... melting in the heat, but smiling all the time...
The Men of Absolute Abandon had 6 chocolate bars waiting for us in the morning...
...and
then bought us individual cakes (bigger than cupcake, but smaller than
cake) so that they wouldn't be outdone by the Freely Given men...
Freely
Given's contact Vuthy Nurn got fried crickets and grasshoppers as well
as Embryonic Duck Eggs for us to celebrate Valentine's Day - special
treats!
We spent the day with the women who are studying to become midwives to care for the women of Cambodia...
the women were so sweet to us, we took them out for ice cream at the end of our month.
And then we went to the Night Shelter where we played with these kids and more...
these kids were a bundle of fun every day.
as well as these students who live at the shelter like a boarding house and help out with the younger boys...
(some of the younger boys are also pictured)
They had made us a special dinner and bought sodas to drink with it as a treat! It was the perfect V-Day dinner.
At
the end of the day, we had some team time to hang out and talk about
what we'd be doing if we were at home and I shared that my mom every
year gives me the message-covered candy hearts and that I had bought a
pack before I left the states in January (thank you, American
commercialism, just that once for being ready two months ahead of time
for a holiday.)
i here and now apologize for the length of this blog, but i promise it's worth it to read all the way to the bottom, from the bottom of my heart to yours.
A Semi-Retraction of My Last Blog (my self- feedback moment)
Something bothered me about my last blog almost as soon as I posted it, and today I realized what it was. At least one sentence could be terribly insulting to everyone I knew before the Race, especially to my I-can't-express-how-much-I-miss-them California peeps, i.e. my Bible Study and friends (you know who you are).
So here's my "excuse": I wrote that last blog from a place of personal frustration at not being able to process through a whole year of ridiculous change which came on top of a previous 3 years of ridiculous change. And I'm inexpressibly sorry if you felt whomped on by my venting.
It's not you, it's me.
By now, I know my internal signs of
feeling guilty about something like I know that God forgives me for my
blunders, and I know that that's what's been going on since I posted my
blog: avoiding conversations, not following up with people as soon as I
could, that sort of thing. So sorry if you're one of these people! I'm
working on fessing up faster, but most of that is catching myself
downward spiraling faster -- needless to say, it's a work in progress.
So. It's not you, it's me.
That being said, here's a new revelation I just got:
People can only love you well in direct proportion to how much you let them.
And I didn't used to let them.
Before the Race, I had a theoretical understanding that people would love me unconditionally, but I didn't live in it. I didn't trust in it, and I certainly didn't act like it. Even though I knew (because they did) that they would love me through anything I did or said, I didn't walk out life as if I understood this. And for real, I probably didn't fully comprehend the reality of life in true community, in fact, I'm still learning.
I first learned this idea in college. My friends repeatedly loved me through my insecurities: replacement issues, abandonment issues, shortcoming issues, you name it. They loved me as much as I divulged to them, as much as I trusted them with my junk, which wasn't very much -- and I'm truly sorry I didn't trust in them more, it would've enriched our relationships. And I plan on going back and doing that with them more now.
I learned it again in California - through my Bible Study group, no my Bible Study family, and through the wonderful friends God placed in my life there. They taught me that I didn't need to compartmentalize my life, that I could trust people to like each other when I introduced them and not fear abandonment or replacement. I learned to slowly let go of control of who knew each other, etc. But I still didn't let go completely.
I grew more in the things of trust and hope and the Holy Spirit there than I had in my previous chapters of life. I had that moment of a lightbulb clicking on in my head in the area of unconditional love -- both from God and from people. I got to the best place with my relationship with God in my life, and by extension of that was able to love and be loved by God's children, to live fully in the giftings He gave me, and then....
I threw it all away.
I can't express how sad it is to me that I can say this.
I threw it all away, willingly. For affections that wouldn't last. I changed almost everything about me for a lie.
And I did it in the two months before the Race. Well, really I guess it was the 6 months before the Race.
If you were there, you can probably remember the signs: - increased distance - less openness - less joy - more erratic emotions
If you do remember, I'm so sorry that I put you through that.
I wasn't you. It was me.
All this to say: You loved me as well as I would let you and I can't thank you enough for that. Thank you for investing in me, even when I was difficult or evasive. That pursuit saved my from even worse choices and I breathe a sigh of relief that you have stood by me, encouraging me through the worst mistakes of my life, I would love to share the whole story with you.
So here's where my last blog comes in: I finally allowed a group of people to know everything about me, unreservedly, and they loved me well. This was a revelationary moment for me.
