| Daniel, who is a studio art major,
was fortunate enough to have the chance to experience work with
computer graphics etc in Exeter over the summer. He represented
the family at the Surkhet reunion where many of our good friends
from Nepal meet each year. He is now back in Beloit, taking journalism,
Japanese, and ballet, among other courses. Kelli followed us back
to Mussoorei, where she is volunteering for a year at Woodstock.
School. This certainly helped turn the bad start of the year upwards.
She took on coaching the soccer team and leading a week-long trek.
She is also getting plenty of experience in data keeping (addresses)
for the alumni department. On the hike she saw the importance of
management skills. Overnight she new what she wanted to do next,
an MBA. I wish we knew that clearly what to do next.
Timothy has not stopped growing. His hair has changed length
and color several times (the electric blue did not go down well
at the start of school). He has enjoyed playing sports, even a
little cricket and the baritone. But left on his own he is very
happy with computer games.
Hilary is our bright spark. She squeezes in time to play the
saxophone, clarinet, and piano. The monkeys are a little less
paralyzing for her return home from school.
We have not managed many weekend activities as a family. We did
make it back to Surkhet, Nepal, for two days. The army is very
evident there, and the curfew enforced. Few foreigners live there
these days. It was wonderful to see our old friends and our old
house and even get to swim in the river.
On our way to Kelli's graduation we managed a weekend in Holland
with old Surkhet colleagues. We hardly stopped talking. These
were people who thought the same way we did about development.
It was very encouraging.
Work
Life has been full. Scott has traveled widely, following up on
the workshops he has giving on community organization. He is convinced
that there is a certain set of steps that must be followed for
successful groups to flourish on their own. However even after
the workshops the pattern of work has not changed in most areas.
He is writing a 12-day manual for basic training of communication
skills and group dynamics that can be used anywhere a group is
forming. Other NGOs have requested this training, so EHA wants
to offer these skills training.
Next
Our Indian visas end next July and so does our contract to work
with EHA. So what next? It is always tough to balance the wishes
of our parents, our children, the EHA projects, our long-term
employees (PCUSA), our consciences about the needs in the Third
World, and our desire to be settled with a house of our own and
friends that we do not say goodbye to every three years or so.
What we do know is that we will be in Louisville from next summer
until the next move.
Love,
Melanie and Scott Smith
The 2002 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, page
154
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