New Teachers

This week teachers are going back to work across the country as schools begin back. Being teachers we know quite a few and we've been watching many comments on Facebook from them showing different feelings regarding the fresh start. Many teachers will of course be beginning new jobs. Just before we returned to the UK we spoke to some of the new teachers at KISC, who of course started back in August. We asked them why they decided to come teach at KISC.

Here’s what they said.

Debbie Gough

New Zealand - Head of Science Faculty, Biology IGCSE & AS teacher

I came to visit last year and felt at home straight away with the people here. It’s a really nice friendly, warm and inviting atmosphere. The environment is really nice, with the pot plants and the buildings and the way they are maintained is amazing and makes you want to be in this place. Also I like the fact the classes are small with 20 or so students which means you can actually get to know your students quite well during the year and get to build up relationships with them. I also like the fact that KISC has a real focus on actually developing people as individuals as well as the academic focus, which means it’s more holistic.

Suzie Parr

England - Design Technology Teacher and Primary Art, Year 10 Form teacher.

I decided to come to KISC because I heard about it a year ago from a friend who was here. I got excited about what KISC was trying to do both here and across the whole of Nepal. I’m very passionate about creative learning and so I thought it was an opportunity to come and share my knowledge and skills in another country and ultimately because I felt God called me to come here.

Tara Fairty

USA - Year 5 Teacher

The school is how I want to teach, their passion for education and how they want to do student centred learning. Everything is centred on Christ, it’s biblical, it’s not legalistic how they look at the bible, they look at it through grace, they want to love all their students. These are all the qualities that as I was learning to be a teacher, they were the things I wanted to be able to do in a school and I never found any schools [like that]. When I met people from KISC everything they mentioned, everything they talked about was everything I wanted to be in a teacher, so I said I don’t really care where you are, I want to go there.

Luke & Tonya Padgett

Australia - Luke: Maths teacher, Year 11 Form tutor - Tonya: Chemistry teacher, Year 12/13 Form tutor

Luke: I grew up in Nepal and always thought I wanted to come back and then I visited here 3 years ago and caught the vision basically, and decided I wanted to come teach here.

Tonya: I married Luke and it was part of the package!

Packing, Travelling, Starting anew, Finishing off, Travelling, Wedding, Moving

The packing begins

The title sums up the last 3 weeks in the Parnell family. 3 weeks ago we were in the midst of piles of suitcases, piles of clothes and toys and the rather complex jigsaw puzzle of fitting everything we hoped to take to England into our baggage allowance, and arranging everything we were leaving behind in a liveable manner for the couple taking on our flat.

Sam enjoying the travel

Then 2 ½ weeks ago, Becky, Sam & Mim headed out. Thank you so much for those who prayed for them that day, as the journey went incredibly smoothly and the kids did great. After “The Longest Day” of travelling they arrived at Becky's parents about 24 hours after they had awoken in Nepal. Although it was still technically the same day.

Becky & the kids then had 10 days in England to settle in, renew relationships with the Grandparents and learn about England and it's strange ways. For Mim this was her first time in England since she was 6 weeks old and for Sam England was more a concept than real memories. So it has been great to see how well they have adjusted and how much they are enjoying simple things like a garden, car seats and squash.

Becky & kids arrive home

Dan remained to finish off at KISC, but also start off. His ten days involved finishing off all his work ready to leave Nepal. But last week was also the first week of the new school year and so he was also helping get all that started, and helping new staff to settle into KISC.

Wedding Day

And then came Dan's turn to travel, finishing work at 6pm and flying at 11pm may not be the healthiest way to do it, but obviously it was a lot easier doing it alone. But then within 24 hours of touchdown we were off to a family wedding. This was a great day, and a great opportunity to catch up with one side of Becky's family in one fell swoop.

And then the move. Becky & the kids had been staying with her parents for the last 2 weeks and I joined them for the weekend. But yesterday we were able to move into the house we will be living in for the year. This is the same house we lived in when Sam was born and we are so blessed to have a house for ourselves for the year. It's looking a bit of a mess at the minute, but we are slowly getting unpacked and settling in. Into our house and into the UK.

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