We are home! I admit this is a bit of delayed response and for that I apologize. Kelsie and I are home now and back into the full swing of life. I am in school full-time majoring in Theatre: Acting/Directing while working at Mongo's part-time. Kels has begun her new full-time job at the St Cloud Christian School, teaching yearbook and doing graphic design. We are very happy to be home, but a part of us has been left in Nepal.
Our final week in Nepal was spent in Kathmandu debriefing the summer. No scheduled performances for ministry, just a lot of processing what God did through us throughout the summer. Our team did awesome! Such a passionate group of teenagers we were blessed to know. We miss Nepal so very much. The people who LOVE chatting, the odors (good and bad), our translators which I got to know really well, the mountains, the early morning walks to the bakery, the food, and our own team. We miss you all. Thank you for an incredible experience serving God in a beautiful nation.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Monday, July 23, 2012
Waterlogged
Something I've been thinking about lately is the rain. Frankly, I haven't been thinking about it in a positive light. I've been griping. You can just ask Kelsie. I just haven't had a good attitude. But it has recently occurred to me that rain creates growth. Life thrives through consistent rain. And let me tell you, life is thriving here in Nepal, here in Pokhara. Every morning on my walk to the bakery I am offered taxi rides, a fresh pastry covered in dirty newspaper, or a smoke of hashish (Nepali marijuana). Every afternoon as we head to do ministry the people around us are flying by on bicycles, scooters, motorcycles, cars, buses, rickshaws, and tractors, with their horns a-blaring and their brakes a-squealing. Every evening as we go out for dinner we hear the sound of a fire being started and the cooks at hard at work to prepare our favorite dishes of hot momo, fresh naan, veg curry and chicken chow mein. Life is thriving here. People seems genuinely happier and more content then in the States. Perhaps its because in Nepal they are constantly rained on for several months every year. It causes growth. I'm starting to wish it would rain more in Saint Cloud. I'd love to see more growth in people there.
It's really hot now. I wish it would rain to cool things down.
Free Personal Cooking Class
We have been having a great time here in Pokhara! Our hotel is wonderful, hence the name Lake View Resort. It truly is a resort.
One of the first things we did the evening we pulled in to town was dinner out. We went with Job, Bethany and Ian to a place called Kabob King. It's a little hole in the wall place that is "famous for" (meaning Job couldn't stop talking about it) their hot momo. Momo is a steamed dumpling from Tibet that has become very popular in Nepal, you can get it at most restaurants.
Now, imagine that with vegetables and chicken inside smothered in a hot sauce with grilled peppers and onions. That is hot momo. After our third trip to Kabob King for hot momo in four days I asked nonchalantly if he would teach me how to make it. To my surprise he seemed pleased and told me to come back the next day. Now in Nepal everyone is VERY polite, never wanting to offend. So I went the next day, not knowing if he was serious, or just being polite. To my surprise he was actually waiting for me.
I walked in to the back kitchen which looks nothing like the "hospital sterile" restaurants in America. My first observation, it was HOT. He joked with me about it being hot and asked if it was okay. Well of course it was, I was in Nepal about to get my first cooking lesson from a chef who's been cooking for over 40 years. Not to mention he was going to teach me how to make Jacks new favorite food.
I furiously took notes as he showed me each step. Chicken, carrots, cabbage, onions, garlic, etc. Then we practiced rolling the momo. Each one he did looked exactly like the photo above. Mine however... well they would still taste the same. (He said I could come back and practice as many times as I wanted while I was here, just rolling dough into the dough) The rest of the process, well lets just say he doesn't want me to share it with too many people. After an hour we had a full dish of hot momo, and my shirt was soaked through with sweat. He laughed a little at the amount of sweating dripping from me. I gotta say I get that one from my dad. Oh, and this would be one of his favorite foods too if he had the chance to try it. I wish I could go home and make him some.
This was one of the coolest experiences of my life! It was relationship building, educational, a chance to talk about what we're doing in Nepal, and a time to laugh at the language barrier. I wouldn't trade that for anything!
One of the first things we did the evening we pulled in to town was dinner out. We went with Job, Bethany and Ian to a place called Kabob King. It's a little hole in the wall place that is "famous for" (meaning Job couldn't stop talking about it) their hot momo. Momo is a steamed dumpling from Tibet that has become very popular in Nepal, you can get it at most restaurants.
I walked in to the back kitchen which looks nothing like the "hospital sterile" restaurants in America. My first observation, it was HOT. He joked with me about it being hot and asked if it was okay. Well of course it was, I was in Nepal about to get my first cooking lesson from a chef who's been cooking for over 40 years. Not to mention he was going to teach me how to make Jacks new favorite food.
I furiously took notes as he showed me each step. Chicken, carrots, cabbage, onions, garlic, etc. Then we practiced rolling the momo. Each one he did looked exactly like the photo above. Mine however... well they would still taste the same. (He said I could come back and practice as many times as I wanted while I was here, just rolling dough into the dough) The rest of the process, well lets just say he doesn't want me to share it with too many people. After an hour we had a full dish of hot momo, and my shirt was soaked through with sweat. He laughed a little at the amount of sweating dripping from me. I gotta say I get that one from my dad. Oh, and this would be one of his favorite foods too if he had the chance to try it. I wish I could go home and make him some.
