Branch Sabbath School

I mentioned going to a branch Sabbath School up in the hills previously. Here is an expanded report from the s

ame location along with a few pictures.

We left the hospital about 4:15 pm. You have to keep in mind English Church services finish about 1:30 and by the time everyone was fed and visited it was about that time.The winding rocky rutted and steep road led us to a small village approximately 800 ft higher than the hospital which is at 4750 ft elevation. On the way we happened on a scare crow in a patch of corn. The laundry director who went along to give the devotional said the farmers hope it will also scar the tigers away. Although it is hard to find anyone who has actually seen a tiger everyone believes many lives have been lost over the years from tiger attacks, especially children. Ironically, if you search the net on tigers in Nepal almost all the information is about concern over the

diminishing number of tigers in Nepal.

I think there were at least 40 children listening intently to the stories and health lectures as well as enthusiastically joining in singing. The short term visiting dentist from LLU had found a book with pictures illustrating dental hygiene which had an explanation on the back in Nepali which allowed one of the Nepali teenagers in our group to read the explanation of each picture, then the dentist answered questions through a translator. Two Nepali teenagers from our group (pathfinders) led the whole group in a rousing Christian song in the local language. A picture roll was then used to illustrate the story of creation followed by a devotional by one of the church members from our local congregation. At the close tooth brushes were handed out.

In the middle of the program a goat got loose and managed to get several bites of fresh greens before being shooed away.

Was it worth it? This girl’s smile along with her new friend tells the story. Anna is a pre nursing student at Union College, here teaching in the grade school for a year.