I had just finished three days of visiting local Kamiya (ex-slave) villages around the town of Dhangarhi in Nepal where I was working on assessing the health of Water Buffalo.  Marian, who I had been traveling with, had left for Tikapur a day and a half earlier and I was anxious to meet up with him again.  On the night I was supposed to leave my ride had been delayed significantly due to poor road conditions.  I had wanted to leave that night, but I was encouraged by Gopal (who was looking after me at Tikapur) to stay the night as I still hadn’t had any dinner to eat and it was getting late.   I continued to insist on leaving that evening but Gopal gently told me that I needed to stay the night and travel in the morning as the drive to Tikapur was not exactly safe.  The road to Tikapur passed through few villages and wound mostly through dense areas of jungle where if the vehicle were to break down, there would be no chance of someone helping us.  Not to mention the fact that I was probably the only Caucasian for hundreds of miles and there had been a history of kidnappings.

Not feeling like being stranded in the middle of the jungle and kidnapped (which was probably very low risk), I gladly conceded to Gopal’s advice and stayed the night.  At 5:00 the next morning my driver and I embarked on the two our treck to Tikapur.  Visibility that morning was about five feet. The roads that were supposed to be paved seemed more like dirt roads, and the dirt roads seemed more like dried up river beds.  Needless to say, it was bumpy!  I tried to catch a nap, but whenever I dozed I found myself jolted by a large bump or not wanting to fully fall asleep so I could brace myself if we had to stop suddenly if something or someone were to appear out of the dense fog in the middle of the road.

In the early light when we passed through villages we could begin to make out the shapes of people and farm animals moving  like ghosts in the thick mist.  After a couple hours of driving the road began to improve and the fog began to lift and we emerged from the woods into a small town.  We had a arrived at Tikapur.  We drove down what seemed to be the main road lined with many small homes.  The town seemed to still be sleeping.  We came to a traffic circle and went down a straight dirt road that was in the processes of being improved.  The feeling of this road seemed different.  Houses were in better shape, the side of the road was cleaner.  There was something special about the road we were driving down.  As we neared the end of the road on the right was a long brick wall with gates and behind it hid a long square building in conjunction with a tall pink Mediterranean style house. The driver slowed and pulled in front of the gate.  I got out of the car, stretched, and was reminded of how cold it was when I was able to see my yawn vaporize in the air.  We went up to the gate and knocked.

We heard some rustling in the house and then footsteps approaching the gate.  When the gate opened a man with a bright yellow jacket and holding flower necklaces in his hands greeted us with a smile that melted away the stress of the last couple hours and rough nights sleep and left me with sense of peace and safety.  He said hello in broken English, shook my hand with strong firm grip and told us his name was Parsu and then proceeded to place the flower necklaces over our heads.

Parsu invited me in through the gates, while the driver stayed behind with the car, which is customary in Nepal and India.  As I walked through the gates I was surprised with meticulously cared for gardens and various fruit trees.  Parsu began to name the different trees and plants on the way to his house.  We strolled down a walk way and onto a porch to his front door where we took our shoes off and he invited me in to his home, still with that calming and genuine smile.  I took my shoes off on the porch and stepped into a small living room with humble furnishings.  The windows were open even though it was only barely 50 degrees outside.  I sat down on a small futon like couch and Parsu sat across from me.  He explained to me again that he was Parsu, that this was his home, and he was the pastor of the church across from the house.  He than began to ask me if I liked the road that we drove down as he was on one of the town boards and was able to get enough funding to have the street that his church and school are located on improved.   I recalled the change in the atmosphere when my driver and I turned down Parsu’s road.  He asked me if I would like some tea, and being desperate for a hot drink to warm me up I gratefully said yes.  A few moments later he delivered the tea for me and then sat down again and stared at me smiling.  After a few moments of awkward silence, but never once breaking his contagious smile he said “I think brother Marian must be up by now.”

You may be asking at this point, “why the long winded story about traveling to Tikapur.  I thought this posting had to do with orphans in Nepal?”  It does, but I wanted to begin by providing my own story of how I met Parsu to hopefully paint a better picture of the kindness, gentleness and caring that emanates from him and his household.  Before I even met Parsu, I had experienced the impact he is having on his community just by turning down his street.  And at that time, I did not even know that was the street he lived on.  Finally making it to Parsu’s house and then walking through his gates into his humble gardens was like entering a safe harbor after crossing a stormy sea.

