the guy who washes feet

 I saw a couple of my bhutanese friends walking home from school the other day and they needed a ride to cvs.  We took a quick trip into town and decided to go back to my place for a coke while we waited for the prescription to get filled.

We got home, I grabbed the cokes and when I returned from the kitchen, they were looking through our wedding album.  They enjoyed seeing pictures of my family and friends, but were very confused when they came to the photo of us watching each others’ feet.  They asked me why we were doing this and I began to tell them the story of how Jesus washed his disciples feet.

After explaining to them the story and how Jesus came as one who serves, they just couldn’t believe it.   Such a strange concept to a culture that works so diligently to appease all the many gods – a God who serves is not something that they are familiar with.  

At the end of our time together I told them that I wanted to tell them more about Jesus and His teachings.  They were excited.

“Oh yes, the guy who washes feet.  We want to learn about him.”  they said.  

I can’t wait to tell them more.

david

nepali celebration in our own backyard

I use to think you had to travel the world to experience the depths and richness of other cultures.  Today’s adventure has drastically changed that  perspective.

We had the privilege and honor to be a part of a Nepali celebration called Dashain right down the street from our home.  It’s their longest and the most auspicious festival. We heard the story behind this celebration, had great food and fellowship and best of all, the women included Holly in the cultured fashion.

The most exciting part of the afternoon was when my friend Kumar expressed how grateful he was for our friendship.  He wanted me to know how familiar I am to his people now.

He said “With you now…it is like family.  We are ourselves when you are here.  We do not change who we are when you are with us, and we are very happy because of this.”

After months of serving them we are really beginning to feel like close friends.  I love these people…and I too am very happy because of this

david

nepal or bust

One of the community development centers here in our neighborhood threw a party for the Nepali’s.  It was great seeing all my Nepali friends in one place at one time…plus, I got to see the legendary John Raux.

I hadn’t seen John for a long time, but it was great to catch up and hear his connection to Nepal.  He is leaving for Nepal next week and will most definitely have an adventure…mainly because he is John Raux, but also because I hear Nepal is incredible.

All along the way of this journey I’ve come across so many people that have stories that intersect my story through the connection we have to the Nepali people.  It’s pretty incredible and just makes the story so much better.

Check out John on facebook and read about his journey .

It’s going to be an interesting one…and he will most definitely have endless stories when he comes back.

Cheers and blessings to my good friend John Raux – the only man I know to walk from Mexico to Canada.

Godspeed my dear friend…

david

our first english class

We had our first English class (ESL) at Mission Adelante for the Bhutanese last Tuesday.  It was a great time.  We started a new curriculum and structure that I think will really help the effectiveness of both learning English and building relationships.

This new structure comes from the values that Mission Adelante holds strongly to. With a great ratio of 1 conversation partner to 2 students, the class is extremely relational.  A friendship naturally erupts when you help someone learn to speak, read and write their own name.  It is an exciting thing for these people, who have never had the opportunity to pursue an education, to now have the opportunity to learn these new things, AND to make a new friend while doing it.

At the end of the class an older man named Buan (pronounced “Bwaun”) stood up and expressed (in Nepali) how thankful he was for all the time we give to help them learn English. He came to our first class last semester, but couldn’t see at all so he quit.  Since then he had eye surgery and can see great now. He talks to me about how happy it has made him.

Everytime I see him now he says thank you (in English).  I can’t wait for the day we can have a conversation together.  For now, we just hang out and smile with the occasional English phrase “thank you” or “hello” or even “It’s nice to meet you” (even though we’ve already met).  Sometimes I try to tell him that I am glad to see him in Nepali and he just laughs at me.

What a joy…

david

moving Abi

The refugees are on financial government assistance for about 8 months. They also receive community development assistance from local government funded organizations for a number of services including preparing their new homes with furniture and all the necessities to live.

Unfortunately, when the refugees want to move to another state to live close to their family then they are on their own to find furniture for their new home.

Abi and his family moved here from Kentucky to be close to their families.  They lived in an appartment with no furniture for a couple of weeks.  My friend Ram told me about the problem and I sent out an email to about 20 people.  Within a couple of days I had more than enough furniture, pots and pans, rugs, lamps…etc. to fill 2 or 3 apartments.

My friend Glen had a huge box truck that we filled to the top full of all this stuff and headed towards KCK.  While we helped a handful of the Bhutanese carry the furniture in, Anna got to spend time with Krishna.

It was a lot of fun giving other people’s stuff away and honestly I was just so blown away by the generosity of my friends and how quickly they all stepped up to donate their stuff.  Abi, of course, was also blown away.  He was so happy he gave me a “ring of honor” and said some sort of blessing over me.  I couldn’t understand it because it was in Nepali, but I’m pretty sure it was the most beautiful thing ever by the look on his face.

I will never forget that look on his face…and I’m sure he will never forget your generosity.

david