November

As I write this note, I have just returned from Pokhara, a town up in the Himalayan foothills. Stan and Andrea Gutwein and their family, and friend Susie came to visit me; we really enjoyed fun times in the mountains together!
I’ve been busy teaching at school, tutoring kids, and attempting to make good use of my days recently, as I have only four weeks left until I go on December 20th to visit USA and Japan for a month and a half!

Above: (Left) Class 3 at school, (Right) Welcome, Yashoda's new baby!
Below: Pictures from Pokhara vacation, with Stan and Andrea, and Susie!

I am really excited about the upcoming trip, as I have missed family and friends in both Japan and USA. This trip will be an opportunity to catch up on life, hopefully, with many of you, and also a good time for you all to learn more about what is going on here in Nepal.
I’ll be in Japan from Dec. 20 to January 10, and in USA (Indiana and Illinois) from January 11 to February 2. I know the weeks in both Japan and USA are going to go by really quickly, so I have to start planning the itinerary now, in order to make good use of the time. I know that I will be doing a few Nepal presentations here and there; I will definitely keep you all updated about those events. Those of you who would like to spend time with me, please let me know your schedule so we can work something out. And some of you… I am going to be calling you in the next few weeks to make SURE some time together gets scheduled in! Yes, I WILL be seeing you, soon, by the grace of God! :-)
Actually, I am feeling incredibly blessed these days as I think about the love and support that is surrounding me, from friends who are scattered all over the world. Whether here or there, we are brothers and sisters in the body of our Lord. I am so blessed to have such a great global family, and I am blessed to have the opportunity to travel… it really is a rare privilage. To have traveled here to Nepal in the first place was a gift God gave to me. I am so blessed by this family and community that God has placed me with here. Secondly, I know I am blessed to be able to make a trip back to visit the people I love in two countries (Japan and USA) that are so dear to my heart. And I am so very blessed to have the means and ability to make the round trip, coming back again here to Nepal after this upcoming journey is over. Thank you all so much for your prayers for me and the work here in Nepal. On behalfof all of us here, I say we are blessed and thankful for your prayers.

Above: (Left) View on the way to Pokhara, (Right) Afterschool tutoring
Below: Saturday Kids' Club

As our American Thanksgiving Day is around the corner, be sure to be counting your blessings! Thanks for making it so easy for me to count mine! :-)
Love from Ruthie

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

~Colossians 3:15-17

Family Camp

Pictures from Family Camp. Above left: Karla, our team member from Nashville, did a great job with the children's program. The kids were jumping for joy all weekend!

Above right: Pastor Ramod and his family (the children at the youth hostel) sand a song for us at the talent show.

Below left: Me and baby Ruth-- I love that we share the same name!

Below right: Everyone lines up for an exciting balloon race.

Family Camp was awesome! I was so happy to be a part of it… everyone in our church family here in Nepal has been talking about Family Camp all year. I know it is something that they really look forward to. Last year, I came to Nepal just after family camp had finished.
At camp this year, God was obviously moving as people received good teaching and encouragement… and I received as well. The theme of our camp this year was “Praying like Jesus prayed.” We had a great team from Nashville, TN leading the teaching, games, children’s program… I was very much blessed just to be an assistant, and enjoy the benefits of their love and hard work.

Above pictures from dance camp: We wrote promises God gives us on our arms (with washable marker :-)

Prior to Family Camp, our church youth participated in a hip-hop dance camp, led by Bethany, one of the members of our New Song Nashville team. Because I am one of the youth leaders, I took dance class, too! We learned a song and did a performance on the last day of Family Camp. The spiritual meaning of the song (Don’t let our enemy, Satan, take what God has given us) was very powerful to a lot of the youth. Plus, we had a lot of fun, and learned some cool dance moves.

Above pictures: My birthday party.

I celebrated my birthday. I had all the girls from the youth group, and younger sisters from church over to my house for dinner (we cooked Japanese food!) and a slumber party. We had fun doing facials and nail-polish, but I have to say the highlight was singing praiseand worship songs together. I love to hear these beautiful Nepali songs!
During Family Camp, Dan had a bike accident, and is in Thailand recovering from surgery now. Sheryl went with him there, so that means it is me and the girls at home again. We miss Dan and Sheryl a lot; please join us in prayer for Dan’s complete and speedy recovery. They will be gone for one and half more weeks, and until then, keep us in your prayers as we get along here without them!
Thanks so much for your thoughts and prayers for me and for our family here.
Love always,
From Ruthie

Above pictures are from a village on the outskirts of Kathmandu valley. On visiting this place, our team spent time in prayer. God wants to transform and redeem the communities and villages of Nepal through the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit's power.

