Mark and Julie - Adventures in Nepal

Hello Again!
The last two weeks for us have been spent in Kathmandu, doing all kinds of things. We are beginning to realize how much clearer pictures tell the story, and thanks to both of us preaching and teaching in church so much, we are just about out of clever words to say, so I'll let them do more of the talking!

First off, the break from traveling as much has given us a great opportunity to get familiar with our neighborhood. We have really enjoyed taking walks wherever we go, so let's take a look at some of the sights we have encountered on the way.

This picture was taken about ten minutes from our apartment. Julie receieves many stares as she dresses in the Nepali fashion!

Young boy worshiping a the local temple.

A local flower shop. It is about 90 degrees now, and the flowers are in full bloom. These particular flowers are used for temple worship. They are a type of offering given to the gods. Orange is considered a 'holy color' in Nepal.

Julie got her nose pierced one day. Yes...again! Her last nose piercing closed up and was poorly done. However, Nepali's know how to give a proper nose piercing. Julie is happy with the results!
Her parents, on the other hand, may not be as thrilled!

This temple is quite a bit larger than most. The area is considered "downtown" Kathmandu. Many people use the temples to sell goods.

Mark gave a lesson at a leadership training course held in the Kathmandu Friends Church. The training lasts three months. Above are some of the participants. Julie is sharing this coming week.

Julie was not there for Mark's lesson and the local girls took advantage of the situation! Gotta watch him!

Riding bikes in Kathmandu is scary!

Julie shared about Hannah and Samuel at a weekly woman's prayer meeting. She had a wonderful time of fellowship and is excited to return next week.

Mark having a Nepali lesson with some men before church began.

Beautiful Neplai believer. And also Julie's pal during Saturday morning worship!

The congregation at the Kathmandu Friends church has been so very welcoming to us. The fellowship we experience brings us much joy, and we are happy to have made so many friends.

Since returning from Nawalparasi/Chitwan, we have had very little actually planned out for our schedule, but we've managed to have so many wonderful opportunities to teach and spend time with the Nepali church that just came out of the woodwork. We have learned a lot in the last few weeks, grown as a couple and as individuals, and have managed to have a lot of fun on the way. God is stretching us as we go, but at the same time, He is making us more fully His, and for that we are very grateful. We know that your love, support, well wishes, and prayers have made all the difference in this time.

I have been blessed beyond words today! Mark and I went to church this morning at Kathmandu Friends. And as we walked in and sat down, I looked over and saw my dear friend Moona. She helped take care of me and KK when we were here three years ago. I loved spending time with her. And she was a blessing to us as she cooked food, did laundry, and had fellowship with us. Even though we cannot speak the same language, I know we are sisters at heart. She had moved to Malaysia, and I did not think I would see her. But, she is back for a few months. I am looking forward to having fellowship with her many more times in the coming months. Thank you Jesus, for blessing me today with my dear friend Moona Didi.

Dear everyone,
Well, Julie has done a terrific job detailing the first leg of our trip to Chitwan and Nawalparasi, and now it's my turn to wrap up the story and update you on our more recent history.

Before I get into all the details, I wanted make good on my promise of some 'Holi day' pictures. Thankfully, Julie and I managed to avoid getting dyed, but Prajwal and Debbie's son Deepak was not so lucky.

Needless to say, after seeing him and some other folks post-Holi Day, we were glad to avoid getting hit in our church clothes! Anyway, let's get back to our story.

So, having distributed blankets to some of the area churches in Chitwan, we made our way further West into the District of Nawalparasi, a region in many ways similar to Chitwan, but with a good deal less hills and a lot more forest/jungle area. There we stayed at the house of a local pastor and his family, and prepared for the upcoming area meeting. Julie and I were asked to share two messages each, all on the subject of Carrying each other's burdens, and taking ownership of one's spiritual walk. John was also asked to share a few sermons, in addition to translating ours as well. Practically speaking, that boils down to John Vanlal speaking approximately 90 percent of the time, so kudos to him! The meetings were long and interesting, the food delicious, and I can only hope it had an impact and encouraged the local Believers. Here's a few photos from the event!


Okay, so to be honest, this first one is actually from our trips to the villages, but I couldn't resist. This is a picture of a game that strangely all the Nepali children I've met know the rules to and like to play with me. It's called, "See how close we can get to the funny-looking white guy to examine him without him getting a picture or looking at us." Apparently, I won this round!




Here's a picture of yours truly giving a talk about Jesus' teaching about Him being the vine and us, the branches.





Here's my pal from the area meeting. He was the bravest of his friends (who he's gloating at from out the back window), sitting next to Julie and I and even touching my white hairy arms. He was impressed!






Meal-time at the area meeting. Amazingly, most Nepalis in this type of setting will relax and enjoy their meals while squatting. I tried this technique for a few minutes, and felt like an old man when I tried to get up, knees aching and ankles nearly locked. Different strokes for different folks, I guess!








This picture was taken to show off two different things - how humongous the cooking pots are for to feed this many people, and how awesome and tough-looking this lovely lady is!








In addition to meetings and sermons, they gave time for some traditional music and dancing put on by the youth, and that was a lot of fun.

Here's the wife giving one of her messages, a wonderful encouragement not to worry about God providing for us the things we need, but instead trusting in Him for everything. Nice work, Julie!






At the very end of the area meeting, we were given a couple of lovely gifts, like a hand-made wool scarf, some beautiful fans, but perhaps the coolest gift we got out of it was a wonderful sari (the traditional woman's outfit in Nepal) for Julie. Needless to say it was an exciting time for Julie, as this was her very first Sari, and I think you can see the excitement on her face as she wore it for the first time. The couple standing with us is the wonderful pastor and his equally wonderful wife whose house we stayed at. You'll have to excuse Julie for the midriff - you've heard what they say about what to do 'when in Rome!'




