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Jan 30, 2019 – From the Top of the World …

The flight was long but good. It ever ceases to amaze me flying into Kathmandu.

Buildings upon buildings creep out of the small squares of land everywhere. Green, pink, blue homes seem to rise up 3 or more stories along the narrow unpaved roads. Some never completed after years remain as bones of cement. Rentals abound as only the rich can afford homes now with a small plot of land (342 sq feet) costing more than $20,000…so rentals abound with owners not responsible for any repairs of any kind. People are lucky to have a place to live I hear. The homes build up to rent lower floors and owners live on the top. This is the city of Kathmandu in Nepal. A faith in the Christian community is maintained against all the odds. Inspiring.

The van slowly follows traffic to take me to the Hotel for two nights. A small child wrapped in blankets of various colors squats on the street as dogs bark and growl at each other. Coldness is everywhere as little fires add to the air pollution but needed to keep warm. Fires made of anything- glowing in small round metal disks…..children squatting close with hands hovering to keep warm. Rain causes a deeper cold among the people who run with anything they can find above their heads. So cold.

Our mission is to go to rural areas where we can help the poor in villages, we will attempt to deliver goats to widows,facilitate a medical camp, deliver blankets, book bags full of needed supplies to children who have none , take two laptops and school supplies to a childrens home I have worked with for 5 years now, Mercy Children Home. And wherever we need to go and have the time.

We will start next week by going to the Terai – with an 8 hrs plus drive (warmer there I am told) where we have heard of a small village school where the children cannot afford any supplies. This school has 75 children below grade three. Our goal is to supply them with book bags, pencils and tablets of paper so that they have a better opportunity to learn. This will be my first trip there so I will evaluate the needs for the next trip. This is where CFH helped to build a church some years ago. In the past we have helped teachers with desk top computers loaded with learning materials to enhance learning for all in Babare. I will evaluate this trip to see if it is possible to bring computers to this school also next year.

This trip brought me to my knees., already. The temperature has hovered at night around 37 degrees. Thin window panes and no heat has allowed me to view life very differently. I have been here when cold before but this year it has also rained and the damp cold is bone chilling. I have spent two days in bed with stomach cramps (thank God that was all) reading scripture and leaning on the Lord for deliverance from this and motivation for this which I have been sent. My host family are wonderful and were concerned but I awoke today ( Tuesday in the US) feeling refreshed. God is good.

Dogs bark throughout the night, birds chirp with the morning sun. There is NO silence in Nepal. Streets are crammed with bikes,motorcycles, taxis, cars and various animals as always and the sounds of never ending construction. I have found my rest here in the hands of the Lord….he has forgiven me much and has graced me to be used. To give is the greatest pleasure to see a moment of joy in the faces of people and children here…such a blessing.

We are limited now outside of a church setting to preach the Gospel. India has applied a lot of pressure and now a government that opposes Christians is on the move. Arrests have been made again and so the pastors I work with are cautious. We know that God will work through our aide and know the pastors that have churches near by…as in Babare the church grew from 12 to over 50. God works in so many wonderful and mysterious ways in His great compassion.

In His Name

Pam

Update Summer 2018

HELP CHANGE A LIFE

ChangeforHope was able to help another student Alisha Khadka finish her Nepali nursing degree in September 2016. This degree is less than equivalent to an AA in the United States. She attended United Mission Hospital/Nursing school in Tansen/Palpa for three years. The on-site work schedule and classes were rigorous and quite difficult (many fail) often working and in study in excess of 14 hrs a day 6 days a week. The test they must pass to work often takes months to sit for. In her case she had to wait 5 months for a spot. Alisha, however, wasted no time and while she waited and took additional English classes and testing preparation classes. She passed her exam the first try! She also took courses for her IELTS testing during these 5 months and passed first try with results of 6.5 out of 7. This enhanced her chances to read, write and speak English.

Alicia, Mom, and brother in 2005

Alicia, Mom, and brother in 2005

Alisha began working in the fall of 2017, 6 days a week for 8 hours a day. She worked at one of the most prestigious hospitals in Nepal, called Grande in Kathmandu. She had received awards for her excellence at Grande in patient care, which is a novelty for one as young as she is ( 20 at the time). I witnessed her care for patients when I lived in Kathmandu September/October 2017. She is quite experienced in her abilities which she handles with maturity and kindness. While working at Grande she diversified her experiences and worked in many departments. Her main goal was to become a geriatric and/ or surgical nurse. However she made only made $140.00 a month which was insufficient to support herself and there was no time to further her education. For poor families it is nearly impossible to make this transition.

 

Alicia in 2008

Alicia in 2008

In Nepal one must have two years working experience to enter classes for a BSN/BN so Alisha decided to look at other opportunities.
Alisha heard of a college in Australia (we were unable to get her to the US) that had a good reputation and had other Nepali girls attending classes. She was accepted because of her academic record and work credits. In February she borrowed money and took a flight there and has been attending school and working. She has survived thus far on family loans and limited employment opportunities, but will not be able to continue unless we can help.

