You never know when life is going to throw you curveballs. They can completely turn your world upside down and leave you unsure of how to proceed in your life. At the age of 57, Kathryn Lowe found herself struggling with declining health and going through a divorce. After a suggestion from her sister, she hesitantly agreed to a trip to Nepal for a hiking adventure.
Lowe said that before she left on her trip, she had written out her will. Her thoughts were that she would establish a life in Nepal or, in her words, “quietly fall off the side of a mountain.” Nepal is an environmentally unstable country, and it is fairly dangerous to adventure around. As she sometimes hiked 10-hour treks, she often wondered if she could complete her journey and also her life. She had a lot of encouragement from her sister and the guides and was able to complete each day’s hike. One night as she and her sister geared up for the next day’s hike they got food poisoning and had to stay in the village of Lukla for several days. Here is where her life started to turn right side up.
She spent time getting to know the people in the village and learned about the dire education situation in the village. She heard that the family that owned the lodge they were staying in were garnering philanthropic support to help improve the situation in the village. She decided she wanted to help their efforts.
Many impoverished children in the village can’t afford education. The story that touched her heart was when she heard about a child who was turned away from education because his parents couldn’t afford the $15 a month it cost for education. He begged for education, but the school couldn’t accept him.
She initially sponsored classes for some of the destitute children. She quickly realized that the students were not the only ones struggling with resources. The school was also struggling under the pressure of supporting all of the students. They had no permanent place for their students. Kathryn then decided to set out to build them a school. She purchased land with her savings and other donations from friends and family. With the help of those funds, the community, and as she said “a lot of prayers” a new schoolhouse was built. The future of the children once they graduate is uncertain. Since there is no university nearby many will have to travel, and some say they just want to be parents who can help educate their children. She says that the education they are currently getting is helping to improve their outlook and confidence. The children are eager learners and often travel several hours to school each day.
You never know when your life will be turned upside down, but you also never know what will turn it right side up. Kathryn went to Nepal, uncertain about her plan for her life, and found a new purpose. Many kids will now have an education thanks to her generosity.
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Source: Good News Network
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