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November 22, 2010

Aasha Tree (Tree of Hope) 2010 Christmas Box Project

EquipNepal's annual Aasha Tree Christmas Box Project: Since the Christmas season is fast approaching, we are promoting our 8th annual Aasha Tree Christmas Box Project for the children, staff, pastors and evangelists we work with in Nepal. Each child and elderly gift is $15 (there are over 400 children and elderly). Their gifts will be purchased in Nepal (clothing, art supplies, sweets). Each staff member, pastor, and evangelist gift is $25 (cash for them to spend on whatever they need or want); there are over 150 adults. Some of the ministries have special projects they would like to give to, also.We need about $11,000 to accomplish this. There hasn't been a year yet when the Lord has not provided what we needed, mostly from small donations!

Consider giving a donation in a friend or family members name! I can send out a gift card (let me know the name and address). We need to receive the funds by December 8 so that we can wire them to Nepal by December 10.Please send your contributions to EquipNepal, 2632 Ranchette Road, Billings, MT 59105 with a note, Aasha Tree. You can also donate via PayPal from our web site (we pay a fee). 100% of all designated donations go to the designation, and you'll receive a tax receipt in January. Please e-mail the amount youre sending so that I can keep a running total of whats coming in.

Sign up for our e-mail newsletter to receive updates (click here)! Thank you for being James 1:27 people for those who serve the Lord in Nepal! You cannot imagine what it means to them!

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." -James 1:27 (NIV)

If you have any questions, please write or call.


April 2010

Missions Trip Report: Answers to Prayer

Bud and I returned from Nepal in late March (our fifth trip in 9 years). Our hearts were full to the brim with the joy of seeing all the children again (theyve grown so much, in so many wonderful ways!), reconnecting with the ministries we work with, and simply savoring not only the beauty and treasure that Nepal is but Gods goodness, truth, promises. We hadnt been to Nepal since November 2005 because of my health (I had a kidney transplant in March 2007); we patiently waited for the Lord to bring about the right time to go again. Finally, my nephrologists at Billings Clinic and Mayo Clinic, along with the Travel Clinic at Mayo Clinic, okayed my immune system ready to go! Im immunosuppressed because of the kidney transplant, but my dosages are low enough that Im not as much of a germ magnet as I was initially.

Thank you so much for praying for us before and during our trip. I will write a more detailed account of our trip in our next newsletter (December), but I want to share here some of the highlights from our trip, based on our prayer request list.

• Safety and health (my compromised immune system) and protection from spiritual attacks: Bud and I got some kind of intestinal illness while we were in Hetauda, and the Big D was pretty miserable, but we overcame it. Unfortunately, when we got back, I had to take anti-bacterial (Flagell) which made me sicker than then illness I took it for, but I recovered eventually. The assurance of all the bugs getting flushed from my body helped. My kidney function wasnt affected and I felt reassured that my immune system could handle a trip like this again. We definitely felt your prayers continually in so many situations, and know that He directed our paths. Thank you, Lord!

• Smooth connections on our flights: Cramped seats, impolite flight attendants, the longest flight weve ever had (15 hours), long layovers, way too many TSA complications and shenanigans in Delhi and Kathmandubut, yes, relatively smooth! I got to lean on my best friends shoulder on every flight, we didnt have much turbulence, and we caught all our flights with no problems.

• Political peace (no strikes, as they mean closed roads, shops, transportation, and schools): There wasnt anything too obstructive this trip. Wed love to take the bus from Kathmandu to Hetauda sometime again like we did on our first trip, but we did what we were advised and flew on Buddha Air (20-minute flight), as the Maoists are stilling causing some problems on the roadsides. While we were in Hetauda, there was a strike (bandh) called by a some kind of group so no vehicles (including rickshaws) were allowed on the road; however, we enjoyed the walk to BCH from Babu and Sabitris home, kids segueing into our midst along the way as they were coming home from school. Happy day!

• Open hearts for what the Lord has for us while we're there: Nothing on a trip, whether it be a vacation or a missions trip, goes as wed like it to. Flexibility is important. We were able to pretty much go with the flow, even though it wasnt always what wed like it to be. I have a tendency to be optimistic when it comes to whats possible vs. whats necessary.

