So, from 1:30- 2:30 on May 16^th students will walk, or run, for an hour to promote service to others, boost school spirit, and earn their donations with this group effort on our playground running trail. There will be snack and water stations.  All are invited to join the Run. All visitors must check in at the school office. Donations will bring the gift of books to this remote village.

Thanks for your support!

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Ten Friends helps to support the Hopeful Home orphanage.

The new students are, left to right, Sumana Rai, Aruna Garung, Susmita Rai and Ganga Garung.

All is well. We are prepping to hit our flight to Tumlingtar this A.M.. Things in KTM went well. Everyone pitched in and helped when needed. A few stomach issues, but all well now. William had a tough time for one night but bounced back quickly and was powering down eggs and potatoes this morning.

We will walk to Khandbari today. Stay two days at the teacher training hostel then start up. After two days depending on the rain we will be splitting the group. Mark, Allison, Rand, William, Anne Marie, Jackie, and Lizzy will head toward Tibet and the rest of the group will be heading with Josh Brody to Makalu base camp. Both groups will be checking on and dropping off libraries on the way. We should be back weather dependent by Aug. 3.

Take care and we will talk to you soon.
Rand / Mark

We hope all is well and summer is treating you well. We’ve had a near perfect journey so far with 16 people in our Ten Friends group, the largest ever. Although a bit overwhelming in numbers the group is really fun and very diverse – from Central Oregon high school students, to teachers, to college students.  They get the full experience of a third world country, the richness of the culture, and participation in our projects in Nepal from orphanage assistance to village community development in small Nepali villages. It’s an amazing connection between countries, cultures, and definately life-changing for our interns and volunteers that are here with us.

Tomorrow we’ll leave for Khandbari and the Himalayan Education Center with 2400 books to initiate more libraries in rural regions in the Himalayan foothills of Northeastern Nepal. We’ll follow up on the libraries with solar panels for evening reading and safe drinking water. Below is a photo of a clay water filter made by local potters. These filters are highly effective at eliminating contaminants and they do not require electricity as most of Nepal does not have it. We hope to bring these filters into the region we’re working in Northeastern Nepal in the next year or two and start production of these filters in the region.

About half of our group will trek to Chamtyang near the tibetan border to verify village projects that were done by Sunita, our employee, during the past winter. Some will go toward Makalu, the fifth highest mountain in the world, to dedicate libraries and village improvement projects in that region. Both groups will work with your blessings and support, bringing basic needs to some of the poorest people in the world. We wish you could see their appreciation. It’s always emotional and makes it all worth it.

Wishing you well, always,
Mark and Rand

Clay water filter made locally in Kathmandu. These are highly effective and requre no electricity.

Ten Friends volunteers buying and transporting books from the streets of Kathmandu to remote villages in Northeastern Nepal.

Everything is great here. We arrived yesterday about 1:00 Nepal time. All of our bags arrived to much relief from the group. It looks like it took us about 38 total hours to get here and that is a record. Everyone did great. William holds the sleep record snoozing away while the rest of us squirmed around and tried to survive the marathon flights. Mark and Dinesh (our employee) met us in Kathmandu and we jumped into small vans and worked our way across the city to the guest house. The kids were really wide eyed and excited. Kathmandu has a way of attacking your senses and it didn’t let us down. Luckily it is a holiday saturday and not too much traffic or pollution. The sky was clear and we could see the entire valley. Everyone quickly met on the roof of the guest house which is one of the tallest buildings in Kathmandu and had quite a view of the city. After a quick rest we met up and talked about safety and city travel and had our first outing. We walked about 30 minutes to see Durbar Square and wandered through the tiny ancient streets with small markets, cooking goat heads and plenty of ripe trash. After many twists and turns we ended up to the classic freak street and explained the rules to the return. We broke into teams and each set of partners had to find their way back to the guest house. After a moment of wide eyes they took off with Mark and I trailed them back through the maze. Everyone loved it. We met for dinner with everyone barely keeping their heads off of the plates and off to bed. We are meeting this a.m. and starting rotations. We will be going to orphanages, seeing the sites, checking on water filters and sponsored kids and many other things in the next few days. Talk to you soon.

Rand / Mark

When you leave, part of you stays. I told Mary the other day that I can’t help but become connected to those I’ve met here. Each time I have an encounter with someone, the experience remains with me. I’ve been writing in a journal, and that will help as the vivid images fade, as will the photos and videos.

We’ve accomplished much here, and of course, I feel we could have done so much more. But, that’s the practice for me…tolerance and patience. The people we are working with are generous and sincere, and their culture is not mine. I constantly remind myself that here is where I find myself, and I learn to move at their pace, not mine. I think one of my first blogs was about changing my pace. Looks like I’m still working on it.

We’ve visited 24 and orphanages and schools, and found 18 that can receive a water filter with little work. Went to a Rotary meeting, visited their outstanding projects, and had two meetings with the project director for the water filter project. We visited the Khandbari (Eastern Nepal) Himalayan Education Center hostel, and worked with the manager, Sunita, on a health curriculum and a volunteer handbook, and spent time in helping the girls practice their English by conversing and playing games. Walking 5 days up into the Arun Valley, we visited villages where we’ve placed libraries and toilets, delivered books, opened two libraries in schools, and celebrated with the people there.