I finally allowed people to love everything about me well, and they didn't fail me.
Just like EVERYONE I've known wouldn't have failed me.
JUST LIKE JESUS DOESN'T FAIL ME.
I don't know how else to put it,
God loves me (and you) unconditionally, no matter what, even if you don't let Him.
BUT
you can only fully feel the effects of that love if you let Him love you well.
AND HE WILL
EVERY TIME YOU LET HIM
WITHOUT FAIL
WITHOUT CEASING
because there is NO SHADOW of turning in Him.
He can't help it.
He just loves us All the Time Every Time
Thank you so much for making it this far!
I think I'm done spilling my guts for now, and I hope I cleared up my intentions with my blog, and maybe even mended a few hurt feelings. (i can only hope and pray for that one)
And I want to conclude with a blessing over every single person who made the long journey with me:
Blessings as you encounter each person in your life, may it be with a fresh perspective of the reality of God's love for you and for them. We each of us are deserving of the most optimistic interaction from every person we meet. Blessings as you interact with your family, maybe you have new insight into who they are in Christ, who they are learning to be (in fact, their true selves), and who they are not. May each of us call each other gently into who we are meant to be and no longer dwell on who we are not. Blessings as you think about yourself. Pray that you can see the real you, the you you're meant to be, not who you used to be or even who you were two minutes ago. May we no longer react out of our pasts, because Jesus didn't die for us to live out of the dead man, but out of the new creation He's made us to be. And blessing as you encounter Jesus, the Father, and the Holy Spirit. May we never leave out one out of fear of the gifts they have for us. They have only our best in mind, and we need not fear who they are, nor who they are making us into. May we lose control and trust that our faith is not in vain, but in the best possible place in can rest -- in the Trinity that's got our back. (Also, if you don't have a tight relationship with God, feel free to message me, I'd love to tell you how awesome He is and how much He loves you!)
I have been thinking long and hard, trying to process this year and what to do next, what to say to sum up this past season, of how to end the last chapter of life and begin the next. And I have something to say.
I HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO PROCESS THE WORLD RACE.
I mean, it was awesome. It was crazy. It was the best year, the first time I opened up every nook and cranny of my life to another human being - and I did it with more than just my team, never would've dreamed that - and they still loved me, possibly loved me better and loved me well. I didn't know a whole group of humans would be able to hear everything about you - the absolute worst things you've done in your life - and still love you wholeheartedly and not let that information change how they think about you or throw it back in your face later, that it doesn't become ammunition EVERY time you speak it out.
Instead, the dark places, you know those places where Satan keeps you hiding, ducking for cover every time someone asks you a question pertaining to the dead spot, when those not-so-celebrated-truths are spoken aloud, the enemy loses power over that area of your life. You no longer have to operate out of fear, anger, bitterness, laziness, etc. You are freed to choose to live out of who God's called you to be - to be the person your team calls out in you.
With all the changes the Race has wrought on me, sometimes it feels like a dream.
Who knew that shaving my head had a secondary purpose?
Not only was it a choice to submit and surrender my will in that moment to surrender my future and right to defend myself to surrender the ugly thoughts about myself
It was a reminder that it was real. That it happened. That change DID occur. That I'm not the same person I left. I am a new creation. I am.
a woman of grace joyful compassionate caring gentle a woman of confidence bringer of hope speaker of deep revelations beautiful a queen of the kingdom kind disciplined loving a woman of high courage patience a peacemaker worshipper
As for the rest of it, I'm still processing the race, with more stories and blogs to come. I'll be continuing my adventures on http://worldviewphotography.wordpress.com/ if you'd like to follow along. Next step: Kingdom Dreaming and where that leads you.
these were my closing thoughts on the race and all the elements that made it up. n.b. these are written in reaction to questions asked on a survey about the trip, but i thought they were pretty explanatory.
on Community, Worship, Unity, etc. It was not one thing, but the whole experience. I can't pinpoint one
area that was more impactful. I was given an increased awareness through
all four of the listed factors of the reality of the Kingdom and what
God has called us to do. Every facet of this year was eye-opening and
perspective shifting. To see the hurts and needs up close and personal
magnified the fact that I am called but not alone. Community is
priceless and necessary, as I saw through our teams and the contacts we
had. Worship was undeniably important, it allowed the freedom for the
Spirit to move in ways that could not have happened otherwise, it united
not only us, but other squads or people we met as well. Unity, so
often prophesied over our squad, came out to be amazingly true and an
important part of why we all made it to the end. The reality the impact
of disunity in the church hit home, and made the recent movement in the
church toward grace and love over being right that I've seen even more
exciting -- because when the church unites, God's glory is revealed.