• $1500 for Jan's airline ticket: Thank you, dear friends, for your generous gifts!

• $700 for BCH's 15th anniversary celebration: Again, our thanks and appreciation! The party was so much fun and filled with such joy and celebration. It was held in the main meeting hall at the new BCH campus in Hetauda. Almost 20 pastors joined together with us, along with all the children and some community members, to celebrate the work the Lord is doing through Babu and Sabitri. There were over 200 in the small meeting hall! They founded and direct 2 childrens homes (numbering 105 children); founded and teach at Hetauda Evangelical Seminary; and foster 14 church plants, missionaries, and evangelists. It was a most incredible experience to see the children taking maturing roles in the church and BCH: leading worship, playing instruments, singing, giving their testimonies, serving, and exhibiting the joy of the Lord. We brought a beautiful plaque to Babu and Sabitri, commemorating the event. Both Bud and I were honored to be asked to speak at the event, along with several pastors. I spoke of how we met Babu and Sabitri, and the journey weve been on as their partners over the past 9 years. I also was lead to speak directly to the children, encouraging them in their education and in their walk with the Lord to remember that He has a plan for them (Jeremiah 28:11). Bud took time to thank so many of the celebrants (particularly pastors and ministry leaders) for their encouragement and involvement with BCH. He also gave Sabitri and me beautiful jeweled flower pins (very touching!), and gave recognition to those who have been huge supports to BCH over the past 15 years. Then we shared a wonderful meal, served by the Bible school students. One of the highlights, for sure, was after the celebration. During load-shedding that night (electricity, from hydro, was off 16 hours a day), there were a few bare bulbs kept on by a generator in the meeting hall. The boom box was going with some happy praise songs while some of the girls performed some dances and sign language along to the music. Boys were doing somersaults and flips. Kids were snuggling in our laps or near our sides, laughing and talking. It was as close to heaven as Ive felt so far in my life! Oh, and to top it offwe had ice cream!

• Coordination of our schedule in Nepal: We had a very tight schedule, and it was definitely difficult, but we were able to visit all the ministries we work with except BCH-Raxaul, India (the border town of Birganj was too politically chaotic to try to attempt crossing over) and our new partner, James Varghese of Indian Rescue Mission. We stayed in Delhi and James tried to meet us, but our transfer from the airport to our hotel took too long so we missed seeing him. I was really disappointed, but there wasnt too much we could do about it. When we got to Kathmandu, we rested and then met Babu the next day. Interestingly, he was accompanying Pastor Binky and Tony Graham back to Kathmandu, as they met their flight back to Alaska. They had been teaching at the Bible school for the past several weeks. Binky and Tony, along with their church, In His Shadow Ministries, have been BCH supporters for years, and it was definitely a God Thing that we got to meet! We toured the Hindu and Buddhist temples, shared some meals and laughter, and did a little window shopping with them before they left.

The next day we flew down to Hetauda with Babu. We were greeted at the new BCH campus by children with beautiful bougainvillea leis, tears, and hugs. It was so wonderful to spend time with Babu, Sabitri, and all the children for a good chunk of time (7 days). Of course it was not enough, but we are looking forward to many more trips. We spent a day preparing for the celebration: decorating, planning, and practicing. We got to meet the new children, and catch up with the older ones. We handed out gifts and candy and lots of hugs, and shared many stories of their sponsors (whom they are very curious about and want details which, sometimes, I am really short on!). I was very touched by their love for us all, including so many of you! Once again, I was also struck by how happy the children are despite them having almost nothing in earthly things. In Jesus, they have EVERYTHING. A good reminder. He is all we need!

