The long overdue post...we're in NEPAL!!

Hello dear friends and family!

We are so terribly sorry for our lack of updating recently. We were so busy with the wrapping up of the DTS lecture phase, Thanksgiving back in Michigan, packing for Nepal, and now we are in Nepal!!

So, we'll try to fill you all in as best as we can.

We traveled back to Michigan for the Thanksgiving holiday. We spent a couple days in Howell and also in Grand Rapids. It was super great to catch up with family and visit with some friends. We are so thankful for all of you in our lives!

The first week of December we had our DTS Outreach Prep week. We spent the whole week learning more about Nepalese culture, bonding together as a team, and purchasing last minute supplies for the trip. 

All packed and ready to go, we lef Minneapolis, MN Monday night, December 10. We flew to Las Angeles and spent the night there. We left LA Tuesday morning and landed in Shanghai, China late Wednesday afternoon. We flew out that night to Kunming, China and arrived very early Thursday morning. We spent that night camping out in the airport until our 2 pm flight. From there we flew to Kathmandu, Nepal!!

The first couple of days were spent adjusting to the altitude and culture. We visited a few Hindu and Buddhist temples. There we were able to pray to JESUS and reclaim the land for Him. We attended our first Nepalese church service Saturday morning. Some of our students preformed a drama, and another student shared her testimony. They had such a good experience worshipping with other believers in another country. We held a couple Open Air performances with our various dances and dramas. At the end of the performance, the gospel would be shared and prayer would be offered. These events really made us "feel like Jesus," as people would climb into trees to better be able to see us.

We left Kathmandu on December 21 to head to the village of Tistung, Nepal. It was about a three hour bus ride to the village winding through the Himalayan "hills." The following day we attended the local church services. They had a service at 9 and another at 11. We preformed a dance and sang a couple songs. Two of  our students shared their testimonies, and two others gave the sermon at the different services. It was an incredible opportunity 

for them.

      

On Sunday and Monday our team visited a local English school in the village. On Sunday each of the students was give a classroom of students to teach for one hour. They could teach anything. The 8th graders learned Spanish from our Ecuadorian; 7th grade learned Porteguese from our Brazillian; 6th grade learned origami; 5th grade learned basic dance from two of our dancers; 4th grade made balloon hats and animals; and 3rd grade played an English learning game. It was fun for our students and the children in the classes. On Monday we returned to the school and gave a Christmas program with some of our dances and dramas. Near the end the true story of Christmas was told, offering the children to accept Jesus as the ultimate gift.

We celebrated Christmas in Nepalese fashion! We had our daily tea a 9am while the students opened small presents from us on staff and from our school leader, Deb, back in MN. The Christmas service started at 11am and went until 2:30pm. It was a long while to sit crossed legged but was a treat to see how the Nepalese celebrated the birth of a Jesus. It certainly was not like an American tradition. We had rice, veggies, and Christmas curry for lunch! What a beautiful day.

On Wednesday Nate took the team on a two hour bus ride to hopefully catch a glimpse of Mt. Everest. They couldn't see it too well but had a great time exploring and hiking around that area. Julianne stayed back at the village because she was sick along with the other two leaders and a student.

We returned to Kathmandu Thursday morning. Durning the afternoon the students were free to call their parents and do what they wanted in the city. While they were gone Julianne set up the Christmas tree and played presents from the students' parents under the tree. Before we left the country, each parent sent a Christmas present to our school leader and then we packed them into our bags. It was quite a surprise for our team. We made popcorn and hot chocolate and celebrated. Christmas a bit more of our traditional way.

Friday, December 28, was a team day. We all ventured out into the city to the zoo! We all were able to ride an elephant, see rinnos and hippos, and spend the day together as a team. It was a good day to relax and invest into each other. We took Saturday off as a free day for our team to relax and recharge after the village trip. 

On Sunday morning we visited the international church in Kathmandu. We were all so excited for a service in English! While we were there, we met the YWAM Maui and New Zealand teams. We were able to exchange our contact information with the other leaders. We met up later that afternoon at a local coffee shop to share outreach stories and simply hang out with other English speakers. 

On Monday we were scheduled to do another Open Air, but it was cancelled last minute. So we all went together as a team to celebrate NewYear's Eve by watching The Hobbit in 3D and in English. That night our Nepalese hosts held a New Year's Eve party for us in their backyard. We had hotdogs and fried chicken over the fire. It was a great way to welcome in 2013! 

We left Tuesday morning for Pokhara, Nepal. It took us about 7 hours by bus to arrive at the YWAM base in Pokhara. Wednesday was spent touring Pokhara and picking up supplies for our next village trek. We were scheduled to leave Thursday morning to go to the village, but several people on our team go sick, including both of us. So instead we spent Thursday resting up and interceding for our team and the village. Most of our team left early this morning for the village. We stayed back, however, because two of our students were still sick. We are hoping to join the team as soon as we can. We will be in this next village for just over two weeks. 

We so appreciate your prayers and support. Please keep praying for our team. We need lots of prayers for good help and safe traveling! Also be praying for this next village. We are hoping to be able to hike back further into the mountains and visit villages where the gospel is not known! Pray for open hearts and minds. We know God wants to do amazing and powerful things during this next portion of our lives! 

 We love you all lots! 

Love in Christ, 

Nate and Julianne Gibbons