Guest Blogger: Chris Wheeler


By Ashley
Prelude:
As I am currently entering my final days in the country of Nepal I have been asked, nay, I have been implored by her blogness Ashley Cohoon to reflect upon my time here and share it with her blogging world.  At first I respectfully declined her request, then I remembered that I am in Nepal. The only channels I can understand are CNN and BBC and as much as I enjoy being informed I sort of stopped caring about the proposal of minimum wage in Hong Kong.  Furthermore, I am convinced this is just one step closer reaching my goal as a writer for Reader’s Digest.  I must also note that through this post I am not promoting monastic living or saying we should all stop using toilets.  I’m simply attempting to be honest about some of the things I have seen, felt, and pondered.  
End Prelude
I must admit I this is a very difficult task which I have undertaken.  I find that I could talk about the humorous times like all of my days bartering for women’s clothing in the streets of Kathmandu.  I could be inspired to write about our epic battles with the monsoons; it’s not just a figure of speech it rains a lot during the monsoons.  I could even write a script of all the nights we sat around the dinner table wondering if our food would be edible.  Yet, I feel that in this entry I should not focus on the more trivial matters deal with the weightier, deeper issues I have encountered on this trip. 
 This trip to Nepal is my first venture outside of the United States and while I was never uncomfortable or distressed with my situation it has certainly been an eye opening experience.  As I reflect upon the last few weeks the thoughts and emotions are quite overwhelming.  So overwhelming it is difficult to develop a singular thought upon which to build.  I shall attempt to summarize my experience here with a few snippets that are still at the front of my mind.  I can only hope that this fragmented attempt at harmony will help you understand my time here.
John Piper once called America, “The carnival of the world.”  I have always remembered that quote and I have even used it on occasion during various discussions.  I did not know the gravity of that statement until coming here.  It would be foolish of me to attempt to articulate what I mean.  The money I spend on dinner each week is more than most people make in a month or longer.  It is comical and sickening all at the same time that Americans are such gluttons of want.  During one discussion with a few Nepali men I made the statement that, “The economy in America is bad now.”  I felt silly when later that day I saw that the men lived in bamboo huts and no electricity.  What Americans generally associate with poverty is usually better defined as inconvenience or a lower standard of living.   
I would also like to tell you about a pastor I met in my journeys named Samuel.  Samuel is on staff as an Awana missionary that is a very relational person that has many talents, but he is also a Bhutanese refugee living in exile.  He lives in a U.N. run camp with no running water and little electricity.  He invited us into his home which was a bamboo hut he shared with his wife, young child, and grandmother.  He began talking to us about how excited he was that it appears that he and his family be allowed to immigrate to America sometime in the next year.  When he spoke of America he became excited to finally get a chance to move to the land of prosperity.  He was glad that his young son would get to go to American schools and have opportunities that he did not.  These are things any father would want for his family and he has prayed for them for years.  As he spoke I could not help but think, “I hope America does not let him down.”  I hope that America with all of her wealth and prosperity does not turn her back on this man.  I hope  the opportunity that we were all given and take for granted is provided to this man that deserves it so much.  I hope the body of Christ, that he has served so faithfully, opens its arms and welcomes him to his new home.  I hope the church serves him and helps provide for the things that his new life will demand.
The people of Nepal are striving for greater opportunity and are working to improve the future of their children.  Do not be mislead into believing they are dissatisfied or exist in a constant state of want.  Instead most of the people I met living under these circumstances were thankful and predominantly happy.  They did not grumble or curse the stars at their circumstance but instead they turn to grace and find their joy in the cross.  The cynic would dismiss such observations as ignorance or lack of education but I believe that many of these people had tapped into some deeper well of joy than most Americans have the opportunity to drink.  These people live in a situation where the only spring of joy among these people is Christ and they have dug deeper wells than I ever knew possible.  The people of Nepal have seen hardship that I have never known and all the Christians I met exuded joy I have never observed.  Perhaps it is time for us to examine our definition of prosperity.
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Elephant Riding in the Nepali Hills