While in Hetauda, we stayed with Babu and Sabitri at their rented home a few blocks away from BCH. They live there with their children, Benson, Blesson, and Sweetie, and a rotating group of their BCH kids so that they can spend some individual time with them. It was so wonderful to have evenings together to catch up. During the day while the children were in school, we kept busy: we traveled by Jeep to Ikchung (amazing to have a road there now!) to have chiya with Old Pastor and his wife, and visited the church and the new village school; toured the Bible school; drove to Chitwan reserve where we road an elephant through the jungle (loved it!); helped prepare for the celebration; and did a little shopping with Sabitri (along with a fun trip to the tailor for new saris and punjabes for me). After the children came home from school, we spent time with them, one of our favorite things to do. On Saturday, we went to Babus church and listened to him speak. All of the children were at church, too. That was a change, since in Birganj, the church building was too small, so the children had to take turns going to church. When we returned to Kathmandu for three days, we visited Childrens Home of Love, Bethesda Crafts (handicapped ministry), Hope for Nepal Childrens Homes in Sanepa and Godwari, Bill and Janet Ashwell (aquaponics/farming self-sufficiency trainer and teacher), Flowerblossom Home (a delicious dinner with Beni Karki and family), Rob Piaskowski, and Rainbow Films Ltd. offices (where many steps of the Nepali Christian TV programming of Happy World and New Life take place). It was so sweet to see all the children, some of them performing charming skits and songs for us and presenting us with small bouquets of posies.

Our new friend, Badhri, was my companion on several of these trips by cab (when Bud stayed back to rest), as well as some shopping side excursions into the Real Kathmandu. I love wandering through the markets in the early morning when people are setting up their wares. The sights and sounds are so beautiful. People opening the intricately-carved wooden doors of their shops. The swoosh of brooms, as stoops are swept for shoppers. Children moseying to school, talking amongst themselves. Dogs lying lazily in the dirt. Baskets being pulled out from inside to the side of the shops, brimming with color fresh vegetables, legumes, spices, and Himalayan salt. The ring-ring of rickshaw bells as the drivers start their search for riders. Ladies in flowing saris, holding their shawls close to keep out the cold of the morning. Gentlemen sharing small, steaming hot glasses of creamy chiya on the street corner, discussing the day. The cool darkness of the narrow streets and the bright warmth of the market areas. The time went by too quicklybut we are already planning our next trip, very thankful for this time to reconnect with good friends, gain more perspective and clarification on what role the Lord has for us, and refresh for our mission: to proclaim His Word and empower His people. What a privilege. Thank you for being a part of it with us.

• Wisdom and discernment for our meetings and the giving that the Lord intends: It all worked out! I agonized a bit over how I would arrange all I had (or thought I had) to do while we were there, but (as usual), all I could do was what I could do. The Lord directed it all. And it was good. We didnt have a lot of funds to give away, but what we did have, we knew He was faithful to show us the right time and place

• Rest for Bud, as his job has been very stressful and he needs to rejuvenate: He slept and slept and slept! And we enjoyed just spending time together, walking the streets of Kathmandu. He also loved playing with and visiting with all the kids. I am so proud of how he mentors the older boys, giving them advice and perspective on their futures.

• Heirloom garden seeds (hybrids don't produce seeds for the next season, but they are still welcome): A sweet young lady (age 12) from my Sunday school class brought us some packets of seeds! I was so blessed. We gave them to a pastor in the foothills.

• Contributions of new or used (or $$ to purchase) stuff to bring for the children: Thank you to all who gave money toward, or sent or delivered items for us to bring! The children loved the soccer balls, clothing, candy, small toys, school supplies, toothpaste, and games. It was so thoughtful of you to take the time to share.

I could write for pages and pagesbut this will have to do for now. I still hope to post photos so that you can better picture what our trip was like! Please check back soon.


February 23, 2010

UPCOMING MISSIONS TRIP

Because of my health, we haven't been to Nepal since November 2005. I'm happy to let you know that we're leaving for Nepal very soon (for details, you can write me personally)! We are so excited to see our friends and all the children after so long.

Communication about Our Trip:

There's a couple of ways you can keep up with us on our trip.
1. I've set up a Yahoo! group, so if you'd like to stay in touch, please sign up. It's a moderated, private group so you'll have to go to http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/equipnepal_missions and ask to be invited OR send an e-mail to request an invitation.
2. I've also set up a blog.
We'll try to post something every few days, as electricity and time allow.

