Journey to Chhinchu

October 2

     The three hour bus ride was epic on every level. Did you google or YouTube the buses yet?  The bus was packed to full that the aisles were spilling over with people who were standing. Livestock ride on buses around here as well. People were hanging out the doors, and sitting on the roof with all the big luggage.  Music (usually Hindi) blasted from a crackly speaker, but was muted about every ten seconds by the buses "bleed from the ears" horn. 

     There is no adequate way to describe the horrendous condition of the roads. The higher we drove in to the mountains, the more landslides the bus had to somehow navigate around.  Traveling this way while sick is very "special"; we were starting to question if I should have come.  Once in Chhinchu, we stayed in a hotel one night with the hope that I would recover completely.  Meanwhile, Janaac and his family continued on with their trek in to the village. They told us the Pastor from the village would "come and get us" in the morning.  Okay.

On a positive note, the view from our hotel room

in Chhinchu was lovely. I was in no frame of mind

to take many pictures during this bus ride...so this 

post is a bit lacklustre.

New connections, new experiences

October 1st 

     Janaac, (the guy from Nepalgunj that we met at the village medical camp on our second day in Gulariya) had asked if we would help him teach a two day discipleship training course in another village, a few hours away.

          Janaac and his daughter Susanna

     Kalu Ram thought this would be a great idea, so we took a public bus for the hour ride from Gulariya to Nepalgunj.  Public buses in this part of the world are not for the faint of heart.  Everyone should google or YouTube "Nepalese public buses."  That is all.  

     We stayed one night with Janaac and his wife and their little baby girl, Suzanna for one night to discuss what teaching the discipleship training would entail.  Janaac explained to us that in order to get to this mountain village, we would have to take a THREE hour public bus ride (don't forget to google or YouTube the buses) from Nepalgunj to a town called "Chhinchu", and than trek one to two hours through the mountains. 

Inside a typical Nepalese public bus prior to 

being packed to the most impressive degree of

overcapacity.

                Typical road conditions

   In the meantime, I (Megs) came down with a delightful little bug involving a very high fever and weakness. I was beginning to question whether I'd even be up for the trek...but I'm stubborn. Ask Nate.

More village happenings...

September 30th 

     Netra and Coolraj (another young man for the church) took us on motorcycles into yet another village area in the district.  In these areas, villages are still often separated by tribe, and each tribe can speak their own dialect (approxametly 80% of Nepalese people live in rural village areas). There are areas where our friend Netra cannot understand the dialect that locals are speaking.  

      Rural village life. Goats. Always goats.

   Typical village dwelling made of mud and wood

     We checked out a Medical Clinic which is apparently operated by a "health technician" from time to time (but was not operational that day...or many other days, so the locals told us).  Netra explained that a "health technician" is an individual who doesn't have formal medical training, but has gained knowledge and skills by default from working alongside doctors and nurses as an assistant.

    

     Coolraj and some villagers showing us

    the local medical clinic

 This medical clinic is rarely, and sporadically

operational.  For many village residents, access

to health care is either extremely limited, or

nonexistent. About half of children under age five

are severely malnourished.

     We spent much of the day riding from village to village, visiting local Pastors and their families, getting to know them, encouraging them and having times of prayer.  As with much of the plain region, there was evidence of destruction from flooding everywhere.

Coolraj (standing at left) and Netra (far right) visiting

with a local Pastor and his family

Curious kids; at first they are not so sure of

us, but crowd around as soon as the camera comes

out!

     As beautiful as this country is, there certainly are aspects that feel quit desperate. Clean drinking water and health care is scarce or nonexistent in many of the village areas, and Netra tells us that a large proportion of children in these locations die from malnutrition before the age of five (Netra took part in a project in University exploring health and nutrition of village residents). Day to day survival here is tremendously difficult. Wherever we would stop, other curious local residents would join in on our visits.  

     We stopped in on Coolraj's Mother's home, where she served raw, heavily pickled and chili-peppered minnows (eyes, scales, bones n' all) in a banana leaf bowl.

 

                                    Cute, right?

     It is common in Nepalese Hospitality for the host to NOT eat with their guests. Rather, they serve their guests and than standby or sit close, keeping flies and mosquitoes at bay with a traditional Nepalese fan. This feels strange to us, but as I said before, resistance is futile. I promise.

Coolraj's mother keeping a close eye on Netra,

Nate, and Megs, as well as keeping flies at bay

with her fan.