By Ashley
So a few updates are in order.  
Number 1:  The ride to Chitwan was beautiful.  We shimmied our way up the mountain and had incredible views of the rivers and many small waterfalls.  According to Gajendra, these are not actually mountains...only hills.  These hills were bigger than any mountain in the U.S.  Absolutely beautiful!  The elephant safari was incredible as well. Hands down one of the coolest things I have EVER done.  We didn’t just ride an elephant around in a circle, we rode an elephant through a jungle.  At times, the path was not so clear so we had to duck and hold limbs out of the way.  We spent over 2 hours on the elephant ride crossing through many puddles and a river (which came up to the elephants ears).  Did I mention it was pouring down rain as we got on the elephants?  How many people can say they rode an elephant through a river in Nepal (with ponchos)?  I could have afforded to leave out the rain part, but it did cool things down a bit even if we were soaking wet and stinky.  That night in Chitwan we also went to watch a cultural show with a group of guys demonstrating tribal dances.  It was actually really neat. I probably could have danced with the best of them no doubt.  We stayed in a “resort” in Chitwan that reminded me a lot of a fish camp (although I have never been to one...I imagine it would be something like that).  But it didn’t bother me once I tucked my net in and hit the pillow. I didn’t move all night long!  Besides, why would we go to on a mission trip and see the conditions people live in and then put ourselves up in a five-star hotel?  Shouldn’t there be some guilt in that?
Number 2: We completed our third Kids Camp at Hetauda on Wednesday.  This church was one of the first churches in Nepal to start Awana, and is one of the biggest.  Gajendra kept pointing out the leaders and saying “They used to be a clubber...” , and some are even on his ministry team.  The Hetauda kids camp was one of the toughest.  We did about 2 hours worth of basketball outside, and it was really hot and humid, and we were already sore from our basketball playing and elephant riding.  At one point we thought we would just have to quit and go inside.  But, we made it!  Chris wants to do Ping Pong Clinics next time...too hot and rainy for basketball in the summer! 
One thing I noticed in Hetauda is how much the Nepali people like to serve (and do crafts).  During the Bible quizzing we decided to put together Wordless Book Bracelets in another room.  As we started pulling the beads out, we had a few girls walk up and watch.  Then they jumped right in to help!  Next thing we knew, me and Mom were just sitting back watching about ten girls and boys put together the bracelets for us!  Easy way to get the job done.  After the Bible Quiz we held a short service for the kids.  Gajendra has done an excellent job leading the invitation for us.  It is a bit different in countries like Nepal and India because of the millions of gods the people hear of everyday.  It is crucial that they know our God is not just another one of their gods.  When Gajendra was finished, I counted15 hands that were raised.  We were talking later on about the Kids Camps and what had been accomplished through them.  Gajendra said it best when he said, “If just one child gets saved, we have done our job.”  Indeed we have.  
Number 3: On Thursday we held our last kids camp.  This camp was in one of the most beautiful places I have seen.  We were surrounded by mountains (or “Nepali hills”), and fields of crops.  Mom, Dad, Chris, and myself were alone for this last camp.  It was a small camp, but many of the kids who showed up had walked for two hours to get there.  It was a fun day with a wonderful climate.  We had a great time putting together crafts and handing out ornaments and suckers.  We also got to have one more church cooked Nepali meal.  I think we have had our fair share of rice!  The food is great, but sometimes it can be tough when you are not used to it.  Those countryside people sure can cook though!  I hope when I get home I can get my Nepali tea to taste as good as theirs.  
Well, it’s hard to believe we have finished up all our camps.  There is still so much to talk about.  One thing I have noticed about going to both India and Nepal is how much of an impact Awana truly has.  I feel like often times we take it for granted in the U.S., or give credit to other things.  We talked with one church leader in the Bhutanese Refugee camps and he went on and on about the impact Awana has had on the number of church members in the camps.  Awana helped one church in Hetauda to grow into one of the biggest churches in Nepal.  What I think is incredible is that in countries like Nepal and India you find children from Hindu families reciting Bible verses.  In fact, one very young girl recited 26 verses in 3 minutes.  How many of us can recite 26 verses, period?
Well, that’s enough for now.  The rest of our team headed back Thursday morning, but Chris and myself stuck around for some sightseeing while Mom and Dad meet with the National Directors.  I look forward to letting you know more about our trip over the next few days.  I will keep you posted on our final days!
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The world does not stop when there is no internet...


