Gerald writing. I have been attending “Learning Week” at United Mission to Nepal. This is an annual event, where representatives from UMN’s two rural hospitals (in Okaldhunga and Tansen) and from their ‘clusters’ (rural areas where UMN supports local organizations in carrying out development work), get together and share their experiences from the previous year. The theme of this year’s gathering is ‘Shaping the Future’.

Each day starts out with a 40-minute devotion and I was asked to give the devotion this morning (Wednesday, October 15, 2025). It was a chance to reflect on my experience working at UMN from 1992-1997, when I was the Director of the Engineering and Industrial Development Department. I suggested that three main things need to be present for effective development work: idealism, love, and good judgment based on all relevant circumstances, things which I could still see in UMN’s work.

I recently attended an Artificial Intelligence conference where distinguished speakers from all over the world spoke about the impact of AI. It prompted me to ask the Learning Week gathering this morning whether UMN could be a pioneer and leader in using AI to help the poorest of the poor in Nepal. AI is used in UMN’s everyday work, but is there some broader application that could be of benefit to the poor? UMN has some of the brightest and best In Nepal, so we’ll see what they come up with!