Lists

Sita Didi

As I plan the next 3 weeks out in my head I realize that my life is about to become a lot of lists. Lists of people to say goodbye to, lists of jobs to be done before we fly, lists of things to leave, lists of things to take, then lists of what goes in suitcases and what goes in hand luggage, what is coming with us and what can wait two weeks until Dan flies back. I could go on with my list of lists!

Then there are the mental lists we are all making, what are we going to miss and what are we not going to miss in Nepal. What are we looking forward to in England and what are we anxious about.

Anyone who has ever made an international move will tell you that the experience is bittersweet. So many exciting things to look forward to, but so much to organize and so many sad goodbyes. Obviously we aren't leaving permanently, but just going for a year, but in a community like this there are many who won’t be here when we return, some we know about now, others we don’t.

So I thought I would try and give you a taste of what all this might feel like by sharing some things from one of our lists with you. So as to avoid this becoming too negative or an exercise in self-pity I will share with you our positives about Nepal and England, what we are going to miss about Nepal and what we are looking forward to in England. So here we go, in no particular order:

Nepal

Friends

Short, sunny, winters

Close community with people from all over the world

Sun all year round

Speaking Nepali

Real rain!

Our local shop keepers who are always super friendly

Rooftop views of the Himalayas

Sita didi, a local lady, who comes into our home to help 4 days a week, including child care.

KISC – our jobs and being part of the community of KISC

Our flat which has become our home, and is the only home our kids have known

England

Family

Good bacon and sausages

Going to football (Dan)

24/7 power and hot water

Ben and Jerry’s ice cream

Being able to communicate what I need to, in English!

Open green space and parks for the kids to play in

Baths

Driving

Automatic washing machine

Our respective mum’s roast dinners

This is by no means an exhaustive list, but some of the things that come to mind as I write. We are really excited about our impending move to the UK and all that the next year has in store for us, but sad to be saying some goodbyes, but also glad they are not forever.

Celebration

Last week we celebrated the end of another year. This was the sixth school year we have been a part of at KISC since we arrived in 2008. Some of the students who graduated last week were in Year 7 when we arrived (it’s possible to graduate at the end of Year 12 from KISC). They were also the first students to graduate who attended the KISC primary school which opened it’s doors seven years ago.

Freshly painted lockers

It was another good year – and we ended with a high. As part of the last week of school we carried out a Model UN which all the secondary students were involved in, representing different nations and debating difficult issues. To see some of them rise to the occasion and make intelligent, passionate arguments, including some students who struggle to do well in class at times, was exciting. Some of these students are potential future UN and EU diplomats and world changers and this was in evidence already.

We also had the first secondary school splash day – basically a big water fight masquerading as an organized activity. The student council had requested it as the primary school have had one for a few years and they then organized the event. The students also painted their lockers ready for the next year – and had some great designs.

Last Wednesday – the final day of school – saw the end of year assembly where many students and staff were farewelled and, as has become a tradition, some of the staff made fools of themselves (See the first video – I’m wearing the green t-shirt).

Then in the evening we had the formal graduation ceremony/end of year celebration. This year it was attended by a former prime minister of Nepal along with most students, many parents and the staff. It was also great to see many fo
rmer students who made the event. Some were older brothers or sisters of current students others were just back in the country for one reason or another – but they were all back and enjoying celebrating KISC.

After the graduation the party was started with an excellent flashmob organized by the students – which I also managed to get myself involved in (see second video). A great end to another great year. 

Transition

Wednesday is the end of the year here at KISC so this final week is full of fun activities and farewells for the staff and students as the school year comes to a close. These include locker painting, a splash day, model UN, exam feedback (fun?), final assembly and a formal EOY function and graduation (keep your eye out for some funny videos next week!).

We will then be starting to think about leaving ourselves. However, Dan is hanging around over the summer to get everything ready for the new school year including doing the inductions for new staff and handing over to the principal as she arrives back from furlough at the end of July. She arrives the day I fly out with the kids (29th July), leaving Dan for an extra 10 days to finish off and hand over.

As we have said before, everything seems to be falling into place for next year. Sam has a place at school, we have somewhere to live and we are starting to get a little information about Dan's course.

I am hoping to find some part time work, but still haven't found anything at present. We feel this is a blessing initially as I can be there for the kids as they go through this huge transition, but it would be helpful for us financially for me to have some work during the year. So please pray that the right job will come up at the right time, with good hours as I would ideally like something where I could still take Sam to and from school most days. I think that with this being his first year at school that is really important, especially when everything is going to be so new and different for him, not just school.

Please pray for Sam and Mim through the next few months. Mim is too young to really understand what is going on at the moment, but big enough to notice the big changes when they happen. Sam is starting to understand and has to say quite a few big goodbyes in the next 2 weeks as his friends leave for their summer holidays and don't get back until after we are gone. He is already quite sad about this, so please pray for him as he transitions from here and then as he settles into life in the UK and starts school for the first time in September. These are huge changes for him and we just want to cover him in prayer at this time that it all goes smoothly for him. Please pray for wisdom for us as well that we will prepare him well for this change.

Finally, as Brits, we hate to talk about money, but we need to! As we have mentioned in a previous post both BMS and KISC are giving some support for the next year. However, we are taking a leave of absence from BMS for the year and so need to raise our own living expenses. We are a large way to doing that already but still a little short, unless I get a very well paid job! So if you already support us through BMS and would like to continue to support us directly next year (you cannot support us through BMS next year) then please let us know. If you are interested in supporting us, either with a one off gift or through the year, then please get in touch with us.

