This week God has led me to a sad situation.  A woman who is in her late 20's came to the hospital with her 10 month old son.  This woman is mentally ill and has been in and out of the hospital for the past 2.5 years.  She has no family.  She had the baby with a married man and he wants nothing to do with her or the baby.  Her family does not understand mental illness so she has been beaten and not taken care of.  It is difficult for her to take care of her child.  Some days she wants the baby and other days she doesnt. When she is unwell she has talked of throwing her baby out the window or cutting off his ears.  Thankfully, the baby appears to be healthy.

In Nepal there is no such thing as child protection. The police are aware of her situation but there is really nothing one can do. You can't just take someone's child away.  There is no public social safety net to help this mother or her baby.

The mission hospital has been wonderful and they have been helping her care for the baby. I am trying to figure out how I can help this baby and mother.  I would like to be involved in caring; however, what happens when we leave in December? The baby gets attached to me and then I leave?  This is such a hard situation.  A few times now I brought the baby to my house to give him a bath and I gave him a few of Winslow's clothes.  He also took a long nap on my chest, which was nice.  I'm sure he felt calm and relaxed after a warm bath and fresh clothing.

Today I went to check on the mother and baby.  They have been discharged, but the hospital is allowing them to stay in a small room behind the hospital.  This is a block of rooms where leprosy patients used to stay.  Once I found where this woman is living I couldn't believe my eyes. The room (her home) was tiny! It has a single bed and small stove top with a few pots and pans.  Both mother and baby were sleeping on a mattress with no blanket.  Difficult living circumstances.   I went out and bought some baby soap, baby clothes and diapers. I showed the helper how to bath the baby in a basin and how to use the diapers. I also brought a few toys.  A staff member's niece will be helping with the baby during this week (hopefully longer).  The hospital is seeking to find a donor to pay for someone to continue watching the baby.  The cost- $2.50 per day.  May not seem like much to you and I, but it is a lot for people in Nepal.

Living quarters 

Before a bath.

All fresh and sleepy after a warm bath.

I feel heartbroken today.  I don't know what to do. This is probably the saddest thing I have ever seen.
I went to speak with pastoral care services to find out what can be done.   For the past year they have been trying to create a home for people with mental illness. This woman is an outcast of her community just like the lepers who dwelled in her room previously.  "There came a leper to him" Mark 1:40.  Jesus welcomed the outcasts when others wouldn't.  This home will be located just outside the hospital to welcome the outcasts.  They would provide these people with a small job, vocational training if feasible, spiritual support, a nurse, food, clothing, water, etc.  Funding has been an obstacle.  The pastoral care team has put together a thorough and efficient proposal.  The goal as of now is to find funding for one year.  The budget for everything would be roughly $10,000.  This includes the building, rooms for 6-8 people, food, clothing, bedding, kitchen supplies/appliances, telephone, rent, nursing care and an administrator. Sometimes the greatest pain of illness (particularly mental illness) is rejection and abandonment by family and friends.  This Christian home would be a safe community for mentally ill people.

Donation directions. It would be easiest to go through the hospital website.
 www.tansenhospital.org
On the left click "supporting UMHT"
On the left click "donations-financial and equipment"
On the bottom of the page "Giving financially-US residents"
There are a few methods for donations.
Please email Tansen.umn.org.np stating that this money is for pastoral care services. "New Life Rehab Center"
You can also email me to make sure everything went through. Andrea.kane3@gmail.com

Thank you so much for your time.

If you or someone you know what like to donate please contact me via Facebook or at andrea.kane3@gmail.com.  Every penny counts.  

We have been away for about a month now. In some ways it feels as though the time flew by and others ways it feels like we have been here for a long time.

We seem to be adjusting more every day. I have been working at the hospital 3 days a week for 2 hrs at a time. This week I will be starting to work at the children's library on Thursdays from 4-5pm. My job is to teach the children from town English. They are younger/school age so we will be doing fun activities.  I went to check things out yesterday and I was showered with an assortment of beautiful flowers that the children had picked for me. I think they are excited to have a new teacher. ;)

So far, I have really enjoyed my time at the hospital.  Its much different than the hospitals at home.  I work in the pediatric ward. There are 60 beds. About 7 beds to a room, some beds are even in the hallway.  Their only entertainment is each other and the 1 toy that they get for the day. That's my job. I do toy rounds! Its really quite fun.  I go around with a cart full of toys. Each child chooses which toy they would like for the day.  I am very impressed with the toy selection they have. Most all the toys have been donations but they really have an impressive amount to choose from. They also have a play room, which I work in 1 day a week. We do art projects, play board games, there are a few trikes for the kids to ride on and lots of toys. Things can get a little chaotic in the play room but its fun.