Prayer Requests and Needs for Our Trip:

  • Safety and health (my compromised immune system) and protection from spiritual attacks
  • Smooth connections on our flights
  • Political peace (no strikes, as they mean closed roads, shops, transportation, and schools)
  • Open hearts for what the Lord has for us while we're there
  • $1500 for Jan's airline ticket
  • $700 for BCH's 15th anniversary celebration
  • $750 for activities with the children's homes (ice cream parties or something similar), gifts for staff
  • Coordination of our schedule in Nepal
  • Wisdom and discernment for our meetings and the giving that the Lord intends
  • Rest for Bud, as his job has been very stressful and he needs to rejuvenate
  • Heirloom garden seeds (hybrids don't produce seeds for the next season, but they are still welcome).
  • Contributions of new or used (or $$ to purchase) soccer balls, jump ropes, marbles, card games like Uno or other small games for 4 or more children (including older ones), barrettes and hair ribbons/ties, toothbrushes, toothpaste, large bags of candy, watches (for Class 10 and older students), balloons, stickers, small crayon packs, pencils, erasers, sharpeners, etc.
  • Shorts for boys (good condition, age 4 and above), boys and girls underwear above Toddler sizes

Aasha Tree (Christmas Box) Project Report

Our annual fundraiser, Aasha Tree Project, was completed in mid-December. Thanks to your giving and your prayers, we were able to send over $9600 to Nepal for purchasing Christmas gifts for all the children and staff.

19 days + countless prayers + $9600 + 72 donors = 648 smiles

Aasha Tree provided gifts for:
• 368 children, 189 staff and ministry leaders, and 63 elderly/students/teachers
• Including 10 children's homes, 2 Christian schools, 13 teachers, a Bible school, 19 pastors, many Christian workers and missionaries, a home for the disabled, 13 Nepali seminary families in the Philippines, 2 Campus Crusade for Christ workers and families, 2 homes for children of prisoners, 1 YWAM-KTM family, 1 rescue ministry family in India, and 2 YWAM School of Hindu Studies staff


November 28, 2009

Aasha Tree Project Benefits the Poor and Needy in Nepal and India

By Janis E. Viren, President/Executive Director, EquipNepal
Special to ASSIST News Service
Read this Article »

November 24, 2009

Aasha Tree (Tree of Hope) 2009 Christmas Box Project

Every year for the past 7 years, we have promoted a special Christmas project. In the past, we have made gifts for all the children and sent them via FedEx (free of charge). The past few years, however, we have raised money to send to Nepal, and then the directors of the children's homes and ministries use the funds to purchase Christmas gifts there. The children usually get new clothing and shoes and some treats and art or school supplies, and the adults receive cash to spend on what they need. We wire the funds a couple of weeks before Christmas so that the shopping can be done.

Just as we did last year, we are collecting $15 for each child or elderly gift and $25 for each adult gift (staff member, pastor, and evangelist). Several of the children's homes and evangelists have others they would like to give to (such as a very small children's home or some poor and needy in the community, and we trust that we can collect enough for these projects as well. Last year, we collected over $12,000.00 for this project, and it was such a blessing to disburse the funds. God is good!

In total, we need about $12,000.00 again this year by December 9, 2009. This amount will cover the gifts for over 350 children and over 150 adults. I need to wire the funds on December 11, so please do send your donations as quickly as possible. You can send a check or money order, or you can pay via PayPal from the button below (however, with PayPal, we don't receive the entire donation, as they keep a percentage).

Donations can be sent to EquipNepal (2632 Ranchette Road, Billings, MT 59105) with a note attached ("Aasha Tree"). I will keep you updated as the funds come in. Also, please send me an e-mail, letting me know your pledge so I can keep track of what is coming in. Donations are tax-deductible, according to IRS regulations, and you'll receive a receipt by the end of January. 100% of the funds will go to the project!

If you would like to give a donation to Aasha Tree in the name of a friend or family member, please send me the name(s) and address(es) of the recipients, and I will send out a card to let them know of your gift!

Also, if you would like to collect funds for Aasha Tree at your church, workplace or school, I can quickly send some donation forms and gift cards for you.

