Last Post for a Few Weeks

See you mid-October!

This will be my last post for a few weeks. As I mentioned before, I will be trekking with a group of KISC teachers to Everest Base Camp! I’m so excited and so thankful for this opportunity. A year ago I never would have though that I’d have the chance to go to Mount Everest. I’d really appreciate your prayers while I’m gone. Although we’re very well prepared, there are obviously still risks. Please pray for safe flights to and from Lukla (our starting and finishing point), and for good health. We’ll be taking the trek slowly to acclimatize, but altitude sickness is still a concern. Finally, that we would simply have a great time, good fellowship together, and be positive witnesses of Christ along the way.

Trek dates: October 1^st – October 16^th. (Return date tentative).

Kathmandu ½ Marathon

I successfully completed the ½ marathon last weekend! This race was so different from any that I’ve ever run before. Traffic was not blocked off, so dodging busses, taxis, and motorbikes throughout the 13.6 miles (yes, that’s an extra ½ mile) was an added challenge. The total absence of porta-potties never turned out to be a tragedy for me, but it would be nice to know they’re there if you need them.

Entering a race with a group of people was also a new experience for me, but it was such a blessing to have the camaraderie. We also had a group of friends cheering us on along the route, which turned out to be a huge encouragement. 

All of the 1/2 Marathoners at the finish line. We also had a group who ran the 5K!

Saying goodbye :(

At schools like KISC it’s common to have teachers coming and going throughout the school year. Sadly, at the end of this term I’ll be saying goodbye to one of my good friends. Sarah C. has been a huge source of joy in my life for the past three months and she’ll be heading back home to Scotland on Saturday. She’s taught me all about Scottish-English, tartans, kilts, and the Loch Ness Monster. With all that and people like Sarah, Scotland must be a pretty awesome place. 

My Scottish friend, Sarah, is the one in the middle.

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“May your roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, low long, how high, and how deep his love really is.” – Ephesians 3:17-18

God’s Love… Awesome and Undeniable

In a recent email conversation, the topic of God’s love for us and the experience of that love was highlighted and whether we “feel” that love at the moment or not, the bottom line is that Christ died for us, and you simply can’t argue with such an obvious act of love. 

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Romans 6:23

After this conversation and reflecting on this verse, I’ve been trying to be more intentional about viewing each and every person as someone for whom Christ died. It’s amazing how much this exercise will change the way you see the people around you.

Recent Events

Swim season is officially over, much to my dismay. I’ve loved getting to know the swimmers and being able to help out with the team. It’s truly been one of the highlights of my time in Nepal so far. At our last swim meet many of the swimmers qualified for finals, the majority of whom finally won medals. The season was capped off with a school assembly to recognize their achievements and a team party. Thankfully, I do have more swimming to look forward to. The season will pick up again in Term 4 when it’s warm enough to swim again.

Today I went to Swayambhunath – aka: The Monkey Temple. It’s an ancient Buddhist complex. It was interesting to see the stupas, temples, and shrines, and to hear about the meaning behind them from a very friendly and eager Nepali shopkeeper. We also got to see baby monkeys and an incredible view of the Kathmandu valley. Plus, as a bonus, I got to practice quite a bit of Nepali with our taxi drivers :). 

Stupa, temple, and relics at Swayambhunath.

Here I am! The view of the Kathmandu valley from Swayambhunath was beautiful!

Upcoming Events

God has given me so many great opportunities that are coming up very soon! Here’s what I’ll be up to in the upcoming weeks:

Next Saturday is the Kathmandu ½ Marathon! I’ve officially registered and have a small group of friends who will be running as well. Although I haven’t properly trained, I really enjoy racing and I’m sure this will be unlike any other race I’ve ever run. I’m looking forward to the experience of the race and simply feeling the joy that I find in running.

In two weeks I’ll be heading off on a two-week trek to Everest Base Camp! Term 1 at school is ending and we have a long October break and plan on fully taking advantage of this time off. We’ve been discussing the potential of a trip to Mount Everest for awhile, but now it’s official! God’s provision has been so obvious in every aspect of planning from getting plane tickets to providing the gear that we will need. It’s still hard to believe that I’ll actually be going to Mount Everest. Never in my wildest dreams would I ever have thought that I would have this opportunity. Simply seeing the Himalayas from afar through the clouds is a breathtaking experience – I can hardly imagine how awesome it will be to actually be IN the mountains, at the foot of the highest mountain in the world, experiencing God’s power and beauty in such a concrete way.  