Marian had told me about Parsu and his family and all the work they are doing in Tikapur and the surrounding Kamiya villages.  Parsu’s family including his daughter and son-in-law (Sophie and Madan) are doing an incredible amount of work to help orphaned children and to help make better lives for ex-slave families in their surrounding area, on top of being the pastor of a quickly growing church.

I had gone to Tikapur to meet up with Marian and help with the planning of a new zip line that was being built to make easier passage across the river for local villagers, farmers and school children, as well as to help plan for a new school in the town of PremNegar.  In addition, I had been told that Parsu’s family were caring for many orphans, all girls who were in his care for various reasons.  Some their parents had been killed in Nepal’s recent civil wars, others their parents simply could not afford them and gave them up, knowing that Parsu’s family would provide them with food, shelter and a good education. On my trip I sat down with all the girls at once to talk to them about their stories and ask them about their lives in an effort to raise awareness of the need to share the responsibility that Parsu has of financially providing for these orphaned girls.   I’ve compiled a short profile for each of the girls seen in the picture above.

Seema

Age: 7

Village: Makri

Time at Orphanage: 1 year

Reason at Orphanage:  Her father died (reasons unknown).  Her mother then deserted her with grandparents.  Seema’s grand parents could not take care of her so brought her to the orphanage.

Favorite thing to do:  Play rope (jump roping with other girs and other games)

Seema wears a constant smile.  She is full of energy and loves to play.  Sophie (Parasu’s daughter) runs a school down the street and Seema attends there.  Although she is seven years old, she is learning to help around the orphanage and home (when she’s not playing).

Seema

Age: 11

Village: Bashhaha

Time at Orphanage: 5 years

Reason at Orphanage:  Mother and father could not take care of her and so they brought her to the orphanage.  Seema

came from a large family and often the youngest girl may be given up so that the family can afford to feed the rest of the children.

Favorite thing to do:  Seema enjoys dancing

Sonu

Age: 13

Village: Amaura

Time at Orphanage: 5 years

Reason at Orphanage:  Similar to young Seema, Sonu’s father died and her mother could not take care of her, so she gave her up to the orphanage.

Favorite thing to do:  Sonu enjoys reading.

Ranjita

Age: 14

Village: Darhma Pur

Time at Orphanage: 4 years

Reason at Orphanage:  Ranjita came from a large family with 4 other brothers and sisters.  Her father and mother could not afford to take care of her and put her in the care of the orphanage.

Favorite thing to do:  Ranjita likes knitting.  She especially likes to knit shawls and sweaters.

Junu

Age: 11

Village: Lukaramandi

Time at Orphanage: 4 years

Reason at Orphanage: Junu had 3 brothers and sisters.  Her parents could not afford to take care of her and gave her up to the orphanage.

Favorite thing to do:  Junu enjoys art, especially drawing.

Maya (means love in Nepali)

Age: 12

Village: Bandi

Time at Orphanage: Unkown

Reason at Orphanage: Maya’s father was killed by a Maoist rebel.  Her mother works, but still could not afford to take care of Maya and all of her 4 brothers and sisters.

Favorite thing to do:  Maya like to sing.

Akriti

Age: 17

Village: Baghmara

Time at Orphanage: 11 Years

Reason at Orphanage: Akriti’s parents were not able to take care of and feed her as well as her 5 other siblings.

Favorite thing to do:  Akriti enjoys serving.

Akriti is very kind and has a servant heart.  She helps around the house, church and orphanage and enjoys cooking.  She is soon to leave the orphanage to continue school.  Akriti has a tight bond with Parsu’s family, especially Sophie his daughter.

Throughout the days at Parsu’s house and the orphanage I was able to witness the tight bond that these girls had and was able to get a sense of their serving hearts, loving personalities as well as their ambition to succeed in life.

Before I went to Nepal I sent a letter out to many friends and colleagues letting them know about my trip to Nepal.  Originally, I had asked people to contribute to agricultural projects going on and many friends and co-workers were very generous and gave.  However after seeing the need to help take care of these girls, and to allow Parsu to continue to be a help to future girls in need, a portion of those funds raised (approximately $1260.00) will go to sponsoring three of these girls for a year.  It costs about $35.00 a month to provide food, shelter, electricity, school and medical for these girls.  These are just some of the girls in need, there are other orphans who have been paired up with families in rural villages that also need sponsorships.