By Ashley
Well, we have not been able to get internet access, so I will update you on the past few days.  This was actually what I had ready to post last night...but here goes.  
On Sunday we woke up to rain.  We planned on heading out early to do some sightseeing, but instead we did some monsoon shopping.  We walked down the road and bargained for some ponchos and headed out on our way!  After shopping we headed up to the Monkey Temple to experience the culture and see incredible views of the mountains and city.  We were able to look at the different buildings and forms of worship.  We were also able to laugh at the monkeys for a while.  
After the monkey temple, we headed to Durbar Square.  Here you are able to experience the city at its finest.  You can sit at the top of a temple (that resembles steps) and watch the city life.  There are also many people walking around trying to sell you traditional flutes, violins, and other memorabilia.  We walked around and looked at some of the temples and old palaces.  The most interesting part of the day was going to see the Kumari.  Long story short, the Kumari is considered a living goddess.  She stays in a her home all day long, and supposedly walks out and looks over the courtyard for about 15 seconds and goes back in.  So we walked in and looked around a bit.  The guy told us she had already come out; however, we could pay him and see her come out again.  We didn’t agree to, but he sent her out anyway.  No pictures are allowed, but a young girl stepped to the window and just stood there.  I have to say when she went back in, it was the strangest feeling I have ever had.  I can’t believe that people actually worship a little girl.  I couldn’t help but think about how lost some of these people are, and how confused they must be with all these “gods” they have lying around their city.  Then again, it’s incredible to think that God brought us here to show these people that there’s only One.
It is hard to pick a “favorite day”, but I would have to say that Monday ranks pretty high up there.  Monday morning we headed out to Hebron Public School where Gajendra’s kids attend.   This was the first of our three two-hour basketball clinics for the day.  Our first one was interrupted a lot with rain, but we managed to entertain the kids anyway.  We formatted our camps with stations, and one station included handing out and teaching the wordless book bracelet.  While students were hiding from the rain, Ryan was sharing with one group about the bracelets.  In the end, a student asked us if someone would pray for her.  Gajendra’s daughter Rachel helped translate and eventually lead the girl to Christ.  After she was finished praying, another girl also asked for someone to pray with her.  So Hannah, Christina, Mandie, and Rachel were able to lead two girls to Christ.  The most exciting part is, these girls along with Rachel, will now be able to share with their classmates what Jesus has done in their lives.  After finishing up with our camp, we had a devotion with the students and were able to hand out snacks, candy, small Bibles, and comic books that are the Nepali version of “Transport” that Awana uses in American clubs.  We were not allowed to just hand them out to the kids being a public school, but every kid chose to pick one up.
Our second camp was at Elim School, and they actually had a Senior and Junior boys team and also a girls basketball team.  These kids for the most part knew how to play basketball, but still learned a lot from our station work.  At the end, we played for about 40 minutes against their teams and their staff.  They were actually pretty good.  In fact, they had about three boys who were at least 6 and a half feet tall!  They were definitely not Nepali size.  We later learned that they were refugees from Somalia.  We had a good time playing, and the kids really enjoyed our company.  The principal, although Christian, asked us to be careful while sharing the Gospel because many of the students are Hindu and their parents have been complaining.  So I just shared a story about growing up playing basketball, how my faith strengthened, and how it made me a better person.  We also handed out snacks, BIbles, candy, and comic books.
Our last camp was rather interesting.  It was by far the poorest of the schools.  The school was actually a Hindu boarding school that housed many orphans.  We had to be very careful there with presenting the Gospel, and chose to teach them the wordless book bracelet.  Afterwards we handed out our snacks, etc.  They don’t say candy in Nepal, everything is “chocolate”.  So for the “chocolates” we passed out Fun Dip and realized that they may not know how to eat Fun Dip.  Being the character he is, Gajendra opened it up and explained to the kids in Nepali how to eat it.  The kids had a good laugh when Gajendra said “lick” in Nepali.  The boys at this school could really play basketball and were physical.  We really enjoyed playing against them while all their workers and friends watched from around the court and on the balconies of the orphanage.  Maybe Ryan’s “shiner” will still be there when he gets home.  He was quite the equipment manager....just kidding Ryan.  We had a great time talking to the kids.  The kids were very well behaved, and even helped us to pass out the snacks and Bibles.  


