For your viewing pleasure...

We thought we would use our latest post to share with you some promotional videos that  have been released this week.

These first two are both to do with the work of EQUIP, the teacher training branch of KISC, and two of the ways in which they help rural Nepali schools and pupils.



Donate a KISC Tin Trunk Library in Nepal from Colin Cabalka on Vimeo.


KISC: Send a child to school, change a life from Colin Cabalka on Vimeo.

These following two videos are the first two in a series of eight short films which were produced by a good friend of ours. They show you some of the work that the International Nepal Fellowship (INF) are doing here in Nepal. Obviously this isn't the work we are involved with directly, but a number of the parents of our students at KISC work for INF. They would not be able to continue their work here in Nepal if there wasn't a good school available for their children. So your support of us enables us to work at KISC and KISC enables the parents of our students to continue to play their vital roles at INF which allows the work in these videos to continue. So we're all part of this...

INF Sports Day from International Nepal Fellowship on Vimeo.


INF Client Faces from International Nepal Fellowship on Vimeo.

Keep an eye on the INF website for the rest of the videos as they are released in the coming weeks. Or you can "like" INF on Facebook and see them there.

If you want to know more about the work of INF they have just produced a book called "Light Dawns in Nepal" by Tom Hale (A well known Nepal missionary who has written books about his own experiences such as "Don't let the goats eat the Loquat trees"). This new book is a history of the work of INF in Nepal. A very interesting read. Follow this link to find out where you can get a copy:
http://www.inf.org/news/inf-worldwide/story-inf

Where's home?

Bangladesh, early 80s

I have realised that we have never written a post about TCKs. Despite the fact that I (Becky) am a TCK, that our kids are growing up as TCKs and the reason we are here in Nepal is to work with TCKs.

Some of you may be wondering what is a TCK? Others may have already picked up on it from reading previous news or posts where we have mentioned them. Others of you will be sat there thinking "I know all about TCKs, I am one!"

Any ideas yet? A TCK is a Third Culture Kid. Someone who is growing up in a culture that is not their own.

Children are influenced by their surroundings much more then adults and in a much shorter space of time. So anything over a year or two spent in a place that is not their "home" can have a massive impact on their sense of identity and belonging.

The way being a TCK influences each child is very different. It depends on their situation, their personality and a host of other factors.

So for example I lived abroad for a relatively short period of time as a child (4 years as a pre-schooler in Bangladesh and then 3 years as a teenager in Sri Lanka), but I never lived anywhere longer then 4 years, even when in the UK. So I have got the itchy-feet syndrome; I don't want to settle anywhere and want to keep moving (hence we live in Nepal). I am always looking out for opportunities to move onto something new, always looking to the next thing. Even now we are in Nepal, coming up on 5 years, I'd love to move onto something else! But (don't panic if you are reading this as a member of KISC staff) we feel this is where we should be for the time being and so I have to come to terms with that and find a way to be settled.  I am also rubbish at keeping in touch (so don't take it personally if you don't hear from me often), I am the sort of TCK who says farewell to people from my very transient life and move on, out of sight out of mind!

Growing up in Nepal

Others I know are quite different. My sister for example, despite the fact that we had the same experiences in our very mobile upbringing has done the exact opposite. She was 15 when we moved back to the UK for the last time as children and, apart from her years at university, she still lives in the same area where we settled then. She feels the need to be routed in one place now. She still gets itchy feet to some extent, but is satisfied with regular holidays abroad. She is also the opposite to me with friends and keeping in touch. She always found it harder to transition then me, but is then much better at keeping in touch with old friends after we have left a place.

I think there are pros and cons to both kinds of TCKs. Neither of us would swap our experiences for anything. We both loved our childhood and appreciate the impact it has had on us and the experiences we had, but we also have to come to terms with the way it still affects who we are and the way we live now.

