New Friends

Earlier this week pastor Shyem asked me to begin praying for an area of Kathmandu that he would like to start having fellowship in. He told me it was a slum located near the Kathmandu airport on the Bagmati River. This particular area is one of the poorest of the poor areas in Kathmandu and currently no Christian churches are ministering there.
On Friday morning Shyem and I left by Tuk Tuk(a very small three wheeled bus) for a prayer walk through this slum. Arriving near the end of the airport runway we walked from the main road down an alley to a gravel road that followed the river. The first sight one sees is garbage heaps spilling down the banks. Raw sewage pours from city pipes and garbage floats on the river in a metre thick layer. In places the water is open and the colour is a black flowing sludge. A boy with an open cut on his arm was reaching down into the sludge. He was searching for something of value to sell. Behind him a women threw garbage into the river. I wondered at what diseases or bacteria must be in that river. Moreover if the boy would be well the next day.
We crossed the river via a bridge into the most concentrated slum area. All the shacks are built of varying materials, plastic bags, corrugated metal, pieces of cloth, all lashed together with twine, cloth, bits of rope. Whatever could be found or salvaged from the river. All the shanty's offer little in regards to privacy. As we walked we spoke to a few people. They were friendly but no one was eager to carry on a conversation beyond formalities. I noticed a few paces behind us two men who seemed intent to hear what we were saying. Especially since a westerner is present. Westerners don't ever come to the river. They finally approached us and began a conversation with Shyem. As Shyem spoke I prayed that God would give him wisdom and grace for these men. The older man soon left leaving the younger (22-24 year old) still talking with us. We told him we were Christians and that we wanted to talk and spend time with some people here. He said that once before Christians came from a church. They took pictures, gave them some food, promised to come again and then never returned. This saddened his heart and he said he's not sure he could trust a Christian again. He then invited us to his house. We followed a side walk way that served as their alleys. It was barely wider than my shoulders, with rusted corrugated steel roofs that projected at neck level into the walk way. Very dangerous for any westerner over five foot six.
As we wandered through the maze of walk ways I was looking at some of the worst poverty I've laid eyes on. People with open sores. People with barely a complete set of clothes on, torn, filthy, or both. Few of them did have a full set of clean clothes on, yet one could tell they were quite old.
Arrivivng at his house (a six by nine foot hovel) I was stunned to see the conditions he lived in. An open toilet in the corner running its effluent under the plastic covered wall. A cooking burner and two small beds that served as sitting furniture and sleeping/eating areas. A bare ended electrical wire that had no light fixture or plug end. A small cabinet that seemed to have been salvaged from the river that he used for clothing. As I looked around he began to share some of his story. He and his two sisters lived with his parents in a remote mountain village. One day a flood came and washed the village away. He didn't tell of the fate of his parents. They had no where to go (scant possesions), so they left for a better life in Kathmandu. The only place for them was this area by the river. As he continued his story I thought to myself that this was as good as it got for him. Hmm......."as good as it got." I couldn't even call this good! My heart was breaking!
He asked if we would come again. We told him yes and gave him our phone number. We made an appointment to meet with him on Monday at noon. And that we would meet him at the well where we first saw him. His eyes shone with hope and anticipation. I was glad to meet my new friend. Hopefully I can tell him of my friend Jesus. But for now I'm content to just be his friend. More to follow after Monday! (Posted by Ken.)