My favorite thing about people from Nepal is how kind they are. I have been to other parts of the world and people can act greedy (in an "every man for themselves") kind of way. When I walk into the room with my cart of toys. The parents and children sit and wait patiently for their turn to choose. And they are SO appreciative.

There seem to be all kinds of reasons for hospitalization. The majority of the kids come in through trauma. Arm fractures (from climbing trees/hills), and lots of burns.  The burns usually come from falling into a pot of boiling food, milk, water.  Its the absolutely saddest thing I have EVER seen.

I had my first Child Life intervention yesterday. An 8 year old boy came in after bumping into his mother who was holding a pot of boiling milk. The milk poured down his chest, causing 3rd degree burns.  So yesterday I was doing my toys rounds and I heard this boy screaming and crying. It was a painful cry.  I went to see what was going on. This 8 yr old boy was sitting, naked on a little stool in the bathroom while his mother and aunt were gently pouring water on the dressing which covered his chest. They were trying to peel off this dressing to air out the burn and put more medication on it.  I can honestly say it looked excruciating. Immediately, tears welled up into my eyes. I wanted to stop it and take the pain way. I said a quick prayer to myself, croutched down at his level and starting singing "twinkle little star". His crying dyed down and he looked at me. I then asked the Mom to stop and wait for 5 minutes. I then ran as fast as I could back to my house (which was all uphill). I grabbed my "go to" child life distraction tools; my light up wand, bubbles, and squish ball. I ran back down to the hospital where they were waiting.  I gave him the squish ball and we alternated between the light up wand and blowing bubbles (blowing bubbles are helpful for people in distress because it helps them to take deep breaths).  I sang every song I could think of for about 50 minutes. Then finally the last of the bandage came off.  I could tell that we all felt the relief.

This intervention went well but it was hard for me because I spent the rest of the day reflecting on how it could have gone different/better. Why was the mother taking off the bandage and not a nurse? Where were the pain meds?? Why was water the only substance to help pull back the gauze? Why wasnt a coping plan in place?? I have a lot to learn about the hospital and I want to be respectful and not try and run in and change things right away. This can be a challenge.

Winslow continues to be a show stopper around Tansen. People know his name wherever we go. Last week we walked into church a a group of ladies, whom I had never met yelled out "Win!" Needless to say, Winslow is not lacking any attention. ;)

Photos!!!

Ryan, Win and I went for a 5 hour hike last weekend! Incredible views. We hiked along the mountain side and then down, into the valley. We ended at a delicious restaurant called Rose Resort. We sat in a garden. There were 50 different kinds of roses! 

Taking a little snack break on our way down the mountain. 

My Sound of Music pose. ;)

Win loves to carry a stick when we hike. He holds tight even while he sleeps. 

Terraced fields of rice!

Life, thus far....

                                                 Breathtaking views from every direction!

Before leaving on this venture, I went through many emotions and sometimes felt a sense of guilt. Worrying if I was doing the right thing for Winslow and how it would impact our family. The truth is, it was probably the best thing I could have done for all of us. Winslow is learning a new culture, seeing people of a different ethnicity, and eating foods that he would not have in America.  The people here adore him! Its been a blessing for me because people are drawn to us (to Win, not me). People approach us and initiate conversation because of Win. Also, I find myself venturing out more, taking walks, which I may not have done if it were me, alone.  Winslow has opened doors for our family. We have met many people and seen many things because of him.

Life is slow in Nepal. Some days feel long for me. This has been the most challenging aspect.  There is not a lot on our daily agenda. There isn't a Target, Mall, not many restaurants, few commitments. It is good for our body, mind and health but it sure is an adjustment.  Sometimes I feel like I should be doing something more but then I remind myself that it is okay to just be.

Mommy challenges!!
***Having to boil the water before giving Win a bath. The water here is not good to drink, I don't want to take any risks. When Win splashes in the tub, water gets in his mouth. I also bathe him twice a day-Winslow is crawling EVERYWHERE and he gets into EVERYTHING.

