UPDATES FROM FR. JOE THALER May 14-17, 2015

May 14, 2015: Tents Everywhere—Visiting Folks Along The Way

$Description: C:\Users\hbrown\Pictures\Nepal\SILAS AND GOING AROUND VISITING RELIGIOUS HOUSE.jpg$ $Description: C:\Users\hbrown\Pictures\Nepal\TENTS EVERYWHERE.jpg$ You will notice me on my faithful 185 Honda Trail bike along with Fr. Silas. Fr. Silas is the Vicar for the Nepal so we moved around visiting various places like St. Xavier’s School in Godavari and the Cluny Sisters and meeting and talking with the folks. Both of these places appear to have sustained serious Earthquake damage and not so much clarity yet on what the future of these building will actually be. With the earth still so unstable it is not really reliable to make an assessment of any building except for the “present moment” because the next moment you just don’t know!... So many people are now living in tents due to fear of another earthquake or because they no longer have homes to live in.

$Description: C:\Users\hbrown\Pictures\Nepal\families and friends on the other side of the street.jpg$ May 15, 2015: Nepal continues to experience tremors/earthquakes, in fact there was one just this very second! These happenings continue to send people out into the streets if they are not there already. It is very unsettling for everyone here, as the best we can do is take a second at a time…

$Description: C:\Users\hbrown\Pictures\Nepal\two friends living in a tent with 24 others...jpg$ $Description: C:\Users\hbrown\Pictures\Nepal\armed police taking down a house.jpg$ So today was a day of two sides of the street and then what is found within the midst of it all. Kind of like the lotus that emerges in the muddy pond. On one side of the street are the Nepal Armed Police moving along the road with long bamboo poles bringing down any structure that is already about to fall. On the other side are the families and neighbors that once lived in these homes or close to them and I cannot even attempt to comprehend what their feelings must be at this time. Then somehow in the midst of all this is the “lotus” that arises in the form of the two young friends who have lost their homes and are living in a tent behind them with 24 other people but at least they have each other, their families and a beautiful smile to share that would brighten up any day, at least it did mine!!!

$Description: C:\Users\hbrown\Pictures\Nepal\RETURNING HOME IN ICHOK.jpg$ $Description: C:\Users\hbrown\Pictures\Nepal\GRATEFUL TO MARYKNOLL FOR ALL THE SUPPORT..jpg$ May 17, 2015: Ichok VDC: Among the Tamang community… Over the last couple of years we have been running a number of programs in this area as it is considered a very poor area of Nepal…. Over 103 people died in this area and much of their food, clothes and planting seed are buried in the fallen homes. So very soon after the quake the people from Ichok had already made contact with Maryknoll seeking our assistance and already noted their needs to be rice, chana, lentils, rajma, sunflower oil and salt. Gopal and Shailee (Maryknoll Office Staff) have been very busy working with the local VDC, the people of Ichok for the smooth and efficient relief work and the delivery of supplies. We are already moving along on the next step of “transitional housing”… The rebuilding of lives and homes and entire villages will happen. Thanks for all your prayers and support that move us thru each day…

Blessings, Joe