Coolraj's Father-in-law with his grandchildren

Village happenings

September 29th - 

     Kalu Ram is a man of many talents. We visited him in his office, where his work is focused on community development. About 30% of people in Nepal live on less than $14 US dollars per month per person.  Kalu Ram's work (as well as Pastoring the church) focuses on developing and generating technologies to help residents of rural areas maximize growth and reproduction rates of their goats.  Folks, there are no "petting zoos" here; livestock such as goats and pigs present income-generating opportunities.  

                                    GOATS!

     Kalu Ram himself farms chickens, goats, pigs, fish, and potatoes, and also suffered heavy losses during August's monsoon. The enormity of his losses in Canadian context could be parallelled to losing a newly built home and new vehicle, with no insurance.  Wow. 

     In the evening, Netra walked us to another village where we visited a family from Gulariya Community Church.

 

                   The road to the village

            The couple (both in purple in Center)

            surrounded by some of their neighbours

     This husband and wife are hoping to start a church in their particular neck of the woods, as it is quite a far walk from town.  Evidence of flood damage was everywhere. People pointed to mounds of dirt and mud where their homes once stood. Nonetheless, they served us tea and biscuits.  It feels strange to accept something from someone who you know has just lost so much.  Netra explained that this is "Nepalese Hospitality." Take our word for it; resistance is futile.

   This church member shows us where his house

   stood prior to the monsoon

     The relationships this family have fostered with their surrounding neighbours are amazing; their home is a gathering place for Hindus and Christians alike. Profoundly differing faith systems and world views have not been able to stamp out or hinder the friendships this couple have formed through loving their neighbours.  A small crowd of children came, as well as neighbouring adults. People here value just "being" together.  

   

       Neighbours getting together for church

                Serious looking village kids

     They wanted to sing together, and asked to hear "any story from the gospel."   Nate, ever-the-teacher, obliged. The kindness and care that people here have extended to us and to one another is clearly not dependant upon circumstances convenience. We are grateful, and we are humbled. The process of being "humbled" seems to be an evolving theme.

                         Friendly local

Medical Camp

September 28th 

     At Kalu Ram's suggestion, we made our way into a village in the area to "assist" (we had no prior knowledge of what that would entail) in a medical camp that operates on the occasional Sunday.  Dr. Samson is a medical doctor from India who devotes his time, skills, and medical supplies to this medical camp whenever he is able to come to Nepal. Janaac, a young man from Nepalgunj came along with Dr. Samson to assist. We met Netra, a twenty six year old dude from Kalu Ram's church for the first time; he proved to be an excellent translator, which was a Godsend for us.

                          Village life

                         Village residents

     The medical camp was set up in the village's tiny brick church, which had also been damaged by waist-high water during the monsoon in August. Dr. Samson and Janaac had brought boxes of medication and some dressing supplies, which we spread out on a table inside the church, in front of a barred window. It didn't take long for a crowd with all imaginable ailments and injuries to gather. After Dr. Samson had assessed and written a prescription for a patient, they would walk around outside the building, and push their prescription towards us through the barred window to have it filled.  In an instant, three Nurses and a computer graphics designer were pharmacists.  Normal, right? Nearly two hundred people we're seen that day!

The "pharmacists" hard at work (Megan & Janaac

 in foreground)

        Our friend Netra (front left) visiting with people

        in the "waiting room"

     Some of the medical camp crew. Dr. Samson is 

     in the back row on the left

        A member of the village's local church walked Nathan, Netra and I around the village so we could survey the damage caused by August's monsoon. A trail of curious children soon followed.  

                          

                                               Kids outside the clinic

     During the monsoon (which lasted days), water reached waist height within thirty minutes and remained at this level for twenty four hours, destroying many mud and brick homes.  People endured critical losses of livestock as well. Some literally lost everything they had.  We could see people toiling ox-powered plows to prepare plots of land for reconstruction  of homes, and in the meantime, were living on the ground under crudely built shelters.  Kula Ram explained that government assistance when these disasters occur is abysmal. Our gratitude for the resources we are blessed with in Canada is ever increasing.

     The woman in the background is standing

     where her house once stood before being

     destroyed by the monsoon

                       

                                    A home heavily damaged by flooding

     Someone's dwelling until/if their home is rebuilt

     The Pastor of the village kindly insisted that we share a meal in his home (which had also been damaged by flooding). People's desire to know us, and to share what little they have with us, even in the very midst of tremendous hardship overwhelms us. Their thankfulness to God in the face of immense difficulty is humbling, to say the least.

