This morning’s visit to Green Pastures Hospital was yet another incredible eye-opener to both the great need and fantastic work being done in this country. Green Pastures is part of the International Nepal Fellowship [INF] work. We joined the staff for their morning prayer and devotion time – some lovely singing and prayer for the work of INF, specific needs of Green Pastures, and some needs of particular patients. Ruth and Salome then took us on a tour round the hospital complex. The main work here is rehabilitation and palliative care for spinal injuries and leprosy sufferers. It was so wonderful to see the workshop which makes prostheses onsite so that patients whose leprosy has led to amputation or disfigurement can learn to walk, work, eat and be as independent as possible. We saw full leg prostheses, half leg prostheses, cosmetic hand prostheses which also have spoon and sickle attachments so amputees can eat and harvest rice. How ingenious! The Director of that section was such a caring Christian man. We saw the physiotherapy hall where a double amputee was working on his walking, and another man severely disfigured from leprosy oiling and stretching his fingers.

Because of reduced funding Green Pastures has to go through the difficult process of reducing their beds from 73 to 40, as well as trimming staff. Please pray that God would continue to provide as He has done for the last 60 years.

Through a donor there is a new ear hospital being built on the grounds to fill a much needed gap in the care of Nepalis who are deaf or have ear infections or other problems. This will include 16 inpatients beds and several outpatient facilities. Gordon Russell is the civil engineer overseeing this project as well as a new spinal cord injuries block being built near the other facilities. Kirstin Hawkshaw, an occupational therapist shared with us her role in overseeing the outpatient care and rehabilitation, including home remodelling to help patients be independent on returning home after treatment at Green Pastures.

Our time concluded with a visit to the Vocational Training Centre where we saw leprosy sufferers and others being taught to weave, sew and create all kinds of handicrafts for sale. We contributed to their project by purchasing a number of items between us. Beautiful handcrafts of bags, placemats, cards, etc. were an absolute delight to see.

Our afternoon was another one of relaxation which was so wonderfully blessed by another glimpse of the amazing Annapurna snow-capped peaks.

Our final night in Pokhara was one of praying and reading the Bible together, debriefing our time in Tansen and Pokhara and eating at another of the many great local restaurants. Such a good time!