***Laundry! We do not have a washer or drier. We are lucky, Meena washes our clothing; however, with all the moisture in the air the clothing takes days to dry!  We hang them outside but it can rain at the drop of a hat so some days I am literally running outside to grab the laundry before it gets wet again!!  It sure makes me think twice before throwing an item of clothing into the laundry basket.

***Cloth diapers!! The reason this is a challenge is because the cloths takes a very long time to dry before we can use them again. They do sell pampers at the market. A bit pricey but I might give in soon.  I told myself I would give the cloth diapers some time to grow on me. ;) Time will tell!!

***Win has not been sleeping well since we arrived. Naps are going great but he has been waking up several times a night.  This is very unlike him. Not sure if its all the changes, teething, ears (with the high altitude) or just comfort. We have done what I swore I would never do. We brought his crib in our bedroom!!! It has helped a bit.  I think him knowing he is close to us is comforting for him. If any one has advice on this topic- please contact me!! I dont have access to any sleep books.

***Being flexible. Since becoming a mother I have noticed that I am a bit more controlling. I like to think of it as being protective ;)  I have to surrender and go with the flow. As mentioned above, people in Nepal LOVE Winslow. Everyone wants to hold him, touch him, pinch his cheeks. In Kathmandu, the servers at the restaurants would hold him and play with him while Ryan and I ate! It felt weird at first but it was sort of nice.  At first, it would make me a little upset because I didn't want Win to contract any germs but there is no two ways around it.  Win loves the attention and it hasn't seemed to affect him, health wise.  The kid has zero stranger anxiety! Not sure if that is good or bad. ;)


I have been thinking about what it is that brings a person happiness. I thought about the old saying, "nothing good comes easy".   I correlate this to having a baby.  The challenges of being pregnant, the labor and then comes a beautiful baby-happiness. I relate this to our time here in Nepal. For me, there have been and will be challenges. But this time and these challenges will shape me into a better person; wife, mother, daughter, sister and friend.  Though its hard. It is good to challenge ourselves.

Nepal is sort of a throw-back.  Our milk is delivered to our home every morning. Meena brings us fresh fruits and veggies, daily.  On friday, at the market I did not have enough money and they told me I could pay next time.  AND if I call the market ahead of time, I can place a delivery order. A man will fill a large basket with our groceries and bring them to us!! I tried this once. I asked for 4 chicken breasts and they brought his 4 packages of hot dogs!!! Still learning.

Good thing I just started language lessons!! A tutor comes to our home twice a week and teaches me how to speak Nepali.  This has been great because I am learning how to communicate some with Meena.  Languages are so tough but I am trying really hard. The Nepali people really appreciate when foreigners try. Ryan is also taking lessons. We do separate lessons as he wants to know more medical and I want to know more household.

Saturday is a holy day in Nepal. No one works. It is a day of rest. Sunday is like our Monday. Weird for me!  Last Saturday we went to church. The service was beautiful. The first hour was music and worship. I really enjoyed this part. The second hour is the sermon. A pastor from Australia came to give the serman.  They also had a Nepali interpreter.  The serman was about marriage what it takes to have a healthy marriage. It was nice to reflect and remind myself how to be a good wife and how Ryan can be a good husband.

This time has been great for our marriage. Like I explained, there are not a lot of distractions so we really get to focus on us as a family.  In the evenings, we sit, drink tea, talk, read books, study the language, journal or watch movies. Its very nice.

A few photos of our life in Tansen.

Watching Tom & Jerry with new friends.

MoMo making party. MoMo are like pot stickers. The mission families gathered to make veggie, and meat Momos. So YUMMY!!

Walking to church. This is the view from every road. 

Sorry for the long winded update!!!

Thank you for reading!!!

We have arrived!!!

We have arrived safely in Tansen. We moved into our apartment yesterday and it is beyond what we have ever imaged.  Our home is very spacious and we have a panoramic view of the mountains. We are living above the clouds!! In the morning, looking out the window we see white below us, surrounded by a shore of mountain peaks....people call it the "white lake".  With the heat of the day the "white lake" disappears to reveal the valley below.

                        We took this photo on our hike.  The building is where we live. Below are the clouds!!! Just below the trees is the hospital. I will upload some hospital photos soon. 

Ryan, Win and I went for a morning hike. Just outside our home is a beautiful hiking area.  We hiked for about 2 miles-the most beautiful sites I have ever seen. Everything is so green and the air feels so pure. This morning the skies were clear and we could see the Annapurna mountain range in the distance-mountains towering above the other mountains.

