It has been just over a year since I left Cambodia and began the journey towards service in Nepal. It was a joy to spend five months (between February and July 2013) visiting churches and partners to connect and re-connect. Thank you for welcoming me! This is my first email newsletter following those visits, so a bit more on the journey to join with the ministry of the United Mission to Nepal (UMN).

Last July I arrived in Nepal and jumped into learning the language and culture. During this time I have been living with Yagya Panta, one of my co-workers at UMN from the Education Team, and his family: wife Bimila, daughter Garima and niece Prianka. This has been a truly special opportunity to learn Nepali culture. I wrote a short blog post about a visit Bimila and I made to the nearby city of Baktapur.

In January I started full-time work with the Health Team of UMN, and in February I headed out for a visit to Doti in the far western region of Nepal with Anu Gomangu. There is a short blog about the Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health training we conducted there. I am excited to be getting involved in this training, especially the aspects of menstrual hygiene. It is a wonderful intersection of several of my passions including water & sanitation through school toilet access for girls, environmental protection through improved washable sanitary pads, and empowerment of adolescent girls through peer to peer education.

Our parallel program through the Nepali churches called Christian Family Life Education offers youth a chance to explore their values. They are coached to facilitate traditionally taboo discussions about adolescent development, contraception, equality in marriage and between boy & girl children. In this video you can hear from the youth about the transformation in self-esteem they have experienced as facilitators in their congregations.

As we celebrate women's history throughout March and World Water Day on March 22, I appreciate your continued support for me to join with the people of Nepal as we work together to realize the Christ's promise of fullness of life for all. Thank you.

Your sister in service for Christ,

 

I have slowly been making more connections with the people called Methodist in Nepal and am honored to be able to work closely with several of them in UMN. Anu Gomangi is my co-worker in the Health Team of UMN. She leads our work in Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Helath and Christian Family Life Education. Her brother is a Methodist pastor in the Kathmandu valley. Through him I was able to bring greetings to Devi Bujel.

While in Doti, I met Sabu Tamang who is the team leader for all of UMN's work in this geographical cluster. Her father is a Methodist pastor in Chitwan (mid-west region). It is a joy to be working alongside these committed women within the ecumenical partnership that is the United Mission to Nepal.

On Saturdays, I continue to be involved in Hebron UMC in the Dolahiti neighborhood of Lalitpur (the city just south of Kathmandu). Pastor Jeewan Lama serves as the key link between Global Ministries and the UMC in Nepal. They have a number of outreach activities planned for 2014, especially Children's Camps (VBS) for some of our rural churches in the middle hills and Terrai regions (hopefully one will be in early April). It costs about $15 per child for the camp and about 200 children are anticipated. Donations for this can be designated within the Nepal Mission Initiative through The Advance. Please make on-line gifts in honor of "Children's Camp" to ensure proper channeling.

I am collecting more information about passions and needs of our church partners here. Please contact me if you send a gift so we can monitor its arrival or if you would like to get more involved with the ministry of local congregations.

Some of you heard that Pastor Meena's brother had been stuck in limbo when the corporation that hired him to work overseas folded. Thank you for prayers during this time, his passport was returned. He is safely back in Nepal and looking for new, more stable work. I am learning more about the challenges of seasonal labor migrants and their vulnerabilities. The high rate of HIV and AIDS in the far western region is exacerbated by food insecurity that drives migration and is particularly devastating to women.

Thank you also for prayers for my transition and settling in Kathmandu. I finally found a secure and comfortable apartment to rent. I still need a few more critical items (fridge, bed and electrical inverter for power outages) which I hope to get in the next week or so and then move from Yagya's house to here. I've been able to get most of what I need (stove, table, earthquake alarm, etc.) from families who are leaving Nepal and hope that I can pick up more items (bicycle, cabinet, chair, etc.) in this way.

UMN is facing a serious challenge with regard to the property where our headquarters are located in Thapathali, Kathmandu. Please pray that we will not be evicted in the near future and that our continuous contributions to Nepal over the last 60 years will be recognized and acknowledged with permission to continue using this property.

The United Mission to Nepal is celebrating 60 years of service with the people of Nepal in Christ's name. As Methodists, we have been involved since the inception and can strongly support the mission statement:
Inspired by the love and teachings of Jesus Christ, in partnerships with the Christian community and others in Nepal and worldwide, we will serve the people of Nepal, particularly those who live in poverty:
- to pursue peace and justice for all;
- to address the root causes of poverty; and
- to make Christ known by word and life.

The anniversary party (including me dancing) will be live broadcast on the UMN website at http://www.umn.org.np/live, starting at approximately 8:45pm Tuesday March 4 Pacific Coast Time in the USA, which is 10:30am Wednesday March 5 in Nepal.