Being so long, I think I am going to cut this one short and continue it later.  I can say that   Monday I was completely overwhelmed with the love that the Nepali people show.  It’s unbelievable.  I loved seeing the kids in their schools, and seeing how well behaved they are and how they view education as a privilege and not necessarily a job.  I loved talking with the kids, workers, and principals.  They are all so grateful and only want us to just come and play.  That’s all they want.  All they need is for someone to come and show them God’s love.   
We are now in Chitwan about to head out on an elephant safari. We are sleeping like princesses tonight under our Mosquito “canopies”.  
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Baptism at the Refugee Camp


By Ashley

As you may have noticed, our mornings have turned out to be quite interesting.  This morning after breakfast, we went down stairs with all our luggage and got ready to load the vans.  It was raining pretty hard (we have experienced the monsoon season), and our drivers could not get all the luggage in.  In the process, one of the drivers broke his trunk and spent 20 minutes trying to fix it.  Much to our dismay, he did not and we had to tie a tarp to the top with our luggage.  
But it gets better. The rain began to pick up more, and by the time we reached the refugee camp the ground was full of little streams and deep puddles.  We all stepped out of the vans and made our way to the church.  It was quite a complicated walk, which resorted in us taking off our sandals and shoes and just walking barefoot.  As we walked (and slipped), the kids started to follow us.  You could hear them giggle because we obviously looked like we had no idea what we were doing.  Well, we almost reached the camp soaking wet and unharmed, until the baptism occurred.  Andy was almost at the church and about to cross a little creek when he began to slip and could not stop.  He plunged into the creek about waist deep.  We were all extremely worried, but then turned it into a joke as the day went on.  Although it may sound cruel, Mom swears it would have been a funny video to capture the look on his face.  Some have called him “Ditch Man” and others have called him “Andy the Baptist”.   
We finally reached the camp, and participated in another kids camp day.  The rain got worse, and when we looked out the window we noticed groups of kids running around in the rain playing soccer, sliding through the puddles head first, and floating through the creeks.  Many of these kids decided it was just easier to ditch the clothes and run.  Because of the weather, we decided to leave early in order to make sure we would reach the airport in time.  The people really took care of us.  They grabbed umbrellas for us, and walked us back out to the vans.  I don’t mean to exaggerate, but the walk was probably almost half a mile.  The puddles were even deeper at this point, some of which came up to my knees.  One young girl about my age noticed Mom was a little nervous and she grabbed her arm and held onto her and helped her through the mud.  Kids followed us staring at our legs, and one kid yelled at Dad to stop and ran over and pulled a leach off his leg.  These Nepali people are incredible.  They would do anything for you.  
I can honestly say I am pretty sure I have never been that dirty before in my life, yet I didn’t complain.  It’s unbelievable how all the sudden some things just don’t matter as much anymore.  I didn’t worry about what I was stepping through, or how much mud had slung all over my back.  I didn’t get upset when my books in my bag got wet, or when I noticed mud all up my pants (and somehow up my shirt on my shoulder...go figure).  The workers told me not to walk in the church yet, and a few seconds later someone turned the corner with a huge bucket of water and a bowl.  As I reached for the bowl to help clean my feet, they said no, and  they immediately grabbed the bowl and started cleaning my feet, legs, and clothes.  Humbling is the only way to describe it. 
My favorite part of the day was watching the kids during song time.  I have never seen kids worship the way these kids do.  They genuinely raised their hands and closed their eyes.  During prayers, they even mumbled their own.  Even the smallest kids there.  On the car ride back we mentioned this to Gajendra, and his response was, “There is no Junior God and there is no Junior Holy spirit, so we teach our kids to worship just as we do.”  Genuine worship is what it is, through song, dance, and service.  
I know this is long, so I will wrap it up with this, I can’t even imagine what our churches would be like if we served each other like the Nepali people do, and if we taught children to worship the way we wish our adults would.  


