Where: Jungu, Dolakha, Nepal... 2,500+ meters above sea level
When: November 3 - 5, 2015
Who: Nehemiah Nepal of the Ananta Shalom church and the
Dr. Iwamaru Memorial Hospital of Bhaktapur, Nepal.
I first came to know about the plans for this medical camp through Juerg Bucher who was introduced to me by Ralf. He informed me that the organizer of this outreach was Rasmira Maharjan, the wife of Pastor Kaji Maharjan of Kathmandu Nepal.
The only description I got about my "boss" for this event was that she was a very kind, loving and gracious woman who is at the helm in the efforts to uplift the plight of the Nepali people. I was imagining a very powerful lady who could manage to uproot me temporarily from my job to volunteer in distant Nepal. The description though didn't prepare me for her actual physical appearance. These photos were taken by Ruku with her cam.
Rasmira with the medical team
The four volunteer doctors: 2 Nepali, 1 Swede and 1 Filipino
The entire medical camp team
Opening ceremonies
Registration
vital signs... all these done under the heat of the
noonday sun and they still have their warm clothes on,
which is unheard of in Thailand and the Philippines.
some of the younger guys waiting in line for their
turn with the doctor
some photos of the clinic activities.
Dr. Molly from Sweden
most people would easily pass for a Thai or Filipino
dental
pharmacy
EKG
This race does not come from the common genetic pool
of the India-middle east lineage. Since the Himalayas
was part of the spice and silk road I'm tempted to believe
that Genghis Khan, Marco Polo or some adventurous European of Spanish descent left some of his DNA in the cold mountains.
a young mother and her infant in a basket supported
by her head and neck.
the two interpreters assigned to me. I had much difficulty
adjusting to their head movements, because their "yes" (shaking
of the head from side to side) meant "no" in my part of the world.
One of the many speeches in the closing ceremonies
to cap the medical camp activities.
That's my boss with her farewell address - how
would I ever know what she said.
a final portrait with the team and the village officials
the guys in the team that made a positive difference
for me in my short stay. I had to include their names in
case my memory fails.
A nice appreciation letter mounted in a frame
that was presented to me by Pastor Kaji. The happy
faces of my patients was appreciation enough,
but getting something like this shows that the recipients
of your deeds of love hold your acts in their heart.
While flying home from Nepal I had a lot of time to reflect on
the work in Nepal and the challenges that my brothers and sisters
there face on a daily basis. I thank God for giving me the chance
to serve Him in beautiful places and among beautiful people.
I would also like to thank the church in Kathmandu under Pastor Kaji
and Rasmira for their invitation for me to serve, and before I forget, my thanks also to an adorable kid - Kailee, and her generous mom for the round-trip ticket on this plane for the Bangkok-Kuala Lumpur-Bangkok leg of my journey.
