Before we head off to the mountains...

This will be our last blog post from Kathmandu. We're all currently sitting in the lounge area of our hotel fully packed for a trek up into the mountains. The past few days have been packed full and we've had very little time to update this. We're all doing well in terms of health and well being so hopefully that's a good start to the trekking part of our trip. Today we will be going to Rani Pawa (drive) and trek to Matra Gaun for a couple of hours. A 'loosener' trek according to Graydon. We'll be joined by some Nepali translators, a great cook and a few others. It'll be a fairly large group.

The view from Tim's hotel room

 

A Buddha statue at Swayambhu Stupa

All them stairs... 400+

Just monkeying around

Keeping watch over the city

Gold everywhere

The view from the top of Monkey Temple, prayer flags fluttering in the wind

Baby monkey - so many wrinkles

This 'monkey temple' (Swayambhu Stupa) is best known for its monkeys and the 400+ steps it takes to get up. The view from the top was breathtaking however. Amazing! 

We were fortunate to meet a lady who was selling paintings in her store next to the temple - she had some paintings with bible verses on them which caught our attention. She was a christian and it was incredible to see her witness so close to a Buddhist temple. 

Playing with our technology

At GRN playing the Good News in Nepali. Graydon is keen.

 We were privileged enough to join in the devotions at GRN Nepal. They have them everyday with some singing and they each take turns to teach something from God's Word. We then played around with the Saber players and the picture books to familiarise ourselves with them and the process of using them.

Puppet show at Teach. They develop teaching materials for Sunday schools in Nepal

Early Childhood Education Centre. 

The ECEC was an amazing organisation that worked with young pre school aged kids. They are trying to reform the Nepali education system which is based on rote learning to a system that encourages children to think critically and analyse concepts and grow in their self confidence. Colin and Kimjeng really enjoyed this organisation.

The view from Operation Mobilisation's office in Nepal - who wants to go on short term mission here?

OM is a large world wide organisation (best known for the ships such as Doulos) that have a base in Nepal. They run training courses for local Nepalis and do village evangelism and also some sustainability projects in the area.

The view from the other side of OM - did this seal the deal?

That white capped mountain that you can see in the middle (slightly to the right), we'll be climbing up that close (ish) to the top. It just looks so FAR away!

We're not in Kansas anymore

We're all safe and sound in Kathmandu at the moment and are getting immersed in Nepali culture, food and church. It's been a great start but also a bit of a shock getting used to the traffic, noise, smog and dust. We've been able to go for long walks around Thamel (where our hotel is), go to church, do some orientation and visit one of the biggest Buddhist temples in Nepal.

Our view from the plane, we don't get those in Australia!

The 'foothills' of the Himalayas 

The view from our hotel...and Bruce

A Buddhist shrine on the street in Thamel surrounded by prayer flags

One of the churches in Kathmandu! Men and women sit on different sides of the church. During prayer, everyone prays out loud all together.

Graydon introducing the team to the church, his words were translated by Barney, a Nepali colleague who will be trekking with us.

Nim Gongabu church

Orientation on the roof of our hotel. Nothing like learning with a view.

One of the biggest Buddhist temples in Nepal. There are some Hindu gods around in this temple too. 

Those eyes follow you around...

The devotees go around to reach of the gods, touch them and offer them offerings. This lady touched all of them and offered each some rice.

This is a giant prayer wheel. Each wheel has a prayer on it and when the devotees spin it, prayers are offered up to Buddha.

Another large stupa on the side of road.

We'll be going to the 'monkey temple' this afternoon. I'll be uploading pictures when I can.

Thanks for your prayers and thoughts, pray especially for Tim who is feeling a bit unwell. It's been a great few days learning about the Nepali people and their beliefs. It turns out also that unfortunately the distribution conference was cancelled so everyone will be climbing to 16 000 feet! Please pray for that.

It's the Final Countdown

The trip is coming up soon and I've still got a tonne of things to tick off my to do list. This blog post being one of them!

The team from St James Anglican Minto had a send off dinner on the last Saturday of November. We all forgot to take any photos of the night so I apologise for all the words in this blog post without any pictures.