Sorry no pictures still, the internet connection is not very good.  I will work on that!  But I am not making any promises.
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No shoes. No Fork. No Problem.


By Ashley
(Friday Update...we could not get the internet working last night)

Well, another interesting morning for us all (or just half of us).  We woke up bright and early and headed out to the refugee camp in two different vans.  In one van was Gajendra, Chris, Mom, Dad and myself.  We were just riding along, and all the sudden our driver swerves to dodge a pothole in the road, and he hit a bicycle with a man and his wife on it.  They were thrown off, and our driver immediately jumped out and they just started screaming at each other.  Soon, a huge crowd came up to watch them all scream.  Thank God Gajendra was with us!  He jumps out and helps the lady up and tries to speed up the process.  No police....just two people yelling.  The man on the bike didn’t seem too worried about his wife still lying in the road, he just wanted his bike to be fixed.  Anyways, after about 10 minutes, we were back on our way!
I am not too sure I ever imagined myself spending a summer day in a refugee camp for seven hours with no shoes.  I also cannot say I would have eaten Nepali food cooked in a refugee camp with my fingers.   And you know what...it was actually good.  In fact, that is what I am ordering for dinner tonight!
We had a heck of a day!  We started out with another welcome...I would say Nepali welcome, but these were Bhutanese people.  One of the workers announced each person as if we were the starting line up for the Atlanta Braves.  It was awesome.  We then split into two groups to do a bible story, crafts, and talent shows.  The crafts were quite interesting...given we had a space that in America we would barely put 100 people in, and there we had over 300 kids and workers piled in.  I felt like I was handing out water in the desert when we were trying to hand out crafts.  We were mobbed!
The talent show was fun.  We were able to experience some of the Nepali and Bhutanese culture through song and dance.  One group of teenagers were doing a dance, and our missionary Purna jumped up and started to dance with them!  Next thing you know, Dad jumps up....then Samuel....and then they grabbed Mom.  It was quite entertaining and may end up on YouTube one day.  Luckily the part where myself and Mandi were pulled up there was not taped.  
One of my favorite parts of the day was walking out to Samuel’s home in the refugee camp.  We had a following!  Kids started lining up behind us and following us into the camp.  I can honestly say I have never seen kids that look this poor before in my life.  Some of them had just a tiny t-shirt on and nothing else.  All the homes are made of bamboo, and it is actually incredible how sturdy and well-built they are.  We were able to spend some time with Samuel and his family...while the kids stood in the doorway and watched our every move.  Samuel was forced to leave Bhutan when he was only 6 and has lived in the camp for 18 years.  He is only 26 years old, and is one of Awana’s finest missionaries.  Some of Samuel’s family have already been moved to Atlanta, and Samuel and the rest of his family should be there within the next year. Long story short, Bhutanese refugees were only allowed to live in the Nepali camps for 20 years, and now are being moved to other places...many of which are in the U.S.  
Samuel talked about how hot his home was, and said he cannot wait to come to America.  Sometimes that is all you need to hear to understand just how blessed you really are. 
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Miss, Can I Have Your Autograph?


By Ashley
This morning started out early and in an interesting way. Around midnight, mother woke me up and asked if I “heard anything”. Of course I hear things...but I actually listened closely. We heard shouting, horns blowing, and some sort of trumpet sound. Mom thought there was a riot/war going on outside our hotel. Not gonna lie, I got a little worried at first. However, my calmness stepped in and I remembered meeting some guys at the hotel who said they were going to watch the World Cup on a big screen about a mile away. So the shouts we heard were people cheering...and the horns were those horns that make the “bee” noise. It had to be several hundred people cheering insanely for teams that do not even represent their country.

