Greetings from Sunny Felixstowe

Since our last letter we have enjoyed the BMS Expect conference, meeting friends old and new and listening to challenging but inspiring talks. After that we enjoyed a team building day on the Thames in Oxfordshire – good to be together face-to-face with our global core team. Then we have been travelling around and have enjoyed meeting other friends old and new and hopefully giving people something to think about in our talks whilst ourselves being encouraged by all of you. Thankyou.

Also, we were able to attend the Keswick Convention with our friend Shirley who still lives and works in Surkhet (Nepal), where we lived for some years. It was good to share a house with her and also to be at the Convention hearing more inspiring and challenging talks but also having time for relaxation and to enjoy the beauty of the Lake District.

We have had little contact from our work colleagues and friends in Nepal. This is a great sign. We have invested well and our colleagues can carry on the work without having to refer to us, which has always been our goal. However, there have been some communications about work to come when we return!

There is some sad news from Nepal that we have heard in the last few days: riots have broken out in some places in the south-west of the country, leaving 3 people dead. The riots were sparked by inter-religious fighting that then turned against the authorities, with government and other buildings burned. Curfews have been imposed to restore calm. It is also monsoon season and there are reports of flooding and landslides that have damaged property and blocked roads.

As we look forward, we have been asked to do more work with our friends in Bangladesh so we are looking to get a date in the diary for our next visit, probably October time, as well as working online on things with them. Alan has some big meetings coming up with HDCS as they have one of their regular meetings to look at plans and capacity development. Megan has been invited back to Surkhet and Tansen for working with the therapists there. Also, she hopes to finally visit the HDCS hospital in Lamjung to encourage the therapist there. We have also been asked by the Baptist Council in Nepal to give them more time to help them in specific capacity development support.

For those that pray:

Please pray for us as we get ready to return to Nepal, specifically for:

the packing up of our home here

the family goodbyes, which don't get any easier

smoothness in the travels and a quick recovery as we return to work (fly 15th, arrive 16th and back to work 18th).

For our work:

Megan in ongoing rehabilitation support and the travels involved to do that.

For the work Alan and team are doing to continue to support all the important work of HDCS and the meetings coming up in September.

Pray for us both for balance with the different demands on our time for our work in Nepal and for the requests for support from BMS partners in other countries that we are seeking to support in their capacity development.

For Nepal:

Please continue to pray for the government that was elected earlier in the year, that they will continue to bring positive changes.

For peace and calm in the country

For ongoing needs in both health and education and the way in which our friends and colleagues are seeking to help bring positive sustainable change.

As always we thank you for your love and support. Do keep us updated with your news and let us know if we can pray for you in any way.

Alan and Megan xx