Hey everyone...
We're just finishing up our last few hours here in Nepal. The past 3 days have been filled with excitement and adventure. Looooooooooong bus rides down winding roads, a beautiful orphanage in the middle of nowhere, an ox cart ride, a boat ride across a river, elephant rides, rhinos, singing children, crazy drivers and a Hindu college. You'll have to ask for more details when you see us.
We are leaving our hotel today around noon and traveling for 38 hours...that includes driving to the airport, flying time, layovers, customs...all of it. Please pray for our safety. God has been so faithful...we KNOW that He has surrounded us with His angels. Also, continue praying for our health.
See you around 4:00 on Thursday!
Rebecca
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Here are a few photos from the last 2 days. Read the boys' blog for more details!
Sorry these are so small...connection is very slow here.
The city of Kathmandu.
Friday: Scott listens intently to a science lesson about amoebas...a few minutes later he decided to teach the class.
Greg and Scott trying to keep up with Nepali praise music.
Typical transportation through the city.
While the guys played soccer, the girls went saree shopping. What an experience!
The Himalayas! Absolutely breathtaking.
Youth Leadership Training...Scott and Shawn performing the Sin Skit.
Saturday and Sunday
Saturday
Saturday was church day here in Nepal. Since the people here work 6 days a week, their only day off is on Saturday. The praise and worship was amazing, we had a blast. Although we did not fully understand all the songs, we were able to praise God and thank Him for all he does.
After church we had a light meal that prepared us for the soccer match in the afternoon. The seemed to be pretty serious about the match which trembled all of us but Gabe, the only Mexican on the team. When we arrived to the field, they were all ready in uniforms, cleates, and shin guards. We apparently seemed to be the amusement of all locals observing the match. Seeing how Shawn Jr. tackled about one third of their team, and Scott plunging severely to the ground, we did not come out to be successful in winning. The second half was divided by the Elim team (church's soccer team) so it went a little smoother. Oh. i forgot to mention, the girls did not suffer our brutal lose to the locals, instead they went saree shopping.
After the game, when went back to the hotel, showered and got ready for dinner.
Sunday
We had an early morning due to the opportunity to fly near the Himalayas and see mount Everest. After we landed we went to a cafe for breakfast before we had to go to the school and hand out clothes for the needy. We had a great turnout and we gave away a lot of clothes. Afterwards we got to hang out for a little bit before the Youth Leadership training. Before the training we ate lunch at the church. Later in the evening the adults had a meeting while the rest of the team went shopping. We came back and finished the day with a cultural event that the church performed for us.
Tomorrow we will take a six hour bus ride to Chitwan National Preserve and will not be able to blog for two days.
Sorry for the inconvenience, we hope everybody is doing well in Boca. Please remember us in your prayers as we travel tomorrow.
Gabe and Tyler
Saturday was church day here in Nepal. Since the people here work 6 days a week, their only day off is on Saturday. The praise and worship was amazing, we had a blast. Although we did not fully understand all the songs, we were able to praise God and thank Him for all he does.
After church we had a light meal that prepared us for the soccer match in the afternoon. The seemed to be pretty serious about the match which trembled all of us but Gabe, the only Mexican on the team. When we arrived to the field, they were all ready in uniforms, cleates, and shin guards. We apparently seemed to be the amusement of all locals observing the match. Seeing how Shawn Jr. tackled about one third of their team, and Scott plunging severely to the ground, we did not come out to be successful in winning. The second half was divided by the Elim team (church's soccer team) so it went a little smoother. Oh. i forgot to mention, the girls did not suffer our brutal lose to the locals, instead they went saree shopping.
After the game, when went back to the hotel, showered and got ready for dinner.
Sunday
We had an early morning due to the opportunity to fly near the Himalayas and see mount Everest. After we landed we went to a cafe for breakfast before we had to go to the school and hand out clothes for the needy. We had a great turnout and we gave away a lot of clothes. Afterwards we got to hang out for a little bit before the Youth Leadership training. Before the training we ate lunch at the church. Later in the evening the adults had a meeting while the rest of the team went shopping. We came back and finished the day with a cultural event that the church performed for us.
Tomorrow we will take a six hour bus ride to Chitwan National Preserve and will not be able to blog for two days.
Sorry for the inconvenience, we hope everybody is doing well in Boca. Please remember us in your prayers as we travel tomorrow.
Gabe and Tyler
Friday, June 15, 2007
Cooling off in the mountains of Nepal!
Wednesday was a great day. We started off by shopping (we had to please the girls.) Then around 2:30 we piled into the cars and went to the AWANA India National headquarters. There we met with the head of AWANA India and three AWANA missionaries. After talking with the AWANA missionaries for a hour and hearing about their vision to reach every child in India and Nepal we left encouraged and motivated. We then went to the church for a cultural youth service where the different youth groups from around Delhi sang and danced for us. It was very long but fun.