Anyway, there's so much about the Kingdom that I learned, it's hard to
put it into words.
on the Race in general For me, it was getting to see what God's up to
around the world firsthand, experiencing different types of ministry,
seeing what incorporating faith and works into normal life is like done
well, testing what God wants me to do, where I fit into the big picture,
activating my giftings and using them every day and growing in intimacy
with God. It's just life, done well.
on Coaches, Squad Leaders, Team Leaders, Race Staff, etc. Coaches' insights and graceful words leading to greatness. Alumni Squad
Leaders' wisdom and fierce calling to something greater. Squad Leaders'
willingness to get dirty with you wherever you are in your process and
walk with you out of it into something better. Team Leaders' listening
ears and compassionate hearts for their teams. World Race Staff for
coming and sharing the wisdom of those who have gone before, and the
fresh revelations that God gives them unique to the individual squad and
squad members. Every person's availability and desire for community and
change not only for the world, but for themselves and their fellow
journeyers in life. Contacts' desire for their own calling as well as my
calling and giftings. Support from people back home through emails, FB
messages and skype. God's leading, the ability to hear and understand
His Voice, the grace to get it wrong, fail, and try again from God and
peers. And the list goes on.
This is by no means an all inclusive list, nor does it cover all 11 months. It is a random list of events or tips that I have personally dealt with this year. I'm sure I have many more to add, but I thought I would go ahead a post it in this form.
Enjoy!
World Race Rules
#1. Technology is fantastic, but unreliable... make sure you back up everything
#2. Google isn't always correct about weather, visa requirements, etc.
#3. ALL toiletries are buyable in EVERY country you go to
#4. Showers are only necessary once every seven days, 10 if you go swimming
#5. Even if every crevice is sealed, you will STILL fall asleep to buzzing and wake up covered in mosquito bites
#6. Luggage weight limits are really just more like suggestions
#7. Don't forget your t.p. when going to the bathroom
#8. Hair bands are an absolute MUST for both genders. They have myriad uses: fixing rearview mirrors, closing food bags, holding speakers together and onto vehicle visors, keeping wires/electrical plugs organized, etc.
#9. Sewing kits and skills are indispensable
#10. Grilled cheese sandwhiches and tomato soup are luxeries, and peanut butter and jelly sandwhiches are manna from heaven
#11. Air conditioning is lovely, fans are beautiful
#12. Flip flops are essential in Asian cultures - shoe removal every time you enter a house or shop, etc.
#13. Questions usually get you farther than statements when you're talking with people
#14. Rat hockey is an awesome sport, as are snake smashing, roach round up, bat catching, croc watching, etc.
#15. Tans come in two styles: sun and mud
#16. Spices make everything better and are lightweight. Everyone should invest in a set
#17. Flies aren't that annoying as long as they stand still. It's when they move that they tickle and are annoying
#18. People from a country may act like they know all about it, but generally they don't and aren't correct when they seem the most certain
#19. Dishes should be washed before AND after eating
#20. Scissors are super useful for haircuts, strings on shirts, rat traps, pants that need to become shorts, etc.
#21. Rivers make a good bathing place
#22. Rivers also make a good immitation for clean dish-washing water
#23. Both sweet and salty snacks are a must have when away from civilization
#24. After Sun is as important as, if not more so, than sunscreen all over the world, especially in the summer months and near the equator
#25. Ramen noodles aren't just for college students
#26. Nutella is a luxery worth investing in, and is available in most places
#27. Basic car maintenance skills are handy and sometimes irreplacable when in the middle of nowhere. Girls, start learning now
#28. Your Nalgene water bottle can double for a ramen noodle container in a pinch
#29. Your face WILL be oily in every picture you take. Get used to it
#30. Electricity and phone and internet coverage is a bigger deal than you realize; not to mention running water
#31. Camera batteries being charged is a must. Otherwise you'll miss important memories that you might forget without the reminder
#32. Children beg. It's a fact. Get used to saying no nicely. A lot. Side note: it's okay to say no
#33. Water is drinkable in a lot more places than you would think
#34. Malaria isn't as prevalent as you get told
#35. You should carry both AA and AAA batteries - if you don't need them, someone on your team will
#36. Laundry soap - get it, bring it, you WILL use it
#37. Be prepared for your definition of "clean" to change; i.e. dishes, clothes, food, yourself etc.