This was one of the coolest experiences of my life! It was relationship building, educational, a chance to talk about what we're doing in Nepal, and a time to laugh at the language barrier. I wouldn't trade that for anything!
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Kuta Shopping
Yesterday July 14th we had a girls shopping day!
Bethany, I and 9 of our students went shopping for traditional Nepali outfits "Kuta" is how its pronouced although I don't believe the Nepali word translates to English. The outfit consists of three pieces, a long tunic, pants and a scarf.
We began at the fabric shop. They served us all milk tea (another Nepali tradition, a tasty one at that). Then we began to wade through the stacks and piles of fabric to make our Kutas. Some were hand embroidered, some and glitter and sparkles, some had big designs, some small... wow what a selection. Especially when you go in not knowing what you want. (yes, that was me) We had a blast helping eachother pick colors that looked best on us. After about 3 hours, we all had fabric in hand and were off to the tailors. We brought our fabric, picked our neckline, sleeve length and tunic length. Then they measured us. We will be able to pick up our custom tailored outfits when we come back to Kathmandu for debriefing. Mine was less than $25. Others were even less expensive. One of the girls even bought a Sari to wear to prom.
Bethany, I and 9 of our students went shopping for traditional Nepali outfits "Kuta" is how its pronouced although I don't believe the Nepali word translates to English. The outfit consists of three pieces, a long tunic, pants and a scarf.
We began at the fabric shop. They served us all milk tea (another Nepali tradition, a tasty one at that). Then we began to wade through the stacks and piles of fabric to make our Kutas. Some were hand embroidered, some and glitter and sparkles, some had big designs, some small... wow what a selection. Especially when you go in not knowing what you want. (yes, that was me) We had a blast helping eachother pick colors that looked best on us. After about 3 hours, we all had fabric in hand and were off to the tailors. We brought our fabric, picked our neckline, sleeve length and tunic length. Then they measured us. We will be able to pick up our custom tailored outfits when we come back to Kathmandu for debriefing. Mine was less than $25. Others were even less expensive. One of the girls even bought a Sari to wear to prom.
Sunday, July 15, 2012
The Last 11 Days
Hello!
Ministry in Kathmandu has concluded for this leg of our trip. We have enjoyed spending the last 11 days here, but tomorrow morning we are hopping on a couple of buses and heading to Pokhara!
Our team has been fantastic. They have been devouring the ministry opportunities we have given them. Our mornings have been spent in quiet times and small group times while our afternoons have been devoted to ministry. We have traveled to many villages, doing performances and sharing our faith with the Nepali people. We have also spent time at an orphanage, a leper colony, and a home for girls rescued from sex trafficking where we spread the love of Jesus by building relationships. It has been exciting to see our team stretched and grown on these days.
Kelsie and I have been doing well. We are LOVING Nepal. It has been a very different experience traveling with Royal Servants while having a wife with me. A wonderful but tricky experience. We don't necessarily see each other as much as you might expect. Kelsie has spent several days at the hotel with sick girls while I have been with the team doing ministry. For me, that is just fine. I'm very independent and not in need of constant attention/affection. For Kelsie, this was more difficult. So I have been having to learn that when we are together I need to commit my time TO her and not just be in the same place. Being in the same place together is not the same as spending time together. So we are learning how to do this together and it has been fun. I do have to go now for a team meeting but please keep us in your prayers. Health has been a concern lately and is one of our prayer priorities! Thank you (in Nepali, Dannyubad)
Ministry in Kathmandu has concluded for this leg of our trip. We have enjoyed spending the last 11 days here, but tomorrow morning we are hopping on a couple of buses and heading to Pokhara!
Our team has been fantastic. They have been devouring the ministry opportunities we have given them. Our mornings have been spent in quiet times and small group times while our afternoons have been devoted to ministry. We have traveled to many villages, doing performances and sharing our faith with the Nepali people. We have also spent time at an orphanage, a leper colony, and a home for girls rescued from sex trafficking where we spread the love of Jesus by building relationships. It has been exciting to see our team stretched and grown on these days.
Kelsie and I have been doing well. We are LOVING Nepal. It has been a very different experience traveling with Royal Servants while having a wife with me. A wonderful but tricky experience. We don't necessarily see each other as much as you might expect. Kelsie has spent several days at the hotel with sick girls while I have been with the team doing ministry. For me, that is just fine. I'm very independent and not in need of constant attention/affection. For Kelsie, this was more difficult. So I have been having to learn that when we are together I need to commit my time TO her and not just be in the same place. Being in the same place together is not the same as spending time together. So we are learning how to do this together and it has been fun. I do have to go now for a team meeting but please keep us in your prayers. Health has been a concern lately and is one of our prayer priorities! Thank you (in Nepali, Dannyubad)
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Tokha, Nepal
Namaste!
