The Mendok Project

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!

Freitag, 25. Februar 2011

Travel Nerves

Is this the right English word? I'm not sure... there is a similar one in German that means that you can't wait to start your trip... and it starts in 42 days. The preparation for the travel gets more into detail. We booked the flights in Nepal. There is a Christian family in Pokhara who owns a small hotel and a travel agency. Phil, the owner, is a friend of a family from our church and also of Herbert from Forum Wiedenest. Phil does all the travel issues for us; we will also stay with them when we are in Pokhara. Herbert will be in Nepal ahead of us and he will get in contact with Mendok's family again so they know for sure the dates when we will pick them up.
"Real" news will be posted here at April. Which doesn't mean we stop posting, to check the blog is worth it anyways.

Freitag, 4. Februar 2011

Update

After the "cash chek" yesterday we found out that we have an overage at the finances for the project. That means we have more money than we calculated for all the costs and expenses. Good news indeed!
Anyhow people keep asking: "Can we still donate something?" This results in the question: what happens with the money that will be left after April? The answer: we for sure will spend it on the people of Mustang. Maybe through another outreach, another help project or through whatever God puts on our hearts.

We are totally overwhelmed and thankful and very, very excited what God has in store! And we will re-name this blog into "the adventure called Mendok Project" :-)
At the moment we are busy with travel preparations and arrangements - booking lodging and inland flights - and we are thankful for each prayer (see right side).

Sonntag, 30. Januar 2011

Thank you so much -

- to all who baked a cake, who bought cake or supported us in any other way! Together with a collection for the project about more than 300 Euro we got more than 1.000 Euros today with the cake donation event. I am really overwhelmed - overwhelmed by what God is doing and overwhelmed by all of you, how you get behind us. Thank you

Montag, 24. Januar 2011

Getting down to business

Today we got a reservation on the flights from April 8th-22nd. And got a little miracle going with this. April is main season for travelling to Nepal, what means the flights are more expensive and by now almost all booked up already. But we got the last two seats for both flights on a flight that is even cheaper than the one we got last year in off season...
After a lot of calculating, phone calls and checking last year's travel diary we got the finances straight. The result of all the calculating is that we will need 4500 Euro all together. This includes all travel expenses, lodiging, provisions and all kinds of fees for all people involved. We already have 3100 Euro, which means we need another 1400 Euros until April.

Before we did all the planning today we first sat down and prayed. And we experienced once more how God opened ond door after another (for example the flights). To know that He prepared every step is not only very soothing, but it also gives us great confidence.
And I myself just love it, when many people together (with Him) make things like The Mendok Project happen!

Montag, 17. Januar 2011

We got the surgery scheduled!

And exactly in that time frame that makes it due to our jobs possible for us to go to Nepal. After some kind of stop and go we ended up with Interplast-Germany e.V., a German organization that runs a hospital near to Kathmandu. In April there will be a team of German specialist to do mainly cleft-palate-surgery.
For us this means to fix travel arrangements and to work on the fundraising. The treatment is free for Mendok, we just have to pay a small registraiton fee. That leaves us with the travel costs for all persons involved. If you want to learn more about it, just send a short email to dameria@projekt-mendok.org

By the way, there is another cake fundraiser on Sunday, January 30th at Calvary Chapel Siegen after the morning services.

Sonntag, 9. Januar 2011

Not many news...

- but a blessed New Year to all who stop by here once in a while to read the news, to join us in prayer or who donate for Mendok. On the right side you find the current prayer requests and a touching video from the British missions organization Asia Link.
On January, 30th we will have another cake-fundraiser at CC Siegen. Cakes and helpers for that Sunday are more than welcomed!
If you would like to receive the extented newsletter in English and German just email to dameria@projekt-mendok.org

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.