So now Dan (and I, in between having kids!) work in a school which is pretty much full of TCKs who have amazing stories to tell about their lives, who are being shaped by their upbringing here in Nepal and their experiences in a truly international school. Many of them speak multiple languages, have lived all over the world. These kids are our world's future. They are our future diplomats and leaders in organisations such as the UN and the EU. These children will have an amazing and unknowable affect on our world because of the experiences they have had.

Helping with some homework!

However, these children also need lots of support. Every year at KISC we see our student and staff bodies turn over, sometimes by as much as a third. So even those students who have lived here for years are constantly going through transition, saying goodbyes and starting again with new people. It is important they do this well, especially those leaving, as how successfully they leave a place has a big impact on how well they settle into a new place.

For many of our students "home" is where their family is, not a place. So we try and help prepare students to go back to "home" countries that don't feel like home. We do this in lessons by getting them to do projects about their home countries so they know about things such as the politics and geography there as well as other things. But they also need emotional support through the transitions, people they can talk to about their hopes and fears, and also to help them grieve as they say their farewells. A family who left last year got their children to write down what they were looking forward to and what worried them in returning to their "home" country, as well as what they would and wouldn't miss about Nepal. They could then talk about these things and help their children process their feelings about it all.

The TCKs we work with at KISC are some of the most amazing young people we have ever had the privilege of working with. They are having an amazing childhood. But they are also children who deserve the best education we can give them and who need our love and support as we help them through their very abnormal childhoods!

(If you want to know more about TCKs then I would recommend you find something written by Dave Pollack. If you are supporting TCKs or considering moving overseas then "Families on the move" by Marion Knell is a good book.)

Emergency Evacuation

When I was at school the only type of drill we ever did was fire drill.  When the bell rang for a drill  we all had to go outside and line-up on the tennis courts and  we got to miss 20 minutes or more of the lesson messing about in a line while the teacher tried to check we were all there. Until I came to Nepal that was the only drill I ever saw at a school. (Any older readers remember duck & cover?)

Well at KISC we have four different types of health & safety drills. Of course the fire drill, but we also have an earthquake drill, an intruder drill (in case somebody not very nice gets on campus we can lock down) and an Emergency Evacuation. Thankfully in our time at KISC we've never had to do any of the drills for real, however the Emergency Evacuation is the only one that has been done for real during KISC's history.

But what is the emergency evacuation I hear you as?!? The emergency evacuation drill is where we practice getting all the students home, by foot as quickly and as safely as possible, or for those who live too far to walk, to a “safe house”, usually a friend's house nearer the school. We do this in case we suddenly have to close school because a curfew has been called, or a very strict bandh or local protests mean we don't feel it's sensible to keep the school open.

So every secondary teacher and student and primary siblings are allocated a walking group. As the bell rings we all move to our walking groups coloured spot which is painted on the courtyard floor. Once all our students are there we are dismissed by the principal, one group at a time and set off walking home. Thankfully most students at KISC live within a 20 minute walk of the school which means the actual evacuation is relatively short. As we walk the students home we try to avoid the main roads and walk the back streets, as in a real situation the main junctions may be full of protesters, and taking a group of 15-20 students probably wouldn't be the best idea.

We're thankful that we haven't had to use the Emergency Evacuation for several years, since the 2006 revolution. We pray every time we're coming up to an evacuation drill that we'll never have to use it again for real. However, in a country with the political stability of Nepal, an only 7 years out of a civil war it's important to be prepared for that as a fire or an earthquake.

KISC – 25 years

This weekend KISC has celebrated 25 years. 25 years of God’s faithfulness and goodness. 25 years of educating the children of mission workers and supporting much great work that is taking place across Nepal.

