Faith and Hope in Literal Darkness

Writing a blog about how I really feel about this last week's events has not been easy. This is mostly due to the fact that I am not entirely sure how I feel about everything. There were times this week that I felt peace knowing that God is bigger than the pollution. Simon and I sat one evening and gave thanks to the Lord for getting us through an earthquake, a pandemic, and now toxic pollution. But I did not always feel that this last week. Sometimes, I felt anxious and scared or frustrated and angry on behalf of the Nepali people. 

But it feels good to get all of this out. It feels good to write down all the mixed emotions that got me through this last week. 

There is no use in denying that sometimes it is a struggle to live here in Nepal. This last week was one of those weeks. Last Friday was the first day of our "spring break." We had previously considered doing some outdoor hiking to give the girls some much needed "fresh air." But little did we know there would be a wildfire breakout in the hills surrounding our home and the entire Kathmandu valley would be bottled up in smog/ smoke/ pollution leaving it difficult to be outside and even breathe. 

The red represents wildfires. Nepal is circled.

                                               

The government of Nepal called it a health crisis and closed all the schools (most Nepali schools are about to end the school year right now and so they do not have a spring break) and thus, I had to keep my kids indoors next to an air filter to protect them from the hazardous thick smog that lingered right outside our doors. I did venture outside a couple times only to find a ghost town. Fear being the only company alongside the pollution. The local Nepali families had locked themselves indoors trusting that this would be over soon enough.

The pollution was bad enough that it was deemed toxic or hazardous.

I would like to pause and give thanks to God that for the first 2 days we had electricity all the time (this is not normal in Nepal.) It was on the third day that Nepal's electrical wires had had enough. From everyone staying indoors, the power could no longer handle it and the power would come and go until it went ahead and threw in the towel. For the last 26 hours, the power was completely gone. 

Now I must admit, it was at this moment that I began to feel restless. I was frustrated that Nepal doesn't have enough electricity while everyone is already scared from this pollution. I know in my innermost being that we, the KC family always have a way out. We could go back to America. But that is not the case for everyone around us. They have nowhere to go but here and nothing to do but keep the faith and hope alive in the midst of literal darkness. 

While all this was happening, Prasansa got a stomach bug. 

In hope and in faith we pray. Praying for rain and praying that the faith and hope remains as we all sit through a very trying time. 

Last night as Simon and I sat in our darkened room, the thunder began to roar. Simon and I looked at each other and smiled. God's timing is always perfect and beyond our understanding. Praise God! The rain came in the night and then the sun came up for the very first time in the morning.

The first time seeing the sun for a whole week. Isn't it beautiful?

Playing outside for the first time in a week. 

This week is finished but the pollution is still here. Kathmandu remains to be the most polluted city in the whole world so please do keep praying for this city and country.

Even after the rain, we are still living the world's most polluted city. But at least it is no longer deemed "toxic" or "hazardous." 

If you would like to buy an air filter for a Nepali family, please click here and indicate that your donation is for an air filter/ filter replacement. 

One air filter cost $200 each and the filter replacements are $70 each.

Even if buying an air filter is not in your budget, please please please continue to lift Nepal up in your prayers. Thank you!

Merry Christmas 2020

 The last three years was such an honor to be able to celebrate Christmas with my family in the US. This year's Christmas was different for the whole world. Many are celebrating with less people than last year due to Covid. Then of course the restrictions prevented travel, making it difficult for loved ones to connect.

Despite all the craziness this last year brought, we were still able to have a wonderful Christmas in Nepal and I hope you all did as well. 

Our Christmas:

Normally our Nepal Christmas' consists of a full day at the Nepali church and then a feast with all our brothers and sisters in Christ. But with Covid restrictions including the churches not opened back up yet, we were not able to do that this year. Instead on Christmas eve we joined with about 20 other missionaries and local Christians to worship quietly the birth of our Savior. It was absolutely lovely. After we read through scripture together and sang worship songs, we stayed and ate/ fellowshipped together. It was a wonderful afternoon. 

We came home from that and the girls and I baked some "Christmas cookies" I say this in quotes as baking in Nepal is only for the advanced levels in baking. Our oven doesn't have a thermostat and so there is a lot of guessing and hoping! Thankfully, they were edible. :-) My parents were able to "give" some gifts to the girls through a video call that evening.

