Information Form for LWMS Mission Trip to Nepal
12-14 days in mid-February 2013

Going to Nepal on a mission trip sounds exciting, doesn’t it?  It will be a rewarding and life changing experience, but it is not intended to be a pleasure trip.  Nepal is a third world country. There is a high level of pollution.  Malaria pills and vaccinations are suggested (cost covered by participant).

You will need to be able to walk about two miles a day on level ground, climb stairs and sit on a carpeted floor during class time. The hotel in Katmandu is used by many European tourists; the one in Dhangadhi is used by aid workers. It is safe and clean, but the bed is the equivalent of padded plywood. The food is clean and safe. Travel to churches in western Nepal will be in a closed jeep or SUV. Roads are bumpy, with many hairpin turns in the foothills of the Himalayas. There will be five to six days of travel time spanning eight or more time zones.  Please prayerfully consider if you are able to physically and emotionally withstand the many hours of travel, jet lag, different food, culture shock, and still perform the duties of teaching Nepali women through a translator for several days. 

Expenses will be covered for two women who are chosen as the official LWMS representatives to Nepal. Pastor Paul Hartman and his wife Carol will accompany the group.  After arriving in Nepal, the first two nights will be spent in Kathmandu to adjust to the time change. To become familiar with Hinduism and Buddhism, the group will visit some of the temples and area sites in the capital.  A two-hour flight will take them to Dhangadhi. The two LWMS women will spend two or three days visiting some of the churches on the plain and in the foothills. The women will then offer a two or three day workshop to Nepali women at the Scripture Learning Center in Dhangadhi relating to Christian education in the home. After teaching the workshop, the LWMS women will return to Kathmandu and fly back to the States the following day.

Items that will be considered in selecting the representatives to Nepal:

• Interest in and enthusiasm for WELS missions and LWMS
• LWMS involvement - congregational, circuit, or international level
• Willingness and ability to present a program on Nepal at fall and spring rallies and the 2013 LWMS Annual Convention in La Crosse, Wisconsin
• Passport required (cost covered by participant)
• Travel experience
• Teaching ability
   

Women interested in a working mission trip whose expenses will be paid and who will be available for presentations should complete the entire application (three pages) and return to president@lwms.org and presidentelect@lwms.org by August 10, 2012.