Home wherever I go 🏡

It was so wonderful to see so many of you in person during the 7 weeks that I was in the UK from the beginning of June until the end of July. I travelled around a lot, slept in lots of different beds and yet felt at home everywhere I went. As I journeyed around, I was struck again and again by what a privilege it is to have community in so many different locations where we can just pick up from where we left off, despite not having seen each other for several years, perhaps, as well as major life events happening in between!

So from Kathmandu to Reading to Wokingham to Samos to Cornwall to Bury St Edmunds to Stubbington to the New Forest to Redcar to London to Bolton to Liverpool to Stratford-Upon-Avon to Evesham and then back to Kathmandu again, I am so grateful, my heart is full.

Spending dad's birthday at a National Trust in Warwickshire

Lunch out in Samos at an incredible fish restaurant!

Reconnecting with Jaz, my old TA and a great friend!

Annalie and family in Cornwall

Megan in North Yorkshire

Lunch with Nana at the local carvery

Leading worship in Nepali during my Nepal evening

So fun having lunch with Bethan and the Jensens

Team KISC at Louise & Parmi's wedding

I love hanging out with Dan and Christie

So good to spend time with the Watsons

Loved getting to play violin in the worship band at camp

Thank you for being family to me and community to me. I love that we get to journey together through life. Very often life is compared to a race and although that is true in some ways, we certainly are called to run with perseverance the race marked out for us (Hebrews 12:1)... it's also more like a pilgrimage. This is something that I have been meditating on recently. Life is not a competition.. there's a walking together, laughing together and crying together, encouraging one another, holding one another up as we push forward together picture that is definitely more pilgrimage-like than race-like! A line from one of the songs we sing at KISC says, "Find a way to show some grace, help your neighbour run the race, put yourself in second place." There's an intentional "second place" that is counter-cultural but so beautiful. Loving God cannot be disconnected from loving, honouring and preferring people. So as I wandered around the UK, by car, bus and train and as I slept in 12 different beds, connecting with so many wonderful people, I am full.

Here's the song linked below, for those who are interested. It's a fun one!

Now I am back in Kathmandu, with another group of beautiful Grade 2 students, 10 boys and 8 girls from 8 different nations, including 5 new students to the school. Please pray that I will be faithful to what God has called me to in each one of their lives and for strong relationships with the students and with their families. It's always exciting to see who God is going to bring into my class each year and what He will teach me through each of these students and their families. There are so many inspiring people in this community with amazing stories of God's faithfulness.

Please pray:

• for me

• for my family

• for my students and their families

• for KISC

• for the recruitment - we still need a Director and a Head of Student Support and there are also other teaching vacancies

• for the youth group that I help to run

• for my house in Bury St Edmunds - some structural building work needs to happen

  
  

  If you feel led to support me financially as I step into my 7th year (!) of working as a volunteer at KISC, you can do so in the following ways:

Hannah's Stewardship Account

 or  Miss H L Stewart

Account number: 00398628

Sort code: 11-08-62

Thank you for loving me and journeying with me - I am thankful for you!

With love,

Hannah