We were so overwhelmed by the number of people who came from our church family, our families and friends to support us.

Thanks guys, you're all wonderful!

 It was a great night and our team learnt a LOT more from Graydon's presentation about what we'll be doing, coupled with fun photos of rickety bridges, heavy packs and primitive toilets which are not-so-user friendly holes in the ground. I'm a little terrified of misstepping in the middle of a freezing cold night half asleep. That would be a rude awakening. Ignorance is bliss sometimes, I think. We were also serenaded by the gorgeous sounds of Hannah and Rachel.

You can't tell from this photo, but the music was glorious

The team leaves Sydney on Boxing Day for Singapore, then from Singapore via Kuala Lumpur to Kathmandu. That's where the fun begins!
We'll be spending a few days in Kathmandu visiting churches and some shrines, meeting the other members of the team and trying to adjust to the climate, altitude and food. We'll also spend a day frantically shopping to fill in the gaps for clothing needs which are much cheaper than in Australia. Let's hone those haggling skills!

Just before New Year's Day the team will be travelling up north towards the LangTang mountains. The team will be working around an area called Dunche and visiting villages, distributing some materials and talking to the villagers about Jesus. We'll end up being about 2000m above sea level so hopefully no one gets symptoms of altitude sickness. It's shaping up to be the tamest New Year's Eve celebration ever, however dependent on what happens over there, it could end up being the most dramatic, terrifying and exciting one ever! We don't know much more about what we'll be doing during this time so it'll be fun finding out once we're in Nepal.

As a team we are developing a drama of a bible story (Old Testament) for re-enactment for some churches and villages. We threw around some ideas and practiced acting out the confrontation between Elijah and the priests of Baal. If you've never heard the story, read 1 Kings 18:17-40 (and see it played out in Lego). It's pretty full on and it highlights the power of God which drew His people back to Him. Just as a side note, we don't act out verse 40. It was a weird process to hear the story narrated in English then having to wait for the translator to translate before acting. There's a lot of standing around trying to 'stay in character'. We're pretty hopeless, but hopefully it gets the point across!

Towards the end of the trip the team will be splitting up, half going up the LangTang mountains towards the Tibetan border and the other half going down south for a distribution conference for organisations who use GRN materials. They'll also be going on an elephant safari. The first group will (hopefully but doubtful) be climbing to about 16 000 feet and will have amazing views if there isn't any fog. The other group will get to hear great stories about people coming to know Jesus through GRN's materials and go on an elephant safari in Chitwan National Park. There's great wildlife in the Nepalese plains and hopefully they'll be able to see a rhino or two.

Too good for Instagram

From now to Boxing Day, we as a team with be doing last minute purchases and preparation, while also getting ready for Christmas. Continue to pray for us that we don't forget to pray and maintain our spiritual well being in the midst of such a busy time.

Hey look, a ruined castle!

Our first preparation hike as a full team (the ones coming from Australia at least) happened on a warm and sunny Saturday. We hiked from Scenic World in Katoomba, down the Golden Stairs to the Ruined Castle, had lunch and then back again.

The Castle became far less castle like on closer inspection and there was nothing remotely golden about those stairs but we'll get to that later.

We all met up at 9am at Scenic World, some brighter and more bushy eyed than others depending on how much sleep we had the night before.

It was here that we met up with Graydon Colville, the International Director of GRN and Bruce and Nellie, two other team members going on the trip.

There were gorgeous views of the valley along the dirt roads on our way to the beginning of the trek, however, we were constantly distracted by the VERY loud cicadas. They grow them big out here! Bruce gave us a bit of a lesson about how they made noise by drumming on their hollow abdomen.

That's a mighty big abdomen

Here's where we started off.

Doesn't look that bad...

Creation and stuff

Going down the Golden Stairs wasn't too difficult but coming back up was a completely different story.

Back up that!?!

Oh...

We saw glimpses of where we needed to be, a pile of rocks named Ruined Castle. Aptly named? You decide.

That pile of rocks is where we're going?
How exactly are we getting there?

Once we got down the bottom of the stairs it was time for the easy part of the walk over flat terrain for 3.4km.

