All Things Nepal!

Jaimashi (jai-mah-see)!

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Some fun facts about Nepal!

Some of our friends in Nepal believe that the church in Nepal is one of the fastest-growing churches in the world!! There are some negative societal perceptions towards Christianity and we want to join in prayer for our Nepali brothers and sisters in Christ to overcome those! And to add, Church in Nepal is always on Saturday instead of Sunday how it traditionally is here.

The country of Nepal has a completely different calendar than the rest of the world. Nepal follows the Hindu calendar, where it is the year 2077. Isn’t it crazy to imagine this year being 2077 instead of 2020?! We joked that they are living in the future! Nepal is also the only country that operates in a time zone 15 minutes different than every other time zone in the world. These are two very specific facts about Nepali culture that differentiates it from all other countries... how cool!

If you ever find yourself in Nepal (we are now eager to go!), Cynthia suggested visiting a beautiful vacation town in Pokhara. It sits on an island surrounded by lakes and is one of her favorite places to go.

Testimonies!

We have been working alongside Tommy and Cynthia, who have been in Nepal for many years. Tommy lives with our artisan partner Samir, and Cynthia started the business that created one of our December box products. They have such a love for the people and culture of Nepal, which has completely rubbed off on us. All three of us are longing for the day when we can go visit Nepal and experience their unique culture!

Cynthia and her husband started a business training center and residential program, which they offer to at-risk women. Cynthia told us that the idea for this center was “dropped into her heart in the middle of the night.” And from this, they took action to make this idea a reality.

Their business is an incubator for small businesses, with 8 businesses currently in the making. They have a heart for equipping women with the practical skills and resources necessary to enable self-sufficiency after the program’s completion. NuVenture helps the women discover their identity and the desires of their hearts to become the women they were created to be.

So many women and families have been touched through this program. Amid financial pressures, some Nepali move outside of their home city or even country to send money home to their families. The NuVenture program and business center helps keep families together and businesses local in Nepal. We so admire the family and cultural unity the program creates.

Samir’s Story!

One of our amazing artisan partners is named Samir. In Hinduism, your last name determines your caste, and that directs what type of work you do. Based on this, Samir entered into metalwork, which has been in his family for generations. However, after several years Samir decided he wanted to get an education and focus on other things besides metalwork. For the past couple of years, he has been pursuing an education and is currently studying for the American GED.

Samir is also passionate about music and is great at guitar. He plays the guitar by ear in the church band and has been playing for 6 years. It is through church that he also began to make his faith his own in 2015.  He was in Bible college and started to feel that he was missing something. Through praying, worshiping, and reading, Samir began to learn and discover more about Jesus. Today, Samir knows Jesus personally. What a testament to God’s desire to know His children, and answer their prayers!

Samir also shared with us that Nepali people care deeply about others. They focus on community and value family above all else. They are socialites and very nice. Tommy added that a common theme in Nepali culture is the “desire to work and take opportunities.” We can definitely see that through Samir’s life as he is now pursuing an education to increase his opportunities and impact. We can’t wait to see what Samir’s future holds.

Praises and Prayers!

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Thank you!