Grace For Nepal: December 2011

     (Hey everyone! Sorry this has taken so long to get up. I could give a long list of reasons why it has taken so long, such as: lack of electricity, poor internet speed, sickness, jetlag, but instead I will just ask you to overlook my shortcomings and enjoy the pics.)

     These are all pictures from our graduation day. The students (along with Pastor Tika) put together a great program. It was a very exciting day, and it was great to see all of the students dressed up so nice and all of the girls wore their nicest saris.

     I have to say that I just feel so blessed to have gotten to participate in this last semester of the second year of GBC. We had a wonderful group of students, and I will forever remember each of them and the privilege it was to be their teacher for such a short time.

     We spent four months together studying God and His Word. I truly feel as if I probably learned more than the students. They all put in such a great effort and hopefully they learned truths that will come back to serve them for many years. May God be greatly glorified through what we were able to do these last four months and may the Church be built up as these young men and women go out to serve.

Subarna and Amit

Amit Thapa and Amit Tigga

Subarna and Prajowl

Subarna, Gopal, Prajowl, and Pastor Tika

Many of the students shared what they had learned this semester at

GBC and how they had grown in the Lord and knowledge of the Word

Ashok

Punam

Mamita

Subarna

Diploma Time!

All of the students did such great work this semester, it was a pleasure

getting to hand out their diplomas. On the back was a list of the classes

that they had completed and their scores. Everyone of them represented

hard work done well. I could not be more proud of everyone of them.

Mamita

Amit Tigga

Amit Thapa

Mina

Sabitri

Ashok

Gopal

Subarna

Pramila

All of the students scored very high overall and within a point or two of each other,

but we had two students who tied for first place: Prajowl and Punam

Gopal was our most improved student. He was very eager to soak up everything

we could teach him, but he spoke no English. Thanks to some help from Amit Thapa

he went from scoring in the 60's to averaging around 90 in a month. I really appreciated

Gopal's attitude and his many, many questions.

Along with just being a great brother and friend, Pastor Tika was an amazing

help to me. Along with teaching his own class, he would reteach (translate) my first class

every morning. I am not an easy person to translate for I assure you! But Pastor Tika did

a great job not only translating but teaching every word I said.

Amit was also a mighty help to me in this area. He would make sure to get

a copy of the notes for his class every night and pour over them so that he would

be able to faithfully interpret every word. A teacher is only as good as his interpreter.

Pramita was our Master of Ceremonies for the event that day.

I have many things to say about Pramita and all of them great.

She selflessly saw to it that Daniel and I wanted for nothing. I could

go on for a whole blog about this, but I will suffice it to say that of all

my friends in Nepal, none have been more sacrificial in their service and

friendship to me there than Sister Pramita.

Prajowl also took over translating for Pastor Tika the last few weeks of

classes and did a great job. The last class of the semester I taught two

hours on Exodus 12 and Prajowl and Amit tag teamed on interpretation.

What's worse than having to listen to me for two hours? Having to repeat it

word for word!

They also honored Daniel for his being there to support me while I did my job.
I must say that Daniel was a great companion for me on this trip. I cannot imagine
having done it without him. He was a great help and encouragement.