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I'll be uploading new photos to my Facebook account, so be sure to check them out! Also, check out my updated prayer requests and praises in the section to the left -->

A New Place, a Royal Palace, and a Huge Blessing

Hi everyone!

It’s been a couple weeks since I’ve posted, so here’s a small update on what has been going on over here in Nepal. 

I Moved!

I’m now living in a different guest house! A room just opened up in the official KISC guest house, so this weekend I packed up all my things and moved just around the corner. I’m really excited about my new place. There are a lot more KISC teachers who live here, so it’s a much greater sense of community. It’s a much brighter and more cheerful building and I have a beautiful view out of my bedroom window. Once I’m all unpacked I’ll be sure to take some pictures so you can see it! There are several things I’ll miss about my old guest house, especially Kashmira, the Nepali girl that lives there who I could always practice my language with... but overall this move is a HUGE reason for joy. 

The night before I left, Sarita, the owner of my old guest house taught a group of us to make daal bhat - the typical Nepali meal. Many Nepalis eat it twice a day! It's basically rice and lentils with a side of veggies and pickled tomato. Yummy!

 

Visiting the Royal Palace

Last weekend some friends and I went to the Royal Palace. I still don’t know that much about the history of Nepal, but seeing the palace was a great visual way to get a better grasp on things. The government is really still getting settled at the moment. There is no king in Nepal, but this was a fairly recent development, so it is as if it’s history isn’t something from long ago but rather something that is still being worked out even today. There was also a tragic massacre of the royal family in 2001 and seeing the site of this event was really eye-opening. 

The Royal Palace Museum in Kathmandu

OBEDIENCE

This is THE WORD to sum up the group that I’ve been meeting with for the past couple of weeks. The simplest way of labeling it would be with the title “Bible Study,” but the focus is more on obeying the Word of God rather than gathering knowledge about it. This group has been such a blessing to me the past couple weeks and has really been stretching me, challenging me, and growing me. It is so common for us to know what Christ commands, but if you think about it, how many of us actually OBEY these commands. My lack of true obedience has really been made clear to me and I’m excited to see how God is going to use this group not only in my life, but in NEPAL as a whole. That was the summary of this group in a very tiny nutshell. Perhaps I’ll develop this more in a future post. 

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Check out my updated prayer requests and praises over to the right -->
Also, if there is any way I can pray for you don't hesitate to let me know! Or if you simply want to say hello... that's always nice too :)

Finally, I recently posted new photos in my Facebook album. Whether you have Facebook or not you can view my photos by clicking on this link: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.572126078282.2064217.69102077&l=48b560a067&type=1

I'm a real teacher now!

Teaching News

I’ve officially survived my first week of being a real, full-time teacher! There were some ups and downs, but I’m sure that I’ll only learn and improve as the year progresses. I’ll start with the “ups”….

Reflecting on the week, I had some lessons that I’m really excited about! Plus, even with the lessons that I’m not quite so excited about I’ve had the chance to reflect and see how I could improve next time. I’m starting to get to know my students a little better: their linguistic struggles and needs and their little personalities :). Also, my coworkers are all very encouraging! After frustrations with bonked lessons and conflicting timetables, my friends here are always reassuring me that yes, it does indeed happen to everyone. Finally, even in just the past couple weeks we’ve had quite a few teacher training sessions. I’m learning so many new techniques that I’m really excited about!

Here I am teaching one group of third graders.

Now, because I really want to strive for honesty in this blog… here are the “downs.” First, I made a kid cry. Well, technically it wasn’t me that triggered it, but it was in my class and I still felt bad. Something I’m learning about kids is that they cry A LOT… about ANYTHING. Also, I’m discovering that I’m not very good at classroom management. I’m having a hard time keeping my kids controlled AND still finding time to teach them things. So this goes out to all you elementary school teachers out there: Hats off to you! I have a new-found respect for what you do.

Mero saathiharu ekdaam raamro chhan. (My friends are really great). 

