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January 2, 2002
Dear Praying Friends,
Greetings from Indiana. I arrived here a few days ago and am
still adjusting to life on this side of the world. I would like
to share a few things that happened before I left Nepal.
Just another "hill"
One of my last "official duties" before leaving Jumla
was a walk to a neighboring district to assist in hiring new staff.
This involves two days of walking during which time you cross
over two high "hills." Although I have done this walk
several times, it was the first time for Dr. Ansie (the South
African doctor who took over the work I was doing). She thought
we passed through some incredibly beautiful land, but that it
would have been appreciated more from the window of a bus. Sitting
at the top of one of the hills, I remembered sitting there a year
ago. I was walking with three Nepali friends and had gone ahead
of them so I could take some pictures. When they arrived, one
of them asked, "What are you looking at?" I responded
with another question, "Do you ever stop to think about what
an incredibly beautiful country you live in?" He looked at
me as though the altitude was getting to me and said "no."
I asked him what he thought about when he looked at the view.
He said "Nothing, but I guess if I did think of anything,
it would be—there’s another hill we are gong to have
to climb."
Farewells
As soon as people know you are leaving, the invitations to share
a meal start coming in. Invitations started about a month before
I left, but were abundant the last week. (Just how many rice meals
can a person be expected to eat in one day? At one home the mother
said to me, "If that is all you are going to eat, why did
I bother to cook?") A few days after having a meal with the
Nepali woman who worked for me, she shared the following conversation
she had had with her 3-year-old son Reuben when she told him I
was leaving.
"You mean you won’t be going to her house to work
anymore?"
"No, I won’t be going."
"And she won’t be walking down our road, or going
to the hospital anymore?"
"No, she won’t be going to the hospital anymore, and
you won’t see her walking by our house."
"Let’s just go with her."
"We can’t, it is far away and we don’t have money
for the airplane ticket."
"But Mom, if you invite her to our house for a meal she’ll
still come, won’t she?"
Maya Sadan (House of Love)
A few months ago Beni, his wife, and 6-year-old daughter came
to Jumla from Kerala, India. They felt called to start an orphanage
in Jumla, so he left his law practice and they moved to Jumla.
They are presently living in a rented house and have taken in
six children—all under the age of 8. Please pray for them
in this undertaking—for their health (since arriving in Jumla
his wife has had chicken pox and Beni had to go to Nepalganj for
treatment of kidney stones), for wisdom and discernment as children
are selected, for support—both prayer and financial as they
care for these children. The children living there are very happy.
They have sufficient food and clothes, are attending school for
the first time in their lives, are receiving medical care, but
most of all, are loved and are hearing of God’s love for
them.
On the political front
Just before I left Nepal the underground insurgents stopped negotiations
with the government. King Gyanendra has declared a "state
of emergency" and the army is now being used to help the
police. As you pray for peace around the world at this time, please
keep the people of Nepal in your prayers as well.
Contact Address
I have not yet established e-mail on my computer, but my mailing
address is:
Nancy McGaughey
305 N. Harrison St.
Russellville, IN 46175
Phone: (765) 435-2214
I will be available for church visits during the months of February,
March, and April. Please let me know when it is convenient to
visit you.
May His words guide your way and His love fill your heart at
Christmas and always.
Nancy McGaughey
The 2002 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 153
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