Tokha is a small village about 20 minutes north of Kathmandu. This was the site of our first street performances. The students and staff have been working hard since training camp perfecting dramas, dance and puppet routines. These are performed in a square in town and are meant to gather an audience. And boy did it ever! For such a small village people (especially children) came out of the wood work! There were over 60 kids there. After the performances the students pair up and go talk to people about what they saw in the drama and share about Jesus. We are so blessed to have our three translators with us to help bridge the language barrier. Although many of them spoke enough english to have a broken conversation with.
Our team kicked butt today! Even after the performance the kids just kept flocking us. They played any number of games including teaching them dances and London Bridges in a HUGE line. After a couple hours the local church invited us all in for tea. 35 people in for tea. That's a LOT of milk tea. None of us complained though when we were offered seconds and thirds.
Through our translators we learned that two of the men that saw our performances and were asking question were the sons of a couple that belong to the church. There family has been split for years, the parents are Christians, but the sons are still Hindu. This mother cried and cried for joy that we simple had a conversation with them. Such a sweet God thing on ministry Day 1. Wow, we have a great God.
Oh and I have a pretty good start on my newest photo collection. I still have yet to think of a catchy name, but I've got a few weeks and more Nepali portraits to go!
-Kelsie
Tokha is a small village about 20 minutes north of Kathmandu. This was the site of our first street performances. The students and staff have been working hard since training camp perfecting dramas, dance and puppet routines. These are performed in a square in town and are meant to gather an audience. And boy did it ever! For such a small village people (especially children) came out of the wood work! There were over 60 kids there. After the performances the students pair up and go talk to people about what they saw in the drama and share about Jesus. We are so blessed to have our three translators with us to help bridge the language barrier. Although many of them spoke enough english to have a broken conversation with.
Our team kicked butt today! Even after the performance the kids just kept flocking us. They played any number of games including teaching them dances and London Bridges in a HUGE line. After a couple hours the local church invited us all in for tea. 35 people in for tea. That's a LOT of milk tea. None of us complained though when we were offered seconds and thirds.
Through our translators we learned that two of the men that saw our performances and were asking question were the sons of a couple that belong to the church. There family has been split for years, the parents are Christians, but the sons are still Hindu. This mother cried and cried for joy that we simple had a conversation with them. Such a sweet God thing on ministry Day 1. Wow, we have a great God.
Oh and I have a pretty good start on my newest photo collection. I still have yet to think of a catchy name, but I've got a few weeks and more Nepali portraits to go!
-Kelsie
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Welcome to the Himalayas!
Today was my fourth morning waking up at the Khangsar Guest House located in Thamel, Kathmandu. Thamel is a popular destination for both tourists and trekkers and the Khangsar a popular hotel for those trekkers. The hotel rooms are a far cry from the images the website boasts, but flexibility is our strong suit. My fourth morning awakening in Nepal was in fact my first morning being bathed in sunlight. It has been quite dreary here. Monsoon season, after all. I began my day like I began my previous three: up at 6, walking with my bride to buy bread for the day (and dodging stray dogs, rickshaws, mud puddles...), back at 7 to wake our team, and begin heating water for tea and porridge (or malto).
The Jetlag was intense for most of our team though they've kicked it by now. Some actually referred to it as "Jetswag" or Jetlagged with style. We began our time here with Culture and Heritage days. On the 5th, Kumar (one of our translators, along with Anoop and Dependra) briefly taught us about Buddhism; we followed this up by spending a couple of hours at a Buddhist temple prayer walking and learning about Buddhism.
On the 6th, we learned a bit about Hinduism. We traveled to a Hindu temple, which we were not able to enter because we were not born Hindu. However, we were able to witness how Hindi people burn the bodies of deceased loved ones and then send them down a river. Young boys make a living by wading in the river and rooting through the sand for fallen coins from the pockets of the deceased. It is a sad thing to see, but very eye-opening. Kelsie and I watched a documentary about this back in May called Children of God.
On the 7th, we did the "Christian thing": we went to church. It had a format not dissimilar to "American" church. Musical worship, prayer, announcements, offering, worship, sermon, communion, and worship. Though it was entirely in Nepalese I was able to sing along with the very first song. I recognized the tune for I Will Call Upon The Lord and was grateful to participate, albeit briefly. This was the largest Christian church in Nepal and we all sat on the floor. I think I might bring that back to America. There was a good amount of fidgeting at first but it was a nice retreat into minimalism. The typical greeting in Nepal is Namaste, but with a fellow brother or sister in Christ it is Jayamasi. After church we drove to an orphanage and our students got to spend a few hours playing soccer, blowing up balloons and using puppets as ways of loving on those kids. It was great.
I have to go now. Kelsie will post a blog in a day or two to share about our first day of ministry!