 Back to our day, we split up into three taxis to head to the airport. Mom, Chris, and myself were in one taxi. As we drove up to the guards at the airport, our car breaks down. So we sit and wait it out a bit, and find that the car is just not healing itself. So we get out, pay the taxi driver full price even though mom tried to bargain with him since he broke down (which we probably got ripped off anyways....but whatever), and began to walk with book bags and three suitcases...one of which does not roll...up a hill towards the domestic airport (which was half a mile away). I think the worst part was when one of our other two taxis just passed us and waved...I got your back too guys :)


We were so honored to have Rachel, Gajendra’s daughter, join us on our trip! She immediately hit it off with Hannah and Christina and became their side kick for the morning. She is 12 years old, and is already a hard worker like her mother, Manju! We loved having her along.



I think a few words could sum up our first “basketball clinic and kids camp” today: hot, signatures, incredible. The Little Flower School is fairly unique. It is a Christian School, yet 95% of the students are not Christians. Parents want to send their kids to the Christian schools for a better education, and as a private school. Another reason why this school is unique is because it was founded by Gajendra, the National Director for Nepal, in 1991. So as we drive up to a gate that reads “Little Flower School”, we notice that there are lines of students standing inside the gate on both sides. It was as if they were making a tunnel. In the front of both rows were younger kids, and in the back were older kids. As we stepped off the bus they put a small scarf and leis around our necks. As we walked through the “tunnel” the little kids handed us beautiful flowers. Dad had so many flowers he made a trail of them as he walked. The emotions that you feel when something like this happens just cannot be put into words. It is completely humbling.



Throughout the day we taught the kids a little about basketball, handed out and explained wordless book bracelets, and had a “mini-service” with singing and a story. Altogether it was a great day. I love to think that some of these kids are hearing the Gospel for the first time. Although it is a Christian school, there are strict regulations on what a teacher can teach. How awesome is it that we can go in and be the voice for the teachers? We WERE the teachers for a big chunk of their school day. Of course, as we get ready to leave they thanked us and presented the ladies with awesome scarves, and the men with the ever-so-cute Nepali hats. I think Dad is probably going to sleep in his.


After leaving the camp, we stopped in and visited with Gajendra’s parents, Manju’s Parents, and missionary Purna’s family. It was a great afternoon, but that sun will really suck that energy right out of you. I am sure the only reason I have not passed out yet is because of all the Cokes and Mountain Dews we were served at the camp and all our house visits.





I know this is a little lengthy, but I hope you get a little bit of a glimpse into our day. I would love to post pictures, but I am actually borrowing Gajendra’s air card for internet (no internet here!). About to go take a shower (not hot water here either).
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We are here! (16 hours ago...)


By Ashley
Well, we have finally arrived in Kathmandu, Nepal. Actually, we arrived about 16 hours or so ago.  Although we just got here, I have already made quite a few observations so far:
  1. The flight from Delhi to Kathmandu is phenomenal.  Nothing like seeing the Himalayas out your window and knowing one of those is Mount Everest.
  2. Amsterday Airport ROCKS in comparison to Paris...Hasta Luego Air France!
  3. Nepal is a bit cleaner than India (thus far).
  4. I should have brought more capris and less pants.  It’s hot!
  5. Shopping here is gonna be awesome!  Already cutting some deals.
  6. I can “rough it” with the best of them. (The water where we are today smells a little funky...definitely should not have washed my face with it because the smell is now stuck in my nose)
  7. There are not really “traffic rules” much like India.  No reason to maintain your lane, use a signal, or wait your turn.
  8. Nepali people are just precious!
So here we are, moving around like zombies, and trying to get everything ready for our first camps in Nepal.  Tomorrow morning we leave at 5 am for the refugee camps in eastern Nepal.  Shortly after arriving, we are conducting a basketball clinic and a short kids camp for at least 300 students at a local school.  The next two days involve our 6 hour kids camps.  Over the course of these two camps, we will be working with over 1300 kids, 25 pastors, and 150 leaders.
Today after lunch, a few of us ventured out to walk among the streets of Kathmandu and  scope out the shopping.  We were led by the one and only (and fearless) Big Mama.  It was quite fun walking in and messing with the vendors.  In fact, my quote of the day pertains to Chris Wheeler and his shopping experience.  As we finished up our shopping extravaganza and walked through the hotel gate, Chris said, “This is the most fun I have ever had shopping in my life.”  Now we know if Chris ever disappears he is probably walking the streets of Kathmandu harassing some poor vendors.  We did have two guys follow us for two hours with some dumb recorder looking instruments and mini fiddle.  I thought Mom was gonna body slam someone.  
Well, nothing too exciting to post so far.  I am really looking forward to getting to interact with all the Nepali kids tomorrow.  Pray that we will be full of energy and ready to beat the heat (and mosquitos) for the next three days. 
Not sure how our internet connection will be in Eastern Nepal, but check back for updates on our camps (and hopefully some pictures as well). 
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Did you know...


