Hi guys. Wow it would seem that I haven't had a chance to write since I've been in Nepal. I'm alive and well....actually Coby and I both got a cold and I'm trying to get over a bit of a nasty cough but getting there. At least I didn't catch the stomach bug like some others on team.
So for those who don't know. We're now travelling with a group could TEAR Australia. It's an exposure trip which exposes us to the Nepali culture and we also visit community development organisations and see how they work and what they do. For example tomorrow we're visiting a partner organisation which has established a drug awareness and rehabilitation program. We'll meet the workers, talk about their experiences, ask questions and get to know how it all works. It's quite exciting!
We've visitted women's groups, health centres, advocacy groups and much more. My favourite thing we've done so far is visit a farmer's co-op. For those of you who know TEAR, think of those gift cards that you can buy a goat for someone. Well i got to see one of those goats! :) Our group of 14 separated into 3 groups and i chose to go to the farm. It's amazing to see what a community can do on so little. TEAR (through United Mission to Nepal (UMN) funded some training for a community group which resulted in education about HIV/AIDS, Goat rearing, organic vegetable farming, insuring animals and even building a school. It's had such an impact on so many people's lives....just because a group of people in the community saw that they could live better lives if they work together instead of as individuals. A united front!
We got to see the school (so many cute kids!), treck through the hills (as there is no access for cars) and visit homes, farms and see a bio-gas thingo! amazing...the bio-gas is where they burn all the poo and compost and then turn it into gas for their homes. Saves so much money and means they can boil their water to make it safer to drink!
We tasted sugar cane, which was washed in unclean water, so thank God that we didn't get sick. We saw bufferlo and got to hang out with amazing couragerous people. At the end we had to cross a huge river in a cable car...but was really just a wooden box on a cable, with a Nepali man pulling us along...kinda scary when we got stuck!
That night we hung out with the UMN team and sang songs, danced and ate lots of rice! Probably half of the workers were Christian (which is pretty normal for the NGO's) and we had such a great time talking and singing praises. Nepal has only recently changed from a Hindu country to a secular country. Christians used to be beaten, cut off from family and put in gaol. Now they are discriminated against (considered as the lowest caste) but it is not as dangerous. So many people become Christians here due to someone they know being healed. THere are so many amazing stories.
So i'm pretty much loving it hear and immersing myself in the culture. I went for a walk one morning in Dhading by myself (not far don't worry) and there were no other westerners...people just stared at me as I walked down the road eating my mandarine. :) Everywhere we go we are pretty much the only westerners. its such a nice change from the other countries we visitted.
This morning we went to a Nepali church (our sunday is their saturday) and couldn't understand a thing but it was great! We've been one other time where there was translation which was cool. They love "this is the day" song. So much fun! Oh and then this arvo we went to the Indian border (could cross cos the immigration people were mean!). We went by horse and cart.
Well i'm sure there is more I can tell but I'm running out of words, memories and time so i think I'll say goodbye.
Hopefully i'll have another chance before we leave Nepal to write again.
xxoo
