These days seem more and more normal and we continue to notice what we are grateful for in the mornings and afternoons when we hear the devotional/prayer bells ring. Some of our recent gratitude/happy things are making music (Ira is preparing for playing in pit orchestra for the spring musical Mama Mia, along with piano lessons, choir and advanced music as a school subject; Mitch is looking forward to returning to the Kathmandu Community Chorale; Auggie is enjoying cello, choir club and music at school; and I enjoy listening and supporting all of these endeavors- someday maybe I will learn to play Ukulele!). We have enjoyed helping friends move to a new house, I have been playing with watercolor and pens, trying new recipes, we have all enjoyed eating out on the roof, the mountains (with snow) peaking out, just noticing the wonderful and strange world around us and slow days with lots of time for reading, building and hanging out.

On the work front, we welcomed the first new expats since we have begun our work. Mitch and I have been figuring out how to get all the paperwork and orientation in order, and what a person needs when they first arrive to a new place. Brent and Marissa will be in Kathmandu for 5 ish months as they learn language before they head to Tansen Hospital where Brent will work on the surgery team. Marissa is figuring out what will give her life and energy in that place as well. It has been fun to realize that we know a lot about being here and can already be a resource for new people upon their arrival. I spent Monday taking them shopping, showing them the best place to get sourdough bread and helping them to figure out how to get their phones working. The logistics will slowly make way for more spiritual and emotional support, and I think that transition will be smooth. Mitch is arranging their language classes, and working on some of the details related to banking, visas etc. I have continued to connect with the expats by catching up on the annual check ins and getting to know people. We have also continued to host people at our house when they are in the city. We share a meal and play some games, and this has been a wonderful way to connect with people as we build relationships with them.

Finally, a turn to a theological reflection and a challenge! First the challenge – taxes. I am afraid taxes will be our downfall. We have to file and pay taxes in the US (the privilege(?) of our citizenship, in addition to voting from abroad). I am employed by The Presbyterian Church in Canada, and seconded to UMN, so we will also get to file Canadian taxes (without any of the benefits of residency!) and recently the government of Nepal has required foreign workers to pay taxes. There are guidelines from the government that are vague and result in causing all kinds of grief for expats.

Part of the problem is that this was introduced 2 years ago, and for context, the government of Nepal has varied coalition governments and things change each time the government changes. I think there have been at least 10 coaltions in the past 10 years. So here various expats file their taxes differently. Some expats sending organizations do all the filing for them, others have a pool that the taxes come out of. It seems that each organization has a slightly different way of calculating what the taxable amount should be based on the guidelines. Some expats are able to say they are self-supported and then they pay no taxes at all, other organizations just pay tax on everything the expat receives including benefits, flights and school fees (we know someone who paid over 20 thousand USD!). We want to be ethical and do the right thing, but it is not clear what the right thing is. In conversation with UMN, The Presbyterian Church in Canada and guidance from MCC we have figured out what to do for this year, but ugh, what a headache.

Another recent difficult thing for me was meeting with a neighbour of ours who I thought wanted to be friends, but really just wanted money and a job. Her willingness to reach out was admirable, but her understanding of my privilege was not quite right. While I do have a lot of resources at my disposal- they are designated resources, set aside for housing, food, school fees etc. Our disposable income is pretty limited (though I imagine still more than hers). She wanted me to introduce her to people at various organizations in our neighbourhood and ask them to give her a job. I tried to explain that I didn’t know anyone who works there and I don’t know her, but she was quite clear, that if I as a foriegner told another foreigner to give her a job- they would. It was a strange and difficult conversation, it felt in some ways comedic and in most ways tragic.

There is so much need here, with limited ability to make change. I reminded myself like I remind the kids when we do not give money on the streets, that we give our time and money to UMN and other NGOs that we know here are working for systematic changes and improvements. It just would be nice to have a fairy godmother wand and be able to grant the wishes and hopes of those around us. We are reading a book as a family about how the Holy Spirit works, and the echoing refrain is about small acts and kindness towards those with less- I wonder if the kingdom of God is built in systemic change or small daily kindnesses. I would like to think it is both. That Jesus was recognizing humanity in those around him even while he worked to undo the systems that keep people down.