We’ve spent time with Nepali shop owners in Kathmandu, missionaries, villagers and a disabled woman who wheelchaired her way 600 miles to raise awareness of the difficulties for handicapped people here. We met other people working in Nepal, such as surgeons and nurses from Hawaii on a medical mission, talked with Habitat for Humanity volunteers from all over the world who’d just built 50 homes in 9 days, got to know young Nepali women who want to become teachers, sang and talked with orphans, and became even better friends with those we’ve met on past visits. And spent early mornings in a monastery, at peace, listening to chants and prayers, and sharing salty Tibetan butter tea.

Just a few days ago we found a new filter that will work when the electricity is working in Kathmandu, and when they have no electricity, (sometimes for 16 hours a day during the winter months). What a find! We’ll bring one home to share with everyone at the celebration at Aspen Hall on December 12th.

And we’ve had our share of fun, trekking in various parts of this stunning country, eating traditional meals of rice and lentils, or dough (called dido) lentil soup.. We’ve shared rituals during festival times, going to people’s homes and receiving tikas and prayers. People have shown us their special places, and guided us to beautiful sights and celebrations. Opportunities to understand the Nepali people abound in this season of festivals. The richness of the culture and caring for each other is brought home to us again and again.

So, when I think of leaving, it brings tears to my eyes. I want to go home, be with my family, and return to my life in Oregon, but part of me is so sad to leave. I learn so much each time I’m here. I’m very much out of my comfort zone at times, but each time that happens, it’s followed by a sheltering and sharing that warms and comforts me. I could spend a lifetime traveling and experiencing this life that is so very different from my own, and learn something every day. I’m reminded how lucky I am to have been born in the US, and how fortunate I am to learn how rich another culture can be compared with my own.

I want to thank Mark and Rand for opening up my world in so many ways. I’m so grateful to be able to be a part of their vision.

It’s a great honor to be here.

Sally

Every time I come here, someone grabs my heart. This time, it is a man called Tamring. He is a simple man. His home is in Khandbari in eastern Nepal just down the path from the student hostel. He farms another man’s land, keeping half the crop for his own. When we needed a porter to carry our bags during our ten day walk up the Arun Valley, Sunita, our guide, asked if he would come with us.

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When I first saw him, I thought he was older than I am. But he is 11 years younger. I’m often surprised by looks here. A life out in the sun and weather makes people appear older.

The first day I knew we were in good hands. He watched us carefully, and matched his steps to my own slow ones. He was infinitely patient. No matter what pace I attempted, he was there, guiding my way. I’d look back at him and he’d let me know which fork I should take. He’d go ahead at times and be waiting halfway up the hill, having put down his baggage, knowing I’d need a break before the next climb. And if I slipped or skidded, he was right there with an hand on my arm, steadying me.

We tried to speak to each other in my limited Nepali, as he spoke no English. He’d point out a mountain or stop and indicate the next village we were headed to far away down in the valley. We learned to “talk” and joke with small phrases and looks.

His character became more apparent as our trip progressed. Whatever needed to be done, he would do it. If cardamom seed was being packed into 30 kilogram bags, he’d hold the scale for the local men, sweep up the fallen seed, steady the huge sacks and simply be helpful in any way he could. Someone would hand him a baby to be held and he’d entertain the child while the mother cooked our meal. He’d unpack our bags from the doko (woven basket) in which he carried them, and bring them up steep narrow stairs to our room. He’d never let us bring them down again in the morning, instead waiting near the stairway for an indication that we were packed up. He tended my walking stick, never letting me forget it, and watched our daypacks if we wandered off to look at a bird or talk to a child. Helping me filter my water and pouring it into my Camelback for the next day’s walk was a regular daily task he took very seriously.

He smiled often and observed always. Discovering he liked the games Mary and Thea had brought, we asked him one day if he wanted to play Yatzee. He won the first game he played! We played many games of Yatzee after that, and he always indicated his enjoyment.

I was so sad to leave his company on our return to Khandbari but we remembered we had one more walk of several hours down to the river to catch the jeep ride back to Hile and on to Kathmandu. We had Sunita ask if he was free for a few hours to walk with us and he agreed. We set off at 7:30 am, and about 10 we reached the river. He indicated he would cross the river with us, piled our packs into the dugout canoe and hopped in. On the other side, he again pulled on the packs and went up the steep path to the road, then started walking again. We followed to a small rustic cafe, where he put down our packs and talked to the owners. It appeared that jeeps come by periodically, on no set schedule, and we were to wait for one there. We ordered tea all around and shared cookies. Tamring then wandered off, watching for the sign of a jeep. One came by going the opposite direction, and they indicated to us they’d be returning in about an hour.

Two hours later the jeep came back. It was full. So, more waiting. We told Tamring that he could go home and it wasn’t necessary for him to wait with us. But he indicated he had no intention of leaving until we were safely on our way. At 2:15 PM, we finally were able to pile in the back of a crowded jeep, and we said our quick goodbyes to Tamring. He had spent his whole day helping us, far beyond what we’d intended.

But I should have expected nothing less. He continually showed me how I ought to be, looking for opportunities to be of service, quietly, without expectation, and finding joy in each moment. I’ll never forget this fine man, the soul of Nepal, living a life of generosity of spirit.