Alisha’s potential is excellent to achieve this goal as she is a diligent focused young lady with a high character and an excellent work ethic.
2017

Alicia in 2017

Alicia in 2017

Awarded at Grande Hospital

Awarded at Grande Hospital

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have lived with the Khadka family for the last 7 years of my 14 trips to Nepal ( I have known them for 13 years). They are a poor family and Alisha will be the first to graduate college and make a decent living to facilitate a better life for her family. She will finish her schooling in three to four years and then help her younger brothers reach their potential.

Tuition is Around $40,000 US and all contributions will be greatly appreciated. With your help she can reach her goal.
Thank you and be blessed as you bless others
Pam Smith, Director
ChangeforHope001.org
1704 West Nopal Drive
Chandler, Arizona 85224
480-899-8041

A 501(3)C under Millennium Relief and Development
Web page www.changeforhope001.org enjoy the previous projects and work done.
Tax deductible contributions can be easily made thru the web page-
Checks can be sent to the above address made out to MRDS

Update: October 29, 2017

Medical TeamThe trip to Babare in the mountains of Dolakha to do the medical camps was difficult but well worth it. The first jeep that arrived was too small to accommodate a doctor, two nurses, myself, the driver and three interpreters (two men and one woman) including all the medicine and gear needed to sleep on the church floor. We paid the first driver and went to find a larger jeep … which we did and all was well 2 hours later than expected.

In another 9 hours after traveling very windy roads and getting stuck in mud once, we made it to the stop above the church where we were to sleep. DARK!! And so with backpacks strapped to our backs we traversed the narrow path for about 15 min (slipping once) up to the blue roofed church.  We arrived safely and began to unroll sleeping bags and use the 20 blankets we had purchased to use as mats on the cement floor. Pastor James brought us food and we were all ready for sleep by 8:30.

One cannot express the wonder of how people live in these areas. The road has been recently plowed but never The mountain where we were.stays level and we are constantly going in and out of ruts. Landslides are everywhere – leftovers from the earthquake and heavy rains they have had. I admire these people who live simple but difficult lives. All have thin legs from the daily walking in the hills. They too have many leg problems as they don’t exercise the other muscles in their legs.

Saturday morning, we rolled up our bags and placed them in a back storage area and worshiped with others. Then we put our medications as the people there asked if we could start the medical camp. Five hours later with a variety of worms, strained muscles, sore throats, headaches and such we closed the medical camp (about 50 people) and would reopen the next day. James prepared us a dinner of eggs and we walked around a bit and then slept.

An older man who came to the clinic. Sunday bright and early we set up, ate breakfast and began the work of tending to patients. I spent my time observing but allowed the doctors and the nurses and the interpreters to do their work. I wished to see what kind of things they will need the next time. What were the major complaints, needs and supplies needed to help them. Are there medicinal plants that can have a long term positive effect that are grown in the mountains? Lots of research needed. I am not there to change a culture but to allow them their differences but to live and maintain healthier lives. Most grow their own vegetables … which are good but also ingest worms from the water and undercooking. Classes are needed. Women have normal woman problems, so there is a great need for Nepali women interpreters to help these women understand some of the “cures” for some normal ailments and necessary preventative care. Men need a men class taught also. WE need to teach physical exercises to both men and woman in order to stretch muscles that are not normal used going up and down … so that they walk better and have less stress on their backs. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure … if the culture understands.

A little girl who came to the clinic. A little girl was brought in with seizures once a week … her grandmother told us she had demons … the doctor examined her and said she was having seizures, not demons. I think the grandmother was relieved. We treated around 120 men women and children. Many ears were cleaned that were impacted and now men laughed and said they could hear their wives. Cultures are the same in many areas!

Monday we headed home by 7 am…another 10 plus hrs. We all went to our respective homes and got ready to visit Mercy Children’s home in Pokhara the next morning.

Tuesday … there was a delay at the airport of over an hour (getting used to this) and we arrived a few hrs late. A child at the orphanageLiterally this is an up and down flight that saves 7 hours on the road again. The team visited MCH for the day and I evaluated the needs. I also attended a conference of teachers and was asked to return next year. The school is on a very positive road to educating children and is private with an excellent principal wanting to encourage children rather than berate them as most schools do here.

Home on Friday and resting. Will visit people I have known for 13 years now and do home visits with others.

Oct 7, 2017 – From the Top of the World …

Makwenpur

A little girl in Makwanpur

A little girl in Makwanpur

A tattered and rusty jeep came two hrs late to take us on our journey of 7 hrs to get to Mawkenpur. Enough room to hold seven people with one missing seat…but we all fit. Our trip began with a traffic jam a few miles up the road as road construction (it never ends here) had begun on a proposed underpass. We sat in the heat between two large beasts of buses waiting with sweat rolling down our backs and dust blowing in the window. Mouth scarves are necessary but hot. Twenty minutes later we were on our way down more dusty roads to get out of Kathmandu and on our way. I am reminded of the resilience of Nepali people as I peer out the window at shop after shop selling the same things. Buses, trucks and motorcycles continue to weed in and out of traffic throwing up dust everywhere and on every thing.