Jayamasi
Friday, June 29, 2012
Training Camp is Winding Down
What a week it has been! Wow, it's been a week already since students have arrived. I love it. I have really enjoyed getting to know everyone, one d-group at a time (when they're on cook crew). Today is our last full "normal" day of Training Camp. Tomorrow is the Open House, Sunday is tear down, and Monday we leave for Nepal!!!< br/>
Please continue to pray that personal issues within the team would surface so that they be worked through and we can continue towards our ministry in Nepal with no baggage holding us back.
Also please continue to pray for the health of our team as today is going to be another scorcher!
Please continue to pray that personal issues within the team would surface so that they be worked through and we can continue towards our ministry in Nepal with no baggage holding us back.
Also please continue to pray for the health of our team as today is going to be another scorcher!
Friday, June 22, 2012
Training Camp, Staff Week
Staff Disciplers seriously make this Royal Servants experience possible. They are the ones who are constantly pouring their lives into the students. They are the ones who tend to be making more sacrifices by giving up their summer freedom. Disciplers are necessary for discipleship, which is the heart of what Royal Servants is about.
Our staff team arrived on Saturday, June 16 and we have been having so much fun since! I have never seen a group so comfortable with each other in so little time. We have 10 disciplers: 8 girls (Anna, Ashley, Kaila, Karissa, Marcie, Michelle, Renee and Stacey) and 2 guys (Cody and Connor). This group of individuals has consistently been raising the bar for team unity.
At this point in time we are divided. Job, Bethany, Ian and 5 of our staff are in Chicago picking up students while Kelsie and I and the remaining 5 staff are holding down the fort at Training Camp waiting for some students who will be driving in. This is what they have been trained for; a week of teachings and individual attention to prepare them to do the same for their discipleship groups.
Pray that they would not be distracted by lies of Satan. Pray for perseverance and longevity, both mentally and emotionally for our staff. Pray for focus on their students and their ministry opportunities in Nepal. Thank God for this week where they have formed great bonds of friendship with each other.
"A cord of 3 strands is not quickly broken."
Our staff team arrived on Saturday, June 16 and we have been having so much fun since! I have never seen a group so comfortable with each other in so little time. We have 10 disciplers: 8 girls (Anna, Ashley, Kaila, Karissa, Marcie, Michelle, Renee and Stacey) and 2 guys (Cody and Connor). This group of individuals has consistently been raising the bar for team unity.
At this point in time we are divided. Job, Bethany, Ian and 5 of our staff are in Chicago picking up students while Kelsie and I and the remaining 5 staff are holding down the fort at Training Camp waiting for some students who will be driving in. This is what they have been trained for; a week of teachings and individual attention to prepare them to do the same for their discipleship groups.
Pray that they would not be distracted by lies of Satan. Pray for perseverance and longevity, both mentally and emotionally for our staff. Pray for focus on their students and their ministry opportunities in Nepal. Thank God for this week where they have formed great bonds of friendship with each other.
"A cord of 3 strands is not quickly broken."
Training Camp, Cabana Wizard
Two weeks have flown by in the blink of an eye. Senior Staff week was more relaxed but still training. I found out that I am in charge of our FOOD for the summer. Which to be perfectly honest I wasn't terribly excited about. I am looking forward to doing meals in Nepal but not so much here in Wisconsin. This is our first year at the new land and with that comes a slew of health codes and laws in regards to meals. We get to cook out of really nice, wooden cabanas now but we also must continually wash and glove our hands / and guard our hair with hats and bandanas. As I like to say, "Don't be weird, guard your beard!"
Food is going to be a great experience for me, and very stretching. Job and I have already a couple of discussions on the fact that I need to stop jumping into the fray and I need to sit back and delegate more responsibilities. I was speaking with my good friend Dennis yesterday, who led Barnabas in 2009 (I ran meals for that team as well), and when I reminded him about that summer the first words out of his mouth were "The biggest problem was getting you to delegate!" So, I have a problem managing. I like doing things my way because I know I can get them done. The real issue, I think, is a lack of trusting the people God has given me to supervise. If I can begin trusting them to do what I ask then I can feel comfortable keeping my hands off. Which will be necessary if I am to keep myself from burning out this summer.
Pray that I release my iron grip on control of our meals to God.
Because he is a better cabana wizard than I.
Food is going to be a great experience for me, and very stretching. Job and I have already a couple of discussions on the fact that I need to stop jumping into the fray and I need to sit back and delegate more responsibilities. I was speaking with my good friend Dennis yesterday, who led Barnabas in 2009 (I ran meals for that team as well), and when I reminded him about that summer the first words out of his mouth were "The biggest problem was getting you to delegate!" So, I have a problem managing. I like doing things my way because I know I can get them done. The real issue, I think, is a lack of trusting the people God has given me to supervise. If I can begin trusting them to do what I ask then I can feel comfortable keeping my hands off. Which will be necessary if I am to keep myself from burning out this summer.
Pray that I release my iron grip on control of our meals to God.
Because he is a better cabana wizard than I.
