Happy New Year! Tibetan and Hindu New Years have come. The festival Shiva Raktri celebrating the upcoming year and ridding oneself of last years’ negativities brought over 2 million pilgrims to the Khatmandu valley for 2 days of ritual and celebration in the Pashupathi temple compound. In addition to Hindu pilgrims, thousands of Shiva sadhus and yogis attended, many barely dressed and many showed off their yogic abilities in their birthday suits. All Tibetan New Year festivities were cancelled this year in protest of China’s oppressive and brutal actions over the past year.

The kiddos are doing great and we are all adjusting to a current extreme water shortage. Most days we have less than 3 gallons of water to use for washing dishes clothes and ourselves. Anjana found a public well a few kilometers from the home and the kids are bathing there. Anjit found a fresh water supplier who drove a water truck up to our front door and filled the rooftop watertank. Buying water is not in the budget but living without any water for a few days makes you appreciate the modern world. The shortage is caused by electricity shortage. Without electricity 16 hours a day water cannot be pumped through the valley or up to rooftop tanks.

On a brighter note the possibility of moving to a larger house has come. The new government has spent several years rebuilding the public, or government school system. As little as five years ago private schools were the only option for decent education but today most government operated schools are equal and in many cases better. The Nepali school year ends in early April and Anjit suggest we move the kiddos to a nearby government school and save between 5 and 6 thousand rupees, or about $80. Not much in the states but enough to pay the rent difference for a bigger home. Boo yah!

Anjana is working diligently on preparing the perfect grant proposal to send to Save The Children among other large INGO’s. She also continues to visit organizations around Khatmandu looking for the big 5: 1-education support 2-food support 3-medical support 4-clothing support 5-financial support. She is establishing a network to call on in an emergency as well as information sharing.

Other than that, the help and pressence of Giedre Pesenkaite is missed by everyone. She went back to Lithuania after 3 months of volunteering and working in Nepal. As her final act of generosity to Padma and the kids she secured a donation of clothes for the 15 kids and the 7 kids Padma sponsors outside the home. The clothes were donated by Volunteer Services of Nepal.

Besides all this, the kiddos have parents day at school tomorrow. They will show off the songs and dances they’ve studied for the last 4 months. Rama, Anjit, and Anjana will put our proud parent caps on for the festivities. Check padmanepal.org for pics in the next week or two.

As for our current goals: the main goal is to have $1500 in monthly sponsors registered through padmanepal.org. Currently we have just over $300 in monthly sponsorship. Times are hard all around the world these days. We are still counting on you for support. If we can get 75 sponsors giving just $20/month we meet our goal and continue our mission. If you have any questions suggestions or will be in Nepal sometime soon drop us an email at info@padmanepal.org.

Be sure to check out the pictures of the kids and get to know them on their individual pages!

  I arrived in Nepal on December 23rd.  After a lengthy wait in the airport for my visa I was released into the 3rd world grandeur of Kathmandu.  Throngs of people begging for money or offering a taxi ride are the standard welcome wagon here.  Among the crowd I spotted my dear friend Lama Urgyen, a Tibetan Lama who lives in the orphanage and teaches the children about meditation and spirituality.  He was holding a Tibetan silk scarf called a kata and draped it over my head as an offering and greeting to me.  We walked together to find Anjit Bista, the proud head administrator and founder of the OCAYHN organization.  We met and there we were, the 3 amigos together again, ready to take on the world, or at least poverty in Nepal. 

      We headed to Anjit’s mother’s house where I was planning to stay.  Instead I’ve stayed in the kid’s home every night but my first here.  Before meeting the kids I went to the Boudha stupa, a dome-shaped monument symbolizing the enlightened mind of the Buddha.  Tibetans and other devotees circle the stupa day and night while reciting prayers or mantras to transform and calm their own and others minds.  Amidst the raucous nature of Kathmandu the great stupa, as it’s known reverberates with infectious peace and inspiration.  When I stood in front of it for the first time in two years a few days ago, my mind found a thoughtless tranquility and I felt more at home than anywhere else in the world.  After recharging my spiritual energy at the stupa it was time to meet the kiddos.  A 10 minute walk to the small town of Tinchulli, turn left at the big tree and I was there. 

      Walking up the dirt path to the house I saw two young children wearing Discreet brand beanies.  Kind-hearted pro skier Julian Carr donated these hats to all our kids and they wear them almost constantly.  Anjit opened the front door for me to meet the kids. I walked inside and a room full of Nepalese kids looked up at me and shyly said, “Welcome brother Luke.”  For 3 years I’d worked to make this home possible, then viable, now exceptional and when meeting the kids for the first time in their healthy home I felt my soul exhale and relax in a moment of exceptional satisfaction!  I also met Rama for the first time.  The lifeblood of the home, Rama herself grew up in an orphanage and manages most day to day happenings in the home.

      For several days I simply enjoyed being around these kids and watching them play and interact harmoniously.  I can’t quite figure out how or why these 15 kids are so well behaved, happy, caring, and considerate of each other and their surroundings.  All I can surmise is they must feel tremendous gratitude to be living how they are today versus the streets or abject poverty they came from.  The daily prayer and meditation probably helps too. 

      With Christmas coming we decided to throw a backyard bonfire and feast for the kids, Nepalese relatives, neighbors and some western friends.  We played soccer, badminton, ate way too much delicious food and 3 Christmas cakes, all followed by the kiddos performing songs and dances they’d practiced all day to entertain us.  Our Australian friend played guitar around the fire while the kids led in singing both Nepalese and English Christmas songs.  Lama Urgyen led a fire puja with Dorje, a monk and dear friend from Utah, and myself fumbling to follow along, to feed the local spirits and bless the party, while Pastor Anand said a Christian prayer to bless our feast.  Orion looked down on us from the heavens and the 40 something partygoers all were left with memories of a Christmas night of divine proportions.

      On the business side of things, much is happening in the home and with Padma.  We bought a hot water heater and everyone feels like royalty taking hot showers.  The kids schedule is being shaken up a bit with Lama Urgyen now teaching on religion and meditation every Saturday and Dorje tutoring English every Friday afternoon.  We plan to buy a washer/dryer this month and will offer laundry service to neighbors and westerners to begin bringing money into the home.  But the biggest change this month is the hiring of Anjana Bhan.  Anjana has a master’s in Nepalese rural development and for the past five years worked as an accountant for an international rug company.  Her role with Padma will include bookkeeping, financial planning, and grant writing in conjuction with a British NGO designed to train Nepalese in getting international funding for domestic service projects. 

      I’ve hit the ground running and Padma is rockin.

We added some new stuff to the website.  I changed the Photo Album to be prettier, and we’ve got a new project to help support a monastery in Tibet.  Each project now has its’ own page, which you can access from the Current Projects page or the dropdown menu under Current Projects.  Be sure to check out the new Tibetan Nun Project to find out the details of the latest organization Padma is helping support.