When we arrived at National Bethel Academy, the Foresight sponsored school in Trishuli, we were greeted with a special program of cultural music, dance, and skits.  We felt especially honored that the children had devoted hours of practice to produce such an excellent presentation.

Tamang cultural dance

NBA students busily at work in small group activity.

Since returning from Nepal on September 3rd, we have pondered our experiences with a sense of amazement!!  Amazement that young adults, once held in Nepali jails as children of prisoners, are now moving ahead successfully with their lives: one in an MBA program while holding a bank job, another in a Bachelor of Social Work course, several pursuing Information Technology Studies, and more.  What is equally amazing is how they are navigating their way in an entirely new social strata…that of higher education. Many of our retreat mentoring sessions with these young folks focused on learning skills necessary to be successful in this social milieu….writing a resume as well as  preparing for and taking an interview.

Foresight students at work on their resumes.

Yet, more amazing to us is the spiritual maturity of these students. In spite of  the many bumps and bruises these young folks have endured.…poverty, abandonment, incarceration, discrimination…they have extended forgiveness like the character Joseph in the Bible who was kidnapped and sold by his brothers.  Some students acknowledge they are not finding forgiveness easy, but are working toward the “seventy times seven” the Biblical standard for forgiveness.  Joseph’s perseverance through difficulty was another source of example and inspiration for the students.

Leadership exercises were part of our mentoring retreat.

Foresight students enjoy fun team building activities also.