Thanks for partnering with this ministry and for your prayers for us.

How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, "Your God reigns!" ~Isaiah 52:7

An Adventure Story...

MOVING IN: Who knew it could be so exciting?
So, as you know, we moved house. My job was to clean out the new kitchen. It sounded like one of those mundane and boring household jobs… but that was before I knew about the massive hordes lurking unseen in the deep, dark recesses of the kitchen.
Somebody told me once, “Every day is a battle.” How true. And sometimes, the battle comes when you least expect it. So we should always be ready. That is the moral of this story.
Anyway, I walked into the kitchen. I started cleaning from the ceiling down… I wiped away the cobwebs in the corners, the wall fan, moved down to the windowsills, the counter tops, and then…. the CUPBOARDS. Oh, my!

Another moral from this story: DO NOT reach your hand into a strange cupboard that you have never reached your hand into before! At least, don’t do it without looking into the cupboard first! As I reached in, thinking to wipe it down, I was basically overwhelmed by a host of cockroaches!
You know how it is in war movies, when the fighting is happening all around, gore and violence are everywhere, and suddenly, the film switches to slow motion? That is what this moment in time was like for me. It was definitely a moment of great carnage and destruction of many cockroach lives.
In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, we are instructed to have our feet “fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.” (6:15) Shoes are a very important piece of our armor, especially if we are about to face battle with cockroaches. After a few brief moments (which seemed like a lifetime), the kitchen was quiet again. But I knew it was only because the multitudes of survivors had scurried back into their lairs.
What I had just gone through was only the first round. I made a few brave attempts to prod them out of their holes with a stick, but the results were not so good. Insect spray did the job. As fumes and billows of smoke filled the kitchen, legions of cockroaches spewed out of thier hiding places, skittering from all corners of the cupboards. It was another slow-motion minute or two, as I stomped with vengeance. And then, quiet. You can call it extermination. PETA might say it was genocide. I like to say that it was a heroic cleansing.

The spiritual truth that I was reminded of though this experience doesn’t really pertain to cockroaches. They are just small and feeble creatures, and even good in their own way. No, we are in a daily battle, not with cockroaches, but against, “the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
“Therefore, put on the FULL armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you will be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” (Eph. 6:11-13)

Three things:
1) Be alert and ready against attack.
2) Wear the armor God has given us (and don’t forget your shoes!).
3) Don’t keep corners of your life hidden from the powerful cleansing of the Holy Spirit, or you might get yourself an infestation! Keep your heart open and clean before God. Don’t shut up or forget about your cupboards!

Of course, the job is not finished. Even this morning, I met another small cockroach hiding out in there. But, the very few that are left are nothing in comparison to the vast army there was before.

And my shoes are ready.

October is here!

Pictures below are from Pastor Ramod's wife Yashoda's baby shower we had this month. Cassidy did such a great job hosting and putting it together! Everyone had a wonderful time!

Cassidy, Yashoda, Sheryl, and me

We played "be the fastest one to down a bottle of milk"

...and a rousing game of "pin the baby on the mother."

What cute baby stockings!

October 10, 2010
The other day, the facts hit me. It is October already... October 10th, actually! And, I have been living here in Nepal for over a year! I came here last year on October 1st. Wow. In some ways, it is obvious-- people have changed, kids have grown, weddings happened--a year of life just went by. And then on the other hand, it seems like the year went so fast… how could it have possibly been one year already?!?

A few things that happened this month:
Moving! Last week, Dan and Sheryl and their family (and me :-) moved to a new house. Throuhout the whole situation, we saw God’s provision… when the landlord at the other house told us we had to move, we were searching the market, and no good options for housing were showing up. But because of prayer, and God’s faithfulness, this new house came just in time! The new house is in a good location, close to the church, and it is well-suited to meet all of our needs. I was also impressed to see how everyone in our church community came together to help with the move. Everything happened in God’s way, in God’s time, and now, one week later, we are moved, and we are ready for another exciting chapter!