We're not lost, what a bonus

Ahh...the serenity

After a bit of a climb we made it to the top of the Ruined Castle! The view was incredible and we wanted to climb up and be kings and queens of the castle.
It was well worth the heart pounding fear that we went through to get there.

If you're a castle, then what am I?

Here's what we could see from the top.

Mt Solitary. 'Coz' I'm all alone, there's noone here beside me'

See that white cable line in the top left? Yeh, that was where we had to get back to.

We had lunch at the Ruined Castle and had a bit of a discussion about what will be in store for us in Nepal. GRN Nepal are in the process of planning the trip but there have been none yet that have gone according to plan! We also talked about our own cultural bias.

After lunch we walked back along the trail.

Caption and stuff

This is what awaited us on the way back. This was between us and the end. 800m of hell. Apparently not comparable to the Nepali climbs though. Not a fact that we wanted to hear.

It just kept going...

When we made it to the top it was such a sweet success.

This was a fairly easy hike compared to what we will be doing in Nepal. There will be some days of continuous trekking with our full packs on and other days where we'll just be hiking for an hour or so to different places. Despite all our best preparation, Nepal will still be a place that will challenge us mentally, physically and spiritually. Please continue to pray for us as we tackle all that needs to be done before we leave.

Introducing Timothy

Let's meet the last member of our team, Tim. He's super keen on fitness, has recently run a marathon and is preparing to compete in a triathlon. He loves to bake and loves to impress others with said baking skills.

Standing in front of a nondescript wall for a
selfie for this blog yet still loving life!

Name: Timothy Paul Bailey

Age: 31

Occupation: Draftsperson (Graduated with a Bachelor Degree in Industrial Design)

I am a closet 'Midnight Oil' fan.

How do you feel about public speaking? 

Depends how big the crowd is because I'm naturally a shy person. I was taught public speaking at high school and surprised myself how well I did. Throughout Uni I had to do a couple of presentations each year and they always seemed to go well, I guess that is because I was the expert of the topic/design being discussed. I suppose all that helped when I was asked to lead church a few years ago. Apart from presentations/meetings at work, Church leading is the only time I do "public speaking" at the moment.

If you could have only 3 electrical appliances in your house, what would they be and why?

Computer - It stores all my music, videos, pictures, etc. I can use it to play games or watch TV, browse the internet or design things using various software.

Dremel - Used to create the things I have designed on the computer. Plus it's heaps handy for various jobs around the house.

Convection Microwave Oven - Functions like an oven and microwave, perfect for all the baking I do and for whipping up quick meals when I don't feel like spending huge amounts of time after a long day at work.

Google tells me this is a 'Dremel'. Um...cool

I have a phobia of Ophidiophobia. 

OK, so I had to look that up, but it is a fear of snakes. I wouldn't say I have an irrational fear of anything, I haven't had a panic attack due to something or someone. Also, I don't go out of my way to avoid snakes, I enjoying riding my mountain bike through the bush which means I will/do/have run into snakes. But they do freak me out when I see them.

Why are you going on a short-term mission?
I've always been keen to go on a mission because of the great benefits knowing God and what he has done for us through sending his son brings to people. So when the idea of a short term mission arose, I considered it a good opportunity to experience what going on mission would be like.

What do you know about the country of Nepal, and its people?
Not a lot, probably the same as most people. I know it is the home of the highest mountain on earth. I also know Christianity isn't big there. 

Just walked down a quarter of Tasmania

How do you feel about mountainous hiking and camping?
I haven't been on a decent hike since leaving school. The most epic hike was when I went to Tasmania to walk the Overland Track. It took 8 days and we walked over 70kms. 

What’s the farthest you have been from home?
It was either Tassy (see above) or when I went to Queenstown to go Snowboarding.

How will you cope without internet access?
I don't think it will be a big deal, I use it mostly to browse for info. But I suppose I won't notice how much I use/need something until it's gone.



Our team is going on a bush walk this weekend. We'll be doing the 'Ruined Castle Walk' for a day to prepare us for days of trekking in Nepal, to help us to get to know one another and to test our capabilities. It is going ahead rain, hail or shine so pray that all goes well, that leeches decide not to hang out in the mountains that day and that we don't get lost. We'll update with photos and fitness levels in the next blog.