#38. Mosquitos aren't even close to the only things that bite which can miraculously appear in your tent, even though all the zippers are closed tight
#39. If you don't want children to play with or tug on your hair, don't have long hair
#40. If you have visible tattoos, make sure you have an awesome explanation for them, they will get asked about everywhere you go. If you can segway from your tattoo to the Gospel message, even better
#41. While most countries still have the "you must wash your hands" signs or norms, they often do not have soap or towels to do so. My suggestion: bring lots of hand sanitizer and soap paper
#42. A Troopie (Toyota LandCruiser) can be a tent platform as well as a hammock hanger
#43. If the keys to the car or room aren't always in the same place, i.e. with the same person, or in a specific spot, inevitably you will walk around for 20 minutes asking every person on your team where they are or if they have them only to realize that the last person left will be the one who knows or has them
#44. Ninth grade woodshop projects are extremely useful, aka mousetrap building skills, Troopie snorkel-making skills
#45. Diarrhea always occurs on long bus or car rides where there are no available restrooms
#46. Smell checking an item is limited to ten times before you must wash it prior to rewear
#47. Tent footprints also double as hammock rain-flys
#48. You will pee and poop your pants at least once
#49. Check your peanut butter for ants
#50. Creativity in all things is the name of the game - but be a problem solver, not a problem creator
#51. Just when you think you're alone or need to be alone, God sends along someone who needs to be with you.
#52. When you are the last one in the shower, expect that the hot water will be gone. That way, if it's even lukewarm, you'll be psyched rather than disappointed.
#53. Check your bread for mold before you eat it
#54. You will probably throw your toilet paper into the trash for a while after it is necessary, and you will also forget what it's like to flush without a second's pause.
#55. You will miss community when you go home whether or not you're used to living alone before you come on the race.
#56. Hammocks are capable of giving you the best bruise you've ever seen in a matter of seconds
#57. Check your potatoes for worms
#58. Videos are priceless ways to remember things. Pictures just sometimes don't do memories justice after the fact.
#59. Even if you don't take food off of other people's tables at home when they leave, you will do this on the race. Probably more than once. And most likely one of those times will be McDonald's fries.
#60. You are not entitled to three balanced meals a day. You aren't even entitled to three unbalanced meals a day. Don't complain - the rest of the world doesn't get to eat in a week as much as you're used to eating in a day
I got this from an email that got sent to me. I wanted to share it. I love this story and image.
Last week we talked about Mary of Bethany. To prepare I used Logos to read the passage through, looked at a commentary, and then looked at the passage in the original Greek translated word by word--shout out to Logos!
I just adore this passage. Here you have a woman who's robe was probably low cut. She shows up at a house of the spiritual and social leader on the night of a dinner. The house is full of important dudes in big hats. Their wives probably were there in a separate part of the house passing around stories of her sins as she walked by. Mary's heart is pounding, I bet. She makes eye contact with no one as she works her way through the crowd. It was probably pretty easy, since none of them wanted to touch her, well, in public anyway.
Then she sees Him. The first man who's ever looked her in the eye. Who doesn't glower and leer depending on who else is around. Who looks on her with a pure love and isn't ashamed to be caught smiling at this "sinner." The first man who wants only her soul, but oh how he treasures that. He sees loveliness her her personhood.
And that is worth anything. How do you tell someone how much they mean to you? You give them your best. All men have wanted is access to her body parts. All this man wants is for her to sanctify them before God, to honor Him by keeping herself only unto her Lord. Pure. To be the woman He sees in her. So what do you give him? How do you show that you're madly in love in the most righteous sense possible? That you understand that things are not "sinful" or "righteous," but the way they are used is?
You take something used in your trade, the perfume you wore to lure men, and you offer it for a holy purpose. You give it all up for him. To him.
It's no wonder she started to, as the Greek word says, "rain" tears on Jesus' feet. For the first time since she was little, perhaps, her soul is coming up for air. It's a beautiful image.
And, if I'm honest, an awkward one.
The raw intimacy of it all is astounding. How on earth did she do it? I mean I don't like to cry in public. I close my eyes to worship so I won't consider what others think about my raised hands. I've thought about kneeling in service, but people might stare. And here we find Mary, hunched over the feet of Jesus as He eats, surrounded by people who openly disdain her, and she's raining on him, tears and kisses, wiping his feet with her hair and pouring the whole bottle of scent, perhaps one familiar to some in attendance, over his feet.