By Ashley
..that 10,000 to 15,000 Nepali girls are tricked or sold into servitude, either as domestic, factory, or sex workers EACH YEAR.



Brokers, called dalas, sell Nepali girls for $2500 into the brothels of Mumbai (more commonly known as Bombay, India). Over 100,000 Nepali women work in these Indian brothels often in conditions resembling slavery. Half of these women are also believed to be HIV positive.

Human trafficking is a major problem facing Nepal. One of the areas where trafficking is becoming more prevalent is the Bhutanese Refugee Camps. July 8th-10th, myself and nine others will be working in Bhutanese Refugee Camps in east Nepal. Our goal is to place a Nepali Bible into the hands of each child we come into contact with.

This is where we need YOUR help. For $1 you can feed a child lunch, and supply these Bhutanese children and other Nepali children with a Bible.

Our hope is that with this Bible, the Nepali children will learn about the one true Servant. Can you imagine if all these children accept Jesus into their lives, and then turn around and help their families to do the same? Truly the people would start to value Nepali children, girls in particular, and put an end to the trafficking.

Don’t believe the statistics? Just google “Human Trafficking Nepal”...better yet...You Tube it, and see videos for yourself.

Read the post below for more information on our "Lunch and a New Testament" Campaign. We still need your help! Our trip is only a month away.

Isaiah 58:6-8 (The Message)

"This is the kind of fast day I'm after:
to break the chains of injustice,
get rid of exploitation in the workplace,
free the oppressed,
cancel debts.
What I'm interested in seeing you do is:
sharing your food with the hungry,
inviting the homeless poor into your homes,
putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad,
being available to your own families.
Do this and the lights will turn on,
and your lives will turn around at once.
Your righteousness will pave your way.
The God of glory will secure your passage.
Then when you pray, God will answer.
You'll call out for help and I'll say, 'Here I am”


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Lunch and a New Testament: Nepal, July 2010


By Ashley
Hello all,

Well it has been over 8 months since our last post (and since I stepped in Ox poop), but I am beyond excited about the next opportunity God has put into my life.

This summer we have decided to take our talents to Katmandu, Nepal. The exciting part about this trip is that YOU can be involved more than ever before. For the cost of a small coffee at McDonalds, a coke at the grocey store, or a third the price for a gallon of gas, you can help in feeding a child both physically and spiritually. Interested yet?

While in Nepal we will conduct several series of "Vacation Bible School" type one-day camps and basketball clinics in the capital city of Katmandu, several Bhutanese refugee camps in East Nepal, and a village in South Central Nepal. Much like India, Nepal is primarily Hindu and is considered a third-world country. I have never been there myself, but I have met several Nepali people and have seen videos and pictures of the kids and know I am already in love. They are beautiful, caring people who often get by with nothing. Children go for days without proper nutrients, but worst of all, many go their whole lives without hearing about Jesus Christ. But now, you have the opportunity to change that, at least directly with the 2100 children we will come in contact with.

Now here's where we need YOUR help. We need $1 for every child that will attend our camps. With this $1, we can feed a child lunch and provide them with a copy of the New Testament. How incredible is that? Our goal is to raise $2100 to pay for the Bibles and lunches. Any excess donations will be used to provide supplies and snacks for the children. All donations are tax deductible, and ANY amount is appreciated. If interested, just shoot me an email at ashleycohoon@gmail.com or send one to my dad at stevec@awana.org, and we can get you started on impacting the lives of the Nepali children.

So next time you drive to McDonalds, skip the coffee, get the free and less enticing cup of joe at work, and drop your dollar bill in the mail.

$1 can impact a child, a family, a village, and eventually, a nation.

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