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Training Camp Update 1
The sun is shining, the skies are blue, and puffy white clouds are friendly and the wind attempts to take out our tent. We're at training camp. It's a new camp this year, Royal Servants owns their own land for training camp for the first year ever! It is simply wonderful. It's just missing staff and students now. But we have so much to do to prepare for them, thank goodness we get a week of prep.
This week we will be spending training for our roles this summer, getting camp ready, and bonding as a leadership team. There are five of us, Job and Bethany Hammond, the team leaders and Reign Staff, Jack and I, and Ian. I look forward to working along side of this group of friends.
And the verdict is out. Jack and I mentioned that once we got to training camp we would be given "roles" for the summer. Jack has been assigned to "Head Chef" and I will be taking care of anything medical our team might come across. Jack is helping prepare a meal right now, Chicken and Gravy. Yummy.
This week we will be spending training for our roles this summer, getting camp ready, and bonding as a leadership team. There are five of us, Job and Bethany Hammond, the team leaders and Reign Staff, Jack and I, and Ian. I look forward to working along side of this group of friends.
And the verdict is out. Jack and I mentioned that once we got to training camp we would be given "roles" for the summer. Jack has been assigned to "Head Chef" and I will be taking care of anything medical our team might come across. Jack is helping prepare a meal right now, Chicken and Gravy. Yummy.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Heading Out
What a day! What a week! The amount of things one can accomplish when one is leaving for two months in less than 24 hours is impressive. Kelsie and I have been working feverishly to clean up our apartment (something made more difficult as we do not do it as often as we should) and get packed. Our checklists are nearly 100% crossed off, just a few minor details remaining. Tomorrow we head to the twin cities to spend a day with some family (my dad, his cousin and I get to see the Cubs hopefully beat the Twins). And on Saturday we will make our way to Pardeeville, WI for our first day at the NEW training camp land. When Royal Servants is done, it'll be more like Party-ville. We are SO excited to be going. Once again thank you to everyone who has been praying for our preparations and helpied to support us financially. As of today we have received $12,749 from 67 families and 5 churchs, well beyond our goal. I need to go help continue packing. Please stay in prayer for us throughout the summer!
Ways to pray for Jack and Kelsie:
- That our marriage is made stronger through the difficult times this summer.
- That we would allow God to grow us in our ability to encourage our students.
- That, God-willing, we would stay in good health AKA no diarrhea!
- That the students hearts would be broken for those in desperate need of a Savior.
- That our students would be courageous in directing the desperate to the Savior, Jesus Christ.
PS - We LOVE mail!
Feel free to send encouragement in the form of letters and packages to:
Jack and Kelsie Becker
Nepal Team
W4797 State Road 33
Pardeeville, WI 53954
Ways to pray for Jack and Kelsie:
- That our marriage is made stronger through the difficult times this summer.
- That we would allow God to grow us in our ability to encourage our students.
- That, God-willing, we would stay in good health AKA no diarrhea!
- That the students hearts would be broken for those in desperate need of a Savior.
- That our students would be courageous in directing the desperate to the Savior, Jesus Christ.
PS - We LOVE mail!
Feel free to send encouragement in the form of letters and packages to:
Jack and Kelsie Becker
Nepal Team
W4797 State Road 33
Pardeeville, WI 53954
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Pre-Summer 4: Packing and Dal Bhat
It's starting to sink in that we leave in less than a week. Have I started packing? No. (although Jack has had his shirts in zippies for over a week)
Jamison, one of the students on our team, leaves for training camp in 18 days and she is more packed than I am. I hung out with her on Friday for a packing party; sharing some Royal Servants packing tricks. We rolled shirts, folded paper towels and pulled out the center of the toilet paper rolls.
Two hours later we sat down to enjoy a home-cooked Nepali dish: Dal Bhat. Delicious!
Now I just need to finish editing photos www.kelsielynnphotography.com and get down to packing myself. I am SO excited to meet the rest of our team very soon. Thank you for you prayers and support. We leave town in 3 days.
Jamison, one of the students on our team, leaves for training camp in 18 days and she is more packed than I am. I hung out with her on Friday for a packing party; sharing some Royal Servants packing tricks. We rolled shirts, folded paper towels and pulled out the center of the toilet paper rolls.
Two hours later we sat down to enjoy a home-cooked Nepali dish: Dal Bhat. Delicious!
Yes, you eat with your hands.
Now I just need to finish editing photos www.kelsielynnphotography.com and get down to packing myself. I am SO excited to meet the rest of our team very soon. Thank you for you prayers and support. We leave town in 3 days.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Clunky Little Pre-Summer Update
About a month ago I was able to attend the Royal Servants Info meeting in Minneapolis. I was privileged to meet some of the girls who are going to be on our team this summer. I also got to meet parents. I think it was nice peace of mind for them to be able to meet at least one leader on the team. It really pumped me up for what this summer is going to be all about. I Love these students already!
I also have been spending a lot of time with one of the girls in our youth group from Saint Cloud who is going to Nepal with us. We have had the chance to start studying James. Each time we get together we check in on the summer plans. We've got a packing party tentatively planned, including dal bhat. :)
Jack and I are just finishing packing for a 5 day business trip/vacation to Mexico. We leave tomorrow morning. I will be photographing a wedding and we will be able to relax and detox/prepare for the summer. What a God thing!