              Sharing a meal with new friends

                                

           The Pastor (to Nate's right) and his family

Settling in

September 27th

     There is something strange and exciting about waking up and having minimal knowledge about where you are, and literally no idea what will happen that day. Rajendra (a young man in the church) knocked on our door in the morning and said, "let's go."  After making sure there were no bugs that wanted to eat us lurking in our mosquito nets, we quickly got ready and followed our new friend.  Rajendra walked us through some back roads of the town towards the church. 

     Bardiya District is in the plain region of the country, which also happens to be the hottest region.  Your clothes instantly stick to you the moment you step outside, so we are both Sweaty McSweaterson at all times. It's glorious.  The dusty roads are and peppered with massive pot holes. The monsoon in August caused massive pieces of the road to break away, leaving sudden drop-offs at the roads edges.  Nonetheless, people on cycle rickshaws, motorcycles, and ox-driven wooden carts, as well as water buffalo and all imaginable livestock criss cross the roads.  

             Everyday life in Gulariya

                            

                                     Curious kids herding their Water Buffalo

          This man's roadside restaurant became our 

          breakfast joint. He makes a mean omelette!

The sides of the streets are lined with shops, fruit and vegetable stands, residents cook on open fires as well as burn garbage on the streets.  We draw stares wherever we go, and occasionally a kid who is feeling brave will shout out, "where are you going?!", or "what is your name?!".

     The tiny church building is on rented property, and is just about at maximum capacity with its forty or so members inside; some walk great distances in order to attend. There is no glass in the windows, and no toilet. We hope to develop callouses on certain areas of our anatomy, as there are no chairs, and we have not mastered how to sit on concrete floors for hours at a time.  The ceiling fans that offer some relief from the oppressive heat work briefly until the power goes out.  

                         The church building

     Materially speaking, this place is stark by comparison, to be sure. However, being amongst the people that make up this church, it is quickly apparent that they are not "lacking" in things beyond the temporal. With only a drum and tambourine to accompany them, their worship is authentic and powerful.  They take turns sharing testimonies of God's goodness in their lives in the midst of seemingly impossible circumstances.  Their care of each other and of us is overwhelming. It is clear that there is much that we will learn here.

             Some of of the ladies in the church

                               

                                                      Saru (Kalu Ram's wife)

       Church members

And then there were two...

September 26th

     Today we said farewell to our Canadian (and one South African) cohorts, as they embark on their journey back to Canada.  Russ, Mike, and Nancy, Monopoly Deal will never be the same, nor will mealtimes. We are one heck of a team, if you ask me :).  We are better off for knowing all of you better. Traveling, laughing, overcoming unforeseen obstacles, and learning and growing together has been nothing less than epic; we will miss you!  

     Okay, enough with the sappy stuff :). Oceanside Church in Nanaimo, B.C, Canada has connections with Gulariya Community Church in the Bardiya District of Nepal. Kalu Ram and his wife Saru planted the church in year 2000, the same year that Kalu Ram was ordained.  Saru's family was Hindu originally, but her father heard the gospel whilst in the Indian Army, and became a Christian.  Kalu Ram (who's father is currently a Hindu Priest) became a Christian in his early twenties. They tell us that Nepal was closed to Chrisitanity until the 1990's, so in the early years of their marriage, Kalu Ram and Saru had to covertly walk across the border into India to attend church. Yes, I said WALK into a neighbouring country to attend church.  

                                      

Gulariya Community Church

 

Russ is friends with Kalu Ram, the Pastor of the church, so Nate and I jumped in a domestic flight from Kathmandu to Gulariya.  We were spared the twenty four hour bus ride through unimaginable terrain. This pleases me. We checked in to a local "Guest House", where man eating crickets, lizards, and mosquitoes abound. They have a vendetta against us, we are sure.  We heart our mosquito nets.

    Fluency in English in this district is minimal, so we had to step up our game with our simple (and probably ridiculous sounding) Nepalese phrases. Charades is also a good option.  Nate is good at charades.  Definitely a new leg of the journey, as we had nothing pre planned beyond our arrival in Gulariya; there are moments where this feels unnerving, as we can sometimes plan our Iives to the last detail, and become inflexible to change.  This isn't always easy, but it is good for us!

                                         

                                          Typical street scene in Gulariya