Roads twist and turn. Dirt and dust is belched up from the roads as we follow other vehicles up

The road to Makwanpur

The road to Makwanpur

and around mountain peaks. Seven hours of bouncing and being jolted to reach our destination, and yet as I look over the vista toward the other side of the valley we are moving past, I am reminded of the beauty created and the people we are going to serve. Every time we get on some pavement I think…wow, finally, and then it lasts about ¼ of a mile and again we are on rutted bumpy roads. The team consists of Autumn from Georgia, Sandip, Kalpana, Sher and Bikash, a young man who has done photography for me in years past. I can’t express the appreciation I have for all these people.

We arrived at our destination in the early evening … took a walk and checked into a very small hotel, thru the kitchen and up three flights of stairs. Simple rooms. Beds as hard as plywood but a toilet in the room! Yeah … heaven. We eat at a local pastor’s brothers’ eating establishment , walk and turn in for the the night. Early the next morning we rise, have a breakfast of eggs and walk to the church that Koreans built some years back. Koreans have flooded Nepal with many churches in many towns and villages.

Our program brought 120 people from villages in the hills of Makwenpur. Some walked over six hours to reach us and walked by that evening. Autumn told the story of the Samaritan woman at the well to a captive audience. All are welcome no matter who you are or what you have done … all are welcome. Then she gave a brief class on hygiene. Sandip gave the Message and challenged the people on why they come to church. We prayed, sang and dismissed early enough so many of the women could walk back up the mountains. We distributed to each family a 30 kg bag of rice as these are people who struggle much for their faith and because they have so little. We also fed everyone lunch before their return to their homes.

A mist was crawling down the sides of the mountains as we returned. Thick and grey it hovered over the roads in spots obliterating our view. Terraced paddies covered the hills that were across the valley with every color of green imaginable. Pine trees filtered sunlight fading behind us and glistened the leaves as it filtered through in streams of light. The otherwise drab green of dust covered foliage across the vast expanse of valleys gave a different and beautiful view of farm life. The sun was setting behind us…life was slowing down. This view was a delight to the eyes on our return.

Returning to Kathmandu reminded me of why I come. A people who need hope for the future with God. What little I can do, I do. Again we traveled 7 hours to reach home, take bucket baths and fall into our beds into a deep slumber, but not before Saru fed us a wonderful dinner of chicken, rice and saag.

Wednesday, October 10

Getting medicine at the pharmacy

Getting medicine at the pharmacy

We went and visited Sagar, the young man ChangeforHope put through Pharmacy college. We helped him to establish his first pharmacy and he is doing very well now. We went to have him help purchase medicine for the Health Camp in Babare on the 20th. He and Autumn went through the list of medications he felt would be good for village people. Sher and Sandip were our trusted rides again on their motorcycles.

Thursday, October 11

Sher told us about the small cluster of families in a village called Sangla and, asked if we would go. So again we climbed upon our trusted rides (Autumn and I) and rode for over two hrs up, up, up – rounds and around- down around and down around again into the hills. I can’t express to you unless you have ever ridden in a 4

Going to Sangla!

Going to Sangla!

wheeler on rugged roads what it was like. And can I say again- DUST!! And slippery mud and slippery rocky mud! Needless to say my legs were exhausted from holding on and Autumn and I walked a few times as declines looked too rugged to be a passenger! We finally parked under some trees in a bend in the road and began a gradual walk up and down to the village, which was perched on the side of a tip of a hill. A very small place with extremely poor people who are day laborers and of a low caste here in Nepal. Being low caste, they have little future for anything but labor type work. The children and families were so excited for us to come. Autumn did another health awareness on washing hands and Sher gave the message of Hope. We again distributed bags of rice (which had been brought up earlier by others) and made our way home again. One woman was very interested in what Sher had to say…we pray for her and the others. Children were sweet and came to be less afraid as we left.

A child in Sangla

A child in Sangla

The next day, I spent a few hours at Orchid Garden, a wonderful place for children to grow and learn. Bina takes care of the lowest of the low caste children for free while many of the parents crack rocks all day long for a living. She is wonderful as is her program. She directed me to her kitchen and her husband and I had lunch and chatted about the future. When people do well for others in Nepal often the rent on the establishment goes up 15% a year which has happened with Bina. She hopes to buy land in the near future but we as we spoke I realized this would be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars to accomplish. I am praying for her. I will revisit at the end of this trip to see what I can do for her as we have in the past.

Saturday is church. I went to meet with people I have known for years. Rajan Thebe started this church in 1998, I believe. Familiar faces were there. I did a short testimony about God’s faithfulness in our lives (Romans 8:28) and that his time is not in our thoughts of time. There was a South African group that came and sang and danced (this is a tiny church) and it was wonderful and of course I danced too. The minister now lives with his family in Lalipur and is from the Baptist Church. Great service from Matthew on praying – what it is and what it is not. So wonderful. Many hugs and blessings, great music (even if I could not understand the words).