I also have been spending a lot of time with one of the girls in our youth group from Saint Cloud who is going to Nepal with us. We have had the chance to start studying James. Each time we get together we check in on the summer plans. We've got a packing party tentatively planned, including dal bhat. :)
Jack and I are just finishing packing for a 5 day business trip/vacation to Mexico. We leave tomorrow morning. I will be photographing a wedding and we will be able to relax and detox/prepare for the summer. What a God thing!
Saturday, May 12, 2012
1 John 4.4
Little children,
you are from God
and have overcome them,
for he who is in you is
greater than he who is
in the world.
you are from God
and have overcome them,
for he who is in you is
greater than he who is
in the world.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Pre-Summer 3: Facts and Figures.
It is 6am. I just drove Kels to her job at Caribou Coffee. The thought that has been consuming my mind for the last half hour? I am so BLESSED to have married that woman. Seriously. I would be living like a maniac right now. She takes good care of me and she has a knack for details that I pay no mind to. Kelsie = my favorite superhero.
45 days from right now Kelsie and I will be heading to Training Camp! Oh, how time flies. We are starting to seriously get pumped for what God is going to do in and through our team. Kels got to meet a few of our students on Saturday in Minneapolis at the Royal Servants Info Meeting which was really cool. She got to put some faces with names. I had to work so it'll just take me a little longer to get down names :)
*Facts About Nepal*
- The official language is Nepali, but English is sometimes spoken.
- Eight of the highest peaks in the world are situated in Nepal.
- Nepal's Flag is the only national flag in the world that is not quadrilateral in shape.
- In December 2007 the Parliament of Nepal made the decision to abolish the monarchy.
- Nepal is one of the poorest and least developed countries in the world.
- In early Sanskrit sources the country is referred to as Nepala.
- The two largest cities by population are Pokhara (200,000) and Kathmandu (nearly 1 million). And we'll be in both cities!
Financial Update:
We have raised $6,864 so far! Thank you so much for your commitment to bringing the Gospel to Nepal. With only a month and a half left we are asking for your continued and fervent prayer over our finances. And if you would still like to join our financial team you can click here to sponsor us. Just type in an amount and choose either Kels' or my name from the drop down menu. Our first goal is nearly met. We are $2,336 shy of meeting all of our needs for our trip. However, our second goal is to raise an additional $2,800 for home expenses including rent, car and life insurance, and our cell phones. So we still have a ways to go.
45 days from right now Kelsie and I will be heading to Training Camp! Oh, how time flies. We are starting to seriously get pumped for what God is going to do in and through our team. Kels got to meet a few of our students on Saturday in Minneapolis at the Royal Servants Info Meeting which was really cool. She got to put some faces with names. I had to work so it'll just take me a little longer to get down names :)
- The official language is Nepali, but English is sometimes spoken.
- Eight of the highest peaks in the world are situated in Nepal.
- Nepal's Flag is the only national flag in the world that is not quadrilateral in shape.
- In December 2007 the Parliament of Nepal made the decision to abolish the monarchy.
- Nepal is one of the poorest and least developed countries in the world.
- In early Sanskrit sources the country is referred to as Nepala.
- The two largest cities by population are Pokhara (200,000) and Kathmandu (nearly 1 million). And we'll be in both cities!
Financial Update:
We have raised $6,864 so far! Thank you so much for your commitment to bringing the Gospel to Nepal. With only a month and a half left we are asking for your continued and fervent prayer over our finances. And if you would still like to join our financial team you can click here to sponsor us. Just type in an amount and choose either Kels' or my name from the drop down menu. Our first goal is nearly met. We are $2,336 shy of meeting all of our needs for our trip. However, our second goal is to raise an additional $2,800 for home expenses including rent, car and life insurance, and our cell phones. So we still have a ways to go.
Monday, March 26, 2012
Pre-Summer 2: Little Princes.
Over the past week I have been reading a book called "Little Princes- One Mans Promise to Bring Home the Lost Children of Nepal" As the title suggests it is about a man who visits Nepal with the intention of only staying 2 months to work at an orphanage for the glory it will bring him back home. However, his heart gets stolen by the children in Godawari (30 min south of Kathmandu)
As the story progresses he goes back to Nepal, and well, the rest is in the book. "Little Princes" by Conor Grennan. Read it. Through this real life story, I have already fallen in love with the people of Nepal and the country itself. I am already burdened with the well being and the salvation of this people group. I have also learned a lot about Nepali culture and history throughout the story.
Nepal was divided by a ten year civil war (1996-2006). During this war, rebels overtook most of the north west regions and would force children to fight for them. In order to protect their children parents would spend their entire life's savings and go in to debt to send their children to Kathmandu. Little did they know, that the men offering to feed them, send them to school and take care of them, were nothing but vultures and child traffickers. They took any donation they could from good-doers and pocket it, instead of spending it on the children. Most of them ended up homeless, starving and alone.