I have been teaching school, as usual, but we have been having some fun special events, too, such as the Living Stone Academy choir concert, childrens’ Day, Fathers’ Day football match, and lots of sports events for students throughout the month. All the events have given me opportunties to spend more time getting to know the other teachers and build good relationships with them. I teach a class for teachers once a week, which has proved to be a blessed time. Recently we have been learning English worship songs, which the teachers can use in their classes, Sunday schools, etc. I have been really impressed with the comittment, servants’ hearts, and love that many of the teachers at LSA have for their students, and for this country of Nepal. It is a blessing for me to know them, and be ableto serve and be an encouragement to them.

Left: Susmita, Ruthie, and Sumi

In tutoring, I always love it when I get to pick up new students, and see them get excited about learning! Two new ones to pray for: Susmita has recently started homeschooling with Yashoda, and has joined my afternoon class with Ajay and Sathia. They are all eager students. Pray for their progress in education, growing faith in Jesus, and that they would each eagerly take hold of the freedom Christ has promised! They are dear kids, with tons of potential. Pray that I will take my work with them seriously, and teach them well.

Sabita has been begging me for the past month to teach her to read. I was reluctant to start, because she was so new to school; she couldn’t even form letters properly. So, she has been practicing and memorizing her alphabet. Last week, I started the first (kindergarten level) Hooked on Phonics book with her. The look on her face was priceless! She was so excited to start reading!

Coming up…
October is holiday month in Nepal. Festivities start with Dashain (this year, Oct. 15-17), and continuing through Tihar (early November). Dashain is a Hindu festival here in Nepal, when families get together and do a lot of religious rituals and sacrifices to pagan gods. Be in prayer for the Christians in Nepal, who feel a lot of pressure to join with their families during this time. Our church here puts together a family camp program every year, for the families and church members. It is a good excuse for them not to go home for the few intensely religious days of the Dashain holiday.

As we are getting ready for camp (starting up here in a few days), we are all really excited, as it is going to be tons of fun, and tons of good spiritual imput into everyone’s lives, too. Carla (from USA) and I are going to be running the children’s program… so we are planning lots of games, crafts, and fun Bible lessons. I am anticipating that God is going to do some awesome work in people’s lives at camp this year! We have a great team of friends from our sister New Song church in Tenessee, who have already proved to be a great encouragement to all of us here. We’re looking forward to an exciting month! Thanks for your prayers for us.

“The Spirit of the Sovreign Lord is upon me, because the Lord has annointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion, to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair…
“…For as the soil makes the sprout come up, and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovreign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations.”

~Isaiah 61:1-3,11

A month in pictures…

Above: Yashoda and I are standing in the new plot of land purchased by the community center. We are all praying in faith for the good work that God is going to do in this place!

Left: Sumi and I are wearing sari to celebrate Tij (also known as women’s day).
Below: The little girls (Rupa, Sara, Sabita) also wanted to wear sari. They wrapped themselvs up in scarves.

(Rupa, Sara, Sabita, and me)

Below: Youth group laser tag event! This laser tag facility is run by a Christian ministry here in Kathmandu. It has been such a blessing to our community.

The Frolicking Cow

I saw a very unusual sight on my way to the Guardian children's home yesterday.

There was a black cow skipping and jumping down the lane. It thought it was alone, but I happened to see it's outburst as I was coming over the hill. Seeing a cow on the road is not unusual, of course. Black is a common color for cows around here.

The unusual thing about this otherwise very ordinary-looking cow was that it was frolicking. It's head was bobbing up and down, it's tail was swinging back and forth, it was definitely skipping/jumping, and if it had a singing voice, I am sure it would have been singing some song like, "Oh, Happy Day." Cows (and all dogs, goats, etc.) that wander around this city are usually shuffling along with their heads down, looking depressed.

Not this cow!

It was a good reminder to me, "The joy of the Lord is my strength!" as God's children, we are commanded to rejoice! (Phil. 4:4) When we do that, we may cause those passing by to take a second look, and wonder at us.

Summer came and went

September 7, 2010

Greetings again from Nepal! It is hard to believe that summer is over, and fall is on its way! I have been keeping busy over here over the last month and a half (since last writing).