In other news, I got to use quite a bit of Nepali yesterday – in real-life situations – for actual information exchange! Even though really all I did was ask if the shop owner still had milk available and asked for the price, I was still really excited :). 

Also, as my Nepali heading indicates – I’m continuing to be so blessed by the people that I’m meeting here. This includes not only my close friends, but also the other people that God is bringing into my path. I love meeting other foreign workers here and hearing about what they are doing here in Nepal. I’ve been so encouraged by conversations with them and am learning so much about how God is moving here. 

On a sadder note, today we had to say goodbye to two friends who were in Nepal for only three weeks. Joy and Louise came from Scotland to help out at KISC. They were great assets to the school and great friends to me. I’m so sad to see them go!

Joy and Louise. These ladies were my neighbors in my guest house. I'll really miss them!

  

Sporty News

I’m still really enjoying helping out at swim practices. The other day I got to help some swimmers out with their flip turns. This is one area where I know that I know what I’m talking about – which is encouraging. Plus I just love swimming :). 

I’m still running every Saturday with the triathalon club and that continues to be a huge blessing for me. Before coming abroad I told God that I would follow Him anywhere He wanted to put me… but I would really appreciate it if He would still allow me to run. It’s amazing the way He answers prayer!

Speaking of prayer… check out my updates praises and prayer requests! -->

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Also, updating photos to Flickr takes FOREVER! I think if you click on the following link you can see my photos on Facebook regardless of whether you have a Facebook account or not:
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And So It Begins...

My classes start TOMORROW!!! School has actually been in session for about a week now, but the Primary ESL program doesn’t begin until the second week of school. Although I haven’t been teaching any classes, I have been so busy ever since school started. My days have been filled with staff meetings,class observations, Nepali language learning, and planning for the upcoming term.

KISC - The main school building.

At this point I’ve already gotten to meet most of my kids (1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd graders). They are SO CUTE! But slightly terrifying at the same time. Sometimes I feel like the least qualified person ever to be teaching kids, but God led me to this school and this position and He knows what He’s doing… even when I feel like I don’t. I can already see His provision, supplying me with the coworkers, the support, and the resources to make me feel like I’m not as incompetent as I sometimes think and to reassure me that I’m definitely not alone. All in all, I’m ready and excited to jump in and get started!

I do feel so blessed to be a part of the ministry that KISC has here in Nepal. The school is so dedicated to being witnesses for Christ in offering quality education to the international community here. This school enables so many foreign workers to continue their ministries here in Kathmandu and to rest assured knowing that their kids are getting a good education while they follow God’s call.

Other Reasons for Joy

So other than school, God has blessed me in so many other ways that I’d like to share with you! First, He has given me the opportunity to help coach the KISC swim team! As most of you know, swimming is something that I have truly loved for most of my life and I just feel overwhelmed by God’s love for me in blessing me this way. The team practices four days a week and may initiate Friday morning runs as well. It's a small team, but a great group of kids. I can't wait to get to know them better and hopefully help them love the sport as much as I do :).

God obviously knows my love for athletics, because another way He has blessed me is through the Kathmandu Triathalon Club. This is a small, informal group led by a KISC parent who simply loves to get out there and exercise. The past few Saturday mornings I’ve been able to get in some really great runs. Yesterday we had a great group and did about seven miles in the hills outside the city. Not only are the exercise and the fellowship good for my heart and soul, but simply getting outside the city has been truly refreshing. Plus, the views from these quieter roads are just beautiful.

About a mile into our regular running route. This is just before the first of many uphill climbs.

Finally, I have really enjoyed being in a community where so many different “Englishes” are spoken! My friends and coworkers are from all over the world so I’ve truly enjoyed hearing Irish, British, Scottish, and Australian accents and navigating all the different vocabulary that we all use. My Scottish friend, Sarah, laughs every time we talk about pants because in Scotland, “pants” refers to underwear and apparently the proper way of saying it is “trousers.” The diversity of languages that God created is simply incredible, and the diversity that exists within the same language is just a greater testament to His creativity and His glory.

One final note: Psalm 86 has truly blessed me lately…  check it out! I hope it blesses you too :).

Also, Check out my updated prayer requests and praises in the section to the right! :)

Your prayers mean more to me than you know.

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!

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).