Even after the peace treaty was signed, the children where stuck in Kathmandu with no idea how to reach their families or if they were even alive. This story reconnects some of these children with their long lost families hundreds of miles away.
I could not be more excited the God has chosen to send us to Nepal. Even now, God is preparing my heart for the ministry there with our students. Please pray that our students experience similar heart preparation for this mission.
UPDATE: We are at about $4,000 of the $12,000 that we are attempting to raise. If you would like to help support us click Here and choose one of our names from the drop down list.
-Kelsie
(Jack is way better at this blog thing. This is my first. lol)
As the story progresses he goes back to Nepal, and well, the rest is in the book. "Little Princes" by Conor Grennan. Read it. Through this real life story, I have already fallen in love with the people of Nepal and the country itself. I am already burdened with the well being and the salvation of this people group. I have also learned a lot about Nepali culture and history throughout the story.
Nepal was divided by a ten year civil war (1996-2006). During this war, rebels overtook most of the north west regions and would force children to fight for them. In order to protect their children parents would spend their entire life's savings and go in to debt to send their children to Kathmandu. Little did they know, that the men offering to feed them, send them to school and take care of them, were nothing but vultures and child traffickers. They took any donation they could from good-doers and pocket it, instead of spending it on the children. Most of them ended up homeless, starving and alone.
Even after the peace treaty was signed, the children where stuck in Kathmandu with no idea how to reach their families or if they were even alive. This story reconnects some of these children with their long lost families hundreds of miles away.
I could not be more excited the God has chosen to send us to Nepal. Even now, God is preparing my heart for the ministry there with our students. Please pray that our students experience similar heart preparation for this mission.
UPDATE: We are at about $4,000 of the $12,000 that we are attempting to raise. If you would like to help support us click Here and choose one of our names from the drop down list.
-Kelsie
(Jack is way better at this blog thing. This is my first. lol)
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Pre-Summer 1.
Question: What causes us more excitement than knowing that in 4 months we will be doing ministry in Nepal?
Answer: Skyping with Job and Bethany and discussing this ministry for Nepal. Every week it gets more real, and being able to talk about the summer with the Hammonds tonight simply added to the anticipation.
Praise: Our team is growing rapidly! March has just begun and we already have 40 applicants! This is really cool.
Prayer: Of those signed up currently, we only have 4 men on the team (senior staff excluded). There is a need on our team for more men, and I implore you to join our senior staff (Me, Kels, Job, Bethany and Ian) in asking God to push more young men toward this trip.
Praise: We received our first financial update today and we are just a hair shy of 10% of our goal met. This goal of $12,000 will cover most of our expenses this summer including airfare, food, all facets of our insurance, and keeping up our home while away. THANK YOU to those of you who have been generous with you money. We are deeply thankful. If you would like to support us with a gift simply take a trip HERE. It's as easy as typing a number in one box and designating it for either one of us (Hint: Just click the down arrow, you don't have to scroll down to find us)
Prayer: Kels is working two jobs and I am working while going to school. This + church ministry + fundraising + a lengthy to-do list = Stress! The easiest thing for us to do in a time as busy as this is jump out of bed running. However, at least when I jump out running, I tend to neglect God. And Kels. Please pray that we would be diligent in putting our relationship with God first and foremost, our relationship with each other second, and all the rest third. As important as everything else is, God has us here to build relationships. It would be foolish to neglect them because we are "busy".
Praise: We will be heading down to Indiana to speak at Cornerstone on Sunday, March 18 at 10.15 am. If you are in the area please come visit! We will be discussing why we are going to Nepal and what we will be doing there. We are also in the process of lining up 2-3 more churches to speak to about this trip (this time all in the central Minnesota area). Praise God he is providing opportunities for us to share about this incredible ministry we get to be a part of.
Answer: Skyping with Job and Bethany and discussing this ministry for Nepal. Every week it gets more real, and being able to talk about the summer with the Hammonds tonight simply added to the anticipation.
Praise: Our team is growing rapidly! March has just begun and we already have 40 applicants! This is really cool.
Prayer: Of those signed up currently, we only have 4 men on the team (senior staff excluded). There is a need on our team for more men, and I implore you to join our senior staff (Me, Kels, Job, Bethany and Ian) in asking God to push more young men toward this trip.
Praise: We received our first financial update today and we are just a hair shy of 10% of our goal met. This goal of $12,000 will cover most of our expenses this summer including airfare, food, all facets of our insurance, and keeping up our home while away. THANK YOU to those of you who have been generous with you money. We are deeply thankful. If you would like to support us with a gift simply take a trip HERE. It's as easy as typing a number in one box and designating it for either one of us (Hint: Just click the down arrow, you don't have to scroll down to find us)
Prayer: Kels is working two jobs and I am working while going to school. This + church ministry + fundraising + a lengthy to-do list = Stress! The easiest thing for us to do in a time as busy as this is jump out of bed running. However, at least when I jump out running, I tend to neglect God. And Kels. Please pray that we would be diligent in putting our relationship with God first and foremost, our relationship with each other second, and all the rest third. As important as everything else is, God has us here to build relationships. It would be foolish to neglect them because we are "busy".