Highlights of the summer…

I have been spending a significant amount of time with our church’s junior youth group. They are all dear and wonderful kids, with soft hearts toward God. Pray that this softening by the Holy Spirit will continue as they allow Him to do His good work in them. Our activities together, besides weekly Bible study, have included spelunking, neighborhood prayer walking, washing Dan and Sheryl’s five puppies, and several picnics.

The weekly Girls’ English Bible study has been going really well. We’ve been studying a good book about purity and preparing for marriage while we are still teenagers, and had some really good conversations stemming from that.

The past few months have given me opportunities to hang out with Shanti, Sharmilla, and Junu (Dan and Sheryl’s three Nepali daughters), and get to know each of them better. They are dear girls, and this summer gave us a chance to grow closer through the fun times as well as through some challenges we had.

Although the weather did indeed feel like summer, the atmosphere wasn’t like how westerners typically think of summer, because school has been “full steam ahead.” Teaching at Living Stone three days a week has allowed me to build lasting relationships with the teachers and children over the past several months.

In our own Studio TEN ministry, all the teens and youth have been working pretty hard to complete assignments, take tests, and keep up their performance in school. Naturally, that makes me busy also, as I am a tutor for most of them, helping them with what I can, and especially helping with their English as they study all subjects in English. These days, I am really wishing there were more tutors like me to do this work, because I can’t adequately help everyone who wants and needs help.

I have two new students! Last month I started teaching English class for two boys who were falling between the cracks of education. Ajay is being homeschooled by Yashoda, our pastor’s wife, and these days he is making such great progress! It is always very encouraging to spend time teaching him. Budai, who is attending my English class together with Ajay, is also making progress, which is so exciting, as he had been floundering in school since he came to us. Hopefully, with some extra tutoring and care, we will be able to see him make amazing progress in all areas. Already, his boosted confidence is a joy to witness and be a part of. Be in prayer for both of these boys’ futures. I know God has wonderful plans for them in His kingdom!

Be in prayer for us here…

Praise the Lord that we all made it through the summer without Dan, Sheryl, and Kristi… although they were greatly missed. Praise the Lord, also, that they will be back with us again soon, Lord willing, tomorrow!

Pray for me, as it is easy for me to get distracted from God’s purposes. In my busy schedule, especially, it is easy for me to forget. I was reminded recently that the goal of my life is not to “do great work for God.” God does great work through us, but his goal for his children is that we will know him intimately. “I want to know Christ, and the power of his resurrection, the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead…one thing I do: forgetting what is behind, and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal, to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:10-14)

Remember also what God promised Abraham, “I am your shield, your very great reward.” His promise to us, our inheritance is this: He gives us himself. He is the goal we should seek. Pray for me, as I pray for all of you, and let’s aim together for that One who sustains and satisfies our hearts.

Pray for our Nepali leadership team, that we will be built up in unity and love for each other, and that all will be especially united as we remember and act upon God’s purpose for our lives, His church, and the people of Nepal to know Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Looking toward what is ahead…

I am planning to make a trip to visit the Midwest and Japan this winter. I really hope that I will be able to see a lot of you during that time! This year God has been confirming in my heart that he wants me to be involved full-time in ministry similar to what I am doing here in Nepal now. The situation and role I am in right now is a great training field to prepare me for whatever God will bring next. So, I have made a commitment to stay here and work with Dan and Sheryl for another year, from this February. I am still praying about what God wants me to do after that, but I am pretty sure that whatever work it is, it will most likely be overseas in a place similar to this.

All that being said, I know it is really important for me to spend some time with you, my friends in the USA and overseas, to explain the work I am involved with here, and share the visions and dreams God has been placing on my heart. I am planning to go to Japan on December 20^th, and go from there to Chicago on January 11^th. I will spend several weeks, and return to Nepal in the first week of February.

Let me know if any of you are interested in having me speak at your church or small group about the good things God has been doing over here in Nepal.

Thanks so much for your prayers and support!

The peace of the Lord be with you,

Ruthie Kaufman

Studio TEN Ministries: http://www.studiotenministries.org/

To make a donation to me, or to other ministry projects: http://www.studiotenministries.org/donate/

To see the jewelry made by Guardian Village widows: http://guardianvillage.org/GuardianVillageHandicrafts/Home.html