On Christmas morning, I gave he girls a few second hand items that people had handed down to me (two bikes (broken now but we will fix them), some warm clothes, books, and other toys. The girls did not care at all that they were secondhand! They were ecstatic and had a grand time. 

We left our house soon after and went to Simon's parents house and had a feast of Nepali food! We prayed together, praised God for His birth and celebrated such a joyous occasion with them. 

When we got back to our house that evening, we "celebrated" one last time through a Zoom call with my whole family, including my brother who is in Germany! 

Other fun facts:

-It is around 40 degrees here at night and in the mornings and around 55 during the day. Our house is freezing, but Simon's parents house was super warm because they get a lot of sun. So it was so great to get a break from the cold!

-No one in Nepal celebrates Christmas so everything is opened and it looks like a normal day on Christmas day. 

I pray everyone had a very wonderful Christmas, even if this year brought hardship. 

Lastly, thank you for those who have donated toward our scooter, we finally got it and we are so happy as the timing was perfect since the borrowed one was recently sold to someone else! God is so good!

Innocence and Curiosity

This post is about Jyoti. 

My curious, kind, and oh so innocent 4-year-old daughter. Her heart and intentions are pure, yet within that sweet innocence, the hard questions are being asked and thus opening the door for the gospel to be shared. 

Within the last 5 weeks, since our arrival back to Nepal, there have been two major Hindu holidays. The first one was Dashain (a celebration of good winning over evil)  during which we were stuck inside our place for quarantining. 

The other major Hindu festival is called the Tihar festival. This one is just now ending and Jyoti has been so intrigued by the newness of all of it. On one of the days of this festival, "Laxmi puja," Hindus make a way for their god Laxmi to bless their wealth. It starts with this beautiful art on the ground by their front gate, then they make a path to a place inside their homes (usually where they keep their money) for Laxmi to bless.

 Jyoti was in awe. At first she was convinced everyone was doing "arts and crafts"  but knew there had to be more to it. She had to know more and so she started asking the hard questions to our landlord's daughter. Here is a snapshot of her conversation:

J: Why are you doing that? 

 girl: I don't know

J: But... I'm only 4... so I don't know. But if you are doing it and you are bigger than me, shouldn't you know?

Initially I had a pretty big "face palm" moment right about now. But after watching the girl, her brother, and their mom smile at her cuteness but also feel a little awkward that they don't really have all the answers, I began praising God for the path my little one is paving. 

As many religious people in the world, Hindus in Nepal do most of their religious customs just because that is what their parents did and their parents before them. Most of them really cannot answer the cute child's question of..."but why?" 

And sometimes is is the difficult questions that force us to rethink all of the things we do. 

Jyoti. My sweet Jyoti.

She asks a lot of questions and each one is intended only from the curiosity of a child. But each time the recipient of these questions digs deep inside to search for an answer. 

 This is the same girl that has been asking questions about Jesus and is wondering more about Christianity. 

Please continue to pray for this lovely family we are staying with, please pray that we will be light and that God will open their hearts and minds to receive the love of Jesus.  We have already grown very fond of this wonderful family!

And they have really grown fond of our sweet little innocent Jyoti too.

 Every morning our landlady does her morning chores with Jyoti clinging to her back. Jyoti (light) has really been true to her name here in Nepal. 

To practice love

is to disrupt the status quo which is masquerading 
as peace. ~Austin Channing Brown

Other updates:

-Karina has been enjoying teaching, but still online due to strict government restrictions. This has been a blessing as it is so nice to get to know this sweet Nepali family we now live with as well as being home with Jyoti and Prasansa at the same time. (To help them adjust to life in Nepal.) She is currently searching for a Nepali teacher, as the self learning program is not working as well as hoped.

-Simon is still on the lookout for a moped to use to get to the children's homes. Please pray for us as we search for a good priced second hand one. He is also enjoying his online class but has a paper and exam coming and would appreciate prayers for this. A huge praise is that LJI was able to rescue 5 young women being trafficked to India as well as find their traffickers who were arrested and sentenced to ten years in prison!

-Prasansa loves her Nepali family here but is pretty shy with everyone else. She is growing big and has been really enjoying eating Nepali food! It is a bit hard with her food allergies though. We can't ever take her out to eat and most items don't even have all the ingredients listed. Please pray for us as we navigate this and as it is His will, please pray for her body to heal and be able to eat dairy and gluten. 

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For your viewing pleasure: The girls playing hide and seek!