Introducing Kimghech

Let's meet Kimghech, the other one in the sister duo on team. She spends her life caring for other people and even gets paid to do it. But if you're younger than 20 she'll likely get sick of you really quickly.

I look bubbly and fun-loving, right?

Name: Kimghech Luy

Age: 24

You are a closet ____________ fan.

I am a closet Buzzfeed fan. It is the single greatest website the Internet ever created.

The 21 Most Awkward Moments in Handshake History

42 Mind-Boggling Images That Will Melt Your Brain

Granted, the names really talk themselves up but you will thank me and you are welcome.

How do you feel about public speaking?

I'm okay with it but I have this problem where I often don't think before I speak. It doesn't always go down well when I'm speaking in public.

If you could have only 3 electrical appliances in your house, what would they be and why?

A fridge - I love food, a fridge stores food for lengthy periods of time. Sold.
A laptop (with a speedy internet connection) - This can play all the movies and tv shows that I care to waste my time with.
A washing machine - because clothes need to be washed. I can live without a vacuum cleaner, a microwave or a dishwasher but I cannot contemplate having to wash all my clothes by hand all the time.

If nothing else, it provides minutes of entertainment

I have a phobia of... spiders. 
My parents constantly jeer at my sister and I for our inability to cope with any arachnids that come within a 2 metre radius of us or anything we own. 

Why are you going on a short-term mission?

Being a Christian is all about serving God with our full lives as God has given us life and life to the full.
Part of that is telling the good news of Jesus and His love to the world and GRN do this specifically in the people's own heart language. I wanted to get involved in this, serve the people and enjoy Nepal's culture and scenery at the same time. 

What do you know about the country of Nepal, and its people?

Very little. After preparing for this mission trip I've realised that there is a lot going on packed into not much land space! There's such a variety in climate, people, culture and ways of life. It'll be great to immerse ourselves into all things Nepali for a few weeks.

How do you feel about mountainous hiking and camping?

I'm actually quite excited, not about the camping bit though. I like trying things I've never done before to see if I can 'conquer' them. 

What’s the farthest you have been from home?

I've been to France. As far as the plane ride goes, that is pretty damn far.

How will you cope without internet access?
I'm really not sure. I usually don't miss it when I don't have it but I'm not sure how I'll go for that long a time. Hopefully I'll be fine and gratified by the thought that I'm not actually that reliant on the internet and social media.




Trivia Night Fun Times

On the 14th of September we held a Trivia Night at our church, St James Anglican in Minto. 
So many more people than we expected turned up, it was a great problem for us to have to find more seating and we were all so grateful for the generosity of all who came.
Despite some hiccups with questions and incorrect answers on our part, the night went smoothly and everyone had a great time (either they did or they were lying to us). 

Hard at work or hardly working?

A few people spent most of their time working on the below brain teaser. It has been attributed to Einstein but that is most likely not true. To the groups that got the right answer, it won them a whole 10 points. 
Try it and see how you go!

Each of the five houses is painted a different color, and their inhabitants are of different national extractions, own different pets, drink different beverages and smoke different brands of American cigarettes. In statement 6, right means your right.

1. There are five houses.
2. The Englishman lives in the red house.
3. The Spaniard owns the dog.
4. Coffee is drunk in the green house.
5. The Ukrainian drinks tea.
6. The green house is immediately to the right of the ivory house.
7. The Old Gold smoker owns snails.
8. Kools are smoked in the yellow house.
9. Milk is drunk in the middle house.
10. The Norwegian lives in the first house.
11. The man who smokes Chesterfields lives in the house next to the man with the fox.
12. Kools are smoked in the house next to the house where the horse is kept.
13. The Lucky Strike smoker drinks orange juice.
14. The Japanese smokes Parliaments.
15. The Norwegian lives next to the blue house.

Now, who drinks water? Who owns the zebra?

Stay tuned to meet the last member of our team, the only one without Facebook and therefore a severe lack of suitable photos for this blog.