Alan and Margaret McIlhenny unveil a painting of KISC's History

The weekend kicked off with a community praise and worship evening, the highlight of which was stories from Alan McIlhenny, the founder of KISC. He shared one story about the starting of KISC, where a few months before the planned start they had just 3 students, a building, but no money and another story about being arrested just 2 weeks after KISC started. Two police officers laden with guns came to KISC to arrest him, but as they didn't have a vehicle Alan drove them both, to 3 different police stations, picking up a couple  more police men at each station before they got to the head police station in Kathmandu. Upon arrival Alan was interviewed by the Chief of Police who asked him many questions about KISC and it's values (bear in mind at the time it was illegal for Nepalis to be Christians). The Chief of Police concluded the questioning by asking if his son could be enrolled.

Year 7 Students performing a dance

Friday started with a whole school assembly in the morning, a key part of which was every class putting an item in a time capsule which will be opened in 25 years at the 50^th Anniversary. Items included photos of the classes, profiles on the "Students of 2012", USB stick with photos of the school and current music, a coke bottle and a test tube filled with a strand of each students hair from one class. Each class also brought forward a tree, which we are plan to plant in the future on a permanent site. For now they will remain potted. The significance of the tree is that in the last year KISC has been discussing what we want our students to be like after KISC and the key element we decided was “Oaks of Righteousness” from Isaiah 61. 

This was followed by a Formal programme where guests included a government minister and a couple of government secretaries, the head of the British Council and the British School, the heads of UMN, INF(the Christian NGO’s that helped set up KISC),  ECEC (a key partner in teacher training) and HDCS (KISC’s owners). Histories where told and future visions shared and it was announced that a new agreement has been signed with the Nepali government for KISC to continue to function in Nepal for the next five years. A great answer to prayer after a lot of work with the government from our board.

Fun and Games on Saturday

Friday evening was a talent show, as many students some parents and a few staff got up and performed a variety of acts, ranging from piano solos to a rock band to traditional Nepali dances and a couple of skits. The evening was a lot of fun, and showed off a lot of talent from amongst our students in particular.

Birthday cake!

Then onto Saturday, and the culmination of festivities. Over 200 staff, parents, students and other connected people headed up to a hotel in the hills on the edge of the valley for a fun day that included swimming, games, a birthday cake, anniversary dinner and a final praise and worship service. This being monsoon the rain also played a part and ensured that many of the games where played in downpour, and Sam and his friends had lots of fun splashing in the puddles. However, the rain didn't put a dampener on a fun day.

So 25 years of God’s faithfulness was remembered with a successful 3 days of celebrations. Here's to the next 25 years!

KISC Celebrations

Just a quick post today to remind you that KISC starts its  25th Anniversary Celebrations today.

The schedule for events is as follows:

Thursday 6-8pm: Evening worship service and weekend kick-off
Friday 8.20-9.20am: Special joint assembly
           10am-12.30 Formal anniversary programme
           6-8pm: Talent show
Saturday 2-8pm: Family fun Day
               4pm Celebration Cake and refreshments
               5.30: Dinner
               6.30-8pm: Worship and Prayers for the future

The picture and quote from Dan is part of a series of 25 that have been appearing on the KISC website over the last 25 weeks in the build up to the event. To see more (although not all 25!) go to www.kisc.edu.np

You can watch some of the events from where you are by the live stream links below:

Anniversary Worship Celebration - www.ustream.tv/channel/kisc25 goes live on Thursday, August 9 at 6:00 PM local Nepali time.

Friday Formal programme, which will be attended by Government ministers and other local dignitaries - www.ustream.tv/channel/kisc25day2/ goes live at AM local Nepali time (although programme won't probably start till nearer 11am). 

Talent Show - www.ustream.tv/channel/kisc-talent-show goes live on Friday, August 10 at 6:00 PM local Nepali time.

We will update again next week to let you all know how it went. But for those that pray then join us as we give thanks to God for his provision for the past 25 years and as we pray and look to the future.

Summer Holidays

I was just looking at the statistics for our blog and the number of viewings have shot up in the past few months. Not sure why! But Welcome to our blog if you are a new reader. And thank you for sticking with us and showing an interest in our work and lives if you've been around for a while!