I think she didn't see them. The others, I mean. I think she hurried past them until she found Jesus and then....ah, then He was all she saw. Jesus was her focus and the rest were lost in a blur of tears. The two of them there, in the middle of a room, showing each other pure and boundless love.
Mary, in her emotional, expressive response, is honoring her Lord and declaring her faith.
There is often a debate over the truest form of worship--is it emotional or intellectual. I think we all agree it has elements of both, but perhaps the truest form of worship isn't the same for all people. For the centurion who came, faith was demonstrated in his trusting of Jesus to heal without being present. For Peter, it was the knowledge and a willingness to say, "You are the Christ." And for Mary, it was an act born of an overwhelming emotion too big for words. So big it needed to be physically expressed.
I just love that.
I love that our God who made us knows that our hearts beat differently, and thus respond differently to Him. I love that He is too big for one form of worship. I love that He finds glory in the awkward, the mundane, the bold. My God, my dear Lord, oh my heart stirs for you. Give me that moment when you and I love and the world fades away. I so want more of you.
In an environment where 50% of the population has already immigrated out of the country, and he himself has lost 70% of his church to immigration, he still carries a torch of hope for his nation.
He and his family run several social programs in his village of Cornesti in the countryside of Moldova. They have tutoring and after school programs, children's Bible programs, a church, sewing programs to support the orphan shelter, as well as a farm which is getting started and meant to support the orphan shelter. They feed the local children whose parents are absent because of work or can't afford to feed them. They take care of 15 orphans: feed, clothe, shelter, educate, etc. so that they don't end up drinking alcohol, doing drugs, or worse, being trafficked.
Photo by: Stephanie May
And that's a real problem.
In this same sleepy Moldovan town where kids play in the streets and there is a biweekly market, there is danger of human trafficking.
Photo by: Stephanie May
Here are some facts that I didn't know before arriving here: 1. Moldova is the #1 country in Europe for trafficking and 2. It is also one of the world's poorest nations "Funny" how those two things coincide.
Moldovan is comparable to Swaziland's poverty level, yet it exists in Europe where there are no breaks in weather or the costs of living.
Photo by: Stephanie May
It is a picture without hope -- desperation leads people into terrible industries or immigration. The spirits of comparison, failure, and hopelessness rest heavy here. I've felt it myself.
But here's the issue. It's starting to wear on Vitale and his family -- and the money is running out quickly. It costs $2,000.00 USD to keep the orphan shelter running.
Sponsorship, due to unyielding and unavoidable circumstances, has been cut off. Integrity has been tested and found true in this dedicated servant of the Moldovan people, but the cost has been high.
Vitale isn't able to pay for his ministry on his own. It is his dearest dream to become self-sustaining through raising chickens and muskrats and selling them. But he isn't self-sustaining yet. With the withdrawal of the financial support he's had thus far, he is unable to afford to keep up the ministry.
But there is still hope.
Photo by: Stephanie May
And here comes the good part.
YOU and I can help. He is in desperate need of our support. He is praying for our help. He is waiting on God's answer and provision with all the patience of an anxious father because these orphans will be kicked out of the house if funds don't come in.And they are at the highest risk of being trafficked as they have no homes to go to if they have to be kicked out in the streets of Moldova.
Every hour in Moldova, 4 people die, 5 immigrate & 6 people immigrate. That's not even counting the many who are drawn into being trafficked, some drugged, some tricked, some "willingly" go because of desperation and lack of education and employment opportunities.
This is a place where might always wins, right only rarely does, and Vitale stands in the gap fighting for the least of these.
Please help him fight.
If you are interested in donating, the best way is to email Vitale directly and he can give you more information at gaicean@yahoo.com. You can also see more information about his ministries at the following blog site: www.sinai30.blogspot.com
1 Corinthians 15:58
So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work
enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the
Lord is ever useless.
We finally left Asia and reached.... South Africa!
Yes! I love Africa, especially South Africa. I had so much fun the last time I was there. But I was just hanging out with friends at the beach that time.
Wait. What? What's that you say? We're camping at the beach and going surfing and playing soccer with kids?? SWEET!
So yeah, bra, here's the deal.
We walked around the local hills, gathering children like Pied Pipers for Jesus, had their parents' sign permission forms for them to hang out with us playing soccer and surfing. Now, most of these kids don't know a lick of surfing, and probably some of them don't know how to swim.
