The Mendok Project: Our Travel Route

Mittwoch, 2. März 2011

Our Travel Route

to Nepal leads us via Oman - but we are not worried by the news you here these days about this little desert state next to the Arabic Sea. We will have a layover in Muscat, the capital city, both at the trip to and back from Nepal. Right now there are no demonstrations there. But to be so close and directly connected to this part of the world makes me not only think twice but also pray for the situation in the Arabic World right now.
Yesterday a friend of mine pointed out, that all the countries where the people raise against oppression and for democracy these days are all located in the 10/40 window. This summarizes countries - except Northern America - who are not reached with the Gospel and where Christians most of the time suffer prosecution.

Grafik: Word for the World Radio, April 2006

The term "10/40 window" is applied to the location of these countries between the 10th and 40th northern latitude. About 97 % of all unreached people groups live there and 82 % of the poorest of the poor as well as the main part of all Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists (source: Velberter Mission e.V.). Not only Oman, but also Nepal is located in the 10/40 window. For me this is a new challenge to pray for the people and the Christians there!

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why we are doing what we are doing

Through experiencing love in action we wish that the people in Mustang will get to know the one who motivates us in everything we are doing: Jesus.
We want to do this by deepening existing friendships and establishing new ones. This wouldn't be possible without visits on a regular base. These visits include time in Lupra school and to accompany children, who need medical treatment.
More infos you find in Romans 10:14 and Romans 15:21b.

What we are trying to do may be just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop. Mother Teresa

how it all started

While visiting schools and providing dental care in August 2010 we got to know Mendok. She is a student at Lupra school, a small mountain village laying about 10.000 ft altitude. The eleven year old suffered of a cleft palate, taken care of just rudimental when she was a baby. With the "Menok Project" we could accompany her to the Sushma Koirala Hospital in Sankhu near Kathmandu, where she had two necessary surgeries til now.
In fall 2011 we not only accompanied her, but went to Lupra school with a team to help with the teaching. This trip also brought us in contact with a small church in Sangala, a village close by to Kathmandu.
In April 2012 we were able to get Mendok to Kathmandu again where she had a final orthodontic treatment. A new task occured with Kunsang, a ten-year-old girl that also lives at Lupra School. As an infant she had heart surgery and actually needs check-up half a year. For this she has to go to Pokhara which is, depending on the means of transport, a one- or two-day-travel. We could help her with one first check-up this April and hope to find a lasting solution with the "Mendok Project" for Kunsang.
We also plan other travels for the coming year.
The travel expenses and helps are covered partly by ourselves, partly by donations.

for whom - people in Mustang

In Mustang, known for a long time as the "forbidden kingdom", most of the people living there are from the Thakali or the Gurung tribe. Mustang borders Tibet in the north. The old salt trade route winds its way down next to the Kali Gandiki, a river that craved over the centuries the world's longest and widest gorge into a fascinating mountain range. The Thakali and Gurung are both counted among the ethnical Tibetan people group; religion and believe systems have their origin in the TibetanBbuddhism and aligned close to it. At the same time the Thakali and the Gurung are counted among the so called unreached people groups, who do not or hardly know about the Gospel. Mustang is parted into Upper and Lower Mustang; Lower Mustang is well known for the Anapurna circuit and hosts many tourists. Going to Upper Mustang you will need an expensive permit. Also most of the Thakali and the Gurung just speek their own tribal language.