Submitted by Heidi (Wiebe) Epp, MEI Alumnus (Class of 1996)
I sat on the carpeted backless risers in band class and Mr. Nickel stood at the front and diverged from music lessons, instead teaching this, “If you want to help the world, get skilled.” I heard it. I believed it. And then I made it my own by adding, “If I want to help the world, I will find skilled people and help them.”
Professionally, I’m a business owner and consultant, so when I encountered Himalayan Life I was caught by the skills of the Director (he’s a hydroelectric engineer and theology master) who has spent more than a decade rescuing children from a life on the streets, and more recently has built a recycling facility to provide industry and further education to the children he’s raising up.
I was captivated. Educated people, with real world skills to provide water, education and industry, were DOING it. So, I threw my much less practically beneficial hat in the ring and said, “Take me!” (and they did). I met the kids who are learning to read, who once had no home and now do, ones who were abandoned but now find loving arms, those who were hungry and now are fed. I met children who still live on the street.
While I lack the skills to design or build the schools, while I’d have no hope of restoring broken water sources or building hydro plants to bring power to villages, and while I’m not the one who will lovingly stir the rice for hundreds of children every day, I will not forget that I CAN HELP. We all can. We can BELIEVE that organizations like Himalayan Life are doing life changing work and support them. We can jump into whichever one God brings into our hearts. Mine is Himalayan Life.
Himalayan Life is an organization that provides protection, nourishment and education for the most vulnerable children in the Himalayas. They run street kitchens, day camps, schools, homes, education centers and work programs for children across Nepal. Heidi (Wiebe, 1996) Epp sits on the board of directors for Himalayan Life and speaks on its behalf whenever and wherever she’s asked to.
Photos from Heidi’s Visits to Nepal
Boy in my arms is 4 year old Berus. He arrived at the street kitchen when he was 3, with his 1yr old brother in tow. He’d been begging for and feeding his sibling prior to arriving and now lives in a Himalayan Life home. He is basically always this happy now except for when the big boys won’t let him join their hockey game.
Two teenage girls. Many children in Nepal have severe growth delays due to malnutrition. Himalayan Life is doing what they can to help.
Hundreds of meals served daily.
First day of one of the village schools.
Nepalese children
