1/2008 - Nepal - Alicia stuffed "pink doggie" under her shirt to be like mommy.

I am so very thankful today! Power was out until 6:00 and I got home a bit after 6. So we have electricity and I'm thankful. It is really funny to remember so vividly the days when I just expected to just always have electricity. Don't get me wrong, we've gotten used to continuing to function without electricity but it is fun to reminisce. It's not too bad.

1/2008 - Nepal - Chilly for breakfast? Well it is chilly but we ate cereal.

Speaking of reminiscing, recently I have been having some nostalgic experiences. I know you are thinking how can things be nostalgic when we have only lived in Nepal for a few months, but seriously it happens, and it is nice. For instance I was sitting on a bench and looked up and saw a cooler of returnable coke bottles and suddenly felt like I was a kid. Or one time I heard a homemade screen door close and bounce a few times and I felt it again... some smells trigger it too. In some ways this place is similar to what I remember when I was a kid in Maryland almost 30 years ago. Those moments are really very nice.

We are doing pretty good. The cold air is annoying still but tolerable. The power outages are inconvenient, especially when there is class in session, but we deal with it. The fuel shortage is apparently the worst anyone we know can remember but despite being unable to run the school generator we can enjoy the fact that there are less cars on the road. I heard a story the other day about someone coming in via truck from India. When they came into Kathmandu a mob surrounded the truck, held down the driver, and siphoned all the diesel out. The people here are desperate and many make terrible choices. These people need Jesus. Please pray for Nepal.

1/2008 - This sure is a pretty place.

The hospital says we are going to have a son. We're very excited and plan to have him here in Kathmandu. The hospital is only a few kilometers away but pray that things will go well when the baby comes around June 19th. Also, pray for Ryan's mom who is going to make the trip out. This process was a real faith challenge since there are many varying opinions. Bangkok is only a few hours away and many folks prefer their care, and honestly we are still having second thoughts considering the somewhat primitive conditions and unproductive trouble that is so common here. The trip would be expensive not just financially but for time as well and it is hard to justify in light of our faith that God is in control. We know of many folks that have given birth here in the last 20 years and though the experiences are seldom pleasant God protected them. The local hospital is rough around the edges, and not especially clean, but they have reasonable equipment and we know several members of staff over there. In fact they are just building a new birthing center that may yet be ready in time for our new son!

1/2008 - Nepal - Alicia and Elijah have now moved into their new room.

Our work here is going very well. We are contributing to a great organization that is doing a lot for the local community. It seems daily we find ourselves helping with something or other that we believe will bear fruit for God's kingdom. We know we are where God wants us. I apologize if I'm not always clear on the details but we do these things in faith and can speak with confidence but not always certainty. We have consistently been uncomfortable with "tooting our own horn" and really appreciate all of the encouragement we get from our supporters. Please understand that this work is by nature quite uncertain. We just prayed with our small group recently that God would filter our words and actions and help us to shine the Holy Spirit despite our imperfections. No amount of preaching produces Christians, it is wholly a work of the Holy Spirit. When we see a person come to Christ we know that it is the Holy Spirit that did it, and we are just privileged to see what He has done. Then we work side-by-side with Nepalis and Bideshis, Christians and Non-Christians, and we know that every action, every moment, is being watched and helping or hindering our neighbors. It's not our job to "make Christians" it is our job to love people. When they ask, we do say it is in the name of Jesus. In that way you are just as much a missionary as we are. You'd just be amazed at how hungry for Jesus these people are. They are no longer a cause for us, they are our brothers and sisters and we love them very much.

The moving process is finally beginning to settle down. Soon the hall will be done and the last of the boxed up things can be stored and removed from the front of Ryan's classroom. The students are incredibly resilient and despite some disappointments are really making the most of things. Ryan has been very encouraged to see many of "his kids" really standing up to their own will and making real changes. He is very proud of his class, especially the ones that have overcome some challenges lately. It really makes his day to meet with them. We often are happy to know that our own kids will have the same potential being raised in this environment.

2/2008 - Nepal - Ryan along with the Sparx group and a team from Florida worked together on a playground.

Again we are very grateful for your prayers and support.

A song we recorded on our laptop here in Nepal: Use Me.

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User: himalayan / PW: nepal
10/2006 - Nepal

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10/2006 - Nepal

Our Mission:

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8/2006 - Colorado Springs

God is willing, and in the spring of 2007, our family relocated indefinitely to Kathmandu, Nepal. There we serve at a school and have begun to learn the language and culture of a country in transition.

Nepal's transition is not just political, it is spiritual as well. The vast majority of the country, 95%+ depending on who you ask, is a combination of Hindu and Buddhist. The last 50 years have seen tremendous progress in this Country and we want to continue that work.

The school we spoke of earlier needs our help. Ryan serves teaching IT. Chandra is helping as the primary secretary, but with the kids so young it will not be full time for her.

So here is where you come in. The spiritual climate in the whole region wears heavily on Christians here. One couple we met, whose kids graduated from the school, have been there for over 15 years. They have encountered a lot of challenges, but are still going strong. We believe with them that it takes a foundation of spiritual support to free us to succeed. It is a principle God put in place, that we are truly a body. It is our hope that every one of you will pray for us as often as possible in the years and hopefully decades to come.

Matthew 6:21 - "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Nepal

The school cannot pay us to work. Most of the students come from missionary families that survive themselves on the shoulders of their supporters. So we are asking for you to consider allocating some of your treasure to support us. We realize many of you are not in such a position, for you we ask that you pray for us as though you had given us your treasures. If you do support us financially, please pray for us like you have given all you have. Sincere spiritual support is the key to long term missionaries and their success. It is only in believing the Matthew 6:21 (above) and 1 Corinthians 12:12 (the body of Christ) principles that I can rebuke my own pride and ask you to be our partners. Please allow us to climb on your shoulders and go to Nepal to contribute our talents to the move of God there.

The students are nearly all children of nearby ministers involved in medicine, church planting, education, and more. We consider it an honor to help empower these families to stay longer and do more. It will take us years to learn the culture well enough to even begin to communicate well with the locals. So we consider it a double blessing to be in a position to be fruitful as soon as our feet hit the ground. We love the people of Nepal, and we have every intention of being part of local ministry to nationals. It's just great that we can step into this support role immediately. Praise the Lord.

Nepal

Psalm 50:10 - "...for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills."

We believe the principle of Psalm 50:10. God owns everything. He can and will provide for us. We just hope to some degree that you, our brothers and sisters, will be the vessels He uses. In that way we will be part of the vine, exactly where God wants us. Leaning on God and you to achieve things we could never do alone.

Nepal

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10/2006 - Nepal

TO DONATE: CLICK HERE and follow the relevant instructions.

ICTA will issue a tax-deductible receipt the year following your gift. Since all funds given represent a gift to an ICTA mission project, no refunds are available.

Nothing prevents us from receiving contributions directly, however we cannot provide a tax-deductible receipt for such gifts.