Thank you to all who read our blog here regularly, for showing an interest in our life and work here. We look forward to seeing many of you over the next year as we take a break from Nepal, but continue our lives focused on Nepal, as we aim to equip ourselves to come back better able to do the jobs we have been called here to do. Thank you.

IF

I’m sure those of you living in the UK are well aware that this month the G8 leaders are meeting in Northern Ireland. And you are probably also aware of the IF campaign that is challenging the leaders of the G8 to do their bit to tackle world hunger, and we to do ours.

The basic point of the campaign is that the world produces enough food for everyone, yet nearly one billion people go to bed hungry every night. The campaign has been backed by a huge number of charities from all walks of life and is focusing on key areas that governments can do something about to make a difference to the poorest of the poor – like many of those who live in

Nepal.

We have been getting behind the campaign too. One of the backers is our mission, BMS world mission, who featured it on their website recently, including a photo of the four of us with spinning flowers, the symbol of the campaign. I also did an assembly on it in school last week and all the secondary students made flowers, many of which are now adorning their lockers. We have even written to our MP about it.  

Over the next two weekends there are BIG IF events in London and Belfast to bring the campaign to a climax. Let’s hope that the G8 leaders get the message and play their part in helping to end hunger. If you want to know more or how you can make a practical difference, check out their website.

Home Assignment

As you will already know we are coming back to the UK this summer for one year so that Dan can do a masters course. Becky and the kids fly at the end of July and Dan will fly back 10 days later in August, arriving the day before Becky’s cousin gets married. So hopefully the jetlag won’t be too bad!

We are still going to complete a home assignment but spread it throughout the year as we don’t have a 3 month gap between Dan finishing work here and starting his course in the UK. If you would like us to come and speak at your church then you need to contact the church relations team at BMS (churchrelations@bmsworldmission.org).  Under the new system they will not contact you if you are a church partner, you need to contact them!

Please be aware that this is a request and not a booking. The Church Relations Team will do their best to accommodate your request. The dates we are available are below. BMS will book them on a first come first served basis. However, we will be offering some more dates later in the year (once we know what Dan’s course timetable will be). So if you miss out on these first dates then there will be opportunity later in the academic year.

29^th, 30^th and 31^st August and 1^st September

12^th-13^th October – Leicester

26-27^th October

9-10^th November

23^rd-24^th November

The diggers move in

Plans for the Land

If you’ve followed these blogs for a while, or our prayer letters, or heard us talk, you’ll know that one of the biggest frustrations KISC has faced has been lack of space.

We have been praying for 5 years for more space. The facilities we have are great, especially in terms of classrooms, but we’ve constantly lacked play space. We’ve been inventive; the roof of our main teaching building is used as a small sports pitch, squashed 4-a-side football size. We’ve hired other venues; especially for special events or for sports teams training. But ultimately we are squashed. Especially when you consider in August we will top 200 students for the first time in our history.

So it was with great delight that a couple of weeks ago we were able to sign a deal to rent a piece of vacant land right next to the KISC site. This land has been vacant for a while, but for various reasons we have only been able to even discuss renting it in the last few months. The things that have happened to enable this to come about showed this was a real answer to prayer and the students and staff are all very excited. 

 

Digger gets to work

At the end of last week the diggers moved in to start to clear the remains of the buildings that once stood on the site and level the land. Hopefully by the Autumn it will be a basketball court, a small field/football pitch and parking space that will keep the existing campus clear of bikes. 

Basically, providing space to run!

Cambodia

In 1975 Pol Pot lead the Khmer Rouge to power in Cambodia and proceeded to orchestrate genocide. Although no one can be sure how many people were killed during the 4 years they ruled Cambodia, it’s likely that 1.5-2 million people (of a population of 8 million) died. The capital, Phnom Penh became a ghost town as people were moved all over the country to work on cooperative farms, often separated from their family.

The course participants and trainers

Last month I was able to travel to Cambodia with another colleague from KISC to attend the Leadership Matters course. This was a great course as it looked at many elements of leadership, from management to communication, from motivation to relationship skills and how all the theory on doing these well stem from biblical principles. Most of the course was focused on practical skills that we could use straight away in our roles to enable us to be better leaders. I really enjoyed it.

While we were in Cambodia we didn't have a lot of time for sightseeing, but we were able to visit the Genocide Museum, a former High School that was turned into a concentration camp during the Khmer Rouge. We saw pictures of those who had been detained there, all but a handful of the 12,000 inmates over 4 years didn't survive and were able to enter the cells and read their stories. 

At the Genocide Museum

But what was particularly special was being able to spend time with people from all over South Asia, and further afield, people who had a desire to serve God in whatever role they were placed in, and hearing many stories about how God was at work across the region.

In particular hearing from the Cambodians on the course and those living and working in Cambodia. Hearing how 80% of the Christians were martyred under the Khmer Rouge, about how, despite all that was going on, the church had effectively reformed and regrown in refugee camps during that time and hasn't stopped since. Meeting people who had lived under the regime and had personal experiences to share. Hearing about people who had nothing, yet risked everything to continue in their faith, and the results that was reaping 30 years later.