In a few days, I'm going to start sending out some photos and stories of how Christmas is celebrated in Nepal, for your enjoyment and blessing. This is only the second year that Christmas has been an official holiday in Nepal, so it's quite exciting! Join our email list to receive updates.

Thank you so much for your support of this project and for your prayers.

If you have any questions, please write or call.

November 25, 2008

Aasha Tree (Tree of Hope) Christmas Box Project It's TIME!

Every year for the past 6 years, EquipNepal has sponsored a special Christmas project for the children and staff in the children's homes and other organizations we work with in Nepal (six children's homes, an elderly home, and several organizations who work with self-sustaining agricultural and community projects and empowering widowed, abandoned, and rescued women and girls).

In the past, we have made gifts for all the children and sent them (free, thanks to FedEx). As the number of children grew, we switched to raising funds for new clothing and sweets, and wiring the funds to Nepal just before Christmas so that the shopping could be done there.

We are collecting $15 for each child's gift and $25 for each adult's gift (staff members, pastors, and evangelists). Something that blesses me is that several of the children's homes and organizations have others they would like to give to (very small children's homes, poor and needy in the community) and we trust that we can collect enough for these projects as well.

We will need any donations by December 7, providing for over 300 children and about 100 adults. If you would like to donate toward this project, we would appreciate it so much!

Please send all contributions (check or money order) to EquipNepal (2632 Ranchette Road, Billings, MT 59105) with a note ("Aasha Tree"). If you send me an e-mail letting me know of your contribution, I will keep you updated as the funds come in. You can also donate by PayPal, but then we don't receive the entire donation, as PayPal keeps a percentage.

If you would like to give a donation to Aasha Tree in a friend or family member's name, please send me the names and addresses, and I will send out a card to let them know about your gift.

100% of your gift goes to the project. Your gifts are tax-deductible according to IRS regulations. You'll receive a receipt in mid-January.

Thank you for your support.

February 2008

EquipNepal has an office assistant, Rosemary

What a blessing to have Rosemary in the office with me on Mondays for 5 hours! Rosemary is from Zimbabwe, and she is a prayer warrior, has a great sense of humor, and is one of my best friends. Im so thankful for her help. Since just before the transplant, I have been going the proverbial two steps forward, one step back. With Rosemarys help, we have developed a working philosophy: in Zimbabwean, it is Zvishomanana (English for little by little). And so it goes. About two thirds of her monthly wage has been covered by a donor, and we are praying for the remaining $100, plus an additional day per week, as the Lord allows ($250 more a month).

December 5, 2007

Aasha Tree (Tree of Hope) Christmas Box Project

I am thrilled and thankful to report that we received all the funds we needed for our Christmas Box project - and (part of the story...) clearly more than I thought we needed! First of all, I estimated the amount, going by what we wired last year and adding a little more. It turns out - as "God Things" do, many times - that I estimated very low but God came in just right and MORE! We needed about $7000 in order to take care of all the children's, staff, and others gifts - and the Lord brought in just over that at $7480.24. There were over 100 contributors, including a children's church, two youth groups, two classes from a Christian school, and several companies. If the faucet hasn't stopped flowing yet, please know that these extra funds will all go to Nepal in the next wires. Our givers - YOU - were so generous. I know for many of you it was sacrificial, and many of you took the time to write notes of encouragement. Many of you prayed, and I thank you for that also! You are all truly great, long-reaching branches in the Tree of Hope.

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-22)

Because of your generosity and faithfulness, we were able to give $15 (instead of $12) to 260 children, with which clothing and other gifts will be purchased in the next couple of weeks. We were also able to give monetary gifts ranging from $15 to $25 to 86 staff, and 62 others (including women, elderly, Bible students, teachers, widows, and some special ministry projects for the poor that were on the hearts of some of our partners). Aasha Tree has contributed to Christmas gifts for 6 children's homes, an elderly home, 12 churches, a Bible school, two Christian schools, Studio TEN, Rainbow Films Nepal, Guardian Village Homes, The SEED Project, our nursing scholarship recipient, and Nepal Campus Crusade for Christ, as well as several individual missionaries. Lord, You are amazing!