Thursday started off with heading to the Airport in cars. There was no space so we had to put our bags on the roof (which the girls were not thrilled about). We got to the Airport and after a 2 hour flight arrived in Nepal. The temperature in Nepal is about 35 degrees cooler than in Delhi. Between the weather and the beautiful Himalayas surrounding us, we feel like we are on vacation. We spent the evening at the Elim Ministry Center where we will be stationed for a few days. Pastor Sonam Kabo and his wife run the church and school.
We are now back at our hotel and ready for a long night of sleep. Tomorrow we will be participating at Pastor Sonam's church (Church services are on Saturdays) and playing a fierce game of soccer: USA vs. Nepal! Please keep us in your prayers. Pray for healing for those that are struggling with stomach issues. Also, pray for strength for our team and that we will be an encouragement to the Christians here.
HERE ARE THE PHOTOS YOU"VE BEEN WAITING FOR! (Internet is a bit slow here!)
An India taxi. yes, Shawn Sr. drove that thing!
Thursday started off with heading to the Airport in cars. There was no space so we had to put our bags on the roof (which the girls were not thrilled about). We got to the Airport and after a 2 hour flight arrived in Nepal. The temperature in Nepal is about 35 degrees cooler than in Delhi. Between the weather and the beautiful Himalayas surrounding us, we feel like we are on vacation. We spent the evening at the Elim Ministry Center where we will be stationed for a few days. Pastor Sonam Kabo and his wife run the church and school.
This morning, we got up refreshed and ready to go. The plan was to spend the day at Elim School with the children. We started with devotions with the staff at the school. Most of the teachers are from Nepal. There is one woman, Dora, who is probably close to 80 years old. She moved to Kathmandu, from Spain because God called her here. After devotions, we hung out with the students. We watched their assemblies, visited their classrooms, taught a few classes (Gabe taught some Spanish!) and ran PE in the afternoon. At 4:00, teachers and principals from around the area came for a Christian Education Seminar. Alissa and Rebecca share about their experiences as Christian teachers in a public school. The Nepali teachers were very interested and asked questions for over an hour. Pastor Bill closed the seminar with an encouraging message.
We are now back at our hotel and ready for a long night of sleep. Tomorrow we will be participating at Pastor Sonam's church (Church services are on Saturdays) and playing a fierce game of soccer: USA vs. Nepal! Please keep us in your prayers. Pray for healing for those that are struggling with stomach issues. Also, pray for strength for our team and that we will be an encouragement to the Christians here.
Jacqui
P.S. Please leave more comments. We LOVE comments.
And...Mom please leave me my numbers!
HERE ARE THE PHOTOS YOU"VE BEEN WAITING FOR! (Internet is a bit slow here!)
Our team at the Taj Mahal. This building is amazing!
An India taxi. yes, Shawn Sr. drove that thing!
A prayer of dedication for the new church about 1/2 mile from the Taj Mahal!
The traditional Nepali greeting!
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Long bus rides, high temperatures and lots of kids!
Hey again!
This is the first time we've been able to get to a computer since Saturday. We have been staying very busy (and HOT) the past few days. Let me give you a quick run down of everything we're done...
SUNDAY:
Our team split into 2 groups for separate services. Several members of the team shared testimonies and Pastor Bill and Pastor Sonam Kabo (from Nepal) preached. I love worshipping with believers from around the world. Singing praise songs in English while the rest of the place is singing in a different language is an experience you'll never forget. After lunch we had a smaller "Youth" Service with some people from the Delhi Nepali Christian Fellowship.
MONDAY:
We were up at the crack of dawn and hit the street for our very long bus ride to Agra. Our trip down was wonderful...we were spoiled in the air conditioned bus. After almost 5 1/2 hours we made it to our destination. We parked and took the short walk to the Taj Mahal. Gregory Mitchell has this to report: "A spectacularly crafted, gargantuan, compilation of engraved, crafted and set marble and semi-precious stone and jewels. The white brilliance astonished you as you walked up to the Main Gate made of a glistening red sandstone, 400 years old." After a zillion pictures and a tour we visited a small church that was just built (which was being dedicated today) by International Cooperating Ministries. We were able to spend a few minutes and pray with the pastor and his beautiful children. After dinner, we got back in the bus for our drive. Little did we know that the heat of Hades would soon descend upon us. About 2 hours into our drive the belt for the A/C broke and the drivers were not able to fix it. The next 4 hours felt like an eternity as we finished our drive to the hotel. Trust me, we will never take air conditioning for granted again!
TUESDAY:
The "grown ups" led a Leadership Seminar during the day. Seventeen churches from around North India attended the sessions. Downstairs the rest of us spent the day with about 150 children. We share stories, made a craft, and played games. The kids also sang and danced for us.
We just finished dinner and we're ready to settle in for a long night of rest. We'll be sleeping in a bit tomorrow before we go to the AWANA headquarters here in Delhi. We will also be participating in a Youth Rally in the evening.