And did I mention it's winter only getting up to 40 F in the day? I mean, good thing we're on the Indian Ocean side and not the Atlantic. Here, the water's warmer than either the land OR the air. Which is awesome because otherwise we'd be kind of bitter that the first beach we've been stationed at on the race is freezing cold and no one wants to swim.
Well, most people didn't want to swim because, let's face it. Even IF the water is warmer than the air, that's not actually saying that much. But some brave souls -- not me -- get in a start teaching the kids how to surf, first on the beach, then in the water. The ministry was a huge success. One day, the WR group was late meeting the kids for surfing, and they arrived to find the kids praying in a circle (the way they start the day). So flippin cool!
The other half of our pack (we had 4 out of 6 teams together in South Africa, plus all our Real Lifers) led a soccer ministry for the local village kids. Basically, we played soccer for several hours a day with most of the kids. The rest of the kids and Racers played volleyball, catch, and foot passing. We have an awesome time, every day, for three weeks.
The last week we were in Coffee Bay, we had baptisms for all the local kids who wanted to be baptized. We had spent three weeks doing mini-sermons with the kids, giving opportunities to the children to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior and had many of the children make that decision. It was awesome. And then we got to baptize them and celebrate their new lives in Christ.
I'm still a little speechless at how many came to believe. God is awesome!
Another part of our ministry was going to church on Sundays and leading worship and praying with people.
The last part of my ministry in South Africa was to the staff and backpackers. I had more conversations about God and theology and grace and sin in South Africa than I have on any other month. It was amazing to just watch God orchestrate divine appointments and open doors in people's hearts. I'm still processing though a lot of the conversations I had with everyone there. I loved ever minute of it!
These are a few of the awesome people I met in Coffee Bay and got to share the love of God with!
Make sure you watch the video at the bottom. It's a description of my FIREBREAKS vs. WILDFIRE sermon from El Shaddai Orphanage in Swaziland.
this was our first sighting of the first fire we fought (turned out to happen three times, evenutually burning our whole mountain up to the orphanage) it says "o god"
this was after the first night of fire. notice how my flip flops are off, but the ash left an imprint on my foot as if i still had shoes on. luckily the soot all washed off.
one of the many beautiful sunsets from our mountaintop view
we did construction projects in the Nepali villages we visited. here are two of them
in our second village in Nepal we began construction on a toilet for the village's soon-to-be church. of course, none of us had a CLUE how to build a toilet, especially out of bricks and cement. so what did we do?
we listened to the Nepali men and women around us and tried to be the best peons we could to the people who knew the best. which for me included semi-designing the building and then estimating to the best of my abilities how much material we needed to complete the project. my first thought when they said we were to design the building and then told us which materials to make it out of was "why isn't my Dad, the architect/engineer, here to do this? i have no idea what i'm doing here!"
well i did my best to remember everything i knew about architecture, anything i could scrap together from visiting my Dad's work growing up and coloring in old blueprints, and drew my first ever building plan. not amazing, not fantastic, but it would work and moreover, the pastor's thought it was great. whew!
next step, action! below are some shots of the building process. we ended up running out of funds, but we put up the cement pillars and installing the floor. the septic tank will go behind the building. as the village raises funds to build more, they will add to it, simple as that. if you want to donate to this project you can by contacting Reuben Rai, our contact, who is helping the village get their church built.
in the second to last village we visited (and yes, it is easier to say it that way because we visited so many while were there) our team helped the very beginning of a project to build a western style school in a remote village on the eastern border area of Nepal. we had to hike 5 hours through the mountains to get there (i have another blog about that) and float across/fjorde a deep and rushing river three times and hike through rice paddies to get out of the village!
Every year, children die crossing the river to get to school which is a 2-3 hour walk to reach, so they want to build a school on their side of the river so that the children don't have to cross the river when it's high and dangerous. Again, you can talk to Reuben Rai, our contact, if you'd like to donate to building the school.
Lauren sketched out the plan on paper and then the white board to show the village the plan and then we helped break ground and begin to dig for the foundation. We also helped haul the giant rocks that they would use to make the foundation.
Lauren drawing on the white board
Talking out the plan with the leaders of the village
The villagers had their system down! They cut stairs out of the dirt, then gathered all their baskets for hauling and set to work, assembly line at its best!
Yes, the kids even helped to bring up rocks (not as many at a time as the adults, don't worry). They wanted to help to build their future school.
You can't really tell from the photo, but we are standing on a GIANT pile of stones, most of which was carried by Nepali people, but we did help a lot. They're just amazing!