If you would like to sponsor one of these girls, or provide a donation to help Parsu’s and his family’s mission to provide a “safe harbor” for these girls, you can go to the donate page (http://www.gatewaytonepal.org/donate/online/) and choose to sponsor a child.  Or if you have questions about the sponsorship, you can contact me at Jason@gatewaytonepal.org

I wanted to share with everyone the amazing notes they sent me today.

Jason,

The students are with me and we want to wish you luck in Nepal.
I wanted their voices to be heard so todays lesson they gave me messages to send to you and your group.
Thanks for taking the time to share this experience with them.

All the students are supporting you and your team it is a very worthwhile cause.(Lauren) Please tell the children there, that we say hi. (Hanna) Thank you for your work with the ‘Gatway to Nepal project’.(Zach) Can you please send us pictures of your trip? (Blake) Good Luck with all your projects like the zip line and our prayers are with you. (Ayden) Be careful on your trip we realize that it is a dangerous mission. (Cori) When you get back we look forward to reading more on your Blog about your trip.(Shania) I hope you get the Zip line up and running so that it helps the villages to rebuild.(Todd) Thank you for giving the supplies to the children in Nepal. (Hunter) I hope all the children will get good use out of the supplies that we have sent.(Hanna) Thank you for helping all the people of Nepal.(Matt) and all the families (Jackson) I hope that slavery in Nepal is a thing of the past.(Owen) Is it easy or difficult to help the children of Nepal?(Taylor) I hope that the children have all that they need in Nepal.(Brett) I hope you have a great trip.(Alex) I hope that the people of Nepal will have better Health with our help.(Raven) I hope that the people will get clean drinking water.(Blake) I send you all my best wihes for all of you in Nepal.(Kennedy) I hope that the prices will go down on ‘Moo,s’ so that more people will be better nourished.(Alex) Good luck in Nepal.(Taylor) Never give up.(Zach) I hope that even with all that hard work you have a great time in Nepal.(Maddie) I hope the children will like the supplies that we sent.(Tanasha) I hope the children can find some time to have fun.(Holly) I hope you have a safe trip.(Kelsey)

We send our prayers your way. The students did not have time for letters however I am sure that you can keep their words in your heart to bring with you to Nepal.

All our best

I hope you have agreat trip to Nepal. (Alex) I hope that your teachings will flourish in Nepal.(Emma) I hope you have a great expereince in Nepal.(Alyssa) I hope you can share your photos with us.(Cole) I hope that you were successful in accumulating supplies for Nepal.(Shawn) I think that this is a very worthwhile project and I hope that we help many children to have the opportunity to go to school.(Riley) I am certain that the people of Nepal will appreciate all your help.(Mackenzie) I hope that you get a chance to help the students in the schools.(Taylor) I hope that you have a great time in Nepal helping the people.(Jason) What type of things are the students learning in Nepal? (Isabelle) Good Luck in Nepal with everything.(Allistaire)and (Lesha) I hope that many children will get the chance to go to school.(Emma) I hope you are able to bring and send lots of pictures.(Carly) I hope that the weather is good in Nepal for you to get your mission completed.(Marcail) I hope that you make many friends.(Abby) I hope that your work will lead to great success in the future of all the people of Nepal.(Hanna) I hope that you capture on camera lots of amazing pictures of your journay in Nepal.(Erik) I hope that you meet many nice people.(Jessica)and (Kristen) I hope that you raise lots of money and supplies for your journey to Nepal.(Colton) I hope you have a great and safe trip to Nepal. (Cullen) I hope you are given the opportunity to help many people in Nepal.(Tyrell) I hope that there are many others that are donating to this worthwhile cause.(Emma) I hope that all of you find some time for fun in Nepal. (Cole) I hope that the children learn a lot in the schools of Nepal.(Riley) I hope that all of you need to make a difference.(Cole)

Sending all our prayers with you.

Finally here are the questions and comments from my Homeroom grade 7class of students.