We feel like the pressure is on now to write more often! Do feel free to engage on here with us - responses to our blog posts or if there are things you want to know more about then let us know. With the comments section on our blog we get quite a few spam messages so we have set it to approve all comments you write. So don't worry if it doesn't appear straight away. We will get an email telling us that you have commented and then we have to go and approve it - then it will appear.

So we are nearly coming to the end of our summer holidays. We have our holidays in July and start back in August just as everyone in England is settling into the middle of your long summer! (Or not very summery as it seems this year!)

As we’ve already written about we have had a whole lot of new staff arrive this summer. So it’s been a busy few months. Before they arrived we were involved in flat hunting, trying to find suitable places for them to live and then lots of emails about what they need and don't need to bring.

Then finally they arrived. So the past month has been a lot of shopping trips, showing people where to buy their groceries, where to buy household things and also some more fun trips such as where are nice places to take your kids - swimming, the zoo, cafes with gardens and playrooms. There is one family who have just been here a week now that have got a "new" house that hasn't been rented before so they have to buy everything! (The other families have moved into flats which were previously rented by expats so have inherited a lot of things). So imagine what you would need to buy moving into a house for the first time when you have virtually nothing. It's like starting at university again - except now you are a family of 4! Pots and Pans, plates, cutlery, hoover, fridge, fans, cot, mop and bucket, iron, etc etc etc... and all in a new country where you don't know how anything works.

 We have also had Dan's parents out for 2 weeks during the holidays. It is their second trip since we have been here, and the first since we have had the kids. They enjoyed taking Sam and Mim to some of their favourite places in Kathmandu and seeing how we spend our days. We were also able to squeeze in some site-seeing and a trip down to Pokhara. As I've said before the kind of relationship Sam and Mim have with their grandparents is very different as they don't see them as often. However, through skype and photos around the house they know who they are and it always surprises me how quickly they are playing and interacting with them, as if they see them all the time. So it has been really great to have 2 weeks when they could spend time together, having fun and sharing in our lives here. So it’s been a busy but enjoyable summer.

KISC starts back tomorrow for the staff and then the students are back (or starting for the first time) on Tuesday next week. KISC celebrates its 25^th Anniversary next weekend. So we have three days of activities going on which include a talent show, a family fun day and services of thanksgiving and prayer for the future. A busy but pretty great start to the year! If you’re interested in seeing what is going on then you can “like” KISC on facebook, https://www.facebook.com/KISC1987 or go to their website: http://www.kisc.edu.np/

Community

Towards the end of last term a KISC family invited their childrens’ teachers around for dinner. So, on a Monday evening 14 KISC teachers piled into the KISC van for the 10 minute journey to this families house.

Teachers and student together

The family are a Korean family and have a son and daughter in Year 8 and 9 respectively. The parents speak very little English but have lived here 14 years and so are fluent in Nepali. Therefore much of the conversation was done by those teachers who speak Nepali or via KISCs Korean teacher and the students themselves.

Before dinner we decided it would be a good idea to be able to say how much we were enjoying the food. So while all the family were in the other room preparing the meal we asked Scarlett, our Korean teacher how to say “delicious”. As the mother walked into the room to tell us food was ready she was greeted with the sight of 14 teachers of various nationalities all attempting to copy the Korean teacher with various degrees of poor pronunciation. At least we could all say it was tasty in Nepali!

Swapping Glasses

We were then greeted with a delicious spread of traditional Korean food, including some kimbob. This was rapidly devoured and second and third helpings encouraged and taken. After eating we all sat around talking in the lounge, with the students, their 3 year old little brother and the parents. Conversation took place in Korean, Nepali, English and French. The students laughed and joked with us teachers. We all took turns in swapping our glasses around, trying to find a teacher who looked at least semi-cool in the daughters striking and very cool white framed glasses. And the 3 year old ran around encouraging and enjoying attention from us all. Proving in fact you don’t need to have language to be able to communicate.

KISC is a real community. And one we love being a part of.