The 15 day “Seige”, or blockade, called by the Maoists began on March 8th with a “bandh” or strike. Throughout the country traffic came to a grinding halt and stores were unable to open. On March 9th the bandh was lifted but telephone poles along highways throughout the country had been cut down and thrown onto the roadway. Downed trees were also placed into the roadway and motorists were stranded for days. Landmines were also used to destroy vehicles along the roads. Trucks ferrying food, vehicles carrying doctors and medicine, and tourist buses have been attacked and burned. Government offices were attacked and government officials have been forced to leave their posts in many areas.
The nationwide attack has come at an inopportune time for Nepal. March is usually the beginning of the tourist season and this country is dependant on tourism for its revenue. The recent bombing in Thamel, the attacks on tourist buses, and the difficulty in traveling throughout the country has had a very negative impact on the country’s future.
In last months edition of The Guardian the most dangerous and repressive regimes in the World were listed. Columbia, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Indonesia, Israel, Nepal, and the Philippines topped the list. Time Magazine listed Nepal as the most dangerous country in Asia. This former “Shangri La” has been thrown into a state of fear that it is not prepared to deal with.
If this report seems dismal to you to read them you would not like my job. Each day I receive dozens of reports that I study so that I can prepare reports to send out to our appointees and project managers. Sometimes it seems as though there is no end to it. What is next? What can we do? Is there any hope?
Each day I wrestle with this hidden guilt of being so fortunate. Why was I so lucky to be born in a country where I had a chance? Why am I given the privilege of being able to fly out of here if it gets to bad while our Nepali friends are left behind? Why did I not have to worry about being able to find a job, go to school, or where my next meal would come from? These are questions that many of us ask ourselves here.
I consider myself very fortunate to be given the chance to be here. Each day I am thankful for what God has given me. I have been so blessed by the Nepali friends that I have made, and the opportunity to share in their life.
The truth is that there is hope. There is hope for Nepal and there is hope for the people of Nepal and even though some have lost hope, many have not. Many are praying and excited about what the future holds for Nepal. Many are thankful for the persecution that Nepal is going through because of the strength they have found in it.
I seriously thought that I had something to give to Nepal when I came here, but I am finding out that I had much to learn. Nepal has taught me more and given me more than I ever could give it. I wish all of you could experience the joy that can be found in a place such as this. It’s a joy that I never could have experienced without coming here.
At the height of the Cold War the artist Sting wrote a song about our perceptions of the Russians. He repeated many of the ideas and labels that we assigned to all of Russia and the Russian people because of what had been done in the war. He made his point about mid way through the song when he said, “I bet the Russians love their children too.”
I could not get that song out of my head when I was in Russia to adopt our son Kody. All around me were people who shattered my ideas about them because they loved each other just like we do.