I hope you have a great time in Nepal helping the children.(Abbey) I hope that the children will enjoy your visit with them.(Emily) I hope that the children will be happy receiving the school supplies that we have sent for them.(Maggie) Thank you for making a difference in the lives of others in Nepal.(Josh) It is wonderful that you are giving up your time to help people.(Dalen) Best Wishes on your missionary work in Nepal.(Lauren) Will you be living with a family when you are in Nepal?(Alyson) How did you go about doing this work in Nepal? What was your inspiration?(Catherine) Will you give us details of the work you were able to achieve when you get bcak please?(Rebecca) Could you please take pictures of their homes and schools for us? (Dalton) I hope that the weather is good for your missionary work in Nepal.(Liam) Do the children play any sports or games in Nepal?(Mikayla) What types of food do they eat in Nepal? We know they eat rice and milk, I just wondered what else. (Maggie)and (Dalton) Could you update us on the results of your trip? (Salena) The work that you and your group are doing is remarkable, thank you. (Haley) What village will you be visiting on your trip? (Cullen) What type of transportation are they using there? (Sam) How many people will be joining you on your trip.(Liam) Be careful on your trip and best wishes your way.(Nick)

Thanks Jason

My sevens had lots of questions. We are really excited about this experience and are confident that your efforts have already made a huge life not only to the people of Nepal but to the students of a Middle School in Oromocto as well. We are blessed to be  part of this project.

I hope you enjoyed these as much as I did.  There are several questions that the kids asked that I will answer when I get back from the trip

Jason

It’s been a couple weeks from my last update so I apologize.  Much has transpired and I would say it’s all good news.

First, I received my passport back from Visa Express complete with my Indian Visa.  I’ve never had to get a visa before so I was expecting this to take a long time.  In total it only took 3 weeks to get it and with the trip only two weeks away, I can now check that off my list of things to get done.

Second, as many of you know from various emails I’ve sent out that there has been an increase in political unrest in Nepal as the Maoists and the National Congress contend with each other over a new country constitution.  The Maoists are issuing “bandhs” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bandh).  You can read more about them at the link, but they are basically protests and strikes issued by the government.  The bandhs that are currently going on, and will most likely be going on during our trip are bringing the country to a stand still.  Marian has been communicating with our friends in Nepal monitoring the situation and although there are some concerns, we will be doing everything we can to stay safe.  We have been assured that we will have an escort to get us through road blocks and papers from local leaders in case we are stopped by any police.   The majority of the activity is around the Kathmandu area so we hoping that the western area of Nepal is less impacted by these.  You can get more info on current travel advisories in Nepal at the following site: http://nepal.usembassy.gov/information_for_travelers.html

And lastly, in my last update I mentioned that I would be meeting with Dr. Drew Conroy, one of my college professors.  Drew spent a year teaching agriculture and dairy herd management in Tanzania and worked in other areas of Africa studying agricultural and animal management practices while he was working on his PHD.  I had a great get together with Drew.  He was able to give me great practical and common sense advice which I can apply to help me better understand and find out what works and what doesn’t work relative to caring for water buffalo in Nepal.  His most important piece of advice was to just ask lots of questions and listen,  learn from the locals and when there is opportunity, make suggestions.  In addition to the great advice Drew shared with me many of his “Indian Jones” like adventures that he had in Africa.  He’s a great story teller and I think I laughed half the time I was there.  If you’re reading this Drew….thanks for the time and support. I’ll synch up with you when I am back.

Only two weeks left until  take off.  Thanks for all your support and prayers.

Regards:  Jason

Happy New Year!  I wanted to provide you with a quick update on news from Nepal, preparations for the trip and items that need your prayer.

First, i’ve recently learned that the water buffalo prices have changed significantly from the $250 dollars they were a year and a half ago, to currently $400-600 dollars (about 40,000 Nepali Rupee).  My understanding from Marian who has recieved word from Madan, one of hte local leaders,  is that this is a supply and demand issue.  So, unfortunately, our donate page is currently incorrect in stating that you can purchase an entire “moo” for $250 dollars.  We’ll get this corrected.  For all of you who have donated, thank you so much.  Your money will be pooled together to purchase what we can for “moos”.

Second, Good news on the Zip Line effort.  Before work could start on the Zip Line, the local leaders of  villages and local officials needed to come to agreement on the Zip Line.  I recently heard news that this has happened so we should be all set to freely work on the zip line project when we get there.

Thirdly, Marian has told the local leaders that while I am there I will be assessing water buffalo health at various villages.   I’ve been reading reports from Nepali water buffalo and agricultural efforts on common water buffalo issues , nutrition etc to try to prepare for this trip.  Also, in two weeks I will be meeting up with university professor of mine, Drew Conroy, who has experience with teaching sustainble agriculture and dairy heard management in 3rd wolrd countries.

Fourthly, Please pray for the following.  That i’m able to learn what I need regarding buffalo health care and treatment so that I can be helpful while i’m there.  That my India Visa, which is still in process would get back to me on time.  Also that God would bless the work that we will be doing while we are there.

