Ever since our required move for the sake of safety, I have struggled with the lack of “amenities” at our new flat. It has made me ponder what is really necessary to live versus what we like to have so that we can be comfortable. Here are a few examples:
Backup power when we have no government electricity 12 hours a day. Electricity at all. Internet. A functioning stove. A functioning oven. Pots and pans to cook with. A tea kettle that does not have a hole in it—this is a society that drinks tea multiple times a day. A shower that doesn’t get the sink and toilet and entire bathroom wet. A shower. Hot water. Any water. A toilet that flushes. Heat. A bed with a little cushioning in it. A washing machine. A spinner. A dryer. Mold-free walls.
At any given time in the last month, we have lived without these things. For some of them, we walked through the rain to multiple stores with Jack in tow, purchasing items that are already purchased for us in Tansen. For others we have nagged our landlord—politely—to provide them as she had promised but to no avail.
But we’re still here and we’re still healthy. Sure, I get frustrated sometimes and it does wear on me, but we’re doing fine. After all, we still have so much more than most of the people around us here, which makes me feel guilty for even getting frustrated. Sometimes I try to justify why we need some of these things. We have a baby; so do most of the Nepalis. We need to be clean; well, the Nepalis take cold bucket showers outside in the morning. We need to be able to eat; many Nepalis use smoky firewood inside their homes since gas is a luxury.
So I find that I can’t really justify any of it. What it really comes down to is being comfortable. While there are certain things that, as an American, I have come to consider as the basics or the necessities of life, the reality is that we can fare without them. It frustrates me that I can’t feel comfortable without some of these things. But it also brings more power to the fact that Nepalis can probably best reach out to Nepalis. The average Nepali person would be much more able to trek for days to reach a remote village, going without all these amenities, and would be better able to relate to life without these things. But with less than 3% of Nepalis knowing Jesus’ truth, it confirms the need for bumbling "outsiders" like us to share the gospel, even if we do struggle with missing material items.
I’m not surprised to be struggling with the things I mentioned above, and I don’t think you’re surprised either. But they are still the reality right now. However, I don’t want to give the impression that we’re having a horrible time here; rather, we’re enjoying Nepal so far. The Nepalis are generally very kind and gracious. We have nice neighbors. We are living next to chickens, and there is even a dog included with our new flat, even if she’s not the cutest dog in the whole world. The weather is warming up. The food is good. We like our language teachers. There is much to be grateful for.
Please praise God for what He has given us here and for keeping us protected. Please pray for our remaining two months in Kathmandu, for our relationships with people in this large city, for our relationship with each other, for our language learning, and for our Hindu language teachers.
Backup power when we have no government electricity 12 hours a day. Electricity at all. Internet. A functioning stove. A functioning oven. Pots and pans to cook with. A tea kettle that does not have a hole in it—this is a society that drinks tea multiple times a day. A shower that doesn’t get the sink and toilet and entire bathroom wet. A shower. Hot water. Any water. A toilet that flushes. Heat. A bed with a little cushioning in it. A washing machine. A spinner. A dryer. Mold-free walls.
At any given time in the last month, we have lived without these things. For some of them, we walked through the rain to multiple stores with Jack in tow, purchasing items that are already purchased for us in Tansen. For others we have nagged our landlord—politely—to provide them as she had promised but to no avail.
But we’re still here and we’re still healthy. Sure, I get frustrated sometimes and it does wear on me, but we’re doing fine. After all, we still have so much more than most of the people around us here, which makes me feel guilty for even getting frustrated. Sometimes I try to justify why we need some of these things. We have a baby; so do most of the Nepalis. We need to be clean; well, the Nepalis take cold bucket showers outside in the morning. We need to be able to eat; many Nepalis use smoky firewood inside their homes since gas is a luxury.
So I find that I can’t really justify any of it. What it really comes down to is being comfortable. While there are certain things that, as an American, I have come to consider as the basics or the necessities of life, the reality is that we can fare without them. It frustrates me that I can’t feel comfortable without some of these things. But it also brings more power to the fact that Nepalis can probably best reach out to Nepalis. The average Nepali person would be much more able to trek for days to reach a remote village, going without all these amenities, and would be better able to relate to life without these things. But with less than 3% of Nepalis knowing Jesus’ truth, it confirms the need for bumbling "outsiders" like us to share the gospel, even if we do struggle with missing material items.
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| Pluto, our local pal and guard dog. |
Please praise God for what He has given us here and for keeping us protected. Please pray for our remaining two months in Kathmandu, for our relationships with people in this large city, for our relationship with each other, for our language learning, and for our Hindu language teachers.
It's tough, but I'm sure people are noticing and observing how you become less of an "outsider" as you live more like they do.
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