Praise: We will be heading down to Indiana to speak at Cornerstone on Sunday, March 18 at 10.15 am. If you are in the area please come visit! We will be discussing why we are going to Nepal and what we will be doing there. We are also in the process of lining up 2-3 more churches to speak to about this trip (this time all in the central Minnesota area). Praise God he is providing opportunities for us to share about this incredible ministry we get to be a part of.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Nepal Support Letter.
This past month has been quite busy for Kelsie and me. We are both working full-time, I re-enrolled in college, and we are involved in small groups and church ministry on a weekly basis. However, the most exciting development in the past month is that God is leading us back to the mission field. We are thrilled to be partnering with Royal Servants as assistant team leaders on the Nepal Team. I (Jack) had the opportunity to be a team leader in Ireland two years ago and it was an extraordinary experience which I believe helped to prepare me for my role now as a husband and leader of my family.
The team will be led by Job and Bethany Hammond, good friends of ours, with whom we have served in the past. As assistant team leaders, our jobs will range from banker to head chef to nurse to travel agent. But the role we are most excited about is being a big brother and sister to all of the students and staff. Our primary job will be loving our students by providing comfort, encouragement, and when necessary, tough love.
Before we head overseas, we will spend time here in the states preparing mentally, physically, and spiritually for the journey that lies ahead; our training camp is located near Portage, Wisconsin. Kels and I will be spending about 3 weeks there preparing for the trip. Our summer staff will arrive two weeks before flying out, and the students will show up a week later. We will be flying to Nepal on July 5th and returning home on August 6th; this will give us a full month of ministry with the local people. Our ministry will include performing in villages and loving on orphans, lepers, and girls who have been rescued from sex trafficking. This ministry will change the lives of the Nepali people, our students, and us as well.
How You Can Help:
Prayer – We need your prayer more than anything else. Please keep us in constant prayer leading up to, and throughout, the summer. Pray that God would strengthen our marriage, enable us to love our students, remind us to remain in the Word, and keep us faithful to Him while we trust Him to bring in the finances for this trip.
Encouragement – We need this in abundance! Whether you’d like to send care packages to Training Camp or shoot off a quick email with a passage of Scripture, we covet your encouragement!
Finances – This is a big area where Kels and I are learning to trust God on a daily basis, particularly for the summer. The cost for both of us to travel to Nepal is going to be around $9,100. This does not include another $3,000 of living expenses for maintaining our apartment and insurance. Will you help us raise this money? Our goal is $12,000 to cover all of our expenses and we need your help. Any and all gifts, financial or otherwise, will be much appreciated. God is faithful and we’re eager to see how he will use this summer to change lives.
In His Hands,
Jack and Kelsie Becker
The team will be led by Job and Bethany Hammond, good friends of ours, with whom we have served in the past. As assistant team leaders, our jobs will range from banker to head chef to nurse to travel agent. But the role we are most excited about is being a big brother and sister to all of the students and staff. Our primary job will be loving our students by providing comfort, encouragement, and when necessary, tough love.
Before we head overseas, we will spend time here in the states preparing mentally, physically, and spiritually for the journey that lies ahead; our training camp is located near Portage, Wisconsin. Kels and I will be spending about 3 weeks there preparing for the trip. Our summer staff will arrive two weeks before flying out, and the students will show up a week later. We will be flying to Nepal on July 5th and returning home on August 6th; this will give us a full month of ministry with the local people. Our ministry will include performing in villages and loving on orphans, lepers, and girls who have been rescued from sex trafficking. This ministry will change the lives of the Nepali people, our students, and us as well.
How You Can Help:
Prayer – We need your prayer more than anything else. Please keep us in constant prayer leading up to, and throughout, the summer. Pray that God would strengthen our marriage, enable us to love our students, remind us to remain in the Word, and keep us faithful to Him while we trust Him to bring in the finances for this trip.
Encouragement – We need this in abundance! Whether you’d like to send care packages to Training Camp or shoot off a quick email with a passage of Scripture, we covet your encouragement!
Finances – This is a big area where Kels and I are learning to trust God on a daily basis, particularly for the summer. The cost for both of us to travel to Nepal is going to be around $9,100. This does not include another $3,000 of living expenses for maintaining our apartment and insurance. Will you help us raise this money? Our goal is $12,000 to cover all of our expenses and we need your help. Any and all gifts, financial or otherwise, will be much appreciated. God is faithful and we’re eager to see how he will use this summer to change lives.
In His Hands,
Jack and Kelsie Becker
Friday, February 10, 2012
The Beginning.
Kelsie and I have sent in our applications to Reign Ministries to become assistant leaders on the Nepal team this summer. We are very excited to be working with Job and Bethany Hammond, dear friends and great team leaders. More details will come as we know them and we will hopefully begin the support raising process within the next few days!
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