Institute of World Mission, Chiang Mai, Thailand

Over April, 2010 we joined 14 other families at the Institute of World Mission (IWM) at the Park Hotel, Chiang Mai, Thailand. This is a workshop to prepare (or in some cases - refresh) families for work in a cross cultural environment. It is operated by a team from Andrews University, USA.
It was a very rewarding three weeks covering topics such as Third Culture Kids, culture shock, language, conflict resolution, IDE policies, serving in a mission environment, stress management, communication, learning more about ourselves with temperaments and self assessment, learning more about each of our countries and of course sharing stories and laughs together.

There were people from all over the world.
On our table there were Cherie and Elde (Phillipines (been in Afghanistan for four years) to Malawi in the medical field), Edith and Sohail (Pakistan to The Gambia in finance field) and us (Australia to Nepal with ADRA) It may not be obvious to all why we called our group the IED's...
Greg and Sue (USA to Thailand) and Eric and Francois (Switzerland in Bangladesh, Administration. Actually this couple had been serving overseas for 38 years! The record for serving before attending IWM!). Their table were called the 'Young Methusela's'.

Karl (USA to Thailand in education) was a great trumpet player and an excellent story teller. Karl telling a story at the banquet.
Ken and Gizelle (Canada to Guam in pharmacy field) were one of many excellent singers.
Leif and Patrizia (Finland to Lebanon in education administration) are presenting gifts to the facilitators L to R Enid, Cheryl and Wagner at the final agape dinner. Eric is sitting on the left.
Chanmin and Sukyoung (Korea to Lebanon in media production) were great fun, photographer and singer extraordinaire
Marco and Virginia (Colombia but have been in Thailand for 5 years) are going to Pakistan in IT field.
Sima, Brankica and their daughter Ana (see teen group) from Serbia (Canada) are going to Georgia.

There were a couple of other ADRA families that we got to know as good friends.

Jair and Hanlie with Joshua and Isabella (South Africa to Thailand with ADRA, although they have been in Mozambique)
Michael and Angela with their daughters Lisa and Johanna (Germany to Mali, although have lived in Morocco before)
The girls had their own program with some lovely new friends (Moon and Lisa) and Miss Enid and Raene to help.
While we were in Chiang Mai it was Songkran, Thai New Year. It involves a country wide water fight for two of three days. The kids had to get involved.
Even the little kids had a program, with very dedicated group of ladies who looked after them.

There was also a teen group that had their program too. Here they are presenting an item at the talent night, with Vernita introducing them. Martha, Ana, Johanna and Amos.
At the talent night all the families had to do an item... what to do as Aussies? So we acted out "Give me a home among the gum trees"
"Veranda out the front and an old rocking chair" - MazzTwo guys from General Conference visited to help us out with policy issues and questions, Jose and Claude. Here they are with the Awoniyi family (Nigeria to Zimbabwe in education) and Karl... after the talent night banquet.
There was great food at the Park Hotel. Sunny Rafi had his 6th birthday there. On the last Friday night we had an Agape Meal. Very Special memories, especially Cherie and Virginia singing Via Delorosa. Thank you both.
The best memories were of friendships made, leesons learned and a new found passion for working in Nepal.

Far West Nepal ADRA Trip

ADRA Nepal currently have a project funded by ECHO through UNFPA running Reproductive Health Camps in the Far west of Nepal. The mobile camps spend 5 days in remote areas and treat all types of conditions but the main function is to refer women who have Uterine Prolapse to Nepalgunj Medical Teaching College Hospital for surgery.
I went with a team from UNFPA and ECHO to do a monitoring trip to Bhajang.
The 'boys' on the trip...L-R: Myself, Dr Satya (UNFPA), Luc (ECHO), Ian (UNFPA), Dipendra (ADRA Project Manager) The girls are obviously laughing at us from behind the camera.
It took 2 and a half days to get there and then 2 and a half days back to Kathmandu.
The road actually goes over the far ridge of 'hills', you can see the line of the road where they have been building it up through a 'food for work' WFP program.
One of the mountains you can see out of the RHS of the plane if you are going west.
Not a real lot of threat of hijacking on these planes obviously.

Quality control is one of the things that is lacking in many areas of life in Nepal... here is the chair I had to use at the meal on the first night.

Do whatever you have to do to get inside... push or pull... up to you.This is the village where we slept for two nights.

Some of the pictures taken of the scenery over the couple of days travelling to Bhajang.
The elevation difference from top to bottom was 1100m.
Nearly all of the houses have a slate roof. Notice the cactus in the pot on the roof... (? you ask) It is to keep the lightning away. Hard to prove them wrong I would say!
The mobile camps are often held at the local health post or a school.
They also do awareness campaigns with the young people.

These ladies have been referred to a hospital 3 days drive away for Uterine Prolapse surgery.Street drama is a real hit. This one covered about 6 major topics and went for nearly 90 minutes... everyone was enthralled as it was in the local language.
Last group meeting for those chosen for UP surgery on this day. Discussing myths is a big one... No - they will not take your organs, No - you will not be drained of blood, No - the food is like you have here, No - buses are OK to ride in... many of these women will go out of the local area for the first time.

Everest View Hotel

At the end of March a friend of ours, Michael Lillioja, invited us to join him on a helicopter trip to the Everest View Hotel at Namche Bazaar. He and his daughter Hannah, were going to fly up to Everest Base Camp while we remained at the Everest View Hotel and then join them for breakfast when they returned. (At Kalapathar, approximately17,000 ft, the helicopter cannot carry more than two passengers and the rotors need to keep turning!) This is Mike and Hannah leaving.

It snowed the night before and everything looked magical.

Mt Everest is on the left, the winds were said to be over 100km/h to get the snow blasting off the summit like that. (Lhotse is on the right)

It was the first time Tiarna and Jenaya had seen snow - yes, within sight of Mt Everest no less! Of course they had to make a small snow man... more of an "icelump man" I think.

The Hotel is at 3880m (two and a half kilometers above Kathmandu) and Jenaya was getting a little sick from the altitude and had to get back on the oxygen in the helicopter.

A great breakfast, then back to the office for lunch. Thanks, Mike and Hannah.

Special Memories