism. 

A Hindu temple in Kathmandu Durbar Square.

It was really eye-opening to see these places and I couldn’t help but feel sad the entire time. So many people are wandering around in the darkness, looking for something to worship. It’s heartbreaking to see people worshiping so many false gods and trying so hard to appease them when the True God is right there, with forgiveness and unconditional love. 
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'll post again soon to let you know how the beginning of the school year turns out! If you want to see more pictures I've posted them on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fairchildwl1/
I'll also be posting pictures to Facebook shortly. 
Check out my updated praises and prayer requests to the right! -->   
Thanks for your prayers!

Hello from Nepal!!!

Kathmandu - The view from the roof of my house.

I'm here!!!

I survived the 36 hour trip and am now slowly but surely adjusting to life here in Kathmandu: the city with no street names, seemingly no traffic laws, and me… trying my best to adjust. I’m not going to lie: during my ride home from the airport and very first day my prevailing thought was “What did I get myself into??” The sights, sounds, and smells are so different from any experience in the US that it was a little overwhelming (and the jet lag certainly didn’t help either). 

I’m happy to share that my prevailing thought has changed from “What did I get myself into?” to “Okay, I can do this.” Well, it’s more like “Okay, God can do this.” He’s shown me so many times over the past two days that He’s with me every second and will give me more than I need not only to survive, but to thrive in this new place. 

Here are some of the ways I’ve been blessed:

1. Meeting some of the other new teachers at KISC – I really feel like I’ll have friends and a community here… bonus fun-fact: They love card games and Settlers of Catan!
2. Visiting KISC and starting orientation and language training – I don’t know how quickly I’ll pick up Nepali, but I think languages are fascinating J.
3. Meeting the KISC swim coach – I wasn’t even looking for her! She’d LOVE to have me help out! If my schedule allows, I’m totally there!
4. Meeting the founder of the Kathmandu Triathalon Club – He just so happens to be married to the swim coach. They do 5-6 mile runs every Saturday morning!
5. All of YOUR prayers and encouragements – They seriously mean the world to me. I know I haven’t responded to all your emails/messages yet, but they’ve really played a huge role in my coping and adjustment… so THANK YOU!!!

There is so much more that I could write, but I’ll have to save it for another day. If you have any questions/comments feel free to do so here or to email me! 

Check out my updated prayers and praises, on the right side of this page. 

Also, for more photos, check out my new Flickr account! Click here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fairchildwl1/

(I’ve posted more photos on Flickr to accommodate you non-Facebookers).

Off I Go!

WELCOME TO MY BLOG!
I'm really glad you're reading this! This is my first shot at Blogging, so please bear with me as I figure this whole thing out. This will be my main way of communicating with you while I'm in Nepal. The main post section will give you more detailed updates and I'll post updated summaries of prayer requests and praises in the boxes to the right. I'll send you an email informing you of new posts so you'll know exactly when to check!
If you want a little more background info about me and what I'm doing, click on the "About Me" tab. My email addresses are listed in the "Contact Me!" section so you can get in touch with me. Also, feel free to comment on any of my posts.

If you're confused or frustrated by this blog in any way, PLEASE let me know! I want this to be a really convenient and fun way of keeping in contact. 

NOW THAT THAT'S OUT OF THE WAY...
Here is the BIG UPDATE: I leave for Kathmandu THIS FRIDAY (That's July 15th)!! 

It's incredible how God's been sovereign over all of my crazy preparations and even though there is still A LOT to do (aka: packing! ahhh!!!), I'm confident that everything will fall into place... but prayers are definitely appreciated!

The past few weeks have been a huge blessing for me. I had an incredibly fun road-trip from Los Angeles, CA to Corry, PA, mini-trips to Pittsburgh, Grove City, Niagara Falls, and Buffalo, and some awesome times connecting with a lot of family and great friends. It's also been really refreshing to be back at my home church where everyone has been so encouraging and excited about what God has in store. The past few weeks have definitely been the perfect way to kick-off my new adventure :).

Thank YOU for all of your support and encouragement! I wouldn't be able to do this without all of you! The next time I post I'll be in Kathmandu! See you then!