From all of our partners in ministry, I thank you for making their Christmas brighter! You have given toward gifts to those who serve the Lord in Nepal, and the poor and needy - and these gifts represent the greater gift we have all received and celebrate in this season of joy - the gift of Jesus Christ and eternal life with Him.

Thank you so much for contributing and praying!

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:27

April 25, 2007

A teenage boy was injured when a bomb exploded at the Grace English Boarding School in Birganj, Nepal on April 25. Mukesh Karki (15) sustained leg injuries and required hospitalization. An activist group known as the Nepal Defence Army (NDA) has claimed responsibility for the bombing. They also attempted to destroy a bus on the property. The boy required surgery and has recovered. Thank you for your prayers! More information

March 5, 2007

Janis Viren, President/Executive Director of EquipNepal, had a successful kidney transplant at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. She has had kidney disease for 34 years, and required hemodialysis for only 3 weeks, thanks to her sister, Christy, of Bellevue, WA, who donated a kidney to her. What an amazing gift of life! Jan and Christy are both doing very well. Thank you all for your prayers!

More information:
KidneySisters Yahoo! group (Jan and Christy’s transplant journey)
Northwest Airlines’ WorldTraveler inflight magazine article
Cook County News Herald (our hometown paper)

For information on living kidney donation, check out:
National Kidney Foundation
The Mayo Clinic

January 2007

EquipNepal is now a registered corporation in the State of Montana!

October 2006

EquipNepal has moved from Carlile, Wyoming, to Billings, Montana! Bud was offered an engineering position with Bull Mountain Coal Company, with opportunity to join a team building the first underground longwall coal mine in Montana (in Roundup, just north of Billings). He lived in Billings at a residence hotel from January until recently, when they purchased a home there. While their house was for sale in Wyoming, a huge fire (started by lightning) burned 16,000 acres of Ponderosa pine forest, including their 5 acres…but NOT the house! And the Lord provided a buyer for their home AFTER the fire! God is so amazing! The Virens trust that the Lord has a plan for EquipNepal in their move to Montana. They look forward to what the Lord is going to do in Nepal through the people they meet in the Billings area and the continued support of current supporters all over the United States and Canada.

May 2005

The imprisoned couple - see below - was released after 13 days in jail, due to lack of evidence. Praise God!
Thank you for your prayers! Special thanks to Voice of the Martyrs (Canada and USA), Wyoming Senator Craig Thomas, the U.S. State Department, Mission Network News, Jubilee Campaign, Open Doors USA, and all other organizations who have helped in some way.

4/28/2005

A married couple that runs two children’s homes was imprisoned on April 27, charged with forced conversion. We don’t know how long the imprisonment will be (we have heard from 3 days to 3 years) but we know that their faith in Christ is strong and that they are in His hands. Pray for them and also for the 77 children that are very worried about their auntie and uncle – especially their two boys and an infant who only knows them as her parents. Pray also for the staff that is left behind to take care of all the duties associated with this situation, and their church family who miss them. Pray also that they will be given favor and released very soon.

4/25/2005

Because of Maoists threats, private schools have been unable to open for the spring term in Nepal. Schools that have dared to open have been bombed or burned. Pray that the Maoists cease their threats to schools and school children, that the enemy will lose its hold over people, that the kingdom of Nepal will gain equilibrium, and that peace will prevail. Pray also for wisdom for the king, who basically fired the parliament and suspended most civil rights as of February 1, 2005.

Answers to a prayer: January 2005

Land purchased for a new school building for Grace School, Biranj

Prayer: Please pray for the Lord's provision for funds to purchase adjacent land next to the children's home in southern Nepal.  $12,500 is still needed.  The land owners are giving the pastor first chance on purchasing the land for a set price but only if the entire amount is available.  The pastor was told that if he can't purchase the land soon, it will go to another who will pay a higher price.  This land is greatly needed for a school, church, and vocational operation.

Answered Prayer: Babu was recently able to purchase a 10-catta plot of land for a new school building! Thank you for your prayers and funds for this project. If you'd like to donate towards the new school building, please contact Jan Viren.

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