When boarding a plane, the destination is always clear. In fact, it is usually blared out to the entire concourse in huge red letters above the gate. Omaha, Nebraska. Portland, Oregon. Phoenix, Arizona. But for Abbie Hanawalt, the letters didn’t spell a typical vacation spot in the United States. Actually not even a regular vacation spot out of the country. They read New Delhi, India, the first international stop on her way to Nepal. Hanawalt was embarking on a mission trip with 15 other members from her youth group. They knew where they were going but none of them had any idea how much it would truly change their lives.

Hanawalt spent some time touring Katmandu and numerous other locations in Nepal. She had the opportunity to be immersed in a new culture and town with a different religion-Hanawalt even remembered locals worshipping shrines on many street corners. The women of Katmandu plant rice and work to raise and support their families. They wear traditional dresses (called “Punjabis”) and paint on their heads, and eat rice, noodles, beans, curry, and soup. The men in Katmandu, however, are different. Hanawalt said that some “don’t do anything,” and are dominate and put first in their society. “It was weird to see people trusting in empty stones (idols) and to see the man’s role in their society,” she recalled, “I was even taller than most of the guys there.”

Although this culture shock was a huge part of the trip, Hanawalt described her time in the children’s home and at the youth conference as the most rewarding. When her group arrived at the children’s home for orphans they were welcomed with a song and a bouquet of flowers. These children came to the home, “received a Christian name” (biblical names appointed to each member of the group, which was common practice of that particular Nepali home), and were taught to speak English. Many games were played and stories shared with these kids throughout Hanawalt’s time there. “A hug was always the way of greeting. I enjoyed that. These kids treated you just like family, no matter who you were.”

Esther, a woman at the children’s home, also became a major part of Hanawalt’s experience. Esther committed time consistently to have spiritual as well as personal talks with Hanawalt, and even referred to her as “Abbie sister.”

Nepali youth live in a world with a small opportunity for good education, something Hanawalt quickly learned after attending class for a day. “A lot of times, teachers just didn’t show up and students were left to teach themselves.”

The Youth Conference, called Think of Your Future and attended by Summitview Community Church members and Nepali youth, was held at the hotel Hanawalt and her group was staying at. According to Hanawalt, this was an experience for Nepali youth to come and learn about Christianity and their ability to carry it out into their country and the world. Hanawalt described the event activities as encouraging unity amongst these teens and helping them be the first young adults from their home to get a good education and to have the opportunity to learn about Jesus. In the end, this Nepali destination turned into a lot more than a place on the map for Hanawalt. “I feel like a totally new person. I realized that we have so much and they have nothing yet they are so much happier than we are.”