Young Missionary Travels to Kathmandu

Dominique Gibson with parents Brian and Veronique

Long-time parishioner Dominique Gibson, presented an informative speech and slide show about his trip to Nepal volunteering with MountainChild.  MountainChild exists for the purpose of raising awareness, resources and financial aid for humanitarian work carried out amongst impoverished children living in the Himalayas.  This organization is urgently working to improve the lives of these children by bringing food, medical aid, education and love to children who have little chance of survival amongst such hostile conditions.

I asked Dominique a few questions about his experience.

How did you hear about this organization?

In late 2011, my friend Cait heard about MountainChild from a woman she met in Assiniboine Park. Nepal had been on her heart for a few years leading up to this moment, and when a stranger approached her in the park and told her she should go serve with MountainChild, a child and family based development agency located in Kathmandu, Cait didn't hesitate to contact her friends to see who would be interested in joining us. After some research and prayer, I decided to go with her to Nepal, along with six other young adults.

What insight have you gained from this experience?

This insight has broadened my view of the world that I live in. Having never previously gone any further than Dominican Republic (on vacation), South-East Asia presented new experiences of culture shock, ethnic diversity and different ways of life. After experiencing the world as through the lens of the poor in the Himalayas, I now see that the world is not as small as I had originally imagined, but I can also see that the world is small enough that none of us have an excuse to not go and help. It is extraordinary that I can get on a plane for just a few hours, and end up in a place as foreign and otherworldly as Nepal, but it made realize that not going to help out with their suffering comes out of a selfish distrust in God.

What was the biggest challenge in this adventure?

Although we were surrounded by some of the biggest mountains in the world, and some of the most difficult trails to trek, the biggest challenge was summoning the courage to reach out and pour a part of ourselves into the inhabitants of the Himalayas. We have almost nothing in common with them, so to try and interact with them in order to alleviate their suffering was extremely difficult. Even with the help of translators, the work of development is extremely challenging and slow in Nepal, which can frustrate even the most committed missionary. It was only by the grace of God that we found the strength to continue to serve in Nepal, even when the situation seemed hopeless.

How has this experience affected your life?

This experience has, as mentioned, changed the way I see the world around me, but it has also changed the way I see my own lifestyle and spending habits. I had previously imagined that I was going to go to Nepal and teach the Nepalese how to live a better life - in other words, how to become more like a Canadian or an American. I was shocked, however, to discover that we had far more to learn from them - although they are "poor," they are rich in generosity and hospitality, partly because they do not have materialism surrounding them on a daily basis. Here in North America, we often insulate ourselves from God and each other with objects and lifestyles (such as being overly committed to work, school, etc.), but in Nepal, they are forced in a simpler lifestyle that allows them to depend on God in ways that we never could.

Will you have further involvement with this organization and if so, how?

My further involvement with MountainChild will involve regular financial contributions, as well as continued prayer. I'm uncertain as to whether or not God will be calling me back to Nepal to serve with MountainChild, but I know that the experiences and skills I gained in Nepal will prove extremely useful as I travel to other parts of the world to do His work.