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. 
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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!