The third stop was Kathmandu, Nepal.
Glenda of Beauty for Ashes, a freedom business, offered to pick me up. I thought she had a car, but did not. She arranged a taxi to pick me up. Peter Kim of Royal Cafe and Restaurant, a missional business, and of a few other businesses insisted to come to the airport. It was a good thing that he insisted because he had a car and he took both of us to the guesthouse, namely Gracemandu.
I came to visit primarily Beauty of Ashes, a freedom business, which was one of the businesses that I consulted at Freedom Business Forum held in Chiang Mai in 2017. The name was based on Isaiah 61:3 and I quote:
"... and provide for those who grieve in Zion - to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor." (Isaiah 61:3)
What a beautiful statement!
I have continued consulting Glenda and her assistant Erica over the year and several months. I wanted to see their operation in action and also follow up on several issues. It was a surprise that Glenda was preparing to leave Beauty for Ashes and was in transition. Well... I had to put on hold potential financial investments and other ministry opportunities until the dust settles down. I attended their devotion and took a tour of the facility. Beauty for Ashes hires approximately 25 women and one man: Santos. He takes care of the finance.
There were a couple of ministry opportunities that the Lord prepared. One was giving a lecture about BAM to Korean businessmen. All came to serve in Nepal. They were called fishermen. Approximately 100 people attended the event and many came to express their appreciation for the clarity in God's Calling in Business as the title indicated. They were engaged primarily in four areas of business: 1) Korean language institutes, 2) hospitality including cafe, restaurant and guesthouses, 3) bakeries and 4) agriculture. We had a follow up meeting the next day and fixed the dates for holding the SfK MBA BCT in August 2019.
Glenda invited me to the weekly prayer meeting of GCC (Great Commission Companies) consisting of business that aim to serve in Nepal in God's name. The prayer meeting was inspirational and uplifting. Right after the prayer meeting, I gave a lecture about God's Calling in Business and several people came after the lecture how helpful it was. General Manager of ECEC came to ask when SfK will host the English program for SfK MBA BCT in Asia. Praise the Lord! I had a private meeting with one of the businesses, Purrnaa, a garment manufacturer on a private brand basis for the marketing companies in the U.S. The gathering was at Hannah's Cafe and Bethel Guesthouse.
Gracemandu was a member of GCC. A couple of Australia was running the guesthouse through a Nepali lady. The room cleaning was weekly so I did not get any room service during my 5-day stay and I had to fix my breakfast using the materials that they provide. The laundry service was inexpensive and needed for me. So I appreciated it. Its value proposition was overall good and I enjoyed the stay. I did not get to see it, but from the rooftop, you could see the snow-capped mountains of the Himalaya. Rosemary, the wife, told me that she drew the snow-capped mountain with acrylic. It looked beautiful. Well... should I try Everest Base Camp (EBC as they call it) trekking?
Royal Banquet and Restaurant, and Nuri Cafe is a missional business. Peter Kim runs this business with Nepali partners. He seems to have learned to work with Nepali business people to overcome challenges that may come from the inefficient government. Nuri Cafe has grown in number to 7 of which 4 are temporarily closed due to a political reason of the partners involved in the ventures. Anyway, it was a blessing to fellowship with Peter Kim over a few days. Also, he opened the first and largest dermatology skin care center in Nepal.
HOPE Bioponics is another missional business and a member of GCC. Bill showed me around how his aquaponics operation works. He is from South Africa and he has been doing this for almost 10 years. He is selling all products without failure and is now ready to duplicate his success with other people. He offers a tool kit and training. I enjoyed the tour and the time together.
Purrnaa is another faith-based freedom business, thus a missional business, and a member of GCC. Corbant started this garment manufacturer and merged with Rick's smaller operation fort the same missional purpose. They employ about 85 women rescued from the sex industry. Their product quality was quite impressive and Rick explained to me that they also use a few professionals on the critical areas, such as design and quality inspection. It made sense. They export their products to the U.S. for now.
They were running a factory outlet store at a reduced price. Its primary clients were expats who want to buy such products affordably. Erica of Beauty for Ashes was shopping.
They were packing in vacuum so that the volume can be reduced significantly to fit any many dolls as possible before shipping.
They try to secure their own land and building to prepare for the expected spike in rent due mainly to the Chinese pouring into the country jacking up the land prices and subsequently rent. Their rationale was reasonable, but the amount was a bit too large. We will follow up. Corban was an instructor at US Air Force Academy, probably after Amanda graduated.
Overall, the Lord blessed me with pleasant surprises of meeting like-minded people unexpectedly. I was greatly encouraged. Besides, He opened the door of opportunities to both Korean and non_Korean entrepreneurs. I look forward to witnessing what He has in store in Nepal. - Jeffrey