                                                                   6am Hike!!

In our building are 4 other missionary families. All have been here for a few years. The missionary families are here from Norway, India, Sweden, USA. All have multiple children.  Winslow is the youngest. We are going to start a play group for the young ones who are not yet in school.  

Win enjoying some crackers in his newly painted highchair.

The mission hospital appears well organized and equipped with patients lining up out the doors.  We will be learning much about it over the next months here. 

The people of Nepal are very kind and have big hearts. They LOVE babies! Winslow gets all kinds of attention where ever we go.  He is called Babu-Win which means baby boy win!

Today, Ryan has a hospital orientation. Tomorrow he will just fly right into it. The hospital seems to be very busy. I have decided to spend the first few weeks making our home a home and helping Winslow get back to a normal sleep schedule and daily routine.  This past week has been tricky with the 10 hour time change.  Overall, he is adjusting well. It just takes time.  Now that he has a crib, sleeping will be much better for him.  

It appears cooking taking quite some time here. We are not supposed to drink the water so all of our fruits and veggies have to be first soaked in iodine.  And washing dishes, baths for Winslow need to have boiled water. Everything is all washed by hand. So as you can see, its a process.  We have a woman named Meena who is our Didi. She comes to our home to help me with household chores, laundry, cooking and childcare.  She does not speak English and I do not speak Nepali so we have to work out a system. I already feel very blessed to have her help. Today, she is taking me to the market to buy some food and things for the home. 

Once I feel settled and Winslow is comfortable with Meena, I plan to do some Child Life work in the hospital. There is a pediatric ward.  I have spoke with the Pediatric Physician and a few nurses and they love the idea of Child Life here. I hope to put in a few days a week and even do a few presentations, teaching the students and nurses some Child Life techniques. 

We have all remained healthy so far. Please continue to pray for us and the people of Nepal.  

Thanks for reading!!

The Countdown Begins

This summer has been by far, the busiest of summers!  It has been jam packed with family, friends and lots of fun!  Here is a recap:

Ryan graduated from the Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Program! Wahoo!! Ryan took his boards a few weeks ago -- a big relief for all of us. We moved in with my parents and our renters moved into our Uptown house. Living at home has been a huge blessing. Did I mention my younger sister, Gina (22y/o) is living here too?  We are having so much fun. Its nice to have the help and support with Win.  Initially, when we found out that our renters needed to move in a month earlier, we were a little disappointed but it has been so wonderful. If we had waited, we would now be scrambling around getting the house packed up and not enjoying the summer.

In between preparations; completing vaccines, target runs, packing and re packing we have managed to have a little bit of fun. :)

                                Visiting Ryan's parents at their lake home in Alexandria, MN

                                                Eating sherbert and soaking up the sun :)

                                            Trip to the Black Hills for the Koch's wedding!

A bit of clarification for our readers: On Monday, August 6th we leave for Nepal. Nepal is located above India. We will be in Nepal until December. Then we will be headed to Zimbabwe, Africa from December until May.  Winslow and I have decided to come home a month earlier so that we can make it to my sister, Natalie's wedding in Palm Springs!!! Cannot wait!!  Winslow will be the ring bearer and I am a bridesmaid.

As I mentioned in a previous post, we have packed two separate shipments.  One for Zimbabwe and one for Nepal.

Our things for Zimbabwe were sent in a large shipping container full of medical supplies.  It left from Nebraska last week and is scheduled to arrive in about 4 months.  I pray that everything makes it okay.  

It was very nice to have our things sent a little early. This took much of the load off. As you can see in the photo below I have sent several dried food, muffin mix, spices, etc.  This will really liven up our food ;)

                                                           Winslow helping me pack

                                             Food, toiletries, my clothes and Winslow's clothes. I have never been brave enough to do cloth diapers but that's what we will be switching over to!! Thanks to a few good friends who have shown me what Im doing. ;)

Signed, Sealed, Delivered!

Family Update

First off, I have to apologize its been so long since the last posting. The past weeks have been chaotic. Quick family update.

 I have resigned from working as a child life specialist at Amplatz. I am now a full time mommy and the president of team Horazdovsky ;) My new role consists of packing the entire house. I wish I was just packing once but to make it extra special I am packing 4 separate groups. One for the house (things we won't need and will put in storage for a year). One for my parents (our renters move in on June 30th so we are living with my parents for the month of July). One for Nepal and one for Zimbabwe (it makes more sense to send separate loads for travel purposes and Winslow will be wearing bigger clothing by the time we are in Zimbabwe. So there you have it. 4 loads!!