Please continue to pray for us (and leave comments...we LOVE comments!). Pray for our safety as we drive through the city (it's INSANE...and I'm not exaggerating). Also, pray for strength. Being in the heat (over 100 F) is physically and mentally draining.
We love you all and miss you.
Rebecca (and Gregory)
P.S. I'll try to get pictures up here tomorrow!
This is the first time we've been able to get to a computer since Saturday. We have been staying very busy (and HOT) the past few days. Let me give you a quick run down of everything we're done...
SUNDAY:
Our team split into 2 groups for separate services. Several members of the team shared testimonies and Pastor Bill and Pastor Sonam Kabo (from Nepal) preached. I love worshipping with believers from around the world. Singing praise songs in English while the rest of the place is singing in a different language is an experience you'll never forget. After lunch we had a smaller "Youth" Service with some people from the Delhi Nepali Christian Fellowship.
MONDAY:
We were up at the crack of dawn and hit the street for our very long bus ride to Agra. Our trip down was wonderful...we were spoiled in the air conditioned bus. After almost 5 1/2 hours we made it to our destination. We parked and took the short walk to the Taj Mahal. Gregory Mitchell has this to report: "A spectacularly crafted, gargantuan, compilation of engraved, crafted and set marble and semi-precious stone and jewels. The white brilliance astonished you as you walked up to the Main Gate made of a glistening red sandstone, 400 years old." After a zillion pictures and a tour we visited a small church that was just built (which was being dedicated today) by International Cooperating Ministries. We were able to spend a few minutes and pray with the pastor and his beautiful children. After dinner, we got back in the bus for our drive. Little did we know that the heat of Hades would soon descend upon us. About 2 hours into our drive the belt for the A/C broke and the drivers were not able to fix it. The next 4 hours felt like an eternity as we finished our drive to the hotel. Trust me, we will never take air conditioning for granted again!
TUESDAY:
The "grown ups" led a Leadership Seminar during the day. Seventeen churches from around North India attended the sessions. Downstairs the rest of us spent the day with about 150 children. We share stories, made a craft, and played games. The kids also sang and danced for us.
We just finished dinner and we're ready to settle in for a long night of rest. We'll be sleeping in a bit tomorrow before we go to the AWANA headquarters here in Delhi. We will also be participating in a Youth Rally in the evening.
Please continue to pray for us (and leave comments...we LOVE comments!). Pray for our safety as we drive through the city (it's INSANE...and I'm not exaggerating). Also, pray for strength. Being in the heat (over 100 F) is physically and mentally draining.
We love you all and miss you.
Rebecca (and Gregory)
P.S. I'll try to get pictures up here tomorrow!
Saturday, June 9, 2007
We have arrived...
After 25 hours of travel, our team arrived at the New Delhi Airport at midnight (local time). We took a bus to the hotel and tried to get some sleep. We were awakened many times at night from the heat (95 F at night) and noisy traffic. Speaking of traffic, we have never seen anything like this! Nobody obeys traffic laws...they honk loudly and drive wherever they want.
After a meeting and devotions this morning, we hit McDonald's for some lunch. We all had chicken sandwiches because it's illegal to sell beef here. After lunch we did some shopping at a local market and tried to stay cool. The temperature today is 118 F. The humidity is low...so it feels like an oven. Shopping was an experience. This afternoon we have been visiting with local Christian families and learning about the culture here.
Tomorrow we will be attending 2 church services and a youth service. Pastor Bill and Pastor Sonam will be speaking at the church services. We will be putting together the youth service. Please pray for our safety as we are traveling around town and driving in traffic. Also pray for our group as we minister to local Christians here.
That's all for now...
Rebecca and Sean Sr. (for everyone else!)
After a meeting and devotions this morning, we hit McDonald's for some lunch. We all had chicken sandwiches because it's illegal to sell beef here. After lunch we did some shopping at a local market and tried to stay cool. The temperature today is 118 F. The humidity is low...so it feels like an oven. Shopping was an experience. This afternoon we have been visiting with local Christian families and learning about the culture here.
Tomorrow we will be attending 2 church services and a youth service. Pastor Bill and Pastor Sonam will be speaking at the church services. We will be putting together the youth service. Please pray for our safety as we are traveling around town and driving in traffic. Also pray for our group as we minister to local Christians here.
That's all for now...
Rebecca and Sean Sr. (for everyone else!)
Thursday, June 7, 2007
On our way...
We're all packed and vaccinated and ready to go. We'll be leaving in a few hours, flying through London and arriving in New Delhi, India around 2:00pm (Boca time) tomorrow. Please pray for good fellowship and rest on the plane, safety as we travel, and protection from sickness.
We'll try to update this blog with news and photos as often as possible. If we don't post for a few days, don't get worried...we are in a third world country. :-)
Until next time...
Rebecca, for the whole team
We'll try to update this blog with news and photos as often as possible. If we don't post for a few days, don't get worried...we are in a third world country. :-)
Until next time...
Rebecca, for the whole team
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)