After the area meeting, our next job was to attend the graduation ceremony for a local church-sponsored women's sewing class. The ministry not only provides a way for women to have a good source of income and learn an invaluable skill for home as well as work, but also welcomes both Christians and Hindus (and presumably any other religious group who might want to attend if they are around), and is a great opportunity for evangelism and relationship-building. The women there at the ceremony seemed very proud of their accomplishment, and we were proud along with them for the hope that they had for a better life. After this ceremony, we were also able to go to a local shop and pick up several brand new sewing machines (thanks again to your EFM Christmas project donations) to start a similar sewing class in a different village, and we were also very excited to be a part of that!

So why am I only describing this portion of the trip? Well, I made a big boo-boo that day and left my camera at the hotel that day... my bad. Know that it was a great visit, and the sewing class ministry is a wonderful and effective one, even if I can't provide the photographic proof!

So after the whirlwind adventure that was our trip to Chitwan/Nawalparasi, we made the bumpy, slow, and thrilling journey back to Kathmandu where we've been until now. As you heard from the previous post, Julie is a bit worse for the wear, but she has been recovering pretty well from the trip. Her poor feet, although still pretty unattractive, are feeling a lot better, and should be nice and calloused by the time we have to make our next big journey. Recovery for her back has been slow-going, but we are really starting to feel like we're coming out of the woods, so praise God for that. She was able to go for a walk yesterday to Prajwal(Bob) and Debbie's house for dinner, and although she's a bit sore today from sitting as much as she did, it's a great leap forward in her recovery. Tomorrow we plan on visitting a local missionary who is a physical therapist, and she should be able to give Julie an alignment and some helpful advice for full and effective healing, so we are hopeful! We know your prayers have made all the difference in the midst of this process, so thank you!

That's all I have for now. I hope you enjoyed it! keep praying, reading, and commenting, friends! These are from Julie and I to you as a way of saying thanks!

Before I get into my actual "blogging" I wanted to share this with you. We have already experienced much joy on this trip. However, God sometimes sends us extra blessings of laughter. This is an example. A church leader gave us coffee in these amazing mugs. Of course, they have no idea what the mugs say. But, Mark and I both found this highly entertaining. It was a wonderful way to start the day! Nepalis have many things written in English that they do not quite understand. Another example is a woman in church who had a hankie. Now, this might not sound unusual. However, a huge picture of marijuana and the words "Leagalize it!" change the story entirely.




Greetings Family, Friends, and Prayer Partners (maybe you qualify as all three of these!) Bringing the post to you today is the prettier half of this duo! In fact, this is my first blog post EVER! I hope you can find some enjoyment as well as encouragement through what I share.
This last week Mark and I traveled to the areas of Chitwan and Nawalparasi. If you do not know where these areas are, in the words of my Daddy, "Look it up!" John and Sangi Vanlal were our guides, interpreters and friends on this journey. I will be sharing what took place the first half of the week. In the next few days, Mark will finish it up with details with the rest of our journey.

One of the purposes of this trip was to pass out blankets. "Pass out blankets," you say? Yes! This was my thought before we departed as well. However, God has been good in showing me how He works...even through blankets. Every Christmas, Evangelical Friends Mission facilitates a fundraiser type Christmas Project. Mark and I have participated in years past. Basically, in lieu of purchasing as many gifts for loved ones, one is able to purchase items for others (such as blankets) in honor of a family member or friend. Goats, sewing machines, bicycles, education, and much more are examples of items that many of our missionaries need and/or the people they are serving need.

Four of the first days were spent passing out said blankets. We traveled to many villages; by jeep, walking, driving, motorcycling; often sweating but always smiling. The people in these remote villages were so blessed to receive their blankets. They were praising God for taking care of their children, for the fact that they would not have to keep a fire going on all night, and for providing what they needed. What a blessing to partake in God's outpouring of love to His children. Most families cannot afford these types of items we take for granted. While in the villages, we were able to share encouragement, food, laughter and love with these Nepalis. I'd say the hikes, drives, and so on were worth it. But, I'll let you decide!

Here are some of the church members holding up their blankets.
Women saying "Thank You" with blankets in hand...some on head!
Cute old Nepali man! He explained how he used to have to keep a fire going all night for warmth. Despite cutting into sleeping time, this also caused sores and dry skin on the back and hands. He was grateful to God for His love and provision.

While "blanketing" we were also able visit with several of the believers. This little baby is Nira. She is about eight months old. And she felt like she weighed four pounds. We were able to pray for her. I was able to give the mother advice for malnourished babies, and we bought some baby food for her. Please pray for Nira and her young mother.
This is my handsome husband on the "Indiana Jones Bridge!" We crossed this bridge over a river. It would have been a long drop!
These are the type of "hills" we climbed. Churches are scattered all over beautiful Nepal!


So this is why I asked if it was worth it! My feet were really suffering for Jesus in this picture. Never wear cheap sandals when walking up mountains! Actually, it looks so much worse than it was. And John, Sangi and the leaders took care of me. But, continue to pray as they heal. On that note, I have been experiencing intense back pain at night. I wake up with pain that shoots down my back into my left leg. It is fine during the day. However, I wake up a lot at night with this pain. Please continue to pray for our health as we serve in this unique environment!


Please know that God can work through anything, even the little items we use everyday. I want to thank those who participated in the EFM Christmas project! Many Nepalis are so grateful that you did. God bless you.
Love, us