Packing for Nepal and zim is so tricky!! How on earth does one pack for 5 month increments? I keep telling myself, "think minimal". God bless my mama!! Im grateful for my mom because she has come over several times to help me out. It's tough to pack with an 8 month old. And my mom is so positive...good to have her around. And God bless Melissa, my girlfriend who is taking Winslow today so I can make some un interrupted progress. Thank you Melissa!! Winslow has fun at Melissa's. she has 2 kids and watches another baby as well. They all play well together. I always feel at ease when win is at Melissa's. :)

Ryan has just one week left of residency!!!!!!! I could scream with joy! I have only known Ryan as a resident so it will be interesting to have him not working 60 to 90 hrs a week. I can't wait!! Though, he will be taking the boards on July 12th so please say prayers for him as he prepares these next weeks.

I must get back to packing now. I PROMISE to post about Zimbabwe, Africa soon!

Thanks for reading!

A Few Steps Closer

As I sit here, drinking my coffee, the house has never seemed so quiet. Winslow is napping and I honestly don't think I have ever appreciated silence like this. Today I have been reflecting on the past few months and I can't help but feel emotional. We found people to rent our house!! We couldn't be happier with the family. Proof of how God works in mysterious ways.

 Here is the story. About 2 months ago I was home with Winslow on a Wednesday afternoon. I decided to take him down to the playground at Lake Calhoun, which I hadn't taken him to yet as he was too young. I thought maybe he would enjoy seeing the ducks and going on the swing. Well I put him in the swing and about 2 minutes later a woman put her child in the swing next to Winslow. His name was Fin. Then her mother in-law joined. Here we are 3 ladies oohing and ahhing over our babies in the swings. The mother of Fin asked introduced herself; "Hi, Im Andrea". I said, "My name is Andrea too!". She then asked, "do you live in the area?" I replied "yes, just a few blocks away. You?". Andrea stated "no we are just in town for the weekend. We are from Omaha. My husband, John has accepted a Pulmonary Fellowship here and we need to find a place to live." I quickly explained to her that we were looking for renters for the next year while we are overseas. I told them all about our house while Andrea's husband was running around lake Calhoun.   As we got to know each other I couldn't believe how much we have in common. This family just seemed so nice and wholesome. It seemed too good to be true. Taking a risk, I asked if they wanted to come and take a look at our house. Well they took one look at our house and felt it was a perfect fit!!  So there you have it. The house is rented to a wonderful family and we are one step closer to moving! I firmly believe that God was guiding us and he orchestrated that entire event at the playground.


This past week Ryan, Winslow and I had our travel clinic appointment. We were there for a total of 3 hours!! Our Doctor, Dr. Stephen Swanson was fabulous and very knowledgeable. He grew up as a missionary child and he himself has taken his 3 children all over the world, including Africa.  This was comforting to hear as a mother. He was very excited for us. Dr. Swanson had a lot of great input and very encouraging stories.  Ryan and I both had 4 vaccines. Winslow had 2. We have to go back 2 more times to complete the series.

Here is a photo of Winslow and Dr. Swanson. Winslow really wasn't sure what to think.  He was a rock star though. He sat in Ryan's lap for his shots and I sang him his favorite, "baby beluga". :)


I have also put in my resignation notice at work. For those of you who don't know, I am a Child Life Specialist at the University of MN, Amplatz Children's Hospital.   Its bitter sweet for me because this was my first job. And I ABSOLUTELY love what I do.  I am hoping that when we come back I can work one or two days a week.  Im working 20 hours a week now and I find it to be the perfect balance.  My last day at work will be on May 31st.  I will be spending the month of June packing and tying up loose ends.  John's Fellowship begins on July 1st so we have to be out of our house the last weekend in June.
 
Where will be live for a month before we leave??? Hello Mom and Dad!! Thats right, we will be moving in with my parents for the month of July! My parents are looking forward to having the extra time with Winslow before we leave.  We will also be spending some time at Ryan's parent's lake home in Alexandria. We want to make sure everyone gets in their Winslow time!!

Well, that's all for now.  We will be writing a post soon on Zimbabwe, Africa.
Thanks for following!!!