Thanks everyone.  Again, Happy New Year and thank you for support and prayers.

Jason

Thanks for taking the time to come to this site. I’m excited about this upcoming trip to Nepal.  For those of you who are just learning about this trip and want to know more about what is currently going on in Nepal, where help is needed and why I am getting involved the best places to go are the following links:

http://truestoriesfrommarian.blogspot.com/

http://www.gatewaytonepal.org/about/

Currently, the trip for Nepal is scheduled to leave Boston on Wed January 2^7th and return February 5^th.  About half the time is spent actually getting to Nepal and back, only leaving about 5  days of actual time to work.

On this trip, myself and the folks I am traveling with will be visiting many of the villages mentioned in the links above and we have a number of work and community projects planned. Currently, my schedule looks as follows.

Day 1: Visit western villages.  Assess water systems, buffalo/cow supply and school situation.  OK.  For those of you who are asking “what does he mean by the buffalo/cow supply” please read the above links.  Water Buffalo and Cows are a critical part of the sustainable food/agriculture plan to help these villages thrive.

Day 2-5.  We will be in the town of Tikapur.  Tikapur recently lost many of it’s shelters, school, food supply, and clean water wells to a flood.  Here we have many projects planned including:

-Planning for a new school and working with community to support it.

-Access health of Buffaloes/Cows, study food yields etc.  For those of you who don’t know, I actually have a degree in Dairy Herd Management/Animal Science and worked on many Dairy farms.  I’ve been brushing off my old books and talking to farmers who are well known in the sustainable agriculture community in order to brush up on my skills in this area.

-Building of Zip Line Houses:  The Zip Line is a project that will join two villages that are currently cut off by a river.  The zip line will allow children to get to school and for supplies to be sent across.  Boats and Bridges are too expensive and difficult to maintain.

-We will also be discussing potential scholarships and sponsorships with local community leaders.

I appreciate your thoughts and prayers as I prepare for this exciting trip.  There is much for me to get in order to accomplish this.

Also, if you would like to donate in support of this trip and the work that we will be doing you can easily do that by going to the following link.  All donations are tax deductable.  http://www.gatewaytonepal.org/donate/

Jason

Because of you, we’re heading over with inner peace, two laptops, school supplies, and over $2,500 in donations. That’s a lot of moo. Because of you, we’ll be able to support schools, clean water, nutrition, and the liberation that accompanies a $1-a-day living wage.

While the journey remains ahead of us, the race we’ve run together in these 30 or so days has been an astounding success. We’ve shattered the tape in record time. The movement’s been built with the support of over 100 individuals and small corporate grants.

I could go on, but I won’t. It leaves me in awe.

Now it’s time to pack everything up and head to New Jersey, where our families await before we board the plane.

Google shows you where we’ll be (try calculating driving directions for this trip!)

View Larger Map

Last week, while driving through Boulder, Colorado, the song “See The World” by Gomez found its way onto our rental car’s satellite radio.  The essence of that moment could not have been captured better.

With so little time, we urge you to accept the Moo Challenge.  However, I can’t overstate how encouraging each and every one of you have been.  Your support has been overwhelming and awesome!  While Jasmine and I are making the physical journey, the mission is really a consequence of every one of us banding together in support and solidarity.

To keep the momentum alive, we’ll be providing daily postings right up to departure day… stay tuned.  And, as conditions permit, we’ll be live-blogging during the journey, using Jasmine’s new smartphone.

It’s a simple as this.  We’re going to use the next week to secure as many “moos” (water buffaloes) for the people of Nepal as we can. For each $250 donation (or two $125 “half-moo” donations), we can provide one more “moo” to a family.  This animal provides enough milk for four families.  Each family that receives a moo can nourish itself and also sell surplus milk to other families, providing a sustainiable microloan.  In short, it’s a win-win situation.

In addition to working on a banana plantation, providing these water buffaloes is a way to provide immediate economic benefits to some of the world’s poorest residents.  Sustainable, natural resources provide a means of participation in the economy, leading to empowerment and dignity.  It’s gain for all of us.

Please consider taking part in the challenge this week.  It’s our final week before we head out.  Already, several remarkable individuals have risen to the Moo Challenge.  To maintain privacy, we won’t publish names, but to those who have already stepped up, we salute and thank you!

You can give a moo (or whatever you’re comfortable giving) right now at our donations page.  Peace!